16 September 2007

So it's been a while since I wrote. In fact, it's been so long, I don't even know what to say. Classes started August 29th and I am really enjoying them all.

1) BOOK OF MORMON: my teacher is Elder Richins, a senior missionary here. He is not one who makes the religion classes really academic, for which I'm very grateful. I'm learning lots already and we're only in 1 Nephi 15. Our only outside-of-class assignment, besides reading, is a 1 1/2 page paper about ourselves....other teachers give out actual assignments and things, and I was really afraid that I'd have to do that too, and I wasn't excited about making my religion class into something really challenging and academic, so I'm really glad I have Elder Richins.

2) INTRO TO CULTURAL THEORY: I am having difficulty getting stuff out of the reading, but I enjoy going to class and listening to the discussion. This is probably one of my two least favorite classes, but I still like it. I think it's just the introduction sort of class that is not appealing to me. Once I get into my ICS major courses, I think it will be a lot more fun and interesting. *My friend Thomas is in this class with me*

3) ENGLISH 201: my teacher is kind of crabby and going deaf, but I ADORE my classmates. We have so much fun and we are always laughing and good natured. There is a lot of classwork (reading and essays), so in terms of that, english is the one class I don't like. I never did LIKE english, I was just always good at it. *My friends Pritika and Miriam are in this class with me*

4) UNIVERSITY CHORALE: SO EXCITING!! My new choir director is Jerold Ottley--he was the director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 25 yeras!!! I totally love him, he's really awesome. I'm glad I like him, though, because I have never gotten along with choir directors in the past except for the one I had at Whatcom. *My friends Taylor, Tanya and Staisha are in this class with me.*

5) FITNESS FOR LIVING: interesting, definately has it's boring points. Teacher is kind of impersonable, but there's nothing wrong with him. Later on in the semester, we're going to be required to go to the gym 5 times a week for that class. *My friend Marci is in this class with me, and Sister Marriott's nephew Matthew is in this class with me too*

6) ANATOMY: Way fun! I REALLY enjoy it. My first quiz I got a 22/25 and on my 2nd I got 27/30. Also, on the first part of the exam I got 93.3%. I have a tag test on Tuesday that is the 2nd part of the exam, but I'm not worried. I feel like I know it, and I'm not having problems remembering or understanding at all. The lab time helps a lot too. (Note: on the tag test, I got 100%, so that took my entire test grade to a 95%.) *My hale Dad and his brother are in this class with me. Also Vai, from my english class.*

7) SIGN LANGUAGE: Loving it. I don't like practicing for homework because I do the same 20 words over and over and over again for an hour, but I like the class and I'm enjoying signing and learning everything I have to learn. *My friends Jake (the cute OGL) and Sarah are in this class with me*

So we've been in classes a few weeks now. I had a few down-days last week or the week before, where I missed Brandon so bad I literally considered going home. Once I got over that, though, I've been fine. I love it here more every day. I'd really love to live here a lot, except their firearms laws are terrible.... I don't think I could survive.

Zach took me on a "casual date" to dinner and a movie in Kane'ohe two weeks ago. It was fun, but it was kind of awkward since it was just me and him at dinner and a movie...I think a huge part of why it was awkward for me and not for him was because I love Brandon and I don't really know why else....it wasn't terribly awkward--it was just like "ok, let's not do that again." Things have been different between us, but that's to be expected--you can't really go on a date with someone and still see them 200% the same way you did before the date. I'm not interested in him AT ALL. He made me kind of upset last night, actually, because I was talking to Brandon, and he called me NINE TIMES on purpose. See, our group has this thing where if someone's talking on the phone for a long time, we will call once, maybe twice, just to distract them and laugh... well, I was talking to Brandon and I guess Zach needed to have some fun, so he called me NINE FREAKING TIMES. I yelled back at him, asking him to stop, and he didn't, so finally I answered his call and tried to convey my irritation over the phone....that didnt work either, because he kept calling, so finally I ran away and stopped talking to him for the night, and Brandon called him and told him to stop. He called me the next day and apologized, saying that he thought I was kidding around with everyone and having fun, and that he thought it was funny.... I wasn't impressed.

