all the days are hurryin' by, when you're in love, my, how they fly...

so after singapore, johannesburg OR Tambo airport is completely different.

singapore offered great quality service (from food to transit hotels) for a very reasonable, almost cheap, price.
the airport is huge. you could never be bored there. they have some activity you can partake in at all hours. from video games to food to transit hotels to physical games to... the list honestly goes on and on. i was at the transit hotel, which offered 6 hours for USD$20. this gave me access to internet, a gym, shower, all you can eat snacks, and a very comfortable lounge. did i mention how safe singapore is, and how amazing the place is?

johannesburg's airport, on the other hand, is a place i would prefer not to be stuck at for 12 hours (unlike singapore). i checked out the transit hotel, which offered a package for USD$12o. that was the only service they offered. what did that 120 dollars give me?

a bed.

i asked the reception lady if she would pay that money if she was in my position. she said yes. of course it might have been a smartass question on my part (she didn't look too happy in general), but honestly? can anyone call BS?

so i'm at a cafe overlooking the OR Tambo runway and gates. the african morning is beautiful, and i feel like i got the better end of whatever deal. i'm at this news cafe and i think i've befriende the waitress. of course, it's hit and miss at this airport too. it's sad -- the mentality you should have for service in africa should not be too high. you really need to be chill. which isn't a bad quality. but you have to wonder... what a shocker it will be for the whole world for world cup. cynical, i know. but seriously.

but boy, do i love the african sky. i can't help but look up, whether it's sunny or not. during the dry season, it's this big gaping blue, hypnotic. you feel consumed by it. and there's a sense of belonging. and during the rainy season, the gray rain clouds... there's something more dramatic than anywhere else. and take a breath of zambian air. oh me oh my. how some things never change. and how i wish some things never would.

much as i say that i probably will never find myself living in africa ever again, people are right in saying that there will always be a part that will always be longing and will always belong.

is it bad that at some point everyday, i sing "i'm on a boat?"

andrew mcmahon -- please make another album that was as good as "everything in transit." i need something that was as moving as "bruised." and as rocking as "mixed tape."

alter bridge -- is "broken wings" the best song you'll ever make? not that i'm complaining, but still...

boys like girls -- is it bad that i enjoy listening to you?

linkin park -- what happened to you?

mars volta, coheed and cambria -- i wish i could memorize all your lyrics.

owl city -- the more i listen to you, the more you grow on me.

thirsty merc -- where are you?

breaking benjamin -- new album. next concert? count me in.

sick puppies concert aug 19th. loft. let's go!

so much good music... :D

pooped

so...

i think i'm about ready to head back.

two of the three days since i've been in japan have involved trips to different doctors:
- at the dentist, i got two of my wisdom teeth taken out
-at the ENT (ears nose throat) i got a tube and saline solution shoved up my nose
-went to the dermatologist today (that wasn't so bad)

tomorrow, i'm going to the doctors for asthma medications...

all in all, it's been a very relaxing time though (surprisingly).
been sleeping plenty. and reading.

not a whole lot of exercising...

sigh.

travels...

it's been a pretty long few days.

my exams ended a week ago. i was glad that dsp is over, i managed to be 6 points above average and got a B in the class. thank god. organic chemistry on the other hand was a bit of a bummer. i'm pretty sure i ended with a B in that too, even though i feel like i've put a lot more effort into the class than to end up with something less than an A. i feel like it's been a general upward trend this entire semester -- going from 54, 80, 78, 81, 97... i walked out of the final exam feeling like i was lucky to maintain a B in the class. i felt a little cheated i guess. i wasn't sure how else i could have studied better for that final. i got an 84 on the final i found out (which means that i did pass the class with a B). but still... after all that...

and for a change, my parents understood i actually studied my butt off, and that a B was good. thank goodness.

so after tuesday, i got to hang out with phil in orlando, which was awesome. their family is so awesome. got back to atl after that on friday, had to figure out how to move into north ave (whole fiasco about not being able to move in, blah blah blah) because the south building isnt' even remotely ready for people (paint jobs not done etc. etc.). so i got to move the majority of my stuff to the south hall director's office. glad that worked out, and he was cool with that... so got that all done by saturday, which was when i was leaving.

