A new beginning

Well, it is decided and planned and, starting tomorrow, Anton and I are going on a diet. Anton has been on diets before but I have never been on a diet before and I confess to you, dear reader, I am a bit worried. If I am unable to convince myself to diet, I fear that the weight I gained in Chicago last winter will be hopelessly affixed to myself and I will never wear the cute pants I bought on clearance before I gained all that weight again. I'm not sure my budget or my fragile self-esteem can take it.

And so I am posting this here, a small personal note, unlike the things I usually post here (which are not so very personal) to announce this new campaign. Also to announce why this blog may very well become entirely food-conscious. I don't usually blog about food (odd cravings for biscuits and gravy and Taco Bell aside), but we shall see if that doesn't change when the cravings become intense!

Anyway. We are doing the South Beach Diet on the recommendation of several people I trust, and the first two weeks are the hardest, so wish me luck and eat some pasta for me since I can't... :sigh:

posted @ 16.05 - link

Note to self:

Stop buying things online! Bank account cannot take strain, not to mention, it is only a way you have of dealing with stress and not actual necessity! In moment of clear sighted good citizen-ness, packed up all shoes purchased online in last week to be returned to parent company for full refund on Monday. V good.
Am also craving a reread of "Bridget Jones's Diary", can you tell? I get them about once a year. Yes. Yes.

posted @ 01.59 - link

Momentum?

In fit of procrastination, I bought a t-shirt online today that says: 'Grad School: It seemed better than getting a real job'. I'm hoping that this will give me the needed momentum to finish my quarter. And then I can wear the t-shirt all summer and feel cheeky because I don't have a real job (or anything really to do with my bad self). Well. Until next year when the pressure of comps studying begins... woo. Still, I am excited about the t-shirt. I wish it was coming tomorrow, but it is only coming after May 12 as it is not printed yet. Sadness.

posted @ 23.05 - link

The power of Queen

At least listening to Queen's greatest hits in the car yesterday on the way home managed to banish the Lili Marleen ear worm that had been plaguing me. That's one good point about grading today. No Lili Marleen! Hurrah :-)

posted @ 11.51 - link

Dog dog

Chinese users have had enough of Google's new name <-- I find this article inordinately amusing. Thought I would share.

Meanwhile! Yesterday went on an excursion with Anton to Wisconsin to buy shoes at an outlet store there (yes, really, we did drive to Wisconsin in pursuit of shoes). It was a lovely day for it and we saw tractors and a Cheese Castle (not actually made out of cheese, disappointingly) and got lost in Racine. All in all a good Friday day trip. We also were extravagant and ate out twice. But today I am back in the saddle of grading ... blah.

posted @ 11.38 - link

Eternity...

Unsere beide Schatten
Sah'n wie einer aus
Da� wir so lieb uns hatten
Das sah man gleich daraus...
:sigh:

posted @ 10.59 - link

Rawr

The grading of the student exams is going astoundingly slowly. Even with "Lili Marleen" to help my pen march along. Even with the clever system I devised in the fall to make the grading go faster. Even with a constant stream of iced tea trickling sugar into my blood stream. Yes, even with all these factors, the stack of student exams is not dwindling as it ought. Rawr.
I have now (at 1 AM, after two evenings of work -- and when I say work, I mean 3-4 hour long sessions of grading) finished grading all of the answers to question 1 of the 40 odd students who chose question 1. That would be the old pick 3 out of 5 strategy. And with 51 exams altogether, it is taking eternity to grade the blasted things. Not to mention, I seem to have gotten a lucky pile of those with illegible handwriting. Joy, rapture.
I am going to bed. That's all there is to it. Grading can wait until tomorrow...

posted @ 01.05 - link

Hmm

Anyone want to explain to me just how, precisely, I got "Lili Marleen" stuck in my head on repeat? It is a jolly, if slightly spooky way to march around from class to thesis writing to the grading of my student exams, which all seem to flow to the tune of "Lili Marleen".
Hmm, yes. Well, I won't try to explain, but I will give you all this link, dear reader:
The Official Lili Marleen Page <-- with a collection of mp3 versions of the song you can play in your browser so you too can enjoy getting it stuck in your head! Includes the Mimi Thoma version currently stuck in MY head....

posted @ 10.23 - link

Uvy!

