![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
22. Greetings. When Spaniards meet, they do 'besitos'- Kiss on the right cheek, then kiss on the left cheek. This goes especially for people you've just met, but is also quite common with people you've known for years. The one exception is between two guys- generally a hug or a handshake will suffice if you've just met (Though guys who are close friends or family do besitos all the time! There's no connotation there other than familiarity).
23. Interruptions. For the most part, interrupting in casual conversation is okay by Spaniards. Giving a little interjection isn't a disrespectful thing, just adding something, lol. It's actually an important way to make it clear you're listening, especially things like "that's true" or "oh, really?" that might come off as a bit rude to an American used to more personal space in a conversation. Though this doesn't happen often to me, since people generally realize I have to work a little harder and often are listening closely to understand me, lol.
24. Peanut Butter. Not popular here- hard to find, even, and expensive in the few grocery stores where it does show up. It's considered really unhealthy for some reason? Though Nutella's not any better (might actually be worse), and that's all over the place!
25. Eating as a guest. You are expected to eat every bite of food served to you- especially if the cook is a friend or host! Not clearing your plate, even if you eat most of the food, or even almost all of it, is taken to mean you didn't like the cooking. This would be easy to adapt to if not combined with the custom of giving guests an insane amount of food to eat. Family gatherings in Spain mean eating until you absolutely can't eat another bite... then waiting a few minutes, having a drink, and eating some more.
26. Walking. It's how you get around in Spain, 90% of the time. The average Spaniard walks the equivalent of at least 5 or 6 miles a day (while the average American walks about 2 or 3). It's not hard though, considering most everything is within walking distance in Granada. You walk to the grocery store, to school, to church, to shops, to friend's houses, everywhere.
27. City Bus System. The city buses are great, though! These are popular if you really have to get across town, or if the weather's bad. The buses are clean, easy to use, and always on time (odd, for Spain)! The city buses will take you just about anywhere you need to go, and bus stops are easy to find on any main road.
28. Candy. Just not as popular here. It's not a snack like it can be sometimes in the US- definitely a treat, something people might have a couple of times a month at most. Most of the brands I know from the US are here, plus brands like Kinder that are hard to find back home. Plenty of chocolate, of course... no marshmallows, though, and nothing with peanut butter. There's more sort of baked confections, little cakes or waffles. But if you're craving something sweet here, you might as well go to a pastelería as opposed to just getting a snack from a store!
29. Toilet Paper. Just about none in public restrooms, as a rule. Bus stops, gas stations- not going to have it. In old buildings, too, they'll often ask that you throw it into a large, closed trash can as opposed to flushing it, since the plumbing is older and doesn't always work as well.
30. Sundays. The city is absolutely dead on Sundays. No shops are open, not even supermarkets. Banks are closed, post offices are closed, no one sells things on the streets... many restaurants and cafés are even closed! You have to plan out your shopping a day in advance, because there're no open stores to be found.
- Where I am::CEGRI
- Feeling::
Finally some sun! - Listening to::Australia- The Shins
- Feeling::
:) - Listening to::Sleeping Lessons- The Shins
- Where I am::Omar's
- Feeling::
A little chilly, actually! - Listening to::Muse. Again. Argh!
11. Notebooks. Here they're not 8½ by 11- they're more like 8½ by 15! So my homework, notes, flyers etc. for classes here won't fit in my folders from back home.
12. Water. Rain is very rare, here, but they do get fresh water from the mountains. But still, in general running water can be very expensive. You basically use as little as possible- you use a dishwashing machine if you can, since that usually saves water. In the shower, you run the water enough to get wet, then turn it off to soap up and shampoo, then on again to rinse! Also, my Señora has a big tupperware bucket in the shower for saving some extra water, so sometimes you don't even turn the water on a second time- you just use the water that ended up in the bucket to rinse! But this is understandable... the water bill for each room is posted down on the main floor, and it's pretty crazy how quickly you can run up a huge tab.
13. Electricity. Same deal here, basically. You never leave a light on if you don't have to! During the day, they don't turn on almost any lights in the house, even in the living room; instead you just leave the curtains open and let the daylight in. And the one time my Señora's fussed at me was when I left the power strip on in my room and left for class! They're huge on conservation here, mostly out of financial necessity. (This is also the reason for the aforementioned lack of central heating.)
14. Shoes. My biggest American concession here is my beloved Nikes, but they're definitely an oddity around here. Everyone wears nice shoes, mostly in leather, or cute flats once it gets warm. Converses are as close as most people here get to tennis shoes, day to day- real tennis shoes are strictly for working out. The other thing about shoes here is that you always wear them in the house! It's considered odd and even a little rude to go barefoot inside. Instead, you keep your shoes on, and you wear slippers when you want to be a bit more comfortable. I bought an adorable pair of orange slippers my first week here so I wouldn't have to put my shoes on every morning to go shower... The one time I tried going barefoot, Señora goes "Oh, aren't you cold?" and looks at me like I was walking around with no pants or something!
15. Final exams. CEGRÍ, being an American school at heart, sticks to the typical American University schedule. Classes start in mid-January, we get a week-long break late February, midterms halfway through the semester, break during Holy Week, and final exams in the first week of May. (This of course is different from UM's schedule, which starts and ends earlier.) Granada U's schedule, however, is quite different! UGR classes start in mid-February, with a break during Holy Week and the end of the semester in early June. There are no midterms! And the biggest difference- like many university systems in Europe, final exams are not necessarily right when classes end. Depending on your class, your exams could be anywhere from early June to early July! This is typical around here... The idea is that you have an entire month to study. It must be awful in the first semester- you'd have a month to go home for Christmas, and still have your finals hanging over your head! But Spanish students tend to go to school in their hometown, so maybe it's not so rough.
16. Grades. The grading system at Spanish universities is different, as well. It's basically set up that the top 10% of a class will get an A, then the next 10% a B, next 10% a C... yeah, so this is pretty scary. Only about a third of each class actually passes. And this is the norm! People fail classes all the time- and to get an A basically means you were the smartest kid in the class ("Sobresaliente" is what they call it). But this may be a bit hard to explain to graduate schools etc. back home. This is the reason that classes here won't affect our GPAs- it wouldn't be fair, since they're graded so differently... All of us foreign students taking classes in our second language are just hoping to get a C and pass, lol. At least CEGRÍ classes will be more in the American style of grading.
