Friday, July 3rd

From July 3rd


I guess I'll start with the bed, since I'm pretty sure that was the only thing left over from last night that I didn't mention. It was weird. Not very soft at all, like just an inch mattress, but for some reason it didn't feel like I was sleeping on the wooden frame. Then it had a cover, and you were supposed to put your sheet over than and the pillow, then another sheet, then your blankets. That was all fine. The pillow was weird too though. It was like a bean bag chair. Kind of hard, I was not fond of it. But not much I can do about that. I was glad I had Mrs. Bearie. That made it all a little better.

I was happy that the beds were long enough that my feet didn't dangle off the end. But they were very narrow. Not such a big surprise, since everything here seems to be built on a scaled down model. The hostel itself is nice. I share a room with 7 other girls (although I think there are only 6 others here right now). We each get our own bed and it's surrounded by curtains so you can shut it out to get a little privacy. There are also tables and chairs (again, lower to the ground, smaller, very short backs) and lockers for everyone. Air conditioning, mirrors. Its all very clean too.

And moving on to today, we'll start with breakfast, which I ate in the hostel room. It was 450, which was pretty reasonable, I thought. It was two large pieces of toast, a friend egg, some ham or something meat that I cannot identify and didn't eat, and a salad, which caused some confusion because the salad dressing was labeled in unknown kanji. I picked something that looked like italian, but I later found a picture of shrimp on it, so maybe I put seafood marinade on my lettuce? It was all very perplexing, and very early (they made an announcement at 7 in all the rooms which woke everyone up). Anyway, there was no silverware so I got to tackle this whole thing with ohashi (chopsticks), which added to the excitement. But the food was good. I'm going to have dinner here too, because it just makes more sense and because the real world outside of hostel land isn't as bilingual and is more scary. Plus, this is economical.

I was joined at my table by a middle school boy and one of his group's chaperones. She had heard all about me from my bathing partner, and I think she sympathized a little with my getting dragged into that. She didn't say anything, but her eyes said sorry. It was sort of funny. The boy kept trying to teach me Japanese, and would correct everything I said, when I was really just saying a slightly more nuanced version of what he was saying. It was entertaining, so I let him do it. Maybe I was being a jerk, but I'm not sure. Probably.

I left the hostel at about 9:45, after doing some studying. I took my kanji with me. The name of the game today was learning forgotten kanji. There was moderate success. I didn't know, but apparently we were all supposed to turn in our keys by 9:30 and vacate until 3. Oops. I did leave the building for that time (after my late exit) but I kept my key and no one commented, so that wasn't such a problem.

I camped out with my kanji at a table outdoors. There were like 6 or 7 of them just sitting out in this path. When I got there, there were a few extra tables, but those filled up. In Japan, full tables doesn't mean that you just go find another place to sit, in means you share! Anyway, I am totally willing to share, but apparently people don't want to share with the white girl. I did have one man come over to my table, but when I looked up and smiled and nodded my head, he disappeared. Maybe my smile is just terrifying. Maybe he thought I was going to eat him.

After a while I decided to venture out in search of food for lunch. I didn't know what I wanted and I didn't know where I could get something reasonable. I'm still not so certain about ordering food because then I have to check that it's vegetarian, and my Japanese is good, but I'd hate to be misunderstood on something that important. So I started wandering. I eventually ended up at this tiny little grocery store that I saw a lot of Japanese people going into. It was sort of old looking, not as shiny as the other stuff, but it looked good. So I went over to get onigiri, and I had my first Japanese only conversation in Japan. I couldn't find ume onigiri, so I asked the woman next to me if she could (the labels were in kanji). She said that they didn't have it, so I then explained that I was vegetarian, and asked which would be vegetarian. I then thanked her when she helped me find one. I grabbed a bottle of water, and then went to check out which was my second Japanese only conversation. The woman didn't even look up, so I don't think she knew I was American until after she had rung up everything (only 210 yen!) and read out the price.