Reading Russian poetry this evening has reminded me why I like Russian literature. Everyone once in awhile (or every seven hundred and fifty pages of "War and Peace") you need to remind yourself.

Meanwhile, everything else continues. On the plate for the next few days:
- several classes
- the grading of 51 bluebooks on the first half of "War and Peace"
- more shoe obsession (sent back both pairs as shoes were not as aesthetic as I like and boots pinched awfully; have now ordered two new pair to arrive on Friday sometime, with luck -- I know you're as excited by these shoe updates as anything, dear reader)
- the dreaded thesis (hopefully close to completion!)

But I just keep telling myself that I'm like Lermontov. And I go on. Don't burst my bubble; on some subconscious level I know that Lermontov and I probably wouldn't have gotten along so well. But for the moment, I'm all about the vague quest for elusive happiness.

posted @ 23.19 - link

The question on all of our minds...

Where are my shoes!!!

Things not done today:
- anything that remotely resembles something productive for school

posted @ 13.33 - link

Blustery news

Well, we had quite a storm last night. The wind was blowing so hard that it actually blew my shoji screen over ... note: the shoji screen does not stand by a window! Craziness.

The news here today: I am not done enough with my thesis to meet with my advisor, although I am done enough to apply for graduation, apparently. Yes, yours truly is getting yet another piece of paper with letters and her name come June 16. I've decided not to go to graduation this year, though, as it seems like a vicious repeating joke to walk so many times and still be in school. Still, I am cheerful at the thought of the diploma, which, I believe, will have purple highlights and accents.

Although I am not done with my thesis, I am done with a chick lit novel read in memory of Melissa Nathan (also by Melissa Nathan) that I bought online last week. What's wrong with this picture?

Today the usual schedule:
- work for class while waiting for the UPS guy to bring my shoes(!)
- proctor midterm exam for students
- attend lecture by visiting professor from New Zealand on post-Soviet poetry
- screen film "Underground" by Emir Kusturica for film series
- home to collapse and plot for tomorrow

Yay Tuesday ;-)

posted @ 09.33 - link

Ahoy

So Easter yesterday? Lovely. Anton and I went to the neighbors' for Serbian food and traditions. There was chanting, there were egg-cracking contests, there was a considerable amount of alcohol imbibed, and there was a huge amount of food. Also I have apparently retained some command of the language since last summer (without practice!) as I was able to not only understand most everything, but even partake of the conversation (after three glasses of wine and some slivo). Altogether, lovely. Afterwards Anton and I took our donated share of the leftovers home (some colored hard boiled eggs and some meat pies), took a walk around the neighborhood and along the lake shore, and then I settled down for an evening of "War and Peace". But it was such a day full of good feeling, happiness, and sunshine, it was just what Easter ought to be. Mmm.

posted @ 21.43 - link

Sense of accomplishment

I'd just like to take a moment to note that I am precisely half way done with "War & Peace". I'm sure it will feel better when I am all the way done :-)

posted @ 01.53 - link

Happy Easter!, take 2

Happy Orthodox Easter, that is! Today feels a lot more like Easter than last week did. We weren't able to find an Orthodox church with a vigil service last night, but today we are celebrating in high style: taking the day off, wearing pretty clothes, going to a special Easter lunch at the neighbors', and altogether enjoying the sunshine (minus the chocolate malt ball egg candies, of course). Mmm Easter.

posted @ 11.02 - link

exploding dog

it's almost over <-- I know I've mentioned this before but I just don't understand how exploding dog seems to be so in tune with what's going on in my life so consistently. Anyway, this is one of the latest, and it is also, to a tee, what I am feeling. Strange, yes.
Anyway, I'll leave you with that cryptic post.

posted @ 22.51 - link

Just so you know, I've been doing other things besides buying shoes!

