It was my freshman year, not long ago
When I arrived at MIT, complete
(it has been near three years, how fast time flows!)
With happiness and excitement replete

Looking back now, 'though it hasn't been long
It's a marvel to see how much I've grown
In brainpower and stamina for sleepless nights
Time kept a rhythm, while we scraped along
Now we start to peer - far, to time unknown
To post-MIT - start setting our sights

I do digress, you must pardon me - see
I came here to talk not of life and dreams
But of soap, and its importance to me
There's much more to soap than it really seems

So there's a store called Target where they sell
All kinds of things - Scrabble, hula hoops, skirts,
Brita water filters, Christmas bells
Dial antibacterial soap, and shirts

Like all froshies, I went dorm shopping there
And when I was about to buy soap, I
Reached for the three-bar package of Dial Gold
My mother said, with the old Asian flair,
"Don't buy that one! There is no reason why.
Here, take this, fourteen-bar pack of Dial Gold."

So due to my mother's frugality,
I bought a huge package of Dial Gold soap
It fully upheld my vitality
As I hiked up the 'Tute's dangerous slope

Though psets, quizzes, exams, lab reports
Sleepless nights, exhaustion-induced collapse
Heartbreaks, triumph, giddiness and much more
In all time here, Dial has not come up short
Day by day - bar by bar - it slowly maps
My journey here, and my stories galore

And then -
Just yesterday, I opened the last bar
The last bar -
The last bar of Dial Antibacterial Gold

O! Faithful foamy friend, fallen art thou
In all these frigid Bostonian nights
Your familiar yellow visage, golden -
Keeps my balance - yin and yang, tang and tao
Driving me to higher heights, farther sights
To bars of Dial Gold I am beholden

Some say it is shocking, that fourteen-bars
Of soap can last me for five semesters
But I say, that's the magic of them bars
Just $4.50 - ninety cents per semester!

So if I gave a farewell speech at grad
I will thank my mom, for saving money
Target, for stocking what your heart desires
And, Dial Gold - those bars that kept me so glad
Which reminds me, to save more money
Gotta get Dial Gold - as my heart requires.

After all, as any student should show -
"Cleanliness is soap, soap cleanliness, - that is all
Ye know at college, and all ye need to know."

* Pursuant to legal mumbo jumbo, I am not employed by Dial, in case you are curious ;) (as if they need advertisers for soap :P)

Since this blog isn't going to be "substantial," here's a really cool introduction to the city that I lived in for 15 years - Kaohsiung, Taiwan - before going to high school to a more northern part of the island. Should be something that will be quite interesting for most of you :D (and I'll be back home in 2 weeks! :D)

"Hopefully my life will be perfect, all because I came to Kaohsiung!"

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

Cool this is the first time that I comment.
interesting story

Posted by: anom on December 6, 2009

FIRST!!! (more detailed response to come hehhe)

Posted by: makesense on December 6, 2009

Wow MIT produces poets too haha!!! I will never look at a bar of soap again.
Oh and I wasn't first :( but this is not the FIRST time that in the time it took me comment I became second haha (cheesy pun intended)
looks like a cool place!

Posted by: makesense on December 6, 2009

*I mean I will never look at a bar of soap THE SAME WAY again**
I'm sure I'll encounter many more in the future

Posted by: makesense on December 6, 2009

I opened up the admissions page in hopes of seeing some update regarding decisions,but let me be honest in saying it was much better reading this poem instead.
Not only was it a great poem, but I also wake up in the morning to the friendly golden sight and the subtle, yet oh so pleasant scent of Dial soap bars.
Dial soap bars slap away grease and dirt like yesterday's news, and seem to last just about forever. What more can a man want from his soap.

Posted by: dosoon on December 6, 2009

speaking of decisions...

@Olive, @VAL, @all the people who hijacked Dave's blog that one time:

I'm curious to know if any of you get in, so if it's not too personal a question please share the outcome of your application! Personally I ended up going RA, so my decision will come later.

Posted by: Nicholas on December 7, 2009

by the way sorry about just putting that irrelevant post in your blog Chris....I like soap too :D

Posted by: Nicholas on December 7, 2009

hahahahahaha that was epic
14 bars what a big accomplishment.

in my case, my parents let me pack only 2.
but 2 weeks of using the first one, i switched to body wash. woopwoop.

Posted by: jenny '13 on December 7, 2009

I like tou Chris, you're funny!

Posted by: D on December 7, 2009

I feel your pain for the lack of soap... well not really... but it is always nice to relate

Anyways I have honestly never used Dial... It has always been Zest or Dove haha xD just thought I would throw that out there

Posted by: Alan Miranda ('14?) on December 7, 2009

Personally, I'm more of a Zest girl... but nice poem!

@Nicholas: I will definitely share my (EA) results with you!

Posted by: VAL ('14?) on December 7, 2009

That was truly touching. It warmed the cockles of my heart.

Posted by: SOAPLOVR4EVA on December 7, 2009

wow.. dial gold... i gotta get me one of those....

Posted by: nmk('14) on December 7, 2009

I laughed when I read this... its hard to believe you only use one bar of soap a semester.
I am SO nervous for EA results

Posted by: Jamie '14? on December 7, 2009

NICE ONE!! This is the first one of this kind that I've read in my many years of reading, especially MIT bloggies.

Posted by: Banerjee on December 7, 2009

You are fantastic.

Posted by: Keri on December 7, 2009

Really great entry. I love the time and effort the bloggers put into them - really shows how much they care about their job.

Posted by: SentrySappinMaSpy on December 7, 2009

Wow, SOAPLOVR4EVA, you are bringing the art of flattery to new heights.

I commend you. +1

Posted by: Oasis '11 on December 8, 2009

@Nicholas
HEY!!! Missed hacking blogs with you guys

I'd also like to know whether or not we all get in, I hope we all do. If we do, you totally need to bring your telescope

Posted by: Lauren on December 8, 2009

just yesterday morning I was thinking how long these soaps of mine would last and today I see this blog, sometimes it's really creepy that some odd thoughts occur coincidential in the world...

Posted by: sepidehtje on December 12, 2009

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