The Mourning Period

The past few blogs that I've written have pretty much all been reflections of my time here at Brown and how sad I am that I have to leave. Unfortunately, this blog isn't going to be any different. Today's class may have been the most interesting so far, due to all the different topics that were presented through the group projects. I learned about obscure and relative topics such as Peak Oil and Obamacare. Our presentation went well, even though we were well over the recommended 15-minute length. I know that this trip was about growing as a person and experience the academics of an Ivy League School but today all that came second to my closest cluster mates.

Immediately after class I had to say goodbye to one of the best people I had met at this program, Jonathan. It's not that Jonathan is better than anyone in particular at Brown, it's just that he's such a good guy. Despite all the terrible puns that he makes I'm still going to miss him a lot, and yes, tears were involved. Unfortunately, a ton of other great people left while I was in class. One of these kids was Ryan. What is there to say about Ryan? If you could see him just doing normal things in real life then that's all the explanation and remembrance you would ever need. By far one of the funniest people I met on this trip and actually someone who I had a lot in common with. It's really hard to do these recaps because everyone I met at Brown was such an amazing person. Jonathan, Ryan, Shabba, Ryan C, Matt, Danny, Avi, and to anyone else that I seem to be forgetting for some unknown reason, you guys changed my life. There's one person who I left off this list for a reason and that is Utku. Some of you who have read my blogs already know that he was my roommate over these 3-weeks at Brown, but what most of you don't know is that he is the nicest person and best roommate at Brown. I'm not joking either, our cluster all took a vote on it and he won both categories. There's so much I could say but in your interests I'm going to stop here.

After goodbyes, the rest of us left decided that we should go all out by dressing up and going out to a nice dinner on Thayer. Caleb, Hector, Dylan, Sakura, Marie, and I really didn't know where to go so we just walked up the street until we saw something that sparked our interests. We ended up deciding on Andrea's, which seemed fitting since that was the place that my cohort and I had lunch on our very first day at Brown. The food didn't matter at all anymore as we just enjoyed our last meal together as much as we possibly could. After a lot of laughs we finally left, only to head right across the street to the CVS to pick up some stuff for our last night. These items consisted of an abnormal amount of Reese's Cups, a huge back of Peanut M&M's, and a massive amount of energy drinks. Needless to say, we were ready for whatever came at us.

The rest of the night was filled with food, laughter, games, and interesting stories about our time at Brown. The Squad, as we like to call ourselves, had some of the most fun I've ever had that night. The Summer@Brown program has really been eye opening in almost every way imaginable. It's been one of, if not the best, times of my life and I'll be taking everything I've learned back home to try and use it for good and not evil. I don't know but this is one of my last blog posts so the usual sign-off just doesn't sound right. I just have to say... goodbye?

Snapping Back to Reality

Five months and two days ago, I was chosen for this one month trip to Brown on a scholarship.  Five months later from that point, I was packing up to leave Brown.  What seems like ages ago now seems like such a small amount of time when put into the perspective of words.  For me, the opposite can be said about this past month at Brown.  The entire experience seems like it was only a week or two but was actually a full month.  I remember driving down to SFO and arriving in Warwick, Rhode Island as if it were just yesterday.

I sit here now in my living room after remembering that my parents shut off my internet at 1:30 AM every night in attempt to get me and my brother to sleep. I've now been forced to finish this blog on my phone and that I will do.  The flight back to the bay was quite the miserable experience for me once again (as some of you may recall from the first blogs) because I get motion sick extremely easily. Thus, there's really not much to talk about in those hours of travel besides the fact that we happened to have the same flight as Amulia  to Chicago and saw a few fellow Summer@Brown students on the flights as well.

