...Nicole's World...

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 01:31:43 GMT

i wanted to log on and wish everyone a happy chinese new year! =D for those of you who celebrate it, i hope that this is a time of much joy and eating.

speaking of eating, i'm going to go grab some "chinese dinner" that the dining hall is making tonight. let's see how much i can hold in my laughter.

i swear, i'm so mean.

Sun, 07 Nov 2004 09:44:42 GMT

hi.
i'm back.
and i'm feeling heated.

a couple of things:

close-minded, judgmental, conservatives need to shut the fuck up and remove the sticks that are lodged up their asses. i don't give a fuck that i'm cussing like a mad sailor, but i'm fucking tired of people carrying around their holier-than-thou mentality and perpetuating hatred towards already marginalized groups. God is watching you, people. He knows and sees what you're thinking, so you best change or get ready to face Him on judgment day to explain why you're such jerks.

why do i feel this way? go to www.xanga.com/nskang, my xanga site. read the two entries i posted these past couple of days, and you'll know why i want to fucking kick someone's ass.

item 2. this election was bullshit. i can't complain, because hey, he won decisively this time. but, still. i'm bitter that we have to deal with another four years of dubya. goodbye health care, women's rights, gay rights, decent foreign policy, etc. i'm not going to move to canada, though.

that's all. back to midterms.

i apologize for my bad mood and language, but yeah, too bad for now.

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 07:20:33 GMT

omg.

i never write in this thing, and i'm not sure if i'm going to get any better at it. sorry, people. i know y'all want me to stay in touch and not disappear off the face of this earth, but i just haven't and don't have much time to sit and write as much as i'd like to.

here's a breakdown of what's going on before i disappear for, like, another three months.

-started my senior year at stanford. gonna be busy, gonna be crazy, gonna be fun. on top of taking a million units, i'm in the process of the much awaited (cough cough) job search. first application for mckinsey and co. (a global consulting firm) is due next week. i am screwed, but i hope to learn something from it.

-i'm still hella sick from way back in january, but at least we know the cause of it now. currently taking a bajillion medications. praying that i'll recover completely and be able to walk at graduation without clutching my stomach in pain.

-not technically committed, but not single either. pay attention to the word "technically". we're not officially together because of distance and other factors, but it's not like we're on the market for other relationships either. interesting. i'm worried, but at the same time, i'm happy with him and always have been. i hope to keep it this way.

-freshmen are so adorable. i wish i could have the same energy and excitment as they do. i feel like a tired, old fart.

that's my update, y'all. yep, i'm boring.

new lj

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 05:03:20 GMT

hi, lj friends.

nskang is going bye bye. it's too public.

say hello to khmercardinal. subscribe to me!

love,
nicole

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 08:49:17 GMT

-Finals week consisted of six days of incessant studying, bad hygiene, and REALLY bad eating habits. Not only did I have a billion papers and exams, but I had this big mothertrucker of a final that was worth about 70% of my grade and probably one of the more challenging and stressful finals that I've taken at Stanford (as if any final I have taken in the past three years hasn't already given me gray hair). If you ask my drawmates, they will tell you that I became a slave to my notes from sunrise to sundown. Showers were sacrificed in exchange for extra time at Starbucks. I wore the same outfit (sweatshirt, white tee, and black pants) from Sunday to Wednesday. I ate all meals about four hours late. I accidentally brought my physiology notes instead of my Bible and journal to church. The list goes on and on, but I just had to mention those things to reiterate how utterly disgusting of an idolater I had becomen during that hellish period. Thanks to the grace of God and the masterminds behind grade inflation, I did fine, but that all has made me think. Why do I do that for grades but not for God? I haven't found myself losing sleep over my spiritual issues in the past three months. Hmm. Something is wrong with me. With summer in store and lots of time ahead of me, I'd say it's about time I bury my head back into the Word of God and see what has happened to the depths of my soul.

-The four day period after my last final was fun and interesting. Aside from spending countless hours cleaning, packing, storing items, making airport runs, and playing at the beach and other random SF places with drawmates and friends, I dedicated a considerable amount of time to painting the left wall in my dorm room. That's right; I, Nicole Kang, put on my painting overalls (or, in my case, a pair of Old Navy shorts and an old high school class t-shirt), armed myself with a roller and some paint, and proceeded to create a nice, white mural. This was not because I had an epiphany and decided that painting, not human biology, was my calling. When Michelle and I were taking down our framed art from the wall, some paint stuck to our mounting tape, leaving big, ugly peels. Patching those areas didn't work because the paint that everyone else was using to path their walls happened to not match our walls. I'm no rich girl, and I wasn't about to fork over $300+ to the university for repairs, so I came up with my own solution, which was to paint the whole damn thing. Hopefully, no one will notice, and my university bill in the fall won't be more horrendously expensive than it will be. Eesh.

