Well, I officially failed my first Halloween in the States - so sad! Alas, it crept up alarmingly fast, and since the past week has been, frankly, HORRIBLE academically, I just couldn't manage the time, energy or money to even turn up to a party, let alone find myself a costume. This is very disappointing! Next year, I must do better - I think the secret is to start accumulating bits and pieces all year long. You know, a bit of pancake make-up here, some wacky thrift-shop clothes there...
This is my problem with being in grad-school at the moment - there is guilt associated with everything! If I don't go to the parties, I feel guilty for being an anti-social cow who's not putting in the effort to be part of the community. If I do, I feel guilty for being a slack student who's not putting in enough time (ie, all of it) and effort into her studies... There is no winning scenario here folks!
I did, however, make the effort to go out for a little while this evening to attend the All Souls Procession, which is allegedly the single best thing to happen in Tucson ever. It was certainly fun and spectacular! Alas, I forgot my camera, but you can find out more about the history of the event here:
http://www.allsoulsprocession.org/index2.html
It was a wonderful and fascinating and very inclusive event! I loved it, and next year I am DEFINITELY putting on a skeleton face and joining in the procession a bit more! Amazing.
Well, classes have been kicking my arse a bit in the last few weeks (mostly because, as I have been complaining loudly and often, THERE IS NO MID-SEMESTER BREAK!!! Why? What moron thought that 16 straight weeks of classes was a good idea?) and you're probably all sick of hearing me obsess, so I'll spare you more of that for now. I will just say this. You know how I had finally sorted out my subject choices for next semester? Well, then a late offering came in and now everything's all up in the air again! Amy Fountain is offering an unsual Spring run of a course called "Structure of a non-Western language", but this time it's going to be more of a typological look at Native American languages generally. It sounds really cool! And it may never be offered in quite this form again... On the other hand, it's not cross-listed with Anthropology, so I don't know if I can count it towards my Minor, and it's a bit early on for me to be doing random courses that don't fulfill requirements, and the Carnie course was working in so nicely with the extra-curricular work he wanted me to do on this Ergativity paper... Argh! Indecision!
So in other news, my lovely Canadian friend Jelena and I have made a pact to be gym buddies! We're going to go three mornings a week, starting Wednesday, and I'm so relieved, because without the guilt associated with standing up a friend, you know there's no way I'd drag my arse out of bed at 6 if I didn't have to! Jelena and I have our birthdays in the same week, so our goal is to be embarrassingly fit and fabulous by then so we can throw a big party to celebrate. In further felicitous news - our birthdays are in the week after exams finish in the spring semester, so the timing is perfect!
Wish us luck, and motivation, and the will to resist countering all our efforts by overdosing on cheese and chocolate... ;-)
Skipping back to guilt for a minute, let me just take this opportunity to offer a global apology to all of you to whom I owe an email, a facebook message, a postcard, a package, phonecall... anything. I'm sorry! The passage of time seems to be operating madly - weeks go past without me realising what's happening sometimes! And also, I am clearly just a slack bitch... I will try to do better! Although don't expect miracles - at least not until around December or so...
6 comments:
That course sounds fantastic! Hope you can make a decision - you're sounding a bit like me at the moment! :P
And good luck with the gym. Hope there aren't too many smelly and ugly people...
It does sound good, doesn't it? And Amy is a bit of a star... damned indecision! I have totally come over all Libran Linguist - scary!
Actually I'm more worried about the gym being populated with an overabundance of skinny, perky, cheerleading sorority girl types... Ugh!
You crack me up! As I read the post I could hear your voice in my head (along with the other voices of course). Go team you! Counting down to holidays too :D
Getting a gym buddy is a great idea! Anita and I have started the same thing, although sometimes I wonder whether we're doing one another any favours. Our motivation is usually along the lines of, "Well, we're going to the gym this afternoon, so it's fine to have cinnamon buns and coffee as a morning pick-me-up!" ;-)
As requested, I am hereby wishing you all the motivation, luck, cheese and chocolate I can muster.
Wait, let me read that again...
Meh, my wish still stands.
Well, now that we've made our initial foray into the scary world of the campus gym - keep that motivation coming!
Garry - you know I'll never turn down cheese and/or chocolate, no matter what I say!
Beth - I planned on morning gym excursions PRECISELY so that I could then justify coffee and croissant afterwards!
Laura - Can you at least tell me apart from the other voices in your head? Cuz that one telling you to burn things isn't me, I swear... ;-)
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