AJ: October's still going Strong. Will I?

The days are getting shorter and it's getting colder, darker, cloudier.
It's only mid October.

A lot of things have happened so far. It started out warm, the first days of October. But for me, I guess it was just the opposite of that.
It was crisis in my apartment. I knew living with two other girls would be much more drama than I was used to. I'm an only child, the only drama I get in my room are myself freaking out and basically any Korean soap opera that I manage to find.
I knew the first day of freshman year, it was going to be different. I've survived with Jordan and Angela through fevers and colds, their boyfriend and job crisis, the death of a coach, so many things. But this time, the matter seemed smaller in comparison, the trouble seem to double.

My roommate had a fight with her parents- a big fight. Tears, anger, resentment, pure antagonistic feelings. As one of my best friends here in Berkeley, I knew her pretty well so far. But I've never in the four hundred and sixty some days I've known her to act like I saw her. For nearly a whole week,the stressed out, nerdy, yet optimistic girl who stayed up late to study suddenly stayed up to watch all the episodes of Death Note in one night. For a week, she slept in until one o'clock and skipped morning classes. She spent that weekend playing DDR for hours and dragged me with her.
The most traumatizing was when she retreated from a state of rejection and depression and went into passive aggressive anger. As far as to nearly declare legal separation from her parents. I really didn't know how to handle with that.
One depressed roommate. The other, helpless,and down to her toes stressed with a 3 midterm weekend, just like me. Twas a dark week indeed.
I'm very thankful I have two roommates instead of one. Someone to talk things over, to team up and help.
We settled that week with a short heart to heart discussion, a makeshift fort, hot chocolate, two hours of Christmas songs and a batch of s'mores. Girl's night through and through.

Past three midterms, more midterms.

It's time to review my wushu forms for collegiates. One Bio lab midterm, a lab dissection, and the colder October days are coming.

Yesterday, was my first gospel choir concert. Spiritual, tiring, nervous and exciting. I sang my loudest, and still it didn't compare to those who really knew what they were doing. But it was okay, because it was really about being together and singing and feeling the music and the spirit. It didn't feel like a concert; it felt like we were all just singing together for the fun of singing. The sound, the spirit, the rhythm just made everyone want to stand up and dance.

Then, I went back to freeze on my roof. Walking 20 minutes up and down hill in heels and a dress, I ended up on my roof, in 50 degree and wind, holding an umbrella and lights for my friends' cosplay "Knite" photoshoot. The costumes were beautiful, and my friend, Ryan, is an exceptional photographer. The night shots turned out ethereal. A hand, to all those secretly, crazy, amazingly talented people out there- and yes you're included, Anna, Jessica, Heaven, Zach, Yvette, Emily, Eric, Irene, Sarah, Lexi,Janelle,whoever reads this blog still. You guys are amazing, in my mind.

Now I'm back to studying, stressing, cleaning.
I have the rest of the month to get by.

Zach: Best Day Evar

Just wanted to keep you guys updated I guess.

Classes and work are gong fine. Midterms next week. Slow time at work, they are having to make up things for me to do, like shred documents from the early 80's and take down expired posters around the law school.

This weekend is parents and family weekend, so you guys should basically be here right now. The food is always better at parents and family weekend, even though the food is pretty good for college anyway. Although I am a few points behind my scheduled point value thing, which just means quesadillas for lunch, but who doesn't like cheese in a tortilla?

Today I went to a corn maze, well kinda. I went to where it was, but instead of leaving at 3 like I was supposed to, I left at 4 because when I went to my car, my gps was stolen and my battery was broken so I waited around for AAA to come and got a new battery.

I went to the corn maze, when I got there my friends decided to stop doing stuff and we just went and ate so I didn't get to do anything at the pumpkin patch because no one else wanted to do anything.

I had to rush away from there to go to my concert that I had to play at for ten minutes. I called up my friends because I was supposed to join them back at the pumpkin patch/corn maze, but when I called them they said they were leaving and were coming back to campus so I was just going to wait for them. Of course they didn't show up for an hour and a half, but they didn't both to call to say that they were going to Dairy Queen and Value Village, which I wanted to go to with them. So yeah. I just was sitting around for an hour and a half just waiting for them.

Best Day Evar.

Scribble.

Hope to hear from some of you soon.

Anna: Sunday, the preliminary Monday

Short update. My life is schoolschoolschool a little MUN here and there, and then more school. Exciting news though, Invisible Children is coming to campus thanks to yours truly! Yay for political and humanitarian awareness. My next project is a Girl Effect event

(www.girleffect.org)

but that one is much more obscure as to what exactly I will do for it. Eh.

The rainy weather is officially here and I cannot wait until I have enough time to curl up in my favorite downtown coffee shops with Fatima Bhutto's memoir Songs of Blood and Sword. I met her briefly when she gave a reading at Powell's and she is beautiful. She instantly became a rolemodel for me, and she signed her book for me! Squee!! My first autographed copy of a publication!

I am content. Much more blocked off from life than I appreciate, but I'm not clawing my walls in desperation or sobbing on my bathroom floor. Its progress. I resolved at the beginning of 2010 that I would not waste a second of life or breathe to anxiety or depression. Yes. I like the wetness of the rain seeping into my bones and the taste of coffee at six in the evening as I gear up for another all-nighter.

Once-a-week tango equals love. I was going to go to a huge milonga this weekend but....my professors had other plans. In other news, I am creating a new blog devoted to Portland. This will be pictures, writings inspired by my wanderings, stories people tell me. I have never loved a place as much as I love it here, so I find it only natural that I pay tribute to it in my small way. Follow it if you want. Don't if you don't want.

I need a job. I can't find any decent postcards. I saw a dead rat on the street earlier this week. Fridays have become my Saturdays, Saturdays my Sundays, and Sundays my preliminary Mondays. I miss you, friends. Much love.