17. Preschool. Kids are actually required to start school at age 3 here! Kind of amazing... do kids in the US start compulsory education with Kindergarten or first grade?
18. Cheetoes. So Cheetoes brand makes absolutely everything here except for normal Cheetoes! There are several different kinds of cheesy and chocolatey snacks, plenty of crackers, etc, but none of the Cheetoes I know and love. It's like having Diet Coke, Vanilla Coke, Coke with Lemon, Cherry Coke, Coke Zero... and no regular Coke.
19. Soda. On that note, soda is really expensive here! A can of Coke is about a dollar (80 Euro cents) in the vending machine at CEGRÍ, and that's the cheapest I've seen anywhere... though you can get a six-pack for about 75 dollar cents a can. A normal bottle is at least two dollars in the average convenience store, and at least three dollars in any vending machine. Restaurants serve an 8-ounce glass bottle for nearly two fifty, too... You can tell I've been shopping around, lol! They do sell gigantic bottles in grocery stores, though; this seems to be the way soda's usually bought in houses. Oh, and Coke completely dominates the market around here. Only about half the grocery stores even sell Pepsi- and there's no Mountain Dew or anything like that. And Coke Zero is as popular as normal Coke! It's in every vending machine, even in the ones that don't serve Diet Coke (Which is Coke Lite, here, as it is in all of Europe- they don't want you to think of it as a diet drink).
20. Tipping. Waiters and waitresses actually get paid pretty well here, so you don't generally tip at a bar or restaurant unless the service was just phenomenal somehow. This is nice, but the tradeoff is that the service is, um, not so great. They're certainly in no big rush to bring you your food, and they'd almost never come ask you if you need anything unless you wave them down. You have to ask for the check most places, too, though that's partly a courtesy- they'd think it rude to give you the check too soon, like they're trying to rush you out.
So much to write about; my next entry is going to take a little while! Hopefully by tonight :)
- Where I am::CEGRÍ
- Feeling:: Bored, but good :)
- Listening to::Muse- Glorious
- Sidewalk manners. I don't know if this is a city thing or what, but it seems like people here are quite willing to bump right into you! I think it has to do with the general difference in the amount of personal space Spaniards expect. They're used to talking very close, and walking very close, too. Nobody moves aside or steps off of the sidewalk- they'd sooner hit head on. And walking with an umbrella on a rainy day is like a game of Tetris. *Doooo-do-do-doooo-do-do-doooo...*
- Punctuality. We're kind of obsessed with this is the U.S., but bring exactly on time isn't as important here. When you set a time to meet with a Spaniard, it's generally understood to be more approximate- whereas being late to meet a friend is considered rude or disrespectful back home, especially if any business is involved (time = money, which is a philosophy that just doesn't translate here). Even teachers are usually late. If you have an 8am class, chances are it'll start by 8:10 or so.
- Clothes. Most light jeans, beat-up jackets, hoodies and tennis shoes can make you stand out here, but dark jeans are usually okay. Skinny jeans work, and leggings are very popular, even though showing any bare leg is not that common. And you might as well invest in a pair of leather boots- every woman in Granada seems to wear them! Think a lot of matching and coordination, mostly in dark colors.
- Heating. There is very little central heat in this city! They use space heaters in CEGRÍ... but like a lot of older buildings, it has an open courtyard in the middle. The classrooms are toasty, but as soon as you step out into the hall you get chilled! I'm lucky I have heat at home; it's a bit of a luxury. The UGR dorms are freezing in the winter, apparently... oh well! I'm sure I'll be glad for those open-air buildings once the hot weather hits.
- Medicine commercials. After every commercial for any medicine, from cough syrup to cholesterol pills, they have the same warning- a graphic comes on the screen, and a voice says "Leé los instruciones de este medicamiento y consulte al farmaceútico." (Read this medicine's instructions and consult your pharmacist.)
- Meal times. Breakfast- 10am or so. Lunch- 2:30 or 3pm. Dinner- about 9pm. Tapas- Midnight. They take their meals very seriously here. Almost every store around closes in the middle of the day between 1 and 5 for lunch and a siesta- a time to stay home and rest for a couple of hours. Life revolves around meals! Even classes are set up to where you can manage to take a lunch break.
- Bars. First, a 'bar' here is more like a café or restaurant back home. You can order drinks, but it's a place to eat for the most part. A tapas bar is a place where you order a drink- anything; coffee, wine, soda, beer- and you get a bit of food with it, usually a sandwich or a bagel. Most bars serve tapas, but there are some places that specialize. A cafeteria is more of a traditional restaurant (You can also call them restaurantes). A churreria is a place to get coffee and churros- oh, and 'hot chocolate' isn't American hot chocolate, but a thick sauce for dipping your churros! Hot chocolate American style is called 'colocau'. A panederia is a bakery, and you can usually buy ready-made sandwiches there too, but if not, you can always hit a bocaderia (sandwich shop). Carnederia- butcher shop. Fruteria- fruit stand. Pesceteria- fish shop!
- Winter weather. Of course it's nothing like Michigan, but it can get pretty chilly around here- especially at night. When you're walking for hours at a time, 40F can feel like 0. Of course, it's also the rainy season, so you can expect up to three or four days of rain in the winter (shocking, I know!). That's why the two straight weeks of rain we just had at the end of January caused such a panic. But the worst thing is how the weather yo-yos over the course of a few hours... it can be 16C during the day, then -2 at night. Desert mountain weather!
- TV Schedule. Shows here start at seriously odd times. Sometimes at 10 past the hour, sometimes quarter 'til. And they'll hold off on commercials for a whole show, just to hit you with five straight minutes right at the end, when it's most exciting!
- Washing clothes. There are washers in most houses here, but never dryers. You either lay the clothes on the heaters, use an indoor rack, or most of the time, you just hang them out on the clothesline over the open courtyard. Most of the year it's so hot that they'll dry in an hour or two- though in the winter you've got to be a bit more patient. Laundry day is also once a week, without fail! You don't do constant loads; you get it done all at once to save on water.
<3
- Feeling::
Chill
- Where I am::Omar's Internet
- Feeling:: Calm
- Listening to::Tenía tanto que darte
- Where I am::Omar's Internet
- Feeling:: Morocco Mole
- Listening to::Muse- Take a bow
- Where I am::Omar's internet
- Feeling::
Full of lovely espageti! - Listening to::The Shins- Something? It's a new CD.