I have been, really. I've been working on busy work projects and the thesis for school. And cleaning the house (spring cleaning = hard cleaning ... which means that bathtub must be scrubbed). But all of this is dull and does not merit a blog entry (except this one, which is a blog entry about it all). Anyway. I'll stop babbling. Time to tackle the bathtub!

posted @ 14.14 - link

And I was doing so well, too

So I bought shoes. Now, those of you who know me, know my love of shoes (and my reputation as a shoe lover after returning from a certain study abroad with 9 (count 'em) new pairs of shoes). Since said study abroad, though, as I have a lot of shoes, I've been kind of good about not buying so many shoes. My shoe wardrobe is actually quite utilitarian. And I haven't bought shoes since last year when I bought a pair of street shoes (Doc Martens) and a new pair of mary janes to replace my old tattered German ones that fell apart. And then today I bought three new pair of shoes: oy. Here they are:

      

Now, I know I *shouldn't* have bought them. Well, except for the black pair which is a replacement pair. But I couldn't resist the lure of the shoes... something about spring just makes me want to buy shoes. Anyway.

Not sure why I am posting all this here. Maybe to justify my increase in credit card debt through shoe purchase?

posted @ 12.03 - link

Happy Birthday, Queen Elizabeth

Queen marks 80th birthday firmly in hearts of subjects <-- In addition to this Vancouver Sun article, I found a really good list of Little Known Facts in another Canadian newspaper, but I forgot which one and can't find it now. Plus am too lazy to search through my browser's history cache ;-)

posted @ 13.35 - link

Good things about grad school:

Thursday night really is the first night of the weekend, since I *never* have classes on Fridays. Of course, work and stress have made me a creature of indoor pursuits. This is not as kinky as it sounds ... yours truly is spending her Thursday night with a glass of chardonnay, "The Buccaneers" on DVD, and an appointment with the laundry every 40 mins or so. Still, it is the *weekend* so I can relax :-)

posted @ 21.30 - link

Productivity

So here is my MASTER PLAN for the next few days. I am going to actually DO WORK. It is radical, it is new. But if I can get myself to stop focusing on the stupid Babel paper (note: this will NEVER be done) and start working on other, smaller tasks, that are due this quarter (ahem, THESIS, projects for pedagogy), I can get lots done and then have ONLY the Babel paper to fret over. It's brilliant. And so I began yesterday with my busywork website for a mock class and observing a German class. On the boards for this weekend? A powerpoint presentation for a fake lecture on Russian culture, a powerpoint presentation for a real lecture on a Russian grammar point, and revising my thesis. Turns out I was farther along with it than I thought and I don't actually have to add anything, just edit and meet my advisor again. And that, that I can definitely do this weekend. Just you wait.

I know, I know. No more posts about school, I said. But this is all I really have to post about today, so this is what you get. If I am very productive, though, Anton has promised me tomorrow that we can:
a) go to the Container store (love the Container store although cannot afford anything in it)
b) go to the Apple store and the Best Buy to look at possible laptops to buy (love thinking about buying laptops, as situation with poor Lucinda II is getting dire ... yesterday her monitor began to flicker in a sickly way and she's still moving sluggishly despite a complete reinstall ... AND she's still turning herself off periodically NOT because of overheating (I checked this) ... it just doesn't look good for her)
c) go out to dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant and have a movie afterwards. Like a date! Aww.

Yes, it looks to be a good weekend. Now, if only I can get everything done :-)

posted @ 10.02 - link

Tom & Katie

And, of course, the most enthralling new story today (which I won't link to) - Katie Holmes gave birth today. They named their new baby girl Suri. My only question (unanswered in any of the journals I read): did they go for the silent birth? And the question on all our minds... did Tom eat the placenta? Ew.

posted @ 09.44 - link

Germany opens archives at Bad Arolsen

Germany agrees to permit access to vast Holocaust file <-- Another interesting story in the news today, Germany is finally opening the Holocaust archives to the public. These have been closed to protect the privacy of those who were killed.

posted @ 09.39 - link

Hu's visit to Seattle

China's president brings informal touches to hectic itinerary in visit to Seattle area <-- Article about President Hu of China's visit to Seattle (very interesting. He was entertained by Bill Gates, had a discussion with the governor, and gave a talk to the Chinese immigrant community of Seattle.

posted @ 09.18 - link

Yummy

Tom to eat Katie's placenta <-- was this really a necessary headline for my google news page first thing in the morning? I know google doesn't control these things, but EW.

posted @ 09.16 - link

Hmm

Yes, the link below would look better in white. But whatever. Any of you, dear reader, have any idea how that dollar amount is calculated??

posted @ 08.59 - link

The big time

My blog is worth $2,258.16.
How much is your blog worth?

posted @ 08.56 - link

D'oh!

