Peter's experiences as a Mechanical Engineer with an interest in the visual arts.
Reflection
Finale
Aug 26th
So, I don’t know if I mentioned it or not, but this will be my last blog for Hopkins Interactive (unless I somehow write a guest blog in the future). I’m not going to get into why I’m not blogging anymore, however, it was a decision that I had to make, and unfortunately this is what it came down to. So mainly, I wanted my last blog to contain some parting words of advice, based off my experiences in college, and life, thus far.
I'll be a ghost of Hopkins Interactive past, kinda like Blinky!
First of all, try new things. College is a time when you learn to discover who you are. Coming into Hopkins, I was pretty much who I was in high school. I was afraid to try new things, and so I just stayed within my own comfort zone. The best thing I ever did was finally decide to step outside it. Who knew that I would love Indian food, or that I would enjoy Capoeira. The only person stopping you from doing something is you, so why not let yourself do something new? I did, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Along those lines, learn to accept who you are. In this day and age, we all try to be like someone else, oftentimes to please others. As a result, however, we tend to lose touch with who we actually are. It’s sad, but true. In particular, when coming to terms with your sexuality, accept who you are. At first, I was very scared and would hide my sexuality, but once I came to Hopkins, I became very comfortable about it, and realized that if people really care about you, stuff like that doesn’t matter. It’s a part of who you are, and if someone can’t accept that, that’s their own problem, not yours. You shouldn’t try to change who you are just because of someone else’s opinion. I sure as hell aren’t going to become straight because of something Michele Bachmann says, haha.
My friends and I with Yara Sofia from RuPaul's Drag Race outside of Estate in Boston!
Of course, another tidbit of advice, more so pertaining to college applications and such, try to get away. I know when I applied to schools, most of my friends just decided to stay around Boston, to stay close to family and friends. I however opted to apply further away, whether it was an hour or more, and I don’t really regret the decision. Boston is a nice college town, but I really wanted something new. Low and behold, I LOVE Baltimore. Even my friends who came to visit from Boston loved it. It’s just a charming little city, especially once you’ve become accustomed to it. Maybe it’s a bit intimidating if you’ve watched the Wire, but really, most cities are like that. But definitely look into schools that are further away. Your real friends will always be there for you, as will your family, so don’t worry about it too much. Plus, you get more freedom to explore what you want to do!
Next bit of advice? Don’t lose your inner child. I’ve seen way too many college students act like they’re much older than they actually are, being way too serious for their own good. I’ve seen people lose sight of who they really are, simply to be professional. In my opinion, we all need that little spark still inside us. We have our entire life to be adults, so why not be a kid while you still can? Enjoy yourself, it’s the little things that we take for granted.
I'm still a kid and freakout whenever I go to the Nintendo Store in NYC
Also, don’t burn your bridges. Back in high school, this was probably one of the best words of advice I have ever received from one of my art teachers. In short, what goes around, comes around. If you leave somewhere, whether it be a job or some other institution, don’t ever talk smack about it. It’s just not worth it, and in the long run, it will come back to hurt you. I’ve never experienced it myself, but I’ve learned to always leave on good terms, even if it means biting your tongue. As for biting your tongue, well, I think I learnt that after being chased around my house by my mother while waving a wooden spoon.
And last, but not least, do what you want to do. I know sometimes we feel pressured into doing what we think it right, or rather what we think others would want us to do, but ultimately, it comes down to what makes you happy. It might sound depressing, but you will always be there for yourself, so why not treat yourself to something nice once in a while, maybe all the time? It’s never a bad thing to be happy. Especially when it comes to college, make sure you do something you’re passionate about. Don’t worry about whether your major will get you a high enough grossing job. If you really want something, it can be achieved, no matter what. In those famous words “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” So don’t stress about it, just go with the flow, and see where the tide takes you.
You know what really makes me happy? Dunkin Donuts <3
Well, I’m sure there could, and would, be plenty more advice, however I feel as those I’ve touched upon the major points that I wanted to make. It’s sad to be done with blogging, but when one chapter ends, another one begins. You just gotta take one step at a time, with your chin held up high.
And, with that folks, “I good you bid evening.”
-Peter
Bittersweet
Jun 7th
So, even though I came home roughly two months ago for a capoeira event, I still missed home. I don’t know what it was, but as I was 
driving to go to Kelly’s to get my hours for work, I started to tear up. Not literally, but that feeling that you’re about to pour buckets, you know? This is gonna be the last summer I’m home before I graduate, which is crazy. I can’t believe I only have one more year. Everything’s flown by, and few things have in fact remained stable in my life.
