Fall semester of 2011 is finished. My bags are packed, the contents of my room are boxed up and in storage, and I leave for the airport in roughly four hours. I go to France in just under three weeks.
Everything is changing so quickly. I can't believe my study-abroad semester is almost here. I certainly can't believe I'm not going to be at UVa in the spring. My therapist and I talked a lot about the difference between knowing things intuitively and knowing things emotionally, and this is one of those times where that situation applies. I spent my day packing and getting everything ready, so in my head I know that I am going to California tomorrow and Europe a few weeks afterward. But emotionally, I don't think it's hit me yet. Maybe I'm too worn out from exams.
Today was beautiful. It's hard to see the forest for the trees sometimes. I get caught up in the ups and downs of everyday life. Occasionally I feel moody and unpopular. Not today. Friends volunteered to help me move my stuff (Elizabeth and Ryan - thank you so much. You are fantastic and amazing, and you don't know how much I appreciate you giving up time during exam week to carry my boxes upon boxes up and down three flights of stairs and then play real-life Tetris to fit it all into your cars. You have my undying gratitude). Pooja took me out to lunch and brought me tape and blankets when I needed them. Andi kept me company and sorted my recycling with me. Lauren - wonderful Lauren - turned what I thought would be a nice, one-on-one Lemongrass outing into a fabulous and very thoughtful farewell dinner, with nearly all my closest Wesley friends in attendance. Matt treated me to Lemongrass/Arch's (a glorious combination if there ever was one), and together with Andi and Pooja, I got to see him experience the Avatar: The Last Airbender finale (and nerdily discuss its narrative structure and speculate about Korra). Matt (roommate of the aforementioned Matt) is very selflessly getting up at an ungodly hour to drive me to the airport. Every time that I feel lonely, I need to remind myself of days like this, and how blessed I am to have the friends I do. Wow. I am just floored by their kindness and their love.
I'm going to wrap this up here. I need to try and get some sleep if I want to be at all functional for tomorrow. But my time at UVa, at least for now, has ended well, and I'm so glad I have wonderful friends to come back to next year. Adieu, mes cheries! Time to see what the future holds.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
In Which I Visit the French Consulate, Miss My Train, and Obtain Cupcakes!
Next semester, I will be studying abroad in Lille, France. Among other things, the French government requires that Americans who plan to attend a French university for more than 90 days obtain a student visa. It's a long and quite arduous process, which involves an exhaustive list of documentation, often in duplicate, at least two websites, and of course, humiliating passport photos. The last step is to visit the French consulate nearest your permanent address for an in-person visa interview.
I imagine this is complicated enough for someone who doesn't live and go to school on opposite sides of the country, but in my case I fretted for a few days over whether or not I would have to go to Los Angeles for my visa appointment. Luckily, my UVa student ID qualified as proof of residency, and with that, I had ample time to mosey on up to the consulate in DC and iron things out.
Naturally, I didn't end up going until today, almost exactly a month before I leave. Oops. I had an especially stressful week, thinking I had to have an address to put on my visa application before I went for my interview (as it turns out, having an address? Totally not necessary). I've now written email after email in my terrible French, trying to secure an apartment, at first without much success, although I last night I sent my prospective landlady a tentative agreement. With that behind me, I reserved a seat on the Amtrak (at vastly inflated prices, because of course I didn't do this until the day beforehand) and got my papers in order.
This morning I woke up at 5:30 to catch the 7:09 train. I figured I would dress, put on make-up, double-check to make sure I had everything, and be out the door at 6, with enough time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Little John's before walking over to the station. Instead I had to answer email from France and print out both my train reservation and my acceptance letter from Sciences Po. By the time I left my dorm room, it was almost 6:40, and I was once again thanking my lucky stars that I live in Brown and can get to places on time even if I wait until the last minute. One frantic ride on the 7 later, I was at the station with about five minutes to spare. Not great, but at least everything had worked out.
In fact, initially, things were going great. The train got into DC early, the Metro I wanted arrived at the same time I did, and I didn't have to wait at all for the bus to the French Embassy. I couldn't believe my luck. I was worried I would just barely make it to my appointment on time. Instead, I was there almost an hour early. The whole process felt very official, too; at the front gate, I exchanged my driver's license for a visitor's badge, walked into a spacious foyer, and entered a crowded room where people were speaking French almost as much as English. I sat down nervously, took out my iPod, and waited.
And waited. And waited. Apparently, there was a huge problem with the computer system this morning, and everyone's interview was delayed. I arrived at 10:20. I had an appointment for 11:15. I was finally called up about 12:30. By the time I had handed over my documents and paid for my visa, it was past 1. And surprise, I still wasn't done. My friend David, who is studying in Paris right now, mentioned that he had had to bring a prepaid express envelope to his interview, but I didn't see anything about it on the website when I was triple-checking the list of required documents, so I figured they had just changed their system. Nope. They still expected me to have an envelope, though they had completely neglected to tell me about it in advance. So I had to hop back on a bus, buy an envelope at the nearest post office, and get back to the Embassy by 3. I waited for nearly 15 minutes for a bus to arrive, and after the post office had to find a store with cash back so I could pay my return bus fare. This was on top of paying for my visa and buying the express mail envelope, which, let me tell you, wasn't cheap. I was also starving and considerably stressed out, considering I had had nothing to eat since a muffin on the train at 7:30 that morning and I was on a time crunch. Nevertheless, I eventually made it back to the consulate 10 minutes before I had to be there, and finished my application without much further hassle.
Originally, back when I was planning out my day, I thought I would be done with everything by noon at the latest and still have four hours to kill in DC before my train left. I planned on strolling over to Georgetown Cupcake and then maybe checking out a museum or walking by the monuments. Instead, it was almost 3:30 by the time I left, and I knew my cupcake stop would have to be quick if I wanted to be back at Union Station on time. I had texted my brother to look up directions while I was waiting for my appointment, and luckily it was not a long walk. But I had to wait in line outside the store (!), and then promptly got on the wrong bus for my trip back to the station. The shop assistants at Georgetown Cupcake told me to take the Circulator. I got on a Circulator, but because I have my moments of incredible stupidity, I got on the Circulator to Dupont Circle, not Union Station. At this point, it was just after 4, and I had a ticket for the 4:50 train.
If I had realized my mistake, I probably still could have gotten off at Dupont Circle and taken the Red Line back to Union Station, no harm done. But it was not until we passed a suspiciously familiar Christmas tree that I figured out with growing horror that we were back in Georgetown, and it was past 4:30. Panicking slightly, I asked the driver how much longer it would be until we got to Union Station. He did a double take, told me I was on the wrong bus, and promptly opened the doors, indicating the correct stop across the street.
By this point, I was basically hyperventilating. I'd done a fair bit of traveling on my own, but I'd never missed a form of scheduled transportation before. Never. And now my train was leaving in 20 minutes, and I was clean across the city. By 4:35, the correct Circulator had yet to appear, and in desperation I started to ask a nearby cab driver to take me to the station. He didn't take cards, however, and as I only had about eight dollars in cash, there was no way he could get me all the way across the city. Finally, at 4:40, the Union Station Circulator turned up. I leapt on, anxiously stood by the back door, and watched the cars go by. Slowly, I realized that I was on a city bus that had to get from Georgetown to Union Station in rush hour traffic, and make other stops along the way. Heart sinking, I knew I wasn't going to make my train. I found an empty seat, texted my parents, and fought back tears. 4:50 came and went, and I started to cry silently in spite of myself. Predictably, no one around me even spared me the slightest glance, even though the bus was full and it was pretty obvious I was upset. My parents called to reassure me, but mostly all I did was sob over the phone while my dad told me it was going to be all right, and he was proud of me for getting through the visa process. Eventually, I composed myself and prepared to get a ticket for the next train to Charlottesville.
The bus arrived at Union Station about half an hour after my scheduled train left. I trudged over the ticket counter and somewhat hollowly traded in my ticket and paid the difference. Then I bought some dinner and sat sadly by my gate, wanting nothing more than to be at home, curled up in bed. I read some of North and South, which I downloaded onto my iPod's Kindle app last night on a whim, and ate my pizza, but I was exhausted. I had expected to have a slow, leisurely afternoon and return home on time feeling accomplished and content. Instead, I was miserable.
Once I got on the train, though, I started feeling slightly better. I spoke with my mother on the phone, read, did some Sudoku puzzles, and slept. I got to Charlottesville and boarded a trolley without much trouble, and now I'm in my dorm room with last night's Parks and Rec to watch and a Georgetown Cupcake in my belly. And really, I can't say that I didn't have an eventful trip. I got done what I intended to do, at least, and my semester in France is just on the horizon. I had an experience in adulthood today, and while it wasn't in the least pleasant, it was definitely informative. Here's to better times ahead, hopefully with fewer wrong buses and many more cupcakes.
I imagine this is complicated enough for someone who doesn't live and go to school on opposite sides of the country, but in my case I fretted for a few days over whether or not I would have to go to Los Angeles for my visa appointment. Luckily, my UVa student ID qualified as proof of residency, and with that, I had ample time to mosey on up to the consulate in DC and iron things out.
Naturally, I didn't end up going until today, almost exactly a month before I leave. Oops. I had an especially stressful week, thinking I had to have an address to put on my visa application before I went for my interview (as it turns out, having an address? Totally not necessary). I've now written email after email in my terrible French, trying to secure an apartment, at first without much success, although I last night I sent my prospective landlady a tentative agreement. With that behind me, I reserved a seat on the Amtrak (at vastly inflated prices, because of course I didn't do this until the day beforehand) and got my papers in order.
This morning I woke up at 5:30 to catch the 7:09 train. I figured I would dress, put on make-up, double-check to make sure I had everything, and be out the door at 6, with enough time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Little John's before walking over to the station. Instead I had to answer email from France and print out both my train reservation and my acceptance letter from Sciences Po. By the time I left my dorm room, it was almost 6:40, and I was once again thanking my lucky stars that I live in Brown and can get to places on time even if I wait until the last minute. One frantic ride on the 7 later, I was at the station with about five minutes to spare. Not great, but at least everything had worked out.
In fact, initially, things were going great. The train got into DC early, the Metro I wanted arrived at the same time I did, and I didn't have to wait at all for the bus to the French Embassy. I couldn't believe my luck. I was worried I would just barely make it to my appointment on time. Instead, I was there almost an hour early. The whole process felt very official, too; at the front gate, I exchanged my driver's license for a visitor's badge, walked into a spacious foyer, and entered a crowded room where people were speaking French almost as much as English. I sat down nervously, took out my iPod, and waited.