Just checked email and discovered that my class tomorrow is cancelled. Yes, that would be the class I just spent the last three hours doing the reading for. Go me! Still, I guess it is good, as it means no reading for next week (since I just spent the last three hours doing the reading) and a good three hour chunk of time tomorrow morning to read "War and Peace", which means (hurrah!) eight whole hours of sleep for yours truly.

posted @ 22.02 - link

Happy Easter!

Today, with its rainy yuckiness outside and lack of festivities inside, doesn't seem much like Easter. I meant to go to church this morning, but actually managed to sleep through my alarm for the first time in ages. And we meant to go out to dinner tonight, but as I have ye olde migraine, that has been curtailed. We've decided to attempt to find an Orthodox church and celebrate Orthodox Easter instead... same idea, just in two weeks. I'm sure my Methodist God will be okay with it. It counts, partially, as Anton is actually Orthodox in terms of baptism and everything.
On a more depressing note, today in the rain I went on a quest to find Easter candy, because, after all, what is Easter without chocolate malt eggs? And at the grocery stores by my house, there was nothing. What void am I living in? One where the majority of the population are celebrating Passover right now, clearly, and have no need for Easter egg candies. :sigh:
Yes, Orthodox Easter will be better. Yes.

posted @ 18.29 - link

A little levity

On a more amusing note, I recently got spam from someone called Carcasses S. Houseplant. BEST name ever. I am claiming it as my pseudonym if I ever become a writer of novels and not academic studies of things.

posted @ 16.53 - link

All the news that's fit to print:

1. Anton and I listed a lot of books for sale on Amazon marketplace yesterday because we've decided to clean out our library. These are old text books, old books for seminars, just a bunch of old stuff. But FIVE have sold since listing them yesterday, which is kind of exciting! Apparently people DO want our old text books. Hurrah!

2. Last night Tim and Ali cam over and we had German food (potato pancakes, sausages, beer) and watched "Road to Koktebel". Ali made some excellent gingerbread that we all had. And they took a bunch of our books too, as we have the unwanted volumes in boxes. Anton bought a tent earlier this week for camping in the summer and he and Tim assembled it in his office so that he could see if it had all the parts. It did and now he has a giant green tent in his office.

3. I bought potting soil! So now can repot my plants with vigor, which is good, because I think my poor ivy plant is on its last legs. I've been inspired to do this by the fact that the trees are all blooming here in Chicagoland and everything is a bright springy green (note: I am not moving/looking for a new place to live in addition to school work so I can enjoy with impunity!).

4. And last night there was apparently a gun battle about two blocks away from us. Here's the article in the Tribune: Off-Duty Officer Shoots Man (For a name/password that's not full of obnoxious spam, click here: Bug-Me-Not). Now they claim that there were only a few shots fired, but I heard at least 14 or 15. There were five or six fired quickly together, then two stray shots farther apart, then yelling, then six fired rapidly, then another one fired. That, combined with the sirens and screaming (presumably from the man who was shot?), made our Friday evening very exciting indeed.
   Now, you might ask, dear reader, why I am surprised by this when my neighborhood here in Chicago *is* kind of rough. And I guess it is because it's never been a gunshot kind of rough kind of place, at least not by us. Anyway.

posted @ 12.30 - link

Ahem

So on Google news, one of the main headlines (an article about Rumsfeld in the Palm Beach Post) read: AND NOW A REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND WIZARDRY. And I got all excited because I thought it was info on Harry Potter 7. Yes, we know where MY priorities are. Yes, yes we do.

posted @ 00.21 - link

Sadness

Guardian Unlimited Books | Obituaries | Melissa Nathan <-- Jess emailed me about this today. Melissa Nathan, who wrote some lovely, fluffy books and was a journalist in her own right besides, has died of cancer. She was very young and very talented, and it's kind of sad. I'll also note that she wrote one of my favorite recent novels, "Persuading Annie", which is chick lit based on Jane Austen's "Persuasion" and very cleverly done, too. She also wrote the enjoyable "Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field" and several others.

posted @ 12.07 - link

My big plan

In short, I invented some errands which were necessary and which got me out of the house. These included: taking out the trash, moving my car, picking Anton up at school, and getting a form notarized at the bank. When I got back, it was time for dinner, and then it was already getting dark. As I am a creature of the night, I was able to get started and have already done two pages of translation, so good.
Note: have not yet started the 4 odes I need to read for the 18th century class tomorrow. But there's time yet.

posted @ 22.03 - link

Maddening!

