A Rushed Recap of Recent Events

Sorry for the delay in updates, all.

Italy was, in word, beautiful. It was the tail-end of the trip that sucked. I was all set to fly back to the UK from Italy on the 29th. This was all going fine-- Nony and I spent four days in Florence, followed by two in Rome, and all I needed to do was take a short ride from Roma Termine station to Rome Fumicino airport. I got to the terminal, and the flight was progressively delayed until 9-something PM...the scheduled time, by the way, was 4:15.

So I land in Heathrow at 11:30-- the exact time direct trains from Liverpool St. Station to Norwich stop. My only option now is take an hours-long bus ride all the way out to Norwich. So I pay 40 quid for a bus ticket, and make futile attempts to sleep as I wait for the bus to arrive at 1:50. Get off at Gatwick airport at 3:50. Catch another bus an hour or so later, and fade in and out of consciousness all the way to Norwich bus station. At this point, I should mention that half-wakefully listening to Nick Drake's "From the Morning" as the sun rises is really an experience in and of itself.

But anyway, I got to the Norwich bus station at around 9:30 AM and was back in my dorm just before 10 AM. Hopefully I'll have time to post a full trip summary before I leave.

I've spent the past two days typing up a 28-page study guide summarizing of all the chapters we've read for Film History that I highlighted during my first reading. The exam is the day after tomorrow, and while it's not going to be the hardest one I've ever taken, the sheer amount of material to be studied is a little intimidating. With that said, the associate professor has informed me that my paper grade was "exceptionally high."

In related good grade news, I got an A- on my final journalism assignment, worth 25% of the grade. I'm entirely sure this is also my final grade in the class, as I only got a B+ on one small assignment-- everything else was an A-. Awesome! I'm hoping I get my final Creative Writing story back soon-- I leave Thursday!

Meanwhile, I need to print out this study guide and go type up more notes for the exam. I'm excited to get home and get into summer!

All RIIIGHT

So, Poe seminar got snatched up. BUT I'm taking a seminar on Oscar Wilde instead. Not bad at all!

Sari scored me a single in my sophomore-year stomping grounds of Tuttle. It's apparently the biggest single in the building, and faces the quad. So excited right now.

Nail-Biting Doublewhammy

Okay, so Berlin was awesome, photos to come.

Tonight, however, is something I'm fearing. It's both Goucher's room draw AND class registrationfor upcoming seniors. While it's no argument that having both these things on the same night is an idiotic decision, that's not what's aggravating me.

First of all, I'm room draw number 186 out of the entire senior class-- and the college as well, given that seniors draw first. I'm basically guaranteed a single, but am really hoping I can get one in Mary Fisher (one of the nicer campus locations). It all rests on 1) luck and 2) Sari, who was nice enough to be my registration proxy. If you're reading this, dear...thank you kindly!

More important are my classes. Hypothetically, being a senior and able to register before the rest of the college trumps any possibility of not getting the classses you want. Well, I got the last timeslot of the night-- 10 PM, 3 AM here in the UK-- and EIGHT of 15 seats in the Poe seminar I've been stoked on for months are already taken by ongoing seniors. I took another course with the same prof last semester, and emphasized my enthusiasm and interest for the seminar many times after she mentioned it to me. She's covering Lovecraft, too! I've sent her an email asking about possibilities of enrollment even if the class is closed by the time I register (which, according to my advisor, is likely). I wish I had more hands, and therefore more fingers to cross.

I have no food in my pantry/fridge space and better go get on that.

Dawn of Victory

As of five minutes ago, all three of the following huge projects are printed, in my backpack and ready to be timestamped and turned in tomorrow:

-2,700+-word paper on Double Indemnity's marketing campaign (Film History)
-1000-word analysis of three different news documents/clippings (Journalism)
-2000-word final draft of my short story, "Grown-Ups," and an additional 500-word critcal self-commentary (Creative Writing)

Now all I have left is a gigantic final in Film History on May 5th. But that's virtually aeons away at this point...time to head to London, then Germany this weekend! Spring break is officially in full swing!

Hurdles.

Only a few things stand in the way of my month-long spring break:

• 2,500-word Film History paper (I'm about halfway through)
• 1000-word Journalism assignment where I show and discuss the writing style, mechanics, etc etc of three different news clippings (will finish this weekend)
• Revised final draft of my 2000-word short story for Creative Writing, plus a 500-word critical self-examination (starting on it tonight)
• Annotations of the last round of three classmates' stories for Creative Writing (doing that this weekend)
• Reading 30-some pages for Film History (also doing that this weekend)
  

My spring break starts a week from Friday, when I'll take a train to London, meet up with Raf, and fly to Berlin with him, Sarah and Kellene to meet up with Kevin and check out the country for a week. Can't wait!

