A Simple Post

Hello again!

I'm afraid I'm beginning to settle into the mundane, monotonous routine of a university student. The only boast-worthy events of the last couple of days have included attending lectures, studying in the library, and of course, my new hobby, mixing up some fantastic culinary delights. Well to be more exact, Steph was trying to make some potato latkes, but she called them something else (she had had them in Austria before), and I ended up taking over, having made them every year during hanakah- once again, an unintentionally festive meal! I still have to make more friends some chocolate banana pancakes. yumm!

Since everyone seems so concerned about my academic life her (mostly family hehe), chemistry so far seems to be a recap of last year's physics (no comment...), operations of which I still have yet to fully understand. But as far as general studying goes, I hope to make some quantum leaps very soon. My environment courses are probably almost entirely self-taught- ie. spend lots of time reading in the library, which seems to be easy enough. Literature, on the other hand, is posing itself to be quite the challenge. Steph and I have suddenly been planted in a 3rd year lit course with students who have 2 years of experience writing essays and dissecting books. Joseph Conrad's "Secret Agent- A Simple Tale", is definitely anything but simple! But hey, just got to keep reminding myself that this is a "study abroad" program.

I was just discussing the other day with my flatmates how drastically different the university curriculum is here in comparison to Canada, where we are apparently "spoon fed". Evaluations for most courses are in the form of one essay and one final exam worth 75%, oy, and in the case of chemistry, the final exam will probably be worth more. So as you can tell, self motivation is definitely an aspect, and is definitely a challenge considering that we have just gotten a tv in the flat, and everything seems to turn into a party or some form of social gathering over here-always fun!

Right now I can picture some comments from my mom, my sister, who will probably tell me to get on the ball, or not to stress about chemistry, but the truth is, there isn't much else to write about!! Ah the joys and beauty of simplicity!



But just because, here is a poem I really like:
You Shall Above All Things Be Glad and Young


you shall above all things be glad and young.
For if you're young, whatever life you wear

it will become you; and if you are glad
whatever's living will yourself become.
Girlboys may nothing more than boygirls need:
i can entirely her only love

whose any mystery makes every man's
flesh put space on; and his mind take off time

that you should ever think, may god forbid
and (in his mercy) your true lover spare:
for that way knowledge lies, the foetal grave
called progress,and negation's dead undoom.

I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance

- E.E. Cummings