Hey everyone,

Oh my gosh, I can't believe that I'm just now getting to posting. It has been quite a while, hasn't it?

Well, as always, when there has been some time between my post you can typically assume one of two things.

One, that things are going great! Classes are interesting, friends are inviting, and grades are good.

Or two, that things have gone stagnant. Classes are dragging along, there are no new happenings around campus, and grades are relatively okay; nothing extraordinary.

Unfortunately, things have been more of the latter. I have spent a lot of time these past few weeks dragging along in my classes which, for better or for worse, has gotten me here, three weeks away from finals just waiting for this semester to end. 

When I think about my posts from last year, at this time, I am reminded of how happy I was. Of how active I was on the island, and how my heart was full of love for both my home and school. But it hasn't been like that this year.

I'm trying. 

I'm trying to be more active, to see more, and to spend more of my time thinking optimistically rather than pessimistically. However, it's a feat that is much easier written than done. 

I'm sure that this post is going to leave many of you confused. But I thought you liked Hawaii? What happened to how much you loved Manoa? 

But let me stop you right there-- I do love Oahu, but I don't love Manoa. 

I think a lot of this stems from the fact that for the past two semesters I have been very unhappy within my major. I'm unhappy, especially, with how classes have been this semester. The fact that I have appointment to see counselors because of everything that has been going on is extremely upsetting. Life was not like this last year, when I had a solid group of friends and were taking classes I liked. School was not like this last year, where I wasn't being degraded by my professor for not understanding her- literally. My friends were not like this last year, where I'm being ignored because they're not my "first priority". None of this year has been like last year. 

And I'm not saying change isn't a good thing or that I don't look at where I am now and appreciate it, because I do. I appreciate that I'm able to get an education and that I have been fortunate enough to get myself this far, but it's growing increasingly harder to enjoy myself when I'm living in an environment that is not anything like what I wanted. 

I'm going to spend the next few weeks trying to live more optimistically, and if that means changing my major, transferring, or connecting with old friends, than so be it. I'm not going to waste my time here, especially under the premise that it could be my last year here.

Until next time,

Aislinn

Hey everyone,

I wanted to make this post to share the classes in which I have decided to take next semester. I have also decided to combine that with some other information-- an end of the semester grade update. It's been quite some time since I last talked about my classes in a more numerical sense, so I decided to write this post to do just that.

First, classes are definitely picking up. With only two weeks left in the semester, I'm at this point where all of a sudden teachers are realizing how little time is left and, to combat this, are assigning piles and piles of homework. For instance, I have a Korean essay, powerpoint, and vocab test all due this week. In Chinese I have two vocab tests, workbook homework, and a 500 word composition due. In oceanography I finished writing a 10 page paper but still have a powerpoint and lab to complete.

Of course, this is only the homework that is due. This doesn't even begin to explain how much work has been done during these classes and throughout the week as a whole. Naturally, with all of the work piling up, I'm going to catch myself overwhelmed and busier as the time goes on.

As far as classes go for next semester, I have decided to register for 17 credits. I know, I talked a lot about how 18 was "too much", but I think the reason I am less reluctant to take 17 is because the classes will be in areas of interest. For instance, I'm going to be taking Korean 102, Chinese Lang & Culture, Chinese Literature, International Relations, and quite possibly Chinese 302. With how this semester has gone, meaning how drained I am of Chinese both emotionally and mentally, the absolute last thing I want is to be taking another semester of Chinese with my current teacher. I do not have the same feeling for Chinese as I did in high school, or even this time last year, and for that I am sorrowful. But I'm not sorry. I tried my absolute best this semester, and very few people around me can say the same. Additionally, even fewer people around me can speak a second language, much less are learning one. I don't blame the language but I blame the teacher. I put in too much time and have reached a point where it seems futile to be trying this hard for a class that I feel I'm only going backwards in. 

As far as I'm concerned, next semester looks bright. I'm going to be in classes I enjoy, with a good schedule as far as time goes. I do have a 9am, but I actually would prefer it this way instead of having classes after noon. However, I still wasn't as fortunate because I have a pretty strict daily schedule of 9-4. 

