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PiXIeOfFiRe24
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Name: Niiro-Chan
Country: United States
State: Massachusetts
Metro: Boston
Birthday: 10/24/1990
Gender: Female
Interests: Dancing, Ballet, Jazz, Pointe, Percussion, Art, Anime, Creative Writing, Blogging, Graphics, Acting, Music
Expertise: Imitating boy bands
Occupation: Student
Industry: Performing Arts
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  ToRrEnTiAlRaIn90
Member Since:
6/7/2005
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| I wish my gender studies essay was asexual so it would do itself.
I figured that by writing a blog entry on Xanga, it would increase my creative flow and consequently help me finish my stupid essay on The Women's Room and history. Oh goodness...I'm just so drained. Today, I had a Spanish test, followed by an anthropology test, followed by an anthropology recitation quiz. Followed by psych, where we learned about learning. Tee hee. I have TWO essays due on Tuesday, both for Spanish class. Not one. TWO.
Don't take the maximum amount of credits allowed. I work on homework 'till the wee hours nearly every night. In high school, my average bed time was around 10:30. Now, it's about 1:00-2:00 AMish, midnight on a good night. Personally, I never want to take a math class or an English class again, but I do have to take stats and I think a literature class to fulfill gen ed requirements. I'm 95% sure I'm majoring in psychology, so luckily, I won't need to take toooo many obnoxious classes. Good thing I have AP credit for bio, apparently bio 1 is notoriously hard here at Pitt...
Blah. I'm sorry I sound so whiny. I just really don't feel like doing homework right now. What I really want to do is watch a bad chick flick, curled up in my leopard print Snuggie with a hot cup of tea and some butter-lovers popcorn, with nothing to worry about and no homework to complete.
I also want a boy to like. Thea said that once I give up on the hunt, something will be more likely to happen, as counterintuitive as that sounds. Maybe I should just give up on finding a new boy to like. Everything from high school was just so draining and I really want to move past that, and I have...but I'd feel better if I had a crush to occupy my mind.
But things will get better, I'm sure. Aside from the heavy work load, I adore Pitt. I definitely chose the right school, though I do hope that I'm in some smaller classes next semester...some of my classes have 300 people in them!
I'm not terribly homesick yet. I really miss my friends, but I chat with them all throughout the week. I miss my parents and the pets, but I also talk with them, and I don't normally spend that much time with them when I'm home anyhow. But I'm definitely looking forward to Thanksgiving...I miss the comforts of home, like a stove, a bathroom where one does not have to wear shower shoes in, and home-cooking. I've probably gained at least a few pounds since I got here. :(
Hmm...blah. I hope everyone is doing well! I should probably get back to work on that essay...bye!
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| Directly copied and pasted from dA...because I'm lazy. :P
So I figured now would be a good time to update my vast quantities of readers (est. value: 0-3 people) on my experiences at PITT!
So I live in a suite with 7 other girls: Ashley (my immediate roommate), Ebonee, Andrea, Sam, Thea, Maia, and Dorothy. And me. We live in Sutherland Hall, which is on top of a massive hill, so despite eating twice the suggested intake of calories a day, I still appear to be fit. XD Our floor has 12 girls...and like, 30 boys. But it's fun! The boys who live across the hall are almost always drunk/high (or as Lara's mom would say, "drunk on pot"), and are in general, hilarious. My roommates are all also amazing. Miraculously, we all get along great and do a lot of stuff together!
The thing about Pitt is that you can't be by yourself late at night. Despite being in Oakland, one of the relatively safer areas of Pittsburgh, we have been told numerous times that if we wander out by ourselves at like 2 in the morning, we will probably be mugged or raped. So we have a buddy system! Unfortunately, there's a frat literally 20 feet away from Sutherland called Sigma Alpha Epsilon which has been nicknamed "Sexual Assault Expected". Thus, we never make eye contact with any of the people standing in front of their house.
My classes are pretty good! As I type, I'm blowing off my algebra homework and reading 57 pages of "The Women's Room" for my gender studies class. But we have no school tomorrow due to Labor Day, so I intend to stay up late tonight :D So, hmm...how should I go about doing this? Here...