Rewinding to before we started to time travel back in time, I woke up to an empty room for the first time at Brown as I remembered that those days of waking up and disturbing my roommate with my alarm were gone. I quickly packed everything and left for breakfast with everyone, or at least I thought I was. After about 15 minutes of waiting for everyone, I was informed of the fact that our cards no longer unlocked the residence halls and this quickly escalated into a huge problem for me.  I left all of my luggage in my room thinking I could come back and get it. I ran back and luckily someone was there to open the door for me and was able to go back to my room to grab my stuff. I had to say an early farewell to the floor and room in which I had lived in for 3 weeks and tried to keep the image of the residence hall in my memory.  Charlie unfortunately did not answer his door for my check out, so I just slapped my name tag (from the first day of Summer@Brown) on his door, hoping he got the message.  After that, I was left outside with my stuff waiting for everyone to finish breakfast at the V Dub while I had to skip out on the final meal.  Thankfully, Arnold delivered a chocolate croissant to me from Starbucks so I didn't have an empty stomach.  After a few more half hours of waiting, I spotted Ms. Scott waiting for the shuttle a few minutes prior to meeting time.  I called everyone over and we took taxis instead of the shuttle for the same price to the airport for an early arrival.  From there, we checked in, went through security, got Dunkin' Donuts (my first time and I can see now why everyone strongly recommended going), and waited for our flights.  Again, there isn't much to mention about the flights so I'll be skipping to our arrival.

Our arrival consisted of slowly finding our parents one by one at the baggage claim of SFO and me trying to hold back my tears of joy at the sight of my mother and grandmother.  Our last moments as a cohort were surely bittersweet as we finally made it through the long journey but were to be physically separated by our schools once again.  I hugged everyone goodbye in hopes of reuniting with them and left with my family to a dinner at a nearby restaurant celebrating both my return and my grandmother's birthday.  I'm sure my grandma was glad to see me back in one piece, grown up and all, a nice birthday present if I do say so myself.

Dinner was quite brief as I talked about my time at Brown, although I still have much to say. All the while I was also texting Alex (not the roommate Alex) who is back home in Florida.  The conversation helped me realize that I was slowly losing consciousness to jet lag and that time zones still exist.  From the time I'm writing this blog, I would be waking up in about 2 hours to get ready for class normally st Brown.  Now, I'm sitting at home with nothing to do besides badminton practice two times a week until I leave for Vancouver on the 26th to visit family.  All of us may have left Brown to truly start out summer vacation, but part of me can't help but think that all the connections and friendships we made will still live on after the summer ends.

With all my stuff still not unpacked and coming home to a new bathroom sink and desk in my brother's room, I think I'm ready to go to bed and slowly and relucatantly adjust myself from my beautiful time at Brown.

Back to Normal

Today was officially the last day of our 26-day trip. Since we had to clear out dorm room by nine o'clock in the morning, Amulia woke me up at six thirty just to get everything prepared. As soon as I woke up, I knew that today was the day we had to say goodbye to Summer @ Brown, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, and the East Coast. Spending almost four weeks in the same area, I had already fell in love with its rich history, natural beauties, and the people. Thinking that I would be leaving, I felt that there was something covering my heart, maybe it was the sadness .

I did the daily routine after I woke up: brushing my teeth, drinking a bottle of water, and using the toilet, but everything seemed so different today because this would be the last time I did these normal daily activities at Brown University. I said bye to the bathroom, and went back to my room to finish my final packing.

My Cleared Room

I took out the bed cover from the bed, and a sudden thought popped in my mind. On the first day I got into the dorm, I put the cover on and checked every corner while feeling unfamiliar with the new room. Now, it was time for the bed cover to travel back to the Bay Area with me. I unplugged the alarm clock, the fan, my laptop, the surge protector, and everything I used during the three weeks. They all went into my luggage, and my room was clear again.

I went to have my last breakfast at Summer @ Brown with Amulia, Kevin, and Arnold. I could not eat a lot today for some unknown reasons, but I packed some food for my later meal on plane. The oatmeal tasted different today maybe because of the bitterness in my heart. After breakfast, I went back to Biomedical Center to take pictures of the building where I had spent three weeks at. I hope someday I will be back again.

Three suitcases, one backpack and a fan weren't easy for me to carry. Although there was an elevator in the dorm, it took me a long time just to move them all from the dorm room to the elevator, and from the elevator to the front of Keeney Quad. I really did not know why I had so many things to carry. On the way to the airport, I met Nick, who was also a Summer @ Brown student who was sponsored by a college search program to attend the summer session. He was from Chicago and he took a course in computer programming, which he said he would not do it again.