I hope that, regardless of how my semester is going, that the rest of you are having an equally as eventful time in school. Once again we're in the homestretch!

Until next time,

Aislinn

Hey guys,

The past few weeks have been, in a word: exhausting. The classwork is starting to pile up, work is starting to grow increasingly tedious, and I have absolutely no idea what any of my grades are! Now, one would think, that since I live on Oahu I'm always at the beach, yeah? Except thats not the case at all, I mean when Daniel was gone it was but now that he's back we have more important things to do, like shark diving!

YES! You heard that right, the two of us went on a pelagic dive, meaning no cage. 

It was just as terrifying as it was relaxing, and after the initial wave of claustrophobia that consumed me when I first went into the water, I soon found myself drifting along watching everything below me, alongside me, and above me. I wouldn't call it "humbling", but would instead call it a surreal experience. 

Of course, I could not go through this without ensuring that I would have plenty of pictures. True to my word, here is a collection of moments taken by Daniel.







In total we saw about 5 sharks, but I would argue more. They were, if I remember correctly, all Galapagos. There was also a period of time where we were fortunate enough to see some tuna swimming around, too. 

The galapagos, I learned, are very curious sharks. They will come right up to you with absolutely no fear, and are quick to swim over to whatever object is making either a sound or vibration in the water. Overtime the water got a little too still the sharks had a habit of dispersing, but the second the captain turned the boats motor back on they were quick to come swimming back. 

As weird a feeling as it was to be swimming in open water alongside sharks, it was also an unexpected feeling to become seasick. While not physically sick, there was a point where I became very nauseous and, thankfully, this coincided with the time we were leaving the water. According to our head diver, people get seasick because there are prolonged periods of time where you can't see anything, and thus, that lack of focus causes us to become very sick. 

Besides the shark dive, arguably our biggest adventure since Daniel's return, we also spent the week prior out camping! We decided to go camping at a nice beach called Bellows (you may remember it having been referenced in a previous post of mine). We pitched a tent, bought some poke, and enjoyed watching the sunset. I didn't take any pictures, but here is a nice little video of the waves crashing against the shore the following morning. 


We've also taken time out to go to a Korean temple, Mu Ryung Sa, Pali Lookout, and go fishing, because it's one of Daniel's hobbies. 




Our next adventure will be a rather big one for us: island hopping!

I sincerely hope you are enjoying all that I have been up to. Expect more posts now that I'm going to be out and about! 

Until next time,

Aislinn

Hey everyone,

I'm not sure the direction this post is going to go in, just like I'm not sure if I'm going to be too repetitive. I'm posting it to get this off of my chest, as it's something I've been thinking about a lot over the past week.

I'm not sure if Manoa is where I want to be.

I know, I know, I talked about this last year. I thought that I would grow out of this- I really did. I thought that perhaps if I took classes I'm interested in and took advantage of more of what Manoa could offer that things would be different. But, truth be told, things are not much different. 

I would like to clarify, before I say more, that I mean this in an academic and social sense. Let me say that in no way does this post define my feelings of Oahu, just like, in no way, do I not like Oahu. I love the island, just not Manoa. 

Before this year started I made it my goal to take advantage of everything Manoa offered me, considering that I had given transferring some serious thought. I rushed, I became more active in the Korean club, and even tried for the collegiate magazine. However, along the way, I learned a few things. 

One- the Greek Life at Manoa is an idea that I am in love with that has been executed very poorly. The sisterhood I desired is not present at Manoa. I learned this when I rushed. The "sisterhood" at Manoa is backed by thousands in yearly dues for shirts that you pay extra for, events that are not mandatory, and quotas that must be met. If you're curious to read about my in-depth rushing experience, click HERE. 

Two- The Korean Club, while not as cliquey as last year, is hit or miss. In this semester, as many have argued, it falls more alongside the 'hit' category. The leadership isn't very present, and, unless your Korean is a rather high level, you might feel excluded. This can be prominently seen in the group chat, where the primary text is in Korean by the members in 300 and above. I thought that, by taking Korean, I would feel more welcome. And, while I do feel welcome, I have found it very hard to get to know the members, as my Korean level is so low. 