Algebra~ I originally thought this was going to be an easy class-- hello, we've been doing algebra since middle school, but this class is a ton of work and is extremely fast paced. The first unit is all review of stuff we've already learned, but the rest is likely to be foreign to a CP2-er...oh well. If only my math SAT score was 20 points higher, I would've placed out and could've taken something more enjoyable, like stats...which I miss terribly, surprisingly. Anyway. My professor is Alfredo Gabriel, who is actually Filipino despite his name, and he's adorable, but speaks quietly and with a thick accent, so I sit up close.
Seminar in Composition- Gender Studies~ This class is also a crapload of work and reading (I had 100 pages to read this weekend, and I've already written 2 mini-essays), but the class itself is really interesting. I had to buy a book called "Sexing the Body" for the class, along with some other fine pieces of ltierature...ooh la la. "The Women's Room" is long and dense, but surprisingly, I really like it so far. It's interesting. Gender studies have always fascinated me. :) The professor, Ellen Smith, seems nice, too!
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology~ A 300-person lecture. My professor, Richard Scaglion, is known as one of the best anthropology professors at Pitt, and I can see why-- he's so engaging! We haven't really learned much, but we did watch a video about a primitive Tanzanian civilization, where young boys hunted large rodents by biting them and then whacking them against a rock. It reminded me of those overly graphic videos we watched in AP Bio last year x_x
Introduction to Psychology~ I SO wish I took the AP Psych exam, since I took a full year of it back at CC...but that was junior year, so a refresher is always nice! My teacher, Natasha Tocowicz, seems nice AND lenient-- aka, attendance is optional, homework is optional, and if we have to leave early or arrive late, it's not a problem. Of course, she recommended we come to class and do homework as needed, but it isn't required that we do so.  I don't want to blow off the class though, as I'm pretty sure I'm declaring myself a psych major next semester :D
Spanish 0020 Conversation~ I forget my professor's name, but I know her first name is Naussica (like that Miyazaki film!), and her lisp suggests that she's from Spain. She's really nice, though! And I think I'm definitely going to love the class, much more than Int 2H last year...that was a nightmare. The classroom is slightly bigger than my dorm room and we're on the 23rd floor of the Cathedral of Learning (which translates to a 10 minute wait for an elevator), but I like our class (it's really small), and the fact that the class is focused on conversation and not grammar is immensely enjoyable.
University Gamelan~ Indonesian percussion! There are lots of pretty mallet instruments that resemble xylophones, these upside-down pot things with round metal projections (aka, they look like boobs), and some gongs and a few skin-headed drums. I play one of the boob-like instruments. Figures. I might also try my hand at some singing, which should be interesting...but I like the class! Playing gamelan is really chill...you sit in front of your instrument and the music is all very quiet and relaxing...it's a much lighter atmosphere than taiko, too. My instructor is really nice, though I forget his name. He's from Indonesia, and has a thicker accent than my algebra teacher...
Dance Production~ We actually get to dance in this class! Basically, it's dance ensemble club for credit. The teacher eerily reminds me of Ms. Robin-- blonde hair with no gray in it, despite being over the age of 40, blue eyes, and similar physique. Though this lady seems a bit less intimidating...anyway. I'm excited for next week! We're going to be doing hip-hop dance!
Freshmen Studies~ A class where we learn about Pittsburgh and the programs and systems the university has to offer. For homework, we have to go to a certain part of Pittsburgh (for my group, it's the Strip District...no, not the StripPING district) and take pictures and make a poster. It should be fun!
So yeah, I'm taking 8 classes. I know I'm crazy. Next semester, I'm hoping to have no math class or intense English class, and have a dance class, concert band, Spanish, Psych II, and maybe something in linguistics! At the moment, I'm minoring in music and dance and majoring in psychology (pretty sure), and plan on exploring the field of linguistics.
Social life has been good. I've actually been to two frat parties (GASP), and I only had fun at one of them. The first one was just a crowded hallway filled with sweaty ugly boys drinking cheap beer, but the second one was like an actual dance! I didn't get drunk or anything (beer is nasty, even so-called good beer like Miller Highlife), but I actually danced with people and had fun doing so! I'm finally breaking out of my shell
Boys? There are some hotties, there were a few interests that died down, and there are some obnoxious boys. Right now, I'm just taking it as it comes. Kind of like life in general right now. I can't wait to see what happens next!
