Going dark for the summer.

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

They've been Practicing

Be afraid, world.

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


Ninja bears.

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.

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.

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

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...

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.

All Quiet at the Fort

There are eight of us here, holding down the fort. I have the long watch. I see people across the courtyard in their little "weenie bins," each isolated and in their own little world. Some stand and pace, others lean dejectedly, just wanting to melt into their textbooks. There is food here, and drink, despite the rules that dictate otherwise. I've traced the path of the Sun before, here, in this comfy leather chair, and seen rainstorms come and go. I've played games, written papers, and stared at paintings until Jackson Pollack made sense. And so I stay here.

Yesterday we made Finalsaurs, like last semester. The amount of effort placed here into our little play-doh formations is formidable and endearing, because in our hearts of hearts we all want to be five again.

I should probably get back to studying art history now. I'm in the stage where I have studied dates and painters ad nauseum, but don't quite feel qualified yet. Perhaps I shall reread the book now.

A new beginning

My life seems to have gotten in the way of me blogging about it. Whether this is a side effect of being busy, or whether my schedule doesn't have proper reflection time, I don't know, but in any case, so much has happened and I haven't documented any of it.

It's now finals period, as of a half hour ago, and thus tonight was the semiannual "finals fairies" run through the libraries that certain....confident folks partake in, passing out candy to the oppressed in the nude. I have yet to witness this, as I'm for whatever reason out of Bass at its moment of occurrence. Which is strange, because I live in bass.

You see, the band has a Fort that lets us collectively have a study group and a support group, all whilst pulling insane hours in the same area. Yesterday I spent 8 hours (minus about 40 minutes) in the same chair, and I made so much progress. It's how to do finals right.

April was the cruelest month for me here, in that housing happened. Like last year, it was full of drama and re-shufflings, but this year I think it was more luck than anything that alternately screwed me over and then blessed me. I am terribly excited for my room in Morse Tower next year; it's large, spacious, has a walk in closet, and a huuuuuuge built in desk that I am very very excited for. And my suite will be awesome and a wonderful place; I only hope I can spend more time there in the future.

I went to New York City with two friends today; after wandering through most of Manhattan, we finally came back to Yale and are now in various states of collapse. It's been a very good day.

And now, summer beckons, and along with it, dead week. I'm excited for this year; I feel like sophomore year is great in that I know precisely what to look forward to. And then after that? I will be in Italy for 5 weeks. I cannot wait.

Truly, this has been the best School Year EVER. I'm having the time of my life here, and can't be happier. Just, perhaps, a little less busy.

Allora, ciao. For it's time to sleep.

Inglourious Basterds

is one of those movies that makes you feel immensely satisfied by the end of it. You feel like a badass too, quoting it-- OBLIGE HIM.

I highly recommend on grounds of the soundtrack alone.

In other moments of win, it's tap season, which means all kinds of shenanigans are about to start happening.

Literal Moment of Win

I went with the band to Worcester, Mass. yesterday to see Yale Hockey take on the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. With odds stacked up high against us, we won. I have no voice. My body is stiff. We won 3-2, maintaining the lead throughout the entire game.

And now we move on to facing off against Boston College.

THIS IS YALE HOCKEY.

Reason why I love Yale, late snow edition

http://www.midnightatyale.com/2010/02/top-ten-snow-sculptures.html

Where else will a Totoro snow sculpture be made?

New Jersey

Today, at the Garden State Plaza, New Jersey's largest/most comprehensive mall, I discovered one of those t-shirt pavilions in the middle, with a shirt that said: "Pump fists, not gas."

Stay classy and keep on living up to the stereotype, New Jersey.

Spring Break!

So, my blogging activities have effectively halted. This is a combination of no time and no inspiration, not to mention the rather demanding workload of my other blog. In any case, now I'm on spring break, and considering what to do with this blog. Life summaries, while interesting to those who lived them, are neither literary nor particularly engaging. Pictures are nice enough, I guess.

I think I shall simply start cataloging moments of humor and moments of win in my life. Obviously moments of greatness are fewer than moments of mediocrity, but then, they're more worth recording, aren't they?

We shall see how this new strategy goes.

Resolutions Update once again

1. Get in shape: I've been pseudo-regular with dates on the treadmill, and football, but on the other hand, that's about to stop as I get closer and closer to Crunch Time-- I have 3 papers, a powerpoint presentation, a midterm, and translations to do in the next two weeks. Fun times.

2. Take more risks and live a little: This has been addressed in my going to more dance parties and meeting new people; this has been a good thing thus far.

