(Answers to your questions are coming next entry; keep on sending them in!)

EVERYONE I KNOW: There are elephants being marched down Mass Ave tomorrow morning at 10 and YOU should go see them!

ME: Everyone else I know just emailed me to tell me that.

EVERYONE I KNOW: That's not true; you only know us.

ME: Oh, right.

Every year in October, the circus comes to town, and the only way to get the elephants from the train behind Simmons is to walk them through Cambridge - an event that everyone I know (see above) is very excited about. I received maybe eight or ten different emails telling me to go see the elephants- from Burton Conner, Dance Troupe, the chemistry department, Ben Jones, my friends, my FAMILY.. I think I may even have received an email from my mom at one point, even though she's 3,000 miles away and doesn't particularly care for large mammalian creatures.

So this morning, I rolled out of bed two hours early for elephants. The only other Burton 1 residents to wake up were Cathy '10 and Evan '11 (Oh, Evan '11. I might never stop writing his name, just because it rhymes), because while MIT does have a communal love of gargantuan zoo creatures, nobody's quite alive until after 10 AM. We in fact almost missed the procession due to this particular affliction, but ended up running all the way to the Museum of Science by the Charles just to catch up.

It's a good deal, right? They give everyone quite a show (how else would you get twenty elephants through Boston traffic?), and also, anger every commuter for several miles!

It was a lovely start to the day. We walked back to Burton Conner making elephant noises of triumph, feeling thoroughly satisfied with our early-morning pachyderm photography. Then we all proceeded to crash, because seriously, who wakes up before 10?

In any case, this was dedicated to everyone I know.

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

hey jess kim...you are soo cool!!! :-D

Posted by: Cathy & Garrett on October 5, 2007

Hahaha nice!

Posted by: Oasis on October 5, 2007

I would not be so content if I was on the shoes of the patient traffic, especially if I had to do something really important...anything for the elephants! =)
Nice pictures!

Posted by: Edgar on October 5, 2007

Elephants. Love. Awww, how cute.

Oh, when does the weekend start at MIT? That is, are there a lot of early morning Friday classes?

Posted by: Quentin on October 5, 2007

Depends on how your schedule works out. My earliest Friday class is at 11; but it's just like every other day - some people have class starting at 9:30. But some have worked out their schedules so that they have no classes on Friday - it really just depends on what you're taking.

Posted by: Jess on October 5, 2007

How I wish to see you there in MIT, to know you closer!!!

Posted by: B. on October 5, 2007

Sweeeeeeeeet!

Posted by: 0 on October 5, 2007

I wake up every morning at 0400. =(

I like your elephant pictures though. You make a good elephant - you could be in the circus! =D

Posted by: Hawkins on October 5, 2007

I had a test until 11, and therefore missed all the fun zoo creatures. Sad face.

Randomness: your friend Cathy '10 is in my bio recitation. Her Syracuse shirt is pretty distinctive.

Posted by: Paul '11 on October 5, 2007

♥ u, jkim!

Posted by: your fans on October 5, 2007

I admire your waking up skills

Posted by: Kes on October 5, 2007

Did my son in MacGregor get an email about this elephant thing beforehand? He is a frosh. I hope he did not miss the gigantic scene. Jesse, I am not as good as your mom in knowing the circus-coming-to-town event.

Posted by: one frosh's mom on October 5, 2007

Sadness, I also missed the elephants. Do they go back along the same route at some point?

If not, I guess there's always next year. And the year after that. And the year after that =P

Posted by: Hunter '11 on October 5, 2007

Wow...that's awesome! I love elephants

Posted by: Ginger on October 5, 2007

Wow, who let the elephants out? *elephant noise* :D

I wish I still lived in Connecticut. Then, I could see all the elephants with you guys.

Posted by: Gino J. on October 5, 2007

Wow...I have that same sweatshirt AND I am wearing it right now.

Posted by: 0 on October 5, 2007

I totally fell in love with 2nd photo I totally fell in love with 2nd photo <3

Posted by: PS on October 5, 2007

The only email I got about elephants was from you, Jess, and that was at 9:39AM - 21 min before the event. That's like almost the same thing as not inviting me. Thanks a lot.

