We are surrounded!!

School's closed till Saturday...

San Diego schools closed for today & tomorrow...

Official cancellation of classes for today...and tomorrow...

In some ways...it's pretty exciting...

But it's also really scary knowing that right this minute, houses are turning into ashes, people are losing their homes, families are evacuating...

Homes that are 20 minutes away from us are evacuating. I just hope we won't be the next ones...

This is getting scary....>.<

Life with Food again!

Shopping for food finally!

Our first dinner after stocking up on food!

The fridge is now full!

...the cupboard as well!


Ou dinner...

Life is so much more better with food in the fridge and cupboard! We are now having sumptious dinners after stocking up on food! We were definitely starved with no food in the kitchen previously...

My Ekphrastic poem

It's amazing how recognition from people can really brighten up your whole day...

Poetry was never my field of expertise. It really scared me to write something for the class...
and then undergo the evaluation by each of the other students and the professor.

This is my first attempt in writing an "Ekphrastic poem" - vivid description of art using poetry.

I thought that it was crap when I handed it in since this was my very first time, and the words that I used were all really simple and easy. I didn't even rhyme that much. However, the evaluation for my poem today really caught me off-guard. My classmates liked my poem!!
I was shocked AND suprised AND pleased... It really feels good to be recognized...

So for those of you who are interested in what I wrote...Here's my poem...

***

The Evaluation

Things seemed different with a man in the room,
But things still seemed the same.
The wash of greeen and the smell of wood,
the music and twirls were familiar.

Around the walls of green they stood,
waiting patiently for their turn.
Their girl had to be in spotlight, to stand out in the crowd.
At least leave an impression they said,
"You are next in line...ready, go!"

In the heart of the little ones,
they would never think it was their only chance.
On the beat their feet will prance,
to the music their heart will dance.

For leisure, for fun but not for fame,
That man in the room, they forgot his name.

Thus was Degas' Dancing Class,
waiting in line for the Evaluation.

Happy Mid-Autumn...=)

美國...
沒有月餅
沒有蠟燭
沒有人賞月
沒有人玩燈籠
也不會有人猜燈謎
更不會有人知道是中秋節

第一年...
中秋節
不是與家人及親戚過

今天...
與平日沒甚麼分別
節日裏應有的那點熱鬧
似是給遺忘了

晚上回家的時候...
抬頭一望
月亮的確好像比平常大了一點，
圓了一點

遲來的

中秋節快樂...

Apple

Is it because...
I'm beginning to become Americanized,
or is it just because I'm surrounded by it everyday??

I'm beginning to fall in love with iMac...

Almost EVERY American has an iMac!!
It's an American thing!!
It's pretty unbelievable...

I'm using the Mac computers everyday in the library now...
I love the wash of black and white...

And the new iPod Nano...!! It looks so nice...

Oh wells...let me dream on...it's expensive...!!
But it feels less expensive when it's in US dollars...
Maybe that's why I want to buy it....

iPod Nano costs only $150...

And I just got to know that they both originate from California...
What a coincidence...
Maybe that's why San Diego is flooded by it...=P

Francais...and Poetry

Another long night of tackling French,
a stack of exercise awaits.
It seemed so much better than the week before,
what a naive wish to create.

Les adjectifs, les verbes spread across the page,
petite, jolie, grand.
Chercher, aime, deteste, desirer,
there's just too much...my God!

It's driving me nuts,
I want to give up.
Whatever sounds right,
I'll just make things up.

Hang on a second,
am I talking in poetry?
But I guess it's good influence,
...good heavens! I'm crazy!

Why remind me of poems,
when there's so much to do.
Tonight's focus is on French,
not poetry, you fool!

Francais and poetry,
they fill up my brain.
My level's just elementary,
Oh, when will this end?

~Alice Chui

***

在此獻醜了...

My sudden urge to play with words...
Not the best poem in the world...but hey! I tried...

Inspired after I took my French exam...
Must have screwed it up totally......=P

French is beginning to get soooo hard...
It's a love/hate relationship...

...and it's BACK to poetry tonight...

SIGH.

2nd Weekend in San Diego

It's really amazing how weekends can be completely different from the weekdays here in San Diego.

On the weekdays, it's all about getting to classes, doing homework and coping with revision that needs to be done...but on the weekends, it's about going out, having fun, shopping and trying out different things all over San Diego.

No one would be thinking about school or classes or homework...it's almost like holiday during the weekends...

Friday afternoon - 7th September 2007

My flat mate and I have been yearning to go to the shops for so long,
we could not resist not going out on such a nice Friday afternoon...
so we made a trip to Fashion Valley on our own...
Introducing my lovely German flat-mate, Anna...

...and her new pair of sunglasses...

I didn't buy much apart from a tank and a top.
The things are much too expensive here.
I couldn't bear to spend so much when I know I can get it at a much lower price back in Hong Kong...
I really miss Mongkok...