Having successfully navigated that, I felt so much more confident. I didn't even have to think the conversations through, I just knew what was being said and what I had to say, and this sort of "thinking in a foreign language" phenomenon helped me feel much more suited for this adventure.

I took my food to a little park. Well, not so much a park as a stretch of trees and a stream set to the side of the road. Like the emerald necklace, or whatever they call it, in Boston, with the little parks going by the streets in a big circle. There was a little alcove of benches in a no smoking section, and I sat in a corner and ate my food. Smoking is much more prevalent here. I don't like it. I find it sort of ironic too, that although so many people smoke (probably about 50%) Japan still has the longest life expectancy. I think that if they as a country were to stop smoking, they'd probably all become immortal.

At lunch, I was joined at first by sparrows, who were not at all shy and sat with me chirping and watching. They kept their distance though. Polite little birds. Then people came. My favorites were a little girl and her mom. They were eating their bento, and the girl had such a hard time with her hashi. She was even worse than I am! But she didn't stop, trying, even though I think half of her tamago ended up flying out unto the floor. She stared at me unabashed, in the way that the adults won't. They just stick to furtive alienating glances. But she smiled when I smiled and that made it all better. I didn't mind the way she looked at my hair and eyes because her eyes were happy when they did it.

After that, nothing was all that interesting. I studied kanji, listened to my ipod, sang along a little when no one was else was about. I watched some pigeons in the park. One had somehow gotten splashed or fell in the water, because it was wet and its feathers were all scraggled. Instead of doing anything about it though, it just sat there grouchily and made faces, obviously moping.

I went into a grocery store too, and that was a little bit scary because it was a clear indicator of what is in store for me for the next five months. I recognized hardly anything from the shelves. The things I didn't weren't typically what I would eat on a daily basis. Yes there was bread and eggs, but more there were noodles and rice and seasonings that I didn't recognize. I couldn't even tell you if there were sweets in the store, because the things I found which might have been could just have easily been potato chip substitutes.

But the real tragedy was in the produce section. I'm not going to have fruit or bell peppers. They were just so expensive each. Picture a four dollar apple. Even the bad fruit was expensive. A can of peaches in syrup was also around the four dollar mark. The fruit that they did have was very limited. I didn't see a single berry. I don't know if I'll survive this shortage.

I have since returned to the hostel. I've spent some time reading directions and maps and I'm pretty sure I have a plan of attach for tomorrow and getting to ICU. Registration starts at 9, but I don't think I'll be getting there until 11 or so, because that way there won't be rushes on the train, which will keep people from getting too mad about all of my luggage.

You know, I'm starting to get more comfortable here, with the transactions, the food, the politeness. I was expecting much worse culture shock, but I guess I wasn't lying when I said that Tokyo was just another big city. It is. And I can do big cities. I have been my whole life. Only backlash that I can see is that I am starting to feel more self-conscious of my height and coloring. But mostly my height. I just don't know how comfortable I feel towering over most people, and not just women, men too. I guess I'll get used to it, but it can be a little uncomfortable when the sinks only hit you mid thigh instead of at your waist, and you have to look down all the time. It just reminds you every few minutes that you're an outsider.
[karma: 0 (+/-)] Katie on 07.03 at 07:41 [no thoughts]

From July 2nd

First impressions of Japan are mixed. It seems very crowded and very loud. But it's not a familiar type of crowded and loud, like when you're with a whole bunch of people who are all like you, moving together, working together. It's the alienating type of crowded and loud where everyone else is speaking the same language and going the same places and you feel like you're swimming upstream. I keep crashing into things with my cart full of luggage.

Things here are also expensive. I'm waiting right now for my cell phone to be all set up. I had to buy a phone, because renting was ridiculously expensive. But I'm just not sure. It's all so confusing and I hate having to make adult decisions like this. It's just bewildering staring at a sheet of specifications in a language that I don't understand and trying to figure out what it's saying and what I'm buying. I think I made the best choice, but I can't be sure. I just don't know, and that is so frustrating. At home we would have been able to discuss and compare, but I can't here.