Hellohello!! I'm trying to get used to this new keyboard! But I´m here at the hostel, safe and sound, waiting for the whole group to get here in an hour or so so I can check in. I'm with a couple of other American students here for the same program, though, so that's good. I ended up being too nervous to sleep on the flight over here... It's weird how lonely international travel can be, especially when it takes as long as my trip did. I was definitely a nervous wreck... and now it's the middle of the day here in Granada and I'm bushed with no room to sleep in for another hour! Oh, and my luggage didn't make it here, go figure. The Lufthansa guy in Chicago (who looked dead up like Viggo Mortensen) reassured me that he'd fixed the tags and it would make it all the way to Granada, but unfortunately this doesn't seem to have occured. I´m positive my stuff's in Barcelona. I've sent in a complaint, with my email and the phone number and address of this hostel, but... arghh. If I don't hear from the airline by tonight I'll call them somehow. Good thing I packed like this would happen and I have an extra set of clothes, pjs, and bath stuff with me. The huge heavy backpack... totally worth it.
This hostel is right next to the conservatory where I studied two years ago, so I was able to find this awesome internet cafe I remembered. What's awesome about it is that it has Skype, with cameras and headphones with mics! So hopefully I can at least use that to call you guys, even if I can't get it set up on a steady computer.
The weather is really nice; cool but not cold, and quite sunny. I was pleasantly surprised just how familiar the city feels! Once I was at the conservatory, I knew my way around, at least for a few blocks in each direction. And the mountains are covered in snow!
ETA: Still waiting! But now I have wireless. Horribly slow wireless, but wireless. And also Metalocalypse is amazing.
<3
- Where I am::Hostal Atenas lobby
- Feeling::
Complete Jet Lag - Listening to::Postal Service- Recycled Air
( Resolutions )
Have a happy new year! Things are rough, but I think we'll be on the upswing again soon.
<3
- Where I am::Sam's House
- Feeling:: Hopeful
- Listening to::Something vaguely Muse?
Warning: Super Long Entry Under Cuts ZOMG.
How did that happen? I guess I've just been busy and away from the computer for quite a while! A ton has been going on since I last seriously posted, mostly awesomeness :).
( The Recital )
Short story: The recital was absolutely amazing. Everything went perfectly! Only bad thing was that the recording guy didn't show. So glad to be finished with it!
( Orpheus Concert etc. )Short story: Gave my family a tour of campus, then had the Orpheus concert, then they had to leave. It was great to see everyone :).
( Thanksgiving Break )
Short story: Brought Kathy home for Thanksgiving! Met up with friends and family, and generally had a lovely time.
( Finals and end of the semester )
Short story: Finals were fine...als. I <3 AA.
So now I'm home!... For the past week! I've adjusted at this point, and things are good. Quiet, kind of boring, just how I like it.
I'll be better about posting while I'm here, I promise, and I'll talk more about what I'm actually up to. In case I get behind, though, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, a lovely break and a hopeful New Year :)
<3
( Thanksgiving Break )
Short story: Brought Kathy home for Thanksgiving! Met up with friends and family, and generally had a lovely time.
( Finals and end of the semester )
Short story: Finals were fine...als. I <3 AA.
So now I'm home!... For the past week! I've adjusted at this point, and things are good. Quiet, kind of boring, just how I like it.
I'll be better about posting while I'm here, I promise, and I'll talk more about what I'm actually up to. In case I get behind, though, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, a lovely break and a hopeful New Year :)
<3
- Where I am::Home
- Feeling:: In the Christmas Spirit
- Listening to::"Another Christmas Song" - Stephen Colbert
A real post is coming soon, I promise!... Once I'm done with all this mess...
( Meme )
I don't have eight LJ friends to tag! So just pass it on if you feel like it.
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling:: Tired
It's been forever <3.
Just a quick post; a huge one that just goes on and on about the events of the last two weeks is coming, I promise.
Important for me to remember:
Just a quick post; a huge one that just goes on and on about the events of the last two weeks is coming, I promise.
Important for me to remember:
- Sleep paralysis is terrible. Horrible. Terrifying at times. Get decent sleep and try to calm down so you can avoid it.
- Your beautiful problems are absolutely nothing compared to the real problems in some people's lives.
Please pray for my cousin Sara, if you can, or just send happy thoughts... she's very sick.
<3
<3
It's been a while since I've posted! Things have been crazy, but generally good, I think. Getting ready to book my flight to Spain, soon... and of course, my recital is drawing ever nearer. I know it's going to be fine, but there's just this little panicky voice in my head that keeps making me stress about it ^^;. Oh well. This time next week I'll be way too full on turkey and mashed potatoes... This time two weeks from now I'll be finishing a project, writing two papers and studying for four final exams... And this time three weeks from now I will be completely done with my last final. This semester has flown by.
Eating some lovely Indian food right now, and getting ready to go sing for a charity benefit concert. It'll be nice to have one last little 'dress rehearsal' before the recital, and of course it's for a good cause (And the prize for the best act is a 30$ gift card to Stucci's Ice cream ^^). Then I need to pack. I can't believe I'm already packing. Wow. But since after Thanksgiving I'm only here 12 days, I'm going to try to send as much stuff as I can home with my parents.
What else... I seriously need to find a tape and do some filming for the US Music project. But there's nowhere to buy one on campus, I swear! Argh ><. I also need to call my LSA-Linguistics advisor. And do laundry.
All the usual! I promise my posts will be much more fun to read once I finally get through this recital and make it to break.
<3
Eating some lovely Indian food right now, and getting ready to go sing for a charity benefit concert. It'll be nice to have one last little 'dress rehearsal' before the recital, and of course it's for a good cause (And the prize for the best act is a 30$ gift card to Stucci's Ice cream ^^). Then I need to pack. I can't believe I'm already packing. Wow. But since after Thanksgiving I'm only here 12 days, I'm going to try to send as much stuff as I can home with my parents.
What else... I seriously need to find a tape and do some filming for the US Music project. But there's nowhere to buy one on campus, I swear! Argh ><. I also need to call my LSA-Linguistics advisor. And do laundry.
All the usual! I promise my posts will be much more fun to read once I finally get through this recital and make it to break.
