(In lieu of inventiveness...) Thursday 7/31/08

Just hangin around the info commons while my lunch digests a bit - can't go to the gym on an empty stomach, nor can one go right after eating...

The class issue appears to be resolved - my adviser at NU tells me it will either come back as an upper level poly sci course, or possibly as a pre-law course - the latter will be wicked, as I was also told that with that course, I could petition for the minor - that isn't too bad...just, how will I fit it on my resume haha? Either way, the course will not be in vain.

So about the gym. Finally got around to joining yesterday, and it's pretty nice. I mean, it's a gym...all the weight machines, but substantially fewer cardio machines than NU - so few that use is limited to 20 minutes (which I could have stayed on for longer, but there was a queue when my time was up). And then - it keeps popping up - that darned metric system. I could gloat and say I was jogging at 10.0 for 20 minutes straight...but that is to say 10 KPH (6 MPH)...so not so impressive. I plan on lifting today, maybe like the states the machines will be dual-labeled (the leg press upon inspection was, that will be an immense help).

At this point in the tale, I could be an arrogant American and declare that everybody else should return to pounds, but to be honest, I feel the states should come round. It is really a lot easier...the conversion process alone is a headache...
2.2 lbs per kilogram? Temperature Celsius multiplied by nine-fifths (1.8) and then 32 added? besides, who's ingenious idea was it that "32" was the freezing point. "0" just seems a more natural number to assign to that. Perhaps Mr. Farenheit (or whoever invented that stupid system) had an inferiority complex. Although -- 30.48 seems alot more impressive than 12, correct?

Tuesday 7/29/08

Auckland: 3:26 PM; Boston 11:26 PM (Monday)

Things are better on the personal front, I think. More or less I felt that I had to get over myself and realize, I chose to come down here for four months, and that I was warned about the issues that would come up.

So anyway (yeah I hate thinking about depressing things, who doesn't?)...surprise. It's raining. Again. (I was warned about that also). I'm procrastinating on going home, even though I should soon - I have a lot of reading to do, and I'm working under the assumption that poker will be happening again this evening. Even though I finished in the middle of the pack, it was because of two really bad beats, so it's not like I'm inept or something (right?).

Starting to get concerned with one of my classes, and if it will actually count for something. No one at NU has gotten back to me yet - and the add/drop deadline is Friday. Given my luck with that school and the way they usually are anyway, I'll probably find out on Monday or something that it counts for nothing. Or worse, it will count for a class that I already took. Which will, bluntly, fuck me over. It will mean that I will return to the US 4 credit hours (1 class) short of completing my undergrad degree. I've heard the nightmare stories before, so I suppose I should just say my fingers, toes, and anything else that can be, are crossed.

So other things that are taking some adjusting - the internet is slow as molasses. For example, just bought a song on iTunes, and what would take say 5 to 10 seconds at home, just took about 5 minutes. Haha...at least I won't be spending lots of money on songs this term. At least I have internet, I'd go insane without it. Maybe when we install the net at the flat - probably by the end of the week - it'll be faster. We'll see. I might try putting my US sim card in tonight and seeing if I can get broadband access like I do in the states.

I think I hit a personal low on dietary habits - my lunch consisted of salt + vinegar chips and a candy bar. The latter I haven't had in probably 5 months, and such a combination probably not since high school...oh well. Will have to work on that.

I'm bored now, so I'm out...peace

Sunday 7/27/08

Auckland: 9:13 PM; Boston: 5:13 AM

I have to say that I was had. Through all of the pre-departure orientation, reading, etcetera, etcetera…, I kept seeing about the “feelings of homesickness” and whatnot. I was convinced, CONVINCED, that they’d never happen. At all. Maybe it’s pride, the high level of self-confidence I’ve in myself, or the arrogant nature I tend to espouse in life.

This isn’t to say I’m clawing the walls looking to go back stateside. (I did however, wake my poor friend Missy up at 8 AM Friday [Boston time] and talked her ear off for about 30 minutes – Thanks, it meant a lot by the way, if you’re reading this) I guess it’s more I just forgot how hard it is meeting people, and forcing myself to be out there. Don’t get me wrong, I’m plenty social, but at the end of the night, many nights, it really feels like instead of bonding with people that I’ll hang out with in the future, it’s more I just happened to be in the same room doing the same thing as the others, and everybody parts and returns to their separate lives.

