CrunchTime

It's not really crunch time, I just have work to do now as opposed to the first couple of days I was here. The physics problem set is due tomorrow, which was tricky. I was only able to complete it after having half of it explained to me by other people. There were only three questions, but it's like a challenge problem made twice as difficult and given multiple steps. No sweat though, I expect to struggle. I'm going to try to write some of my essay before I go to bed. Kwami has fallen asleep trying to study with a book in his bed for the past four or five nights in a row now. It's also officially been a week since I've arrived.

Mandatory Fun

Interphase is pretty structured, our weekday is filled up from 9-5. Then on Saturdays we have something called Mandatory Fun. It sounds like an oxymoron (have fun or else!), but they are just outings we go on. We split up to take tours of Boston this weekend. I signed up for the Aquarium, which I can't remember going to since elementary school. The TA's kind of just led us to downtown Boston then took off, but we faired fine. They had penguins, jellyfish, and a cool three-story cylinder tank with tons of different fish, sharks, and a couple of sea turtles. There was a spiraling walkway up the tank with some lady giving a talk at the top about all the fish inside it. The little kids asked her how old Myrtle the turtle was about 3 separate times within 2 minutes so I asked a fourth. He was 70.


Afterward we walked a bit through Boston ( I could walk through Boston taking pictures of the buildings all day) and ate at Quincy Market, which we visited during our DC trip in 8th grade. It was somewhere between a food court and a market, with tons of different places to buy food.








New England Clam Chowder Count: 1 bread bowl down. Yes!! This is half the reason I came here. I <3 Clam Chowder







We saw a one guy in particular walking back. He cracked some jokes and did some juggling and tricks. He managed to make us stay around for 40 minutes watching his act. Probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Sidenote: First load of laundry done! My socks and undershirts didn't come out pink either. Only at MIT will you find people talking about multivariable calculus and cross products in the laundry room.

I Tap Out

The heat & humidity have forced me to unpack and set up my fan

A Different Type of East

*Enter gong noise here*

After sitting in class from 9 to 5:30 with only lunch to disrupt the back-to-back recitations and lectures, it was time to bust a mission into Boston. We opted for something with a little more cultural integrity than Target this time. The destination: China Town! For dinner, mmmm. Boarded the trusty T (the subway) and switched to the orange line with no problemo. McDonalds served sweet tea, and there was the usual plethora of writing I couldn't understand. It wasn't as intense as San Francisco's, but then again that city is crazy. All 14 of us squeezed around a table and ate family style. It was basically really good. Megan gave it the thumbs up, and she is half-chinese, so its legitamate.

The Work Begins

I'll probably be spending some time at one of these at least once a day


MIT's computer labs are called Athena Clusters and run a Unix operating system or something. They are scattered around the campus and require you to punch in a passcode to enter the room, which is awesome. Note the stacks of paper on the shelf that runs along the wall. Summer Goal: single-handedly kill half of the Amazon rain forest by abusing my unlimited printing. It'll be tough but I think I can manage it if I pace myself.

Classes started yesterday. Chemistry seems doable, my Humanities teacher is animated, I might be in over my head in Multivariable Calculus, and Physics is somewhere in between. I think I'm ready to be stretched though. Things have picked up with the workload. One pset down, two more and an essay lined up for next week.

Triumph!!!

I am now officially Captain Matt Estrada. I managed to pass the advanced swim test, swimming 100m and treading water for 10 minutes, earning my boating certificate. I'm contemplating trying out for the 2008 Olympics next. Special thanks goes to Andre for training me up last minute the week before I left. He's basically why I was able to pass. Thank you!!! The life guard also gave me tips on treading water at the Z Center yesterday. So I'll just be learning how to sail on the Charles River this summer, no biggie. This will be me

Hurricane!!!

The Scenario: just finishing up after half an attempt at working out and exploring the Z Center (the gym). Its huge and confusing but awesome that I get a free pass. As we were walking we see some guy running with his backpack and jeans. Then another guy runs after him, then everybody starts hurrying around as I stand in front of the student center. Within 10 seconds it was raining hurricane status. It was like in the movies when it rains without warning in the Amazon. It was pretty weird too since the people around us were like deers and squirrels fleeing the forest before a natural disaster. Either the people of Massachusetts are one with nature, or I am inattentive. It was intense for about 15 minutes, complete with thunder that bulged in the window and a couple of flashes of lightening. We had to hold off going to dinner until it eased up enough to run to McCormick. This is June?