And waited. And waited. Apparently, there was a huge problem with the computer system this morning, and everyone's interview was delayed. I arrived at 10:20. I had an appointment for 11:15. I was finally called up about 12:30. By the time I had handed over my documents and paid for my visa, it was past 1. And surprise, I still wasn't done. My friend David, who is studying in Paris right now, mentioned that he had had to bring a prepaid express envelope to his interview, but I didn't see anything about it on the website when I was triple-checking the list of required documents, so I figured they had just changed their system. Nope. They still expected me to have an envelope, though they had completely neglected to tell me about it in advance. So I had to hop back on a bus, buy an envelope at the nearest post office, and get back to the Embassy by 3. I waited for nearly 15 minutes for a bus to arrive, and after the post office had to find a store with cash back so I could pay my return bus fare. This was on top of paying for my visa and buying the express mail envelope, which, let me tell you, wasn't cheap. I was also starving and considerably stressed out, considering I had had nothing to eat since a muffin on the train at 7:30 that morning and I was on a time crunch. Nevertheless, I eventually made it back to the consulate 10 minutes before I had to be there, and finished my application without much further hassle.
Originally, back when I was planning out my day, I thought I would be done with everything by noon at the latest and still have four hours to kill in DC before my train left. I planned on strolling over to Georgetown Cupcake and then maybe checking out a museum or walking by the monuments. Instead, it was almost 3:30 by the time I left, and I knew my cupcake stop would have to be quick if I wanted to be back at Union Station on time. I had texted my brother to look up directions while I was waiting for my appointment, and luckily it was not a long walk. But I had to wait in line outside the store (!), and then promptly got on the wrong bus for my trip back to the station. The shop assistants at Georgetown Cupcake told me to take the Circulator. I got on a Circulator, but because I have my moments of incredible stupidity, I got on the Circulator to Dupont Circle, not Union Station. At this point, it was just after 4, and I had a ticket for the 4:50 train.
If I had realized my mistake, I probably still could have gotten off at Dupont Circle and taken the Red Line back to Union Station, no harm done. But it was not until we passed a suspiciously familiar Christmas tree that I figured out with growing horror that we were back in Georgetown, and it was past 4:30. Panicking slightly, I asked the driver how much longer it would be until we got to Union Station. He did a double take, told me I was on the wrong bus, and promptly opened the doors, indicating the correct stop across the street.
By this point, I was basically hyperventilating. I'd done a fair bit of traveling on my own, but I'd never missed a form of scheduled transportation before. Never. And now my train was leaving in 20 minutes, and I was clean across the city. By 4:35, the correct Circulator had yet to appear, and in desperation I started to ask a nearby cab driver to take me to the station. He didn't take cards, however, and as I only had about eight dollars in cash, there was no way he could get me all the way across the city. Finally, at 4:40, the Union Station Circulator turned up. I leapt on, anxiously stood by the back door, and watched the cars go by. Slowly, I realized that I was on a city bus that had to get from Georgetown to Union Station in rush hour traffic, and make other stops along the way. Heart sinking, I knew I wasn't going to make my train. I found an empty seat, texted my parents, and fought back tears. 4:50 came and went, and I started to cry silently in spite of myself. Predictably, no one around me even spared me the slightest glance, even though the bus was full and it was pretty obvious I was upset. My parents called to reassure me, but mostly all I did was sob over the phone while my dad told me it was going to be all right, and he was proud of me for getting through the visa process. Eventually, I composed myself and prepared to get a ticket for the next train to Charlottesville.
The bus arrived at Union Station about half an hour after my scheduled train left. I trudged over the ticket counter and somewhat hollowly traded in my ticket and paid the difference. Then I bought some dinner and sat sadly by my gate, wanting nothing more than to be at home, curled up in bed. I read some of North and South, which I downloaded onto my iPod's Kindle app last night on a whim, and ate my pizza, but I was exhausted. I had expected to have a slow, leisurely afternoon and return home on time feeling accomplished and content. Instead, I was miserable.
Once I got on the train, though, I started feeling slightly better. I spoke with my mother on the phone, read, did some Sudoku puzzles, and slept. I got to Charlottesville and boarded a trolley without much trouble, and now I'm in my dorm room with last night's Parks and Rec to watch and a Georgetown Cupcake in my belly. And really, I can't say that I didn't have an eventful trip. I got done what I intended to do, at least, and my semester in France is just on the horizon. I had an experience in adulthood today, and while it wasn't in the least pleasant, it was definitely informative. Here's to better times ahead, hopefully with fewer wrong buses and many more cupcakes.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Long Overdue Update
So I've been pretty much AWOL here as of late. Eighteen credits, study abroad preparations, and illness have all taken their toll on me, and I've had basically the worst November of my life. Thanksgiving can't come soon enough. Right now I'm feeling very anxious because I haven't yet found an apartment in France, even though I've written email after email to landlords and building administrators. In fact, I have to go right back to flat-hunting as soon as I've finished this blog post. When you take into account the five exams I have to prepare for, the fifteen-page paper I have to write, and the packing I have to finish before I leave, it's safe to say that the worst of the stress is yet to come. Sigh.
In the meantime, I thought I would share with you some of the few things that are making me happy these days. First, the second trailer for The Hunger Games came out a week ago, and it looks amazing. I've watched it more times than I care to admit, and I'm not even a huge fan of The Hunger Games. However, I think most of my problems with the books were stylistic; Suzanne Collins has a background in television writing, which I think is very apparent in her prose. This can make for a sometimes clunky narrative, and considering Katniss is not the most accessible protagonist in literature, the books have their fair share of odd or cringeworthy moments. Having seen the trailer, though, I will cautiously say that most of my issues with the books will not be a problem for the film. Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actress, and she might help me warm up to Katniss a bit more, get me to understand her motivations. Josh Hutcherson looks to be in top form as Peeta, which makes me incredibly excited; Peeta is my favorite character, and while I never doubted Josh's abilities as an actor, I'm thrilled to see that he is almost exactly like the Peeta in my head. Rue, Prim, and Effie look just like they should. And Lenny Kravitz really does seem to be a spectacular choice for Cinna; it was an odd bit of casting at first, but having seen him in action, he conveys precisely that sense of calm and understanding I liked so much in the book. Here is the trailer, so you can see for yourself:
The Brave trailer was released last Wednesday. I'm not as impressed with this one as I was with the last, but I still am confident it will be a great movie. With a no-nonsense, butt-kicking, redheaded Scottish princess as its protagonist, how could it not be? The trailer is below; I am in constant awe of Merida's hair, especially considering how hard hair is to animate. Just look at those glorious ginger locks and try not to be amazed:
And as always, I'm incredibly thankful for my family and friends. My parents have been keeping me sane, and my friends have stopped me from getting too overwhelmed. Special shout-outs go to Pooja, who brought me food this weekend when I didn't feel up to leaving my room (horrendously bad cold at least), Sarah, who invited me home with her for Thanksgiving and continues to be a great prayer partner, Matt and Andi, who have proven to be excellent Avatar-watching companions, and Jackie, who is a steadfast Skyper and even better friend. Hopefully the next time I update, I'll be talking about the fun I had with all of them instead of the stress relief.
Well, back to looking for apartments and packing for the next few days.
In the meantime, I thought I would share with you some of the few things that are making me happy these days. First, the second trailer for The Hunger Games came out a week ago, and it looks amazing. I've watched it more times than I care to admit, and I'm not even a huge fan of The Hunger Games. However, I think most of my problems with the books were stylistic; Suzanne Collins has a background in television writing, which I think is very apparent in her prose. This can make for a sometimes clunky narrative, and considering Katniss is not the most accessible protagonist in literature, the books have their fair share of odd or cringeworthy moments. Having seen the trailer, though, I will cautiously say that most of my issues with the books will not be a problem for the film. Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actress, and she might help me warm up to Katniss a bit more, get me to understand her motivations. Josh Hutcherson looks to be in top form as Peeta, which makes me incredibly excited; Peeta is my favorite character, and while I never doubted Josh's abilities as an actor, I'm thrilled to see that he is almost exactly like the Peeta in my head. Rue, Prim, and Effie look just like they should. And Lenny Kravitz really does seem to be a spectacular choice for Cinna; it was an odd bit of casting at first, but having seen him in action, he conveys precisely that sense of calm and understanding I liked so much in the book. Here is the trailer, so you can see for yourself:
The Brave trailer was released last Wednesday. I'm not as impressed with this one as I was with the last, but I still am confident it will be a great movie. With a no-nonsense, butt-kicking, redheaded Scottish princess as its protagonist, how could it not be? The trailer is below; I am in constant awe of Merida's hair, especially considering how hard hair is to animate. Just look at those glorious ginger locks and try not to be amazed:
And as always, I'm incredibly thankful for my family and friends. My parents have been keeping me sane, and my friends have stopped me from getting too overwhelmed. Special shout-outs go to Pooja, who brought me food this weekend when I didn't feel up to leaving my room (horrendously bad cold at least), Sarah, who invited me home with her for Thanksgiving and continues to be a great prayer partner, Matt and Andi, who have proven to be excellent Avatar-watching companions, and Jackie, who is a steadfast Skyper and even better friend. Hopefully the next time I update, I'll be talking about the fun I had with all of them instead of the stress relief.
Well, back to looking for apartments and packing for the next few days.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Twenty-One
Well, I am now twenty-one, and I have consumed my first drink. Sara and I headed out to Harris Teeter this afternoon, where after much deliberation I picked out some Korbel Sweet Cuvee, a not-champagne from California (as a Californian, I figured it was an appropriate choice). It was really cheap and 11% alcohol, so it probably wasn't very good, but since I didn't really have anything to compare it to, I had to judge it on its own merits. I did enjoy showing the cashier my ID at the check-out line, although I look about sixteen in my driver's license picture. Hells yeah, I'm of age!
Many of my closest UVa friends came by my room tonight for a little get-together; Sarah gave me a wine glass, Pooja brought birthday cake, Sara gave me a card, and everyone else brought their lovely selves. We started the evening off with sparkling cider, since it's non-alcoholic and something I know I like, and then I opened the bubbly around 10. My more experienced friends said the champagne was actually quite good for being as cheap as it was, but I'm not sure if I liked it yet. I've never cared for the way alcohol smells, and the taste was pretty strange, too; I ended up pretty much drowning my champagne in orange juice and sipping it very slowly. I finished it over the course of an hour, partly because I also had birthday cake and friends were trickling in and out, so I had hostess duties to attend to. Consequently, I don't think I felt much when I was drinking, not even a little buzz. Honestly, I think alcohol consumption is way overrated. There's still about half a bottle of champagne to consume, and I'm not sure I'll have the rest. Still, the party was nice, especially because apart from Pav Lunch and the excursion to Barracks the rest of my day was pretty terrible (scholarship rejection, econ test, and a politics class I wasn't prepared for, among other things). Ah well. Hopefully I have plenty more birthdays to look forward to!
Entertainment 2011 for October forthcoming. Time to get some religious studies homework done!