Today I woke up to drizzles and I thought to myself, 'Aha! I can get things done today!' But the drizzles cleared out and now it is sunny and 75 and I am as distracted as can be. I absolutely cannot focus. And I seem to be in the mood to clean things, which I have been doing.
Note: while cleaning things is useful, it does not get my translation/thesis/paper/reading for class done. Argh!!!!

posted @ 16.02 - link

Blustery day

So today the weather was beautiful. High in the mid-70s, a nice breeze, and sunshine! And I was unable to work on my translation this morning because I was too distracted and happy to just sit in the breeze. This does not bode well for the finishing of my thesis. No, no it doesn't. Luckily tonight we are showing "No Man's Land", a recent film from Yugoslavia (it was Yugoslavia when the film was made before the name switch to Serbia & Montenegro) about the 1990s wars that is allegedly horribly depressing. Hopefully that will jolt me back into the right framework to continue my translations and work on my thesis and incomplete paper... Russian is not for the faint-hearted... Guess it's good I didn't choose to study somewhere with better weather (like sunny California).

posted @ 16.45 - link

Other things that are good:

Pictures from Lara in Iraq showing her alive when haven't heard from her in a few months!

posted @ 22.23 - link

Feckless

Telling my students wrong information has definitely thrown me for a loop. Not that I've never done this before (note: I have), and not that I mind correcting myself via email (it's the best thing to do, I think). It just makes me feel like they think I'm an idiot. Which I know is definitely not what I should be feeling about it since I'm the ever-wise TA and should know better and all. Plus I've been in college at least twice as long as all of them. But still, I'm feeling a bit shaky and insecure now. Oh yay. And watching "Chronicles of Narnia" didn't help, although it's a lovely escapist movie and all. Looking forward to sleep tonight. :sigh:

posted @ 20.51 - link

Things accomplished today, however:

1. finished all reading for classes and attended all classes (v good as included 300 pp of "War and Peace" for section!)
2. emailed a lot and got self organized
3. finally wrestled package away from post office who keep leaving notices but never having the package at the post office when I go pick it up
4. cleaned kitchen after last night's dinner party with next door neighbors
5. finished watching "Chronicles of Narnia"

Most impressive, though, will be when I magically go to bed early and sleep enough tonight. Mmm. Looking forward to it!

posted @ 19.32 - link

Not my most auspicious day

Today I told my students wrong information in class. And I had to write an apology/correction email. And the whole business is just so *embarrassing*, although I know my students won't remember it in three weeks and otherwise my classes went well today. Ah well.
The wrong info? I might have said that Petr Bagration was the Austrian general and not the Russian general at the Battle of Schoenbrunn in November 1805. Shocking, I know. Well, it is kind of shocking for a "War and Peace" class. :sigh:

posted @ 19.29 - link

Hmm, yes

Note to self: never drink and blog. Happily, though, I seem to have been spared a hangover (thank you, 7-11 frozen pizza) and after approximately 10 hours of sleep am feeling positively chipper. Anton, on the other hand, although he didn't get drunk last night, has a bad hangover this morning. I can't help but think that this is some kind of hilarious switched world, as usually Anton is the one to get drunk and I'm the one to escort him home!
Also, on a further interesting note, apparently when I was drunk last night I was carrying on a conversation in four languages at once, none of which were English. I don't actually remember much of this except that I was exercising my meager French skills on a poor French guy at the party, but, according to Anton, it was impressive in a drunken sort of way. So good for me.

posted @ 13.39 - link

Ot

Am drunk tonight, first time since russia. cns still blog, though. good for me. clearly am losing touch. took seven cocktails and two shots. ura russa. have to go wtc narnai now. kbyh

posted @ 01.05 - link

Things accomplished today:

- translated 4 pages of German book
- read 200 pages of theory book for class
- cleaned kitchen
- watched 2 Shirley Temple movies
- replied to 3 emails
- called post office about missing package (note: still not delivered...)

