My sister. My Star.
--Wellesley College Flower Sunday
roses from big sisterIt is the Flower Sunday today, a day for celebrating sisterhood and friendship in Wellesley. It is one of Wellesley's loggest celebrated tradition which started since the second year after the school founded.
My big sister Amy gave me a bunch of pink purple roses in the morning. I love the roses so much, and she picked my favourite colour! I didn't know what made her chose the colour; this morning was the first time that we met so I definitely hadn't told her my favourite colour before. We chatted during the brunch, and she's really an adorable big sister.
Then we went for the ceremony and the Chapel. There were people from different religious groups speaking, and lots of singing. I felt truly touched as I was sitting (and singing) through the ceremony. It had reminded me of all the wonderful moments that I have spent with all my friends, and all the help from my friends in times of difficulties.
I'd like to say thank you very much to all my dear friends. As I was thinking about you all at the Chapel just now, I was really touched by all the little and big things that you've done for me. I'm really greatful to know you all and have friends in you all. Thanks for making my life more palatable and colourful. All the best to you all, wherever you are and whatever you're doing.
Here's a little familiar song that we sang since we were kids, but I never thought that I could be so meaningful until we sang it at the Chapel just now. Here it is for all my friends:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Then the traveler in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark;
She could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
In the dark blue sky you keep,
While you thro' my window peep,
And you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
the rose from Hoi See
(when I came back from the ceremony, this rose lied on my cupboard. thanks Hoi See for your lovely rose. and thanks for being such a nice senior. you have really made my days in Wellesley wonderful)
Friday, September 08, 2006
I have already had one week of classes, and T have been having lots of fun. Wellesley professors are just so fantastic!
I love my physics lesson the most. The professor is so young (at least she looks young) and energetic. She came in, introduced herself, and then said:" Your first assignment is to come to my office to chat with me by next Wednesday." Haha, that was interesting. And then she gave an overview of the course: "After you had so much Newtonian mechanics and electricity and maganetism, here's finally something COOL that you can talk about during cocktail parties!" Guess what's the "something cool"? Quantum Mechanics. Well, maybe she's refering to cocktail parties at MIT... She explains things so well; it is just so incredible. Somehow, she has the power to make everything "common sense"...(A bit like Prof Tok from NUS, if I have mentioned him to you before...He can explain difficult concepts with basic A-level stuff. To NUS people, if you have the chance, you should definitely take his courses.)
I've done my first assignment by going to her office. We talked about this and that and at the end we talked about research. I actually sent her an e-mail saying that I was interested in her research area a few months ago, but I only remembered that her surname started with an "L". During the advising day of the orientation, I went to the physics table to meet her because she would be my course instructor. We talked about the course and registration, and at the end she said:" Let's talk about research next week." I was wondering what research she was talking about, until I suddenly realised that she was the professor that I had sent an e-mail to. WoW she actually remembered the "whoever" who sent her an e-mail (and just ONE e-mail a few months ago). Unbelievable. Today, I've received reading materials from her. I just can't believe that there's a professor who cares so much about a first-year student.
I'm also taking an organic chemistry class. The professor is also making everything sound like common sense. Wonderful. I really like it. But when I had my lab on Tuesday, I was really panic because I had no clue about where all the apparutus were. Luckily my lab partner offered me so much help:)
The maths class is pretty good too, but the professor is going very very fast. In spite of his speed of teaching, he still explains the concepts well. The 1st topic is complex number, which is something that I've learnt. So I still survive now. But he's finishing complex number by Monday (believe it or not, he's finishing more than our A-level complex number within 3 lessons. crazy.) After that there will be tons of things that I haven't learnt. Hope I can still survive.
And I am also taking an Asian American studies course for fun. Actually I wanted a Russian short stories course. But on the day of registration, which started at 9am, I clicked my "submit" button at 9:03am and the russian stories class is full. The class was filled up within 3 min. Awesome. Back to Asian American studies. It is taught by an old professor who has been in Wellesley for 31 years. He just talked non-stop in class and bombarded us with lots of interesting facts and opinions. Really interesting. He's just so smart, and so peace-loving.
After my physics placement test, the chair of physics department said "please stop by my office to chat". So I went to her office today. She's such a nice lady, offering me lots of suggestions of what I should do. She's telling me to keep my options open, because I'll never know what I will be doing in the future. And she's strongly recommending me to take some Biology classes (though she's not a bio person). She gave me an example of a super-smart physicist who have found a protein structure by using X-ray diffraction. This physicist graduated from cosmology PhD and couldn't find a job. At the end he found a job in the bio lab and learned bio while he worked, and now he's the director of his bio lab. Cool. I also consulted the professor whether I should finish my degree in 3 years (to go according to A*STAR's wishes). She said that I should really take four years to try different things, not just physics, because there are lots of things that I won't get to do after I leave the college. "Since your parents are not paying for your education, why do you bother to finish in three years?" It makes sense. I talked to her for almost an hour, and I felt that I've gained so much after the conversation with her.
(By the way I still don't know whether it is technically possible to finish in three years. It seems that it will all depend on whether they accept O-level Higher Chinese.)
Now I feel that I was not wrong in choosing Wellesley. I've come for the right reason. Really:)
Sunday, September 03, 2006
I managed to find some time to take more photos of Wellesley. However, due to my poor photographic skills, the pictures are not as beautiful as what I have seen. As the buildings are generally hidden behind the trees, the camera is focusing on the trees instead of the buildings.
So here are some of the photos:
Beebe Hall
This is where I live. The building has been here since 1908, but it is better than a place called Raffles Institution Boarding School. This dorm has a pirate culture, because Captain Beebe is believed to be a pirate. At the entrance, there's a black flag showing something like the picture below with words "commitment to excellence" on it. Inside the dorm, there are lots of pictures of bones and crosses, as well as toy ships. At meetings and other events, people dress up like pirates. Some people event talk like pirates (naturally).
Not to forget, there's really a GRAND PIANO in the dorm. (I have seen lots of grand pianos in different dorms.) But please, that's not the main reason for me to choose Wellesley (though I've been giving you this answer when you ask me why).
This is just little lane leading to the entrance of the college. I love this type of lanes a lot.
This is part of the college entrance.
a lawn
somewhere nice
This is the most famous building, I guess. If you've watched Mona Lisa's Smile (which is a boring movie that doesn't reflect anything about Wellesley College), this probably looks familar.
I have not taken any pictures on the lake yet. But the lake is really the most beautiful and peaceful place in the campus. Yesterday morning, I went beside the lake and finished the book
Feynman's Rainbow. It's a very fascinating book featuring the interaction between Feynman and a new faculty member at Caltech in the early 1980s. When I was reading the book, there were leaves dropping beside me; sometimes squirrels passed by through the branches above, dropping little fruits right in front of me. I've never felt that I can be so close to the nature.
I shall try to find some time to walk around the lake one day:)
roses from big sister
the rose from Hoi See
Beebe Hall
This is just little lane leading to the entrance of the college. I love this type of lanes a lot.
This is part of the college entrance.
a lawn
somewhere nice
This is the most famous building, I guess. If you've watched Mona Lisa's Smile (which is a boring movie that doesn't reflect anything about Wellesley College), this probably looks familar.