The Berkeley Archives: Jon Yip Talks to Himself

A Systematic Commentary On My Life At Berkeley

Fall 2002

Week 7: My First Saturday Night

9-29-2002

Ben drove to Berkeley on Friday with Andrew and David. I made them some excellent pasta and then we went to IV. After that Ben drove us home.

Saturday was a busy day. In the afternoon I had worship practice, which went extremely well because not only did people show up, but they showed up EARLY. After that I went straight to Howard’s house for our discipleship thing. We went to Starbucks; I ordered a Caramel thing and I’m basically hooked. But I’ll have to control myself because that smack ain’t cheap. Anyway, our talk went really well and I’m glad to have him as my disciple; we think a lot of things alike.

We had to end early because I had to go home and pick up Tim and Leslie to take them to combined cell. Bill Baldwin was speaking; it was not as funny or long as he usually makes it, I guess because it was only for a short combined cell and not like a conference or anything. Ugh I went to bed late, which made it more difficult for me...

...to wake up today at 6:00 for D-5. Then after that I had worship practice before the service, and then service, which was really good. When church was over I hung around for a while and then drove Leslie home (Tim was still at church with Mom and Dad for a Almaden/Fremont parents meeting). At home I slept, ate, and packed. After dinner we picked up Wayne and went to the BART station and took it to Berkeley, where Wendy picked us up and drove me back here.

I was planning to work on my paper today, but I didn’t. Instead, I attached my CPU fan to my video card, hoping to keep it cool (I have yet to test it) and then at about 10:00 Leon was cutting his hair, and then after much persuasion from both him and Shirley (though I would call it more of a forcible effort against me on their part) I reluctantly and dejectedly agreed to cut my hair. Leon did it and did a good job of it too. Then I trimmed his hair to even it out and stuff. All in all it took us about 3 hours to finish. And now it’s really late.

9-30-2002

I woke up a little past 8:00 today. At 11:00 I went to class, as usual, and fell asleep numerous times, as usual. After that I went to the Bearcade to see if I could get any passes for Red Dragon, which is showing on Thursday, but the line was insanely long. It’s just as well, I suppose, since I have a paper due on Friday anyway. But maybe I’ll come back another day before then so I can possibly get the passes anyway, in case I do decide to go. Heh.

I had a 3 hour break between that class and sectionals, but I didn’t really get around to doing anything that I really wanted to. I had initially wanted to watch a movie (to test out my video card tweaking experiment) but a lot of time was spent making food and eating it (peanut butter jelly sandwich, and a can of soup). I eventually did get around to an attempt to watch Metropolis on the computer, which froze after about 30 minutes. CRAP! Nothing seems to work! I guess I just need a new case after all, which means more money. ARGH.

Sectionals made my legs soo tired. All that standing around. Urgh.

After that finished I came back, ate a egg and cheese sandwich, then ate a big salad, and then, after Leon got back from prep, ate some ravioli that he made for us, and then did some reading. Then at 7:00 there was the screening of The Valiant Ones at the PFA. It has Sammo Hung in it! Haha! Strangely, I fell asleep almost immediately and stayed that way for quite some time. I just don’t understand; the PFA makes me sleep somehow, even when a movie is playing. I normally NEVER fall asleep during ANY movie.

Well, that finished, and I came back again and ate more food, like a sausage and the frozen honeydew, and lots of crackers. Seriously, I have not stopped eating since I woke up this morning. I am SO hungry. YAGH. Shirley says it might be because of my hormonal cycle. I’m betting she’s right because what else could it be.

It was totally amazing because I was thinking about watching Panic Room. Shirley was watching TV but then she said “Is there anything you want to watch?” And I said “I kind of want to watch Panic Room” but I had to finish my reading, or at least the article that I was currently on. So I did, and right as I did, Forest Whitaker showed up on TV and said a couple of words for some commercial! HE’S IN PANIC ROOM! So I figured it was another sign, like that Antz thing, so we watched it. It is so good, it made me really tense again, just like it did in the theatre, and I’ve seen it before too! Plus it’s on a small TV, not like a big screen or something. Wow what a great movie.

Rggh. Must start paper TOMORROW MORNING.

10-1-2002

Hooray! I started writing the paper today! I wrote a full page on just two lines of the poem, all before class started. Then I went to class and fell asleep. After Film 151 I went and bought a brownie at the GBC because I was hungry. I saw Crystal there; she was studying. English 115B was boring but I stayed awake by solving the crossword in the Daily Cal and daydreaming.

I came back, ate lots some food and stuff, then went to chorus. That was OK. Then I came back again and Leon made some steak. We had small group, but not regular small group because a lot of people were gone. Instead we just did some games, worship, etc. We played telephone charades, and that’s always fun. Afterwards they all went out to study somewhere but Wayne and I stayed in the apartment because I was writing a paper. Instead, he and I played some Counter-Strike for quite a good bit of time. I changed the setting to software mode, and my video card didn’t have a single hitch. So it HAS to be the card. A little after Shirley came home, I actually started working on my paper and Wayne started reading. I got a good chunk done, more than half a page, and all writing on one line of the poem! Am I good at BSing or what? It sounds really good too. I was amazed myself.