Of course, I’m very happy to be home. Kelly’s is the same as it always is, albeit with new management, and new employees. But still, I’m used to that. It changes, along with everything else, but plenty is still the same. My good friends are still there, and the recipes, the procedures, they’re all the same. For once, I’m glad something isn’t changing that much. It’s good to be able to rely on something stable.
But at the same time as my enjoying being home, it was really sad to leave Hopkins. I had an amazing time this year. It was a lot of fun, and I made a lot of friends outside of the Hopkins community. And while a lot of my friends at Hopkins might be leaving as well, my friends in Baltimore weren’t. So I was the one going away, while they were staying. It’s sad that I won’t see them for another two and a half months, but I think we’ll be able to handle that.
Also, what was really sad was seeing some of my best friends off. I attended graduation this year, and it was really sad to see my friends go. They’re going on to bigger and better things, but I’m just glad that I was able to share the moments I did with them. I know I’ll see them again soon, but for now, it’s sad that we’re not all together, and we won’t be this next school year. I’ll miss them a lot, that’s for sure.
I guess this post didn’t really have a theme, but really, everything in life changes, whether it’s small or big, and you have to just deal with it
“And it won’t make sense right now…”
Jun 4th
First of all, if you’re a new reader to this blog, I recommend checking out my re-introduction post, as it has some highlights and tidbits you might want to know. You can also search for my old posts on here, or you can read my profile, with links to that being in the side bar.
So, this year was fun, that’s for sure. I still can’t believe that I’m now 75% done with college, it’s really crazy. It feels like yesterday that I was moving into AMR II and starting my college experience. Time really does fly. I talk about that when I became a junior, but it’s really hitting me now. Of course, I’ve had times where I contemplated what I’m doing with my life, and then other times I realized that I just LOVE hamburgers. But in reality, I just think I need to enjoy my job, whatever I do. If all else fails, I really do enjoy cooking, so thats ok. Plus, I still need to learn how to make delicious Indian food. I should get on that as soon as possible. But in the meantime, I’ll stick to Portuguese Sweet Bread.
I started off after sophomore year by watching the World Cup. I love football (or soccer if you prefer), and its a lot of fun to watch, since it actually takes skill to acquire points, unlike most sports. So over the summer, I was a followed the games, and really wanted Portugal to win. Even though they didn’t, I was very glad that our Iberian neighbors did. It was an amazing World Cup, to say the least. Plus, they had it playing at the gym, and it was in english (I only had it on Univision at home, and I don’t speak Spanish), so it was even more incentive to continue my running.
I also brought up on the blogs my applications to art school, something that you don’t see coming from an engineering student, at least not that often. I shared some of my portfolio, and then I also talked about one of my favorite art forms, which is graffiti, and revealed that I love Banksy. There’s nothing really new there, but art is really important to me, so I figured I’s share. of course, I love engineering as well, hence why I want to go into Robotics. Oh, and engineering ingenuity has saved me from a lot of sticky situations.
I’ve also realized what an impact Hopkins has had in my life, at least regarding LGBT issues. I started to watch Will & Grace, and really connected with the show when I came to Hopkins, as I became much more open about my sexuality in college. Also, being the Director of Administration for DSAGA, I really helped push many of the LGBT events on campus into the spotlight, such as Bmore Proud. I also came to realize how accepting Hopkins really is, as more and more young LGBT people were committing suicide due to harassment. I just managed to be very lucky to have grown up in an accepting community. I know a lot of people weren’t. All in all, I am proud to be gay, and Hopkins helped me realize that.
As far as capoeira, that continued as well. I participated in my first batizado, and finally got my beginner cord. It was super exciting, and since then, I have tried to go to every Batizado that I could. It’s a lot of fun, and there’s so much energy, it’s crazy. I even went to a different group’s event, and it was interesting to learn about some of the different techniques that they use. In fact, I might train with them this summer when I’m home, since they’re so close to my house.
As the new year came, I also developed some resolutions, which were actually just some goals, and I think I completed all of them pretty well. I ended up making it through the semester, into a full filled month of May. Of course, I missed my friends a lot that semester, and it didn’t help that my friend found her old archive of photos from high school. The memories are still flowing back as I type this. Oh, and did I mention that I got to see my favorite artist AGAIN this semester? Front and center, like always. I truly do love Robyn.
But all in all, it was a good year, and I can’t wait to see what the next one brings.
“Sashay, Shante! Panther on the Runway”
May 8th
Well, it’s already May, and with May comes a few things that I’m excited, and not so excited for. it seems like this whole year has just flown by, and I can’t believe that in less than two weeks I’ll be done with my junior year. It’s *cue Britney voice* craaaaaaaazy. So what’s on the agenda for this month?