posted @ 00.03 - link

Things that are good:

- finishing the book you were reading and starting a new one that you've been meaning to read for ages
- buying things online with school money (satisfies urge to buy things online, but with added bonus of reimbursement for poor beleagered credit card)
- happily anticipating watching Netflix movie that you've had for a few days and finally relaxing
- weekend!!
- prospect of sleeping in tomorrow
- random final paycheck from previous employer that you weren't expecting in mail
- phone call with mom & sister
- wearing favorite shirt (mmm)

posted @ 01.21 - link

In which I remember I have a blog

Haven't been doing much the last two days and haven't really been on the computer. Have actually been sleeping a lot and am wondering if have mono again? Doubt it, but maybe. I keep feeling my glands to see if they are feeling swollen, etc. Likely the sleeping a lot is a reaction to a) stress and b) recent weather changes we've been having in Chicago that are giving me migraines (yayness). Also possibly a reaction to the lack of inspiration I have to do my reading for class. Oy.
I've been trying to translate as much as possible the last few days as that is, at least, lucrative. But it is difficult with headaches and the small print gives me a headache. I know I shouldn't whine or complain after seeing the tenement museum in New York and the dark and cramped conditions that those people were working in. But still.
Nothing else of note, really. Am looking forward to watching "The Chronicles of Narnia" which is my most recent Netflix but have yet to find time.

posted @ 23.04 - link

A small shout out

LEO Deutsch-Englisches W�rterbuch
The above link is to the excellent LEO German-English Dictionary which has been my old friend since study abroad in 2001 and my last year of German courses for my college major. It is a GREAT website. Recently they have been having some budget problems, but because of a generous grant by some new sponsors, they are able to stay online and free of cost for users. Not to mention! They have added to their already impressive German-English and German-French dictionaries a German-Spanish dictionary.
I know that this post doesn't apply to most of you, but I would just like to say, that it is good news for me. Working as a medical translator, I use this site A LOT to look up things and it is ALWAYS useful. Much better than a simple German-English medical dictionary is (I know, I have one of those too...) because you get multiple hits for each word and it goes a LOT faster.
Hurrah LEO! Good work on your new funding :-)

posted @ 13.29 - link

You might be a grad student if...

A bullet list from a website called "Grad School For You". I hadn't heard of it either, but this bullet list is some good stuff. I have updated with cross outs and notes to pertain to my personal situation as a grad student. Yay.

You Might Be a Grad Student If...

1. You rate coffee shops by the availability of outlets for your laptop. (note: or free wifi!!)
2. You have discussed academic matters at a sporting event.
3. You have spent more than $50 on photocopying while researching a single paper.
4. You regard ibuprofen as a vitamin.
5. You have given up trying to keep your books [library books] organized and are now just trying to keep them all in the same general area.
6. You wonder how long you can live on pasta without getting scurvy.
7. You look forward to taking some time off to do laundry.
8. You have more photocopy cards than credit cards.
9. The concept of free time scares you.
10. You consider caffeine to be a major food group.
11. You've brought books with you on vacation and actually studied. (note: to the Bahamas and also the south of France!)
12. Saturday nights spent studying no longer seem weird. (note: any semblance of social life seems weird)
13. The professor doesn't show up to class, and you discuss the readings anyway. (note: this happened today, actually -- except the prof was late, but since we started discussing the reading in the car on the way to school this morning, I think it counts)
14. You appreciate the fact that you get to choose which twenty hours out of each day you have to work.
15. You can read course books and cook at the same time.
16. Your knowledge of world events is limited to Saturday Night Live [Google News].
17. As far as you know, beer only comes in pitchers. <-- note: this one is false! As a grad student I am familiar with many types of alcohol including that old stand by, the box of wine. Beer in pitchers!? This seems to assume one goes out!!
18. You consider it cooking if you toast the bagel. (Note: this happened today too)

Yes, clearly I am in the right category of living. The real question is ... are any of you, dear reader, grad students posing as real adults??

