So Long 2009

To start the end of 2009, I found out my former high school coach passed away. I found out he was admitted to the hospital earlier this week. When I swam for Art, I posted my best times in swimming. Swimming probably was like 50% of my high school life next to the academics. I enjoyed swimming for Art and being under his coaching as opposed to my previous time spent at my club team. Practicing and having him coach me made me feel like I was a part of a team, and not just competing for myself or against my teammates. He had me swim 200 and 500 freestyle, the endurance events that he needed me to swim and win for my high school. He called me names, but I know it was in good fun. I found it exciting and fun to swim for him, and I think he appreciated how hard I swam for him, and how the rest of our team swam hard for him and our school. When I got to Lowell, the swimming team had won 4 years consecutively, and my class was able to experience another 4 more years of success. Art's legacy continued after I left for another 4 more years. RIP Art Octavio; you left a legacy in Lowell swimming, and the hearts of your swimmers.

Since 2009, is at its end; I'm another year closer to being an optometrist. 2012 cannot come soon enough. Overall, this year has been relatively drama free. Aside from living on my friends couch for a month, while enduring finals, and being a part of a love triangle, everything has been pretty smooth. The relationship with my relatives has been non-existent since I moved out of their place. I don't know how my mom is communicating with them or at all. The love triangle is resolved, and I'm on the outside looking in. It took a while to get over, but it is for the best.
I went to 3 weddings this year, and one of them I was a part of. It was awesome just celebrating people committing their lives to each other. It was special finally seeing two of my closest friends tie the knot, and sad to see them move to NY. I remember their last week here; I made two special trips to Ici (an ice cream shoppe) and buy 2 pints of ice cream for them. I was able to hang out with them and other friends from college this past two weeks while I was home. They say we're getting old. We are only 24-26. God willing; we still have a lot of time left. I think she may feel older cause she's already married.
No relationships this year just a lot of exploring. In 2009, I put myself out there more, and dated more freely. I take the "let's see what happens approach." I don't invest myself too much into first dates because it's only a first date, just try to have a good time and go from there.

Academically, things have been going well. Optometry school is demanding but just managing my time has helped me get through it. I'm learning more and school seems to be moving faster since I'll be seeing patients in 2010. I know this year has been tough on many other people and friends. It's just been pretty hum-drum for me in retrospect. In my next post, I'll talk about my expectations and hopes for 2010.

(500) Days of Summer

sooooo....i finally watched this movie since it came out this week on DVD. It wasn't what I expected, but I think they make that clear from the very beginning. It is "a story about a boy meeting a girl, but it's not a love story." I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt's wardrobe in this movie, but I doubt I could ever pull that off, but it's nice. I also was wondering if Levitt was imitating a Jersey accent or if that is really how he talks.
Pacing the movie by jumping from one day and then another event 200 days later was kind of disrupting. However what I liked about the movie is how they really analyze and tell the story with all the intricate details of the two people meeting and trying to figure out what they are, which I feel is common in how indie films explore and tell things.
It was an epiphany, when Tom talks to his step sister. She tells him "you may think she was the one, but looking back at it, i don't think she was the one for you." Maybe it just resonates with me, but it is so true how we interpret things, and how we only remember certain things and ignore others. Also I really liked how they portray the difference between his expectations and reality; I felt it was a reflection of how I think of things all the time.
I thought it was awesome that at the end, he meets someone else, Autumn (Minka Kelly from Friday Night Lights), who is more attractive than Summer (Zoey Deschanel).
Overall, I thought the movie was great, but the pacing wasn't what I expected. I did like the day after sex musical sequence. It reminded me of Enchanted when they're singing in Central Park.