EBAY
I bid (and won) my very first item! The object itself isn't too exciting, just a manual that seems to be popular among students & optometrists. I won the auction saving $25 from the bookstore cost and I'm still bitter cuz I could've gotten the book for less except ppl kept on bidding against me. I keep reminding myself that I already got a good deal - but the starting bid was $5!! I could've paid a total of $10 instead of $35 *pouts* I'm so cheap. Oh well...better than paying $60 =)
How safe are these things any way? My classmates seem to buy and sell things all the time, is my credit card safe? And what happens if my book isn't like they described...or worse, if it doesn't show up at all? The guy's got 100% feedback so I'm banking on his honesty. I'm mean, he's an ophthalmology student - it would be unethical!
I've decided to search online for all my books from now on. If only I can get my hands on a cheap copy of the Berkley's Board review...
12 BARS
So our class fundraiser, the annual ‘12 Bars’ pub crawl, occurred last night. I have to say that it went really well, much better than I expected. I love my class – everyone is so talented, pulls together & pitches in to help each other out. And they’re so enthusiastic!
Planning was crazy, particularly since I was thrown into the position near the end of first quarter. 2 of my classmates took charge of designing/selling T-shirts…it was a new idea to generate extra cash and it went superb. We ended up selling over 200! And attendance for the pub crawl was great too. I don’t have the final numbers yet but I’d say close to, if not over, 400 people. For a school of approx. 600 and with majority of the 4th years out on externships…it was more than the other rep and I predicted. We ended up going to a new area, right around Wrigley’s field (that’s the Cubs stadium) and thank goodness we had another classmate helping us out with bar selection. We also had people who volunteered the night before our test to help stuff mailboxes with wristbands & maps. I’m just so amazed – I honestly think we have the best class spirit in the school!
The crawl itself was good too. Only 1 place had lines due to capacity issues and most of the bars were right beside each other – which was great cuz it was snowing pretty heavily. Each place played a different musical genre & there was even bar with dueling pianos and batting cages. Oh, and guess what? I didn’t drink one drop of alcohol last night! Most of you know how bad it can get when I let loose, so I decided not to drink last night. I know it probably makes me sound like an alcoholic but I’ve never been out to bars and clubs without drinking; and being surrounded by it for 6 whole hours, I seriously thought it would’ve been very difficult for me. Thank God the temptation wasn’t there & that my friends were being really sweet about my choice. I had such a blast hanging out with everyone and dancing…all while being completely sober. It was a new experience but fun nonetheless.
All in all, I’d say the fundraiser was a success. Of course I’ll hear of all the stories on Monday…
As an aside: One of my classmates made the complaint that our test schedule is always made around our school events (eg. event on Saturday so test on Tuesday instead of Monday) and how most our event revolve around alcoholic beverages. It didn’t seem
1) right b/c it is someone’s decision to drink and they should takes the consequences of their actions (ie. if they have a hangover and can’t study on Sunday then they should accept the mark they get on Monday’s test)
2) appropriate b/c we are in a professional school. There shouldn’t be so much encouragement for mind-altering substances, especially when we are in a higher risk population for alcoholism due to stress.
More dilemmas of a class rep to come!
TRANSPARENCY
Just got back from my weekend retreat earlier today. Lots to think about during my stay there and I never did end up opening my pharm notes.
You know what’s a sucky feeling? Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and then having your fear reinforced afterwards.
It’s funny how we need to have our feelings validated. How when we act a certain way, we expect as certain response from those around. For example: if we tell a joke, we expect others to laugh. What happens when you don’t get the response you expected, a response that you were hoping for?
Does it mean that I shouldn’t have been as transparent or that I regret it? No. I believe that I need to be even more transparent. That so many times we put on this front, that everyone believes everything is okay and no longer bothers to ask – to care. If you’re doing A and B, then you’re on the right track and must be doing fine. If only! How many of the people we interact with on a weekly basis can we say that we honestly know? Know their thoughts, their direction, their hopes, their struggles. How many of the people in our lives do we care about that much? For me, not any. I have enough of my own things to deal with to carry your baggage as well. Now isn’t that a selfish thought? It not supposed to be this way. In a family, all the baggages are assumed – it no longer belongs to just one individual. Your burden becomes mine not for any other reason but because we love each other.
This weekend made me realize several things. I really do find value from other people’s affirmation and that’s not right. There should only be One that I look to because we are all humans and we are bound to fail one another. It’s not that I feel as though others failed me over the weekend. More so that I realized that I was looking in the wrong direction for a response. I see a need (and crave myself) for more genuine relationships around me. But this must begin with my most important relationship. Also, my eyes were opened to the fact that I actually judge other people and their actions a lot, especially when things don’t go MY way…the way I expected or I think that is “right”. Who am I to think these things? What do I know about what is appropriate and what is not? Once again, I am humbled by my own arrogance.
I’m grateful for this weekend and I obviously still have a lot of things to work through, but things are definitely becoming clearer again.