Random Update (1.31.13)

Sunday was full of activities. Pat and I had our first intramural basketball game. We played the defensive line of the Boston College football team and lost. I am not brave enough to mention the score publicly. Soccer was later in the evening, and much nicer. We won 1-0, although I took a direct hit to a sensitive area so I crawled off the pitch a few minutes early. All better now though. 

I had jury duty on Monday, the 28th, so I had to get up really early (for college) and go downtown. Basically, I waited in a big room with other people in the 'jury pool' until my number got called (227? I forget what it was) and then the group of 40 of us went in the elevator up to the court room, where a nice old judge explained what's important about being on a jury, why it's important, what sort of mindset one needs, etc. I was the first possible jury called up for the 1v1 interview with the judge, after the group questions were asked to everyone at once. He offered to excuse me because I was a student, which was nice. So I said yes, and barely made it back in time for Modern Physics lab at 5:00 PM. Overall a good experience, I got a good bit of reading done while I waited (it was a long wait!) mostly Kant's Metaphysics of Morals. It was kind of funny because he talks about 'duty' all the time, and I was on jury duty... maybe funny is the wrong word. 

Modern physics is cool. Relativity is really interesting and intuitive. And in lab, we get to measure most of the fundamental constants, like c, h, k, and maybe permeability and permitivity, I forget. Definitely the first three though. My lab partner is Olivier, he's an exchange student from Amsterdam, and he's a really good fellow. We went to a local bar with some other friends after lab on Wednesday to watch the Real Madrid - Barcelona game (Arsenal - Liverpool and Man U - Southampton were also showing).

The last few weeks I've been going to dance practice at night because my roommates (J.M. and Veb) convinced me to do the sophomore dance... so for example this evening (Thursday) we all went to a classroom in Gasson, moved chairs around, and practiced. Zach (another roommate) and Jonathan (soccer mate) are dancing too. There are 8 guys and 16 girls, it's actually more fun than I thought... I guess if anything I appreciate anyone who can make dancing look cool a lot more than I used to... it's hard. I imagine having nimble soccer legs helps, but still. I'm tall and white... not the best dancer gene combo there.

Tomorrow I have an early Spanish class, and then I'm done! Also hard to believe January is over. However, it's also amazing how it's only been half a month since we've been back too... speaking of relativity... college is definitely empirical evidence of its existence. 

Random Update (1.21.13)

It's weird to type "13" at the end up there. But as new years go, this was a pretty normal switch. I can't explain why, but I offer that opinion. 

After a good ol' "syllabus week" full of not too much work because people are still switching classes (until this Tuesday, I believe), I got to hang out with the roomies on Friday. Fridays are nice because I only have one class at 10:00 AM! Which is Spanish, if you're keeping score. This semester I've been inspired to go to the gym, known around Boston College as "the Plex," a lot more than I ever have. There is definitely truth in the shoe company ASICS, which stands for "anima sana in corpore sano." They must have sold a lot more shoes back then than they do now. No one speaks Latin now! Respect for sticking to your Roman roots, ASICS. Respect. Anyways, as I was saying, my head feels better when my body does, so I've been exercising more. And playing soccer, or at least kicking a soccer ball around, as much as I can. Everything is simpler when I have a soccer ball. On the subject of soccer, there may be a few Spring season games for the BC club team. Not quite sure yet. 

This long weekend had some american football games. Mi padre likes the 49er's and we ended up in Atlanta on Saturday, ready for the game on Sunday. Let's start from the beginning. Atlanta is a huge airport. My sources tell me it is the largest in the USA, which I believe. James and Mitchell picked me up sometime in the evening from the airport (they drove to Atlanta) and we went off to the hotel. Between the hotel, hotel parking, and the waiting staff at the Mellow Mushroom, Atlanta was found to be full of not incompetent people... but almost incompetent people... they're more like... frustrating people. The hotel was really cool. The inside plaza thing went up however tens of stories to the roof, and the balconies of the rooms I could see reminded me of Mos Eisley (think sandy).

Inside.

Cool art inside.

