Cornucopia

Thanksgiving weekend acts as a light at the end of the tunnel (of finals madness) for law students, though it is kind of just a tease at the same time.

This year I spent my first Thanksgiving away from home. It ended up still turning out well because I was able to spend it with my cousin's family and we had a great feast that led me to nap heaven.

Black Friday, of course, brought me out of the apartment and to the mall. I definitely had fun buying professor gifts and getting some winter appropriate clothing. Best of all, I got my first red coat, which was extemely exciting.

I've been planning my Christmas surprise, which is surprisingly taking longer than I expected. In any case, I'm so blessed and so happy to be where I am right now. I can't believe that the semester really is almost over and winter break is almost here.

I'm so thankful for everything, I can't even begin to explicate...

Día de los Muertos

November has come upon us and as any law student knows, this means we have reached the point of the semester fondly known as "crunch time." It's a little disheartening to go from having AMAZING Halloween festivities to buckling down for the rest of the term, but I guess we all have to go out with a bang.

We had an extra hour of sleep last night (or possibly an extra hour of work) and officially have made it to the Day of the Dead. Outlines will start being made, study groups will be formed, and incessant chatter about one's preparations for finals will be the norm in the hallways.

I have to say that I've had a great semester thus far, have had some nice a-ha moments, and am coping with the fact that social lives will revolve around curriculum-related conversation for a while.

In happier news though, I think I have finally reached the point of having a sufficient amount of cold weather clothing to keep me warm for the winter.

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ca⋅pri⋅cious

1.	subject to, led by, or indicative of caprice or whim; erratic: He's such a capricious person, I never know how he'll react.

2.	Obsolete. fanciful or witty.

One month update

Now it's been a month since law school madness commenced (and coincidentally, since I became a palindrome: 22). So much has happened, from finally relenting and buying a backpack (I guess fashion does have to give way to functionality once in a while), getting acquainted with classes and with beautiful Boston, to becoming my involved self with extracurricular activities and learning how to do things like apportion how much groceries to buy so I can humanly carry it all.

BU Law has been amazing through and through. My professors are all pretty cool even though 8:40 AM class on Friday is not exciting. I love the people that I'm around despite the fact that being around them has gotten me dreadfully sick this weekend. On top of all this, I've decided to branch out and become active in some pretty cool things. The highlight of my involvement, I think, will be Legal Follies, which is BU Law's annual comedy sketch revue. I didn't have the time luxury to perform in college and realized that being on stage was something I wanted to have again in law school. I'm super excited to be a part of this through the creative writing process, acting, dancing, and of course, singing.

I'm so blessed to have my pink room with my turtles, Mosey and Dumpling, in my beautiful apartment with two great roommates, and be living and learning in this amazing city.

You can call me Miss Shannon.

Today, I had the infamously nerve wracking experience of being called on (a la Socratic Method) in my Civil Procedure class. The funny thing was that it wasn't actually me being called on.

Professor Farnsworth was going over lawsuits and how they would proceed if the case included co-defendants. He looked pensive and as though he was going to call on a victim to answer his questions. Immediately, I felt a strong inclination that my name would be the one he uttered.

"Miss Liu," Farnsworth calmly stated as he looked back into the audience. "Assume we have a car crash between A, B, and C. A is suing B and C. If B wants to bring claims against C, would B have to do this in this case?"

"No, B could bring this in another case."

"Oh, I'm sorry. There are two Miss Liu's in this class. I was actually referring to the Miss Liu in the back. I will get back to you another day." Of course, being the girly girl that I am, I started blushing nervously to my little foible.

Unfortunately, the other Miss Liu got a little confused between FRCP Rule 13(g) and 14, leading her to fumble on the answer. Farnsworth then said, "Miss Liu in the front. Since you have already been embarrassed, directing this question to you will only be of marginal embarrassment."

Thankfully, I was able to gracefully answer the question with appropriate reasoning and realize that maybe my dreams of being called Miss Shannon will finally be a necessary action.

Big girl move

After an exciting month in Taiwan, followed by an ultra relaxing month in the Bay Area, I have made my big move to Boston. My last week back in California was amazing, going to Six Flags and the Winchester Mystery House for the first times, spending time with friends in San Francisco, visiting my grandparents in Sacramento, and having a fun goodbye get together. This made it all the more difficult to hop on a one way flight to BOS, just days from starting my legal education.

Arriving in Boston, I was greeted by the prospect of having to lug more luggage than someone of my small figure could handle. This was a challenge with the utter lack of assistance any Bostonians offered to give me. Now, I've gotten a chance to visit my second home for the next few years, explore Boston a little bit, and meet some people that I would love to befriend.

I still am a little overwhelmed by the fact that next week, I will embark upon one of the toughest academic journeys. However, I'm pretty excited for the prospect of living in an amazing town full of culture and history with hopefully just as intriguing people. So far, I am happy to say I haven't been let down. :)

Isla Formosa, Taiwan will touch your heart

Having a one month escape from reality and everyday life in one of the most fascinating countries can only mean one thing: a life changing and mind opening experience. Coming to Taiwan, I had no idea what to expect; my only exposure to the country came fourteen years prior so I didn't have a concept of the beauty and immense culture my homeland possessed. Stepping out of the airport, I was left breathless. Unsurprisingly, this was because of the hot and humid air. Throughout the month, however, I had my breath taken away myriad times because of Taiwan's hold on me.

Taipei acted as my home base, our group's home for the bulk of the trip: where we stayed, went sightseeing, studied, and explored the nightlife. It also was home to one of my close friends and family friends. This city is a hub of activity from the bustling night markets to the efficient MRT system to the nightclubs that put Los Angeles to shame to Karaoke clubs galore. Most of all though, Taipei is a city surrounded by cultural havens and serene scenic beauty.

Our latter portion of the trip had our study tour travel around the island, visiting everything from an amusement park, outdoor adventure site, mountains, rocky points, and more. We experienced sights, both tropical and mountainous, that I wasn't aware even existed in Taiwan. To be quite frank, I wasn't even really too aware of my culture to begin with. Even living in Taiwan for a month, I realize that there is so much I still need to see. Consequently, I hope to come home again as soon as it is feasible for me and fall back in love over and over again.

My brief time living in Taiwan allowed me to meet some wonderful people, rejuvenate my Mandarin speaking skills, and get a taste of what my homeland is all about. I have loved my summer of breaking out of my bubble, laughing and smiling the whole way through.