A new semester

Back to school!

My first class of the new semester was Professor Awesome's Japanese Film class. Our first movie of the term was Spirited Away, which is one of the most well-known Animé films out there. Naturally I haven't seen it since I thought Akira and Ghost in the Shell were the only Animé films required for geek cred, but apparently I'm wrong. At least according to Professor Awesome. Also, he totally Comic-Book-Guy'd us about not pronouncing Ringu "rin-goo" because the "u" at the end is a lilt, not a letter you pronounce. I love you, Professor Awesome, but calm down ok? At any rate, I thought Spirited Away was really beautiful and funny and sweet. It was also incredibly bizarre. Not that it's a bad thing to be bizarre, it just reminded me of the perception shift required when watching Eastern movies. After the first lecture and screening, I'm quite excited to see where this class goes.

I did some running around to register and deregister for various classes and I'm now enrolled in Contemporary British Cinema, a class on adaptation between literature and film, and a screenwriting class in addition to Japanese Film. This semester is the most film-centric I've ever had and I love it. The only down side is that I only just missed out on arranging a two-weekends-per-week schedule. I mean, class on Monday followed by two days off, then class on Thursday and Friday followed by the weekend... how amazing would that have been? I know, I know, the problems of a university student. Even more tragic than first world problems.

One of the most interesting things about this day was how amazing it felt not to be the new girl anymore. I knew where to go, saw familiar faces in my class, even helped out a new, lost study abroad student. There seems to be a lot of them, almost entirely single semester, which makes me the seasoned expert among them. When Professor Awesome started chatting with me as a group of us were waiting outside the classroom before the lecture, I thought I saw a bit of awe on a few of their ickle faces.

Until they asked if I was another one of the teachers. I laughed and said no, but in my mind I was beating them about the head with my cane. Whippersnapper Raaaaaaaage.

Random observation of the day: Apparently when the subject of Japanese adult movies comes up, I am far from the only one whose brain goes straight to tentacle porn. Either that, or Professor Awesome can read my mind. This observation could just as easily be called "things I learned in Japanese Film class today." I have a feeling this won't be the last one.

A day in the life

It's nearly the end of the my first semester in London. I don't know where the time went, but the quick run-down of my life since I last posted (I don't know when that even was and I'm too lazy to go look) is this: I'm clawing my way through my classes; I'm broke beyond belief (£.17 in my bank account right now, no lie); and I started a job with a hotel which will not be named as a housekeeper, which may actually kill me.

Don't worry, things aren't as dire as they sound. I'm also still enjoying school and the fact that I'm in London, I'm feeling a lot of love for my friends, my Mom is amazing, and Christmas/my 35th birthday are just around the corner.

So! On with business. I'm normally off Wednesdays, but since Professor Awesome was offering a review session for British Horror I dragged myself out of bed at what was supposed to be 8am but turned into 9am after I poked the snooze button a little too much. I did get really lucky with transportation, catching a bus and both trains within a few minutes of arriving at each place.

I've been listening to the latest (2009) 30 Seconds to Mars album rather obsessively on the commute for the past few days, partly because my phone is stupid and partly because the album is EPIC and lots of fun to listen to while traveling. Seriously, try cranking "Kings & Queens" while in a moving vehicle of any kind and tell me you don't have the urge to climb on top of whatever it is and throw your arms out and pretend you're flying. Always helpful for gearing up to sit in a classroom for several hours talking film theory... Luckily Professor Awesome kept it interesting as always, in spite of his noticeable head cold. The good news about British Horror is that I've finally settled on a topic for my paper; the bad news is I only have a week to make an excellent 3000 word essay out of it. Also the class is almost over, which makes me sadface. #FirstWorldProblems

I attempted to sell some textbooks to get money for cat litter. Found out I can't do that until Monday, and only two of the three will be taken by my school bookstore. However, I later determined that I can sell the third book - along with one of the Film Studies books I impulsively brought to London with me - on the internets. w00t! With luck, the total sale will net me around £40. That's a lot of cat litter! And boy is it needed... the damn box is about 80% pee, 10% poo, 10% litter. YIKES.

Now if my cigarettes would just show up... they appear to have been shipped to the US for some reason, but the online store isn't answering me when I tell them I'm in the UK now (as I have been for the last two perfectly successful orders). I am making a trollface right now. Thank goodness for the random pack of cigs I found on the steps into the Tube station near my job and the idiot who dropped a nearly full box. However, the supply is almost out and then I'm in full-on nicotine withdrawal until I have money/get the smokes I ordered. Look out, London.

Random observation of the day: a British girl in my Horror class who I always thought was a bit detached and arrogant turned out to be an amazingly funny and cool person when I finally got a chance to talk to her today. I love when a person I've judged totally breaks down my first impressions and makes me remember why those judgments I make are bullshit, just like the judgments I think people make about me are bullshit.

Operation Brit Kittehs is a go!

Operation Brit Kittehs has finally (FINALLY) gotten settled.

As I mentioned in my last post, the plan has officially become a drive to Denver the day before my flight, which has now moved to September 3rd. After several phone calls and extended emails, all I could manage to wrestle out of Iceland Air was a free change of itinerary. I tried for a hotel voucher, maybe some discount with the rental car, but it was a no-go. Either a full refund and I'm on my own finding a ticket at least $1000 more expensive, or they could do that one-time flight change. By the time we got to that point, I was so worn down I was just happy not to have to pay any more for the change. The moral of this story is, airlines suck - but at least Iceland Air sucks a little less than others.

Meanwhile, the cat kennels have been ordered (along with various accoutrements from an awesome website called dryfur.com, who are experts in helping prepare kennels and pets for travel). The boys will be traveling separately rather than smooshed into one larger kennel, not only because it's a bit cheaper but because they'll be more comfortable that way. Not to mention it'll be less of a hassle trying to fit them in the rental car. They've done long drives before (moving from DC to Maine, then from Maine to Minnesota) so the one-day drive to Denver shouldn't bother them too horribly. Plus we get a night in a hotel for them to chill before we go on to the airport. Not that they're going to enjoy it, but it'll also help that I'll be with them most of the way.

Which pretty much leaves my to-do list with pack/purge, cancel cell phone, and get the boys their final check-up before the flight. It's a bit weird to see all those tick marks on my list and know that from this point on it's mostly just basic moving stuff and saying goodbye to everyone. I'll be paying my last rent check in the US today. I mean, weird. Even though it got pushed out a week, it's still really damn close. And it's really actually happening.

I've been watching the Olympics quite a bit, not so much for the sports (although I do like gymnastics and diving) but for the London love. Olympic Village is only about a mile from my school, Queen Mary University. In fact, I believe the dorms are even being used by some of the Olympics people. Plus I just adore every shot of the city; at one point I simply stared and breathed "I'll be living there soon." For all the difficulty I've had making this happen (most of it related to Operation Brit Kittehs), it's so very worth it. I can't wait.

Huh.

So...

It would appear I have a blog!

Sort of... uh... forgot about that.

Ok, that's a lie. I got behind and overwhelmed with life and it slipped through my fingers. More honestly yet, I let it slide, because I've been so up and down lately that I haven't been able to process everything in my own head, let alone on a blog. But I've been thinking about writing a lot, and would like to get back to it again. Especially since there's been lots of interesting stuff going on...

So!

Let's dance, shall we?