Many of my closest UVa friends came by my room tonight for a little get-together; Sarah gave me a wine glass, Pooja brought birthday cake, Sara gave me a card, and everyone else brought their lovely selves. We started the evening off with sparkling cider, since it's non-alcoholic and something I know I like, and then I opened the bubbly around 10. My more experienced friends said the champagne was actually quite good for being as cheap as it was, but I'm not sure if I liked it yet. I've never cared for the way alcohol smells, and the taste was pretty strange, too; I ended up pretty much drowning my champagne in orange juice and sipping it very slowly. I finished it over the course of an hour, partly because I also had birthday cake and friends were trickling in and out, so I had hostess duties to attend to. Consequently, I don't think I felt much when I was drinking, not even a little buzz. Honestly, I think alcohol consumption is way overrated. There's still about half a bottle of champagne to consume, and I'm not sure I'll have the rest. Still, the party was nice, especially because apart from Pav Lunch and the excursion to Barracks the rest of my day was pretty terrible (scholarship rejection, econ test, and a politics class I wasn't prepared for, among other things). Ah well. Hopefully I have plenty more birthdays to look forward to!
Entertainment 2011 for October forthcoming. Time to get some religious studies homework done!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
I Love My Mom (and Other Stories from October)
Having discovered that I have only posted six times this month, I decided to write a nice, anecdote-filled update about my adventures in October. This is also the last post you will get from me as a twenty-year-old, so join me on this journey of reminiscence as I look back on the first year of my twenties.
My mother came to Charlottesville on Thursday to spend the weekend with me, which was just was lovely and wonderful as I had hoped it would be. I took her around UVa, showing her all my favorite places and (most of) my favorite people. It was so different from the last time my mom had been in Charlottesville, the summer before my first year, when I knew absolutely nothing about my new town of residence and was just as overwhelmed by everything as she was. This time, I was walking so quickly my mom had to ask me to slow down, and I could tell her all about UVa and my college life. She was staying in my dorm room with me, so there was no need to wait for her to meet me in the morning or walk her back to a hotel in the evening. Instead, I spend nearly every moment of the weekend with her. Friday I introduced her to Miss Kathy, brought her by my work-study, took her to lunch at Fine Arts, and gave her a little tour of Central Grounds; later that evening, we celebrated my birthday a few days early by going to dinner at Basil, a Mediterranean restaurant, with Sara. Saturday we mostly spent shopping (I now have five pairs of shoes instead of two), and Sunday was more leisurely, with a long brunch at Runk and an afternoon of studying, topped off with informal worship at Wesley. This morning we had breakfast at Bodo's and then said good-bye. I miss her already, but she's back in California safe and sound, and the visit was short enough that we didn't get on each other's nerves (much) and I think she had a good time.
Other October happenings:
My mother came to Charlottesville on Thursday to spend the weekend with me, which was just was lovely and wonderful as I had hoped it would be. I took her around UVa, showing her all my favorite places and (most of) my favorite people. It was so different from the last time my mom had been in Charlottesville, the summer before my first year, when I knew absolutely nothing about my new town of residence and was just as overwhelmed by everything as she was. This time, I was walking so quickly my mom had to ask me to slow down, and I could tell her all about UVa and my college life. She was staying in my dorm room with me, so there was no need to wait for her to meet me in the morning or walk her back to a hotel in the evening. Instead, I spend nearly every moment of the weekend with her. Friday I introduced her to Miss Kathy, brought her by my work-study, took her to lunch at Fine Arts, and gave her a little tour of Central Grounds; later that evening, we celebrated my birthday a few days early by going to dinner at Basil, a Mediterranean restaurant, with Sara. Saturday we mostly spent shopping (I now have five pairs of shoes instead of two), and Sunday was more leisurely, with a long brunch at Runk and an afternoon of studying, topped off with informal worship at Wesley. This morning we had breakfast at Bodo's and then said good-bye. I miss her already, but she's back in California safe and sound, and the visit was short enough that we didn't get on each other's nerves (much) and I think she had a good time.
Other October happenings:
- I've finally started watching Doctor Who, having heard so much about it from friends both online and off. It can be really cheesy, and the aliens are laughable, but I kind of love it. I'm just about to finish series two of the newer BBC show, so far I'm familiar with Billie Piper as Rose, Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, and David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Series one was good, but series two is fantastic; David Tennant makes an amazing Doctor, and I think he and Billie work well together as Doctor and companion. That said, I think my favorite episode so far is still "Father's Day" from series one, although I enjoyed "Tooth and Claw" from this series. I haven't watched the series two finale yet, but I've heard I should be both very excited and very sad. We shall see.
- Third year has been very busy indeed. Partially it's my own fault for taking six classes, but also I just have a lot of work. So much reading, I don't really know how to handle it. Ruth says that the classes at Sciences Po are much easier; I certainly hope so. I don't think I could take another semester like this.
- Last weekend was Wesley's annual Pumpkin Palooza, where some friends and I ended up going as the gang from Scooby-Doo. I was Velma, though I sadly lacked in orange socks, and my hair is already quite a bit longer than Velma's really should be. Still, I think we pulled it off all right. It was a fun outing in any case, and since the evening ended with an Avatar marathon, it was a very nice night indeed. Matt, Andi, and I have reached the episode where SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS Zuko joins Team Avatar SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS, and I'm quite excited for the next marathon now that this momentous event has occurred. Yay vicarious living!
- Pooja gave me an exercise book from the early 90s so I can develop a routine that doesn't require me to leave my room, should I not be able to find a gym in France. The pictures haven't aged well (Sara: "Why is she wearing spandex on spandex?"), but the workouts are decent. In fact, my body has only today fully recovered from the soreness, and I imagine it will return in full force when I do my lower-body routine tomorrow. So much pain, but good pain, I think.
- Evidence that I have lost a significant amount of weight since in the past two years: I put on my old Regency dress from first year to go to Maria and Pooja's Halloween party, then called Sara in to help me with the buttons. As she was doing them up, she tugged on the back of my dress and said, "This needs to be taken in, maybe by a couple of inches." She even suggested that I pin the back of it, as there is apparently a significant gap between the buttons. Sometimes I get frustrated that I'm not slimming down as quickly as I want to, but then something like this happens and I have to remind myself that progress is being made. I'll probably never be a size 0 or even a size 6, but I am getting better, and that's what's important.
- Richie and I actually had a reasonably long Skype conversation this weekend. True, our mom was there, too, but I was pleasantly surprised at the length and quality of the call, and felt very good about it when I hung up. I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come for next semester, when I imagine I will become very dependent on Skype.
- Well, I'm about to be twenty-one, and I will consume alcohol for the first time ever within the next twenty-four hours. Yes, I really have completely abstained from drinking, even during my first two years at college. And while I plan on trying alcohol, I don't plan on getting drunk. Actually, I don't plan on ever getting drunk. I'm just not interested, and frankly I don't like the idea of losing control. I'm weird enough at, say, three in the morning. I don't need any of the silly things I do when I'm sleep-deprived exacerbated by drunkenness.
- I'm slowly becoming more and more addicted to the Vlogbrothers channel on YouTube. I've been laughing myself silly over John Green's Miracle of Swindon Town series, and I'm following the saga of the Fault in Our Stars signing with great interest. Nerdfighteria makes econ reading bearable, basically.
- Happinesses: this episode of Parks and Recreation, The Harry Potter Companion, a fantastic fanart site, Pav Lunch with Wesley every Tuesday, finding new ways to tie my scarves, figuring out how to implicitly differentiate, seeing the cute kids you babysat during the summer in their Luke and Leia costumes, Carter Mountain, and watching Disney songs in foreign languages.
Monday, October 17, 2011
HBO's John Adams Miniseries
I think I'm in love. I'm considering a history minor, and HBO's John Adams miniseries encapsulates pretty much everything I love about history. Not to mention Abigail Adams is one of my favorite historical figures ever, and she's portrayed brilliantly by Laura Linney. The acting is fantastic, the writing is compelling, the music is gorgeous, and the costumes are wonderful. The one drawback? It makes me feel a little sad that the Tea Party has so eagerly seized upon the Revolutionary War as their rallying cry. It makes no historical sense, and I honestly feel that they've tainted something incredibly powerful. The Founders were far from perfect (which I'm not sure those in the Tea Party truly understand), but their intent was good and their accomplishments were immense.
I'm not one for jingoistic American pride, but the story of the nation's birth is one I find deeply moving. I'm a politics major with a specialization in political theory, and I've read Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Smith, along with many of the Founders. To me, the Revolutionary period and the first few decades after the War represent a great time in American history; the Founders were flawed, but they were pioneers and trailblazers. No one thought a republic on the scale of the United States could work, but it's over 200 years later, and while we certainly have problems, our government remains intact, and it's many times larger than what it was in 1789. The Founders took the wonderings of political philosophers and made them reality. They redefined what was possible. They were courageous. And while they valued their independence, they also realized that government brings people together in remarkable ways. When the Articles of Confederation, which featured a weak central government with little power and a strong focus on states' rights, didn't work (take note, conservatives), they weren't afraid to throw them out and start over again, because government is about making things better, to form a more perfect union. Yes, it's a rather idealistic notion, but then, so were the Founders. They wrangled and fought, sometimes bitterly, but they were often philosophers themselves. When Jefferson wrote about the inherent equality of all people, he was being incredibly idealistic, but I doubt anyone would think he was wrong to say it. These are the things I love about my country, and that's why seeing Revolution imagery plastered all over Tea Party conventions makes me so angry. It's also why John Adams speaks to me; it tells the story of a flawed man working with his fellows (including his most trusted confidante, Abigail) in the creation of the new.
Be still, my government-major heart.
I'm not one for jingoistic American pride, but the story of the nation's birth is one I find deeply moving. I'm a politics major with a specialization in political theory, and I've read Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Smith, along with many of the Founders. To me, the Revolutionary period and the first few decades after the War represent a great time in American history; the Founders were flawed, but they were pioneers and trailblazers. No one thought a republic on the scale of the United States could work, but it's over 200 years later, and while we certainly have problems, our government remains intact, and it's many times larger than what it was in 1789. The Founders took the wonderings of political philosophers and made them reality. They redefined what was possible. They were courageous. And while they valued their independence, they also realized that government brings people together in remarkable ways. When the Articles of Confederation, which featured a weak central government with little power and a strong focus on states' rights, didn't work (take note, conservatives), they weren't afraid to throw them out and start over again, because government is about making things better, to form a more perfect union. Yes, it's a rather idealistic notion, but then, so were the Founders. They wrangled and fought, sometimes bitterly, but they were often philosophers themselves. When Jefferson wrote about the inherent equality of all people, he was being incredibly idealistic, but I doubt anyone would think he was wrong to say it. These are the things I love about my country, and that's why seeing Revolution imagery plastered all over Tea Party conventions makes me so angry. It's also why John Adams speaks to me; it tells the story of a flawed man working with his fellows (including his most trusted confidante, Abigail) in the creation of the new.