Three- The collegiate magazine is another way to surround yourself with your Sisters. I capitalize Sisters because that's everyone who is on the commitee- girls from one of the sororities on campus. I'm sure they're all lovely, but really, I don't want to feel excluded by not being a Sister, and I don't want this to be something that feels cliquey. 

Lastly, and I've said this I don't know how many times, but Manoa is not the college I envisioned myself at. When I pictured myself at a University, I wholeheartedly saw myself not only at a good school but an actual college. I mean this, of course, in the social sense. A school with a large quad, with a congregation of dozens of students all laying out or playing frisbee. Beautiful buildings that are really old but still hold well. Faculty who are easy to approach, and at the same time, make the effort to get to know you. Large lectures with hundreds of students that I can't all possibly know but would still enjoy attending. 8 am classes because I prefer waking up early now. All of this, and more, are things that I craved in picking my school. And, truth be told, I really wonder if I would be happy elsewhere. I really wonder if I would be better off attending a better school, even if it meant I would be paying much more. 

I'm constantly reminded of the decision I made to attend a lower school. I can't believe how hard I worked in high school, hard work that landed me interviews with Ivy League schools, to only end up here. Here is a place with no quad for students to gather at. The campus is primarily commuter, so the majority of kids in my classes still get driven to school by their parents. Here is a school with academics so easy, "I could fall asleep, wake up, and still get an A on my exam,". Here is a school where the professors don't make the effort to know you, and are very sardonic when you do ask for help. Here is a place where I do not feel like I'm getting the college experience, but merely living in a period. A place where nothing is coming and nothing is going. A pause in time. Nothing. Everyone around me is more concerned with going to the beach or spending their parents' money to really prioritize school. That is not who I am. I am somebody who loves education, whose desire to learn at a higher standard led her to applying at 7 tier one schools, and interviewing with every single one. I am a student who tries consistently to make the mark, and yet gets absolutely degraded by my teacher because the 10 hours of time I spend a week on their one class "isn't trying hard enough". Mind you, I'm in 18 credits, and since there are only 7 days a week, it is physically impossible to spend 10 hours studying for each class. 

At the end of last year, I was confident that this was "just a phase" or the onset of the Sophomore Slump. However, this week has quietly revealed to me that this wasn't a phase but that I was right. Manoa is not an academic place, but rather, simply a place where I am paying to eat, sleep, and live at a very low cost. 

I know that I shouldn't be complaining- "It is Hawaii after all!" But I really don't think people are understanding where it is that I'm coming from. It does not matter where I am, if I am paying I truly believe I should be happy. Don't you?

I hope the rest of the week treats you well. 

Until next time,

Aislinn

Happy Halloween everyone,

I'm very much excited for this post, as this is the first year I have, while in Hawaii, participated in Halloween.

I know that most people expect that once you hit that certain age that you will completely drop Halloween and hang up your costumes to instead pass out candy. However, I want to point out that the culture of Halloween, at least while in college, is completely different than the norm.

All day you'll see people walking around campus with their costumes or face paint. It's not considered "weird" and it's not frowned upon. I mean really, we live in Hawaii where some Polynesian males will walk around in their culture's own clothing, i.e. skirts. (The technical term: lava lava) And while my point is most definitely not to compare a costume to that of the lava lava, my point is that at Manoa it isn't weird to see people breaking "Mainland" norms.

While I didn't dress up all day, I was required encouraged to dress up at work, where the neighboring preschool would stop by to collect candy. Naturally, the group I work with had to go under the theme of: fruit. Given that this is a relatively difficult costume to get a hold of, I decided I would bite the bullet and DIY my costume.

Before I give it away, here's a picture of me (after work before I quickly changed) in costume. Can you guess what I am?

If you guessed watermelon, you're not along. You're wrong, but you're not alone. Contrary to that guess, I actually attempted creating a strawberry. I'll spare you the "Create Her Look" post, but for those interested in creating a quick, last minute costume, try making fruit. All it took was a large red shirt (plain), black fabric pen, and green felt.

Warning: this looks like something that would take you all but 5 minutes, but in fact it took me a good hour. So if you want to be cheap and commit an hour of your time to your costume, go for the fruit look.

