(Click thumbnails for full-sized images).
Trip to Philly (8.5.03-8.7.03) | ||
 Catherine was surprised I had the energy to go into the city on the first night... but she soon discovered it was all thanks to my McDonald's Spy Kids 3-D glasses |
 Downtown Philly. Catherine is asleep, I am skeptical, and the woman taking the photo was totally nonplussed. |
 The next day: Our first stop was of course the Quaker Information Center, where Catherine pretended to be a modest Quaker woman. This photo cracks me up. |
 Don't even ask what face I'm making—but this is me in front of a fountain kind of in the northwest corner of Philly, and the palatial art museum is visible way in the background. |
 Almost looks profound, don't it? Anyway, what an awesome entrance portal thing! (to the Rodin Museum.) |
 It took us a while to realize that this sculpture was composed of two right hands (guess that unit on chirality in orgo was good for something...) |
 I thought this was a cool sculpture—entitled Absolution. |
 Just one more—entitled Creation. That's God's hand just ripping through unformed mass to create man, I think. |
 View of downtown Philly from the art museum. |
 A view of the muddy Schuylkill River (there was a shitload of rain the day before) from the art museum. |
 Me reposing on a bear. This is the most random monument I have ever encountered—replete with inexplicable Native American imagery and totally inappropriate wildlife (moose, elks, and several very regal bears). This photo also cracks me up. |
 Catherine liked the moose—I think she's imitating the statue on her right. |
 By this point we were pretty tired, so we ducked into this ultra-trendy and ultra-overpriced but very delicious ice cream place. This is the good old stick-one-arm-out-to-take-a-photo method. |
 That night we went down to the Schuylkill to try and see Boathouse Row at night. Here's the perfect little repast that we packed from Catherine's house. |
 Who's that drinking a Fat Angel beer? |
 Catherine hates this photo but I'm putting it up anyway. I couldn't get her to keep her eyes open for a photo. |
 Catherine carefully observes... |
 ...a beautifully lit-up Boathouse Row. |
 A more expanded version of Boathouse Row. |
 Enjoy that mysterious bottle of Spumanti while you can, miss—you're about to discover we've been slapped with a ticket by PennDOT =/ |
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 Catherine's ultra-imposing first private school. She later switched to the much kindlier-looking (but less Hogwarts-like) Shipley School. |
 Photo of Catherine and me in the backyard garden. |
 And one more. |
Myrtle Beach, baby! (5.10.03-5.17.03) | ||
 What happens when you send a bunch of Yale seniors to Myrtle Beach, SC the moment they finish their exams? They start drinking out of paper bags, of course! |
 Just in case you couldn't see the bag well enough... |
 Proud taco chefs pause briefly for a photo op, then greedily devour the food for 15 minutes in absolute silence—I'm not even kidding. Utter silence. (Justin, Lisa, Luke, Miye) |
 My expression sez it all: Who are these guys?! |
 Yo, over here, Einstein (Lisa's got the picture, but drinking addles my brain). |
 First stop after everyone gets in? An all-you-can-eat buffet, of course! (Luke, Miye, Justin, Liz, Meridee, Erica, Senwung, Amber) |
 Gurrlz! (Lisa, Amber, Erica, Meridee) |
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PCB '03 (Panama City Beach, Florida, 3.15.03-3.22.03)I guess I just can't get enough of those beaches... This year, 12 Silliman folks decided to go the debaucherous generic college spring break route and trek down to the panhandle of Florida. The drive from New Haven, which took 24 hours, was efficiently divided into 4-hour driving segments. Some of the people we found there were rather shocking... like the Eastern Kentucky University kids who couldn't believe Yale admitted black students (!). They also thought "Connecticut" was spelled with a "k." But it was definitely a learning experience—plus, we all got awesome tans, which sadly immediately evaporated once we set foot once again in frigid New Haven. I only wish I had taken more photos, but hopefully I will get more from some of the other people on the trip. | ||
 A random assortment of people... notice that some are playing chess, some are playing scrabble, some are discussing politics (we were quickly identified as nerds and shunned by the other college kids on the beach). Umm somewhere in there are Greg, Maggie, Ben, Molly, Dan, Tanya, Tom, and Emma, I think. |
 Nani chilling with a book on the beach... at times every last one of us was reading; how sad! But intellectually rewarding. |
 Tanya shows off the beautiful coastline (there were some breathtaking views on this beach). |
 Mmm this was the best omelette ever, and it was constructed by Katharine and me from six eggs, some leftover steak, onions, and a shitload of cheese. Doesn't get any better than this, folks (though I think we both passed out afterwards). |
 This trio of Emma, Tom, and Katharine was inseparable. Also, they all smoke. Coincidence? |
