I ARE WATER STRIDER

I can pretty honestly declare, by now, that deciding to take summer classes was one of the significantly better decisions I've ever made in my life, thus far. In general.

(Also ignore the date. I randomly had this saved as a draft for that long, apparently, but the opinion certainly hasn't changed. 8D)

The Current

Random issues?updates? that I've lost track of who I've already told and who I haven't, so I suppose I'll just slap them all here and try to be comprehensive.

I. The main troop
...Had a relocation again. This time it appears to smell like Raleigh, North Carolina. I know, I know, some (read: more like none) of you who probably happen to remember would probably say, But but Jing, Iowa happened only how many months ago? Six? Eight? Well, I suppose the situation bears some resemblance to why MPU made the NY - OH transition all those years ago. The basic idea is that he decides he's had enough, proceeds to search for a new position, gets hired thar, and says LOL KTHXBAI to the old job. Except this time, I guess he really hated Iowa just a wee bit moar than the usual.

Now, unlike most of you kids whose school works under the semester system, the Jing did not get out of spring quarter until the first week of June (that's finals week for her), and the main troop timed its moving so that their drive from Iowa to NC would find Ohio as sort of a midpoint/resting stop. While here, what they did was halping Jing move out of her dorm and right into the...

II. Studio.
Oh yes. As the required first year of living either on campus or with parents draws to a close, Jing (with major halp from a certain "fwen") luckily found this nifty little place right as the last vacancies were filling up. Actual place doesn't look as fancy as the pictars suggest, but Jing's did also come with an okay armchair and two decent barstools not shown. All utilities--including internet*--are included in a rent of 485/mo. No, this is not actually associated with university housing in any manner; it's just a company that carries the word in its name because its target clients happen to all be students. So, basically, it has everything a dorm has to offer + privacy + no rules & it's simply a hell lot cheaper.
* Except the internet kicks in only come September, when the real school year starts and the majority of the students start their leases. This means that until then, the Jing has to come to the library for internetting purposes--including right now as I type.

Why do I sound like a bot advertising the place? In short, it's just that despite certain flaws (see finer print), this place is simply an amazing blazing deal--especially compared to where I used to live alone back in NY (shared bathroom/kitchen)--and especially since I was so very lucky to have caught it at all...again, thanks to "fwen" dearest, who looks like will come live with me for a month+ in just a bit more. I've also been spreading the news left and right to anyone who might consider a roadtrip and just may need a place to crash, even if it's in Ohio... A few maybe's and no solid takers so far. :D

So...wait. Am I saying that Jing'll basically be staying in Ohio for the largest part of this complete summer? Short answer: Ya. Long answer: ...

III. ...Maybe.
Possibly most of you know this already: Jing is taking ze summer quarter. Not summer classes--summer quarter. Again, since most of your come from the world of semesters, I shall explain.

1 academic year
= 2 semesters (fall/spring)
= 3 quarters (fall/winter/spring)

Instead of "summer vacation", we have a usually-empty summer quarter. Most students take that quarter off since it is completely, 100% optional. (In fact, the school by default assumes that you don't take it. You have to specifically register for it, etc. The tuition policy, however, is just the same as regular quarters; you don't have to pay extra.) Four years of 3 quarters per year gives you 12 total quarters of classes taken--but if you take summer quarter each year, you will complete those same 12 quarters in only three years, without having to take heavier course loads per quarter.

All that said, I suppose it means Yeah, Jing kind of sort of wants to graduate early. Assuming she doesn't decide to change her mind 180 degrees about med school in later college years, getting out of undergrad certainly seems the quicker the better. In any case, it's simply better/more practical to stick around for job purposes and other responsibilities...than probably just sitting on my ass in NC for 3+ months.

While it is true that she wouldn't want to cut so many classes like she did last quarter (hoppin' back to NY on random weekends and skipping a lecture or two on Mondays/Tuesdays) due to the nature of her classes (Mol Gen 500, yoy!~) and schedule, there is at least one instance in a certain month that she may be free to...roam... a bit. No, 'tis sadly not the blaringly soon and obvious July 4th; Jing'll be busy celebrating reunion with the fwen around then. =/

But keep yer eyes and ears open. 'Twill be a surprise...maybe. 8D

Happy Birthday Jing!

