So it turns out that my soon-to-be roommate at D'Agostino Hall in NYC is another 21-year-old Chinese-speaking West Coaster (from Seattle). Did NYU set this up, or is this just one of those quirky things that make people tip their heads and give a what-the expression? We've had first contact, initiated by yours truly after I received advice to tone down my usual writing style to avoid any undue freaking out -- it must have seemed safe to respond, in any case, and she did me the honour of giving a brief bio and her phone number in Washington.
In a moment of weakness, I responded true to Daphne-form, and ended up giving a bio that made clear my tendency to kneel or stand while typing, love of thrift stores, mild addiction to tea and papayas, and attraction to Final Fantasy characters with big swords. I figure that last one isn't as bad as Pete Sampras, her current fixation. (To be honest, I'm trying to convince myself of that, and it's not going so well.) Let's face it -- Daphne generally sucks at making first impressions.
The thing I really focused on, though, was the fact that I don't travel well. My future roomie seems to love travel -- she's excited about moving, loves travelling, etc. Maybe that's just cheery hyperbole, but as a homebody, the thought of having to move my worldly possessions across three time zones and somehow develop a social(!) network once I get there just plain stinks, in my mind. Self-defeating attitude? Yes! Justin's party at Enigma -- Happy Birthday, Justin! -- was a case in point; I had a great time chatting with Patti and Quinton, but the art of mingling is something yet to be perfected. (My grandfather was apparently a stellar bartender, which put me on the train of thought that perhaps the best way to get a non-drinker involved in an alcoholic social scene is to be the one getting money for the booze -- and who knows, maybe good bartending skills are genetic.)
But the whatever-doesn't-kill-you-will-make-you-stronger mentality fights back with the assertion that if you're going to go away for school anyway, you might as well toss any sense of patriotism in the trash can and force yourself to experience something radically different to what you've been used to. This tactic backfired once before (i.e. physics), actually. Well, what's done is done, so here's a short list of some of the things I want to do in the next decade:
> learn how to be a competent horseback rider;
> work for the UN;
> adopt an animal;
> donate a body part;
> volunteer overseas;
> learn to sing;
> learn to dance;
> climb a really big tree; and
> visit China.
In a moment of weakness, I responded true to Daphne-form, and ended up giving a bio that made clear my tendency to kneel or stand while typing, love of thrift stores, mild addiction to tea and papayas, and attraction to Final Fantasy characters with big swords. I figure that last one isn't as bad as Pete Sampras, her current fixation. (To be honest, I'm trying to convince myself of that, and it's not going so well.) Let's face it -- Daphne generally sucks at making first impressions.
The thing I really focused on, though, was the fact that I don't travel well. My future roomie seems to love travel -- she's excited about moving, loves travelling, etc. Maybe that's just cheery hyperbole, but as a homebody, the thought of having to move my worldly possessions across three time zones and somehow develop a social(!) network once I get there just plain stinks, in my mind. Self-defeating attitude? Yes! Justin's party at Enigma -- Happy Birthday, Justin! -- was a case in point; I had a great time chatting with Patti and Quinton, but the art of mingling is something yet to be perfected. (My grandfather was apparently a stellar bartender, which put me on the train of thought that perhaps the best way to get a non-drinker involved in an alcoholic social scene is to be the one getting money for the booze -- and who knows, maybe good bartending skills are genetic.)
But the whatever-doesn't-kill-you-will-make-you-stronger mentality fights back with the assertion that if you're going to go away for school anyway, you might as well toss any sense of patriotism in the trash can and force yourself to experience something radically different to what you've been used to. This tactic backfired once before (i.e. physics), actually. Well, what's done is done, so here's a short list of some of the things I want to do in the next decade:
> learn how to be a competent horseback rider;
> work for the UN;
> adopt an animal;
> donate a body part;
> volunteer overseas;
> learn to sing;
> learn to dance;
> climb a really big tree; and
> visit China.