And I keep getting lost. I'm always going the wrong place. And this is just in the airport! I'm so scared to leave the airport cart and start braving the metro with my two giant suitcases and my laptop and my purse. And I'm still not sure how to get where I'm going. I'll ask someone. But I will figure it out. In a few hours I'll be in my hostel with my phone and everything and I'll be able to go to sleep. I couldn't sleep on the plane, and so I'm exhausted, but I'm fighting jet lag so I can't just go crash now.

It's really not so bad, I just wish I had someone to be confused with. The business travelers with one suitcase and international phone plans who do this all the time keep shooting me sympathetic glances. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that I'm here for so long.

Japan Airlines is wonderful though. They treated everyone like first class, not even kidding. They walked through the aisle with tea, black tea, and coffee throughout the flight. They served us a meal and a snack, and they like knew I was vegetarian and had everything prepared for me specially so I didn't have to make a fuss. They gave us warm towels to wash our hands in before meals. And everything was served in little glass dishes. It was so pretty.

But it was also funny because the aisles were narrower and the seats were narrower and the seat belts were smaller. I just sat down and thought...there are so many people in America who this seat belt would not fit around.

The food was good and the people were polite. And customs was so easy. Everyone is so polite and helpful. But I feel awkward with the politeness. Like, it makes me uncomfortable how nice everyone is because I'm not used to it. I feel like I'm imposing, like they're doing too much. I don't know.

The weather is humid too. Or maybe airconditioning hasn't been quite as institutionalized here as it is back home. I'm thinking of ducking into a bathroom (or お手&#27927wink and changing into my dress. I had it in carry on just in case. But trying to deal with the luggage in a bathroom seems like so much work. Oh! Funny airport fact. They have complementary shower rooms here. I'm tempted, because airplanes always make me feel disgusting. My hair just flipped out on the flight over and I had to pull at least part of it back. And I have no makeup on. It's not a pretty sight.

Which was unfortunate because there was this really gorgeous man on the flight who was some sort of coordinator for this high school exchange with these kids from Vancouver who were sitting next to me. And he kept coming over and talking to them and I felt really awkward next to such a beautiful man. His high school students introduced him as the lovely male specimen. I pointed him out from that description. Yes. Awkward. Furthermore, they then told me that there was no way I was 20, because I looked 17 at the most. I do not want to look 17. 17 is a very unfortunate age where nothing matches up right in your body. I was happy to have finished with that.

Anyway, I have to go get my phone now. It's white. I always pick the white one when it comes to these things. I'm like Luke Skywalker in that regard.

Then I'll find my way to Shinjuku and Tokyo Youth Hostel. Tomorrow morning : guitar shopping, Japanese food, and exploration!

[karma: 0 (+/-)] Katie on 07.03 at 07:40 [no thoughts]


Wednesday, July 1st

From the International Terminal of the Vancouver Airport

To continue with the documentation of my semester abroad.

My journey began at 5:45 this morning when I woke up and decided that I should probably write down my flight information. This proved to be a good idea. I left DFW at 9, headed for Vancouver. There was little fuss there. Some problems checking luggage (they were just slow) but really good in general.

The plane however, smelt like old dead fish. It was unpleasant. And, you know, it was 4 hours, which was testing my patience a little. I forbid myself to sleep because I need to sleep on this next leg of the flight. I sat next to the cutest couple though. There were probably 55-65, but they were so in love. He kept putting his arm on her leg, and it was just sweet unshowy love. I felt all warm inside just watching. And I knit. And watched hotel for dogs, which made me miss my dogs more. And I got milk from the flight attendant and she gave me a dirty look and then they were advertising for the Disney Channel on it and I felt like I was 9 years old again.

The Vancouver airport is beautiful. It has fountains and ponds and its all glass and walkways and lovely. And the people are so nice. Nice Canadian boys who great you with "Bonjour" and a smile and talk to you about your trip while you go through customs.

And they just sent me through to the international terminal, and all of a sudden everything was different. There were so many languages and different food and I felt for the first time like I was going somewhere new and exciting. So, I decided to stick with comfort for food. Got my last really American meal of pizza hut and coke. And then came on here to write everything up and try to skype home. Talked on aim instead. Wore down battery. That means less firefly on the plane.

