But, we're cool!?

Its kinda funny to watch all the Americans (yes, me included but I can't watch myself can I?) go through mini crisisses of identity. Today before acting (while freezing our fingers off) I was listening one girl complain about freshmen. Here, all the foreign kids have been placed in flats with 'first years.' (They don't call em freshmen... or sophomores etc.) So naturally, thats who most of your friends will be, at least to begin with and most likely throughout the term since most of our classes are with Americans or are level one. This girl was saying how young they were, and how odd it was to be hanging out with them. She said "I would never hang out with *freshmen* at home." It made me laugh. We all have that contempt for freshmen in general social contexts cause we are so glad we have passed it, moved on and presumably up. We know where to party, who to hang with, how to not get arrested, and what classes to avoid. But now, he we are. Freshmen to the entire country, not just the school. We know nothing, are scared, lost and clueless, filled with that strange optimistic hope that filled our first semester of college all over again. In that regard, even these 'first years' we now associate with are more wise and knowledgable. Not only do they know what to do, where to go and who with, college has lost that shiny newness. And so, despite the fact that we cling to our wise, cool was of the American Junior, and quietly laugh amongst ourselves at the 'juvenile' first years, we secretly thank them for treating us as equals, not as old and unapproachable as we try to appear at home, nor as scared and pathetic as we see our past freshmen selves, but as students and hopefully friends.


SO now that I'm done with that essay..... my day:
I got up early to talk to the drama department about switching into a theatre history/theory class. She hadn't actually asked if it was ok, but she said she would and would call me later. I just realized that the unknown missed call must have been her, since there are like 3 people who even know my number. Woops. Hopefully she'll call back. I should set up my voice mail.... Anyhow. I'm taking (i think) a Postcolonial Theatre class. I don't even know what postcolonial theatre is, so it should be good. It isn't what I wanted, but when I realized that it was already approved by Lehigh to give me credit for the vile theatre history class I was trying to avoid in the first place, I figured I'd take the chance. So no matter how bad it is, its better than taking it at Lehigh cause pass is like a 40 here, and I only need to pass. Its also only one essay at the end of the term. Super easy. Now to do the million pages of catch-up reading by tomorrow morning... Half the time I think I'm nuts for making more work for myself (art classes have no tests or essays and I would have had NO finals, no homework, no reading and barely any classes AND with Wed. being party night, Thursday morning classes are stupid) but then I remember how bored I was and how I wasn't actually doing any work for the class I think I'm going to drop (computer art). It sucks, cause the computer class was what was really exciting, but it sucks as a course so its ok. Maybe I'll create a better one for summer. I meet with my tutor on Friday.
After my meeting I read about postcolonial for a bit (kinda interesting...realized I had read some postcolonial litterature, not plays but a start, namely Things Fall Apart and that Conrad book... Joseph Conrad... Heart of Darkness! - once again AP English has prepared me better for life than anything else...) and went to acting.
Oh yeah, big news: IT SNOWED IN LONDON!!! It melted after a few hours, but it was enough to freak out the Brits. They cancelled the trains...they do that a lot. So basically, my acting teacher was late and the room was frigid. Kept my coat on the whole time. But, since it was late, we didn't have to do mirror warm ups and dance to Abba. We went right into more cold readings of the script we're working on. I actually read today. I'm proud. I like language. Its funny, I'm more comfortable reading and speaking than moving, even after 13 years of dance.... odd... But the teacher told me I was the first person he heard read this one section right on the first try, ever. Mainly its cause the passage named a bunch of famous architecture in Europe and I'm an arch. dork, but I knew how to pronounce Duomo and bits of French, so I impressed him. Petty, but it felt good. 1 point for 7:55AM Arch History. I also realized that I am a huge dork for language. Thats what all of acting ahs been about so far and I find it fun.
Our assignment was to meet next week, divide up a section of the script (there are no characters, so we have to decide who says what) and memorize it. Luckily, we have next week to divide and another week to memorize. Shouldn't be bad. I'm a little worried about dividing cause there's a 'Conrad Birdie' (you know what I mean Laura) type guy in our class (the one who goes to Illinois Weslyan with Kevin) who totally thinks he is the shit, and his good friend. I'm worried that they will dominate and this script is too cool for him to have all the lines. I hope we can make this artistic. And I hope I have the confidence to speak up. I may do my homework and divide up lines before I go so I'm ready ;)
Well, after class I tried to get someone to come to lunch with me and failed so I tried out the cafeteria (average) by myself and went to work on my art project. I paste squares so well.... lame. Oh well, i think i'm far enough along. Only 1 or 2 other people had even started. Now I'm at the library and excited to head home for homework and Club Sandwich. I am so fucking long winded. Sorry! Later