I think...I won?

From: ycnh@pantheon.yale.edu
Subject: Greg Yamanaka Senior Essay Prize
Date: April 30, 2007 12:34:37 PM EDT
To: erica.m.larsen@yale.edu

Hi Erica,

On behalf of the Yale Club of New Haven, I am please to invite you and your parents, to join us at the Yale Club of New Haven Scholarship Reception, to be held on, Monday, May 14th at 5:30 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Avenue. At this time your award will be formally announced and you will presented to the Club's membership as a Greg Yamanaka Senior Essay Winner.
_________


Yay! I think I have to share the prize with someone. Oh well, can't complain! They love me, they really love me. <333

The Trouble With Trying To Be More Spontaneous

...is that I suck at planning.

And at dealing with consequences.

Or like, anything. I need to learn how to deal. How I will ever coordinate my own archaeological dig is beyond me.

But things look good for now. One of the two sellers will have my ticket in the mail tomorrow. As for the other pair, I haven't heard back yet. I won't be able to breathe until I have three tickets in my hand and my butt in a car. And maybe some money again. Oh music, why do I do this for you? And seriously, for My Chem. Of all things would-be-ninth-grade. I'm forever 15 and forever in love
with the blood and the rain and the absence above
and I'm writing these words to the tune of a song
that My Chemical Romance was playing all along

And I don't think I meant it -- just typed and it came
All the TUIB fans who know me will think I'm insane
But all love comes in phases it flows and it fades
And right now I'm in need of the blackest parades...

....Okay I ran out of words to go with the tune because the rhythm changes. Hee hee.

I figured out why I like this silly band so much. It's because, as different as the two can be, they're kind of the new Pumpkins. I think I'll blog on that more later.

And Muse, of course, is Radiohead, Jr. Though it's more like they filled the gap that old-school Radiohead left behind when they moved into abstract-art-land. Muse kind of got me through last semester, and My Chem kind of got me through this one. That's why I made the manic impulse purchase when I did, reeling from post-thesis euphoria -- it seemed like fate. But nothing is fate. Everything is human choice, and most of that ill advised.

It will all be so worth it. ^_^

I'm Trying To Be More Spontaneous.

I now have tickets to see Muse open for My Chemical Romance on May 8th. Two of my current favorite bands (no laughing, MCR-bashers). Together. I'm actually even more excited for Muse than MCR, as if that were possible. Muse takes me to a higher realm. MCR will be beyond awesome for the theatrics. Wheeeeee! It's the only time I'll get to see either band in the forseeable future, based on their tour schedules.

My term paper is due the 9th. Guess I'll have to get it in early? How great is that? Then the semester will be over, minus the pass/fail "design an art installation" paper, which is due the 11th. Loads of time. :)

Got a better deal than I expected, too. Score and DOUBLE score! *dances* Plus I have an amazing friend to go with (TRACY, you have gone from my favorite person to my favorite sentient CREATURE) and backup for the 3% chance she can't come. 'Twill be grand, yes.

Hay thar.

Update time. I have been so absent this spring. There are several reasons for this.
(1) Senior project, which is FINISHED, thank you very much.
(2) After moving to Blogger, I just didn't like the layout that I thought I liked. Fixed that.
(3) I talk to my parents on AIM now. How weird is that? So I feel less need to communicate via blog.
(4) I don't really pay attention to the news anymore.

Excuses, excuses. New, less oppressive layout. New, less oppressive life. Though still busy.

NEWS:
1. I am going to Harvard next fall.
2. I am going to Japan, China, and Taiwan this summer.

Classes end this week, supposedly, though my schedule never conforms to that. I managed to convince my art history prof to give us a take-home option for our final in which we design our own art installation based on the works on our final review. How cool is that? Working in a museum would be awesome, I think. MAY 10 is the end of the tunnel. Then dead week. Which is really two weeks. Yes!!!

Stay tuned.

Music Critic = Best Job Ever?

If I someday change my mind about academic research, I found another job that interests me. I want to review music. Or books, movies and shows. But mostly music.

I don't know why I didn't think about this before. I think it's because I stopped listening to new music for awhile a few years back. But I've always adored reading and writing reviews. I guess in today's world the thing to do is to write them online and get a following, then get freelance work, then a real job. So I have to start writing them while I'm in grad school. On a website. I've definitely got the skills and the passion.