I know midterms are here when..

1. I'm wearing glasses (instead of contacts), sweatpants and the gray Penn sweater..

2. I'm only found at Huntsman Hall or Van Pelt Library and nowhere else (not even at my home)

3. I'm always carrying a cup of coffee, Vitamin water, Diet Coke or Enviga

4. Instead of John Mayer and Evanescence, my iPod is filled with Dr. Robert Rescorla's psychology lectures

5. I actually wish I was running and sweating at Pottruck Fitness Center (for once)

6. My debit card is used even more frequently at Wawa

7. Feel guilty about updating this blog instead of studying

... oh Fall Break, when art thou coming?

Being religious at Penn

One of the biggest concerns I had before coming to college was that I will not be able to keep up with my faith and end up losing touch with my spirituality once I get drawn into the college world. However despite my worries, I was surprised by the presence of numerous religious groups on campus and its religious diversity. One's religion and faith is certainly respected here at Penn and from Penn Hillel to Penn for Jesus, there are ample resources that can help you maintain your spiritual life.

When I was checking out Grace Covenant Church for the first time at their annual beginning of the year Intro Night, I was really going for the free cheesetakes and Rita's Water Ice advertised in their flyers. However I ended up meeting a community of believers who helped me through the Freshman roller coaster and found many of my closest friends. To this day, I head down to David Rittenhouse Labtortories on Friday nights (yes, Friday as in the day before Saturday) to listen to practical and college-related sermons and on Sundays I attend worships at Meyerson Hall, the same lecture hall where I survived Calculus.
Most of all, I love the fact that I do not have to compromise my faith because I am far away from home at a college and feel even more blessed to be here at Penn.

Our church has a weekly bible study groups called family groups in which we not only investigate the bible but hang, eat, study, play games, bond and really live out the name to become a true family. Last Saturday, our church held the annual "Mini-Olympics" in which different family groups compete on games and activities to win the much-desired Covenant Cup. On a hot Saturday at the Highline field near Drexel University, this is what went on...Bridging the gap where a girl has to crawl on all the other teammates back.. I heard this fun-to-watch game leaves long-lasting side effects for some...

Tug War!! My favorite (to watch, certainly not to play)...

This is when the games get intesne...



My family group TREASURE HUNTERS!! Also the very proud winner of Best Banner... (after our long and difficult attempts to mitigate an actual treasure map)

The winner out of the fourteen family groups "Finding Nemos" (notice the Nemo basking in victory on the Covenant Cup)

Ah, what a day.

What flavor would you like?

If there's one thing that I depend on for my existence besides my laptop, cell phone and iPod nano, it would be a fresh cup of coffee. So it was natural for me to get interested in making this delicious and conveniently caffeinated drink. This year I decided to use my work-study grant (a part of financial aid package in which the government and your employer each pay half of your earnings) to turn myself from a coffee brewing/spilling amateur to an espresso machine operating barista. And it was possible at my very own home Rodin College House's High Rise 'N Shine Cafe (pictured below is obviously not me).

Since I started working last week it hasn't been too hectic working at the cafe as students are not coming in yet during my 11pm to 1am shift looking for another cup of coffee or a red bull. But as a resident myself at one of the High Rises, the apartment style dorms at Penn, I know that as soon as finals come around in freezing December, students won't have to go outside of their dorms for search for Starbucks thanks to our cafe.

So when you are craving a steamy hot Cafe Mocha, forget Starbucks, forget Bucks, and find me here at our very own student-run High Rise 'N Shine Cafe.

Back to business

It's about that time again where I will have to leave behind my beloved hometown Los Angeles for my academic home in Philadelphia.

Even as an all-grown 19-year-old, I have to admit that I really like home and hanging out with my family. As an overprotected only child, I enjoy indulging in the comfort of being fully taken care of. In addition, Southern California is just a beautiful place with its amazing weather, and I will pick a car ride on the Pacific Coast Highway over SEPTA anytime.

Yet, I've never regretted coming all the way to the East Coast for college (yes, even when it's freezing cold in the winter and humid hot in the summer). I do look at my Philly & Jersey friends with envy when their parents come over with homemade cuisines. But in those times, I say to myself that I'm really lucky that home, because it's far away, is an even more special place in which I have greater excitement about going back. Blessed with the opportunity to study at Penn, I get to explore the "other side" of this country that otherwise I might not have a chance to experience.