After dinner we watched 'Pawn Stars' on the History Channel. The music, the pageantry... wow, what a musical. The funniest moment was probably the (assuming here) drunken chants in the middle of the night from a poor 49er's fan... "Let's, go, Niners," which was occasionally answered by the odd other drunken 49er's fan. It was pretty hilarious, except I was kinda sleeping so it wasn't really that hilarious in the moment. 

The game was awesome. The Georgia Dome is huge and fits many people, most of whom scream very loudly at the top of their lungs whenever a non-Georgia team is trying to score or when a Georgia team scores. It got really loud, is the point I'm making here. San Francisco went down 24-14 first half, but shut out Atlanta in the entire second half to win, 24-28. Pretty amazing game, even for american football. Here are some photos.

Front of Georgia Dome. Adequately sponsored. 

Empty.

Still empty. Other side. 

A hero of ESPN. John Clayton (in HD, he is hard to watch...)

Announcing Atlanta's team with flare. 

Wow, America. Big ol' flag there. 

Coin toss.

Kick off. 

This is the "TV Timeout" guy. He signals to the referees when to take a TV timeout with big orange dish-washing gloves. I think that's hilarious. 

A play with Matt Ryan (BC graduate) at the helm of the attack. 

Random Update (1.15.12)

It's good to be back. Sunday I washed my sheets and blankets (starting the semester right) after saying hello to a few people and roommates and stuff. I had been up since 7:30 CST (central standard time? I have no idea if that's the abbreviation) to watch the Manchester United vs. Liverpool and Arsenal vs. Manchester City soccer matches on TV, so I was tired and went to bed around midnight (so early!). On Monday I had two classes: Spanish and Economics. I really like them. Actually I can probably describe/organize all this better, one moment...

Monday

Navigating the Nation: Cityscapes and Countryside 

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

This is a Spanish elective class that covers literature and art in Spain from the 18th-21st centuries with the same professor as last semester who I really enjoyed. It focuses on the contrast between rural/urban identity in Spain. I just barely took up the last spot in this class because it is technically my "overload" or 6th class and I could only sign up by going to student services and getting an overload approved in person. 

Modern Physics Lab

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

This starts January 28th. 

Microeconomic Theory

6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

The follow-up course to Principles of Economics, this class takes a closer look at a few topics from the intro course. The teacher is a part-time guy in his 30's who knows his stuff and makes the class really enjoyable. He's pretty funny in my opinion. Also, Pat's in this class with me. It's the first class I have ever had with any roommate, ever, besides Mike in Physics (but he dropped Physics so that doesn't count anymore). Also this class is in the new building on campus, called Stokes. It's an honor to have class there (but really it's so freakin awesome). 

Tuesday

Principles of Macroeconomics

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

The second intro econ course after the one I took last semester. The teacher seems pretty normal, it's a big class though so it's always harder to be a compelling teacher in front of 200 seats. Unfortunately, when he talks for extended periods of time, his saliva froths up on his lower lip. Yes. I went there. The world needs to know. 

Modern Physics

12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Relativity and basic quantum. Let's go. There was a little of a "thinning of the herd" effect this semester in physics, Sean, Matt, and Mike (and maybe another one or two people I don't know) dropped physics. So it's a little smaller. But the professor, like most physics professors, seems really great. 

Western Cultural Tradition

3:00 PM - 4:50 PM

Continuation of last semester's class, a few substitutions to the roster, but generally the same students. We are reading stories of the Hasidim (Jewish peeps) right now and later Brothers Karamozov. Started Brothers over break and I like it a lot. 

Wednesday

Navigating the Nation: Cityscapes and Countryside 

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Microeconomic Theory

6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

Thursday

Principles of Macroeconomics

10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Modern Physics

12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Western Cultural Tradition

3:00 PM - 4:50 PM

Friday

Navigating the Nation: Cityscapes and Countryside 

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

There she is, my schedule. In other news, we have been playing a bunch of card games the last few nights, including but not limited to Spades, Hearts, Palace (or Castle), Cribbage, and Spectrum. I bought frozen strawberries and brie yesterday, but left "This is a Book" by Demetri Martin in the checkout line after I emptied my backpack to fill it up, so I went back to get it today. It's getting cold over here in Boston. Not too much soccer outside, unfortunately. But indoor 7v7 season is starting up, and I am liking me and my roommates' prospects. What else. Oh yeah. Marilyn came.