Lots of books, glad that paper's done!
End of classes: Actually, this already happened, but I’m gonna mention it anyway. Classes ended this past Friday, and all my classes managed to wrap up pretty well. And, I did manage to make it to more classes than last semester (I got sick last semester, and thus, my grades suffered a lil bit), so thats always a plus. And I was really interested in my classes this semester, except for a few requirements. But I made the most of it, and decided to just suck it up. And it paid off. My grades are (hopefully) considerably better, and I had fun at the same time. Honestly, It’s sad to see the semester almost over, but I am ready for whatever it brings senior year.
My Birthday: I’m finally turning 21! It seriously feels like just yesterday that I turned 20, and now I’m finally gonna be 21. It’s nice, and I can’t wait to celebrate it with my friends when I go back home. In fact, I can’t wait for the summer either. Even though I doubt that any of my internship applications will go through, I’m gonna have a blast, and I know it. It might just consist of working as a frycook, but you have no idea how fun that is until you try it.
Our blimp stabilizes itself!
Finals: So, luckily, I technically only have 2 finals, but that means that all the rest are final projects or papers. One’s already out of the way, and I wrote a really interesting paper on HIV/AIDS in Brazil. It was really eye opening to see how much of an issue it is, considering how much Brazil is growing and becoming more of a major country in the world. Other than that, one of my final projects is just a larger problem set, which is nice. And then I finally have a project for my mechatronics course, which I’ve been working on for the past two months. That project is an autonomous blimp, which is really interesting, and a lot harder than it seems.
New Apartment: And last but not least, I’m moving! So, my current roommates are all graduating or have already graduated, so next year I’m living with JHU_Cate and her current roommate Amanda. We’ve secured a really nice apartment, so at the end of the month we’re moving over. It’s refreshing, a change of pace. Just a nice change for my last year. Sometimes you just need a clean slate, you know?
But yeah, it’s gonna be a busy month to say the least. Oh, and did I mention I’m contemplating trying out for RuPaul’s Drag Race? SICKENING!
“Call me Anastasia Beaverhausen”
Apr 12th
So, a few weeks ago, I finished watching one of my TV shows, ever. Seeing as RuPaul’s Drag Race is still running (and it’s getting good with only three girls left!), I’m talking about Will and Grace. Now, I’m not a huge television person, as I don’t have extended cable back in Boston, and I rarely watch TV. However, I started watching WIll and Grace from the beginning starting my freshmen year at Hopkins. In short, the series is tied in with memories of Hopkins.
Now, why did I love the show so much? Well, for one, it’s one of the few shows that can always cheer me up. I could be in the worst mood after doing horribly on an exam, but a simple episode of Will and Grace will change my mood completely. I’ll be extra chipper after simply watching an episode, laughing at the majority of the quick remarks made, understanding most of the subtle jokes that are targeted towards the LGBT community. It’s a show that lasted for a long time, and in my opinion, could have gone on longer than it did. However, the last season got me, in particular the last episode. I don’t know why, but as I was watching the show, tears were streaming down my face. I didn’t know if I could continue watching it after the first 5 minutes. It’s not that the finale was sad though, 
which was odd, considering how many boxes of tissues I had to go through while watching. I think that the reason I was so sad was that while it was an ending of an excellent show, it was also the ending of a very important part of my life.
Will & Grace sometimes gets a bad rep for misrepresenting the LGBT community, providing very blatant stereotypes. I can see where that argument is coming from, however, one must remember that it is primarily a comedy, and comedies often fall on stereotypes for jokes. Why’s that? Well, because they’re often blatantly true. I know many gay friends who fit into the roles of the different characters, as well as those who support the gay community. On the other side of the argument, I personally believe this show is one of the greatest assets the LGBT community has. Not only was it a success in the LGBT market, I know a ton of non-LGBT people who love the show. It promotes LGBT awareness, and opens people eyes. Plus, it helped a lot of people, including myself, come to terms with their sexuality. I wasn’t truly “out” when I began watching the show, and by the time I finished, I was openly gay. Even though the characters are fictional, they’re so real. I realized that being gay was just another part of my personality, of who I am, and that I 
shouldn’t necessarily hide it. The characters on the show are successful after all, regardless of their sexuality. They continue their life, regardless. I realized that just because I’m gay, that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be successful, that I don’t have any potential. In fact, it’s the opposite, it adds character. And after coming out, I’ve definitely come out of my shell and my self-esteem has increased.
