Finally

Life here is getting easier.

I've finally started getting my footing on friendships. It was hard at first, but as I'm getting to know people, I've started finding people who actually want to hang out and do stuff. On Wednesday night, I went alone to a reggae concert at the Barn (which is like a bar/restaurant/venue on campus); I only stayed for one band, but it was pretty cool. There was a girl standing next to me who seemed like she was into it, but as they kept playing, I heard her saying, "This just doesn't make sense." A guy behind me asks, "What?" And she says, "I'm from Jamaica..." The singer faked a pretty good Jamaican accent though. On Thursday night, I went to the Barn again with my friend Hyun for the Student Musician's Association meeting-- I don't think I will be joining SMA. You can rent out rooms and equipment, make recordings, find people to jam with, and that's all fun, but the information meeting/concert did not turn me on to the idea. Hyun and I ended up leaving early to get our friend Jenny and go back to Hyun's dorm to play guitar and hang out. It was pretty cool, though.

Everyone here leaves on weekends, so it usually gets dead quiet in my hallway. You don't really see that many people. Friday afternoon, I went and bought chalk for the lounge. When I got home, my friend Asa and I proceeded to do some epic scenes: He drew a samurai fighting a giant praying mantis; I drew an alien turning a city into hamburgers, fries, and a milkshake. We spent the rest of the night just talking and watching Superman Doomsday and laughing and talking some more. It was fun. Saturday, Hyun and I played guitar for a while, attempting to write a song. We got the chorus and two verses down, but next we have to do a bridge, and possibly a third verse. We also played a bit of Super Smash Brothers, which he dominated at, considering the fact that I don't think I've ever played that game and I all around suck at videogames anyway. He got six consecutive wins before we quit. Jenny came and retrieved us and we went back to her dorms and watched a movie in their lounge. Around sixish, I went back to my rooms to find out the plan for the rest of the night.

Christy, one of the staff members in my hallway, and Asa came over for about an hour and played cards and listening to music. At around 8 p.m. I went over to B-side (A and B are connected by a lounge) and listened to their awkward conversations, until it was time to go. A large group of us, twelve or thirteen or so, went to go see Couples Retreat; It was okay--average, in my opinion. Afterward, we all went to Denny's (at midnight!) and then walked back to the dorms around 1:30, where everyone stayed up talking in the hallway until about 2:30, before we all dispersed for bed. It was quite entertaining.

Today is my quiet day. The day that I need to complete all my readings for Monday and Tuesday and get any necessary work finished; I've been keeping on top of my homework very well, usually finishing it before I go out and do anything with anyone, so no need to worry that my social life is getting in the way of my academics. It's not, and it will not.

In anthropology, we're reading about human exhibitionism at world fairs throughout the past century and in the present-- Body Worlds counts. Anthropology is definitely changing my perspective even more on how to interact with people and evaluate what they're saying, and eliminating my idea of 'race'. I mean, I've long had the thought that "people are people" but this class is solidifying that belief for me. Dr. Harvey continues to be engaging, while the readings continue to be boring, but it's a balance. I know that when I'm done with the readings, he will find a clever way to explain everything that I have read that I need to know.

I actually need to go do the anthropology reading now, but that is a small synopsis of what has been happening (socially) in my life in the past couple of days.

Just because I'm starting to like it better here doesn't mean that I don't want to be at Home. If I could come Home every weekend, I would, and I'm jealous of everyone who gets to do so. But I'm learning to cope with it.