What's a huge relief is that I'm FINALLY over the past...the heart break...and him. I'm ready for something better, because I now know that we would not have been compatible with each other. I don't need someone to hold me down and respond to my genuine spirit and care with what appears to be apathy. Conversely, he doesn't need someone to drag him out to social events when he doesn't want to. It took longer than I would've hoped to realize that he wasn't the one for me, but now, I'm so ready for something new and more exciting.
So Zack, thank you for sending me on an emotional roller coaster and ultimately helping me realize what I want in life.
Much love to all of mis amigos at college and at home. To the girls and boys away at college...keep it real. For the seniors at home, I hope you guys do great, and want to let you know that the work WILL stop eventually and that you will end up happy wherever you choose to go to school (and even if you don't you can transferrrrr!)... AND, if any of you plan on doing visits to schools in Pittsburgh, let me know, so I can visit with you!!
I'm also really sad to hear about the recent death at CC, and know that some of you guys were friends with her...I never talked to her personally, but I knew who she was, and hope she's in a better place now. R.I.P. :'( Hugs!
Call me or skype me (gracielita24) anytime. I miss everyone so much!
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| NEWWWWWWWWW LAYOUT!!
About damn time, right? I wanted something a bit easier on the eyes and more summery :D I was too lazy to make a new header and avatar, so I just used an old set I made like 2 years ago :P
BLAH. So right now I'm bummin' about Sinister getting kicked off of Daisy of Love...he was my favorite, despite being temperamental and shorter than me...:'( It's funny how I normally barely watch any TV, but now that I've discovered the world of VH1 reality shows, I've become a bit of a couch potato. Hey, it's summer, and summer calls for good crap TV...especially when I have no homework to worry about!
Camp has been good, overall. The one major sucky thing is the weather...We're entering week 4 (tomorrow) and there have been maybe...5ish sunny days? The weather has definitely been improving, but there hasn't been a single day on the forecast lately that has predicted a perfect sunny day with no chance of rain. I like rain, but not at camp and DEFINITELY not every day...especially in the summertime!
My summer has primarily consisted of hanging out with my friends, nearly every day of the week. I've seen Year One (which was terrible) and The Hangover (which was hilarious), been to the mall several times, ventured to Harvard Square, watched a ton of movies, had traditional Mickey-D's runs prior to watching Daisy, played some videogames, including Guitar Hero (which is waaay more difficult than I originally thought it was), mourned for Michael Jackson by listening to his music at every possibility, attended my graduation party, Tali's, and Kristen's, pondered highlighting my hair, braved driving through Chelmsford, wasted a lot of gas in general, swam at camp and a little at Walden Pond and White's Pond...whoo! It's been good.
I also learned that I have 7 roommates...yes, 7. Okay, well technically, I have 1, but the rooms are grouped in a suite like fashion, so I basically have 7. Her name is Ashley, and she seems very nice thus far. I've already met one of my suitemates in person at Pittstart, Maia, and she also seems really nice. I can't wait for college!
I do have some shenanigans I need to do sometime in the next few weeks, though...
-- CLEAN MY ROOM -- I literally cannot see the floor.
-- GO TO IKEA, LINENS n' THINGS, BED BATH & BEYOND, AND PLACES OF THE LIKE -- dorm room shopping is necessary.
-- FIND A NEW iPOD TO PURCHASE -- my belated graduation present.
-- START WORKING ON OTHER STUFF TO DECORATE MY DORM ROOM WITH -- order hard copies of pix on Facebook, maybe look for some cool prints, etc.
All I can say is, thank god it's summer. This break is totally necessary!
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| I'm determined to not let this blog die forever, so I've made a promise to myself that I will try to update more consistently, primarily for my own personal records since Xanga is kind of a dead zone.
I'm so, so relieved to be done with high school. Second semester was nightmarish; the amount of work I had to do was more than I've ever done in all of high school...what the eff. I think I went to bed at 10:00 PM maybe 5 days out of the entire semester? Way too many pointless homework assignments (AHEM Rhetoric and Rome), difficult concepts (silly old Bio and Spanish), and other outside commitments to count and remark upon. But at least I don't have to be very academic or proactive this summer, unlike last summer where I was cramming for the SAT's and looking up colleges.