But back to why I was sad that Will and Grace ended. The show pretty much described my life. I see these stereotypes and live these situations daily. You might think, “Oh that was a very cleverly written script, but I can never picture that happening in real life.” But it does, and it happens a lot. Back in Boston, I have a core group of friends. It consists of my friends Stephen, Christina, Liz, and I, and in a sense, we’re Will, Grace, Karen, and Jack. It’s not something we planned either, we were like that for as long as I can remember. It just fit perfectly.
However, the finale did end on a sad note. In it, Will and Grace drift apart with their respective families, and don’t see each other for a good twenty years. This part in particular really made me sad. Why? I didn’t want this to happen with my friends and I, particularly Christina and I. We’re so close, that when I went home this past weekend, she was looking forward to it for weeks. We had a blast that night, and I was so glad we could see each other. However, as time moves on, people do drift apart. I really just didn’t want that to happen with us. I brought this up to my group of friends, and Christina posted this remark, which really helped me with the thought:
“Anyway, just like everyone always says, you lose touch with most of your friends, but there are usually a few that will become your friends for life. If we haven’t managed to fall out of touch going to 4 different schools, being in different states (or countries), almost 3 years after graduation, then I’m not worried. I love you guys.”
And she’s right, and she calmed my nerves for sure. So, as you guys are preparing to decide on a college, don’t worry about distance from home, or how much you’ll miss your friends later. Cherish the moments you have together, you’ll have them for life.
Oh, and go watch some episodes of Will and Grace. You definitely won’t regret that decision.
Resolutions remind me of computer screens
Jan 1st
My best friend and I on her 21st Bday
So 2010 has come and gone, another year added to my history. I have to say, I had a ton of fun this past year, and a lot of good memories to look back on. There was Snowmageddon, Bmore Proud, my sister’s engagement, my first ever capoeira batizado, and my slight obsession with running, among others. I met so many new people this year, and made so many great friends in the process. This year has been a whirlwind for sure, and it’s time to endure the onslaught of the next one.
Now, lots of people tend to make New Year’s resolutions, and it makes sense; it’s a new year, time to make a fresh start. However, you shouldn’t just make the resolutions because it’s a new year, make them because you want to make them. As such, here are my resolutions, or rather, goals that I have and want to continue striving for, among new one’s as well.
Train Capoeira More
This is always one of my goals, ever since I joined capoeira over a year ago. I’m at the point where I need to learn new skills to continue to build upon the ones I have, and throw in some cool moves to the mix. I really want to train to advance to a higher cord, even though your cord really doesn’t matter all too much in capoeira. However, I also want to train because I enjoy doing it, it’s something that I can just free myself with. I somehow manage to leave all the stress behind and just enjoy capoeira.
Jake captures my feelings for capoeira perfectly.
Cook More
You would think that after being a cook in a restaurant that I actually would cook a lot. Well, this past semester I got pretty lazy. It’s not entirely all my fault; my stove is not hooked up, so we use electric burners and toaster ovens. Granted, this is all I had in the dorm last year, but it just doesn’t cut it. This semester, and onward, I plan on cooking more and more, and learning new recipes in the process. I came upon this realization when I went to go buy fresh cilantro for my friend who was having a dinner party. I had no idea I could get these ingredients so close to Hopkins, and now that I do know where to get them, I think it’s time I tried learning how to use them, properly at least.
Stress Less
This is really explained in my last blog, so I’m not going to go into detail. In short, I want to stop stressing over the little things. Instead, I want to just enjoy.
Damn stress buildup…
Eat Healthier
This ties in with cooking more, but at the same time, I need to eat healthier. If you saw what I ate, you’d actually wonder how I was losing weight this past semester; it completely baffles me too. So, I want to eat fresher foods; fruits and veggies mainly, but lean meats as well. Who knows, maybe I’ll even try seafood again!
Have Fun
Sure, I say this all the time, but really, I do want to have fun. I don’t want to regret not doing something just because I was guilted into staying in and working on something. I know my will power is not that great and that I wouldn’t actually do the work. I need to make sure that I actually enjoy college. It’s a time of social exploration, and I want to make sure I achieve that. As much as knowing how some fluid flows or how a motor is powered is beneficial to my future career, not knowing how to express my ideas and how to be social would be shooting myself in the foot. You need a little of both, not too much of either.
Accurate picture of my friends and I as we go to the club.
So those are my goals for this next semester, and the future beyond. What are some of yours?
“I ain’t got no crystal ball”
Dec 23rd
Food that I mindlessly make at work
It’s funny how the most random things can cause you to reflect. It doesn’t even have to be anything special, it can be anything. It’s like a crystal ball in a sense. What’s mine, you ask? A frylator.