Be still, my government-major heart.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Another Day, Another Destiny
Fall break is nearly over. Classes resume on Wednesday, when I will have a religious studies midterm to look forward to. In the meantime, though, I can reflect on my wonderful weekend, my last hurrah of sorts before I become a social recluse, hoarding all my money for France. Pooja, Sara, and I went up to Alexandria to spend the weekend with our friend Elizabeth, who graduated in the spring. She graciously opened her apartment to us, and I got to sleep on her chaise, which made me feel very fancy. We didn't spend much time in Alexandria itself, though; we went to see Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center on Saturday night, and on Sunday we went back into DC to enjoy the beautiful weather and have a picnic. Some highlights:
Apart from economics-based murder mysteries, however, this weekend was really great. I have the best friends.
- We went to eat at Founding Farmers, an organic restaurant in the Foggy Bottom area. Their food and decor were both excellent, and their musical tastes appear to be similar to those of my boss, Leslie. I was slightly distraught, however, to discover some chicken hidden in my scrambled eggs, as I am about to mark my tenth month as a vegetarian. The management apologized profusely, though, and my meal and the group dessert (beignets) were taken off the check. So give them a try next time you're in DC!
- For some reason, we thought our show started at 8 and not 7:30, which meant we arrived just as the show was starting. Pooja and Sara made it to their seats during the first song, but Elizabeth and I were sitting up in the second tier and we both needed to use the restroom, so we had to wait until the ushers found an appropriate moment to bring us in. The show itself was incredible, although it helped that I knew the plot beforehand; otherwise, it probably would have been difficult to follow. I particularly enjoyed the music. "One Day More" was so beautiful and powerful. Also, Eponine is cool (not okay with her being so fixated on a guy, though. Be fixated on your awesome self instead, Eponine!) and Cosette is boring.
- We ran into the Occupy DC protesters on our way to the White House (we were waiting for a table at the restaurant and decided to walk around for a bit). More than one person implored us to join them (we declined as graciously as possible).
- The White House is so much smaller than I remembered it being. Granted, I'm not sure if I've ever seen it from the side we went by, but it actually seemed quite ordinary for such a famous place. I'm about 98% positive we passed the gate sometimes used in The West Wing, though (Josh and Donna go through it at the end of "Noel" in season 2, and Josh and CJ both use it in season 7, in "Requiem" and "Tomorrow," respectively).
- Yesterday was the perfect day for picnicking and monument hopping. We went to visit our good friend TJ first, then took in our lunch of fruit, cheese, and varying refreshment stand fare. Then we walked over to the FDR memorial, which felt about as long as his twelve years in office (that's okay, though, because he's pretty much my favorite president - liberal lion, hells yeah), and saw the new Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial (I've read "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" so many times I instantly recognized the quotation on the wall - well, that, and I've written so many papers about the guy his words are practically seared into my brain. Not that that's a bad thing).
- Sara and I took the Amtrak to Alexandria and back. On the return trip, I introduced Sara to the cafe car, with which she was suitably impressed. Incidentally, the vegan burgers are not half bad.
- Throughout the weekend I suffered through The Fatal Equilibrium, the terrible, terrible novel my econ professor assigned for class. He also happened to have co-written it under a psuedonym, which I figured out when half the things his protagonist, a Harvard economist, talked about were things my professor had mentioned in class. I like him well enough as a professor, but his fiction-writing skills are godawful (not Stephenie Meyer bad, but close). Example: "Well, I confess I did get something more than I bargained for in the bargain basement." Whyyyyyy?
Photo credit goes to Pooja!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
J'irai en France!
After five days of self-induced agony, the International Studies Office sent me my acceptance letter for study abroad. If all goes according to plan, I will be heading off to France in January of 2012!
This is purely a celebration post. I have nothing more to add.
This is purely a celebration post. I have nothing more to add.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Top Tens: Countries I Want to Visit
As I wait rather impatiently for my acceptance letter from the International Studies Office (I know I have nothing to worry about, but as I am wont to do, I'm freaking out anyway), it occurs to me it might be useful to figure out where I would like to go while I'm in Europe. Since there are places I want to visit outside of Europe as well, it's time for another Top Ten!
10. Greece
I'm a politics major. The first thing I ever had to read for a college class was a selection of Greek philosophy (specifically, Thucydides). In some of my other classes, I compared Athens to Rome, learned about the influence the Greeks on art and architecture, and discussed battle after battle after battle. At work, I've cataloged korai and kylixes galore; one of my coworkers is currently spending the year in Greece (hi, Renee!). Yet none of that has deterred me from wanting to visit someday. Greece has so much rich history and tradition, and it doesn't hurt that it's in the Mediterranean. I'm not sure I'll be able to visit while I'm in France, as it might be a tad far off, but I will be ecstatic if I get the chance. Slightly embarrassing confession: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was what made me first want to visit Greece, especially Santorini. Just look at that picture, though! What a gorgeous place! Why wouldn't you want to visit?
9. Israel
Again, Israel's probably a little too far away to pay a visit while I'm abroad, but I'd love to go someday. My reasons are mostly religious - this is, after all, the land of Christ's birth and ministry - but it's also full of history, diversity, and beauty. Hillary and Ellen have also told me that it's a great place for vegetarians, particularly of the ovo-lacto persuasion, since according to kosher food laws meat and dairy must be kept separate. Hopefully I'll be able to verify this firsthand in the future.
8. Venezuela
This is the one place on my list I've actually been before. However, as it was just during a quick layover in Caracas, and I never even got off the plane, I think I'm due for another visit. With Hugo Chavez in power, I'm not sure I'll be going anytime soon, but I'd love to see it properly, especially Angel Falls and the surrounding rainforest. Really, I'd like to go all over South America; Brazil for the Amazon and its famed cities, Peru for the Inca ruins, Argentina for its incredible diversity, and Chile, because I've heard repeatedly about how great it is from my parents' missionary colleagues. Venezuela would just be my first stop, as technically, it already has been.
7. China
Okay, Richie, you've gotten to me (yes, I know your main area of interest is Japan). After years of listening to my brother wax poetic about the Far East, I've started to become interested in it myself. I'm not especially thrilled about the idea of indirectly supporting its government (with its terrible human rights record) through tourism, but I've heard China is an amazing place. It's huge, both in landmass and population (fun fact: all of China operates under the same time zone), it has so much to offer in terms of culture and history, and it's gaining in power and influence. I'm not sure if I buy into the idea that China will be the world's next superpower, but it's going to play an important role in world politics no matter what, and it would probably be good to have some idea of what life is like there.
6. Australia
Yeah, yeah, everyone wants to go to Australia. It's not my most creative choice (although it's not my least, either), but it's on my list for a reason. Some of my friends of studied abroad there, and from what I've heard, it's just as fantastic as it's supposed to be. It has deserts and beaches, koalas and kangaroos, the Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef. Plus, it's the setting of one of my favorite movies, Finding Nemo! So, while it may be a fairly typical vacation destination of choice for Americans, it's definitely a place I'd like to visit someday.
5. Ireland
Heh, just kidding. Here's the picture I actually wanted to include:
Ah, Ireland, land of the unpronounceable names (said by someone whose own name is not especially pronounceable at first glance). It's supposed to be absolutely beautiful, though, and I definitely plan on visiting when I'm in France. I'm especially looking forward to seeing Dublin, and not just because it happens to be home to my favorite band. Once again, its history, its culture, and its geographical diversity are just some of the many reasons I want to visit.
4. Spain
Another place I definitely plan on visiting, not least because my parents have colleagues there (no hostels, yay). I almost certainly have distant Spanish ancestry on my mom's side (although I think I've heard her mention our family came from the Canary Islands and not from the Spanish mainland), which just makes me more excited about next semester. There is so much to see and do, from exploring Madrid to learning about Muslim influences on Spanish architecture.
3. New Zealand
Have you seen The Lord of the Rings? Clearly you don't need another reason to go to New Zealand after that.
2. United Kingdom
More than half of my favorite books and movies are set here. My family is English on my dad's side. Jane Austen. Harry Potter. Stonehenge. The Scottish Highlands. This trailer of beauty:
I can't even tell you how excited I am that I'm only going to be an hour and a half from London. afkadj;alfdk;afjas;ldkfj
1. France
Guess where I'm going for study abroad! Basically the only thing I learned in my macroeconomics class my senior year of high school was how awesome France is (no, I'm not still bitter that I failed the AP test, and it was a blot on my otherwise flawless pass record. Why do you ask?), and I've taken that to heart. I've studied French for going on three years, I've researched all the things I want to see in Paris exhaustively, I can't wait to visit Marseille, Nice, and Bordeaux, and I just really want to find out what everything is like there. It's been my #1 ideal travel destination for a few years now, and the thought that I'll be spending an entire semester there is absolutely thrilling. Vive la France!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Beautiful Day
Yesterday was amazing. Sarah and I went to the farmer's market first thing in the morning. Fall has finally arrived; I was wearing long sleeves, long pants, my coat, and a scarf, and it looks like my sneakers and my boots are the only shoes that will see the light of day for a while. Sarah suggested walking downtown, but I wanted to take the trolley ("It's cold," I said, to which she replied, "This isn't cold, Miss California." Touche, prayer partner). We spent about half an hour to an hour walking around between the stalls, sampling different types of apple and eating warm brioche(s) for breakfast. Then we went our separate ways, and I ended up reacquainting myself with my Sims and taking some midmorning naps. I did laundry, watched the latest episodes of The Office and Parks and Recreation, and finished folding my clothes to Veronica Mars.
Around 7:30, Matt and I headed downtown to the Tea Bazaar, where we had a nice pot of formosa and even nicer conversation. We met Ellen and Taylor at the skating rink, where UVa had its first ice hockey match of the season. I've never been to a hockey game before, and I must say it was an interesting (and quite smelly) experience. I haven't checked scores, but when Matt and I headed out at the end of the first period, UVa was winning handily, so I'm assuming we pulled out a victory (granted, those kinds of assumptions about UVa athletics are not always the safest). I got back to my dorm around 10:30, which gave me just enough time to make my room presentable before Matt (roommate of the previously mentioned Matt), Andi, Pooja, and Ian came by for some Avatar: The Last Airbender. Pooja and Ian left after a couple of episodes, but Matt and Andi were around until just after one in the morning. It was really fun, as our Avatar marathons always are, but I think next time we'll try to get started earlier. On the bright side, we've gotten through most of the filler and our next marathon should be especially good. Yay!
Today was also nice, although it was more of an intensive work day for me. I read the sanctus in Spanish at Wesley today in honor of World Communion Sunday, and then I had a lovely dinner in the dining hall with the Wesley crew afterward. The parentals and I talked on the phone for a bit, then I spoke with Josh, my only brother still at home, who told me about school and going to see an air show in Miramar. Sara and I got our train tickets for fall break, which is nearly upon us, and now I'm settling in to write my French essay and work on calculus. I can't believe how quickly the semester is going, but I must say if it goes as well as this weekend has, it'll be my best semester at UVa yet.
Oh, and this has nothing to do with anything, but apparently I have a neutral-sounding Western accent.