After work I changed and went back into regular clothing. Unfortunately I have multiple exams to prepare for (Korean, Chinese, and Oceanography, respectfully) so I am choosing to stay inside, instead. 

I hope everyone had a good holiday. I do want to apologize for not posting much. Truth be told I'm back in my routine and haven't had much to post on. Here's hoping that changes.

Until next time,

Aislinn 

Hey guys, 

This week I wanted to give you more of an academic update. I know that, as of late, the majority of my posts have been about Daniel and all of our adventures around the island. To counter these posts, I wanted to publish one that discusses my recent academic endeavors. I hope that you enjoy.

I think it's best we start with the most prominent event thus far: midterms.

Yes, it's midterm season again. This means late nights studying, cramming for exams, and suddenly getting homework in half of your classes. 

Actually, it hasn't been like this at all. You would think that, considering how I'm enrolled in 18 credits, my semester would be like this constantly. You would think that I'm always staying up late studying, or either having some homework assignment to complete, but in reality it has been quite the opposite.

The classes I'm taking, for those of you that may have forgotten, are: Chinese 301, Korean 101, Intro to Political Science, China's Political Economy, Oceanography, and the accompanying OCN lab.

Now while those classes look daunting (and 18 credits sounds just as bad), let me put to rest the notion that I do nothing but study. These past few weeks I have been going out much more and even just doing much more, and there would be no absolute way I would feel comfortable doing what I've done if I would have had the amount of homework that many people assume an 18 credit workload has.

Instead, my classes are quite easy in terms of demand. For Korean, we have homework once every chapter. That's it! One worksheet every chapter. This means that once every four weeks (give or take) I have a worksheet to complete. How crazy is that? I could only dream of the day my Chinese class is this laid back. 

Speaking of which, Chinese class , the outlier of my classes and the bane of my existence, is the one class in which I have homework every night. To be frank, I'm not sure how I've been successful in doing any of the homework this past month and a half, because it feels like I have done no work at all. The workload of Chinese class this year is much more manageable than last, and while I might complain, I'm still so very much thankful. In fact, this semester I have all but lost that familiar "panic" feeling I used to get when entering the classroom. Instead, I have been showing up to class feeling like "You know what? I've got this." and feeling very relaxed overall. I don't know what changed, but I do believe that it has to do with my level slowly (but surely!) increasing. I definitely should make more of an effort to remind myself of this, as I all too often get caught up in tearing myself down for not understanding, instead of praising myself for when I do understand.

As far as science goes, in my Oceanography class I never have homework. In fact, unless you find yourself taking the lab, then you really won't have any homework. For this class the only grades are: participation, a class field trip, and the unit exams. However, if you do find yourself in the lab, your grade will be based on lab reports and a scientific paper on the topic of your choosing.

In my Political Science class our only homework thus far have been the readings assigned to us before every lecture. To be quite honest, you really don't even need to do the readings, as they are more supplementary material. You may find that you like them, or you may find yourself more-so in my boat, where, after a few weeks, I found them to be boring and realized they were not required readings.

In my last class, China's Political Economy, our only assignments for the entire semester are two reports and an accompanying two presentations. Our final? A take home paper and a private presentation with the teacher. This is arguably my most laid-back class, as you should all remember at the beginning of the semester she introduced herself by saying "I'm sure you've all read my ratings and know that, rest assured, you will be getting good grades.". While the class itself regularly goes off-topic, I wouldn't let the idea that it's an upper division, writing intensive class make you believe I'm doing any difficult work. In fact, I think it's been very nice that I'm able to take a class that I find interesting that also doesn't require much work. It makes enjoying the class all the much better.

And now, with a solid idea of how much work I have in general, it would be fair to assume that my midterms are either going to be extremely easy or insanely difficult. Let me break it down some more.

The midterms I have had thus far are: Oceanography and Political Science

Now, I know initially that this doesn't look like much. And really, it isn't. But I think that, now knowing how these two classes require such minimal work, that the bulk of my grades will ride on these exams. 