I'll go charge it. I should study kanji anyway.
[karma: 1 (+/-)] Katie on 07.01 at 11:58


Tuesday, June 30th

Going to Japan

Tomorrow morning I am getting on a plane and flying to Tokyo which will become my home for 5 months. I'm excited and terrified at the same time. It'll be a huge difference, a boring flight, and probably a life altering experience. I don't know for sure, but I don't think that the girl coming home in five months will be the same girl who is about to suffer through 20 hours of coach level transit. I hope she's a better person than the me today.

Enough intraspection, because for the next 5 months, that's not the point of this. I want to remember everything that happens, so I'm going to try to update with anecdotes and thoughts throughout this next semester. Recipes, pictures, just anything that seems important or memorable or interesting. It will not only be a great way for me to keep a link to the outside world, but it'll also hopefully help me to remember everything that happens while I'm abroad.

First thought: packing is a horrifying experience and I own too many pairs of shoes. I probably don't need all of them in Japan.

Second thought: Do I have to go through customs in Canada if I'm not leaving the airport? My heartfelt hope is no, but I'm a bit dubious.

Also, I cannot bring my phone with me abroad which means I'll have no gps, no everywhere calendar and internet. I'll have to carry a separate ipod and camera. But the gps part is what's really freaking me out. I can't believe I'm this dependent on my phone, but I guess in my mind I've always been taking on Tokyo with google maps and location finding technology. Where am I? Well, where does my phone tell me I am? It's a little scarier when you just have paper maps, the kind that never fold us as well the second time. Scary.

Anyway, I will prevail! The real point is, don't call me, you won't reach me.

I wish my laptop battery lasted longer, plane flights with tv > flights without, but I will just have to study kanji or something equally painful like gouging out my eyes with the spork that I packed. (I'm not so very handy with chop-sticks). Will also knit.

More on my airport survival skills later, as well as first attempts navigating Tokyo public transit. Wish me luck.
[karma: 0 (+/-)] Katie on 06.30 at 07:54


Wednesday, April 8th

Contradictions

I contradict myself more than I like to admit. I like to pretend that I'm very simple and put together and that I make sense. Or I like to pretend that I'm so complicated that its hard to figure out my reaction to anything. But either way, I like to be solid, stalwart, I don't like being changeable. I guess I like being stubborn.

I've been told I'm stubborn since before I can remember. Certainly since before I could walk. People don't say it like its a good thing, but I guess when its the trait of your personality most often pointed out to you, you have to learn to see it in a positive light. How depressing to have your main trait be an unfortunate one.

So I see my stubbornness as determination, willpower, strength of character--no one would ever accuse me of having a weak character.

I am sitting in my room and not much is happening. I have a book to read, a whole book, but I'll do that tomorrow. When I start books, I finish them, and I have more time to devote to literary pursuits manana than I do today. Its after nine anyway, and I still need to practice the guitar, if I will. I probably won't. I should go see people and be social. The trick to having friends is making friends. I've never been very good at that. I don't like imposing on people. What if they're studying?

Recently, I've been getting the urges to document my life through film. Well, not film but digital pixel representations. Photos, you know, but everything is digital now.

But I can't procrastinate, so I make myself finish all of my homework first, and by then its dark, and I don't think my pictures will turn out. I'll take one from my window today, and see. I love looking out my window. I overlook a mostly always empty street and parking lot and a big building with eerie blue lights that shine through my curtains and blinds even when they're shut, to pierce my eyes and cast a coloured hazy over all of my dreams. I dream in azure.

The dreams have been weird recently. My dreams. I don't remember them most of the time. I do when I just wake up, but then routine kicks in and I push them out of my mind so that I can fill it with toothbrushing and colour-coordinating and other important things. I have pictures though, just a few images that still rattle around in my brain for days. A few nights ago, I was at war. I was leading an army, but there was a much bigger army coming toward me, and as I walked forward (I didn't march, and I didn't run, I just walked, because there was no point) I knew I was going to die. And I looked over my shoulder to see the faces of those around me who I was leading to die, allowing to die with me. I wanted to tell them to leave, but I couldn't. My voice latched on to my throat, its nails piercing my vocal chords, and I couldn't speak, cowardice taking over.

