I just pulled out my little bag of coconut M&M's, and am ready to sit down and really tell you about this place.
Our apartment this year is located in north Dinkytown, which is prime college-student location, if you ask anyone. A city bus stops smack outside the apartment, which is almost just too convenient. I ignored this fact today, and took the 35 minute walk from my apartment through Dinkytown, into campus, across the mall, over the bridge, and up into Willey hall to sit in a 300+ person U.S. History lecture. Thankfully, usually classes like that thin out over time, so I won't have to be elbow-to-elbow with people all period. The guy sitting on my left was just kind of an immobile vegetable, but the guy on the right, (and myself, after a while) was doodling in his notebook while the professor rattled on about how to use the U website. This was probably due to the massive amount of freshmen in there, who know little-to-nothing about how college works. That's ok. I was there last year, and I'm still learning. I decided to wait until at least junior year until I can mentally pick on freshmen. Sophomore year is just cutting it too close.
Anyway, so doodle-boy-fro-head (for he did have an impressive poof of hair) scribbled away, and I did my little drawings, and this went on for about half hour, with him blowing his nose wildly from time to time. The lecture ended with him turning to me and saying he liked my doodle, to which I responded "Thanks, man." The silly thing about his was that I had clearly been able to see his, but couldn't bring myself to return the compliment, as his were only stupid smiley faces with boogley eyes. I just didn't feel like starting out my day by telling a lie. I don't think he noticed.
Anyway, so that lecture ended, and I stepped out to see my friend Kevin, who was also in the lecture, but of course, it was so big, there was no way to sit next to each other and face the boredom together. Don't get me wrong, I think this class will be interesting, but the first day, with all its intros, is always a drag.
My discussion group afterwards seems quite pleasant. My TA is very nice, and very passionate about this early american history stuff, and I like that. I like passionate people.
There are at least ten students from China in this group of about 24 people. I felt bad for them, just because I don't think I'd want to try and learn another country's history. I just don't. Even if it's an exciting history, I think I would feel bogged down enough with the present state of the country, and getting to know it in the now, that history would be a hard pill to swallow. That's just me, I guess.
After discussion came hunger.
I decided since it was the first day of classes for me ( had yesterday off, since I normally don't have classes on Tuesday, even though the University started then), that I could buy myself some munchies. So I set off for my favorite munchy shop under Blegan Hall, and snagged some Ceylon Peace Tea (a freshman year favorite for us), and some Fig Newtons. Normally, those strange, figgy cookie bar things don't catch my eye, but I ate some with my grandparents two weeks ago, and hadn't had them in so long that I decided I should have them again. In fact, I am going to reach into my backpack and have one now.
Mmmm. Not to sweet, and with a weird, gritty seed crunch.
Anyway, the rest of the late morning consisted of going back to Atlantis (which is what we dubbed our apartment), frying up a mess of eggs for lunch, eating a banana that I have watched ripen for the whole dang week ( I have no patience for fruit and its lifestyle), and chillin' until I had to leave again.
I am sorry if I am putting in too much detail for you. I just haven't had to much to observe and digest for so long that it feels super grand, and I have to tell all. Believe me, I'll calm down.
Continuing on, My next class was sculpture, as you know from my previous post. Getting there was very tiring, as I was already sick of walking. Lucie, Gabe and I walked to and form Hard Times last night form Dinkytown, so U have had my fair share of leg-stretchin' in the last 24 hours, it seems.
But moving on from my moaning: sculpture class. I took the bus part way (hallelujah), and arrived on the far reached of West Bank to see what was about to go down. My sculpture teacher in really chill, as he and my TA are grad students. He reminds me of some animal, but I can't put my finger on it. Something between a koala and a turtle, whatever that might be. A kiwi, perhaps. Anyway, he's quite dry and funny, and decided, after reading the syllabus, that we were all going to go for a walk. Okay, I thought, a tour around the shop. That shouldn't be too bad. A little more walking should be manageable.
No.
We walked
We walked down past the law school, across the baseball field, through a hole in the fence (remember, this is about 26 of us) down a street, to the ruins of the 35W bridge, down to a little beach under the secret bridge. All this while winding around with heave backpacks on, and in the sun. Sure, the activity was a nice change, but I was poop tired. We were to look for an abject of interest on the way, like funky rocks or litter or whatnot. I found this rock on the riverside that sorta looks like it has a fossil in it, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. It's just a cool rock that will probably end up as a doorstop.
While walking back, we went under the Washington Ave. Bridge, past the Shoe Tree, and down the path. On the other side of the street there was this fifty foot wall up to the road above, made out of wooden beams with space between them. Basically a fifty foot ladder. My teacher, who told us that he just loves to explore, strolled over it, threw his jacket on the ground, and shimmied right on up. Then, looking kind of sheepishly back down at us on the other side of the street, he asked if we could grab his jacket for him, and that he'd meet up with us once we caught up on the normal route. I can tell this will be a pretty fun class. I just know nothing about 3D art. So that'll be an adventure.
So here I am now, after classes, chillin' in Wilson library on West Bank. I sorta miss living here, for the convenience of it all, but Dinkytown is so much more exiting.
I'm going to go now. I have babbled on long enough.
Peace.
Songs of the Day:
Going to School from the Memoirs of a Geisha Soundtrack played by Yo-Yo Ma
From the Mouth of Gabriel by Sufjan Stevens
Enchanting Ghost by Sufjan Stevens
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