Speaking of college...I'm going to the University of Pittsburgh. When I tell people that, the first thing that usually comes out of their mouths is "how did you find out about that school?" I'm the only person from the CCHS Class of '09 going there, and I only know of one other person who applied. I love the school, though--it has just about everything I want and has a lot of potential for excellence, and is also in a really great city with tons of opportunities.
Except Pennsylvania is kind of like Western Mass-- rural and boring. But not Pittsburgh!
This week, I've been working at good old CA summer camp...getting paid to dance is funnn. I'm also gonna be a 3rd grade counselor per usual, which should be awesome-possum.
Yeeeepp. I'm super lame.
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| Do I even need to regard my hiatus?
No.
I don't really know why I haven't been motivated to write in the past like...year and a half. I remember Freshman year, I wrote literally every day and changed my layout once a week. Now, I haven't changed my layout in a year and I've written, err...less than 10 entries in the past year. Struggle.
I guess now would be a good time to reminisce about 2008 for my own personal records and for anyone else who still happens to go on Xanga. It seems like not too many people go on anymore...then again, I'm one to talk with my sporadic visits...but oh well. It's nice to have a record of high school on the internet. =)
In a nutshell, 2008 kind of sucked. It was definitely one of the most stressful years in terms of school work and pressure from the SAT's and college apps and other requirements to get into college. It was unfair in terms of dance placement- did I mention I'm in CompanyTrack 6 ballet (another name for Kid 1) AGAIN? It was definitely anxiety provoking with said college and dance stuff, and I also had a lot of anxiety attacks about a hooplah of things, questioning who I really was and always feeling uneasy. It was heart-breaking, too, in a metaphorical sense with my first heart-break earlier this year that still hasn't run its course completely yet...no other guy has come along, and I'm resigned to wait until college. I also lost my dog, Savvy, who was almost 12 thankfully, but it was hard putting her down. :-/
But on the other hand, good things happened as well. I got into UMass Amherst and Pittsburgh, successfully finished all forms of standardized testing until the AP Bio exam, got a new adorable 1/2 golden retriever-1/2 rottweiler puppy Jasper, went to Costa Rica, got my drivers license, broke out of my shell a bit and became a little less shy with guys (arguably?), had countless fun times with friends, auditioned for Miss Saigon and got the roles of Miss Chinatown, Second Wave in the Morning of the Dragon, and Ensemble, and really learned about myself. I know myself better now, now that I've been through more things.
</cliched ramble>
But I have a good feeling in my gut that 2009 is going to be a better year. I'll make it better. :D I'm going to graduate, go to college, and have fun! Seize the day! Breakaway from Massachusetts (unless if I go to UMass, so I guess break out of EASTERN Massachusetts is more appropriate)! And hopefully be happier and more relaxed.
This week was decent...lemme tell you, I'm SCREWED for the Bio midterm and the Spanish midterm. Bio because there's so much to study and so many tiny little details about, say, the pump that powers ATP Synthase, and Spanish because the class is awful and I feel like I can never get higher than a B- in anything...I can't even fathom everything we've learned, and we haven't even learned all that much. It's almost contradictory in a way.
But statistics is fortunately quite easy, which is surprising, because I generally suck at math classes. I actually really like statistics overall, maybe because it's more like real world stuff and it's different from standard math classes. EuroLit is a nightmare, I don't like the books we've read very much, especially Crime and Punishment. X_X I'm not really an English-oriented person...I'm more social-science and music and art oriented, which is why I'm so pissed I don't have history this semester. Luckily, next semester I'm taking Ancient Rome AND Advanced Digitial Imaging, so I think next semester will be way better. :)
Yeah, I'm sorry I kind of sound like a soresport with my comments about classes. I've been pretty whiny this entire entry, so I'm gonna stop whining now. Because I don't like it when others whine unless if it's called for, so I shant be a hypocrite. :DDD
Winter vacation was fun- I cleaned my room, got some cool presents (an iPod recorder, some dance stuff, some money for clothes, and some cool knick-knacks), hung out with friends a lot (and went to the mall and drove around Concord many times on a quest for food), got all my apps done, watched some movies, and just chilled. It was definitely a nice break.
Today I helped Tali out with her radio show and went to Friendly's with Kristen, where we ordered the exact same thing- chicken fingers, fries, coke, and a sundae. :DD
And now I'm home writing. Huzzah!
I really wanna change my layout sometime soon, so hopefully within the next month or so, I'll get on that.
Adios!
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