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Sam and Elise's trip to Yale (3.27.03-3.29.03)When my UVA friends drove up to New Haven for a visit, I knew I was in for an interesting weekend. After taking these two crazy muthas on a tour of the ivy-bedecked architecture and the gothic libraries filled with tome after tome of ancient knowledge, it was time to get crunk and hit the town. Elise downed a bottle of wine, Sam and I finished off a bottle of Captain Morgan's, and we were in fine fettle to stagger out the College Street gate. Our inebriated journey took us to the God Quad, Sigma Chi, and, of course, A-1. | ||
 Elise shows off her nurse outfit while Sam throws up his hands in disbelief. |
 Elise enjoys the Haribo gummi bears that she insisted on buying at Gourmet Heaven, while Justin marvels at her... ah... oral dexterity. |
 First stop: Branford's God Quad. Justin gets a first-hand demonstration of Elise's oral dexterity; sadly, she does not go for the appetizing tongue he has laid out for her. |
 Next stop: Sigma Chi. Still keeping up a facade of decency. |
 Whoah, the group's all here (Lisby, Sam, Grace, Justin, Elise). |
 Sam and Lisby at A-1. |
 And the other side of the table: Grace, Justin, and a tired Elise. A good night's work, no? Also, where did those beads come from?? |
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Chinese New Year's dinner (2.2.03) | ||
 These guys have prepared a delicious feast consisting primarily of dumplings. |
 Hmm, some people seem to not enjoy the red-dyed sticky rice gluten paste as much as the others (Justin, Mike) |
 This is what happens when you combine uneaten red-dyed sticky rice gluten paste and SAKE BOMBING... hehe. |
 Same deal, different person. |
 Okay, this one clearly hasn't had enough to drink (Athena). |
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Luke's Surprise Art Gallery Opening / Birthday Party (12.6.02)First, a quick explanation: Since Luke (my roommate) was the Head Gallery Guide this year, we decided the only way to celebrate his surprise 22nd birthday party was with a fake gallery opening reception. Each guest was instructed to bring with them a piece of art that somehow incorporated the theme of the exhibit: "Reflections on Dichotomy and Palindrome." (You know, the number 22—palindrome, binaries, etc... Oy, one too many lit theory classes...) Oh, and the art was also supposed to incorporate the theme of Luke. Anyway, the various masterpieces (and some of them were really quite ingenious!) were posted on the walls, and when Luke came in, we all ignored him like good gallery-goers. I would imagine he was kind of weirded out at first, but he of course caught on, and the rest is history. (PS—in case it's not immediately obvious, this event was a mockery of art gallery stuffiness. Nonetheless, the guests came up with some pretty incredible artwork! Hopefully I'll be able to scan some of the samples and post them up here, with Luke's permission, someday.) | ||
 The delicious repast that was purchased from BJ's, hastily whipped together by Meridee, Erica, and Lisa, and arranged by Nyssa (feet displayed at left of food) |
 Fresh-caught drinks arranged in a tasteful bed of fresh-caught snow. |
 Emma admires Katharine's installation piece; meanwhile, Justin wonders whether the "art" can be thrown out if it begins to "rot." (Artist's interpretation: The biodegradable orange fruit represents the transience of man's existence within a confining worldly superstructure, as cleverly symbolized by the plastic party cup.) |
 With all the work that clearly went into this event, how could the happy birthday boy fail to have a smile like this one? (Luke, Meridee) |
 Whoah, guys. Whoah. |
 You know, it's actually totally conceivable that these three would be at an art gallery opening together. (Luke, John, Laura) |
 Luke joyfully selects a delicate hors d'oeuvre (fine, a pig-in-the blanket) as a grinning imp that has somehow managed to inhabit Miye's body looks gleefully on. |
 Laura, Luke. |
 Miye, Meridee, Erica, and Lisa valiantly try and pretend that the event going on around them is not actually taking place. "Oh my God; we go to Yale." |
 Justein Chenberger's contribution (other artists' works to come, hopefully) |
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Miscellaneous | ||
 A photo taken at dusk of my brother, Joanna (Spencer), Andrea (Spencer), me, and my mom at the Spencers' graduation reception in Woodbridge, CT. |
 Aww, my friends came to my JE Chamber Players concert! (Senwung, Luke, Justin, Meridee, Lisa, Erica). |
 The hot, hot men of Winter Ball '03 (Lisa's date, Luke, Justin, Payton) |
 Tom, Emma, and Katharine hangin out. |
 Don and Katie. |
 Of course I went to Rosh Hashana dinner at Katie's house! What kind of Jew would I be otherwise? (Katie, Mike, Maggie, Justin, Teresa, Molly) |
 A soaked (and drunk, of course) Justin and Miye at Sean's old apartment above Ivy Noodle. The champagne kept us warm, though. |
 Antonia posing in front of her congratulatory board. |
 And the dinner that went along with said board. Okay, here goes... clockwise from Anke, who is front and center: Anke, Don, Antonia, Luke, Meridee, Erica, Robert (mouth full), Nyssa, Senwung. The food was mainly prepared by Anke and Nyssa. |
 A brief and misguided stint with red hair#151;they swore that it was all the rage in Taiwan! My dad hated it, but my grandmother said she loved it... and then she said to my dad, "At least he has hair to dye!" (Meridee, Robert, Justin, Luke, John) |
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