Tuesday, September 29, 2015

A Bend in the Road


"And there was always the bend in the road!”


“They keep coming up new all the time - things to perplex you, you know. You settle one question and there's another right after. There are so many things to be thought over and decided when you're beginning to grow up. It keeps me busy all the time thinking them over and deciding what's right. It's a serious thing to grow up, isn't it, Marilla?”




Bridal Shower


“It's about Diana,' sobbed Anne luxuriously. 'I love Diana so, Marilla. I cannot ever live without her. But I know very well when we grow up that Diana will get married and go away and leave me. And oh, what shall I do? I hate her husband — I just hate him furiously. I've been imagining it all out — the wedding and everything — Diana dressed in snowy white garments, and a veil, and looking as beautiful and regal as a queen; and me the bridesmaid, with a lovely dress, too, and puffed sleeves, but with a breaking heart hid beneath my smiling face. And then bidding Diana good-bye-e-e—' Here Anne broke down entirely and wept with increasing bitterness. Marilla turned quickly away to hide her twitching face, but it was no use; she collapsed on the nearest chair and burst into such a hearty and unusual peal of laughter…”

Our Trio's Down to Two

"Diana and Fred are in love with each other," Anne gasped. "Oh, it does seem so. . .so. . .so hopelessly grown up."


I Went into the Woods to Find Myself

“I couldn't live where there were no trees--something vital in me would starve.” 

------
"The silence here is like a prayer, isn't it?" said Anne, her face upturned to the shining sky. "How I love the pines! They seem to strike their roots deep into the romance of all the ages. It is so comforting to creep away now and then for a good talk with them. I always feel so happy out here."
        
   "'And so in mountain solitudes o'ertaken
               As by some spell divine,
            Their cares drop from them like the needles shaken
            From out the gusty pine,'"
quoted Gilbert.

"They make our little ambitions seem rather petty, don't they, Anne?"
"I think, if ever any great sorrow came to me, I would come to the pines for comfort," said Anne dreamily.

"I hope no great sorrow ever will come to you, Anne," said Gilbert, who could not connect the idea of sorrow with the vivid, joyous creature beside him, unwitting that those who can soar to the highest heights can also plunge to the deepest depths, and that the natures which enjoy most keenly are those which also suffer most sharply."

“Anne was always glad in the happiness of her friends; but it is sometimes a little lonely to be surrounded everywhere by happiness that is not your own.” 


“All life lessons are not learned at college," she thought. "Life teaches them everywhere.” 


“Anne laughed and sighed. She felt very old and mature and wise — which showed how young she was.”


Escape the Room

“One can't get over the habit of being a little girl all at once.” 




Paradiso in Paradise…


"Have you ever noticed how many different silences there are, Gilbert? The silence of the woods . . . of the shore . . . of the meadows . . . of the night . . . of the summer afternoon. All different because all the undertones that thread them are different. I'm sure if I were totally blind and insensitive to heat and cold I could easily tell just where I was by the quality of the silence about me."



“I wonder if it will be—can be—any more beautiful than this,’ murmured Anne, looking around her with the loving, enraptured eyes of those to whom ‘home’ must always be the loveliest spot in the world, no matter what fairer lands may lie under alien stars.”




"I don't know—I don't want to talk as much," she said, denting her chin thoughtfully with her forefinger. "It's nicer to think dear, pretty thoughts and keep them in one's heart, like treasures. I don't like to have them laughed at or wondered over." 


Deals with Weddings



"Anne, I'm the happiest girl in the world," confessed Phil suddenly. 
"So Mr. Blake has asked you to marry him at last?" said Anne calmly.
"Yes. And I sneezed three times while he was asking me. Wasn't that horrid? But I said 'yes' almost before he finished—I was so afraid he might change his mind and stop. I'm besottedly happy. I couldn't really believe before that Jonas would ever care for frivolous me."
"Phil, you're not really frivolous," said Anne gravely. "'Way down underneath that frivolous exterior of yours you've got a dear, loyal, womanly little soul.




 "But what about YOU, Anne? I don't hear anything of your being married, after all your college-going."
"Oh," laughed Anne, "I am going to be an old maid. I really can't find any one to suit me." It was rather wicked of her. She deliberately meant to remind Mrs. Andrews that if she became an old maid it was not because she had not had at least one chance of marriage. 


Anne felt lonelier than ever as she walked home, going by way of the Birch Path and Willowmere. She had not walked that way for many moons. It was a darkly-purple bloomy night. The air was heavy with blossom fragrance—almost too heavy. The cloyed senses recoiled from it as from an overfull cup. The birches of the path had grown from the fairy saplings of old to big trees. Everything had changed. Anne felt that she would be glad when the summer was over and she was away at work again. Perhaps life would not seem so empty then.
"'I've tried the world—it wears no more
The coloring of romance it wore,'"
sighed Anne—and was straightway much comforted by the romance in the idea of the world being denuded of romance!

Monday, September 28, 2015

The Semester Draws to a Close



“When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I am going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla. I wonder how the road beyond it goes - what there is of green glory and soft, checkered light and shadows - what new landscapes - what new beauties - what curves and hills and valleys farther on.” 
- Anne of Green Gables

Disclaimers and Torrey Sessions


I know this is terribly late in being posted, but I have decided better late than never. I waited so long to post it because I was waiting on a few photos, but by the time I received them, I was in the midst of the summer and swept away with nannying and wedding planning and various adventures. So, here it is. The last month of sophomore spring in review…now, it feels so long ago. So much has happened since then and I feel like I have changed so much. As Anne says in the quote above, I feel like this was my last semester of journeying down the "straight road," for during this summer and fall I began to see the bend in the road, and like Anne, although I do not know what lies around the bend, "I am going to believe that the best does." For tonight, at least, instead of looking forward, I will take a moment to look back at the "roses of yesterday." 