I don't think of myself as a coward. I'm not afraid of most anything, certainly not death, at least in the abstract not death. Not that I want to die, far from it, but I feel that death isn't such a bad thing, to me at least, its not the end. But I am afraid of the death of those around me. And failure, but that's neither here nor there. We'll get to that later. I do fear people around me dying, people I love, and even people I don't know. I fear watching them suffer and not being able to do anything about it.

So when I was walking, as if destined, my feet not listening to my brain, my voice following in mutiny, I was in deep pain, not because I was going to die, but because so was everyone else. Now when I look in the faces of the people around me, I can remember them drawn in fear but sharp with determination, as they followed me. I remember them as they looked as they stared down death. Its not a face that you forget.

I miss the days of dreams without consequences.
[karma: 8 (+/-)] Katie on 04.08 at 09:32


Friday, April 3rd

I took a walk

I took a walk today. It was dark out and when the wind blew it was cold. Winter breath kissed my cheeks, and my nose bloomed red, my lips blue. I wore a coat to fight the chill, but flip-flops on my feet because that is the California way.

I took a walk alone. It was night, and I had no where to go, so I wandered up and down the suburban hills, letting my feel guide me. There were no street lamps, so I had to trust them. I was in no danger, I knew that, but sometimes I felt like I might be. Just the idea, alone at night in the dark. I would hear a noise and look over my shoulder, every car was suspicious. Adrenaline shot through my body. Just a little jolt, because I knew I was safe, but enough that I could feel it, could feel alive.

I took a walk without purpose and I ended up at my house. I secretly looked over the fence into the backyard. I looked in the windows too, but those were on the street. There's a brick fireplace and a grandfather clock, and it is everything I want. I consider myself a modern enlightened woman, so I feel guilty that I feel a pang of longing jab into me whenever I look in a kitchen. Because what I really desire is a fridge with magnets and an oven where I can bake and a table where I eat dinner with someone I love who loves me. The modern woman isn't supposed to want to be a housewife, but to me things can't get much better than devoting your life absolutely to making the life of those you care about perfect.

The house next to mine was for sale, and I wondered about the price. I couldn't afford of course, but I couldn't ever buy it either. How could I live next to the dream? How could I look at it everyday and know that I will never have it? I'm not that much of a sadist. I might be though. I mean, you look at my best friend, and she has everything. And I see her everyday. And I don't begrudge her her good fortune, as much as sometimes I would like to, when she takes it for granted, because I just want her to be happy.

I walked and I thought. When I walk I think, so maybe I shouldn't walk anyone. Because when I think its like there is something very heavy pushing down on me. It can't crush me, its not that heavy, it just applies pressure, makes me stoop. You see, when I think I take account of my life and I see that maybe things aren't going quite as I planned. I'm so good at making plans, but I'm not so good at making them become reality.

I daydream. Maybe as much as I don't. I tell myself stories, become someone else. My alter ego. She's beautiful and athletic and charismatic. Funny, everyone loves her. I tell myself stories before I go to bed to help myself sleep, stories about myself as her. And I tell the same stories when I'm bored, when I drive my car or take a shower or stop paying attention in class. Or when I sit alone, and know that there is no one I can go to who will want to see me, or who can make me feel as good about me as my imagination can. I live in my mind. I guess I could do the same thing when I walk.

But I don't. When I walk I think. About my life. Maybe it is a good thing. You can't live in a fantasy world, as much as I might try, if you ever want to make something of this one. You can only live in one world, and its probably a better idea for me to live in the real one.
[karma: 4 (+/-)] Katie on 04.03 at 10:50


Friday, March 27th

Home is where the heart is

I'm going to Japan. Probably. I mean, I've been accepted to the program here, but I still have to wait and hear about whether I got into the university overseas. Probably I will. In general, the people who get accepted here get accepted there.