It's almost like I spent 8 of the most formative years of my life in California or something. Wait...
Around 7:30, Matt and I headed downtown to the Tea Bazaar, where we had a nice pot of formosa and even nicer conversation. We met Ellen and Taylor at the skating rink, where UVa had its first ice hockey match of the season. I've never been to a hockey game before, and I must say it was an interesting (and quite smelly) experience. I haven't checked scores, but when Matt and I headed out at the end of the first period, UVa was winning handily, so I'm assuming we pulled out a victory (granted, those kinds of assumptions about UVa athletics are not always the safest). I got back to my dorm around 10:30, which gave me just enough time to make my room presentable before Matt (roommate of the previously mentioned Matt), Andi, Pooja, and Ian came by for some Avatar: The Last Airbender. Pooja and Ian left after a couple of episodes, but Matt and Andi were around until just after one in the morning. It was really fun, as our Avatar marathons always are, but I think next time we'll try to get started earlier. On the bright side, we've gotten through most of the filler and our next marathon should be especially good. Yay!
Today was also nice, although it was more of an intensive work day for me. I read the sanctus in Spanish at Wesley today in honor of World Communion Sunday, and then I had a lovely dinner in the dining hall with the Wesley crew afterward. The parentals and I talked on the phone for a bit, then I spoke with Josh, my only brother still at home, who told me about school and going to see an air show in Miramar. Sara and I got our train tickets for fall break, which is nearly upon us, and now I'm settling in to write my French essay and work on calculus. I can't believe how quickly the semester is going, but I must say if it goes as well as this weekend has, it'll be my best semester at UVa yet.
Oh, and this has nothing to do with anything, but apparently I have a neutral-sounding Western accent.
What American accent do you have?
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net
Western. Like Midland, Western is another accent that people consider neutral. So, you might not actually be from the Western half of the country, but you definitely sound like it.
And if you're not from the West, you are probably one of the following:
(a) A Pittsburgher - the quiz can't tell the difference;
(b) Someone from Canada (probably southern Ontario) who doesn't have a Canadian accent;
(c) Someone from northern New England who doesn't have a New England accent; or
(d) Someone from Texas or the Heartland who was born after 1980.
You are definitely not from New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Detroit, the Deep South, etc.
And if you're not from the West, you are probably one of the following:
(a) A Pittsburgher - the quiz can't tell the difference;
(b) Someone from Canada (probably southern Ontario) who doesn't have a Canadian accent;
(c) Someone from northern New England who doesn't have a New England accent; or
(d) Someone from Texas or the Heartland who was born after 1980.
You are definitely not from New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Detroit, the Deep South, etc.
Take this quiz now - it's easy!
It's almost like I spent 8 of the most formative years of my life in California or something. Wait...
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Entertainment 2011: September 1 - September 30
Okay, so September was pretty pitiful entertainment-wise. I did have two Avatar: The Last Airbender marathons and I watched a lot of Mad Men and Switched at Birth on Netflix, but as far as actual movies go, not so much. Also, on the book front? The only reading I did outside of schoolwork was a chapter of Meg Cabot's Abandon in the UVa bookstore while I was waiting for the Einstein Bros. team to finish making my bagel. I'm not sure if I plan on finishing it; it was not up to her usual standard.
Anyway, here is my pathetic movie list:
The Lion King (umpteenth viewing)
Pocahontas (also umpteenth, although I hadn't seen it for years when I watched it again this past month)
Miss Representation (documentary)
I don't have high hopes for October, entertainment-wise, considering I have work on my visa and study abroad scholarships on top of everything else, but the Virginia Film Festival comes to town in November, which I am quite excited about. It's always a fun time.
Anyway, here is my pathetic movie list:
The Lion King (umpteenth viewing)
Pocahontas (also umpteenth, although I hadn't seen it for years when I watched it again this past month)
Miss Representation (documentary)
I don't have high hopes for October, entertainment-wise, considering I have work on my visa and study abroad scholarships on top of everything else, but the Virginia Film Festival comes to town in November, which I am quite excited about. It's always a fun time.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
In Which I Have Finished My Study Abroad Application
Yes, indeed. As of 11 AM this morning, all my paperwork was turned in to the International Studies Office. Decision day is this upcoming Wednesday, October 5, but from everything I've heard about study abroad, I'm basically guaranteed to get in. I'm very excited and very nervous. The scariest thing is that the application was probably the easiest part; I'll have to apply for scholarships and start preparing my visa now. Actually, I don't really want to think about how much I still have to do on top of everything else this semester. It's nice to bask in the afterglow for a while.
I will (hopefully) be studying in Lille, which is in northern France, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. It is an hour from Paris, half an hour from Brussels, and an hour and a half from London. Here are some maps for certain people (coughcoughJackiecoughcough) who have a little trouble with geography:
The region in red is Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Lille is very close to the Belgian border.
This is Nord-Pas-de-Calais, which as you can see is right next to the English Channel. Lille is about an hour inland.
This is a bakery (or boulangerie) in Lille that came up on Google Image Search when I was looking for maps. It doesn't really have anything to do with geography, but everything looks delicious, so it's going in this post. French pastries, om nom nom.
Anyway, I'll let you know when I get official confirmation from ISO. I'm so thrilled/terrified!
Today I also went to a screening of a new documentary, Miss Representation, with Pooja. It was an interesting and rather infuriating look at the media's portrayal of women, and just how sexist it still is. I didn't agree with everything (for example, I don't feel obligated to vote for women that don't represent my views. I wasn't old enough to vote in the Democratic primaries in 2008, but I supported Barack Obama from the minute he announced his candidacy in February of 2007, and I stand by that decision. Not supporting Hillary Clinton's campaign didn't make me any less of a feminist), but it was an excellent piece of filmmaking and should be widely watched by men and women alike. Especially men, really.
All in all, not a bad day. Farmer's Market and Avatar: The Last Airbender marathon this weekend, and then next weekend is Fall Break. Yay!
I will (hopefully) be studying in Lille, which is in northern France, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. It is an hour from Paris, half an hour from Brussels, and an hour and a half from London. Here are some maps for certain people (coughcoughJackiecoughcough) who have a little trouble with geography:
The region in red is Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Lille is very close to the Belgian border.
This is Nord-Pas-de-Calais, which as you can see is right next to the English Channel. Lille is about an hour inland.
This is a bakery (or boulangerie) in Lille that came up on Google Image Search when I was looking for maps. It doesn't really have anything to do with geography, but everything looks delicious, so it's going in this post. French pastries, om nom nom.
Anyway, I'll let you know when I get official confirmation from ISO. I'm so thrilled/terrified!
Today I also went to a screening of a new documentary, Miss Representation, with Pooja. It was an interesting and rather infuriating look at the media's portrayal of women, and just how sexist it still is. I didn't agree with everything (for example, I don't feel obligated to vote for women that don't represent my views. I wasn't old enough to vote in the Democratic primaries in 2008, but I supported Barack Obama from the minute he announced his candidacy in February of 2007, and I stand by that decision. Not supporting Hillary Clinton's campaign didn't make me any less of a feminist), but it was an excellent piece of filmmaking and should be widely watched by men and women alike. Especially men, really.
All in all, not a bad day. Farmer's Market and Avatar: The Last Airbender marathon this weekend, and then next weekend is Fall Break. Yay!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Highs and Lows
As I think I've mentioned before, Highs and Lows are a staple of Wesley small groups (as for what they are, that's pretty self-explanatory). While I'm not in a small group this semester, I have been MIA for the past few days, so here are my Highs and Lows for the past week. I'll start with the lows, since I like to end on a high note.
Lows:
Lows:
- I haven't gotten nearly enough sleep this week. I was up until 2:30 on Sunday night finishing my papers (yes, two of them). Then I got up at 6 to revise them and make some last-minute additions. It's two days later and I still don't feel fully-rested. Sigh.
- My cold is gone, but for some reason my voice sounds really weird. Today it wasn't bad, and I could actually sing along to my music without any difficulty. Yesterday, though, my throat was a scratchy and I sounded a little raspy. I'm not exactly sure why this is happening, especially as I haven't felt sick for about five days now.
- My hair absolutely refuses to stay curly. It would probably helped if I used hairspray (I'm going to CVS tomorrow, so I might as well pick some up), but it's a bit frustrating to spend a good half-hour curling my hair only to have it flatten out almost immediately. Also, I burned my hand on my curling iron yesterday. Not fun.
- Weight loss is really hard. I'm down about three or four pounds since I started working out regularly in August, which is great, but I'm always hungry and it's difficult to stay away from the sweets. On the plus side, the more I eat in Newcomb, the less junk food I consume, because they're either not putting out desserts or keeping them well-hidden.
- There's still quite a bit of busywork left for my study abroad application, not least of which is the course approval form. It turns out I can't really do anything for my major while I'm abroad; I basically just need one more class to finish it, but it really ought to be 4000-level if I want to go about it efficiently. Looks like I'll be doing about 12 credits worth of electives in France.
- I'm feeling generally overworked and drained, which is not how things were last semester when I was also taking 18 credits.
- I finished my personal statement for my study abroad application! So, even though there is busywork (I have to go all the way out to Carruthers to get a copy of my transcript and a fee exemption? Really?), I've gotten all the important stuff out of the way. It really looks like France is happening, especially if I can get some scholarships out of the deal. Gah, so many mixed emotions!
- Pav Lunch on Tuesday was really lovely, even if someone couldn't remember when my birthday was. (I've forgiven him, but I'm still going to give him a hard time about it.) Matt and Andi might be coming over for another Avatar: The Last Airbender marathon this weekend, as well! We're about to start Book Three, which makes me pretty excited.
- I'm now completely caught up on Mad Men (which has been really interesting considering I'm taking a history class about the latter half of the 20th century, and we're currently focusing on the 60s) and have spent the past few days watching all the available episodes of Switched at Birth. Yes, it's definitely an ABC Family show, but it's actually pretty decent for them. It's even better than Make It or Break It, which is my guilty pleasure show (just got renewed, by the way) (I feel I should add I only watch MIOBI for Payson Keeler, who is awesome, and I'm also intrigued by the stuff they were doing with Kelly Parker at the end of the season. Everyone other than Payson, the rest of the Keelers, Sasha, and Kelly is really boring, though). Anyway, the writing for Switched at Birth has been fairly good, the acting is above average (especially for an ABC Family show), and it's got an interesting premise (not only are the girls switched at birth, but one of them is deaf). Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with it in France.
- Okay, I'm really enjoying ending my sentences with the words "in France." See, I did it again!
- Tom Perriello came to UDems this evening! He's such a nice, principled guy. I'm heartbroken that he's not my congressman anymore. Here's to hoping he runs for office again soon!
- Caroline and I had dinner tonight and tried to speak in Spanish for most of it. Wow, my Spanish has really deteriorated since I've been away from home (I still understand it really well, I just freeze up when it comes to speaking). That, and I'm confusing it with French. I keep saying "mais" instead of "pero," when I know the difference perfectly well. But Caroline is great, and it's nice to have someone to talk to who's a) been to France on study abroad before, and b) a mega Harry Potter fan like me.