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling:: Way too full
- Listening to::Coldplay- Violet Hill
So... this recital is going to rock. Now that things have finally gotten settled (or will be settled, on Sunday morning) I'm so ready for it to just happen. Eight days from right now, I'll be backstage in the Stearns building, warming up and quietly having a heart attack... but I won't be freaking out about knowing the pieces. The only piece that scares me a bit now is 'Aire y donaire', and after rehearsal on Sunday I will either have no fear at all or be utterly terrified. One or the other.
So yeah, pretty much everything else is secondary right now, school-wise. Except Spain. Lots of paperwork still to do before I'm set there. For real, my entries are so boring right now, lol. OMG RECITAL STRESS-- Oh wait time for SPAIN STRESS OMG.
Busy weekend coming up, so I'm sure I'll have more interesting stuff to write about sometime soon.
<3
So yeah, pretty much everything else is secondary right now, school-wise. Except Spain. Lots of paperwork still to do before I'm set there. For real, my entries are so boring right now, lol. OMG RECITAL STRESS-- Oh wait time for SPAIN STRESS OMG.
Busy weekend coming up, so I'm sure I'll have more interesting stuff to write about sometime soon.
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling::
Hard at work!
I don't have much to post about... practicing like mad, of course, and stressing about Spain, so... the same old stuff lol. I wrote a letter to my host family this week. Hopefully I'll get placed with a family that will be pretty active in helping me out. I'd rather have support than independence in a country where I'm not fluent in the language.
Trying to meet with an advisor here is like pulling teeth, I swear! But hopefully today I can get some questions answered. I have a meeting with the other kids going to Spain, so that's kind of awesome :). I can't wait to meet my comrades.
My weight's been doing funny things over the past three weeks or so. Funny things like, not going down ><. lol.
Now off to the Musicology exam I'm currently cramming for!
<3
Trying to meet with an advisor here is like pulling teeth, I swear! But hopefully today I can get some questions answered. I have a meeting with the other kids going to Spain, so that's kind of awesome :). I can't wait to meet my comrades.
My weight's been doing funny things over the past three weeks or so. Funny things like, not going down ><. lol.
Now off to the Musicology exam I'm currently cramming for!
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling:: Okay
For real, I don't think I've ever been as excited about any politician as I am about Barack Obama. Apart from the fact that I think he's incredibly intelligent, charismatic, capable and rational, watching him give his acceptance speech surrounded by the students from various countries all over the world that live in my apartment building... he is the emblem of change. Just his face means change. I don't think there's any other politician the democrats could have nominated who is so thouroughly not George Bush.
Hearing his speech... every speech he gives feels like it's some historic moment, but obviously this one absolutely took the cake. He has matured from a very well-spoken politician to the most (forgive me) articulate speaker I've ever seen. This is probably mostly due to the gradual ramping-up of his campaign and his writers. But... wow. He's all that, at last.
Obviously, he's not perfect. Obviously, he's going to screw some stuff up. But he's exactly what we need right now, and I couldn't be happier.
<3
Hearing his speech... every speech he gives feels like it's some historic moment, but obviously this one absolutely took the cake. He has matured from a very well-spoken politician to the most (forgive me) articulate speaker I've ever seen. This is probably mostly due to the gradual ramping-up of his campaign and his writers. But... wow. He's all that, at last.
Obviously, he's not perfect. Obviously, he's going to screw some stuff up. But he's exactly what we need right now, and I couldn't be happier.
<3
- Where I am::#1811
- Feeling:: Freakin' Hope!
Happy November everyone!
It's been a good few days, in general! Conducting in the pool was a real experience. I think it was effective, though... and my suit wasn't an issue. The Zipcar grocery trip let me cook quite a bit Thursday night, so now I actually have meat for stir-fry and sandwiches. I had a rather boring but nice halloween... unfortunately I was costumeless, but that's okay. I had a big sushi dinner, went dancing down South University with Ushi and the Hare Krisha devotees, and stayed up too late chatting online. All in all, a decent, relaxing evening.
Randomly: A guy (aparently homeless) came up and asked me for money... I told him I didn't have any cash, but offered him my rice instead. He took it, and seemed really grateful. I never give money to people on the street... but when I'm carrying food, and I know my $1.50 order of steamed rice would help... I don't know. Does it do more harm than good?... I don't know.
Anyways, I got up early this morning to clean up at Elke's, then had a voice lesson. (Here comes the recital update, of course: ) I think I was too hard on David L! Prof. Sheil basically called him out and pushed him a bit on expression and... overall taking it more seriously. The transformation was incredible- the set that I thought was going to end up as decent filler is now rockin'! It's incredible what a difference it made. Things just kicked into gear all of a sudden. Morillas is full of lovely legato, Si tu Madre is forward and bouncy, Cafe is actually in the proper 6/8-3/4, Galapaguito went from boring to heartbreaking, and Ojos Azules has the mad intensity it needs. I mean... <3. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I can actually pull off this recital, despite it being mostly soprano territory.
...Yeah, I'm going to be obsessing about that recital for the next three weeks, just so's ya know. ^^;.
So, my quick to do list:
1. US Music Exam Monday- Read, study
2. Syntax Homework due Thursday
3. Conducting Exam next Tuesday?
4. Registrar's office dealio
5. Linguistics department dealio
6. Spain Housing survey/letter to host family due Nov. 6th
7. Illinois application paperwork due Nov. 10th- Sent out by the 8th
Off to lunch!
<3
It's been a good few days, in general! Conducting in the pool was a real experience. I think it was effective, though... and my suit wasn't an issue. The Zipcar grocery trip let me cook quite a bit Thursday night, so now I actually have meat for stir-fry and sandwiches. I had a rather boring but nice halloween... unfortunately I was costumeless, but that's okay. I had a big sushi dinner, went dancing down South University with Ushi and the Hare Krisha devotees, and stayed up too late chatting online. All in all, a decent, relaxing evening.
Randomly: A guy (aparently homeless) came up and asked me for money... I told him I didn't have any cash, but offered him my rice instead. He took it, and seemed really grateful. I never give money to people on the street... but when I'm carrying food, and I know my $1.50 order of steamed rice would help... I don't know. Does it do more harm than good?... I don't know.
Anyways, I got up early this morning to clean up at Elke's, then had a voice lesson. (Here comes the recital update, of course: ) I think I was too hard on David L! Prof. Sheil basically called him out and pushed him a bit on expression and... overall taking it more seriously. The transformation was incredible- the set that I thought was going to end up as decent filler is now rockin'! It's incredible what a difference it made. Things just kicked into gear all of a sudden. Morillas is full of lovely legato, Si tu Madre is forward and bouncy, Cafe is actually in the proper 6/8-3/4, Galapaguito went from boring to heartbreaking, and Ojos Azules has the mad intensity it needs. I mean... <3. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I can actually pull off this recital, despite it being mostly soprano territory.
