AlwaySane Is In Da House

My class from 2002

This is so blardee random I don't even know how to begin.

I have recently begun a search.

A search for all my friends from 2002 whom I studied with for half a year when I was in Ithaca.

It started from a conversation between my boss and his friend.

This friend of his looks exactly like Kate L. who was in my documentary research class.

I went like, hey, who knows? Maybe Richard da'Man knows where Kate L. is.

I asked him, he didn't know, but he would like to know where Kate is too!

That is because Kate L. is extremely cool, brilliant, exciting, and we all love her to pieces.

So I randomly friendstered her and...... lo-and-behold there she is popping right onto my computer screen...

This is wonderful.

I made so many wonderful friends, and now at least 7 of them have been located.

Kate L.
Kate was a television major, with an emphasis on scriptwriting. We always thought she'd be a wonderful scriptwriter. We were in the same doc. research class with the infallibly most-cutthroat professor on the face of the planet. She was the first person who talked to me in class and from that moment on I knew. I knew if ever there will be a group project, I'm not going to let her go. We ended up in this amazing team of 6 people and travelled from Ithaca to Boston to South Carolina to Georgia and back to Ithaca. Well, I got extremely ill right after that but we had lotsa fun on that trip. We interviewed activists, councilmen, professors etc. And I almost got bitten by a cat. Kate saw that and couldn't stifle a laugh. And she was interviewing someone at that time. We got a good grade for that class, after nights of transcribing, editing, and writing. We spent equal amounts of time between classes, her house, and my room. We ate at her restaurant, and I think gave her an unbelievable huge tip. Then, she went to Los Angeles for her internship. And we lost touch. Now, she's back on my radar and working as an Internet Project Manager in Brooklyn. I would love, love, LOVE to see my lovely Kate again.

Kelly "Squeel" R.
Kelly was our big sister, mother, and leader of the group. Well, not only because she was older than the rest of us. (I was born in the 70s! - Kelly) She also has a charm that outdid everyone's antics. Like farting and raising her hand.... Yeah, thanks Kels. Kelly worked on that project day and night, trying hard to get us to work together peacefully without trying to kill one another in their sleep. I still remember on one snowy night Kels just trotted through the snow and walked into my glass balcony door. ON PURPOSE! I was living on the first floor and she could literally do that. I was amused by how she looks, with her face plastered on the glass door. Ah well... Kelly, I christened her "Jia Li" because she wanted an authentic Chinese name. And she won't settle for "Kai Li" because that didn't sound too authentic for her. Kels has two cutesome nephews that I adore. Now Kels' in Boston with her beau. And I must apologize for not being able to meet up, twice in a row. Yeah, I owe you. Even though we didn't travel together, I believe that Kels farted through the night when they were all sleeping in the van. (Here I must thank Kate for not settling for anything less than a Super 8 Motel, with a pool.)

Jesse G-S
Oh, Jesse Jesse Jesse. Whom family I literally call my own and love. I am so so so glad we still keep in touch. And I am forever thankful for those Hebrew lessons, games of backgammon, skip-bo, clue (which i won! Booyah!), dreidel, and celebrating Hannukah, Christmas, and everything else. Jesse and I have constantly kept in contact. I was with his family when grandma passed away. That was a very difficult time for all of us, and I was so honored that grandma spoke to me over the phone just hours before she passed. I love grandma so much. I still have the pearls she gave me, the little traveling pouches, and all the cards and postcards that she sent to me. Handwritten. I miss handwritten cards. Jesse's parents are literally my own. They adopted me. Well, I adopted them too. I love Ari and Dina, Jesse's brother and sister. One thing that's gonna be so cool is that we're all gonna graduate at the same time! Me from grad school, Ari from undergrad, and Dina from high school. How cool is that?! Well, the thing that's not cool is Mom will have to figure out a way to split herself into three. I've stayed at their house on four separate occasions, and with gramps on one. Dad makes the most delicious brownies (even though I choose to call them chocolate CAKES because they are so oozily soft). Mom is the busiest person ever, but she's always smiling and giving people hugs. Dina is talented to the extreme - 2 musical instruments, drama, and tons of friends. Ari is all about making money, and I'm sure he's going to achieve his goal. I love my DC family!!! For making the trip to see my dad and I in December. Now the two families have met!

Evan K.
Evan was in the same group as Kate and I. We were the traveling buddies, and both he and I made a trip to Brooklyn once. And met with a snow storm on the way back and crashed into a road sign. It was 4am. We went back to bed and was given a ticket by the school for leaving the scene. Well, thank God Evan's dad was a lawyer and he sorted things out for us. Phew. So Evan is a rocker. Yeah, totally imagine him to head the up-and-coming alternative rock band but no. He decided he's gonna give those Japanese girls a chance and went to Tokyo to teach ENGLISH. Right. So Evan was being friendstered and he's gonna add me I know... Evan, now be nice. You owe me big time for those interviews with the profs. Couldn't have done it without me ;) Kels and I nicknamed Evan "NRSBOF" just for fun. It means N-R-Sweaty-Ball-Of-Fur. The first two words are too crude to even mention. Hey, I was 22. I knew no boundaries. Anyway, poor Evan still thinks it's some Chinese name. You know, Ners-Borf...like "Jia Li"... Sorry, Evan.