I'm constantly trying new foods in the cafeteria...although, I don't put much stock in it's authenticity, because they had Tandori Chicken one night, and it did not taste like Tandori Chicken AT ALL. I've liked most of it though....there's only been one or two things I actually didn't finish. I tried Clam Chowder the other day, too, and actually found that I do like it... Mom and Dad were delighted. They also liked, two or three weeks ago, when I called and told them that I tried fish (Thomas went spearfishing and he let me taste his fish after he cooked it) and liked it too... I don't know what kind of fish it was, but it was pretty good, and the seasoning made it even better.

I'm still making new friends (I try to meet someone new every day) and loving the social life. It has greatly diminished, though, with the development of homework. I have a calling now... I'm in the BYU-Hawaii 8th ward of the BYU-Hawaii 3rd Stake, and I'm the Sacrament Meeting Chorister. I like it, even though I screwed up on #30 several times today.... I just wasn't paying attention. The pianist is really nice and she ignores it when I mess up...

Not really having problems with Dani, my roommate, at all, but completely confused about why she joined the church. Even when she DOES goe to church, she doesn't go to our ward, she hates the standards, doesn't care what Heavenly Father thinks of her, etc. It's just kind of weird. But I really like her. She's kind of messy, but I can't complain--it's her half of the room. The only thing about her that I don't like is that she sleeps with her boyfriend on the phone, and if I come in late at night, I frequently find myself falling alseep to his snoring.

I finally found time to move our furniture and I love it.

My LEFT ankle is now all screwed up from limping on the right. But when Brother Mariterangi set me apart for my calling, he blessed me with health and recovery, so I'm not worried. I did set myself back, however, because I went to Waikiki without my brace on, and that messed me up, and then last week I ran from the Aloha Center to my dorm and back....definately not smart.

Daniel admitted that he misses having me around. Talk about "wow." Another "wow" was that I go home for Christmas 3 months from tomorrow. Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like SO MUCH FARTHER away... so much longer.... Time is going by fast, just like I hoped it would.

Got a new swimsuit that I LOVE... It's really cute and looks really good on me. :) Still loving going to the beach all the time. I really like doing homework down there in my swimsuit. My tan is coming slowly but surely. Saw my first sea turtle the other day. I considered going swimming with it, but decided that that time I'd just admire it. Next time, I'll swim with it. So cool! There's so many things I want to do here, even 3 months doesn't seem like enough time. I haven't figured it out yet, but I wouldn't be suprised if I already have something "new and exciting" to do each weekend between now and the end of the semester. I'm hoping my friend Taylor (UT) or Thomas (OH) will teach me to spearfish and I want to walk across the reef to Goat Island...Taylor was going to go with me and then he sliced his foot on some coral, so he's in recovery right now. My friend Jake and I are planning on going to the Valley of the Temples together in a couple weeks, so that will be a lot of fun... I also want to climb the Stairway to Heaven, even though it's illegal, go to Waimea, go back to Matsumoto's, hike to La'ie Falls, cliff-jump at Maunawili Falls, and go back to the Swap Meet. There are other things I want to do too, but I don't remember them all off the top of my head. We already went to Waikiki to the beach and the "big city"....but I didn't get to surf because my ankle was injured...so I've gotta find time to learn how to surf.

I joined four clubs for this semester: Math Club (we help tutor the elementary kids), Pre-Dental, Aikido, and Thai. It's going to be fun, as soon as I can slow down having tests and find time to go to the meetings. Hawaii is good for my health overall, but it's not good for my feet (hence the ankle injuries, blisters, etc.). My breathing is better, I can run easier (even though I'm not supposed to run), my skin is not dry at all (although I have to be really diligent about washing my face, because the acne problem is worse), my hair is a lot nicer and smoother too. I wake up earlier here, and i think it's because of the sun in my face. I'm skipping writing lots in my journal because I write long letters to Mom (and Dad) and I'm hoping they're keeping those in a journal or something, because I don't want to write it all twice.

I've gotten to see Amy Sant from EFY 2005 twice since I've been here. She's been living in Waikiki for the last 6 months on an externship from the CIA in New York, and she moves back there next week to finish up school. I love her, she's so much fun. I'm thinking of going to the Big Island for Thanksgiving to spend it with Shiloh and her family, but I'm not sure. It'd be nice. A gecko jumped down Staisha's shirt last week, and Taylor slipped and fell on his butt after a midnight dance party where he taught us how to Merengue... I laughed hysterically at both occurrances. That's about it. I'll add more later.