posted @ 12.24 - link

Spokoino

So yesterday was an all around good day. The weather began dreary, but by the afternoon it was beautiful, warm and sunny. As I drove home from school at 5 PM the sun sparkled on the lake, the air smelled warm and nice, and I was feeling light and happy. My classes had gone well: an interesting discussion in pedagogy, two good first discussion sections for the Tolstoy class (which I am teaching this quarter), and a lengthy meeting with Prof G to discuss my paper. The paper, mind you, is on a topic which I've been interested in for a long time and this is my fourth reworking and refining of my idea (in term paper format). Prof G gave me some ideas to look at for expansion that I had not thought of before and now I'm beginning to think that my paper might just be my dissertation. I need to do more research, of course, before I can be sure, but it sounds solid. And!! I can include Gothic novel content!! So the world is seeming blissful.
So yesterday (and today) for the first time in a long time I am feeling excited and optimistic about grad school and my future in academia (or my attempt for a future in academia). I feel like there are so many projects I want to work on and study that I don't have the time. And that maybe the slump I've been in for the last year or two was just adjusting to the new program and now I can relax and get back into my working groove. Anyway, we'll see. But I thought I would post here to mark the event. Yesterday, April 3rd 2006, I was excited about school, really excited, for the first time in years. And it felt good.
Riding on the coattails of that, I have made a reading/working schedule for the rest of the week. Hopefully I can stick to it and get everything done on time. Spokoino, spokoino.

posted @ 09.05 - link

And the ballet!

The ballet was lovely too. Possibly a great deal lovelier than the Girodet exhibit in that I stayed there for three hours and was transfixed the entire time. The dancing was wonderful, simply wonderful. I haven't seen anything like it since I was in Russia. Some of the ballerinas got off during a pas-de-deux early on in the first and then in the third act (think it was just one ballerina), but other than that, everything sparkled and shone and was perfect. The principals danced so well it was as if they were in a competition to outshine each other (possible, yes), but the lead male who played Conrad the Pirate, he was the true gem and did some really amazing and beautiful dancing. The whole experience, though, was good. I would post pictures, but, as I said in an earlier post, pictures aren't so available online that aren't dull, sadly.

posted @ 21.27 - link

Social whirl

Spent the weekend entertaining the prospective graduate students for next year, which meant a great deal of free food, several lectures and talks, and several social engagements, including two parties in two days! Plus I had the ballet tickets. And we (Anton, me, prospectives) went downtown to the Millennium Park and the Art Institute (where we saw a lovely exhibit on Girodet!) on Saturday afternoon, in addition. And the end result was a very exhausting weekend following hard on the heels of an exhausting week and the trip to New York. Mmm. Still. It was all good. This next weekend promises more of the same... one party in the works, one social evening involving movies, and perhaps other delights... but the Babel paper beckons and I know it cannot last.

Some pictures by Girodet to charm your sensibilities:

The Death of Atala

Aurora and Cephalus

The Apotheosis of the French heroes who died for their country during the war for liberty

There's many others that are lovely, but I couldn't find decent images of them online that would fit on le blog. If you are curious, though, here is a large one: Endymion Asleep. Here is the exhibition website: Girodet: Romantic Rebel. And here is a picture of Girodet's Napoleon for Jess (aww)

The thing I like best about Girodet is the way his pictures seem to somehow, glow. By themselves. You can't see it so well in the scanned and photographed images on this website, but in the exhibit, with its dark walls and excellent lighting, the paintings were luminous and the experience was just lovely.

posted @ 20.46 - link

Karstadt

Millionheiress <-- Extremely interesting article about a woman who recently discovered that her family was one of the wealthiest in Europe before they fled the Nazis in the late 1930s. Now much of her family's property is owned by Karstadt, the German department store.

posted @ 18.42 - link

Thank you, Mario, but our princess is in another castle

Mario Question Blocks! <-- Link to a website which has photographs of projects people have done to make their own towns like Marioland, making power ups and mystery boxes with stuff inside like fire flowers and mushrooms and even (even!) a few boys who transformed a park with enemies and people who made coin mobiles. So cool! And so making me wistful for my SNES which languishes in my parents' basement. :sigh:

posted @ 14.30 - link

Avast, me mateys

"Le Corsaire"?? SO GOOD. Definitely the best ballet I've seen since Russia. And now I am filled with wa and happiness (also a headache from too much wine last night). More later.

posted @ 09.14 - link