Impressions Thus Far

The Calculus assessment went pretty well. I'm crossing my fingers for multi-variable calc, which is the third and highest level offered during the summer since I already learned the stuff from BC. I was able to at least fill out the entire test, so we will see how that goes. Ate some sushi, got our books, learned how to use the Athena computing network they have here. It was a pretty relaxed day, and tomorrow will be the last one of these as we test for Chem and Physics.

The adventure today was six of us trying to fight our way down Boston on a Target run. We had to walk across campus to Kendal station first, then figure out how to use the subway system. Chidee got $17 of change in dollar coins. Awesome. Then we packed into the subway like sardines because it was ridiculously crowded and jumped onto a free shuttle to the shopping center after waiting for like 30 minutes. Luckily the subway was pretty vacant on It rained on the way back as we were walking to the dorm.





The weather has been something new to me. I had not known what the combination of overcast and 80 degrees felt like before I came here. The humidity isn't as bad as it sounds. The air is only a little bit thicker, and its barely noticeable. I haven't seen sunshine in two days, but it honestly doesn't bother me since it's been pounding down on me since 1989. It rained a couple times today, but not like I've experienced before. It was warm and there was no wind. I enjoyed it, it was refreshing rather than an inconvenience. All the perks of playing in the rain without the freezing and pneumonia. Of course this is summer, so I don't really know what winter will be like. The man sitting next to me on the plane ride described the wind by the Charles in winter as "biting off your face". Solid.

Things still feel surreal. This time last year I would never had guessed I would be crossing Mass Ave. everyday during my summer. Seeing Boston across the river, the New England architecture, walking down the infinite corridor, and passing by these places I've seen in movies is hard to soak in fully. It's just interesting to be somewhere so different from what I've seen the last 18 years. The homesickness hasn't kicked in yet, but its only been 2 days. I'll admit a lot of it is due to the novelty of the situation, and my admiration of MIT.

Day One

Went to the wedding last night. Felt a bit like the beginning of Cloverfield where everybody was at the party and I was taking off the next day. Afterward was a last attempt to pack at midnight which was stressful, but it got done, and so far the only thing that I am missing is the cord to upload pictures from my camera. So posts might be a little bare until I am able to get that shipped. My phone is also recieving horrible service out here, I can barely call anyone and half my txts are not able to be sent :(

Slept halfway across the country until we were over Kansas. The five hour flight was not bad at all, and when I arrived in Boston I ended up not having to hail a cab. I managed to make the last shuttle to Interphase provided by MIT, which saved me like $30 and a headache.


Teamed up with Megan and Jose from CPW again and met some great new people. The room mate Kwami is cool, and genuinely a nice guy. Born in Ghana and moved here 8 years ago, which is awesome. The room is comfortably spacious, and I can see a bit of Boston across the river from my window as I type. All we really did today was talk in a big group as kind of an introduction. Tomorrow is the Knowledge Based Assesement Test for Calculus, which is the only subject I have any chance in. I will only be armed with only a pencil. Wish me luck!

Before the Plunge

I feel good leaving. This last week has been as great of a send-off as anyone could ask for. I managed to squeeze in some last memories with good friends and family and now I'm off. It's sad to leave but I cannot think of a better reason or time to move across the country. I just wanted to jot that down in case I don't get another chance to document it. I'm ready to take the plunge...

High School Graduate

W00t! I got my high school diploma yesterday. Graduation did not disappoint, it was pretty long and eventful. Went to the practice in the morning, which I didn't know to arrive early to. Its where you pick your seats for graduation and I decided to roll up at 8:35. But Priscilla and Monica saved me a seat so that saved my butt. Afterwards I ate at my final Taco Tuesday with Sean, Adam, Emily, Eric, and Andre. I will miss Rubio's fish tacos every Tuesday :(

Graduation was awesome, almost just for the fact that everyone was dressed up in cap and gown alone. Listened to some speeches (Great Job to Sean & April), cheered for the beach balls people snuck in, walked, took pictures with everyone and their mother, and went out to dinner. I can see why graduation is considered a rite of passage, tapping into the human spirit's desire for ceremony and tradition. It was something our parents went through and so will our children. And as I walked off that field I felt a sense of conclusion and attachment to my classmates adorned in blue with whom I braved the thirteen-year jungle that is public education. Are you really this sentimental Matt? I'm half serious. What can I say, I'm a poet, this stuff flows out.