ICU. That's where I'm going. In Tokyo. Well a suburb of Tokyo, but right of the station. I'm so excited I can't describe it. I get little chills of excitement up and down my spine whenever I think about it.

I'll be there from early July to late November. Probably. And then I'm planning on going to Australia and maybe New Zealand before I go home because I can. Not like its that much closer, but it is closer, and I want to travel.

I'll hopefully be back before Christmas, because I love Christmas. But recently Christmas has been a let down. Not the presents, definitely not the presents, because my parents spoil and I sometimes wish that they wouldn't. I know that money is tight, and I know that they worry about it, and when they spend money on me, I worry about it too. No, its the magic that is off. I remember Christmas through sparkly eyes, everything so ethereal. Recently Christmas has just been a bit too prosaic. Its lost the shine-y element, and I don't know how to get it back, because we don't fight, no one fights of Christmas, and nothing is wrong per say, actually a lot is right, the routine is right, but I guess in the past everyone was always so happy on Christmas. And recently, no one has been happy. There's just this deep sorrow over my house. Not that everyone is depressed and crying all the time, but that everyone just seems like they have so much on their shoulders, like they've forgotten how to actually be happy. So when Christmas comes, we go through the motions, but our soul isn't in it because we still have this bone deep sadness that has just become part of our lives, part of home.

Sort of for that reason, I don't like going home as much as I should. I mean, I look forward to it, because who doesn't look forward to going home? I miss my family, mostly my mom and my dogs, but my dad and little brother too. I've gotten a lot closer to Kevin. Funny how distance and maturity can do that. And I do get homesick, for the food and the animals, and the fact that when I'm home, things sort of tend to go my way. But when I do get home, the same sorrow that is omnipresent with everyone there falls on me, and I get sucked in even when I try not to be. I spend a lot of time with the dogs, cause they seem the slightest bit immune. But even they sometimes seem down. They're getting older, moving slower, and it hurts me to see that. And it hurts me to go home, because sometimes, there are moments at least, when I'm there, when the sadness lifts and my mom laughs like she hasn't laughed in months, and that makes me want to cry. Her laughing makes me want to cry more than the sadness, because it makes me realize that there is something that I can do to help it. I could be there.

That makes coming back here hurt. Because half of me wants to escape the darkness, and half of me screams that I have to stay, because I can help the people I love, I can make it better. At least a little better.

Now I've gone and gotten all off topic. Anyway, this summer, right after graduation, I'm going on tour with Glee again. We're singing here, in LA, for alumni. The college has been begging us to do that for years. And then we're shooting off to Hawaii for several days. It should be pretty amazing, and I'm super excited. But it does mean that I have to get my body into better beach shape. Not an easy thing for me, because I have no metabolism and a very obnoxious sweet tooth. Luckily I also have will-power, which is why I'm not as size 28, but a size 6. At 5'7", 6 isn't bad, but I do want to lose a little weight, so that I can look pretty awesome in my swimsuits. Not that it is super relevant, as I don't own any bikinis (occupational hazard for life guards and camp counselors), but it would make me feel better.

Then hopefully I'll be going home for a week, turning 20. Which is terrifying. I can't imagine. And then I have to leave Sunday School. Awful. I'm dreading it. Its a black date in my calendar. Sorrow.

Then camp for 3 weeks, if all goes well. Home for one more, then off to Japan.

Oh! So Japan. Well, its a 6 week summer language intensive in Tokyo at ICU. Like 3-4 hours a day of intensive Japanese. Hopefully I'll be super amazing when I'm done. Then up to Hokkaido for two weeks in between terms at ICU. I'll do a homestay there. People tell me that I'll stand out (of course I will, blond hair, blue eyes, and as tall as the average man. I should bring heels and blow everyone away), and that people will stare and ask to take pictures with me. I'm not sure how comfortable I will be with that sort of situation. Anyway, then I'm back to ICU on a homestay this time to do a fall term. I'm not certain on my classes, but I do know that 3 will be Japanese language, and the other three will be taught in English. I hope to take some music history or ethnomusicology to work toward my minor. I'd also maybe like to take art or linguistics (there was a cool class on learning Japanese and teaching, and it looked awesome).