10-2-2002

I was up pretty early this morning. I just hung around til class time. Boring. Then I came back and practiced the Mozart a little because I was supposed to sing a solo for vocal technique. After Leon got back, we “tested” my video card out. At the singing class, I ended up not singing because there wasn’t enough time for everyone, and it wasn’t a solo anyway, it was just her critiquing each of us individually.

I made dinner today, just some rice and steak. At around 7:20 or so I went to Wheeler to watch the free advance screening of Knockaround Guys. It was OK. John Malkovich is cool! And best of all, the writers/directors, David Levien and Brian Koppelman, where actually THERE and they did a Q&A session! They both were English majors! There’s hope for me! They said to just keep doing it. They wrote every day from 8am to 10am, for 5 months, until they finally got Rounders. After they sold that script, they got offers and now they are allowed to direct their own movie. Wowzer.

This stinkin’ video card. I downloaded and installed the new AGP drivers and everything and it still locks up! ARGH! It CAN’T be overheating; it freezes in like a couple of minutes! GRRRRR!!!!

10-3-2002

We are running out of food. I am still really hungry today. I ate a whole ton for breakfast. Leon didn’t go to class this morning. I ate two bowls of cereal, oatmeal in the morning, in the afternoon I ate a PBJ and an egg and cheese “fajita,” and for dinner I ate three huge bowls of pasta. Plus all the snacking and such in between. And kettle corn.

Anyhoos. Class was OK. In Film 151 I managed to be awake for most of the time, but once I started keeling over to the side and pretty close to the guy’s shoulder next to me. How embarrassing. I never see anyone else sleep in that class, so why is it always me?

Then in English 115B. What a nightmare. We spent the WHOLE class analyzing “Go, Dog! Go” by P.D. Eastman. WHAT THE FREAKIN’ HERR. Frickin’ children’s book so they can learn to read. Is this what I paid for? What is wrong with this guy. I slept for a LONG time in that class, and many students decided to join me.

Then chorus. That dragged a little too. Ugh. This has been the longest week of the year so far, and today has been the longest day.

Well, I came back; Leon was already gone to Oases and to work on his CS stuff with his partner. I made that pasta I was talking about. The evening has been spent milling about, either “working” on my paper or watching TV with Shirley or playing guitar or piano. The thing is with this stupid paper, I still don’t know if what I’m writing is what he wants to hear. The reader told me, and I THINK I have a good idea, but there’s no way I can be sure until I get this paper back with a grade on it. I’m almost done with it, and it’s not even midnight yet, but I just can’t write. I even know what I want to write. I just can’t write.

10-4-2002

What, did I not write yesterday?? Oh man, I feel like such a slacker! Then again, I was writing my paper, so I have some excuse, I guess. Oh wait, never mind, I must have done something wrong with WordPerfect.

Well, this morning I went with Shirley again to the RSF for kickboxing. It was another long and sweaty workout. Woof. Then I went to class, but the professor was cool enough to know that all we wanted to do was go home and write our papers, so he let us out early. So I came back, and finished my paper (well, it was already finished. I just smoothed out of couple of things). Then I ran over to Wheeler and turned it in to Booth’s mailbox. It’s all out of my hands now; I just hope the reader was right.

To reward myself for my first major undertaking of the semester, I played video games, for the first time since I got here! I played Parasite Eve, and, after a few tries, beat the boss, but got killed at the end when it’s chasing you! ARGH I was sooo frustrated! All that time wasted! I’ll have to go back to it sometime (or maybe even play all the way through) because it’s such a good game, and pretty short, so I can fit it in during the school year possibly. Then I beat FFX again. This time the ending was a lot better for me; when Rona first told me that it was so sad and everything I was like “psh, yeah, OK, whatever,” but this time I really found it quite sad. Maybe it’s this hormonal thing that Shirley’s talking about. Shiver. Leon packed up and left for fall conference.

At dinner time Shirley went to hang out with her old housemates, so I made myself a hefty meal (rice, soup, and her steak that she wasn’t going to eat) and took the opportunity to watch a violent, f-word laden flick, The Boondock Saints, which ROCKED. It’s about these guys that are on a mission from God to go around and kill evildoers. So awesome. After that finished I decided that the sooner I got cracking on my next paper (due Monday) the better. At first I didn’t think I would have any problem, but now that I look at it, I don’t remember anything about the book that I’m supposed to be writing about. That means that I have to read it again, confound it.

Shirley came back a while after 10:00. I started reading the book again, Wynema, this time highlighting all the stuff that might apply to my essay. I hope I can get a lot done by tomorrow so the stress will be relieved on Sunday. Urgh.

10-5-2002

This morning I did something I haven’t done in a long time... watched Saturday morning cartoons. Shirley went to SF for half a day. I ate food, watched the rest of Metropolis, which is an AWESOME anime, and did some reading. Shirley came back at around 2, and I pretty much read the whole afternoon until 6:00, when Nine Months was on TV and Shirley said I had to watch it. So we did. Then after that Air Force One and Lethal Weapon 4 were both showing at the same time so I switched back and forth. Then after THAT the remainder of The Mummy Returns was on Starz (which is FREE on weekends!!!), so we watched that. So I didn’t really get started on my paper until after 12:00. But at least I finished the book again. Now I just have to write this frickin’ thing.

My first Saturday night in Berkeley... EVER... woow...