...Yeah, I'm going to be obsessing about that recital for the next three weeks, just so's ya know. ^^;.
So, my quick to do list:
1. US Music Exam Monday- Read, study
2. Syntax Homework due Thursday
3. Conducting Exam next Tuesday?
4. Registrar's office dealio
5. Linguistics department dealio
6. Spain Housing survey/letter to host family due Nov. 6th
7. Illinois application paperwork due Nov. 10th- Sent out by the 8th
Off to lunch!
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling:: Happy
- Listening to::Enrique Granados- Maja Dolorosa II
Just a quick post :).
As usual, an update about the Recital (capitalized) and Spain: I'm annoyed at accompanist #1, David L... he's really not pulling his weight. The guy does not practice my stuff outside of our lessons, and considering what I'm paying him, that's really unacceptable. It makes me sound bad, you know? When I've sat down and explained flamenco rhythm to him three or four times, and he still can't play a song that's 3/4-6/8? That's bad. Especially when every Friday I'm working with David Z, who is very talented, and clearly did some research on my pieces before he even started to work with me. And who charges 10$ less an hour. I promise- after this semester, I am done with mediochre accompanists forever. Duh-uhn. The publishing company sent me the wrong music, too, meaning that I have a whole set I was planning to do with a guitarist that is now in limbo. Do I drop the set? Do I try to get David Z to play it for me on short notice? We'll see tomorrow. I also have a lot of work to do on scholarship applications... anyone have any free money for me? Or maybe a decent job? That'd be cool.
Conducting is in the pool at the NCRB today... and since I couldn't manage to find a swimsuit anywhere at the mall, I'm stuck with the only suit I have which is... a bikini. I guess that's okay?... I'd rather not skip this class, so I guess I don't have a choice.
Also, I keep having this love-hate relationship with the Zipcars... I think I just need let it go, lol. It seems to be a lot of heartache every single time I rent a car. This time, I got to the car to find that it was badly dented on one side. In this sort of situation, you're supposed to call Zipcar before you unlock your car, so you won't be responsible for the damage. Of course, I had rented the car so that I could go to the mall and fix my poor fried phone... so I had to walk two blocks to a building with a public phone to make the call. Boooo. There's always something!
I'm really in a good mood, I promise ^^;. Just unloading the annoyances as usual. Post again later!
<3
As usual, an update about the Recital (capitalized) and Spain: I'm annoyed at accompanist #1, David L... he's really not pulling his weight. The guy does not practice my stuff outside of our lessons, and considering what I'm paying him, that's really unacceptable. It makes me sound bad, you know? When I've sat down and explained flamenco rhythm to him three or four times, and he still can't play a song that's 3/4-6/8? That's bad. Especially when every Friday I'm working with David Z, who is very talented, and clearly did some research on my pieces before he even started to work with me. And who charges 10$ less an hour. I promise- after this semester, I am done with mediochre accompanists forever. Duh-uhn. The publishing company sent me the wrong music, too, meaning that I have a whole set I was planning to do with a guitarist that is now in limbo. Do I drop the set? Do I try to get David Z to play it for me on short notice? We'll see tomorrow. I also have a lot of work to do on scholarship applications... anyone have any free money for me? Or maybe a decent job? That'd be cool.
Conducting is in the pool at the NCRB today... and since I couldn't manage to find a swimsuit anywhere at the mall, I'm stuck with the only suit I have which is... a bikini. I guess that's okay?... I'd rather not skip this class, so I guess I don't have a choice.
Also, I keep having this love-hate relationship with the Zipcars... I think I just need let it go, lol. It seems to be a lot of heartache every single time I rent a car. This time, I got to the car to find that it was badly dented on one side. In this sort of situation, you're supposed to call Zipcar before you unlock your car, so you won't be responsible for the damage. Of course, I had rented the car so that I could go to the mall and fix my poor fried phone... so I had to walk two blocks to a building with a public phone to make the call. Boooo. There's always something!
I'm really in a good mood, I promise ^^;. Just unloading the annoyances as usual. Post again later!
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811- Rushing out
- Listening to::Sufjan Stevens- For the widows in paradise, for the fatherless in Ypsilanti
My posts seem to have been reduced to one a week instead of one every few days! I suppose that's easier on your friends-pages, lol.
Not much is new since fall break ended... I passed out of piano with an A :D! So that's done with, and that gives me an enormous amount of free time. Four extra hours a week really makes a big difference... though it basically means I have four extra hours when I should be practicing, as well. I'm so glad it's finally over. I also got back the Syntax exam I was sure I had failed- definitely got a B-! Which is entirely okay! ^^.
I also managed to get into a quartet that will be on the Orpheus concert in November! Which my family will actually be able to see, since it's the day after my recital :D! I'm so excited. There are so few altos and so many solo parts that everybody got a good shot this time.
So now the things still hanging over my head are Spain and my recital. I finished my student visa paperwork, which I'll have to get notarized and turn in this afternoon (luckily I have today almost completely free, no musicology and no freakin' piano ever <3). The main stress over Spain is money. The program... well, it's going to cost somewhere between $6000-$9000 on top of tuition, depending on whether you're talking to the Illinois people or the Office of International Programs here. The OIP has screwed up royally when it comes to scholarships, and it's left me in a really, really tight spot. They even gave me the information about Illinois so late that I can't apply for any of the scholarships they offer. It's... some blinding idiocy, that's for sure. I'm glad Illinois is actually the one taking care of me once I get overseas, because I have exactly zero faith in the ability of the OIP to do anything properly, from scholarships to visa information to pricing to housing... Anyways, I'm applying for all the private scholarships I can manage. I need about ten thousand dollars to cover everything (assuming I have the right idea about the price of the program).
However, my recital is coming right along :). I rehearsed with David Z for the first time on Friday, and it was absolutely awesome. He's one of the best pianists I've ever worked with. I'm really grateful he's agreed to help on the recital... I have a lot of practicing to do, and the guitarrist is still a bit up in the air, but overall the recital is right where it needs to be at this point! I've got all my stuff solid except for "Olas Gigantes" (ugggh).
