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     Today (Wed, Sept 20) marks an important milestone in my life. Since
arriving here on the great campus of Johns Hopkins University, life has
been different. I say different, because I am still unable to quantize my
college experience as, on the average, better or worse than lazing around
the house for the past summer. In any case, the sheer amount of energy
surrounding the multitudes of diverse personalities and non personalities
keeps life hoppin' nearly 24/7 (and no, I don't mean 3.428571). An
important finding I have discovered is that late night is rarely very
late. My own floor lives said paradigm to the fullest. My roommate and I
currently have a bedtime of 3:00 AM, while our fellow suite mates, Joseph
and Alfonso, have bed times of 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM respectively. Current
speculation is that Joe will actually stop sleeping so late, now that
he's beaten Diablo II after a week and a half of ownership.
     Anyway, due to said nocturnalism of my lifestyle, getting up for
morning classes has become increasingly more difficult. Seeing this in
advance, I had set up my schedule so that on most mornings, I need not be
in class before 10:30 AM. Except for Physics Section on Tuesday at 8:00
AM. Somehow they slipped that one past me, clever academic devils. A
conflict was brewing between my need for sleep and my need to fully
utilize the gratuitous amounts of currency my mother has so graciously
thrown at the school. But my track record for the past two weeks were
good. I managed to hold a morning twilight hours bed time and still get
up early enough for my classes. Interesting subscript to previously
mentioned battle between the body and the mind: I no longer crave
breakfast in the morning.
     So yesterday, I woke up groggily, since it was not my alarm but my
roommate that awoke me. Fresh out of the shower, he greeted me with
slight apprehension. "Whut time 'sit?" I asked him. "8:20" was his reply.
Which is bad, since, right, physics section at eight. So I shuffled to
class, which, unfortunately for me, is on exactly the farthest side of
campus from my dorm. So by the time I got there, I had exactly enough
time to hand in my homework before class was over. ::sigh:: And today, I
was late to Calculus III even though it was at eleven. Yes, the last two
days mark the true beginning of my college career, one on which I curse
myself fro not getting to class on time. I mean, let's be truthful, there
were only two classes in my entire high school career that i cared
whether I got there late or not. But c'mon, how could I not _want_ to be
in a film class?

News Boxers
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     - Had a giganto club fair thing Friday (09-16-2K). It was pretty
overwhelming. There are clubs here for everything, and at least five
different martial arts clubs, each with its own discipline. I myself did
not sign up for any yet (I still don't know if academia will spank me or
not). I did, however, join the Film Society, which shows screenings of
movies with real projectors and everything, the Animation Club, an on
campus ministry, and the Taiwanese Student Association. I'll join more if
I feel the need.
     - Big big thanks go to Toni and Kevy. I received a care package from
my friends on the Yale campus, and it was indeed brimming with care and
love. Among the things I received were a pack of Twinkies (which I
actually haven't had in a while), an M.C. Escher picture, Orson Scott
Card's "Ender's Game," many MANY copies of The Yale Herald, and a
hardcore superfly Eva action figure! You like me, you really like me...
     - Which reminds me. Toni: Don't go out of your way to incite
anything. I have enough headaches as it is. If it just happens, then just
go with it.
     - Doing well academically so far. Had two physics quizzes, aced them
both. I've been turning in my homework on time. And I've been
participating very actively in my Hong Kong Film Class. Thanks again for
the tutelage, Sully!
     - Is anybody else psyched to see "Almost Famous" and "Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon?"

With the coming of the age of digital media, anyone with a good idea
and access to a pretty good computer can make a movie, or at least a film
short. "George Lucas in Love" is such a movie. Set "dozens of years ago
in a nearby galaxy," we find a young film student suffering from writer's
block. If his script isn't finished within three days, George Lucas will
not graduate from the University of Southern California. Luckily,
Inspiration strikes in the form of a beautiful fellow student with a
distinctive hairstyle. Before you ask, yes, it also plays off of
"Shakespeare in Love." And it's really worth the download, no matter how
long it may take. It may not be great cinema, but it's still pretty good.
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