The luggage nightmare continued after we arrived at the airport. Fortunately, Ms.Scott was able to help me carry one of the luggage, so I was able to move without using a paid cart. I was so glad that both of my luggage was underweight because I was worrying about my luggage to be overweight since I bought so many cans of clam chowder. At the airport, I got my first two donuts from Dunkin Donuts since I came to the East Coast, but they were not as good as I thought. I also bought a pink shirt with the words " Rhode Island Ocean State" for my mother as a souvenir. I hoped she would like it.

Amulia and I

I boarded on the plane with the destination of Midway airport in Chicago. I sat beside Amulia, so we could spend the last two hours together. We talked about so many different topics, from Disney, Hollywood, to Emma Watson, who graduated from Brown University. We agreed that we would definitely keep in touch, and that if she visits California, we have to meet, and if I go to Chicago, we will definitely meet. The lady sitting beside Amulia was a mother of a rising-sophomore at University of Michigan. She asked me if I was a college student, I answered her that I just finished the summer program at Brown University. After she heard about Brown, her first reaction was saying that everyone attended Brown loved the school, and I agreed on that comment.

The weather at Chicago was cloudy, which represented my emotion at the moment exactly. I injured myself with the suitcase handle,  and sadly, it was time to say goodbye to Amulia.  I gave her big hug and waved. I will miss her so much. I looked out the airplane window, listened to some sad musics, and thought about all the good memories I had made in the past four weeks. My emotion deepened. I went on the plane, and met a fight attendant who was also a Brown graduate, class of 2008. With the extremely tired body, I could not help but napped. After I woke up, I had a can of orange juice, and at that moment, all I wanted was to arrive at San Francisco because the flight was too long. I looked outside the window, all I could saw was endless white cloud and farmland, and I looked t my watch and realized there were three more hours to go. I wonder how I got thoroughly the flight from Taipei to San Francisco; I should have patted myself at the back when I arrived for my endurance.

Back at San Francisco

"Welcome to San Francisco" was announced, and I knew that I was back home again, and it was really the time to say goodbye to the cohort. We said bye each other at the baggage claim. I was both excited about the fact that I saw my mom, but also upset about the fact that we were getting back to the normal life and the cohort would not be together anymore. As soon as I stepped out the airport, the journey had officially ended. This journey meant so much for me, and it would be the most precious memory for me.

Physically Not On the East Coast

I really know that I should probably write this blog after we land at SFO but since my ancient grandmother doesn’t have any wi-fi, a computer, or any other high-tech item, I will have to write this in advance in case I won’t come home tonight after going to her house. I really hope that the wi-fi gods, goddesses, or any non-binary gender deity could be in my favor. Other than that concern, it was surreal to pass through this experience and to really reflect on this experience without the distractions of the 3^rd place World Cup match or the AP Language and Composition reading I put off for later in the summer. During a section of the flight where Alana, the passenger next to me, and I were relatively quiet and entrenched in the mellow activities that we did to pass the time, I saw a really heartfelt note with a gift from an anonymous cohort member. I continually asked many others in the cohort in a casual sense on how we are leaving the East Coast behind with its immensely fun and beneficial activities which not only change our lives, but other peoples’ lives as well. My main question was on whether leaving as well as experiencing what we did has sunk into any of the cohort members. Many of them said yes and I was quite surprised as even at our layover in Chicago, I haven’t seen the life-changing component or the whole impact on what this has done just yet. Perhaps if my grandmother had wi-fi, it would be possible to see if this has all been digested in its first stages. However, I promise and assure you that my last blog on the ILC ’14 at Brown program in retrospect will include all those emotional qualities to the impact on what this has had with me. Besides, the trip hasn’t even ended as I am still going really high in altitude and really fast (according to the humorous cabin attendant) and I still have a lengthy questionnaire, quarters description, and a review to do by this week.

