six degrees

do you believe that your life is shaped by every person you meet? it sounds very cliche chick flick, doesn't it? maybe i'm just easily influenced, but i often feel affected by even a single encounter with a person. in simple conversation, i'm struck by how many times i'm reminded of a high school girl friend or that guy in my bio class at Cal, the professor at extension or the art teacher i haven't seen in 10 years. even more amazing is how people make friends in the first place. dorm mates are forced to interact. classes provide opportunites three times a week at a set time for you to talk to someone new. but the guy who walks up to you at a conference and teaches you something that changes your outlook on life...how do you explain that?

so here i am, in shanghai, on the other side of the world. i was totally expecting to be here with 5 other nerds. instead i've met guys and gals from all over the world and having the time of my life. it's kinda like freshman year where you get to know people very intensely because you live and party with them. i get to do it again in a month when med school starts. =D i'm going to miss every single person i've met here, including the doctors. the cynical side of me slightly doubts that every single person who does tpa can be so fantastic. but they are! especially my flatmates. chris is the sweetest guy, michael's hilarious, and gemma's so lovely, inside and out.

speaking of moments in time, guess who i saw at a bar last friday night?? guess. just guess. it was too crazy to believe. i'll put up a picture when i get around to it.

life is great besides. i lost 50 yuan to arpen when i bet on argentina in the germany v. argentina game. i won 20 of it back when england lost (just playing devil's advocate), then promptly lost 50 more when france actually beat brazil. maybe i should pay more attention to football.

time for street food!!