3. Be more active: Yup, at peak busy right now.

4. Visit museums I haven't been to before: This has been put on hold until school isn't happening.

5. Get back in trumpet shape: This past weekend I played higher for longer than I thought possible.

6. Get closer to fluency in Italian: È un processo.

7. Read more books for pleasure: I've started "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris. It's very good so far....

8. Learn to cook: Nope.

9. Eat healthier food: This has been happening.

10. Make a difference in someone else's life: Hasn't happened in a big way yet but it will.


So far, not bad.

Posts will resume with frequency eventually, I hope.

Traduzione

One of my classes involves copious amounts of translation from old italian (italiano antico) to modern italian. It's very interesting stuff, and throws in sharp relief the lack of Latin in my life. I actually can't wait to start learning Latin, just because it helps so much with deciphering older words in Italian.

I like translating things; there's a certain art and dexterity with words that's required of it. It's also gratifying to turn something half-incomprehensible into something readable and understandable. I also think that it's giving me a new perspective on the language, which is something I will always appreciate-- there is an amazing amount of thought that goes into translating something properly, that I hadn't thought of previously.

An unfortunate side effect of this, however, is that my brain is stuck somewhere between Italian and English, and this results in a very interesting speech and language style. I find in conversation the Italian word comes to me first, and I have to retranslate. One can only hope that this is just another step on the road to fluency.

Spero di si.

Updates on Resolutions

1. Get in Shape and Stay in shape: Thus far, this has been addressed in an isolated run on the treadmill. This will be fixed starting next week.

2. Take more risks and live a little: I jaywalk with a little more abandon, and have been enjoying getting into escapades with all my friends.

3. Be more active: Classes this time around necessitate this-- I haven't all that much time to sit.

4. Visit Museums I haven't been to before, like the MoMa: I explored new sections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and might be visiting the Rubin Museum soon.

5. Get back in trumpet shape: I played for 8 hours straight on Saturday and therefore will not be playing much this week.

6. Get closer to fluency in Italian: two classes will do that.

7. Read more books for pleasure: I will be starting "Io non ho paura" soon.

8. Learn to cook: ...This has been a fail thus far.

9. Eat healthier food: Salad once a day! Hooray!

10. Make a difference in someone else's life: I might start tutoring very soon.

Not bad for 20 days into this wild, wild adventure.

Divided Attention

Well, as one of my class requirements in Italian is to maintain an italian blog, I might even be more sporadic in posting.

Oops.

direefare.blogspot.com

This is why I chose Yale...

The new admissions video is actually pretty close to why I chose Yale.

It's things like this that make me proud to be part of this institution.

Hmm...

Only at Yale will you see a skateboarder with boat shoes and a pink polo shirt. Just sayin'.

-- Post From My phone

Le avventure di Italiano

One of my resolutions this year was to get closer to fluency in Italian. I feel like this semester and the summer will be the timeframes for this to happen. I'm taking two classes in Italian- Pirandello: Theater Practicum and Advanced Language and Composition.

The Pirandello course will be amazing. What better way to better one's italian than reciting and putting feeling into prose? I have a feeling my speaking will better itself immensely over the semester just from being inundated in wonderful speech.

The other course, ITAL 151, is also going to be great-- I get to try my hand at translation and to tackle more academic things within the Italian language. This is exciting, not just because I get to (apparently) be published, but also because this might be what I will be doing for the rest of my life.

It's interesting being amongst other advanced students-- some are behind, some are ahead, and some are at my level; it makes for an interesting group that bubbles in conversation. Italian students are basically awesome.

And so it goes

It's the day before classes start here, and I'm furiously bluebooking, trying to find the happy medium of easy and interesting in science classes. It's hard, because most guts get abysmal reviews, probably because most kids don't want to be there in the first place. At least I'm only trying to fill in two credits' worth of classes; others are trying to schedule in more.

I'm excited for shopping to start though-- I am taking two italian courses and an art history course in preparation for Life After Yale, be it grad school or a publishing job. I'm so happy to be advanced enough to take fun courses in Italian, and art history has always interested me and looks to be a useful thing for grad school.

It's cold in New Haven; my face nearly froze yesterday when I first came back, but I'm acclimating. Swing Space should be interesting when I lose the motivation to get up in the morning; it's going to be a long walk to LC.

Let the semester begin!!!

See you at the Met

The last three days I've been holed up in NYC, spending time with family, gorging on various exciting foods, and then today I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love the Met, it's a wonderful museum that is always a fun experience and a different one, too-- there are so many rooms and wings that even after 10 years of going there I still encounter new rooms to explore. The main hall, as seen above, is one of my favorite portions of the museum. There are fresh flowers every day, beautiful bouquets donated by Lila Acheson Wallace (or, rather, her fund). People cluster here, wandering to the next wing or hall, and you can hear every language in the world.

It's a great place to spend a cold winter's day!