so saturday night, our flight got delayed by an hour and a half -- the flight was fine, but it meant that we missed our 7:55 pm flight back to zambia in south africa -- which was the last flight that day. so we had to try and get the 6:30 am flight back the next day. the problem with this is that we had to get back to the airport at 4:30 in the morning. if it was just that, there would be no problem. but we were initially promised that we had a seat on that morning flight, and then we got back at 4:30 only to be told we didn't. so it flip flopped, and that was NOT what we wanted to hear that early in the morning... especially with my brother and dad around.

so. got back a little later than expected. burned most of the day back sleeping. so i had one real full day in zambia. and it was pretty quiet. i don't think a lot of people were back -- especially some of my best friends -- so i didn't really bother.

so now, i'm en route to to japan to see my grandparents. i'm the last two hours of my 18 hour layover in singapore. which has been very relaxing (my mom got me a decent priced one night reservation at a hotel, so that made this a whole lot easier). and the food was good too. i got to the airport a couple hours ago. they had this really cool trampoline basketball bungie thing going on, where you had two people attached to a bungie cord vest thingie, and they basically had to tug at each other to shoot in the other's hoop (we had one minute). i got to try it out, and i had a significant weight advantage to my opponent... i was leading 2-0 until the balloon-basket thing started to shake too much, and i was too nervous to jump... so i tied 2-2. i just stopped shaking, it took a lot, surprisingly.

actually, eddie -- i was thinking how it would be a pretty epic battle between you and me. maybe? it would be hilarious, seeing as we're about the same size (you're lighter now, but hey, i'm working on getting there too :) )

anyway, off to japan.

i need to write more often so i don't have all these novels...

it's been a good day. kind of.

there were aspects of it anyway, that were great.

for example:

shift today -- most chill shift ever from 5 am to 9 am.
later, kind of got MATLAB dsp stuff done. kind of, but similarly not really.
orgo homework doesn't look as bad as it originally did. but i still need to work on it.
summer league ultimate was so much fun today. i felt like i was moving really really well considering. and i feel a little more confident with my flicks again. though i still think i tense up, and that results in the disc blading. but i feel like intramurals will be great this year.
there are aspects of it that i still need to consider -- for example, what's with all these guys i want to play with being on the club team? but that will work itself out. maybe??

we're going to play so well this year. eddie, get better soon.

vent

call it being naïve. but i didn't realize office politics comes up everywhere.

and it really sucks working under bosses that you really don't want to work under.
and hypocrisy is terrible. absolutely terrible.

also, i don't hide my aggravation very well. nor do i do a very good job of diffusing it. i really need to work on that. containing is a BAD plan. especially since i think my anger function is like a big giant infinite while loop without an n + 1 command at the end of it. infinite while loop ftw (not really).

side note: if MATLAB comes up in my blog, you know it's bad news. especially those that know how much i hate programming in general.

i'm going to stop before i go on a swearing spree.
i need to go to bed. i feel like a giant 5 year old who needs his naptime.

with a little more potential collateral damage.

black jack

i spent my 21st birthday in probably the best style i could (for me).

i went to my classes.
went and led my workout for lifeguarding... and worked out.
finished some assignments.

and then...

PLAYED SUMMER LEAGUE FRISBEE.

and my ankle wasn't bothering me too much. that might not be the case tomorrow, so i'm taking some ibuprofen. but really, the only way to make it better would have been that it was not the summer, and i was in company of more friends. alas, that's what i get for having a romantic birthday (see tanabata on wikipedia). but truly, it's nice to hear "happy birthday" from so many people.

i've realized though, that it really isn't about me. it's about everyone that's been with me for so long in these 21 years. from my parents and family to my friends -- who are pretty much family too. so thank you to them, for these years. and maybe in time i can celebrate the time i've been granted to be in the company of so many incredible people. all of you are awesome, and i can't wait to see everybody in the fall.

also, i learned something about ultimate.

one of the things i respect about ultimate is that it's an "honest sport." as in, it's up to you to make the right calls. if you've been fouled, you call it. but be honest about it, etc. so i definitely got "taken advantage of" today a couple times, partly because of my lack in experience of the sport. a foul was called on me twice, one time the guy ran into me, and i was like "whatever." and didn't contest. the second time i dove to block a hammer (which was pretty sweet, btw), but then someone called a foul for pushing him away. which was bull. and then a girl said that i tackled her. which i dont' think was true, but it was pretty close. so i gave it to them, and was like "whatever."

so, i'm looking at the rules.

but to me, ultimate and tennis will forever be honest sports.
i just can't believe these people who are so... stupid. and competitive.
i just want to say one day to them:

"what are you doing?"