For the first time since October, I walked across campus without a coat, and- dare I say it- slight perspiration! Ok, I had just finished my ballet class and was wearing a sweater, but it was warm! For those of you in Iowa, you probably know that last week was amazingly different from the sub zero temperatures not too long before. Everyone's spirits improved, and I didn't have to cut through engineering buildings just to prevent frostbite; my classes happen to be on opposite ends of campus.
Well, besides the weather, my Chordate Anatomy class is going really well. I have to review every day, but I like how the tests are set up. Instead of tricky multiple choice or true false, our professor gives us a list of essay questions and we get to pick 8 out of the 12 to answer. Ballet is still my favorite class, and I think Robin Hood would be up there too if it weren't from 7 to 9pm. Since I have my first class at 9am, 9:00 to 9:00 on campus makes for a long day, but the Robin Hood class is worth it. This past week, I co-led the class with two classmates. We started things off with two guests from the ISU fencing club. They talked about the history of fencing (noblemen dueling in the back alleys of Paris) and showed us some of the techniques. Then we got to practice the footwork. We weren't quite ready for swords. We also gave a presentation about Technicolor and led a discussion about the importance of Technicolor and the dueling match in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) which we watched the week before as a class.
This Friday, I talked to high school students and parents about the Honors program through Explore Iowa State, and attended the GIRLS Power slumber party. The theme was "movies" so my mentee and I dressed up as Harry Potter characters. She was Bellatrix, and I went as Professor Trelawney. Sadly, I do not have any photos. The evening included all things slumber party-ish: pizza, the game sardines, nail polish, a dance party with glow sticks, a terrible night's sleep, etc. The following evening with some friends did include glow sticks, sadly, but the hosts cooked up some pretty delicious food and I was able to talk to some people I had not seen for a while.
I have also been keeping busy with a semester-long research project for my Globalization and Human Condition Anthropology class. My topic: How Globalization Created Apple Pie as an American Icon and is Now Causing its Demise. Whenever I finally finish it, I think I will have to celebrate by actually making apple pie.
Have a good one.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Plastic Bags, Tapioca, and Dog Skulls- a strange life
I was doing so well with blog updates, and then I got a little lazy. Oh, well. Last weekend was really nice and probably one of the most well-balanced weekends I can remember. I got to spend time with my parents who took me out to eat at Fugi, a Japanese steakhouse where they do the crazy chopping stuff right in front of your table. My parents are getting really good at spoiling me.
Of course I spent a fair amount of time doing homework, but I also got to relax a bit and go with a friend to see Barjche, a modern dance performance by the ISU dance club. Some of the stuff was a little too "modern" for my taste, but I suppose that people really involved in the dance world want to see something new and refreshing. One of the scenes I am thinking about had one dancer moving around on a rolling chair, pretending to drink from a gauntlet, while the other crawled about trying to reach up for a sip. The piece was called "Thirst" which fit in pretty well with the title: "Dance, Nature, and Sustainability." There were other pieces called "Oil Spill" and "Fire" which I really liked. They had a little more "dancing," and the lighting and costuming were excellent. Oh, there was also another really interesting piece in which the three dancers pulled tons of plastic bags through the holes in their shirts as a giant fan blew more plastic bags onto the stage. By the end of the performance, the large amounts of sacks began to hinder their movements- I thought it was a cool social commentary.
Last weekend and this weekend, I have also been fairly busy with CPC (fund-raising for our spring break mission trip) and GIRLS Power. Today I went with my mentee to an ISU women's basketball game. It was my first college BB game and pretty fun. I think she enjoyed it, too. Sometimes it is hard to tell.
Anyway, throw in a game night with tapioca and friends, warmer weather, a new computer (my 7-year-old Compaq XP contracted a virus and I finally bought a beautiful Mac), some tests and lab practicals and you've basically got the gist of my life for the moment. I hope you're all doing well!
Oh, and I have attached one of my art projects I turned in last week. The project consisted of four different illustrations (3 in pen and ink and one in a color medium) and a compilation of the pieces into one black and white layout with some labels for the lateral (side) view of the dog cranium.
Of course I spent a fair amount of time doing homework, but I also got to relax a bit and go with a friend to see Barjche, a modern dance performance by the ISU dance club. Some of the stuff was a little too "modern" for my taste, but I suppose that people really involved in the dance world want to see something new and refreshing. One of the scenes I am thinking about had one dancer moving around on a rolling chair, pretending to drink from a gauntlet, while the other crawled about trying to reach up for a sip. The piece was called "Thirst" which fit in pretty well with the title: "Dance, Nature, and Sustainability." There were other pieces called "Oil Spill" and "Fire" which I really liked. They had a little more "dancing," and the lighting and costuming were excellent. Oh, there was also another really interesting piece in which the three dancers pulled tons of plastic bags through the holes in their shirts as a giant fan blew more plastic bags onto the stage. By the end of the performance, the large amounts of sacks began to hinder their movements- I thought it was a cool social commentary.
Last weekend and this weekend, I have also been fairly busy with CPC (fund-raising for our spring break mission trip) and GIRLS Power. Today I went with my mentee to an ISU women's basketball game. It was my first college BB game and pretty fun. I think she enjoyed it, too. Sometimes it is hard to tell.
Anyway, throw in a game night with tapioca and friends, warmer weather, a new computer (my 7-year-old Compaq XP contracted a virus and I finally bought a beautiful Mac), some tests and lab practicals and you've basically got the gist of my life for the moment. I hope you're all doing well!
Oh, and I have attached one of my art projects I turned in last week. The project consisted of four different illustrations (3 in pen and ink and one in a color medium) and a compilation of the pieces into one black and white layout with some labels for the lateral (side) view of the dog cranium.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)