i've moved to nyc for grad school at columbia!

• it was a bit overwhelming at first, but now i feel like i actually live here. i've been really happy these days: exploring, enjoying the nice weather, meeting new people, having friends visit, and coincidentally bumping into people from my hometown on the street.
• it's nice to see so many people outdoors on campus, because the buildings aren't connected like mit, and it's more compact.
• this semester i'm taking algebraic topology, complex analysis, and lie algebras. our first year is mostly classes, seminars, and working in the calculus help room for 2 hrs/week.
• i like how the math building is just called "mathematics." same for the philosophy building, but everything else is named after someone.
• after subtracting my rent from my stipend, i can spend $70 per day (or $90 for the 3 years i have nsf), which is more than enough to eat well and have fun in nyc. :)

some things i've done so far:

• i got rollerblades! i used to have rollerblades in elementary school, but then outgrew them. it's actually much scarier than i remember, although i do have a helmet and pads. so far i've only skated nearby and practiced braking and falling, but i plan to go to community skate events soon!
• joined the latin dance club which has salsa/bachata lessons every week, since i had fun salsa dancing in mexico in january. it's actually affiliated with the med school, which means i fit in better age-wise.
• i've been reading more. recently read the hardest ones to fool by christina li (my favorite author).
• watched niu lai at a bar and found it hilarious. probably my favorite movie experience ever, and it helped that it was at 1.5x speed and with lots of other people.
• went birding for the first time in prospect park and greenwood cemetery, which has the tallest natural point in brooklyn (battle hill), and a big parakeet nest on the gothic archway.
• went to moma (free for columbia students) in the last hour they were open, which meant no crowds.