My parents came in this weekend, which was lovely! We went to the football game on Saturday, Zingerman's yesterday morning, and generally had way too much food, lol. It's so great to see them. I'm lucky to have a good relationship with my parents, and to have them close enough that they can actually visit every few months. I've eaten way too much the past couple weeks- though I've actually broke even on weight, despite a bit of overeating. I guess I wasn't as bad as I thought? I've lost 12 pounds in total since September 12th! That gives me an average of two pounds a week, which is what you're supposed to shoot for :). I've been really, really happy with weight-watchers. At this rate, I should be able to get to to 125ish before my recital! Maybe I'll fit into my dress after all.
We dropped by the mall, too, and I ended up getting a small amplifier from Radio Shack... It's going to be interesting. It made a big difference when I was trying it in the mall... we'll see.
Alright, off to the bank, then to practice as long as I can manage!
<3
Not much is new since fall break ended... I passed out of piano with an A :D! So that's done with, and that gives me an enormous amount of free time. Four extra hours a week really makes a big difference... though it basically means I have four extra hours when I should be practicing, as well. I'm so glad it's finally over. I also got back the Syntax exam I was sure I had failed- definitely got a B-! Which is entirely okay! ^^.
I also managed to get into a quartet that will be on the Orpheus concert in November! Which my family will actually be able to see, since it's the day after my recital :D! I'm so excited. There are so few altos and so many solo parts that everybody got a good shot this time.
So now the things still hanging over my head are Spain and my recital. I finished my student visa paperwork, which I'll have to get notarized and turn in this afternoon (luckily I have today almost completely free, no musicology and no freakin' piano ever <3). The main stress over Spain is money. The program... well, it's going to cost somewhere between $6000-$9000 on top of tuition, depending on whether you're talking to the Illinois people or the Office of International Programs here. The OIP has screwed up royally when it comes to scholarships, and it's left me in a really, really tight spot. They even gave me the information about Illinois so late that I can't apply for any of the scholarships they offer. It's... some blinding idiocy, that's for sure. I'm glad Illinois is actually the one taking care of me once I get overseas, because I have exactly zero faith in the ability of the OIP to do anything properly, from scholarships to visa information to pricing to housing... Anyways, I'm applying for all the private scholarships I can manage. I need about ten thousand dollars to cover everything (assuming I have the right idea about the price of the program).
However, my recital is coming right along :). I rehearsed with David Z for the first time on Friday, and it was absolutely awesome. He's one of the best pianists I've ever worked with. I'm really grateful he's agreed to help on the recital... I have a lot of practicing to do, and the guitarrist is still a bit up in the air, but overall the recital is right where it needs to be at this point! I've got all my stuff solid except for "Olas Gigantes" (ugggh).
My parents came in this weekend, which was lovely! We went to the football game on Saturday, Zingerman's yesterday morning, and generally had way too much food, lol. It's so great to see them. I'm lucky to have a good relationship with my parents, and to have them close enough that they can actually visit every few months. I've eaten way too much the past couple weeks- though I've actually broke even on weight, despite a bit of overeating. I guess I wasn't as bad as I thought? I've lost 12 pounds in total since September 12th! That gives me an average of two pounds a week, which is what you're supposed to shoot for :). I've been really, really happy with weight-watchers. At this rate, I should be able to get to to 125ish before my recital! Maybe I'll fit into my dress after all.
We dropped by the mall, too, and I ended up getting a small amplifier from Radio Shack... It's going to be interesting. It made a big difference when I was trying it in the mall... we'll see.
Alright, off to the bank, then to practice as long as I can manage!
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling::
Generally cheery - Listening to::De Falla- Olas Gigantes
Wow, it's been a while since I've posted! A lot has been up.
The end of last week was fairly uneventful. I had my Syntax midterm Thursday... ugh. It was shockingly difficult. I really thought I was ahead of the curve in this class, but apparently I got a bit cocky and let the last week or so slip by. I'm hoping for a C on this midterm. Which is awful. But she said it'd be curved... and there're also five homework assignments left for that class. ...Boo. Oh well. I also dyed my hair Thursday night (And packed, instead of seeing Conner's concert... I felt bad ^^;. but I was exhausted, and Sam needed someone to talk to). I think from now on I'm going to opt for the bleach-color combo. The bleaching took two tries, and was messy and took forever, and the hair paint stained my neck and my fingers! Now that I've used up all the pink paint, though, I'll just stick to the boxes of color I can get from Meyer. Though I think I'll leave out the pink on my next color, since it'll be right before my recital.
I also got a C+ on my Musicology exam, which was above the average, actually, but completely inexcusable from me. I really slacked off and didn't study like I should have... hopefully this'll teach me a lesson. I really, really, really should get an A in this class.
But it's all good because on Friday night I left for BLATIMORE! Things really worked out well. We got out of piano early, so I caught the bus with plenty of time, met Brittany, who was heading home to Chicago... we both had a two hour wait at the airport, so we got lunch and talked politics with this random lady sitting next to us at Max & Irma's. I got to Baltimore a little late, but nothing awful... until I realized I didn't have any cash for the lightrail! I stressed for a minute until I realized that I was in one of the few places where international currency can be useful. I went and exchanged my 50 Peso note (which I stole from Sam back in August) for a total of $3.65. Which was plenty enough to get me to Sam's stop :).
Man, it was a great weekend. Way too much Indian food, lots of sleep, beautiful weather, shopping, and of course just relaxing for once! It's amazing how much anywhere can feel like home when you're with your best friend. Sam's roommate was really nice, too. I got my interview done with no snags, managed to finish the transcription in just a couple of hours... which was great for me but rather inconvenient for poor maki'mak <3. We cooked delicious apple wontons, had an adventure at the grocery store... just general chilling. Baltimore has a very different atmosphere from Ann Arbor, obviously... but also from any other city I've visited. I think it's partly because I was situated in the artsy part of town. Sasha's friend's face sweated from spicy Indian food, Sam planned out a new comic, I didn't practice piano enough, and it was wonderful. I was really sad to go when the time came. I was definitely not ready to get back to the real world. Luckily my trip home was absolutely perfect, or I'd have been a lot more depressed last night to start classes again. The flight got in early, I had a seat in an empty row, Ushi gave me a ride home, Ms. Anderson sent me candy, and my grandparents sent me a box of 6 or 7 different kinds of apples from the farm and surrounding farms, all labeled. Most of them survived the trip, actually (with a little refrigeration ^^).
