I Found Myself On Someone Else's Bed

I woke up to find myself in someone else's bed. This is not my bed. No, correction: This is going to be my bed for the next coming months. Ha! Ironic, isn't it. One week ago, I was snoozing comfortably in my bed. Not today, not tonight, not anytime soon.

It is exactly one week since I arrived here on campus. I remember that the few days after I arrived, I was drained of energy. But not to worry, I'm catching up. I apologize for the confusion. Too much of abstract details. Let's get down to the facts:

Where I am:
Linfield. In a small, tiny town in Oregon.

When did I arrive:
5th February 2009. I left my home on the 4th February.

And Oregon is:
On the westcoast of US. In other words, gazillion miles away from Penang, Malaysia.

And I'm here because:
I have to complete my undergraduate studies.

And when is that?
About...2 years to 2.5 years at most.

What do I plan to do after that?
I don't know. Stop asking stupid questions!

How's the food here?
Great, actually! I was initially under a "standard" meal plan, which means I get 9 all-you-can-eat meals (7 dinners and 2 brunches during weekends) plus USD725 to spend in the miscellaneous stores and cafes if I'm ever tired of cafeteria food. However, the balance is only able to be brought forward from Fall to Spring, not Spring to Fall. So I switched to the "mini" plan, which consists of the same 9 meals plus USD330 to spend.

How's the weather like?
Huh. One word: Unpredictable. One moment it is sunny, one moment it is snowing, one moment, we have rain plus snow. But not too serious. The snow so far hasn't managed to cover the entire ground. And it is really, really cold outdoors, until I can't feel my lips when I walk from one place to another.

Have I started smoking?
Literally, yes. I EXHALE "smoke" when I'm outdoors. Thanks to the weather, everyone "smokes" here. Even dogs. Ha! That was a joke, you get it, right.

Do I have a roommate?
Yes, she's an American. Frankly, she reminds me of myself. Plus, SHE HAS A GIGANTIC JOHNNY DEPP POSTER ON THE WALL. Go, Johnny!!

Have classes started?
Yes. Today is my fourth day of class. Halt, don't ask. I know what your next question might be: What classes am I taking this semester. One Math class, one Art class, one Accounting class, and one Music class. A wide variety.

For Math, it isn't calculus or algebra, this subject is more of...a brain bomb. I have puzzles to solve. According to the Prof, this subject is supposed to help us ease our fear of numbers. BULLSHIT.

And for Art, I got my first assignment: To describe a painting. We get to choose from the pictures the Prof gave. So I'm stuck with Salvador Dali's "Persistence of Memory" for this semester. Woohoo, "great", because my second assignment is to interpret that drawing. "Perfect". But anyway, I kind of like that. I'm an Art-sy person if you don't already know.

As for Music, we are to "run" through the entire history of western music in less than 15 weeks. "Great". But not too bad.

And for Accounting, the professor happens to be my advisor. Cool, right! He is a really hyped and perky, and very helpful chap. Very lovable! And I owe him big time for borrowing his older version of the text he is using to me. Oh, and the music class professor as well! She also willingly borrowed me her older edition of the text!

Do I feel homesick?
Let's just be honest. Yes, I do, of course I would be. I am so far away from home. My grandmother is the greatest cook in my entire world, my three little sisters brought into my life chaos I could NOT live without, my parents has been there since forever, I miss mom, I miss dad and now they are so far away! Things are so expensive here and I'm spending my dad's hard-earned money. I wouldn't exactly say I'm homesick. I get sad at the fact that the moment I was on the plane to somewhere far for the very first time, I am not going to be the little girl I have been. I won't be there to watch over them. Things will be entirely different. I'm on my own now. But I know, this is my decision. And I will not fret over it.

I remembered what so many of my relatives commented and asked why I hadn't choose to study abroad later. This is what you have to know. I know I'm spending a whole lot; my cost every month is more than what my dad earns each month, he calculated. So why for my undergraduate? I could have studied abroad when I'm older. Here is it: I am going to be 20 this June. To me, being 20 is an entirely new phase, but it, too, is a phase which drills fear into my skull, the fear of not knowing the purpose of my life. I knew at once I had to throw myself hard on the floor of life and push myself to see how far I can go, and maybe, just maybe, I'd find myself. They say if we don't fall, we don't learn. Then, this huge opportunity came knocking on my door. What did I do? I grabbed it. I'm not going to wait around and regret. I am selfish, but I know in my heart I can make something great out of this, and mark my words, I will. I am so sorry, mom, dad, gran, and sisters, but I know in my heart this is for the best. Wait for me. I'll make it.

Alritey, I'm done talking to myself. Post questions, if you are curious! And if you care. And I'll try my best to answer them. LOL =) My first official entry for the ACTUAL purpose of this blog!