Amelia, Jing’s roommate as you may have known from previous blogs, woke me up at 6:30 at my request so that I would have enough time to write up a description based on the many different pictures I did of the dorm rooms, bathrooms, and other miscellaneous content which is helpful to ILC’ers in the future as well as to do some last bits of walking around the campus before boarding the shuttle at 10. I actually thought it was 10:30 but apparently when I was taking a second trip to the dorm room to get my luggage, Alana found an earlier excursion to take to the airport. At that moment, I suddenly realized that I was not to step foot in New England after going to California (except inside the premises of PVD). It was a moment I didn’t really lament or react esthetically over since I was just simply stunned. I had a quick similar reaction of feeling sad but hopeful for all the people that I said farewell to, but only for a short while. I was surprised to see that my more optimistic side reigned over the pessimistic side when making the gray areas constant (woah I sound like a scientist, I promise I did that on accident…). That note brought me to be overwhelmed on the plane where I had a mix of very strong, yet genuine emotions which aren’t compromised by face at the least. While the passenger next to me was sleeping and Alana was looking out the window after the note, I began to feel a wet feeling streaming from the eyes on downwards to my cheekbones. It was a lot of discharge but I believe that may have been the first sign of this entire opportunity and service trip to “sink in.” I feel relatively fine and calm now and these oscillating emotions are making me feel that things may seem bleak and dull in the short-term to exciting and compelling in the long-term may be a bit hard to fathom and comprehend at first. This leads to what maybe people describe as a tragic flaw of mine where worry circumvents my productivity and my success, no matter how relative it can be. But this worry is due to uncertainty in destiny or how life will role on. Although I have been intensely exposed to many real-life exposures as well as having learned many different skills at the same time; a time capsule seemed to take a huge role in this experience. Maybe there was some time dilation that took a role and perhaps the world’s theoretical physicists were not skilled or competent enough to detect it. Don’t you dare bring up the p-word.

Ok, I promise not to deviate from blogging about what happened today. After waking up, I thought I was able to swim in the pool in the Athletic Complex area but to my disappointment, morning lap swim doesn’t exist on weekends! After being slightly bummed out, I walked back to an almost empty Thayer Street, something in which a very kind solicitor on the street described as “being like NYC at night.” It was bizarre to see very few shops open but even though it may be that I was not present on any of the two Saturdays during the program as I was in Boston and Newport, it was still too eerie. The feeling didn’t sink in to fully accept the ending of the program even though I have, but it definitely showed a sign. I didn’t see to believe it as I thought maybe another factor was causing this besides the vacation of many students in my particular three-week session. I later walked to the areas of campus that I really haven’t ventured to after being discouraged about the dead life on the street, besides chatting with the solicitor who told me to not be like him as a reason. I actually felt that he changed on my outlook on how to apply what I actually intend as I was being an arrogant and contradictory moron when walking to get some Blue State Coffee and by saying that I don’t have any money. Walking back with an iced coffee and seeing him doing the same repetitive gestures as well the same question led me to get some seriously inflated currency out of my pocket. If I didn’t realize this and have the initial heart of being sensible and sympathetic, I would have not learned so much as I would have today. We chatted about Providence, his previous jail sentence after moving from Savannah, and also his family also moving out to Providence where three of his siblings went to three different colleges within the city: Providence College, University of Rhode Island, and Brown. He spoke about how the businesses are working with him so that he wouldn’t seem like an outcast to the community as well as the numerous encounters he has had with Bears over the many years to which he was on Thayer. He told me that I will most likely matriculate into someone who would probably have a comfortable and accomplished life and he didn’t seem to envy that at all. He does wish to go to college like his sibling whom he contacts with regularly with actually and felt proud of what I was doing. I instantly felt the same feeling for him mutually for similar reasons of understanding the context of which he went through, the same of what he did for me. I sounded confident and I said I look forwarded to seeing him again despite not knowing when I will go to Providence in the near future. Maybe it is a destined sign which I may laugh off as supernatural occurrences seem like mumbo-jumbo in most cases but maybe my corny side is right.