Thankfully, I can say with confidence that I believe I did very well on my political science midterm. Our test requires us to memorize 50 vocab words and 2 individual questions. On the exam itself, our professor choose 10 out of the 50 words and asked we define only 6 of our choosing. I also believe I did fairly well on the ID question, which had an additional 3 parts to it. This midterm will account for one third of my grade. The other 66% will come from our final and our mid semester paper. 

Oceanography is a different story. The class itself is, I find, relatively boring. I don't understand much of what the professors are talking about, and this made the midterm much harder than the political science one. If I'm being honest, the entire reason I took this class and not something like food science is because I heard from all of my friends that it's an easy science credit. Unfortunately, what I didn't take into consideration was that all of those friends were either marine biology majors or biology majors. I passed the midterm, of course, but knowing what I know now I will definitely have to study up more so that I can do better on the next exam. 

Also, since this post has been published, I will have completed another midterm: Chinese Oral. This one, to me, is such a disappointment. This semester I have felt like I have been doing so good, and then today I didn't have such great luck. Our test seemed simple, to talk 1-3 minutes about Chinese doctors and convince your friend why they should or should not see one. However, what I didn't know about, was that even though our regular class time is 50 minutes, the exam itself would only be 15. Which means that, even though we were told "record yourselves as many times as you need", when the teacher said "TIME!", that she actually means that the test is over. I cannot tell you the sheer panic I felt as I looked away from my computer screen and locked eyes with her at the front. At only 30 seconds into my fourth take, I knew that I was done for. I wanted to perfect my audio file, and unfortunately not knowing this exam was only 1/3 of the class time led me to, without a doubt, fail the oral. It is times like these when I feel the most discouraged, as I know that I know the information, but it just doesn't come out. I wish I could say it was no big deal, but with a fellowship riding on my back, solely dependent on the grade I get in this class, I cannot say anything less. I can only hope that the midterm reading, writing, and listening go much better. 

The rest of my classes don't have midterms! Which are really just China's Political Economy and Korean. It feels nice to come home and feel like I don't have anything to study for or to work on. Of course, one could argue that I always have something that I could be studying for, but for now I would like to enjoy this tiny period of rest. 

Additionally, outside of class, I have begun Chinese tutoring again and have also been going to the gym more regularly. I was really good about going in the beginning of the semester, but once classes started picking up things seemed to fizzle out. I really hope that these next few weeks I can spend more time on the treadmill and less on my desk chair. I have also started working at my new on-campus job! For safety reasons, similar to last year, I will not be sharing where I work. Just know that it is "as demanding, if not more, than a class." as my boss told me on the first day. I guess that, even with 18 credits, I can't get a break. 

I hope everyone is having a great week and that midterms aren't causing complete havoc on your academic lives. 

Until next time,

Aislinn

Hey guys,

I don't know how to start this post, and I'm not sure how many times I'll have to re-write it before I'm settling on which draft I prefer.

In short, things have been weird.

Things started to get weird with the girls two weeks ago. Once I told them that I was dating Daniel, they began to act really weird around me. First it was saying things like, "hows that kid doing" (this one confuses me the most because he is older than them), then progressed into not including me in as many things, then turned into just being mute around me.

I understand that when I'm gone that the other two are going to spend more time with one another, but yet I didn't expect to go from being close to them to feeling like I'm being excluded in my own home. So of course, when I'm feeling this way, why would I spend more time at home? That's just it; I wouldn't.

So I spent more time out of the house. I got out as much as I could and came back as late as I could. While this certainly doesn't help anything, it does make me realize how busy I've been. I've been going out nearly every night, and while I feel exhausted at the end of the day, I realize that this is only temporary. I can always sleep in on the weekends, and usually thats what I end up doing. I just wish I had a better idea of why things got so awkward and how things became so awkward.

With my birthday coming up, I can only hope that things get better. It's annoying constantly feeling like an outside in your own home. 

-

On another note, Daniel and I spent this weekend with each other. Similarly to last, we began by waking up very early, getting breakfast at a nice restaurant, and heading out for North Shore. However, unlike last week, the two of us began our trip at the Koulua Ranch, where we made a quick stop for breakfast. The Ranch is about halfway between Kaneohe and Haleiwa, and is a nice stop to take if you have the chance. Once having filled up on eggs and english muffins, we were back in the car, not even 30 minutes later, and driving only a few short miles to the Crouching Lion hike. 

