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!

Traveling Once More

After twoish weeks of lazing around Norwich, I'm off to Italy tomorrow to meet up with my buddy Nony in Florence. I'll be in the country for six days. Where we go is still up in the air, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Thing is, he doesn't have a working phone and I'm basically going to make it to the hostel he's currently at and track him down from there.

Once I return, it's just a bunch of reading and re-reading my Film History stuff for the exam on May 5th. I fly home two days later. Can't wait.

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!

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.

Fingers crossed.

Okay, I'll be real. British TV history is really looking a class that will bore the life out of me. Yes, it's important to British history and culture and blah blah, but I simply have no interest in it or television anywhere else (save for the occasional episode of South Park or It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia).

So per the recommendation of an upper-classman friend, I'm trying to switch into a journalism writing course. I'll have to do all the backwork, obviously, but I'm at the odd point and time where I want some homework. I feel like there's not enough to keep my mind going and I end up wasting time on the internet or watching friends get drunk. Neither is really productive nor entertaining. Oh, and I really like journalism.

In order to pull this last minute switch, I'll have to plead my case to Jeanette Pavey ("I'm an English major, can't you see?!") in the Taught Programmes Office tomorrow morning. Then likely another pleading to the course instructor. Fingers crossed.