Maybe it’s me, I suppose I haven’t exerted that much effort in meeting people – aside from my roommates and the other person from NU, I know maybe three people’s names with some degree of certainty. Of those three I have one number, and I’m hesitant to contact them that often for I don’t want to appear a nag or needy. Perhaps everybody is in the same boat. Who knows, I certainly don’t.

Apparently missed the chance to join student groups at a discount through last Friday (apparently unlike NU the fee is not built in). The discount wasn’t something to sneeze at either - $30 for the ski and snowboard club (versus $50 normally). Maybe I’ll join Monday…a $20 ‘stupidity tax.’

Today being the 27^th…the “mid-semester break” is September 1^st – 13^th: anyone who is a college student reading this knows how quickly time flies once classes and work really kick off, which it’s supposed to this coming week. So I have to really start researching where I might want to travel during the break, which brings up another sore point – I absolutely hate the idea of travelling alone. For the most part, I just won’t. I can so see the following scenario: I book a week in, say, Fiji. Probably around ~$1,000 for it. Going alone, I’ll be bored by the end of the first day. Oh well, I’ll figure that out later this week.

Friday 7/25/08

Auckland 11:57 AM; Boston 7:57 PM (Thursday)

Yeah, I didn't get any work done last night. So I came down to campus a few hours early, got it all done this morning :-). The pub quiz wasn't as good as I expected - apparently the RAs at Parnell Student Village (where I live) arranged to have a PSV-only quiz, and it was all music - everyone reading this knows how excellent my music skills are...right? I don't know. Went down with three of my roommates and one of their friends - the five of us I think came in third from last. I was assured that the normal pub quizzes are better - so I guess a second visit next week will be in order.

Anyway, tonight is the themed flat night. We haven't decided on a theme. Something tells me we're not going to. Oh well. I'll get some beer at the bodega near our apartment on the way home, just in case.

No internet at the apartment yet - I've been keeping this thing in a Word document and then posting online when I get to campus - today is actually the first time I'm posting directly. Possibly will get it next week - I'm frankly in no hurry, I can do what I have to online on campus...like this blog. And listening to Boston radio, I now have a vague idea what's happening on planet earth.

Thursday 7/24/08

Auckland: 4:02 PM; Boston 12:02 AM

The irony…on probably the most beautiful day since I’ve been here, I’m stuck in reading for class tomorrow and Monday (obviously I want my weekend to be free and clear, who knows what will happen). I’m not kidding about the weather, it’s the first day that it hasn’t rained once – to contrast, yesterday I was walking around downtown Auckland for about an hour, I think I had to go back and forth from sunglasses to umbrella probably four or five times, over the span of about 10 blocks. Apparently rain is the telltale sign of winter. Even though it’s not too enjoyable, at least Aucklanders don’t have winters like the Northeast US!

Tonight is pub quiz night, which I think will be a lot of fun – though probably won’t do too well if it’s all New Zealand-type knowledge (rugby, geography, etc.). We’ll see. Friday is apparently a “Themed Flat Crawl,” where those who want in have to decorate the place and/or themselves, and it’s some form of competition. No, I don’t know what we’re doing yet.

Other than that, classes started Monday, and as of this morning I had finally had at least of all my four classes. I thought of the adage “save the best for last,” as my history course (“paper” as they say here) rocks. Hollywood’s America. Some sacrifice in that I have to leave here around 7:20 (lecture starts at 8, and this morning I left at 7:35 and barely made it), and that there are also weekly movies on Tuesday night at 5. Still, the course reminded me why I chose to be a history major in the first place.

The other three classes…I enjoy Legal Methods, but it’s going to be difficult. Apparently, in this country, a law degree is attained as an undergrad, not postgraduate as in the states. So, therefore, I am taking what would be akin to a first-year law school class. Fun. Art History I really don’t know how I’ll survive, the lecturer isn’t that engaging, nor is the material. But considering the horror stories I’ve heard about NU not honoring credits overseas, I’m very hesitant to switch any of my classes. But it’s still better than Introduction to Logic. The material drives me insane, attempting to do it – I feel like I’m in grade school again, oh well. Easy A. Further aggravating was that the class location changed, and unlike NU, there is no notice posted at the old site – had I not gone up to obtain a coursepack that was being handed out, I would’ve sat through I think it was Intro to Geology or something random. Apparently one is supposed to learn that it moves through osmosis or whatever (in my case I opted to go back to the computer lab and look online), I was so annoyed about it that yes, I ended up skipping lecture. A record for me – I usually make it through to midterms before skipping haha.