This hike, which I have been wanting to do for months is one that is a little difficult to find, but can be found on the side of the highway. Again, it's not easy to find, in fact we didn't find it, and you have to be sure to hike with another person. Trust me when I say attempting this hike alone is dangerous. Daniel and I made the mistake of making a wrong turn, and soon it led us up the Pu’u Manama hike. Little did we know, this hike claims title as one of the "most dangerous hikes on Oahu, one which takes many lives every year". Naturally, you can assume that coming down was the scariest part, and under no circumstances will I hike there again unless it's with someone who has already tried hiking that ridge before. 

The view behind Daniel

The view behind me

The view of Crouching Lion from where we were

The Bay

Blue as far as you can see

After taking twice as long to get down as we did to get up, the two of us took a break in the car and then were off to our next destination: Giovanni's.

It's hard to picture it, but 30 miles fly by when on the scenic highway. I will never get tired of looking outside and seeing the ocean just feet away from me, no other islands as far as you can see. I have come to appreciate, even more, that I should not expect more time than I am given. What do I mean by this? When Daniel and I go places, even if it's to the library, time flies. And so, when I say that it's a 30 mile drive to the food trucks, you better believe it when I say that it feels like no time has passed, when in reality you've lost an hour driving (however, with the views the Kamehameha Highway provides, did you really lose time?). 

Giovanni's was amazing. It was a nice break from the adrenaline that the hike provided us, and what made it even sweeter was enjoying it with a coconut smoothie and a black coffee. 

After devouring the lemon butter shrimp, Daniel and I took a quick break and drove back to Haleiwa Bowls. Once again, we went with the hapa bowl, and this time we got extra blueberries on top. Delicious!

One of our last stops was Turtle Bay Resort, where we spent a couple hours swimming and laying out before packing our bags and getting ready for the main event: Our luau. 

With two hours left before our dinner, Daniel and I agreed to get ready at the resort before heading off. 


Now comes the exciting part of this post!




The Polynesian Cultural Center is huge! The cultures, people, and places represented are done so in such a way that it is guaranteed to leave you speechless. I've included a picture of the map below, but just keep in mind that, in addition to this, there is so much more to see!




Also worth pointing out is that, in each location, the people here were speaking that language! That means when you are walking around Hawaii you're going to hear Hawaiian, and when you're walking throughout Samoa you're going to hear Samoan! This was an immediate discovery for me and I can only applaud the Polynesian Cultural Center on how they are doing such a good job of making this as "immersive" as possible. Before getting dinner Daniel and I made it a point to get our picture taken next to the river. 



From here on out I'm unfortunately not able to include pictures. The dinner was good, an overall well-rounded dinner consisting of: prime rib, fried chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, fruits, deserts, salads, etc. 
Once done with dinner, we enjoyed some more of the things to be seen around the center, such as Tahiti, and made our way back to the platform to take our seats. 
The show itself was about an hour and a half. I shouldn't even refer to it as a "show", but more like a "production". Every culture had representation, from their traditional clothing to speaking in their respective languages. It was funny, entertaining, awe-inspiring, and more. I wish I had a picture, as I'm sure the luau you're picturing is nothing close to the show we got to witness. 

Honestly, if you're considering going to this luau, or are hesitant because of the price, just go. Seriously, this is the best luau I have been to and is definitely one that you get the most out of for your money. Daniel and I both agreed this was one we would revisit, if given the chance. 
And that was my week! It's hard to put into words how much I've been up to, but I can only hope that these posts give you a sort of glimpse into my busy busy life. I often catch myself wishing I had more time, or just begging for a night without homework, but I have to remind myself that this is all temporary. And that's what is scary! None of this will last, and if I'm busy because I'm taking advantage of Oahu, than why am I complaining? As it is, I'm close to being halfway done with college. Isn't that crazy? But yet, here I am wishing for time off?! I am trying to be better about not taking things for granted, or not asking for more time, as this is all temporary and I need to enjoy these busy days. 

I hope you are all having a great day. Study hard, everyone.

Until next time,

Aislinn