Read Reid's Blog

January 27, 2004

I seem to write less in my journal now, but I think it’s the result of forgetting things after I read Andrea’s and Eric’s.  They always update before me, well, Andrea especially, because of her being at Wash U and two hours ahead and all.  But, although I think I have a lot to say, I might have to call it quits because my throat is getting scrathy.  Curtis had come back from his fencing trip sick, and a girl on the second floor has bronchitis and other people are getting somewhat ill, so I guess I’m just another victim.

Before I forget – a random occurence.  Yesterday, I walked in the bathroom, and I hear a voice coming from the stalls.  I thought, oh that’s all right, because some guys usually like to talk while they shower.  But, it was coming from the toilets!  Turns out, one of the guys on our floor was on the phone with someone while taking a crap!  How gross!  I did my business and left quickly, feeling pretty uncomfortable.  Gosh, if anyone talks to me while they’re on the crapper, I will never talk to them on the phone again. 

Anyway, Spanish was cool.  We’re learning (well, relearning in my case…for the third time hahah) how to name parents and relatives.  For our homework assignment, we had to make a family tree.  It was cool to draw mine out, looking at what my family is and who is part of it and all.  Plus, I got to write in Austin Nakamatsu, who of course graced the world with his presence last March.  So, it’s writing into our family tree a new member.  I think that’s cool.  It also made me think about my family – how the tree will continue with another person and link me up to another large family tree.  Then, children and their husbands and wives (oh yes, I’m going to have like 20 kids hahaha) and so on and so forth.  Then, my sister too.  That was something that made me ponder for a bit.

So work today was kinda boring.  The copy machine was out of control, getting jammed all the time.  I should preface my issues with the copy machine by explaining why I had to use that blasted piece of technology.  So Amy, one of the coordinators, asks me to remove the staples from a two page document that’s stapled together and one sided.  She wanted me to photocopy those documents two-sided, too save trees and also save some space in the application folder.  So, I did the most mundane task ever.  I removed 189 staples and then copied the other part of the document on the other document, making twice as many copies as before.  I hope that makes sense when I read this again.  If not, the point was, having that little hole from the staples made the machine go crazy sometimes, causing the paper to get jammed a few times.  Luckily, I learned how to fix all sorts of crazy paper-jams from our stupid copy machine at Ladue when I would copy thousands of pages of evidence for debate.  Anyway, I pulled out different parts of the maching, removed different drawers, pulled up certain parts, found the crumpled up paper, and copied and copied.  Then, since there was nothing else to do, I left work one hour early.  Time sheets were due today, and since I already wrote down I was staying until my regular time, I asked Kristina what I should do about that hour.  She said “Don’t worry about it.”  Haha, a free hour of pay!  What an awesome job!

This evening was pretty quiet.  I read a lot out of the Takaki book we’re reading for Asian-American history.  I just read the chapter on Japanese-American immigration – it was definitely interesting because I could picture my family experiencing some of the racism that existed.  Plus, many of the Nissei (second generation) said they experienced discrimination in the school yard - it reminded me of my days in kindergarten and first grade when kids would always ask why my eyes were slanted and if I spoke Chinese and how long I’ve been in the United States.  Kids are cute, but gosh, they’re so ignorant.  In some ways I’m glad I was asked those asinine questions – it made me tougher and it taught me a lot about people and about assumptions.  I’d like to think I hold everyone to equal standards, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation.  What really pisses me off these days are those jokes against women.  It just entrenches stereotypes – and I guess I really don’t like stereotypes.  Besides the dumb women jokes, I’m glad I haven’t had to experience any of the aforementioned things at Stanford.  This place is so wonderful – with it’s diversity. 

Sometimes I feel lost, like after leaving class I just become another student biking randomly around campus, with his or her destination only known to that person.  But, upon, there is that sense of community – be it the dorm, close friends, or the people you get to know through your classes.  I definitely don’t feel like a number here, nor do I feel like this place is “too big.”  Alas, it’s just right. 

Other things I did tonight – drank tea and read in Anna’s room.  She got me a quesadilla from Stern.  That was cool.  Oh yeah, I also worked out.  I’m trying the “go-everyday-workout-routine-so-you-have-a-regular-schedule-for-working-out” deal.  Although people say that you should rest 48 hours between working out, I’m going to see how lifting a lot every other day and using the day’s I’m not lifting a lot to just loosen my muscles by lifting just a bit.  Plus, going there is a nice study break, and it also gives me a chance to do crunches, which I really don’t need to rest in between to do.  Maybe I’ll get a six pack.  Or I could just keep dreaming.

Speaking of which, I should go to sleep, although I never remember my dreams, oh well, you get the point.