Time Well Spent

I had spring break just last week, although it already seems like it was weeks away. That's the thing about school, you go back to it and it feels as if you never left. I don't know if that's ever a good thing. In other circumstances it's good though. For example, when you see an old friend again and it's as if you were never apart.

Anyway, I actually had quite a long spring break because I was finished with exams on a Tuesday, so I had from Wednesday the 18th until Sunday a week and a half later. First I went to Salem, OR and stayed with Nick and his family. I would just say "The Brouwers" but that's a little ambiguous in this case. It was a very relaxing break once I finished a final paper I had to email in on Friday. I went paintballing for the first time there but I don't know if I really got the full experience because I didn't get any huge welts. I did actually get hit a few times of course but there was no lasting pain. It was pretty fun! I would put in a picture but unfortunately, this computer in the library lab won't let me. Maybe I'll add one later.

On Thursday, the 26th, I took the train and bus from Salem to Bellingham to see the TeVeldes! I have been so close to them all school year but I hadn't seen them yet. I got a lot of sleep there so that I could be ready to start a new quarter. I also went into Canada and got my haircut. It's now ten inches shorter and hopefully what I got cut off will make a nice wig for some child. I hadn't originally planned on sending my hair in because I didn't know how many inches I was getting cut off but I had enough! On Sunday I returned again to Seattle, to a week of rain, new classes, and hanging out with friends.

Beginning of the End and the End of the Beginning

That's pretty much where I am right now. I am in the last quarter of the year but it's only my first year of college. This quarter I'm keeping busy with Spanish, Texts and Contexts II: Medieval and Renaissance Culture (T&CII), Spreadsheets, Physics,and Intro to Family and Consumer Sciences. I'm excited for my Intro to FCS class (which is the only one I haven't had yet) because it is a class for my major and it is a prerequisite for other classes I want to take. I think that all my other classes pretty much explain what they are all about in the title. My Spanish class only has seven students in it, which my 'profesora' told us was the smallest class she has ever had. Usually a small class for that Spanish is about 15 students. Our T&CII professors seem very interesting and entertaining that that class will definitely be more interesting than it probably sounds. I know half the people in my Physics class so that should be partly fun at least. So far, there is a bright outlook for all my classes. Hopefully I haven't overdone it by taking five at once. The Spreadsheets class and the Intro to FCS class are only for half the quarter so even if it is a little busy at first it will get easier. I think it will be time to start the countdown to summer pretty soon though!

Please pass the spring!

Sunday morning I awoke early to discover it was snowing!  This wasn't really too epic because it's already snowed a few times and it usually doesn't stick at all.  But what was exciting was how much snow was coming down at once.  The snowflakes were huge! Or rather there were lots of snowflakes clumped together!  So my first thought was, "Wow, snow again!" and then I remembered, "O great, I'm taking the bus to church."  Everything worked out just fine though.  The buses were on time and I made it to church right when I was expecting to.  I did end up getting on the wrong bus once, then I was told to transfer to a bus that doesn't run downtown by the bus driver, but then I was told the right place to go.  When I got to the right stop I looked at the schedule and figured out which one I needed to take, and I still got where I needed to go.  Public transportation is sometimes confusing but it always gets me where I need to go- just not always where I want to go or how I want to get there.

The other picture is actually from the weekend before last.  I went downtown on Saturday and saw the  Seattle Central Library for the first time.  It was really cool, everything was very modern.  It has eleven floors and opened just five years ago in 2004.  If you like books or architecture, it is something you should check out next time you're passing through this great city.

And guess what else?  I'm done with Winter Quarter now!  Well not exactly--I have a paper I need to finish by Friday. But the finals are done! Two quarters down, one to go.

Countdown

The end of Winter Quarter quickly approaches and I couldn't be happier about that fact.  After Winter Quarter comes the beauty of Spring Quarter with spring break in between.  Then after my first Seattle spring I can enjoy a San Diego summer.  Tomorrow I register for my next classes, hopefully I can get the ones I want/need.  Today I gave a very persuasive speech on why students should use ratemyprofessors.com.  It can be a good resource for college students who want to avoid classes with bad professors, like professors who are not helpful, do not teach well, or any number of things.  There is a website for high school teachers as well but there is not as much flexibility in choosing classes in high school, especially not in small private Christian high schools like I attended.  And of course, there is no flexibility in choosing teachers if you are homeschooled but in that case hopefully you like your teacher because you'll have more problems then not enjoying class if you don't.   

SAM I am

Last Thursday I had the oppurtunity to join some of my classmates from my Texts and Contexts I class and one of my professor and go to the SAM, Seattle Art Museum.  It was optional to go but I thought it was worth going because it was "Free First Thursday."  There was a wide variety of art and it was very interesting.  We especially looked at the Greek artifacts and art because we are studying Greek and Roman literature in class.  There was a special exhibit of work by Edward Hopper who did the famous "Nighthawks" painting although that particular painting was not on display.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighthawks) Hopper was actually a little creepy if you ask me.  He would sit in cafes and wait for people to come so he could watch them.  The main subject of his paintings was always young women.  I guess that does not automatically make him strange but after seeing the exhibit you might (or not) agree too.  One of my favorite things I saw was an acrylic entitled "Double Elvis" by Andy Warhol.  I did my final project in art class senior year on Warhol and it was great to see some of his work in real life.  All in all, it was a morning well spent at the SAM.  

Lockdown

 I was sitting in class; watching the clock because class ends at 10:50 and I have to change and be at work by 11.  Right as our professor was telling his final point for the day about the new military technology used in the Peloponnesian War, someone bursts through the door say that they were told to go inside a classroom because we were in lockdown.  Our professor welcomed the newcomers and the others that followed and continued teaching.  He still had all of us there together so why not keep learning?  Meanwhile, our other professor (we have two) left the room.  It wasn't until several minutes later that I received an alert text that let us know that there was a bank robbery on campus.  The assailant was about 35, male, wearing faded blue jeans, and heading towards campus.  When we found out that the lockdown was real, we closed the blinds and kept learning!  Then another professor who had "sought shelter" in our classroom taught us about modern poetry.  A little while later we got an "all clear" text and I went to work.  It was a very interesting 25 minute lockdown, albeit unconventional and nothing like the lockdown drills that I'd been part of in the past.