On Wednesday, I go to the BSM's lunch on my campus. I just have a 30-minutes lunch, so I usually have to try my best to finish it as fast as I can. I don't want to show up late for class and get embarrassed. Because of that, I barely have the chance to properly make friends with anybody. Most of the time it's just simply, "Hi, how are you?" and that's about it.
This time it was different. I, as usual, was minding my own business when a middle-aged guy showed up with his plate, pulled out the opposite chair, and sat down. My first perception of him is that he was out of the ordinary. He had on a brown and worn-looking jacket, a white undershirt, and an old-fashioned pair of bifocals. His face was out of proportion somehow, and one could not help but noticing a sizable wart on the right of his forehead. It started on top of the eyebrows and went all the way up and got covered by his hair.
As quiet as I was, I didn't say anything. Not that I thought he was too strange to talk to, I was just preoccupied with my own thoughts about things around me. Well, actually, I was too stress to talk to anybody.
And he started talking. Deep, pleasant voice. He asked me where I was from, what I was doing there and such. Then he proceeded to tell me his story. His name is Paul, he's been all over the country and got to talk to people around the world. He told me many, many lively stories about the stars, the earth, snow, rain, etc...It was fascinating, I just don't hear about things like that too often.
All of a sudden, without warning, he disrupted his story telling and told me this, "You know, just remember this, 'determination', 'courage', 'strength' will lead you to success."
I held my breath. This wasn't the first time I heard about these things, but, Why now? Why here? Why did he mention this when it's exactly the same thing that I am worrying about?
I stared at his eyes.
This is exactly what I needed to hear right at this moment.
His eyes were sparkling in the sun light. Perfect shade of blue, unshaken and powerful. I felt a strange vibe is coming on to me. I didn't know what it was, either.
He went on and told me things that elaborated on those 3 things. And I absorbed what he told me like a sponge absorbing water. The notion of "determination, courage, and strength" seems like a cliché nowadays; I hear it too often and sometimes I don't appreciate what they are. It's one thing to say "I'm determined, I'm courageous, and I'm strong." It's another thing to actually believe in it and strive for it. I realized that when Paul revealed it to me, unknowingly on his part. Or maybe knowingly?
The clock hit 12:30. It was time for class. I stood up, pushed my chair back, and thanked Paul. He taught me a lesson. And I learned that strangers have the ability to do that quite often.
A story happened on a Wednesday
Long time no writing...
Well, my name is SH. Nice to meet you, I'm starting to write blog again 
Nowadays, I really don't know who are gonna be my audience, 'cause lately there has been quite a slowdown here. But it's ok, I will just write.
I'm still going to school, like always. I've transferred to a 4-year university, mostly because the community college near my house has ran out of classes for me to take, you're talking about a long-time learner here I like my new school though. It's located in a more diverse community than the one around my house, so the people are not as prejudiced. Everybody that I have encountered so far is quite nice; I haven't had any bad experience yet, but we'll see.
With that being said, I'm still living at home though. It's a 72-mile drive from my house to school, which takes me about an hour and a half in light traffic. But, luckily, my school has a long distance option that allows me to drive to a close-by community college for a class every Wednesday, and the rest I can study at home with the Internet. It's quite pleasant. The 72-mile drive is cut into a 45-mile one, almost in half. All lectures are recorded in a podcast format, so I can always listen to them again if I want to. All assignments are given and collected through the school's web portal. Everything is digitalized and I love it, considering how much of a geek I am. I haven't written a single note this semester, seriously. My laptop, in combination with Microsoft OneNote, is my notebook, my time manager, and everything else in between. My backpack has never been lighter, my typing skill is significantly improved, and my eyes get worse with time, lol...
One thing I don't like about the academic program I'm in is that the assignments sometimes seem ridiculous. I get part of my points by going to the class's disccussion board and post entries. I keep thinking about what I will write, maybe something like this: "I agree with you, you're so bright, you're so wonderful, that's a good idea. I'm bright, I'm wonderful too, so we are both bright and wonderful...'" Well, maybe not, it's just my sarcasm According to my humble opinion, it's a complete waste of time...
That's enough about school. Now about friends.
As you can see, I belong to one school, but I rarely go to my school; I go to another school to take classes instead. That creates a little dilemna there, cause sometimes it makes me feel like I just don't belong anywhere. So, to make new friends, I hang out with students from yet another school different from the two that were mentioned and other friends I know before I transfered. I can say it has worked itself out real nice. I still have a social life besides those endless hours sticking my eyeballs on the laptop's screen to study
And of course, my Vietnamese friends are always close by on YIM and/or Facebook!
I will graduate (again) about next May or August, if things go the way they're supposed to be.
And that's the recap for what happened to me lately...
Oh yeah, I'm still love sick, and my world is pink and blue, as usual...Don't get me wrong, I haven't dreamed about anybody lately, I'm just love sick, if you can get that...