FREAKING AMAZING

Duke: 68
Clemson: 66

Best last four seconds. Ever.

THIS is why we go to Duke. Screw the premed, screw the "discovering your academic passion", screw everything! That feeling of camaraderie, that amazing adrenaline rush, that *whoooshhh* of people leaping to their feet and screaming and cheering and yelling themselves hoarse.... That is why Duke is amazing.

Duke Basketball, you make me happy.

Things have changed. For the (better?)

Well now. Hum.

Now that I've settled (people tend to use that excuse a lot, "Well, I haven't *settled*, give me some time to *settle*), Duke is once more home.

Tina's moved out. No matter how badly I feel for her given her current situation, I still can't help but be elated about my living situation. And the best part is I'm not even lonely. People are in my room all the time. It's quite a nice arrangement, except when I feel like kicking people out and having some alone-time. But naw, I wouldn't want that. I like these people.

My classes are alright, dropped that damn 49s seminar (for which I would've had to wake up *far* too early), so now I'm taking only two math class (cue the "aww"s), a history and a philosophy. Somehow, I feel like I have less work this semester. Though that may have just resulted from my feeling more comfortable with Duke and this whole college deal, thing, arrangement...yeahhh.

Anyway, everything's great. Life is splendiferous. Duke is phantasmagorical. And Alex is...wonderful.

[no title]

It's 4 o'clock in the morning on the day of my flight. I'd have to leave at 5 anyway so there's no point in sleeping at all. I'll probably regret this decision later on today but it's too late to do anything about it now.

My mom insisted I pack a bunch of homemade sausages into a box. They are yummy but I don't think I'll be able to eat much of it. Well, then again I'll probably be holed up in my dorm a lot of the time next semester. Oh and news flash, Tina won't be coming back for spring semester. I hope she doesn't mind my making this information semi-public, but she's going to take a semester off and stay at home, find a job I think. But she'll be back for fall semester next year. I don't understand why, so don't ask me. Personally, I think her parents are crazy, even for Asians, but that's business I don't want to butt into.

Television is bad. Certain well-made shows, in particular, are bad. Specifically, engrossing shows such as '24' should not be allowed into the lives of busy college students. Even more specifically, Nina Chai should not be caught up in '24' right now because she needs to focus her attention on the upcoming semester. However, Nina cannot help her desire to know more about the scrumptious Jack Bauer and his adventurous escapades. What a dilemma. What a dilemma.

I've discovered that I am not actually coherent sometimes.

I miss you all very much and I can't wait to see everyone again.

My days of wandering are at an end

Break is almost over and I'm not sad at all. It's gone by pretty quickly, and I've had a good time with old friends. Seeing old teachers was wonderful. Got to school at 11 am and didn't leave until 5 pm. Just making rounds, going from classroom to classroom. It will be sad moving to California and not seeing them again. But then again, I don't think I could do this every winter or summer break. The novelty wears off, I suppose.

I'm starting to pack again! Packing isn't so much fun but the thought of returning to Duke keeps me going and *makes* it super-duper fun. The plane ride even seems endurable when I think of my final destination. I'm bringing a rice cooker! Huzzah for that. Rice is amazing. Marketplace rice is disgusting. They give such a skewed representation of "Asian food". Pshawwww. It's just half-cooked vegetables on top of half-cooked rice all drenched with soy sauce anyway. Not at all what Chinese food tastes like. Terrible terrible. My mom should go out there and train them for a week...*then* we might be able to get some really Chinese food.

Okay, I'm gonna go back to watching 24 now...I'm so hooked!!! Jack Bauer is my hero!

I'll think of something later...

Is anyone enjoying home as much as they should? Does anyone else get the feeling that somehow time is being wasted waking up much too late everyday, meeting friends and doing stupid yet fun things, eating mom's good cooking until I can't eat anymore...anybody feel restless? I guess that's the moment you realize that you actually went to the right school, when you'd be willing to give up winter break just to be back at the institution of learning again. I even miss the perpetually bumpy buses with the drivers who would fail any driver's license test if they took it now. And I miss Randolph, and I miss my dorm bed, which is actually more comfortable than my own bed at home. It's strange, that I'm calling this house home, when I've only been here for a few weeks versus the much longer time I spend at Duke.

On a sidenote: The Shins have a new album out, I must say 'tis rawther sublime. I love songs that build up slowly from a meager sound to full guitar, full everything. I always liked that band. Very creative, they are. The new Explosions CD is also quite fantasmagorical. 'All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone'. Precisely, is what I have to say to that.

I was suppose to do so much this break. But that really didn't end up happening. I haven't even worked my way through a single book. It's depressing.

I miss people a lot, I miss being able to go next door, or down the hall, or upstairs and see them and talk to them. I miss the style of living at Duke. The classes (maybe not so much), the whole...way of living. I love college.

Anyway, can't wait to get back to Duke. Can't wait.