This Thursday I'm also headed to London-- Camden, specifically-- with Matt and Tom M to see Agalloch, a metal band from Portland, Oregon that only tours sporadically. I'm looking forward not only to the show, but also to hanging out with the band as I keep in touch with their drummer Aesop via his awesome music blog. One of the opening bands, Fen, also rules-- their recently-released Malediction Fields record is already one of my favorites of the year. It'll be a great night and I'm looking forward to spending a bunch on special tour merch.

This weekend and next week is mostly work, but oh well. Once it's over, the only looming obstacle is my Film History final on May 5th, the day after break is over. After that, it's back to the Northwest, where I have confirmed summer work with Avalara again-- a blessing in the current economy.

Further Successes

Got back my last two Journalism assignments today. The one worth 25% of my overall grade was a 65, and the one worth 10 was a 66. That's two A-'s on the British grading scale! Woo woo!!!

In other good news, it looks like I still have work at Avalara this summer when I get home-- a true blessing in this current economy.

This weekend: jamming Saturday during the day, then huge party at night, then lots of work to be done on Film History paper.

Anyway

I'd like to apologize somewhat for the two overdramatic previous post; it's times like those that are one of the reasons why I'll never have a personal blog aside from this one. And even then, this blog will cease to be updated upon my return to the States (duh, right?).

A few good things this week. First, I was updated regarding the UEA-to-Goucher grade conversion scale, and it turns out a 65 and above is an A-. Thus, I got an B+ and an A- on my first and second Journalism assignments, not a B and B+ as thought before. Not too shabby.

Earlier in the week, I banged out my second and final story for Creative Writing. Initially I had this plan to do a serial killer thing, but I couldn't get inspired to write anything but the ending. As I was going to sleep I had this idea about getting in a fistfight with an old gradeschool rival, wondering who would win. And from there I got up the next day and worked the plot out backwards-- some twentysomething guy gets a bizarre invite to an elementary school reunion, has an awkward time, and ends his trip to his old stopming grounds by fighting a former playground nemesis. I don't think it's anything groundbreaking, but it was a lot of fun to write.

Finally, I got to work on the 2,500 word paper for Film History due April 3rd. I already have 800 words from that one night! I'm both amazed and happy. It's on marketing of film noirs and how despite being seen as men's films retrospectively, they were marketed plenty to women as well.

This week: bang out more on paper, secure work, buy tickets for a Memorial Day trip to Maryland for Maryland Deathfest (the annual death metal festival with the most amazing lineup to date). Oh, and get back to the gym.

A small bit of silver lining, and more about why I'm done here

Today I discovered why the mail service here sucks so much. Apparently students are to check the mail room at least once a week on their own time; if your mail is left there for two weeks, it gets forwarded to your cubby in your school's office. So I'd just been getting my mail, a month late, from said cubby in the American Studies office. The mail here still sucks, it just doesn't take as long while doing so.

It turns out I not only had a package from my folks (thanks Mom and Dad), but also from beloved friend Alex. He wrote me a poem, a letter, and made several small custom stickers with his own multilingual phrases and funny characters. It all just fuels my drive to be back in the Northwest.

I began work on my sole Film History paper today by looking through several years' worth of Variety magazaine on microfilm for three hours. My paper concerns the marketing for two prominent noir films, 1944's Double Indemnity and 1947's Out of the Past, and save for a short review on each there was nothing else about either. It's the hardest thing to get myself to work. Whereas at Goucher, once I get started in Julia Rogers library, I'm in there for hours at night, biting my nails and wondering about the quality but working hard nonetheless.

Aside from this paper, it's just an editing of my recently-finished second creative writing story and 500 word accompaniment explaining the revisions, then a few more journalism assignments. Then, break (I still don't know where I'm traveling). Then a huge exam for Film History on May 5th. Then, home.

Here, have a song.

I've been trying to write you a letter
But I just can't help but feel
That the words that are me talking
Don't say anything that's real
I've been going 'round in circles
And it seems it's been a while
Since I've known the real reason
Why I've gone so many miles

I will not begin to tell you
About all the things I've seen
All the people, all the places
All the highways inbetween..
Even these words I'm using
Prove the effort was in vain
All I wanted was to know that
Things would always be the same

Now and then, I might remember
Mostly I try to forget
And right now I'm in the middle
Wondering if it's over yet
And I know it doesn't matter
'Cause the road will never end
So I won't write you a letter
I know I'll be home again.