-Graduation was wonderful, and this time, hospital free. (If some of you can remember, I made a trip to the ER last year after graduation. :P) It was wonderful sitting in the sun with 25,000 people at Stanford stadium and watching all those graduates do funny stuff for the wacky walk, listening to Sandra Day O'Connor deliver some inspirational words, and seeing family members laugh and cry tears of pride and joy for their graduates. It was especially cool to hit up some of the departmental ceremonies to watch my drawmates and friends walk. After watching them slave away all year at difficult academic tasks and plan for the future all while putting other people above themselves, it was nice to see them have that "I did it!" look on their faces. They, out of all people, deserved that joyous moment and I was glad to have been there to love and cheer them on. *Sigh*.

-Other random stuff:
-Last night, I had no food to eat in the room, so I decided to head to Castro in Mountain View to see what yummy Asian food I could find. To commemorate old times, I decided to eat at Totoro (a Korean restaurant to honor my Korean drawmates) and ordered soondooboo jigae (again, to honor my Korean drawmates). Let me tell you--indulging in soondooboo without the people I love wasn't quite the same. I mean, c'mon--without the sound of Helen Kim burping, Sarah Ihn doing her laugh, and Michelle doing her "Uhh..haha", the experience was not whole. There were also a ton of leftovers, because I'm weaksauce when it comes to kimchi and kimchi flavored things. Spicy, spicy.
-Out of boredom, I watched Chasing Liberty. After that, I decided that I'll never be bored again.
-I swear never to spend money at Bath and Body Works again. I found the perfect lotion--Nivea Soft Milk. It smells so fresh and it makes my skin all nice and firm. Ahh yes. If there is one thing to make me happy, it's smelly stuff like lotions and sprays.
-Let it burn. Yes.

This entry is going nowhere (not like it started off with anything remotely interesting), but I thought I'd update anyway since it has been a while. Hope you are all doing well..I'll make a point to post more often so we can keep in touch!

Fri, 16 Apr 2004 01:30:14 GMT

It has been a while, folks. I apologize for my absence. =P

Not much time to update, though, because life is busy. After this Sunday, I'll write a long one. But, I do want to send out the following shoutouts:

-Good luck to Maneesh Kumar, Vincent Lew, Susanna Tan, Anna Chen, Jennifer Yang, and Helen Shi on the MCAT this Saturday! You guys are going to rock it! =)

-Happy Birthday to my favorite Swede, Lisa Love! You are LOVEly! *hugs!*

-Thank you Dr. Brown, Dr. Sapolsky, and Dr. Barnett for scheduling midterms and ten page papers during the same week! When I am in the libary, I will think of you!

Goodbye, everyone! I shall return..

Fri, 02 Apr 2004 09:07:43 GMT

long time, no update. here i am, party people!

unfortunately, this is going to be a short update because my body wants me to crawl into bed. however, my hair is still dripping wet, so i thought i'd jot down a note or two while i wait for it to dry. enjoy my words while they last, because given my way of updating, i might not be back for a while.

-spring break was last week, and overall, it was alright. i was really bummed that i had to miss out on my ASB trip to LA for health reasons, but the time to rest was SO NICE. i slept 11 hours a day, spent most of the afternoons in pajamas and a book/cup of tea in hand, and ate good food with friends. needless to say, my body started recovering more quickly and i emerged from the week in a good mood. too bad i've become lazy, though. spring quarter has just started, and guess what? i have done no work.

-spring quarter. yes. it has begun. i'm taking the following ish. y'all stanford people should let me know if you're planning to shop/formally enroll in these classes:

-Ethnicity and Medicine
-Human Behavioral Biology
-Current Topics and Controversies in Women's Health
-Sexuality in Adolescence

i'm also the TA for International Women's Health and Human Rights (a sophomore seminar), so for all of you sophomores out there who know me, read this journal, and are in the class--i just want to let you know that i'll be very nice to you(as in, I'll help you with all of your assignments!). :) i'll hold my office hours in a nicer place than a classroom and at reasonable hours on Sunday. Can't wait to see y'all on class on Monday!

the quarter shouldn't be too bad. it'll be a lot of work as usual, but the classes seem interesting and will give me a break from policy stuff. i love policy, but it gets so dry and strategic towards the end. i gotta have those "gives me warm fuzzies" sorta classes from time to time to keep me engaged and SANE.

-roommate for next year: naree chan, my lovely cambodian sister. it's going to rock the hizzouse!

-drawmates and i have only one more qtr together! i can't believe sarah and michelle are graduating in june, helen is going to oxford for two quarters this upcoming school year, and the jennifers are going to be doing different things. sigh--been through so much together this year, and for that, i love them. A LOT. we're going to make this qtr incredible, right girls? sleepovers in SF, picnics in the quad, beach trips, etc--let's milk it for what it's worth!

-scary conversation of the day:

advisor: "nicole, you're graduating from Stanford next june. what are your plans for the fall?"
me: "job hunting. being a senior. *chuckle*"
advisor: "ok, honors thesis? grad school? other senior plans?
me: *gulp*
advisor: "time flies. gotta think."
me: *gulp*

I DON'T WANT TO BE A SENIOR. Jessica, tell me that being a senior isn't bad. Please make me feel better, because I don't want to leave this place anytime soon.

-Went running this week for the first time in forever--the weather was PERFECT. Ahhh, I love spring!