At the airport, I made an effort to get the souvenirs for others that I wished to give a little something to as well as to talk to two fellow Chicagoans that I met at Summer @ Brown and were happening to go on the same flight. You may already know about Amelia in considerably great detail but one of the students whom I did my final macroeconomics project with, Katherine, in less detail. I finally had a great boisterous conversation with his father who came to pick up Katherine where he had a reserved, yet enjoyable conversation about prospective professions and majors to go into. Katherine seemed a bit ignominious ( I mean embarrassed) about the rendezvous and I don’t know whether trying to sit next to her on the plane (I couldn’t because my carry-on luggage was too hard to fit in the overhead compartments as well as blocking others, forcing me to move back.) She is a bit of an odd-ball in some ways. Even so, our conversations really were the reason of why I laughed so much before and after every econ class. At the airport so this concludes what I can post as I will have no wi-fi later!

Without the People, The Change Becomes Apparent

It is commonly said that a community or a society would be nothing without its people. People constitute a vitality which oozes out into the surrounding environment. But not all the spirit can be lost as even in abandoned areas (like the wind-howled streets commonly portrayed on movies to real places like parts of Fukushima Prefecture) as relics can still be seen in the form of buildings, landscape design, roads, bridges, signs, technological bells and whistles of various sorts, and more.  It almost felt like starting over again since the majority of the people on my floor and even this particular three-week session had most of the participants leave campus with all their packed belongings and hopefully memories. Being behind and checking room by room on the floor on who is and isn't still there was close to bringing me into visible remorse but it didn't for some reason. It could be that of the slight amount of anticipation and happiness I have for returning to my native habitat to that of acceptance and future hope in which what I have had will help me give back to those in my community as well as using this experience for a variety of possibilities that just seem so vast to fathom, especially at this time.

I honestly have to admit that I went to bed pretty late last night and that it was quite an uphill battle to finish my presentations and homework as well as some planning for the rest of the summer as well as trying to socialize for the last time on my floor. It was heartbreaking to know that attending class will lead me to probably never see many of the friends I have again. Earlier in the program, many people took immense liberty to do whatever they want to each other, even if it got to a more intimate level since many students figured that they would never see this again. Although I am totally in favour with individual liberties and choices, I do not see many students, especially with that frame of mind, who tend to truly reflect and ponder about their actions as it is seen as actions which don't matter. I really hate to make this comparison, but that of a "What happens at Vegas, stays at Vegas," type of attitude.

I will be sure to give a recap and a reflection on my final full day on this scholarship. Waking up earlier lead me to take a walk to the VDub to have some breakfast (which I honestly only had very few times due to my afternoon class schedule). I unfortunately couldn't really finish all the work before I went to bed at stupendously late time but that night was well worth going to bed very late for. Our RA and many of the other students just chilled, talked, and watched movies and played PC games like Siv for all night long until sunrise. There were still some enthusiasts who played until the end of early morning! I personally didn't last that long and I regretted not finishing as it may have impacted how much I could squeeze in terms of doung and experiencing before heading to PVD. I frantically worried about the homework after being stuck on certain problems, leading me to turn to my presentation cooperator, Katherine. She was kind enough to help me with some of the problems despite my flustered nature of making sure I can do and meet the expectations of what I want to do while still packing her paraphernalia (making fun of my Singaporean friend, Adarsh for saying it. Actually, we had a pretty interesting discussion on the definition and the application of 'paraphernalia' in different countries) simultaneously. I then on proceeded to take one final group photo with the floor as well as many other photos with friends later on in the day.

In macroeconomics, we turned in our very final problem set and received the answer set with no usual, beloved explanation from our TA who is supposedly captivating to many students in the class because of his charisma and his appearance. (just a hypothesis on valiant observation) The presentations surprisingly lasted until 3:20 to 3:30 where I admitted to adding 15 extra minutes when I should have spoken for five minutes. Hey, talking about the Laffer Curve and income and corporation tax policy formulation, differences, its emergence, problems, solutions, as well as an interactive activity on a website (which didn't go as smoothly as I hoped) required that time. It was awesome to hear my conservative friend do a monologue on Obamacare to groups presenting presentations from peak oil output to sub-prime mortgages. There was humour, deliberation, perseverance, intellect, interest, anxiety, lethargy, relief, inquiry, and explanatory analysis. Peoples' traits showed that all students have showed a very positive contribution which is mainly intrinsic to who they are whether that be apparent to non-apparent to a bit of an extra umph that students acquire through understanding and collaborating with others. I know I have to make the economics course at school closer to how awesome and educational the course I took was here, even if it was mostly-lecture based. Talking and greeting others farewell proved a closing and yet a new beginning. Since I can see the interwoven nature between the two where it isn't exactly as abrupt or as separated as many people think it that transition moment(s), I was surprised on how I moved on and smiled toward that contemplation. Talking and debating with others, getting contact info, and doing some more strolling and exploring was incredible and to be a great way to end my last day in New England.