I have also decided to make my camera an appendage, because I can feel the days slipping away, and I don't want that to happen. It may be awkward at first, but I'm pretty sure that I can get over that. And I'm not talking only during all of the traveling (where of course I will be super camera-ified), but also during regular times. Because I want to remember college forever. I only get to do this once (hopefully).
[karma: 7 (+/-)] Katie on 03.27 at 06:23


Thursday, January 29th

Semester Beginnings

Its been a long time. Sorry about that. A new semester has started and it looks like it just might be the best one yet. I absolutely love all of my classes and extra-curriculars. So, because I have nothing better to do, I'll give you all a little breakdown on what I'm up to.

Japanese 51B: Alright, so maybe I lied a little when I said that I absolutely love all of my classes. This class is fine, I like it, but I don't love it. What I do love is learning the language, and I can tell that I'm going to be learning a whole lot this semester. Just like all the other semesters. Its a ton of work, of course, but I don't really mind (except for the studying for quizzes/tests part) because I really do like Japanese.

Contemporary Japanese Conversation: Basically the same as last semester, but with a few more people. And we're all girls now. We sit around and chat in Japanese, watch movies, play games. Its great. Its like two hours of scheduled, mandated relaxation. What could be better? I don't know, I can't finger anything that would be.

Music in Theory and Practice: The jury is still out on this class. So far, I really like it. We've been studying folk music, and let me tell you, in that class I dominate at folk music. Thank you Dad, and your horrible taste in radio stations. But really, it seems like a lot of fun. I'm just not so sure about the grading. This class has the potential to become pretty time consuming, but I don't know if it will.

The Art of the Novel: A great class. We read a book a week, and we take stylistic notes, and then we write creative responses. And all the responses should work together to create a novel...or at least portions of a novel. Its pretty cool, and I'm really looking forward to it. I just hope that at the end of the semester, I have stuff that's worth reading. I need to work on POV junk, because that is the hardest bit for me.

Advanced Creative Writing: That's right. I have two creative classes. And, only one counts in the creative writing limit for my major. This is awesome. We just write. That's all. And I love doing it. We have class in this fireside lounge, on couches and arm chairs. Like, the quintessential liberal arts class. Amazing. I just need to start figuring out the plot for my first short story. 8-25 pages, and I don't quite know what to write about. Probably a dog, I like dogs.

And!

I'm taking choir, Glee Club (I always love Spring semesters because of Glee), and piano, guitar, and voice lessons. I am a music machine! Of yeah, and I'm auditing a hip-hop class. I never thought I'd do hip-hop again, but I am loving it. So much exercise, and such high energy, and its really easy and chill compared to what I'm used to. Just fun!

Plus, I'm working as a choir manager and a lifeguard (but I managed to avoid the morning shifts. Score!)

Currently, I'm trying to do my forms for study abroad. So many forms! So many essays! The Tokyo abroad has the longest application. Of course. I spent most of last weekend on it, and I'm actually nearing completion. That might be a lie, I'm not sure, but I like saying it, and I do feel like I've done a whole lot of work on it. I need to figure out the health forms for my visa, which is slightly scary. I hate that being a Christian Scientist always complicates things. It should be simple, right? But life is never simple.

Today I have to meet with my advisor to discuss study abroad/declaring my major. I really hope everything works out alright. I want to go abroad, but the program is pretty competitive, so here's hoping that I'll get to go, but I can't be certain. I'm just focusing on looking at this whole issue meta-physically. What happens will be what is right, because its not human minds that are making these choices.

So, that's my semester in a nut-shell. In a little more detail, its a beautiful day, I'm reading a book and lounging on my couch, and I sort of miss my puppy a lot, but I'll see them soon (6 weeks!) for Spring Break and SPELUNKING!
[karma: 11 (+/-)] Katie on 01.29 at 12:26



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