Grad Night was impressive as well, and it was pretty ridiculous how much they can fix up a high school gym. Crashed on the couch at 5:30 in the morning. They say the reality of it all hits you when you wake up the next morning and don't have to go to school. I pretty much felt the same. The last year has been one prolonged launching pad into college, and I'm ready to go for it.

Senior Tea

Kinda blew, not gonna lie. Expectations weren't high though. Highlights included calling off all 200 or so people that managed a GPA above a 3.0, and the four different awards that involved community service but were all slightly differently phrased.

Went and swam with Andre at Splash! for an hour and a half as well, and he was able to improve my swimming in that short time. I was able to do like 50m. At this point the goal isn't really to pass the 100m MIT swim test next week, but to fail as gracefully as possible. We'll see how that goes...

Senior Picnic

Time is dwindling down. Senior picnic came and went yesterday. Assembled the most complex canopy ever, signed yearbooks, waited in line for a caricature, ate my hamburger, ran through the slip and slide to be greeted with freezing bath water used 206 times over, picked up trash, and drove a the janitor's suped- up golf cart. It was pretty complete. Then I went to Peter's to swim afterwards and watch Friday. Awesome. It feels pretty good to be a senior when you see everybody else taking finals and cramming around you. Good times.

Last Day of High School

It was today. There was a bit of a buzz in the air. More so than the regular run-of-the-mill last day of school. The part I felt it the most was after snack when everyone was leaving the table, but I knew I would. I'll probably never see those people all together at the table again :(. The phrase "This is the last time I'll ever _______" got a little redundant though. My favorite variation was 'This is the last time I'll ever go to third period'. Seriously? Common now. Other than that, it was just a rush to get all the juniors to sign my yearbook (seniors I see tomorrow at the picnic), and handing out thank you cards to teachers. So far I think I've prepared myself pretty well for moving on. No breakdowns yet. I promised myself I wouldn't cry ...

Visual Aid:

ASB!


Best Friends!

Marc & Priscilla!

Table!


Cultural Diversity!

Blog Practice

First attempt at a Hundreds shot:


I'll admit that it leaves room for improvement. That's the point though OK? Minus points for Sean Park's hand & blurriness, but plus points for getting Budd's napkin bib in the shot. He was kinda enough to treat me to Korean BBQ last Saturday. I would just like to say you are a gentleman and a scholar my good friend. I also tried to get some time-lapse action in there, but I cannot figure out how to rotate the image.

Alright, this blog entry is sizing up to be mediocre at best in terms of photography and punctuality, but practice makes perfect! I'll go with the assumption my blogging skillz will evolve with time. I'll leave you with another shot of us filming our AP Lit modern adaptation at regional. While still holding true to the lack-of-technical-skill-with-the-camera motif, its three of my favorite ladies laughing together :)

Blogging for No Reason!

My life isn't exciting enough to mandate a blog everyday, which was painfully apparent today. But I did manage to watch Good Will Hunting. Kudos to you Matt Damon & Ben Affleck for making a quality movie. They had some pretty good MIT shots in there, the ending was the definition of cheesy (but in a good way, they mastered the cheese), and the Matt/Ben acting combo worked out well. I give it a recommendation.

Prom!

Well I just finished my MIT freshman essay evaluation, which I managed to leave to the last minute and then allowed it to kick by butt. Something is telling me I might have to change some of my work habits when I get to college. Hopes aren't too high for my score on the FEE. I've managed to resign into being OK with taking a writing class if I don't pass the evaluation. I always did feel writing was my chink in the armor. Anyways, I don't feel like going to bed so I thought I'd blog.

Last Friday was Prom on a yacht! Overall I had a great time. I could have went either way on the yacht. It was nice to have a dance floor that wasn't a sauna, but it was kinda a hassle to have it on the boat. Monica was pretty much the best date ever. We went to eat a Denny's afterwards. Best part was being able to spend prom with a good friend and see everybody there. Pretty a great night, all thats left is to post up some pictures.