Emily L.
Emily is the sweetest girl ever. She's soft, quiet, petite, but her brain power is unimaginable. She's smart and always came up with wonderful ideas. Like Jesse, she's in radio. Last time I heard, her ambition was to become a secretary. Yeah. I don't know where she is now. Her home is in the city, but where she is I don't know. Emily, talk to me!!!

Richard Da'Man
What can I say? I know the world's coolest person (christened by Richard himself). And I am the world's next coolest person. Almost like the Next Top Model. Not the coolest, but the next coolest. Some know Richard as my craziest laid-back just-chill boss that I have now. Others, like Kate, will know him as the black-man-with-dreadlocks who used to torment every member of the Ithaca community. We went to school together in 2002! That's right! Richard was my roommate's Melanie's class and project mate. Now I know who did all the work! (Read: NOT Richard) Yes, you can hear him holler from 3 miles away. You see him hugging every member of the community. There's no one who doesn't know him. Or there's no one that Richard doesn't know. I don't even think 6-degrees of separation exist if you count Richard into the equation. But all I know is, Richard, you're cool. Thanks for ALL your help and I love you and M. to pieces. Your sister too. And Richard, the next time you need help, please give me some time ok? Also, I won't be online everytime you need me. I can't save your life. But I thank you, THANK YOU, for introducing the best Internet sites ever, without which I wouldn't know about Hiro Nakamura and Isaac Mendez. I love you boss. Keep up the good work. And finally, we located Kate. Word!

Steven S.
Oh Steven, Steven, Steven. You who conducted the best bible study in Karen's dorm room. You who told me the funny story of how Pastor Mike and his wife met (and proceeded to try to demonstrate on me!). Steven who is now the director of media for YFC Sacramenton and who has won awards after awards. Thanks for sending me all the updates and the cards. I promise I'll be nice and write back. Yes, I do promise!!!

Steve M.
Steve! How do I even begin!? Wow... Steve-who-is-in-the-army.
Steve-whose-parents-I've-met many a times.
Steve-who-has-the-craziest-idea-for-study-group.
We met in evensong, which was this evening praise and worship sessions we used to have and which we still have in the college. We met during our first evensong and found out that we're taking the same cinema class together! Yay, company! So we ended up sitting together for the rest of the semester with our smoothie. We took turns to sleep when the film was too avant garde. We also had a study group! Yes, the study group has two people, and we met for our first meeting over dinner on the day of the exam itself. I wrote notes, he wrote notes, and we exchanged them. All over dinner. And we went back to school for our exam at 7pm. We both got an A. Yeah, now whenever I go to Vietnam Restaurant, I remember that study group. I love study groups. Now that Steve's not here anymore (he went to some army camp in the west coast), I have the company of Steve's wonderful parents. Steve's mother was the lady whom I gave Pastor's CDs to. She loves them. Well, I have to thank Steve for listening to them in the first place, and giving those tapes to her. Steve and I also went on a roadtrip to Michelle's wedding in 2004. That was the last time I saw Steve. Well, Steve, a promise is a promise and we STILL have to get together. Maybe another study group or an activist video in the basement? Yeah, whenever you get back you man-of-making-no-promises. Bah.

Michelle S. (now-known-as Michelle C.)
To say I know Michelle in 2002 wasn't exactly fair. I remember speaking to her ONCE. I remember her as the overly enthusiastic and exciting girl who was determined to come to Singapore for an exchange program. Why? She wanted to be a journalist and wanted to know how it is like to be a journalist in such a highly-controlled, rigid, and authoritative press system. Right. Thank you for your honesty darling. Now Michelle is very happily married and proud mother of a cute baby. Her husband's back (at last) from Iraq and I'm happy to say, they look happier as the days go by! What a wonderful couple. As for me and Michelle, we got to know one another better when she came to Singapore in 2003 and we got together a couple of times. I brought her and a couple of other people to chinese opera and to eat xiao long bao. She loved them. Then I promised her that I'd go to her wedding in 2004 and sure I did. Michelle, now she's in Alaska and I wish her all the best in her sightings of Santa. And right, thanks for all the looong email updates. Glad to know you're happy and safe from SARS. ;) Michelle also learnt to write her Chinese name. "Mi xue" - and I assured her it doesn't mean anything weird. Not like NRSBOF.

Ithaca never fails to amaze me. The warmth of friendship, and if there's one thing it taught me, it is friendships CAN last and CAN overcome time and distance.

OK, two. Ithaca also taught me that cold does not equal death. Right.

So many new friends I've made during this coming-to-2-year stint too. Friends from long ago, friends from all over the world, and a friend and confidante with whom I hope to have a happy future with together.

Well, hopefully, I will write something on My class from 2007 four years from now, and am able to recount such wonderful memories.

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a pinch of sanity + a slice of affection + 2 cloves of hearts = memories

Sane reflects @ this location permanently