Onwards to the VDub again and to hugging the last people on my floor and then to Downtown Providence. I saw a great see-thru painting through a blank side versus a very different painting on the more bold and colourful side from an enthusiastic man in front of the Providence Performing Arts Center. Unfortunately, he asked me for some money and I didn't really have much but just having that experience makes me guilty in a way I can't thank or show more of my genuine appreciation as that fast-paced moment. It wasn't out of pity, but just timing and rushing. Going around the rest of Providence with the cohort besides Jack and Jing's roommate was an absolutely fine way to end such a great trip or stay here - by fully soaking in the sights and the ambiance of Providence as well as Thayer to getting great tea at a local tea shop with reasonable prices for high-quality products to a nice juicy burger and refreshing milkshake from Johnny Rockets to a nice stroll on campus was nice. Plus meeting and saying goodbye to people on the Mean Green (huge group!) Well, I still gotta pack so stay tuned for edits and updates to previous blogs and stronger future blogs when I have a chance to reflect and understand!

Confused Feelings & the Most Difficult Blog to Write

If I had the same mindset as when I first came here to Rhode Island, I'd be glad that I could finally go home, leave as a new person, and cure my homesickness.  However, that is not the case now. I've met so many people and gotten to know them that I'm reluctant to see them go since I may never see them again.  As I walked through the campus to the V Dub for one of the last times, I realized how routine the walk had become over these three weeks.  Walking down the street to the Main Green, passing the streets and walking adjacent to Thayer Street, eventually making it to the V Dub.  How much will I miss this place and will it just fade in my memory? Those two questions were the two that rang through my head all day as I went about my daily routine.

We had a final presentation and test today in class, which I did good on, but not the best in my opinion.  In between the two, Jody gave us a small presentation, telling us that life is never a straight line.  There are curves, loops, and many stories between where we start and where we end up.  We had a final conversation with Jody and Heidi after the final, joking around about things like bugs and the dorms.  I had a blast talking with them for the last time, but unfortunately we eventually had to part.  I took a long glance at the lecture hall, the waiting room outside of the lecture hall, and finally the biomed building when we were outside.  I was in disbelief that such a fun course with such great supervisors and classmates was already over, and whether or not I would see Jody and Heidi as well as the lab again is now in the hands of the decision of admissions officers.  

Thanks for everything Heidi and Jody!

We had our final lunch at the dining commons and I can honestly say that today's lunch was the best.  Lunch was just simply chicken tenders, but they tasted amazing.  They had the quality of an actual restaurant for once and not just cafeteria food.  I assume they made today's lunch taste good as a farewell gift to the three week students leaving today.  As I sulked and cried all over my food, there were many farewells and hugs right before my eyes.  The scenes reminded me that when I would get back to the dorms, there would be parents and suitcases of departing floormates and precious clustermates.  I made a final stop by the Brown bookstore for the last souvenirs and continued back to the dorms, saying farewell to my clustermates Greg and Will on the way.

The front of our door

When I got back to the dorms, there were parents scattered all over the place and many people saying goodbye.  I spotted Alex (the one that wasn't my roommate) from across the hall and said hi to him.  I stopped by his room for a bit since he was leaving in about an hour to hang out with him and his friend Jeffrey before they would leave for home in Florida.  Eventually I left, never to see them again for the rest of the day.  I walked back into my dorm realizing how alone I was.  Alex (the roommate this time) came back into the room from his class when I would see him for the last time.  I never really hung out with Alex or did anything with him, but the small conversations, spending time in the same room together, and him dealing with the bugs in the room makes me feel like we've known each other for a long time.  I can honestly say that he was the source of comfort letting me know that I'm not alone in this program and I'm really glad that I got to room with him instead of ending up with a single.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see him off for his departure, so I came back to an empty half of a room at night.