All in all it was a wonderful, lovely weekend, and I wish I could visit more often! I should audition at Peabody when I'm looking at grad schools just to have an excuse to spend a short weekend in Baltimore.
I practiced for a couple of hours this morning... went ahead and went to my Musicology 139 class instead of taking another hour to practice, since I was doing nothing but stressing myself out, anyway. Part one of my Piano final went well, I think... sightreading I probably got a B+, A- on, chord progression an A+, harmonization a B, and the accompanied piece an A. Maybe a B+ overall. I'm okay with this, so far... I just have to make it through the second half tomorrow morning! Just scales and solo piece...
So now I'm eating celebratory sushi. Celebrating finishing part 1 of the final, making it through the first half of the semester, and being on the upswing of my PMS for the moment ;).
<3
The end of last week was fairly uneventful. I had my Syntax midterm Thursday... ugh. It was shockingly difficult. I really thought I was ahead of the curve in this class, but apparently I got a bit cocky and let the last week or so slip by. I'm hoping for a C on this midterm. Which is awful. But she said it'd be curved... and there're also five homework assignments left for that class. ...Boo. Oh well. I also dyed my hair Thursday night (And packed, instead of seeing Conner's concert... I felt bad ^^;. but I was exhausted, and Sam needed someone to talk to). I think from now on I'm going to opt for the bleach-color combo. The bleaching took two tries, and was messy and took forever, and the hair paint stained my neck and my fingers! Now that I've used up all the pink paint, though, I'll just stick to the boxes of color I can get from Meyer. Though I think I'll leave out the pink on my next color, since it'll be right before my recital.
I also got a C+ on my Musicology exam, which was above the average, actually, but completely inexcusable from me. I really slacked off and didn't study like I should have... hopefully this'll teach me a lesson. I really, really, really should get an A in this class.
But it's all good because on Friday night I left for BLATIMORE! Things really worked out well. We got out of piano early, so I caught the bus with plenty of time, met Brittany, who was heading home to Chicago... we both had a two hour wait at the airport, so we got lunch and talked politics with this random lady sitting next to us at Max & Irma's. I got to Baltimore a little late, but nothing awful... until I realized I didn't have any cash for the lightrail! I stressed for a minute until I realized that I was in one of the few places where international currency can be useful. I went and exchanged my 50 Peso note (which I stole from Sam back in August) for a total of $3.65. Which was plenty enough to get me to Sam's stop :).
Man, it was a great weekend. Way too much Indian food, lots of sleep, beautiful weather, shopping, and of course just relaxing for once! It's amazing how much anywhere can feel like home when you're with your best friend. Sam's roommate was really nice, too. I got my interview done with no snags, managed to finish the transcription in just a couple of hours... which was great for me but rather inconvenient for poor maki'mak <3. We cooked delicious apple wontons, had an adventure at the grocery store... just general chilling. Baltimore has a very different atmosphere from Ann Arbor, obviously... but also from any other city I've visited. I think it's partly because I was situated in the artsy part of town. Sasha's friend's face sweated from spicy Indian food, Sam planned out a new comic, I didn't practice piano enough, and it was wonderful. I was really sad to go when the time came. I was definitely not ready to get back to the real world. Luckily my trip home was absolutely perfect, or I'd have been a lot more depressed last night to start classes again. The flight got in early, I had a seat in an empty row, Ushi gave me a ride home, Ms. Anderson sent me candy, and my grandparents sent me a box of 6 or 7 different kinds of apples from the farm and surrounding farms, all labeled. Most of them survived the trip, actually (with a little refrigeration ^^).
All in all it was a wonderful, lovely weekend, and I wish I could visit more often! I should audition at Peabody when I'm looking at grad schools just to have an excuse to spend a short weekend in Baltimore.
I practiced for a couple of hours this morning... went ahead and went to my Musicology 139 class instead of taking another hour to practice, since I was doing nothing but stressing myself out, anyway. Part one of my Piano final went well, I think... sightreading I probably got a B+, A- on, chord progression an A+, harmonization a B, and the accompanied piece an A. Maybe a B+ overall. I'm okay with this, so far... I just have to make it through the second half tomorrow morning! Just scales and solo piece...
So now I'm eating celebratory sushi. Celebrating finishing part 1 of the final, making it through the first half of the semester, and being on the upswing of my PMS for the moment ;).
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling:: Happy
- Listening to::Shubert- Death and the Maiden
Nothing too exiting, just an update for the last few days....
Saturday was lame. I ended up just making it to the second quarter of the game, to make a very long story short... which was fun... but boo. I shouldn't have wasted my time. Debbie got smashed and forgot about me, lol. So I don't know what to do about her. I'm pretty pissed, frankly, and I'm really not willing to put this much work into a friendship to get so little in return. But there's a part of me that's scared for Debbie. I know she was in the hospital for part of last semester, and I'm wondering if there's something going on I don't know about. I just don't know what to do, really. I think I've got to leave it to her, for now? Maybe we can catch the last game together or something. I'll leave the doors open, but I can't go chasing her any longer.
My wasted Saturday meant I spent Sunday working my tail off. I got everything done, though, to a very satisfactory degree :). Nothing big... worked, worked at the SOM, worked, ate No Thai with Kathy, who was sick as could be the whole weekend. Monday was slow, but we did have an awesome free Jazz musician come in and perform for us in US Music. And my piano GSI pulled me aside to let me know she could tell I practiced like crazy over the weekend and to tell me that she wasn't worried about me passing the final.
Um... Oh, Vocal Arts Lab! It was really great finally performing the set of 5 short Spanish pieces in public! It went quite well, I think. I'll be able to refine the performance and really do well once November rolls around. (God, I'm 5 weeks away from my recital! Skery.) On a similar note, I finally had the guitar Villancicos sent here, via a Spanish website. They'll take two weeks to get here, though, and I don't know if my guitarrist will stand for learning the pieces in three weeks... oh well.
The toilet aparantly exploded this morning after I left.... ugh. Lots of nasty clean up. But that's done now. Now I need to study syntax (midterm on Thursday), and finish my conducting paper.
Also, there is no money for me in the entire world, ever. Really, the Office of International Programs doesn't offer any scholarship money? None? Ugh... I'm looking for private scholarships and anything I can get in merit from the Office of Financial Aid. I could really use some monetary help. Maybe I'll work at Bursley... that seems to be the one place I haven't applied around here.
