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more about the soonger

Winter 2000

Back from school...

Sunday, December 26.

I can't believe Y2K is almost here. It wasn't too surprised that I totally ignored this page during the school year. For those upperclassmen who told me that 3rd year was the toughest, most work-intensive year, I must say that they are 100% absolutely freakin' correct.

The exam period for me started on the 9th of this month and concluded on the 21st. The faculty was kind enough to space out my 6 (count them, six) exams. The first ones didn't go so badly (since I still had the will to study) but near the end, my drive to succeed totally collapsed. My mind was looking ahead to the measley 11 days off from Toronto.

My folks picked me up from Toronto on Wednesday in the new car, 2000 Volvo S70. After driving the car back, all I can say is: WOW. The car is amazing-- about a 500% improvement over the old '89 Volvo 740 we had. The new car: enough power, lots of creature comforts, a good sound system and a nice ride with good feel for the road made the 4 hour drive pleasureable. It's a shame I only have 6 hours sleep the previous night (sleep was sacrificed for studying), otherwise I would have enjoyed the drive more...

Since I've been back, I've managed to find something for everyone on the shopping list. Don't know how successful it was-- some 'lucky people' found lotto tickets as their presents...

The social calendar was luckily filled the past few days. On Thursday, I managed to go out twice last night. The first event was a dinner / cocktail party old neighbours were throwing. The reason why my brother and I were invited (not my parents) was that my brother is taking care of the grandmother. He also asked if I could attend. The reason for me to attend: I was supposed to meet up with a girl I went to grade school with (grade 2 before she moved). I had the biggest crush on her-- my brother was curious what she looked like. Last time I saw Amanda was 7 years ago at a swim meet-- she swam for another school. All the family works in Toronto but the parents live in Windsor. Amanda works for a securities firm. Her sister gave me her work and home phone. I'll definitely call her up when I get back. I'm curious to see how she's doing. At the party, I also ran into my high school biology teacher and another grade school classmate-- he totally caught me up on all the grade school gang. It's not surprising to hear about a few classmates but there were some eye-opening stories...

The second event was a high school get-together. My friend Vince is back from Japan co-op term. He's going back to Waterloo this semester to finish up his CS degree. My friends from Western and Ottawa are also down for X-mas. Everyone (less me) is going up to Ottawa for Y2K. (Too bad I'm not going otherwise I'd call up my pharmacy classmates...) What they have planned sounds really interesting...

As for yesterday and today, it was nothing but POWER EATING. Christmas Eve was very relaxing. After dropping off the presents to all my friends, I went over to my aunt's house in Riverside for dinner. There was some mighty good eatin' over there! We didn't stay too long-- my mom wasn't feeling well (she has migraines) so we had to go home.

Christmas morning was time to open up some good ol' presents... Santa was kind to me (on the most part). The folks got me some furniture (I guess they're hinting for me to vacate the house ASAP). Bro got me cold hard $$$ (something I NEVER REFUSE. Friends bought me interesting things: Vince got me a pair of 5-toed socks (they're like gloves for the feet-- I guess it's THE THING in Japan). Mike got me a reflective arm band for when I go jogging outside (something that I will use when I jog during the summer-- I never jog during the day otherwise I will turn as dark as night). I got a pack of playing cards from the restaurant, Hooters. Think I'll bring them back up to school to show the guys. Another friend got me some burned CD games-- always good stuff. One warped friend purchased a tin of catfood (?), SPAM, Tang and some crayons. The crayons and the Tang are useful, but the other two? What were you smoking???

During the evening, I went over to my aunt's house in the old neighbourhood (Forest Glade!) for dinner. The whole family was there-- the placed was packed. Good food once again-- my aunt made some 'bao tse', one of my personal favourites... one of my cousins invited their BF and he brought over his laptop-- he screened the Matrix. I've seen it a few times already (since I bought the DVD last month...) so I wasn't lined up to watch it.

Since dinner, I have tried to do some homework (sigh-- why am I trying to be so keen when I'm not?!). Cracked open the pharmacology notes I took back with me. Only gone through the first 2 lectures. Two more months' worth of notes to go... (I didn't even bother to bring the textbook 'cause I knew I wouldn't get that much done...)

I'd better get some sleep in. Tomorrow I look forward to what bargains I can find at the various Boxing Day sales...

Back to school...

Wednesday, January 12.

Back to school-- d'oh! Well, it was nice to be home for a while. Not much to report-- things are somewhat the same there. Had a chance to do a little shopping. Went to the men's clothier and purchased a couple of dress shirts and a matching tie. Quite happy with that-- my former babysitter helped me out with the selections...

Got back to Toronto last Monday (3rd) via my aunt. She and my uncle were driving my cousin back to Ottawa for school-- they were nice enough to drive downtown and drop me off along the way. Let's say the adjustment back took quite a bit-- from the comfort of my home (and driving the new car around) to back to residence walking around...

READING WEEK already?!

Monday, February 14.

Happy Valentine's Day goes out to all you fine lookin' ladies out there. (I've got a special valentine-- big hug goes out to ya!) Yes, as impossible as it may seem, it appears that Soonger may actually have himself a woman this Valentine's. (It's been a while since the Valentine's Day massacre of 1996...)

Got back into Windsor Friday evening. Had to skip my toxicology class for the train has since changed the schedule. The earlier train leaves Toronto at 4 instead of 4:30. Well, I got to sit with an old high school pal of mine. My good friend Natalie was on the train-- it was a shame she was in another car. I would have had a nice chat with her. She was polite enough to come back and talk to me (I was too engulfed in my conversation with Brian... my apologies, Natalie).

Since I've been back, I've been trying to catch up on all that sleep and relaxing that I have been foregoing during school. (What am I thinking about sacrificing sleep for studying?! As if it really helps!) Did a little shopping, went out for dim sum, went for a job interview and went out with friends has been my itinerary this weekend.

Now I'm fixing up this much neglected webpage and posting up some new scans from the roll of film I have recently developed. It's a shame-- I have 10 shots left in the current roll and there are a ton of beautiful shots I want to scan in. Soonger mackin' on the girls of pharmacy (almost sounds like a Playboy publication...)

Going back to Toronto soon-- have so much work to catch up on! Be sure to take a look at my scans, eh?!