Love,
Your Fan

p.s. just kidding you're awesome

Posted by: allin on October 5, 2007

cathy looks so happy, how unusual

Posted by: jenna on October 5, 2007

Jess where are the elephant jokes? Your mini-blurb totally lured me in. It's okay I'll fill in some of Nguyen's finest.
Q. Why did the elephant paint its feet yellow?
A. To lay upside down in a bowl of custard unnoticed.
Q. Why did the elephant fall off the tree?
A. Elephants can't sit on trees, silly!
Q. Why did the second elephant fall off the tree?
A. It was attached to the first one (see "elephant love picture).

Posted by: John on October 5, 2007

Elephants in Boston ? Wow ! I once saw elephants too, but since I live in Africa, you could argue that it's easier for me to see them ^^ (by the way, you would be wrong...).

Posted by: Isshak on October 6, 2007

you know, I missed this happen every single year at MIT, and still kind of doubt that it really exists. Anyway, I would have titled this entry "Elephant Talk," but other than that, it is perfect. Then again, maybe if I hadn't forgotten to go see it every year, I could written my own blog entry and titled it whatever I wanted.

Posted by: Sam on October 6, 2007

Pachyderm Mayhem on the streets of bean town! Awesome! I like the sweatshirt and i'm somewhat distressed insofar as you didn't request an elephant ride like a princess from INDIA! Of course i realize that might have been impossible 8-) (you know certain activities do bring out the beast in you) peace and prosperity to all!!!!

Posted by: silverSurfer on October 6, 2007

hey,
is it possible to submit the part 1 of the application by choosing the 'fee waiver' option yet not having sent the fee waiver request yet?

Posted by: anon on October 7, 2007

Niceee...Elephants on the street in Boston. (**Nostalgia grips**) I remember seeing them on the streets in my country. Actually not only seeing them, I....ahem....rode one of them
Now I come to think of it, I remember a lot of cows, dogs and cats coming into the picture too. But just so you know, they're the regulars there. No email notifications sent of their arrival =)

Posted by: Nihar on October 7, 2007

Hi Jess...I needed to ask you something...

MIT,USA and the Institute for Financial Management and Research in Chennai, India are jointly organizing an international competition for the best research paper on innovative responses to India's urban challenges.

I did not understand it,do you think you can help me out with it and tell me who can participate and what all has to be done?What do they mean by ABSTRACT?

Posted by: Aakriti on October 8, 2007

Jess, you definitely should have waken my daughter your floormate. It would have been a perfect thing to do on a bright warm morning... knowing they went to bed at 5am or 7:30am between three of them. You "upperclass" are still too kind to the froshlings. They are doing whatever they want at this moment. I mean 10 people on a math pset through 5 or 7 in the morning sounds pathetic, don't you think?

Posted by: A parent on October 8, 2007

RAWR.
Dammit, I'd kinda sorta been wanting to get up and go see them, but I slept right through it.
>_RAWR.
Dammit, I'd kinda sorta been wanting to get up and go see them, but I slept right through it.
>_<

To parent: Wait, are you implying that upperclassmen don't stay up until 5 or 7 in the morning doing p-sets? I must be doing something wrong then.

Posted by: larryv on October 8, 2007

Yes, Larry, that was my assumption. I guess sleep deprivation disregards classes at MIT. I am just slightly concerned about its long term effect (5-20 years from graduation). I vaguely recall a research linking teenage lack of sleep with adult mental depression. And I happen to think sleep deprivation in college contributes to mental fatigue in the long run. Maybe some academicians could study it.

Like running a marathon, don't you need to strategize your speed, i.e., get 6-8 hours of sleep/day in this case?

Posted by: A parent on October 8, 2007

hmmmm.... i guess if theres a link between sleep deprivation as a teen and adult depression then everyone at my school's in trouble, and im still in high school...

anyways i love the pictures! would have loved to have been there, it looks amazing... maybe in a few years...

Posted by: 0 on October 8, 2007

awwwwwww!!! that second photo is adorable!

Posted by: Aditi on October 9, 2007

how the hell did i miss this! aaaaaaaah! im jealous of u once again!

Posted by: javi on October 9, 2007

lol elephant love~

Posted by: 0 on October 10, 2007

Comments have been closed.