Getting up at 6:30 this morning in the pitch black wore me down, I need a nap. Or something of that sort.

Saturday 7/19/08 (Day 7)

Auckland: 7:57 PM; Boston 3:57 AM

So it’s official. I’ve been in New Zealand for one week. Not too bad I must say, my roommates (flatmates as they say here…) are friendly, social people. There has been a substantial amount of down time, which has led to spurts of boredom at times. Nothing like homesickness or that – though don’t get me wrong, I do miss all back in Boston and Vermont. Although I’d have to say today has been the worst day of all the days I’ve been here, because I’m sick, in a different way – I have a very bad cold. Most likely caught it on the plane or in VT right before I left: I was coughing a bunch on the way to Logan, but I thought that it was just a reaction to the air conditioning in the car, and to be honest, the cold-like symptoms really came on somewhat instantly; I went to bed after a night out Thursday (more on that in a bit) feeling fine, then I woke Friday feeling horrendous. Oh well. At least I’ll get through it (hopefully) this weekend – since the locals are still on mid-year break, the scene hasn’t really gotten underway, or so I’m told. Apparently next week will be parties or some form of get-together almost every night.

In contrast, Thursday has to have been the surprise highlight of the week. After a very bad first experience with the Auckland club scene on Wednesday – the place (called Margaritas) was jam-packed with drunk (and probably high) 18 and 19 year olds (and plenty of under 18s with fake IDs I’m sure), and pretty much sucked. Thursday was the official “Bar Night” as part of the orientation at the University, and when I saw the place was on Queen St (the main road in Center City), I figured it would be as horrid as the prior night. Understandably, I was on the fence right up until I arrived. Though, I’m very glad I went down: it was a much better time than Margaritas. Met a group of girls (and one guy, I wasn’t completely discriminatory) from around Boston, and also ran into another girl I had met at the first orientation session Monday, and had made a complete ass of myself around – at that point, I was still in the “honeymoon” phase of being in NZ, so I said something about how I wanted to emigrate because this country was so amazing, etc. – to be honest that was one of my famous spoken before thought out lines, though I do like NZ.

Enough rambling for tonight, I’m going to watch a movie I think and work on my 3 liter bottle of Orange Juice, and pass out early-ish. Classes start Monday, hopefully I’ll be better for them.

Tuesday 7/15

Auckland: 5:10 PM; Boston 1:04 AM

Today was the first day of orientation, nothing special there, papers and books and listening to people talk. Dreary day, wanted to go for a run through the Domain, but the overcast sky and the freezing cold air (maybe 45ish?) was a fairly strong deterrent.

Yesterday was interesting, saw the main parts of campus for the first time, and it’s a very nice campus. I’m also going to get a good cardio workout going to and from: not only is it 20 minutes away, but it’s 20 minutes straight up and down hills – the most challenging part (although not too challenging) is on the way back, about ½ my walk is up a moderately steep path, probably about a 200’ ascent over at most two-tenths of a mile.

The architecture is…different. The newer buildings are like any other modern structure, with lots of glass and a real transparent feeling to them. On the other hand, the older buildings look like I could have been in the French Quarter or the Caribbean (especially those surrounded by palm trees) – very loud colors (example: the History department was a bright yellow). I’ll get down there probably by Sunday, but this time with the camera.

Registering for classes was a little hectic; according to the other NU student here, she was led to believe that we were behind the 8-ball and that the international office was fairly annoyed about it. I wasn’t too worried really, although I would’ve preferred to register for at least the 100-level classes online before getting here, it didn’t happen. Oh well. Especially since they appeared to be lectures with “unlimited” capacity. After stopping at the international advisors office, easily registered for an Art History class and an Intro to Logic class. History was a little more difficult – and I learned that the problem of administrative shuffle is not exclusive to NU.

From the international office I had to go to the Arts Student Center (vis a vis the College of Arts and Sciences Office), and find out who in the History Department I could speak to about what courses offered research papers. From there I was sent to the department and after waiting about 20 minutes outside an office, it turns out the person was now down the hall (and had been there for about 5 years according to the professor who now was in the space). Not that that mattered, she wasn’t even there. Luck was on my side though, as not only was the professor whose office I loitered outside of willing and able to help, she actually taught the perfect course for me and signed the paper I needed allowing me to take the course.

All in all, I have my four classes. And with the exception of one, I am 100% sure they will count back at Northeastern. The fourth one I intend to email the correct department and make sure it will count, probably tomorrow when I’ve down time on campus.