Most importantly, overall experience at Penn both academically and socially is truly worth the miles I traveled and one that I would not trade for anything less. Where will I meet students from all over the world and get a chance to study at a beautiful urban campus located in one of America's oldest cities. Attending a college far, far away has made me realize that this education is so good, so worth it that I am wiling to sacrifice comfort and convenience, for I know that the marginal benefit is on my side.

It's always hard to look back at my parents in the airport waving until I disappear into the custom's line, but I know that even this is a privilege that I'm going to make the most of. I'm ready to take on the challenge of college for the third round and get down on my business, my duty as privileged student, at Penn again.

Positive Psychology

I remember sitting in one of the psychology course' lecture and thinking:

Why do psychologist only study the negative abnormal qualities in people?

There certainly were good qualities in people that would be nice to study about so that we can learn about its roots and sources and strive to acquire them. That's when I found Positive Psychology at our very own campus and fell in love with it.

According to Penn's Positive Psychology Center (http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/), Positive Psychology is a relatively new field of study within Psychology that study strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. Penn Professor and past American Psychology Association (APA) President Martin Seligman is one of the pioneers in this branch and the Director of the Positive Psychology Center here at Penn, the only institution that offers Master of Applied Positive Psychology program. He also published a book called "Authentic Happiness" which I recommend to anyone interested in learning more about this fresh discipline with so much potential. Also by visiting http://www.authentichappiness.com/, one can find out about one's strengths by taking the VIA Signature Strength Test, developed by Penn scholars at the Positive Psychology Center.

PSYC 166- Positive Psychology was definitely an eye-opener course for me and made my summer at Penn so much more fascinating and intellectually stimulating than I ever hoped it to be.

Brunch Outing

So the weather here in Philly has been fairly inconsistent with lots of cold and rainy days even after we all thought that the Spring has arrived. But last week it seemed like the Spring has finally found its niche here at Penn and came the glazing weather that was much appreciated by me and my friends.

Usually too spoiled to get out of the absolutely gorgeous Penn campus, I often forget the fact that Penn is located literally about 10 minutes from the heart of one of the largest metropolis in the United States. To not to let go of this beautiful weather, me and my friends finally crossed over the Schuykill River on one Sunday afternoon for a stroll down to the Center City. We decided to venture to one of Philadelphia's many amazing restaurants and decided on Steven Star's restaurant The Continental Midtown for a hearty Sunday brunch. Reflecting the sunny weather, the atmosphere of the downtown was lively and relaxing with many people with their Spring -colored skirts and sunglasses socializing, shopping and just enjoying a nice day out.
The restaurant did not disappoint us with its delicious food and elaborate inside decorations that included thesevery interestings seats that resembled bird's cages.



Overall it was a chill Sunday here at Penn and a good way to end a weekend before Reading days and finals..
and anyone care for Tiramisu Waffles?

A ramble down Locust

As I woke up this morning after a long night of memorizing Japanese characters, the first thing I saw was red 11:54 on my alarm clock. Uh-oh. I’m late for my Health Care Management discussion in Huntsman Hall at 12!

I attempted to get dressed and pack my notebooks at the same time, failed and ran out to the Lower Quad gate for Locust Walk. Even though I was running for a late class (and trust me, this is not the first time) as always, there seemed to be just so much going on at the Locust Walk. Numerous a capella groups flyering for their finale performance of the year, various community clubs selling baked goods for profits to West Philadelphia community and Whartonites advertising the latest business leaders they are bringing as speakers and so much more...

Locust Walk. It’s a street that connects College Green where many of main Penn buildings are located to the bridge that leads to the High Rises, the three apartment style dormitories. But it is much more than just a street; it’s where Penn’s community comes together and thrives. Aligning this walk is many of Penn’s resource centers and academic building from Penn Women’s Center to Annenberg School of Communication and this is where the infamous Compass – in which the legend has it that if you step on it you will fail your first midterm- is located. This is a place where all members of the Penn community whether they are majoring in Mechanical Engineering or is part of the School of Nursing will have to walk down very often during their academic career at Penn. Even though we are all taking this walk to off to various destinations, this is where all the students come together and mingle during their academic journey here at Penn.

As for me, I made it on time to Huntsman Hall despite all the event flyers shoved on my face and the prospective students (that’s you!) stopping randomly to take pictures on the walk. After a good discussion about implementing preventive care and governmental regulations on trans fat in my class, I am back to where I started. Now I am at the opposite end of the Locust Walk, and I am ready to ramble down that Walk for more exciting things to come at the other end of the walk. (Shoot, and I’m probably late again!)