Monday, June 7, 2010

Going dark for the summer.

Or, at least until I come back from Italy. Follow my adventures at amhinitalia.blogspot.com!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

They've been Practicing

Be afraid, world.

http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2010/05/27


Ninja bears.

Friday, May 28, 2010

For my Italian Adventures

A trip blog:
http://amhinitalia.blogspot.com/

Nel mezzo del cammin: it translates to "In the middle of the walk," and happens to be the first few words to Dante's Divine Comedy.

We shall see what unfolds.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Of Home, coming and leaving

I've been in New Jersey for...2.5 days, give or take, and am surrounded by piles of my own stuff. I'm still settling in, unpacking, and getting the lay of the land. Dead Week flew by, complete with all nighters pulled for the sake of video editing, and marathon events serving the parents of Morsels. It was good, but now it's good to be home. I've slept a lot, and enjoyed television on an actual tv.

I've rediscovered the joys of reading for the hell of it-- I'm reading a collection of david sedaris, "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," in addition to "Breve Storia d'Italia," or a Brief History of Italy. The vocabulary is tough, but I just made it through the Punic wars relatively unscathed. It's oddly satisfying, reading in Italian-- it puts you in a different mindset, but one that is just as relaxing as reading in English. Sometimes I wonder whether I am developing a super secret Italian subpersonality that only surfaces at times of linguistic need... I suppose I'll test out this theory in Italy.

I have about two weeks until I depart for the continent. My visa is MIA. I haven't packed. But I have my textbooks, and I just get more excited as the days tick by. In a few more weeks, I'll be in the Palazzo Pubblico at a cafe, sipping an espresso, or perhaps enjoying some quality gelato. And maybe reading for my course, too.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Dead Week Continues

Things I have learned during dead week:

1. Salvaging is wonderful
2. Cooking is fun
3. Pasta is delicious
4. Swing is very far away from everything
5. The YPMB is very fun to hang out with
6. The Minibus is AWESOME

Things I still have to do:

1. Pack
2. Pack
3. Pack

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Insanity begins, or, Dubs and Pickles

Dead week has begun on Campus, with the band cozily settled in in Bingham, and I in my high tower of the North, Swing Space. It's weird being around all the abandoned rooms here, and already I realize that I probably should have just stayed with the band. But the bright side is that I'll make bunches of money while I'm here with little actual hardship, as the office is open for the hours. It's been three days since this week started and already I've racked up nearly eight hours of work; Dead week in this aspect is awesome.

I have a scooter outfitted to commute back and forth to the band, and my ID has swipe access to Bingham, for which I am thankful. Which means that I can pass back and forth between the two quite easily-- this is all I've hoped for.

And now, some quality sleep, and then a nice morning shift tomorrow. And so it begins...

I suppose I should get a move on with packing...

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Free at Last

It's weird, being done this early in finals season. The first final at Yale was Tuesday, and I was done on Friday.

Now I'm packing up my things, rendering the room the blank slate it was when I moved here last august. I'm a little sad to see the walls so bare, and to see my things in disarray, but on the other hand, it only signals the greatness to come: dead week and then the summer.

It's been a good year. My grades were higher, I've done more, and I've really made some solid friendships (or solidified existing ones) that I know I'll keep for a long, long time. I've discovered the hidden value of free time (only realized when you haven't any), and I realized my loves in life included romance languages and their literature. I've been to concerts and explored New Haven, and I've really taken control of my circumstances. It's been a very good year.

And now I'm taking some quality relaxation time, and just getting my stuff together so that dead week will be amazing.