I know this blog means a lot to you so hopefully you'll see this in time?
I hope you're being happy wherever you are. One of these days you really need to drag your butt back to New York while I can actually spend time with you D:

The Mother

The brood mermaid holds a low rung in the caste of the working class. Taken as they come and cheaper than those in the sister-profession of prostitution, they are virtually disposable to the no-longer-quite-underground industry of larvae trafficking. In its quickly deteriorating society, the ruling caste has joined forces with masterminds of the underground, launching yet another "humane solution" to halt the growing problem of unwanted diffusion or dilution of noble blood. In an attempt to cleanse the hierarchy of all existing half-royal underlings, all brood mermaids who have knowingly reared seeds of the noble were drawn to scattered, isolated meeting spots with promises of rare reward--but what met them instead was, surely enough, the very rare Mother.

The Mother has long been a suspect of the mer race's nearest (but taboo) kin, very particularly due to the close resemblance they bear to the mer larva; though, unlike the mer, they retain their many eyes and globular body mass and do not moult or cocoon to reach adulthood. Their gender demographic or mode of reproduction has also been a largely speculated mystery, as it would appear that all members are born? and remain female. They are known in mer children's tales as monsters who lure and snatch away the misbehaving child.

Far too many generations have lapsed for the general public to recognize or remember that, in actuality, the legendary Mother has an affinity only for mer children in the larval stage. Sending and receiving globules of themselves, they "charm" away the developing larva, kidnapping them to unknown, un-mer territories, never to be seen or heard from again. However, they do not and would not even dream of wounding the child, as this has become clear; they treat and rear all catches of larvae as one of their kind with the gentlest mother's care.

But the brood mermaid remains.

She wails.

Sometimes...

I feel like this place should be torn down for the facade of pretentiousness it presents to the face of the world. We have all changed a bit too much, perhaps, but that itself isn't the root of the problem...
We can never tell each other certain things along a certain line because it was never a topic tolerated to begin with. Our silently banned subject since sophomore year.
Not that I'm even suggesting that this could be changed/improved in any way, by now. Our comfort zones have long-since been deeply set in place. The ones that happen to be too closely involved--well, they will have to know; but for the rest of us? We were chosen to remain in the dark...because, likely, we'd rather (or think) that we'd rather to choose to not know, too.

The majority of us would (probably, simply) rather be passing buddies than closer friends anyway.
But I still think it's rather freaky (odd coincidence?) that we--the majority, at least, it would seem--all...happened...to have become(became? at some point?) (more than?) close with one person.
Funny how in a (perhaps very) twisted sense, in this intricate web of promise of secrecy, he became our lone source of keeping in touch with how everyone is doing.
Or perhaps that last "our" was only a royal "we", and I meant only myself.

Jing is probably the only (distant) voyeur here. I may very well be a selfish bastard.

yuuzora (5:03:29 AM): There's a fine line between caring and being nosey.
yuuzora (5:03:42 AM): Or maybe it's a blurred line afterall.

But he needs his release, too.

Because...

How funny is this? That after all, the most intricate web of all webs of all...

is the system of listeners and confessors. To each his(her) own.

Private laws.

I am but an observer.

D8<

If anything, I think we do deserve a last post for 2007...even if one with little worthy (and much on whiny) substance, lawl lawl.

So Jing's been feeling quite the similar to how she did a couple of years ago when she used Shi-Painter for the first time (and thusly gave birth to the Baphomet/Medusa head 'kaki that was robbed of a proper bg due to n00bdom, then and now):
1) A certain admin (though a different one from last time) is as actively against archiving as ever, and
2) General lack of worship when this shit is clearly superior. Quoting yours truly from ? years back: "Come on, can people really not see how much ass this kicks, compared to the rest of the cheesy crappy anime bullshit that makes up 99.98% percent of the board?" So sad that this still holds true, lolol.
3) Oh self-love, how I love mee~

And thus the inspiration to (finally) apply to the personally much-admired Fearsome with the above~ Though said board currently hosts some lesser worthy pieces on its front page, it is still house to a number of masters I've grown to admire very muchly so. It may be weird (and muchly pressure-filled) to draw amongst them...I hope this newfound patience for moar details and decent-er bg's holds. >_>;

For nostalgia's sake, ho!

P.S. - Iowa is one TOO very snowy place. -_-;

Bucket

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose.... The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning."

It is done; it was done. 'Tis wonderful how the dates line up so nicely.
The social face, the private face...it's nice how you I use them both so nicely. Well, thank you. (For you, I found that) I haven't thrown away being human. (After all...)

I must truly be starting to age nicely like old ladies (lamenting the loss of youth, love, and baser days) should, to have shed at least five years' worth of tears in a mere five days.

どことなくその悲しそうな顔もきっと明日には忘れ消える
いつからだろうこんなに瞳が死んだのは
"The sadness on the face will probably be gone tomorrow
When did my eyes become dead?" Can anyone offer a better translation? Jing thanks in advance.