Ok, I have nothing to say. Once classes really get rolling, I'll be back. Until then, ta ta!

Fri, 19 Mar 2004 18:55:24 GMT

Winter quarter and finals are done!

This means the following:

-I can finally do my laundry. Dirty clothing has been sitting in my closet for three weeks, preventing the door from being fully closed. I also have no socks, underwear, and appropriate clothing for going out into town. (That means I don't have anything other than old high school t-shirts and running shorts to wear.)

-Michelle and I can wipe our room clean. YES.

-I can put my class binders back in order and file this quarter's crap away.

-I can cry about my grades.

-I can sleep, eat, and shower on a more consistent basis

-I can finally get away from Stanford.

-I can have longer conversations with my parents

-I can visit people

yessss :)

Tue, 09 Mar 2004 19:27:33 GMT

If I successfully post a livejournal entry for the next two weeks, please send me a reprimand via email with the following sentence:

"GO BACK TO THE LIBRARY!"

Dead week began yesterday, which means classes are wrapping up. I have two fifteen page papers and two finals for next week, so that means this week is going to be crazily busy trying to prepare for all of them.

I wish you all a wonderful two weeks--until then, take care.

Good luck to everyone on finals, and to those of you who get to take off from Stanford early, have a fun and safe spring break! :)

Sat, 06 Mar 2004 06:41:06 GMT

To our lovely Helen Kim:

We love you..you will be in our prayers this weekend...

Fear not, for we will be with you in spirit. God will provide.

Love,
Your drawmates
(Nicole, Michelle, Jennifer, Sarah, and Jenny)

Fri, 05 Mar 2004 05:48:21 GMT

OMG!

Stanford basketball is amazing! We're 26-0 and still #1!

Tonight, we were actually down by a few points to Washington St, but at the buzzer, Lottich made a FREAKING THREE!

When it happened, my dorm went nuts--people started running out of their rooms screaming! We could also hear other dorms yelling and banging around--amazing!

GO STANFORD CARDINAL!

Sun, 29 Feb 2004 03:32:48 GMT

YAY STANFORD BBALL!

25-0! #1!

=D

Beautiful!

Sun, 25 Jan 2004 23:13:00 GMT

as always, your daily blahblahblah from stanford, california:

-the weather is absolutely gorgeous today! the skies are clear, the sun is bright, and it's in the high 50s-low 60s--totally uncharacteristic of northern california winters, which are usually marked by daily rain and chilly temps. i hope this streak of good weather lasts because i need something to look forward to every day! :)

-i. am. graduating. next. year. this realization is sinking in deeper each day as my email box becomes more satiated with an influx of reminders regarding stanford job fairs, professional school visits, and standardized test registration deadlines. i don't want to think about it, because i want to be a college student forever! however, my plans are coming together..i think. i'm going to start job hunting for policy analyst positions in the pharmaceutical industry in six months. if all goes well and i get a job, i'll work for a couple of years to build corporate experience (and to put my degree to use :P) and then...i think i'm going to take the MCAT and head to medical school.

i know. ya'll know that i dropped my premed aspirations at the end of freshmen year because a) the experience was incredibly painful and b) i wanted to explore other realms of study. the time off from premed has been wonderful as i've been able to really concentrate on my international and health policy studies AND avoid the cutthroat competitiveness that is the stanford premed program. however, i know that, ultimately, being a physician is what i want to do with my life. aside from wanting to solve medically-related problems, i want to be loving woman of God in this profession--to love and nurture those in need, to exemplify the meaning of humility and patience, and most importantly, to be a servant. hopefully, i'll be inspired enough after a few years in the workplace to get through medical school.

-junior formal is in a couple of weeks, and i'm without a date. jordan can't go, and fernando (my best guy friend here) won't go with me because he wants me to go with someone special. :P haha. we do go to every dance together, so i can see why he wants to push me out into the open to meet someone new. but dang it! i'm not up for asking people to things like this on the whim--i hafta feel really comfortable with them.

please, fernando? i love you..you KNOW you want to go to a bajillionth dance with me because we always have a good time, and besides, when do you ever pass up a chance to go out into san francisco for dinner, drinks, and dancing? i'm your best friend...DON'T TORTURE ME! =D

-sarah (one of my drawmates) and some other people have commented that i'm unusually edgy, meaning that a) i'm blunt and to the point b) my tolerance level for comments is lower and c) my demeanor, in general, is not as lighthearted. i've noticed this as well, and i apologize to all of those who are confused by my behavior as of late. being deathly ill these past few weeks put a strain on my level of enthusiasm, and quite frankly, make me incredibly frustrated and sad. plus, i just didn't have any energy to roll with the punches. i promise y'all that i'll be back to normal as soon as my body gives me the a-ok, and i'll be back to being the silly 21 year old that you know and adore (haha).

-i love Jesus. :) gosh, i really do..i don't know what i would do without Him. i am so full of praise right now for the ways He has sustained me and has given me hope when no one else in this world has. it is wonderful to have a God who never leaves us.. (ok, that was random, but everything i write is random)

time to go and study now..maybe i'll put a mat outside on the lawn and study in the sun. that would be lovely..:)

love you all..