Recap: April

This is why I have never been able to keep a journal/diary/blog/record before. I lack the conviction to update regularly and I am without anyone to hold me accountable. Oh well, deal with it. Instead of several small posts you get one huge one covering the entire month of April. Lucky you.

This month has been pretty hectic. With only a few weeks left until finals, it's getting down to the wire. I can't really remember everything that has gone on this month, so I'll just give some general updates until things become more clear.

Classes suck, for the most part. I've nearly given up entirely on Chem. I don't go to the lectures anymore, and I don't study for tests or quizzes. The only aspect that I actually put any effort into is the lab, because that grade will be my saving grace come the end of it. I try to attend all my Bio classes, but I haven't been able to wake up for any since Easter Break. I have made it to all the labs though, and I'm doing rather well there. I'm doing decently in Spanish, which is kind of pathetic. I should have a clear A in that class. I guess I'm just not giving it my all. Creative Writing seems to be the only class that I'm actually excelling in (surprise, surprise). I've been receiving a lot of positive criticism from my classmates on my work, which is great and much appreciated.

I can't believe I never wrote about Easter Break. It was quite the turning point in my life. It all started off with a trip to Boston to see Ishraq. First, I had to sneak unto a Greyhound bound for the city, because they told me that it was full and they were no longer taking passengers. I managed to find a seat for myself when the driver went inside the station to relieve himself. From there it was a four hour bus ride to the city, followed by a four hour bus ride to Boston. I spent the weekend there, and it was awesome. Hanging out with Ish in his new apartment and seeing all of my Boston friends was great. I was planning on attending a live performance by Amir Sulaiman, a crazy good slam poet. Unfortunately, he missed his flight and had to reschedule for the night I went home. I should have stayed an extra day, but whatever. I ate lots of good foreign food. Turkish, Lebanese, and Indian; so good. I even managed to meet up with Bobby my last night there, which was great. I hadn't seen him since the summer after Freshman year when he came to visit me on Long Island. Same ol' Bobby. We spent the night lost in the city of Boston, drinking Whiskey and Coke, talking about Harry Potter and just having a merry time.

So, I returned home that Sunday with a new resolve. I had spent the time since Spring Break beginning to learn the Japanese language. I had done some research, and with a little encouragement from Sean, decided on what I want to do with my life. I would switch to English as a major, and study Japanese. Then, upon graduating, I will go to Japan to teach English. I told my parents about this and, needless to say, they were a little shocked. My dad acted very much like he didn't care, and my mom immediately tried to fight me about it by asking me questions. She kept asking me questions over and over, trying to find a weak spot in my plan, looking for any place she could latch on to in order to break me down. But there was no weak point; I had done all of my research and new what I wanted to do inside and out. Eventually, she gave in to me and accepted it as what I wanted. I won. I've finally defeated my parents. It's been a long struggle to ascertain my independence, but it's finally come to a climax. My father is defeated, he no longer poses a threat to me. My mother has been beaten, but still hangs on. I don't think she will ever lose her resolve, but that's just her personality. I owe a lot of this to Sean. Without his support, I most likely would never have made this move.

Returning to school, everything was pretty much normal. I've been studying Japanese during my free time, working on my endless amounts of school work, studying for tests, writing for Pipe Dream, etc., etc. Things are looking pretty good, but I can't wait for the semester to be over. I need a break.