The following photos are from a photo shoot of an Ignatius Torrey session that were taken as stock photos for Torrey advertising and promotion. Pretty funny that we were the Torrey cohort chosen for this…anyhow, in case you ever wondered what "discussing the great books" looks like…this is it!



Ignatius in typical Socratic fashion, seated in a circle with the professor for that session, Dr. Cure, at the long desk.

Clearly we are thoroughly engrossed in listening and discussion (we may have been a little too aware that our photo was being taken haha).

Hey look! I had a birthday!


Fancy crepes!

Artsy Parisian Cafe in Brea


Brunch with Sairi!

Night Nation 5K Dance Run

Some spontaneous fun involving a 5K, thousands of people, electronic dance music, silly string, water guns, and of course, dancing.

Josh, me, Brook, and Elijah






Urban Plunge!


Rachel and I, adventure buddies.
P.S. This was the only day of Spring semester that I wore jeans. 

One really cool Torrey tradition is the Spring Urban Plunge. I had the chance to travel into LA with two Torrey professors and twenty other Torrey students from all different years and cohorts. We visited a Catholic parish and got to hear from a Jesuit priest, toured Sunset Blvd, talked with strangers on Hollywood Blvd, and ended the evening with a tour of Korea town and Korean BBQ (which brought back a lot of memories!).

Dinner at the President's!

Every other year, Dr. Barry Corey, the president of Biola and native of New England, hosts a dinner for Biola students who are from New England. We talked about the things we miss, the things we love, and the places we are from. It was a lot of fun and great to talk to DBC a bit more. 

Dinner with other New Englanders at President Dr. Barry Corey's house!
I made it on to DBC's Instagram in this picture.

Tuned In!

May 7th was Biola Conservatory's production of Throwback Tuned In, a themed variety show featuring songs throughout the decades. I played Winnie, the young version of the grandmother of a Biola student, and I was in nine out of the eighteen numbers. Our many late nights of singing, choreographing, rehearsing, and dancing finally paid off in a fantastic show (I can't tell you how much I practiced those dances…jeepers). I was especially delighted to have all my closest friends as well as Julie Mitchell and Dr. Jenson come to support me.

Despite our height difference of 11 inches,
we played the same character…6o years apart
Young Winnie, Georg(i)e, and Winnifred.
"This is Gonna be the Best Day of my Life" (2015)
"Dear Future Husband" (1950s)
"Please Mr. Postman" (1960s)
"I Won't Dance" (1940s).
Funny story: At the beginning of this number, my character is reluctant to dance due to Biola's "no dancing" policy. When I said my line, "No one's going to ask me to dance anyways," I heard someone in the audience cry: "WHAT?" I later found out that this was Dr. Jenson, my Torrey mentor.
"Let's Hear it for the Boy" (1980s)
My dearest friends! And Julie (not pictured) even brought me flowers!!! Little did she know how much that meant to me.
The obligatory Oscar Selfie, featuring Dr. Jenson's eye and the best people at Biola.


Sairi's Bridal Shower!


I had the honor of celebrating at a bridal shower for my dear friend Sairi (who, as of August 22, is now married!). As her bridesmaid, it was a joy to be there with her. Sairi and I met my freshman year in chorale, and we were both overawed by the other during callbacks. As we got to know each other that year (her Junior year), we found that we had a lot in common and really enjoyed deep conversations, sushi, and sass. She came to Boston with our other friend Sarie during the January of my freshman year, and when the Biola Chorale toured in Korea, she and I roomed together. 

I still remember laying in a hotel bed in Korea talking about our futures and her saying, "You're going to be in my wedding." I replied, thinking she had mixed up her prepositions, "Of course I'll be at your wedding." "No," she said, "You're going to be one of my bridesmaids!" And I was! This past August, I was one of Sairi's four bridesmaids in Laguna Hills, where she married Inochi Kakitani.


Déjà vu? #Japan


Biola Concert at the Ace Hotel

This Spring, Biola launched its largest campaign to date, "A Soul of Conviction, A Voice of Courage," to create a new science building on campus and raise financial aid for incoming students. To celebrate the launch, Biola hosted a formal concert and gala for students, alumni, and donors at the beautiful theater at the Ace Hotel in downtown LA. 

The Brilliance -- one of my favorite music groups -- was joined by the Biola orchestra, and the results was breathtaking. The acoustics in the theatre were perfect, the orchestration magnificent, and the songs struck at the heart.

I went to the concert with Brook and Kathryn, my two dearest friends and roommates (at some point) who have been with my in this college thing from day one. I am so blessed by their friendship and the ways I am encouraged and challenged by both of them.

With Brook, my roommate for Junior Year!


With Kathryn, my roommate of Sophomore year.




Princess Charlotte


In case any of you were unaware, on May 2nd the world welcomed Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Many of my friends commented that "America already has a Princess Charlotte," and in both Iggie awards and Women's Chorus awards I won "Most likely to become royalty" / "The royal duchess award." But I think my lack of tennis playing skills disqualifies me from ever becoming royalty…



Phew, a lot happened in April and May of 2015! But even more happened this summer…Oh well, maybe someday I'll write a retrospective blog post on this summer, but for now, I think I'll skip to Junior Fall and catch you all up on what's happening currently,  since I saw most of you this summer anyways.