I'll be in Baltimore this time three days from now! Ahhh! :) That's the only thing keeping me going through this weird week.
<3
Saturday was lame. I ended up just making it to the second quarter of the game, to make a very long story short... which was fun... but boo. I shouldn't have wasted my time. Debbie got smashed and forgot about me, lol. So I don't know what to do about her. I'm pretty pissed, frankly, and I'm really not willing to put this much work into a friendship to get so little in return. But there's a part of me that's scared for Debbie. I know she was in the hospital for part of last semester, and I'm wondering if there's something going on I don't know about. I just don't know what to do, really. I think I've got to leave it to her, for now? Maybe we can catch the last game together or something. I'll leave the doors open, but I can't go chasing her any longer.
My wasted Saturday meant I spent Sunday working my tail off. I got everything done, though, to a very satisfactory degree :). Nothing big... worked, worked at the SOM, worked, ate No Thai with Kathy, who was sick as could be the whole weekend. Monday was slow, but we did have an awesome free Jazz musician come in and perform for us in US Music. And my piano GSI pulled me aside to let me know she could tell I practiced like crazy over the weekend and to tell me that she wasn't worried about me passing the final.
Um... Oh, Vocal Arts Lab! It was really great finally performing the set of 5 short Spanish pieces in public! It went quite well, I think. I'll be able to refine the performance and really do well once November rolls around. (God, I'm 5 weeks away from my recital! Skery.) On a similar note, I finally had the guitar Villancicos sent here, via a Spanish website. They'll take two weeks to get here, though, and I don't know if my guitarrist will stand for learning the pieces in three weeks... oh well.
The toilet aparantly exploded this morning after I left.... ugh. Lots of nasty clean up. But that's done now. Now I need to study syntax (midterm on Thursday), and finish my conducting paper.
Also, there is no money for me in the entire world, ever. Really, the Office of International Programs doesn't offer any scholarship money? None? Ugh... I'm looking for private scholarships and anything I can get in merit from the Office of Financial Aid. I could really use some monetary help. Maybe I'll work at Bursley... that seems to be the one place I haven't applied around here.
I'll be in Baltimore this time three days from now! Ahhh! :) That's the only thing keeping me going through this weird week.
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling::
Dunno. - Listening to::Foo Fighters- Virginia Moon
Argh, it's been forever. Debbie's going to the game today (And maybe Kathy as well, if she's not too tired. She went out with a couple of friends last night in celebration of finally finishing her project and exam!). I'll go straight from there to Elke's to clean up, meaning that I'll have tomorrow completely free :)
Homework to do:
Practice piano (scales mostly!)
450 Paper- Watch biopic
Schedule interview time with Ms. Marilyn
Yesterday was a lot of fun... Voice lesson went well. I really need to work on the Maja dolorosa pieces, but that's expected. Vocally, they're probably the most difficult set on the recital, even harder than the big zarzuela at the end. Hopefully David L. will have them ready to play by this Wednesday. I'm also singing Monday night at Vocal Arts Lab! -Oh crap, I also have a voice lesson Monday afternoon! Wow. Better practice, and better make sure David L. remembers. I really have to work on Maja by Monday's lesson. For the VAL, I'll sing a set of five short pieces... this happens to mark the third year in a row that I've sung a Spanish piece at the October Vocal Arts Lab (there's one every month).
In US Music, we went to the Clements library. It was really an interesting experience. We got to see original sheet music published during the Tin Can Alley period... plus some incredible artifacts like an original Bay Psalm Book, Urania, Christopher Columbus' notes, a letter written by Frederick Douglas. Our guide was the most fantastic history nerd I've ever seen <3.
I practiced for a total of four hours yesterday, mostly piano ><. Hopefully that'll keep me above water. I ended up cutting my time short and going to Prof. Lusmann's recital- it was a series of piano and art songs composed by a U of M grad, all about ceramic artist George Ohr. The dude was completely insane. The music was incredible, though... really interesting; a real accomplishment in terms of composition. And Prof. Lusmann is a great performer :).
I turned down ping-pong and DDR with Ushi and the gang to go home and get started on my paper due Monday... I have to write about the music used in a political candidate's biopic video. Ending up watching Obama's... I might post the paper at some point, I think it'll be interesting.
In other news, OMG SPAIN. AHHH. It still hasn't worn off yet. Though the OIP is really, really not helpful in terms of scholarships. Or in terms of almost anything, I guess.
<3
Homework to do:
Practice piano (scales mostly!)
450 Paper- Watch biopic
Schedule interview time with Ms. Marilyn
Yesterday was a lot of fun... Voice lesson went well. I really need to work on the Maja dolorosa pieces, but that's expected. Vocally, they're probably the most difficult set on the recital, even harder than the big zarzuela at the end. Hopefully David L. will have them ready to play by this Wednesday. I'm also singing Monday night at Vocal Arts Lab! -Oh crap, I also have a voice lesson Monday afternoon! Wow. Better practice, and better make sure David L. remembers. I really have to work on Maja by Monday's lesson. For the VAL, I'll sing a set of five short pieces... this happens to mark the third year in a row that I've sung a Spanish piece at the October Vocal Arts Lab (there's one every month).
In US Music, we went to the Clements library. It was really an interesting experience. We got to see original sheet music published during the Tin Can Alley period... plus some incredible artifacts like an original Bay Psalm Book, Urania, Christopher Columbus' notes, a letter written by Frederick Douglas. Our guide was the most fantastic history nerd I've ever seen <3.
I practiced for a total of four hours yesterday, mostly piano ><. Hopefully that'll keep me above water. I ended up cutting my time short and going to Prof. Lusmann's recital- it was a series of piano and art songs composed by a U of M grad, all about ceramic artist George Ohr. The dude was completely insane. The music was incredible, though... really interesting; a real accomplishment in terms of composition. And Prof. Lusmann is a great performer :).
I turned down ping-pong and DDR with Ushi and the gang to go home and get started on my paper due Monday... I have to write about the music used in a political candidate's biopic video. Ending up watching Obama's... I might post the paper at some point, I think it'll be interesting.
In other news, OMG SPAIN. AHHH. It still hasn't worn off yet. Though the OIP is really, really not helpful in terms of scholarships. Or in terms of almost anything, I guess.
<3
- Where I am::Apartment #1811
- Feeling:: Happy
- Listening to::The loud football music blaring outside