- I got a B+ on my first econ test! I'd like to try and get an A in the class, but I'm pleasantly surprised that I did so well (about four points above my section average), especially since I didn't study as much as I wanted to.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Conversations with Brothers
Today, while Skyping Richie, my little brother (who is now a freshman at UChicago) (well, technically he's a lot taller than me, but I'm still older (and wiser)):
Richie: I'm planning on going to Japan in my junior year ... oh, I guess my third year, if you want to be crazy.
Me: UVa isn't crazy! We're sophisticated.
Richie: Crazy.
Me: The idea is that you're never finished with your education, so you can't really call yourself a senior-
Richie: Crazy.
Me: It's like Hogwarts!
Richie (talking over me): Crazy!
Me: Did you wish Mom a happy birthday?
Richie (looks at me with an endearing mix of sheepishness and panic, then picks up his cell phone): Bye, Aida!
He then proceeded to hang up the Skype call before I could say another word. Oh, brother!
Richie: I'm planning on going to Japan in my junior year ... oh, I guess my third year, if you want to be crazy.
Me: UVa isn't crazy! We're sophisticated.
Richie: Crazy.
Me: The idea is that you're never finished with your education, so you can't really call yourself a senior-
Richie: Crazy.
Me: It's like Hogwarts!
Richie (talking over me): Crazy!
Me: Did you wish Mom a happy birthday?
Richie (looks at me with an endearing mix of sheepishness and panic, then picks up his cell phone): Bye, Aida!
He then proceeded to hang up the Skype call before I could say another word. Oh, brother!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Under the Weather
Or, the past five days in GIFs:
Saturday:
Blue Hole trip
Avatar marathon with Matt and Andi
Sunday:
Wake up
By which I mean that I was miserably sick, so I felt like I was being punched in the face. Being punched in the face by Henry Green, the world's most adorable baby, is probably considerably more enjoyable than waking up with a terrible cold (and possible low-grade fever), but I do not have a more relevant GIF.
Skype conversation with Jackie
Monday:
OMG, I actually have to go to class because I can't afford to miss it
Tuesday:
AHH so much to do
Wednesday:
Actually, I might have this thing under control. Well, I still have two papers to write before Monday, but at least my cold is (mostly) gone.
I probably won't surface again until my papers are done, so I hope you enjoyed this little update!
Saturday:
Blue Hole trip
Avatar marathon with Matt and Andi
Sunday:
Wake up
By which I mean that I was miserably sick, so I felt like I was being punched in the face. Being punched in the face by Henry Green, the world's most adorable baby, is probably considerably more enjoyable than waking up with a terrible cold (and possible low-grade fever), but I do not have a more relevant GIF.
Skype conversation with Jackie
Monday:
OMG, I actually have to go to class because I can't afford to miss it
Tuesday:
AHH so much to do
Wednesday:
Actually, I might have this thing under control. Well, I still have two papers to write before Monday, but at least my cold is (mostly) gone.
I probably won't surface again until my papers are done, so I hope you enjoyed this little update!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Fall and the Swing of Things
I've had a sore throat all day, so I think I'm going to go to bed soon (eleven o'clock is so early for me, you don't even know), but I wanted to write a quick update since I've been fairly infrequent about posting this week. Yesterday was my first calculus test, which as last night's post might indicate, could have gone better. I was confident about half of it, and probably got considerable partial credit on the rest, so naturally I left the test room more than a little upset. Today, though, was quite nice, apart from the sore throat. It was my usual Friday routine (class, lunch, work), and it was chilly, only about 64 or so at most, but there was something comforting in the normalcy of it, I guess. After work, I met Sarah for dinner, and then we went to Whole Foods, my little slice of heaven on earth. I now have a fridge full of whole wheat pita bread, hummus, red grapes, yogurt, and a little bit of goat cheese, which I love. Leslie had referred me to the LivingSocial $20 worth of groceries for $10 deal, so I ended up only paying 50 cents for all of it (well, $10.50 total, I suppose, but I only had to pull out five dimes at the register). Then I decided on impulse to go to the gym, which probably didn't help my throat but felt good nonetheless. I ran an entire mile without stopping tonight; that was actually my gym goal for the semester, so I guess I'm going to shoot for two miles without stopping or completing a mile in under 10 minutes (that and losing 15 pounds, but I don't want to be unreasonable about things). I also made considerable headway on my study abroad application and had a nice conversation with my dad. All in all, a decent Friday.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Strange weather, huh?
So far, this semester has been characterized chiefly by bizarre weather and natural phenomena. First we had a 5.8 earthquake, then the outer bands of Hurricane Irene came through, and today we had a freak hailstorm. Luckily I was indoors, at my econ discussion, and it was actually quite funny to see my TA valiantly try to continue teaching section over the increasingly loud crashing of hail outside the window (yes, I will admit to a slight propensity for schadenfreude; everyone has their faults). It ended just as quickly as it came, though, so by the time I headed back to my dorm room, the sky had cleared up and the only sign that anything had happened was the scattered detritus of leaves all over the sidewalk. Who knows what will happen next?
Fairly good day today. I helped Ryan with a French project, made it through all my classes, went to the gym and didn't feel sick, and watched a Vlogbrothers video with Henry in it. This weekend was pretty great, too; on Saturday I went on the Wesley trip to Shalom Farms near Richmond, and that evening I hosted a screening of Up in my suite. Yesterday there was a perfectly lovely worship service at Wesley and I Skyped the familia. I am, however, slightly behind on my work, so I will leave this here and continue on with my Aristotle reading. Nothing's more fun than Greek philosophy!
Fairly good day today. I helped Ryan with a French project, made it through all my classes, went to the gym and didn't feel sick, and watched a Vlogbrothers video with Henry in it. This weekend was pretty great, too; on Saturday I went on the Wesley trip to Shalom Farms near Richmond, and that evening I hosted a screening of Up in my suite. Yesterday there was a perfectly lovely worship service at Wesley and I Skyped the familia. I am, however, slightly behind on my work, so I will leave this here and continue on with my Aristotle reading. Nothing's more fun than Greek philosophy!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Aida's Obligatory September 11th Story
As you've probably been bombarded with memorial services and television specials ad nauseum for the past week, you don't need me to tell you that today marks the ten-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks. If you're anything like me, you're likely getting a little tired of the constant coverage, but this is an important day. In keeping with the spirit of the anniversary, here is my 9/11 story.
Back in September of 2001, I was two months shy of eleven. My parents had been commissioned as missionaries the previous summer, and we had moved to Costa Rica in January so my father could learn Spanish at language school. Richie and I were students at a small international school in the mountains, where I was in the fifth grade. That Tuesday started out roughly like any other. Richie and I got on our bus, went on our usual long ride to school, and headed to our respective classrooms. The fifth grade (all twenty or so of us, and we were a big class by Marian Baker standards) had art first thing on Tuesday mornings, so the first thing I knew anything was amiss, we were ensconced in the art classroom, busily working away on our various projects. Rumors must have been flying like mad, because our art teacher told us that the Empire State Building had been hit, not the World Trade Center. Class continued like nothing had happened, but I do remember going up to the teacher and asking quietly if the building had fallen apart and hurt people when the airplane went into it.
I don't remember many other details from that morning, apart from a general sense of unease among the teachers. The fourth and fifth grades had gym class together, and I heard my old fourth grade teacher having a tense conversation with someone else, perhaps my fifth grade teacher, Mr. K.
"Has anything else happened?" one of them asked.
"Bush made a speech," the other responded.
Finally, after lunch, Mr. K told us what happened. I cried. Looking back, I can't really explain why, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I was a sensitive little girl who was living out of her country for the first time, and acutely aware that something terrible had happened when I was far away. Many of my classmates were the children of diplomats and influential businesspeople, and probably had friends and relatives far closer to New York City and Washington, DC than I did. None of them cried, however, and they didn't understand why I was so upset (although truthfully, I didn't quite understand why I was so upset, either). Costa Rican Independence Day was fast approaching, and the fifth graders were learning a traditional dance, but I was allowed to sit out because I was still crying.
When I got home, my mother was sitting in the living room, watching the news. We only had basic Costa Rican television, which meant the few channels we did receive were all in Spanish. By that point in the year, however, my Spanish was fairly good, and in any case the video footage spoke for itself. My dad's language school, largely populated by Americans, held a vigil that evening, so we made our short walk over to the campus, where all the adults were somber. All the children were sent outside to amuse ourselves while the adults held their vigil. Some of us were old enough to have some understanding of what was going on, but others, like Josh, who was two, didn't have a clue. Josh had an airplane fixation even then, and while I'm not sure if he even knew that the news that day had been full of them, he talked of nothing but airplanes that night. So I sat on a hill with my brothers and the other children, eating sugar cane and listening to Josh's airplane noises and the singing of the adults.
I'm not sure how much I understood that day, but I remember reading every news magazine I could get my hands on in the Marian Baker library in the weeks that followed. It was around that time I became more politically conscious, although I may have been following the news casually even before the attacks. By the time of the invasion of Iraq a year and a half later, I was watching the news regularly and forming my own opinions about what I was seeing. I don't know if September 11 was the catalyst for my rapidly-growing awareness of the world around me, but it had a tremendous impact on my development nonetheless. For years I would get up early on the anniversary just to watch the memorial services, and while I have succumbed to 9/11 fatigue in college, I'm still fascinated by the stories from that day. Perhaps it's because I was out of the country and removed from the national atmosphere, to the point where I read about rather than experienced firsthand the fleeting but intense unity in the aftermath of the attacks. Perhaps it's because I was ten years old and just entering the world beyond myself. In any case, it is a day that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Did the world really change? Maybe. Did my worldview? Certainly.
Back in September of 2001, I was two months shy of eleven. My parents had been commissioned as missionaries the previous summer, and we had moved to Costa Rica in January so my father could learn Spanish at language school. Richie and I were students at a small international school in the mountains, where I was in the fifth grade. That Tuesday started out roughly like any other. Richie and I got on our bus, went on our usual long ride to school, and headed to our respective classrooms. The fifth grade (all twenty or so of us, and we were a big class by Marian Baker standards) had art first thing on Tuesday mornings, so the first thing I knew anything was amiss, we were ensconced in the art classroom, busily working away on our various projects. Rumors must have been flying like mad, because our art teacher told us that the Empire State Building had been hit, not the World Trade Center. Class continued like nothing had happened, but I do remember going up to the teacher and asking quietly if the building had fallen apart and hurt people when the airplane went into it.
I don't remember many other details from that morning, apart from a general sense of unease among the teachers. The fourth and fifth grades had gym class together, and I heard my old fourth grade teacher having a tense conversation with someone else, perhaps my fifth grade teacher, Mr. K.
"Has anything else happened?" one of them asked.
"Bush made a speech," the other responded.