Yesterday at work, I caught myself staring into the oil of the frylator, wondering what I was doing with my life. I wasn’t really wondering what I was doing at the moment; I knew that the onion rings needed to be fried at 350º
for approximately 3 minutes. However, I was wondering what was happening in the big picture. I guess this all began when my advisor asked what I planned to do after college. I never really thought about what I’d be doing after Hopkins. But the more I think about it, the more scared I get. I’m not really scared about not having anything to do, but rather, I’m scared of not knowing what I’m going to do. I’m scared of the unknown I guess, similar to how people are scared of darkness. If there’s no frame to think in, the mind starts to wander and imagine, sometimes in ways you would prefer it not to.
But back to the point. I don’t know what I want to do after college. I know a lot of my friends who are Mechanical Engineers planned on going to grad school after college. I never even considered this until now, and the prospect of it just stresses me out. Honestly, I don’t think I can handle grad school, at least not right after Hopkins. If I ever say I never get stressed out at Hopkins, that’s a blatent lie; I get stressed out almost every other day. I think I’d be too stressed to jump right into grad school. This isn’t the case with everyone though, but it’s my case. I’d prefer to enjoy my life a bit after college.
This also stems from my life in high school, and applying to schools. I had fun in high school, but I really didn’t enjoy it; I was too busy. As most of you applying to Hopkins and similar schools have realized, you need to devote a lot of time. I never really learned how to stop though. I learned how to push myself past my limits, and how to go above and beyond. But, I never learned how to just put on the cruise control and just go along for the ride. Hell, I can’t even use the cruise control in my car! I always need to know where I’m going, or what I’m aiming for.
My best friends mom actually sent this to me online when I was really stressed out this semester. Love her.
I guess that’s why I never really considered grad school after Hopkins. I always thought I would just get a job, and live my life. Sure, there’s a lot of options to branch out from there, but still, it’s the general idea I had. But the fact that I need to decide on what I want to do scares me. It’s not like there’s a reset button or I have an extra life; I have to live with my decision in the long run. It’s scary, and I’m not sure I’m ready to face the unknown. I know all will be right in the long run, or at least I keep telling myself that.
So, I’ve come to a conclusion in my life. I need to stop worrying. There’s a difference between caring and worrying. Caring is when you honestly care what happens because of what the outcome may be and how it will affect your life. Worrying, on the other hand, is obsessing over something that really might not be in your control at all. You just obsess and obsess, until you become stressed out, and then ultimately don’t perform the best you can. I need to learn to stop worrying, and realize that everything will be all right. Worrying about it won’t change anything.
Oh, and the reason for posting this to my blog here on Hopkins Interactive? I want you readers to do the same thing. I see far too many prospective and current students worrying too much, often worse than I am. Just stop, take a deep breath, and let someone else take the wheel. You’ll see everything from a different viewpoint, and might realize you’ve been missing something that you’ve been looking for all along.
“…But I don’t look back”
Aug 27th
Indian food.
Yes, Indian food. You might be asking yourself, “Why is he talking about Indian food?” Just so you know, you’re in the right asking yourself that question. I had never had indian food before college, or even before sophomore year. I just never had the opportunity. 
None of my friends from home were Indian, and even so, none of us ate Indian food or even tried it. To me, it really wasn’t a big deal, but to my fellow students, everyone scoffed at me. From that point on I made it a goal of mine to try new foods and experiences, and since then, I’ve been a lot happier. Plus, everyone loves samosas, it’s a fact of life.
Sure, you may still be thinking, “Why is he talking about Indian food?” Well to be blunt, I still have no idea myself, however, I do know that college in general is a similar experience to my Indian food one. College is full of new things, both familiar and new. We tend to cling to the familiar, even though new things can be just as good (such as samosas), and we often don’t get to dabble in these new experiences. And it’s a shame, because those are often the most memorable.
Instead of listing my biggest regrets so far from college, I’d rather say my biggest gratification is trying new things. Without just going, I never would have learned about Capoeira. During orientation, if I never went to the DSAGA event (which I contemplated for a long time whether or not to go), I never would have met the majority of my best friends and my whole college experience would have been different. If I never went to the Bmore Proud summit, I might have never broadened my horizons past the Hopkins campus, and never met any students from other schools. I’ve gained a lot from just going and trying something new.
I guess what I’m ultimately saying is to step out of your comfort zone. Sure, this message is cliche, but it’s so true. Just do something different, try something new. You’ll never know what you’re missing until you find out for yourself.
Plus, you’ll never know how good a samosa is until you try one.
Name: Peter C.
