Thursday, August 30, 2007

Nobody Likes a Know-It-All

A year removed from high school and some people have yet to learn the lesson that “nobody likes a know-it-all.” I officially started my classes this past Monday, most importantly meaning that Summer is officially over. As per tradition, I donned on the same black backpack I have used since sixth grade, I stocked plenty of blank notebook paper, and I printed out my schedule of classes. When I get to campus it's one of lecture, followed by another, followed by a break, just short enough, that it's not worth it to go home, then I attended another lecture, then, finally, a discussion section-- all before 3:00. I finished my first day by clocking into work on the busiest day in the store's history. I went to a friend's place and came home, for the first time since waking up, around 11:00. I went to bed, knowing it would be similar on Tuesday.

This is where the “know-it-all” bobs her giant, knowledge filled head to annoy me just enough to blog about it. The instructor asks one question and she answers proudly. The instructor asks the next question, and without even raising her hand, she answers confidently. “Ok,” I think “she is just enthusiastic.” The next question, she gives an elaborate response with some personal anecdote that I know no one in the class asked for. The instructor smiles and continues with the lesson then asks another question. “What, a different person is answering the question!” Finally, a voice different than the high pitched screech of the know-it-all. I listen on attentively to my fellow student, when suddenly, in the middle of her answer the know-it-all starts its mating call “well actually...” I wouldn't have put the ellipsis , but to be honest, I don't know, nor do I care, what “Kia” said next.

By the end of class she was so proud of herself, it was almost pathetic. This girl probably lived her entire life this way. Trying to prove her intellectual worth, day in and day out, even at the expense of her fellow classmates. All for what? A pat on the head and a paper certificate beautifully stating how wonderfully brilliant she is? It wouldn't have been so bad had she been witty, funny, or at the very least, easy on the eyes. I probably sound ridiculously judgmental, but hey--she's the one still acting like she's in high school.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

My Homey

It's been over two months since I officially moved into my own place and started “playing adult.” However for the first few days after moving in, I was sleeping on a friend's air mattress. The first few weeks after moving in I was sleeping on my Ikea bed and either squatting or sitting on my knees in order to use my desk. After a six-week long, much-needed vacation from Berkeley (which I will save for another blog) I finally got the rest of my stuff and necessary furniture to make my room feel like home.

In the first few weeks I felt as though I did not belong in my apartment, but rather, I was simply passing by, temporarily living in a space until I found a more permanent dwelling. I was in limbo, even with my six megabits per second cable internet connection (and I am the kind of person that thought all I needed was an electrical outlet and an internet connection to be happy.)

This past Tuesday, my mom and I drove up to Berkeley to drop off the rest of my stuff in my apartment and buy more necessary furniture, just as shelves/dresser and the all important desk chair. My clothes are all put away and my other accouterments are in the process of being organized. This entire experience had me thinking about what home feels like.

To be completely honest, I believe the feeling of home can be boiled down to what sheets you sleep in. They are the last thing you feel before you go to sleep and the first thing you feel when you wake up. Last year, since I lived in the dorms, I had to get completely new sheets from those back home (due to the strange bed sizes in college dorms.) Needless to say, my college dorm never felt “homey,” due to many factors, one being foreign people breathing the same air as me while I slept. Now I have a bed size similar to the one I had back home before I started college and I can use the sheets from my bed back home on my bed in Berkeley and to tell you the truth, I haven't slept better in this city.