Pride in my friend

I have been writing a lot of negative entries lately, due to melancholy streak I have been experiencing lately.  This entry seeks to change this up.  Positive and praising posts are just too rare on this blog.

While talking to Ashley H. about people who are proud of me, or rather a lack thereof, she asked me if I was proud of any of my friends.  The question caught me off guard, as I had never thought of having pride in my friends before.  I mulled the question over in my mind before coming up with an unlikely answer. 

There is pride to be had in this friend because of the way he changed.  He reaffirms my belief in the plasticity humanity and gives me hope that I can continue to change as well.  Thinking about how he has grown gives me pause.

Eric

Back in high school, I used to make fun of Eric for having no personality.  He was always the nice guy who was content on just going with the flow. Even though I had no vested interest in his ambitions, it inexplicably bothered me that he had none.  I just could not understand how someone could be so passive and yet be so content. 

Sometime in college, that all changed when Eric joined some business fraternity.  He started wanting to change things because he was unsatisfied with how they were.  In the beginning, the ambition was weak, he used to tell me a laundry list of problems about his fraternity, but when it came to solutions he was never willing to put in the effort.  As time went by, that gradually changed.  Eric took up increasingly more important leadership roles within his fraternity leading to bigger commitments and achievements. Whenever I saw Eric back at home, he seemed a little more confident, standing a just that little bit taller each time.

Most impressive of all is how Eric managed to do it all his own way.  He did not turn into a dick or fake as so many do when they take up leadership positions.  Eric is still that nice and chill guy that I remember from high school.  I seriously think he bullies people into doing things with his niceness and that is something to be respected. 

UCSD Characters

Ashley

I wish I had a better picture!

Different Ashley this time around, since my usual rock is currently studying abroad in England.  Cheery, Christian, sweet, exceedingly considerate, humble and possessing one of the most heartwarming smiles I have ever seen, this Ashley is my new foil. 

Fortunately, Ashley and I do have similarities, namely a penchant for spontaneous acts.  Ashley has become my go to girl for this quarter, joining me on numerous spontaneous acts.  Whether it would be something mischievous like sneaking out to the cliffs to see the bioluminescence or monotonous as grabbing lunch, she is always available and game.

Funny thing about me spending almost every other day with Ashley these days is that upon first seeing her at UCSD, I was intent on avoiding her.  I considered someone from my past that was best left there.  Only through her persistence in trying to say hello to me, did we manage to reconnect as friends.  And for that I am incredibly grateful because this quarter would be lacking a lot of life without her.

Kevin

We sleep in the same room

Roommate chronicles are back!  I have lived with Kevin every year that I have been at UCSD and one thing I have learned is that the hilarity never stops with him.  Already this quarter, Kevin has missed his midterm after not knowing it got rescheduled and gone to the ER for an ear infection (five days before he told me that he was losing hearing in his left ear and I responded by telling him to get that checked out) then grazed a runner’s leg with his car due to excruciating pain.   

Living with Kevin has made me remember how awesome having a roommate is as it definitely keeps the loneliness at bay and provides great stories.  Kevin and I picked up where we left off sophomore year and our friendship has continued to grow.   These days, we even cook together regularly, though by cooking, I mean that he cuts and washes the vegetables.  Sometimes it seems a little gay sometimes when we are in the kitchen together, but I tell everybody anyway because it makes me feel impressive.  An added bonus is that telling annoys Kevin because apparently, he has a straight image to keep up.      

Sarah

A missed connection in high school, Sarah and I became good friends in college to the surprise of many.  There seemingly always needs to be a devout Christian in my group of friends and Sarah has been that friend for a very long time.  Exceptionally awkward and clueless, Sarah is a goldmine burst out loud laughing moments.  Paired with all of Sarah’s peculiarities is a big heart and sweet personality that leads her to try to help all those in need.     

Sarah and I seem to have gotten closer after my period in Shanghai.  She used to tell me how terrible it was that she lost her closest friend at UCSD.  Unfortunately, upon my return to UCSD, Sarah has become impossibly hard to hang out with due to her devotion to her studies and terrible communication skills. Every year, it seems I am able to spend less and less time with her.

Kathy

We have too much fun together so we have to work apart

Loud, obnoxious and crass, Kathy is the most violent friend I have ever had and this includes guys too.  Almost every time we meet up there is punching, pinching and a lot of smack talk.  The night before the midterm, we ended up wrestling around the apartment and at one point Kathy tried to choke me with both of her hands on my neck.  Needless to say, hanging out with Kathy is a blast and always full of loud laughter. 

Kathy is the only completely new character this quarter and I met her in my language and culture class.  Sadly, she is graduating this quarter so this friendship has all the signs of being short lived. 

Diane

I left for Shanghai with Diane furious at me after having ditched meeting her because she was with her boyfriend.  Thankfully, old friends die hard and we have reconnected since I got back.  Diane is kind of a contradictory character in my eyes.  She complains and stresses quite often but yet still manages to maintain the image of being relaxed, as if nothing fazes her.        

Meeting up with her tends to bring a calming effect to my day.  We spend most of our time conversing about every aspect of our lives over copious amounts of coffee (as evidenced by the 6 cups I drank today and the reason I am writing this post at 5 in the morning).  However, there never seems to be enough time to finish our conversation.