Finally, after lunch, Mr. K told us what happened. I cried. Looking back, I can't really explain why, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I was a sensitive little girl who was living out of her country for the first time, and acutely aware that something terrible had happened when I was far away. Many of my classmates were the children of diplomats and influential businesspeople, and probably had friends and relatives far closer to New York City and Washington, DC than I did. None of them cried, however, and they didn't understand why I was so upset (although truthfully, I didn't quite understand why I was so upset, either). Costa Rican Independence Day was fast approaching, and the fifth graders were learning a traditional dance, but I was allowed to sit out because I was still crying.
When I got home, my mother was sitting in the living room, watching the news. We only had basic Costa Rican television, which meant the few channels we did receive were all in Spanish. By that point in the year, however, my Spanish was fairly good, and in any case the video footage spoke for itself. My dad's language school, largely populated by Americans, held a vigil that evening, so we made our short walk over to the campus, where all the adults were somber. All the children were sent outside to amuse ourselves while the adults held their vigil. Some of us were old enough to have some understanding of what was going on, but others, like Josh, who was two, didn't have a clue. Josh had an airplane fixation even then, and while I'm not sure if he even knew that the news that day had been full of them, he talked of nothing but airplanes that night. So I sat on a hill with my brothers and the other children, eating sugar cane and listening to Josh's airplane noises and the singing of the adults.
I'm not sure how much I understood that day, but I remember reading every news magazine I could get my hands on in the Marian Baker library in the weeks that followed. It was around that time I became more politically conscious, although I may have been following the news casually even before the attacks. By the time of the invasion of Iraq a year and a half later, I was watching the news regularly and forming my own opinions about what I was seeing. I don't know if September 11 was the catalyst for my rapidly-growing awareness of the world around me, but it had a tremendous impact on my development nonetheless. For years I would get up early on the anniversary just to watch the memorial services, and while I have succumbed to 9/11 fatigue in college, I'm still fascinated by the stories from that day. Perhaps it's because I was out of the country and removed from the national atmosphere, to the point where I read about rather than experienced firsthand the fleeting but intense unity in the aftermath of the attacks. Perhaps it's because I was ten years old and just entering the world beyond myself. In any case, it is a day that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Did the world really change? Maybe. Did my worldview? Certainly.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up
When I woke up this morning, I hadn't gotten enough sleep and I was anxious about how the day would go. As it turns out, however, today was excellent. Sarah and I had a nice prayer partner breakfast, calculus was fairly straightforward, and I enjoyed my shift at work. When I got back to the dorm, Sara (my roommate; I know many, many Sara(h)s here at UVa, which is probably confusing for any of my readers at home - sorry about that!) and I went to Runk for dinner, where we had some truly wonderful cupcakes for dessert. Pooja and I hung out for about an hour, talking about Pottermore and dorm life. Then I watched some old 2008 election videos (yes, that is the sort of thing I enjoy doing in my spare time) and a couple Mad Men episodes. I'm going to have a busy weekend ahead of me, but it looks like things are getting off to a good start.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Observations on a Tuesday
- Apparently the peanut butter, jelly, and apple sandwich from the Pav is over 800 calories. How is that even possible? I'm definitely eating only one half in a sitting from now on.
- Kabob Palace's brown rice is even better than its white rice.
- Once again, I went to the gym and overworked myself to the point where I felt sick. My stomach still hasn't fully recovered. What am I thinking about? Food. Brain, what is wrong with you?
- Sporcle minefield quizzes are so addictive. Yes, I can get all the state postal abbreviations within a minute if I just try one more time. Wait, fingers, why do you keep pressing the K instead of the R when responding to "Arkansas." (This happened twice. What the hell? I definitely know my state abbreviations, I just have to think about them for a few seconds sometimes.)
- Just when I think I'm done with my homework, more pops up. It's like Whack-a-Mole. Just stay down, goshdarnit!
- I may or may not have spent more time thinking about how to draw a turtle-duck than reviewing my history homework. The history homework will get done before bed, however, because there's a section assignment due tomorrow and I intend to rock it.
- Mad Men is weird. By the way, I will never like it more than The West Wing, for the simple reason that so few of the characters are even remotely sympathetic. Peggy, Sally, and Hollis the elevator guy are cool. Harry Crane is relatively likable. The priest played by Colin Hanks, Betty, and Trudy Campbell have their moments. Everyone else I just want to slap, especially Don.
- Rain is overrated.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Monday Night, As I Listen to the Rain
is a phrase I never used when I lived in El Centro. The phrase "Monday night, as I listen to the severe thunderstorm that may or may not continue until 11 PM, according to the National Weather Service" applies doubly. Yet here I sit in Charlottesville, recovering from a particularly strenuous gym visit by lying on my bed, listening to the steady downpour outside my window and battling my way through Plato's Republic. I think I worked myself too hard tonight; I ran for nine minutes straight, then alternated jogging and walking on the treadmill for the remaining eleven. When I finished, I felt sick to my stomach and had to sit on a bench outside the cardio room for a while before I could go back in and finish my workout. That's probably not a good sign. On the other hand, I've lost half a pound since Wednesday, so maybe I need to just tell my body to deal with it and soldier on.
Today was fairly nice, if not as productive as yesterday. I went to class, ran some errands on the Corner, watched some Mad Men, and had dinner with some PMP mentors and mentees. Only two classes tomorrow, so hopefully things will be more restful then. So far, September is off to a good start.
Today was fairly nice, if not as productive as yesterday. I went to class, ran some errands on the Corner, watched some Mad Men, and had dinner with some PMP mentors and mentees. Only two classes tomorrow, so hopefully things will be more restful then. So far, September is off to a good start.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Weekend of Win
This is a momentous occasion. I have finished all my reading for my Monday classes before Monday has actually arrived. I'm still wrapping up a written assignment, but I'm pleasantly surprised about my own hidden ability to be productive when I make it a priority. Let's see if I can keep it up!
Andi, Kathryn, and Matt came over on Friday night to watch some Avatar: The Last Airbender (specifically, all the desert and traveling to Ba Sing Se episodes), which was a lot of fun. I went to UDems breakfast on Saturday morning, where I chatted briefly with Tim Kaine and saw Brian Moran speak. Saturday was also the first football game, which we won decisively. Football does nothing for me, though, so after hanging out at a tailgate with some friends, I had dinner at a nearly-empty Runk with Kathryn, and then we headed back to my dorm room to study and watch Tangled (yes, again. Kathryn hadn't seen it, okay?). Today I had an impromptu brunch with Matt, spent a lot of time in Study Camp, hosted Hillary at informal worship (so she could see what a Christian service was like), ate Chinese food, and read like nobody's business. All in all, a pretty great weekend.
Andi, Kathryn, and Matt came over on Friday night to watch some Avatar: The Last Airbender (specifically, all the desert and traveling to Ba Sing Se episodes), which was a lot of fun. I went to UDems breakfast on Saturday morning, where I chatted briefly with Tim Kaine and saw Brian Moran speak. Saturday was also the first football game, which we won decisively. Football does nothing for me, though, so after hanging out at a tailgate with some friends, I had dinner at a nearly-empty Runk with Kathryn, and then we headed back to my dorm room to study and watch Tangled (yes, again. Kathryn hadn't seen it, okay?). Today I had an impromptu brunch with Matt, spent a lot of time in Study Camp, hosted Hillary at informal worship (so she could see what a Christian service was like), ate Chinese food, and read like nobody's business. All in all, a pretty great weekend.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Top Tens: Favorite Fictional Pairings, Or, Everything I Touch Turns to Shipping!
Note: Shipping, for those of you not in the know, is internet lingo for supporting a romantic relationship between two characters. It is derived from the word relationship. A shipper is a fan of a certain pairing, a ship is the couple in question, and the adjective shippy might describe the interactions of a romantic or a perceived romantic nature that this couple have. Having practically lived on the internet for much of the past ten years, I will use this terminology from time to time.
For someone who has always been single, I am surprisingly enthusiastic about romantic relationships between fictional couples. Maybe I like to live vicariously through my favorite characters, or it enables me to continue to hopelessly idealize future partners and set unreasonable expectations for them (heh). Whatever the case, I love shipping. I love it to the point that whenever I pick up a new work of fiction, I almost immediately start pairing off the characters. I look for signs of who will be paired off with who, and why, and how, and whether it will be a long, drawn-out process (it usually is, and if it isn't it often means something bad will happen to the couple in question). There are certain romantic tropes that are especially appealing to me. Bickering couples, longtime friendship that blossoms into love, opposites attract, and Unrequited Love Switcheroos are all storytelling devices almost guaranteed to keep me interested. If they're accompanied by a few longing gazes and some witty banter, that's just icing on the cake. Here are my top ten fictional couples. It was very hard to narrow down my list, so I will also mention some couples that I was thisclose to including.
Other Cabot-verse couples I enjoy: Jenny Greenley and Scott Bennett (Teen Idol), Samantha Madison and David (All-American Girl), Ellie Harrison and Will Wagner (Avalon High).
Other Office couples I enjoy: Michael and Holly, Erin and Andy.
Leia: Into the garbage chute, flyboy!
Han: Wonderful girl! Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her!
Leia: Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerfherder!
Han: Who's scruffy-looking?
Han: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han: I'm a nice man.
Leia: No, you're not, you're - (They kiss.)
And of course, the perennial favorite (and its reversal in Return of the Jedi):
Leia: I love you!
Han: I know.
How on earth does anyone not like these two together?
Other Potter couples I enjoy: Harry and Ginny, Molly and Arthur, Remus and Tonks, Lily and James, and a somewhat fleeting affection for Neville and Luna, although I'm perfectly fine with them marrying other people eventually, as JKR said they did.
- Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable (Kim Possible)
- Vicky Austin and Adam Eddington (A Ring of Endless Light); I also love Meg Murry and Calvin O'Keefe from A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels.
- Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
- Rapunzel andFlynn Rider Eugene Fitzherbert (Tangled)
- Alfredo Linguini and Colette Tatou (Ratatouille)
- Carl and Ellie Fredricksen (Up)
For someone who has always been single, I am surprisingly enthusiastic about romantic relationships between fictional couples. Maybe I like to live vicariously through my favorite characters, or it enables me to continue to hopelessly idealize future partners and set unreasonable expectations for them (heh). Whatever the case, I love shipping. I love it to the point that whenever I pick up a new work of fiction, I almost immediately start pairing off the characters. I look for signs of who will be paired off with who, and why, and how, and whether it will be a long, drawn-out process (it usually is, and if it isn't it often means something bad will happen to the couple in question). There are certain romantic tropes that are especially appealing to me. Bickering couples, longtime friendship that blossoms into love, opposites attract, and Unrequited Love Switcheroos are all storytelling devices almost guaranteed to keep me interested. If they're accompanied by a few longing gazes and some witty banter, that's just icing on the cake. Here are my top ten fictional couples. It was very hard to narrow down my list, so I will also mention some couples that I was thisclose to including.
10. Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
Logan and Veronica are a special case for me. They aren't the kind of characters I normally put together, and honestly I didn't even like Logan until his feelings for Veronica were in full bloom. I'm not impressed by bad boys at all; Logan isn't exactly a bad boy exactly, but he's certainly edgier than all of Veronica's other romantic interests. There are also some problematic elements to their relationship; in the pilot, Logan was smashing Veronica's headlights and calling her nasty names. It could just be that the writers didn't know where they were going with his character at that point, but it's something that ought to be discussed nonetheless. Veronica, however, is not a meek or submissive kind of girl, and it quickly becomes apparent that she and Logan are attracted to one another, stemming from their one-time friendship, and continuing throughout Veronica's time as Neptune High's social outcast. By the middle of the first season, they're friendlier to one another, and the UST quotient is through the roof. They begin displaying the traits that make me like them as a couple so much; Logan is incredibly protective of Veronica, and will go out of his way to keep her from harm, while Veronica is Logan's emotional rock, helping him process his mother's death. It all comes to a head in the most glorious way, and while I wasn't happy that the writers chose to go the on-again, off-again route with them, I was thrilled that they got together. They have an undeniable chemistry, and their relationship is one of my favorite parts of Veronica Mars.
9. Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)
Ah, the first of my two political couples. Leslie and Ben represent the geekier, more comedic side of the political romance coin. I love how they gradually come to accept one another, and then let acceptance blossom into something more. They're sweet, funny (oh my goodness, the butt-dialing reveal was hilarious), and just generally perfect for each other. There's not much more too it to that, but they make me happy and I can't wait to see how things go in season four!
8. Michael Moscovitz and Mia Thermopolis (The Princess Diaries)
When I was in junior high and high school, I was obsessed with The Princess Diaries (the books by Meg Cabot, not the Disney adaptation, which is cute but not nearly as good). The first three books especially are centered on the development of the Michael/Mia relationship. Michael was pretty much my ideal fictional boyfriend; he was sweet, mature, kind-hearted, funny, attractive, and very, very nerdy. Mia's growing feelings for Michael were adorable and relatable. They worked very well together, too; is there anything cuter than a first date spent watching Star Wars and quoting Han and Leia (see below) back at one another? I think not. The picture, by the way, is taken from a piece of fanart drawn by an artist who calls herself burdge_bug on the internet.
7. Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert (The Office)
Seriously, who doesn't love them? I've said it before, but it bears repeating: they were so flippin' adorable in the early years, before they got together. They're still cute now. I've really enjoyed seeing their relationship progress, from friends longing for something more, to a married couple with one child and another on the way. In many ways the heart and soul of The Office, Jim and Pam will always be a favorite pairing of mine.
Other Office couples I enjoy: Michael and Holly, Erin and Andy.
6. Zuko and Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Zuko and Katara are the one couple on my list that never happened in canon. Zuko ended up with Mai and Katara ended up with Aang. I can accept the former gracefully enough, and while I'm still not thrilled about Kataang, I'll live with it. However, even after having seen the entire series at least twice, I persist in believing that Zuko and Katara would have made a more compelling pairing. They had a great dynamic, at once opposites-attract (fire and water) and brought together through similar experience (each losing their mother through the Fire Nation). Their connection was utterly fascinating. Watching them evolve from enemies to (on Katara's part) reluctant allies to close friends, a romantic relationship seemed like the next natural step.
I know Mike and Bryan had planned an Aang-Katara romance from the very beginning, and any Zutara tension stemmed from Ship Tease and not any serious hints, but I think the teasing worked a little too well. When Zuko and Katara had their moment of understanding in Ba Sing Se, I saw chemistry. When Katara was furious with Zuko for his initial betrayal, her hurt seemed like that of a spurned lover. When Zuko tried desperately to get Katara to forgive him, including waiting outside her tent all night and asking Sokka for advice, it played like a boyfriend or love interest wanting his significant other back more than anything. When they worked together, when she finally accepted him into the Gaang, when she hugged him (see picture), I couldn't help but root for them as a couple. And oh Lord, the finale. Katara turns to Zuko in a crisis. She's the one he looks to for reassurance when he's afraid to see Uncle Iroh again. It's Katara Zuko chooses to help him take Azula down, and it's Katara he freaking takes a bolt of lightning for when Azula uses underhanded tactics. Their interaction in the aftermath of the Agni Kai is just screaming for romantic resolution, and instead Katara goes and makes out with a twelve-year-old. Ugh. Like I said, I'll live with it. Maybe Katara and Aang went one to make a lovely couple, despite the fact that she acted like his mother for the entire series, and any romantic attraction was 95% on Aang's side (sorry, Katara ending up with Aang was such wish fulfillment it makes me want to roll my eyes). They have cute grandkids in Legend of Korra, at any rate. But I'll always wonder about what could have (and should have) been, and I know I'm not alone.
Other Avatar couples I enjoy: Suki and Sokka; I like the idea of Korra and Mako in Legend of Korra, but reserve the right to change my mind, since all I have to go on at this point is one trailer, the Comic Con presentation, and their character designs.
5. Josh Lyman and Donna Moss (The West Wing)
I am so glad I didn't have to wait seven years to see this relationship play out (having watched the entire series roughly over the course of my freshman year in high school). Josh and Donna weren't originally intended to be together, but Bradley Whitford and Janel Moloney had such great chemistry Aaron Sorkin decided to abandon the Mandy character and ramp up the UST. They bantered and sometimes made fun of each other, but beneath it all there was a fierce loyalty and a deep devotion. Even when they dated other people, their mutual attraction was clear. It was a joy and sometimes a frustration to see their love develop (and develop and develop) and finally come to fruition in the final season. While I would have liked to see how Sorkin would have handled Josh and Donna as a couple, I'm nevertheless very pleased with the moments we do have. There is so much I love about this pairing; Josh's note to Donna in "In Excelsis Deo," their hug, and him watching her read it, Donna's utter heartbreak when she thinks Josh might die, their not-anniversary in "Seventeen People," the cute snowball scene in "Inauguration: Over There," their wonderful first kiss in "The Cold," and the way they help each other through Leo's passing in "Election Day, Part Two" are just a few of the many moments that make Josh and Donna my favorite political couple.
Other West Wing couples I enjoy: CJ and Danny, Charlie and Zoey, Jed and Abbey, and (unfortunately never realized) Sam and Ainsley.
4. Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo (Star Wars)
Pretty much my all-time favorite movie couple. They bicker and they're sidekicks who fall in love, so obviously I ship them. No matter what I'm doing, every time The Empire Strikes Back is on, I have to watch the scene where they kiss for the first time. Their chemistry is amazing, and after all the tension that has been building up throughout the movie, it is thrilling to see them come together. Han is a roguish Jerk with a Heart of Gold, and Leia is a passionate, no-nonsense kind of woman; when you put them together, the sparks just fly. Yet they work remarkably well as a couple, too; notice Han's transformation from a devil-may-care mercenary in A New Hope to a lovable rogue with a Leia-sized soft spot in Return of the Jedi. Not to mention Leia's fluster in The Empire Strikes Back; normally she's so collected, but Han can make her lose control. Plus, they have some of the best exchanges of any characters in the series. Observe:
Han: Wonderful girl! Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her!
Leia: Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerfherder!
Han: Who's scruffy-looking?
Han: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han: I'm a nice man.
Leia: No, you're not, you're - (They kiss.)
And of course, the perennial favorite (and its reversal in Return of the Jedi):
Leia: I love you!
Han: I know.
How on earth does anyone not like these two together?
3. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
"In vain I have struggled! It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
A great example of dynamic characterization and relationship building, Darcy and Lizzy represent one of the best-loved romances in all of literature. From "She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me!" to "dearest, loveliest Elizabeth," we see our protagonists overcome the eponymous pride and prejudice and become better people for it. I love watching their feelings change over the course of the book; just compare the first and second proposals and see how far they've come in just a matter of months. Oh so satisfying. Plus, Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth bring the characters to life so perfectly that I always picture them as I read. Basically, they go from this to this, and that is why I love them.
Other Austenverse couples I enjoy: Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey), Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley (Emma)
2. Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables)
If you've been reading my blog over the summer, you know how much I love Anne of Green Gables. Naturally, I love Gilbert and his relationship with Anne right along with it. In Anne of the Island, Gilbert tells Anne he's loved her since the day she broke her slate over his head. Well, that says everything right there, doesn't it? I will say I was furious with Anne when she refused him the first time around, but she needed to learn a valuable lesson about what love really is, and if she'd said yes right away, we wouldn't have gotten the beautiful and very sad scene where she keeps vigil all night because she thinks Gilbert is dying. Nor did their story get less interesting after they got married. I've always thought Anne's House of Dreams would make a compelling film, not least because of the heart-wrenching chapter where their first baby dies almost immediately after she's born. They go on to have six more children (!), and by the end of Rilla of Ingleside are still just as in love as ever. One of my favorite things about this relationship is how much Gilbert loves Anne; he's described as "worship[ing] the ground she walks on" at one point, and he tells her he couldn't make himself give up on her even after she turned down his first proposal. Aww. I love how they challenge each other in the early books, and how they never lose their spark even after they put aside their differences. They're a fantastic couple; I read their scenes over and over again.
1. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley (Harry Potter)
My favorite couple in the history of everything ever. Anyone who knows me knows I love Harry Potter (understatement of the century). When I was obsessively waiting for all the books to come out, the storyline I was most invested in was Harry's and how he came to defeat Voldemort. The storyline I was second most invested in was Ron and Hermione's romance. Ever since I read a J.K. Rowling interview back in 2001 explaining that there was "something going on" between them, I couldn't wait for them to get together. They are the reason I like bickering couples and sidekick romances so much. I love everything about them: their wonderful, UST-laden dynamic, the symbolism inherent in their being a pureblood and a Muggle-born in love, that Hermione makes the first move and it's because of the house-elves, that they affect one another in ways no one else can, that they argue because they enjoy it, everything. I had to wait over six years between when I read Goblet of Fire to when they finally got together in Deathly Hallows, but once they did, I wouldn't have it any other way. Ron and Hermione make me happy.
I used a drawing by fanartist Marta Tieves because her Ron and Hermione are almost exactly how I picture them. While I'm sure Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are lovely people, they're just not Ron and Hermione to me.
Other Potter couples I enjoy: Harry and Ginny, Molly and Arthur, Remus and Tonks, Lily and James, and a somewhat fleeting affection for Neville and Luna, although I'm perfectly fine with them marrying other people eventually, as JKR said they did.
That's the list! Here are my honorable mentions:
- Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable (Kim Possible)
- Vicky Austin and Adam Eddington (A Ring of Endless Light); I also love Meg Murry and Calvin O'Keefe from A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels.
- Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
- Rapunzel and
- Alfredo Linguini and Colette Tatou (Ratatouille)
- Carl and Ellie Fredricksen (Up)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)