Saturday night - 8th September 2007

Obviously, weekends means getting out of the house and having dinner downtown or some other place...
So a bunch of us went to "The Cheesecake Factory" at Fashion Valley on Saturday night...
You are right...the CHEESECAKE factory!
Mind you, it's not a bakery...
It's a really famous all over California...they have really fabulous dinners...
AND OF COURSE...cheesecakes which are aboslutely AMAZING and mouth-watering...

Sunday night - 9th September 2007

We brought food to a neighbour's house and had a good meal of pasta (made by me ), omelette rice, salad and chocolate brownie!

***

And FINALLY...after so long...
introducing my flat-mates...
Alena, Anna, Alice and Anna!!
The 4-As of Villa Alvarado!!!

Classes I'm taking

People have been asking which courses I'm taking...
It was not really confirmed until before this weekend started...so here are they...

1) ENGL 280 - Introduction to Creative Writing

I never thought I'd be taking this class coz I was terrified by it...
I have no imagination!
My writing is lousy, how can I compare with the locals?!
Where will I get my inspirations from?
How can I cope with the massive amount of homework it might bring?
(I already received homework assignments before class even started )
But since I've arrived at class from the first day, I am in love with the class...

The class is really small, around 20 people and it was really interactive...
everyone would raise questions, give insightful comments and critique meaningfully all the time!!
I felt really out of place in the beginning coz there seemed no way I could compare...
but I ended up staying coz I really didn't want to leave.
I learn so much from this class!
And exchange is all about jumping out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself isn't it?
So I'm doing this class no matter what it takes!

2) DANCE 100I - Beginning Modern Dance

I've been hoping to get into this class since I've seen it in the courses...
Who would think that you can dance AND get credits at the same time??
(Even though its one credit...)
This is just sooo cool! I'm taking this for pure fun and enjoyment...

Modern dance is really different from Jazz...
it's more expressive and has lots of ground movements...but I'm up for the challenge!

3) ENGL 401 - Childhood's Literature

You know I love reading...you know I love books...
So there's absolutely NO WAY I wouldn't be taking this course!!
And I get to read Harry Potter as well!!!

Weirdly though, this is not a course for English Majors...everyone can take it...
And I was so amazed in the first lesson because people were giving really insightful ideas about the children literature we were reading...and they weren't even English majors!!
Another challenging yet cool class that I have to tackle...

4) CFD 135 - Child and Family Development

This is really solely for interest...I figured that the class should be interesting...
I've always loved things that has to do with child psychology...

5) FRENC 100A - Elementary French

I've always wanted to learn French but I could never get the chance to do so...
Learning a new language always seemed so hard for me...
The first class was really a little bit frightening coz the professor was speaking in French the WHOLE time...
I was TOTALLY clueless as to what he was saying...
Had to keep looking at the person next to me (coz she had taken a little French before) to figure out what the professor was saying...
I was pretty terrified that everyone would know what the professor was saying coz they should have taken French in high school but THANK GOD it was a beginner's class and other students didn't know French as well...
SUCH a relief...
I have to do well in French!!!! I love the language!!

***

So that's it for this semester...that's all the classes I'm taking...

Emotions - Ups and Downs

Labour Day weekend ended on a great note with me webcam-ing with Bianca last night.
It was our first time doing it and I loved it!

Two people, two different places...but you get to see and hear each other all the same...



A silly picture Bianca took of me...
See the difference?It's night time in San Diego but afternoon in Hong Kong...

***

The day started out nicely even though I had to wake up early to finish my French homework...it's nice to finally be able to understand some things spoken in French...
I was like CLUELess before that...

And then I had dance classes in the morning...
Nice to break out in sweat in the morning...
Modern dancing is COOL...

But then...bad luck fell upon me...I was supposed to be going to a class (I was thinking of dropping...I can't make up my mind if I should drop it since I really like the professors) but on my way there, my bag felt like dripping water...

I was totally astounded...I didn't bring cold water today so there shouldn't be any water dripping out of my bag...

So I sat down by the sideway and looked into my bag...and I found out that the cap of the bottle of water I brought had came off!!

ALL the water had spilled out!!!

I had to take out all my books and notebooks and drain my bag of the water...What a mess....
My books were wet, my pencil case was wet, my wallet was wet...

It's a good thing my bag was of good quality...otherwise, it'll definitely be ruined...><''

Talk about bad luck...
BUMMERS...

And I ended up not going to class...because I took so much time drying my stuff...=.=

Campus and Apartment

24th August 2007 - Orientation Day

People from all over the world...

Different languages...
Different accents...
Different cultures...

Roomates from Sweden, Germany and Australia...

Too many people
Too many faces
Too many names

&...the campus is HUGE
There'll be NO doubt that I'll get lost in my first few days...or even weeks...

MY CAMPUS

Taken before 8 in the morning when it's less hot and sunny
And no people around...

The blue blue sky...

And finally...STARBUCKS on campus!!

When BEYONCE came to hold a concert at our stadium...

People were all so dressed up to watch the concert
Especially those from fraternities and sororities...

Villa Alvarado....
the place where I live...

My apartment...
The Kitchen...

And my room!