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Published: October 11th 2008
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Durham
Quite beautiful this time of year. Well it has been a while hasn't it, but I assure you that things have cooled down considerably since my last tirade/oratory/rant/entry. In fact I think I can finally say that I have settled in completely, especially considering that I've fallen into a semblance of a routine.
Honestly, not a whole lot has happened this past week, or at least it doesn't feel like a whole lot when compared with the deluge of the first couple of weeks. Since my last blog post I have:
- joined the Badminton Club, with hopes of making the team (I will know soon, hopefully)
- seen two concerts: Maybeshewill at the Independent (the opening bands were better, and even for a seasoned veteran like myself, the PA was just too loud) and Maps & Atlases at the White Room (excellent, excellent time, and it was nice chatting with the band members because they were from the states as well)
- attended Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the Empire Theatre, a really nice, century-old production house. As you would imagine, it was incredible.
- spent the day in Durham, where I saw the historic cathedral and castle and, finally, took a few
Durham Cathedral
They didn't manage to convert me more photos.
- drank the most delicious cocktail I've had since I've been here -- Mouthful of Pricks (at The Borough, a rock and metal bar). I don't quite remember the exact ingredients, but the main flavor was a fun mix of lime and -- get this -- cactus juice. And let me tell you, it doesn't get much more savory than that.
Huh. Turns out I have been rather busy. But let's not forget about my classes, which are, lest I forget, one of the reasons why I'm here in the first place. Fortunately, they rock. I have a mixture of lectures and workshops Monday through Thursday, but I only have a few hours of class a day so it's never overwhelming. Here's the rundown:
MAC188 - Critical Issues in Journalism
Somewhere between a history course and a journalism course. We discuss the past few hundred years of newspapers, magazines, online journalism, broadcasting, and the like, and eventually we'll move on to current affairs and issues that pertain to the realm of journalism. The professor is really chill and I only have a handful of assignments to complete, so this one's a bit of a cakewalk, though
View from the Top
325 steps up a spiral staircase still incredibly interesting.
LAC171 - Language and Culture
Now here's where things start to get interesting. We discuss how language influences thought, how culture influences language, the differences in regional dialects and how/why they exist, the meaning of human language, and so on and so on. It's great.
MAC175 - Intro to Screenwriting
Just what it sounds like. We discuss the different types of conventional television programs and will eventually produce our own 25-minute scripts. In a word: awesome.
I'm pretty lucky to have stumbled upon some truly neat modules, so it looks like this semester, at least from an academic standpoint, will not disappoint me in the slightest.
All for now -- might go catch another band tonight, might stay in and read instead. Missing home but making the most out of what I got over here.
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