Oh, it's over! My exam this afternoon did not go well, but I will not have to take another for a while.


I found out today that I am TA'ing 6.042 (Discrete Mathematics/Mathematics for Computer Scientists) in the fall. It was good news for a stressful morning. I am excited and scared. I really want to be a good TA. There is also the good feeling of being financially independent for the first time in my life. I am earning my own tuition money, plus extra money on the side. My parents have done a lot for me; I'm glad that I can begin to care of myself.


Oh, I need to get working on my Anime Boston costume. Ideally, I'll have something like this put together by Satuday:





Left to do: crown, attaching skirt, fixing up zipper if i have time.
probably not going to make the sleeves: but they don't show up for the Mithra anyway, i figure it is an allowable approximation. Also, my collar doesn't look like that, but the dress pattern doesn't have one and i don't know if i can make an adjustment.


We'll see how it goes!

It's the final stretch. I gave a presentation and submitted a report for my Visualizing Cultures class last week. I finished writing my UAP report today. I can't say much for it except that it's very pretty. Yay for Latex-- making papers look so professional. Tomorrow is my 6.011 final. Scary.


But afterwards I have lots of things planned =) Not least of all, Anime Boston on Saturday. And lots of sewing beforehand.

A confession of sorts


Tomorrow, it's the final concert of the year for the MIT Symphony orchestra. And the last concert with Dante conducting.


I really want to go to the concert, I want to talk to Dante. I want to tell him how wonderful it was to have him leading the orchestra, with his gentle jokes, his perceptive conducting, his random exclamations in Italian. I want to talk to him, but I am actually a little ashamed.


I joined MITSO as a freshman. He was on leave from conducting the orchestra at that time but came back for my sophomore year. At my re-audition, he told me he liked my strong playing and wanted me to play principle Second. I had played fairly well for me at the audition-- also he hadn't asked me to sight read. The next concert he moved me back, and further back, and further back. I'm really not suited to be orchestra player, to be honest. My sight reading is horrendous and so is my rhythm. I like playing in small groups the best but have never made the cut for the chamber music society. So... yeah. I feel like I was a total disappointment to him. I joined the Chamber Orchestra under him the next year, hoping that it would be a better place for me because it was smaller and played more Baroque pieces. Somehow, it didn't work out either. It was a horribly busy semester and I didn't get to devote much time to it. I could feel Dante eyeing me at every sour note. I feel like I disappointed him again. I didn't rejoin the orchestra for senior year, and now I wonder at how I ever managed to get everything done before, while going to practices and practicing on my own.


He was a wonderful conductor though. Playing under him was so natural-- he was so easy to follow. He loved MIT students, he said he loved our sincereness and our shyness. If I wrote him an e-mail telling him how much I appreciate him, how much the orchestra will miss him, and how I don't think we could ever find a conductor who understands and works with us as well as he does... I think he'd prefer that less than if I had just practiced more and played better.


I'll probably go to the concert tomorrow for him, enjoying the wonderful music, and sitting hidden somewhere near the back.

together, we'd have the perfect rainy afternoon


me: mm, it's so rainy today
me: i'm listening to dido-- it's good rainy day music
phil: i'm making a vanilla chai latte
me: that sounds yummy~
phil: i think i got it just right too
phil: the perfect amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar
me: i wanna try...

I will be working at Network Appliance in Sunnyvale, CA from June to the end of August. I will be happy to be in Northern California for yet another summer.


On Sunday, I went to Dim Sum with Marj and Tony. It was like a computer graphics reunion =). I love being with those two! They are so much fun. The weather that day was delicious. We walked around Boston for quite a bit, and I stopped at the Hello Kitty store in China Town. Here are my findings:



folding stars is very relaxing






I cannot wait until this summer when I will experiment with cooking and fill the bento with many healthy, tasty things!


Phil is coming in this weekend. Our plans are:

Thursday: Harvard Square, Blue Fin, and bubble tea.
Friday: Fanueil Hall, hanging out with Phil's friends
Saturday: Double date (my first time!) for lunch with Phil's friend Danielle and her boyfriend
Senior ball
Sunday: picnic in Boston Commons, dependent on weather