Happy Chinese New Years!

It's a bit belated since the new years was actually on Monday, but here in Hong Kong, it's celebrated all week. There are decorations everywhere and schools even get the whole week off!!! This week, I've just been meeting a lot of new people and spending lots of money, lol. I've already been here a semester but most of the people who I hung out with last semester have gone back home since they were only exchange students for one year. I missed them all so much when they left and am now just starting to move on...a month later, lol. I know it's sad that I get so sad when they leave, but I never expected to find such good people when I came on exchange here. Hopefully I'll get to see them again one day...I now have another excuse to visit the land down under:-p

Apart from all that sadness, life here is amazing. Jane came to visit me for 2 weeks over winter break and she got to see the city that I loved so much. There's so much to do here during the day and at night. Even though Hong Kong is a small city, the 2 weeks that Jane came was not enough to even explore everything. Many people think that HK is just a very cosmopolitan city, but there is a lot of nature here too that not a lot of people know about. Even having been here half a year, I'm just starting to begin to explore that part of this island:) hopefully, i'll be able to put up some pics once I get around to taking it. it's such a bad habit that I have now, but whenever i go out and see new things, i never whip out my camera like i used to because i always think that i'll have another opportunity to take more pictures later..lol.

also, am now currently looking for a job for the summer. YIKES!


Boggs: The chat's a mistake. Hmm. Kinda like when you have sex and don't use protection?
Amaris: EVAN!
Boggs: Yes? Was I not supposed to tell everyone our secret?

HEY, EVERYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!

I don't have enough time right now to write a blog post encompassing every single good/bad/remotely significant thing that's happened to me since we graduated high school, but in the meantime, I have another blog at hokkaidomoon.blogspot.com. (It's listed under my Blogger profile, too.)

I miss you all!

P.S. This might be my shortest blog post ever on here. :P

P.P.S. I'm keeping the tag for sentiment's sake. We can change it to something new later. (Like, perhaps, a good quote from a book we're reading?)



Boggs: The chat's a mistake. Hmm. Kinda like when you have sex and don't use protection?
Amaris: EVAN!
Boggs: Yes? Was I not supposed to tell everyone our secret?

Wow...

The last time I posted here, we had just graduated from high school. Now we are almost halfway done with our junior year of college. Freaky...

So, is it time to sum up the past three years in one entry? OK, here goes... I love Wash U. I love pretty much everything about it except the workload, which really drives me crazy sometimes. I'm studying abroad next semester at University of Sussex in England (in Brighton, about an hour away from London via train), and I'm excited to have a lighter workload and have a month-long "Easter break" to travel around Europe!

At Wash U I'm on the Executive Board for Dance Marathon, which raises money for local children's hospitals. Our event was on October 25th and we raised over $131,000 this year. More important than the money, though, has been the experience of working all year on a cause that I care about with wonderful people who have become like a second family for me. I'm so happy to have found my niche here. My favorite class this semester is probably Acting 1. The best class I've taken here is Advanced Musical Theatre last semester. I was the only underclassman out of ten people, and it was such an amazing experience to work with and learn from a bunch of theatre majors, who also happened to be absolutely wonderful people. I miss being in shows and I'm thinking about auditioning again next year, either for the Performing Arts Department or student-run shows (there's one student group that does a show in the fall and another that does one in the spring).

Last summer I interned at the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, DC, for ten weeks. I was in Gala Events, meaning that I helped plan their fundraising dinners. My team made coming to work a lot of fun, and I was amazed to learn about the scope of HRC's work. I also fell in love with DC and would not hesitate to go back. There is so much to do, a lot of it is free, but at the same time DC feels a lot calmer than somewhere like NYC. I lived on campus at George Washington University and had three fantastic roommates (we lived in an apartment), and I also hung out with the other HRC interns (there were about 25 of us) and people from Wash U who are from the DC/Maryland area. The highlight of my summer was seeing Idina Menzel in concert and getting to go to the meet and greet after the show! She was so sweet in person, and her talent just blows me away.

I only have about three weeks of classes left (counting Thanksgiving week, which is only two days of classes), so I'm trying to stay on top of my work and soak in the experiences here as much as I can before I leave for a whole semester. I think I have to be in England on January 8th or 9th, and I'll be there until the end of June. I wish I could take some of the people here with me!

All right, your turns! :o)

Love,

Olivia

YOOO HOOO!!!!

Anyone still reading this blog? I think it'd be nice if we get this started again. I miss keeping in touch with you guys and this might be the easiest way to keep in touch with each other now that most of us are far away from each other. Miss you all:)


Boggs: The chat's a mistake. Hmm. Kinda like when you have sex and don't use protection?
Amaris: EVAN!
Boggs: Yes? Was I not supposed to tell everyone our secret?

Devil Wears Prada

All you girls must see Devil Wears Prada. I like the movie and if you're not into movies, you get to see really cute clothes. I think you will all love it in some way! Hope you guys are having a great summer!


Boggs: The chat's a mistake. Hmm. Kinda like when you have sex and don't use protection?
Amaris: EVAN!
Boggs: Yes? Was I not supposed to tell everyone our secret?

I thought it was worth mentioning ;-)

NO MORE HIGH SCHOOL!!!!

Graduation countdown: 2 days

Congrats, class of '06! :-D

West Side Story

Come see LN's spring musical, West Side Story!

Performances are this Friday and Saturday at 7 PM. Tickets are $8. You can purchase them at school during lunch or from 6-6:45 the night of the show (but I'd recommend coming earlier than later because we'll probably sell out).

Hope to see you there! (I'll be blond!)

Oh, and for those who haven't heard... I got in to Wash U! (and I'm definitely going!) :-D

Who's up for dancing???

Hey, kids, I have no idea if you academites are out on break yet or not, but this Friday (i.e. tomorrow) is BIGGER group dinner/swing dancing, yr. II. Wanna come? Call me.

Actually, I'll call you. But that's another story. In our group alone, it's Olivia and me, plus Nathan, Amy, Jonah, Daniel, Catie, Sasha, Sydney, and some other people I'm forgetting right now. Hopefully you guys can make it!!!

And if not, there's always the weekend!!

Boggs: The chat's a mistake. Hmm. Kinda like when you have sex and don't use protection?
Amaris: EVAN!
Boggs: Yes? Was I not supposed to tell everyone our secret?

Blackwood Farm

omg... I'm posting! Haha... well how is everyone?? How is life?? I love you guys and miss you all!! We should get together sometime!!!!!

Boggs: The chat's a mistake. Hmm. Kinda like when you have sex and don't use protection?
Amaris: EVAN!
Boggs: Yes? Was I not supposed to tell everyone our secret?