Finally, Grades

Today I received the first two Journalsim assignments back. The first was a 250-word article on this Erasmus study/work abroad UK program, and the second was a 400-word "update" of a continuing story from a few years ago where a senior citizen's tour boat capsized. I got a 64 on the first one and a 66 on the second one. Before your jaw drops in dismay, realize that a 70 or above is considered an A in this country. Yeah, it's ridiculous. So basically, I got in the B/B+ range. With that said, more effort could've been put into these, so let's hope the 1000-word ethics opinion piece I turned in today-- worth 25% of my grade-- comes out better. As long as I'm taking only three classes, I'd like to be getting A-'s and A's.

In more straightforwardly good news, I have turned the tide in my battle against chronic tendonitis and repetitive stress injury. For the past month, I've been doing this fantastic lil' exercise program for stretching my wrists, doing hot/cold baths, and squeezing a tennis ball every day (3 sets of 40 per hand) to increase strength. Yesterday I exercised and felt NO wrist pain for the first time since I can remember. I'm very pleased, to say the least.

GREAT SUCCESS, vol. II

Today I received some work back from my Creative Writing class. My professor enjoyed what I'd written-- an exercise about suffering from stupidity and subsequently, dehydration while climbing Masada this summer, and a short story about an office worker who finds out mid-argument his fly has been open all morning and Cap'n Winkie has been making a subtle appearance (hey, one of the assignment's plot options was "business man in a public setting with his pants' zipper down").

Then I FINALLY got back to the gym and really took my time. As always, it really cleared my head. Shortly before I left school, I benched 180 once and that was my big achievement until today. I benched the kilo equivalent of 176.4 pounds 4 times the first set and then 5 the next! Awesome. One day I'm hoping I can reach 200, and then go beyond.

Lastly, I returned to my room to find an email informing me that yes, my Creative Writing class here can count as a 300-level seminar towards my English major! This really frees up my schedule next year, because otherwise I would have to take three required seminars (one creative, two literature).

GREAT SUCCESS

After the teacher didn't email me back I was sweating bullets-- the class meets tomorrow (Thursday) and after that it would be too late. Hell, it's to late already-- 3 weeks into the semester! I popped into the School Office-- an office that serves as an essay turn-in station, a reception area and a mail room for the Schools of Literature & Creative Writing, Film & Media Studies and others-- and left my information and number with one of the women working at the desk, who said she would contact the teacher for me and inquire about my switching in.

I just now got a call from the same receptionist, who informed me that the instructor "would be delighted to have you in the seminar." YES! So long, TV history.

Updated schedule:

Monday: NO CLASS. Wing Chun 7-9 PM.
Tuesday: Film History film screening, 2-5 PM.
Wednesday: Film History lecture, 10-11 AM.
Thursday: Journalism, 10 AM-12 PM. Creative Writing, 4-6 PM.
Friday: Film History seminar, 3-4 PM.

Halfway there

It's so late in the term to switch courses (or modules, as they are referred to here) that the only way for an overseas student would be 1) my Goucher advisor emphasizing the class' importance to my graduation, thus getting the okay from the Taught Programmes Office and 2) the approval of the teacher. So far, part 1 is complete and the answer to part 2 is being anxiously awaited by yours truly in an email back from said teacher. I'm hopeful, but am trying to ready myself for the possibility of sticking it out through TV History for the rest of the semester.

My possible return to the martial arts, and an early English success

Yesterday was the SocMart-- basically a club rush, but here clubs are called societies. I signed up for the mailing list for two societies.

The Wing Chun society holds a once-a-week martial arts class. The Wing Chun form is the same sort of self-defense techniques I initally learned when I was very young and studying under Sifu Rick DeMile before his curriculum focused more on combined elements. The classes are a pound each session, with a two-pound starting fee. The only catch is that I already have two classes that day, and the martial arts class is another two hours, so...we'll see. Obviously it also involves a lot of independent practice that I'll have to make time for along with the independent research for classes that British teachers are so hep on emphasizing.

The unfortunately-named Deviant Society is an alternative music collective. This seems somewhat hit-or-miss in regards to specific music I like, but they have socials at the on-campus Red Pub every Thursday night at 8-- so I'm headed there in a bit to see what's up. They also book and host gigs in town.

Today my sole class was a 4-6 Creative Writing: Prose Fiction seminar. It went quite well; a fellow Goucher English major, Mike, was in my class. At one point we all had to write for 15 minutes on our first day of school. I immediately wrote about my arrival to UEA rather than the subject instructed, realized it, and furrowed my brow a bit but kept going. After we all finished writing, we read the pieces aloud and recieved brief but straightforward verbal feedback from the the teacher. When it came time for mine, he commented that the ending was a case of telling more than showing, but otherwise the rest was "very concrete writing." Good to hear-- sometime my verbosity gets the best of me.

On an unrelated note, I watched this last night.


If you're one for samurai/kung-fu cinema, gore, or basically wonder what Road to Perdition (based on this film/comic series) would be like if it took place in feudal Japan, this one is for you. It also has four or five sequels.