Already missing Brown

I was feeling lonely during the entire afternoon, so I decided to treat myself to a session with the piano.  The session helped a lot and allowed me to look forward to going home again.  I went back to the dorm to see Alex off, but he didn't appear at the time he told me he was leaving yesterday, so I just left him a farewell note.  I then went to dinner with Kevin, Arnold, Jing, and Amulia for the last time at the V Dub.  I didn't really feel sad about eating dinner for the last time there, but that's likely attributed to me playing the piano earlier.  We then went to downtown Providence for some exploring.  There wasn't much to see, but we still had fun.  We came back to campus at around 10 where we planned to meet early tomorrow morning for our final meal at Brown and went back to the dorms.

I'm sitting here now and the building is quite empty.  What was once about a floor full of 30-40 kids has now turned into a floor inhabited by about 10.  My stuff is half packed with everything besides what I'll need for tonight and tomorrow morning while the other half of this room is empty.  This post was honestly one of the hardest blogs for me to write during my four weeks here.  As I write about how everybody is gone and think about leaving this place, I can't help but to sulk again.  I shed tears because of homesickness at the beginning, and now I'm shedding tears over missing friends and the reluctance to leave Brown.

Coming to the End of this Chapter

As you may know, today has been our final day here on the East Coast as part of the Summer@Brown program. The ILC has given us such a great opportunity and has allowed us to have a once in a lifetime experience. My day yesterday was just a bad one, but today was a new day. It marked the end of my chapter here, and marked the beginning for another one. It marked the beginning for many other things.

Possibly the last breakfast
at the V-dub

After all of the researching we have done in these past days aside from lab work, we began the morning with our final breakfast to prepare us for our final presentations. Immediately, we made it to class to begin with presentations. Everyone went one by one, informing us on a disease and the ways it has been attempted, or being planned on being treated. My turn went up and I felt slightly nervous. I knew everything I needed to, but something about standing in front a group has always seemed to get to me. In the end, I made it work and felt decently satisfied with my presentation. After everyone gave their's, Jody gave hers. I knew it was going to get slightly personal (which I think is great) and very full of life advice. She explained us how happiness on a graph, with the line looping up and down and all around. She explained to do what we love, not just professionally, but in general. Also, she said to find our passions. Not just one, but passions.Maybe sometimes our occupation does not embody everything we love to do, so that was the essence of that advice. It all made sense and was very smart to think of that way, which makes Jody, for me, more admirable than I already see her. The next part of class was the test, though. It definitely had some questions derived from the Pre-Quiz. I was feeling confident and knew the answers to many more answers than in the Pre-Quiz, but did stumble upon some questions that you needed background information to know how to answer. This is because they were related to the parts of the lab I wasn't able to do and parts of the lectures I had to miss. In any case, it was a bittersweet feeling finishing the test, yet realizing I had to say my goodbyes to Jody and Heidi. I walked out the class, the last one (what a shocker), and turned it in. Jody and Heidi were having a conversation with Jing and Brandon, who waited for me, but shortly after, it was picture time, and goodbye time. We gave each other a hug and walked out of the room and into our own separate ways.

Our admirable teacher, Jody and I

Our great assistant, Heidi, and I

A shot from the Art Club

Our last lunch was up next as we headed to the V-dub. It was slightly awkward seeing so many people saying goodbye and getting slightly emotional too, but we all understood it too. It was the final day, after all. Jing and Brandon decided to go explore Thayer once more while Amulia and I decided we'd go check out the Art Club and then I'd see the RISD Museum, which I didn't get to finish exploring last time. After the Art Club with Amulia, I set off for the RISD Museum. I was able to explore the upper floors and see the Asian and Egyptian exhibits I didn't get to last time. I was at peace knowing I could take as along as I wanted, unlike the other time where we had to stick as a group. I took every second I could and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was there for about 2-3 hours and saw some very beautiful and interesting works of art. Eventually I had been there long enough that the museum had to close. I enjoyed my last moments and made it back to the dorm.

An enormous Buddha made from hollowed wood ( it was much
more very zen-like in the room than this picture)

Ancient Egyptian Coffin

Walking around downtown for the last time this summer