Tuesday, January 29, 2008

inmates and movie trailers

Today, something interesting occurred on my commute back from Stonehill.

I found myself behind a van from the Bristol County Sherrif's Department at a red light. This van was filled with inmates emblazoned with orange jumpsuits. As I paused qat the light, one of the inmates in the back window began making lewd gestures at me. Inappropriate. I proceeded to pass the van on the right, to get away. I do feel relieved knowing the man is already incarcerated, but hey, commuting is always bizarre.

In other news, I have been meaning to post on this for a few days now, a new movie trailer caught my interest the other day. The trailer is below, and it is for the new Colin Farrel movie In Bruges. The movie opened at the Sundance Festival recently. I thought the film's scenery looked familiar not just because I went to Bruges in November, but also because the hideout scenes were filmed at the same hotel Lee and I stayed at! The scene where Colin Farrell and his costar are eating breakfast and reading the telegram from his boss, is the exact same place where Lee and I ate our breakfast each morning. I can't wait to see this film, its a great video postcard my 20th birthday trip. I am just surprised no one at the hotel told us a movie has been filmed there in the past year! and of all the locations in Europe, Bruges is a bit bizarre.







-Liz

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

General Life Update

I know it has been over a month since my last post. After urging from friends and family, I am now finally getting around to updating. It has been a crazy month. There was the holidays, and school started, and things are now just slowing down. I also squeezed in a short visit to see Lee somehow in there too.

I started a new semester at Stonehill, as a commuter. Dorm life is just not for me, and I do not miss it in the slightest. I get to eat my own food, take showers without flip flops, and I am no longer at risk of contracting some sort of skin eating virus through the bathroom of the dorm. Life is good.

I am taking 5 classes, and I have a very busy schedule. I am at school everyday Monday- Friday, my busiest day being Wednesday. The drive is approximately 35 minutes from Rochester to Stonehill, depending on traffic and Dunkin Donuts stops along the way. (One day I must figure out how many DD's there are between here and there, it must be an astronomical amount.) I like the hour and ten minutes I get to myself everyday. It gives me time to listen to my CD's, talk on the phone, and generally just think. It works well as a tool to ease into the day and decompress out of it. I am actually enjoying it. There is a certain zen to driving on 24 everyday, even if it does decrease my survival rate slightly on a daily basis.

I am taking three English classes this semester: Critical Theory, Early Modern Literature and Chaucer. Three very difficult required upper level courses for my major. So far the work has been manageable, and I am enjoying them for the most part. Critical Theory is my favorite, despite the often bizarre and unintelligible subject matter. Father George Piggford is a great professor, and he really makes the class much more enjoyable than it was in Dublin. Early Modern Literature, taught by Professor Duncan, is going well. The subject matter is around the contemporaries writing in the time of Shakespeare. It is refreshing to finally get a chance to read someone else coming out of the Renaissance, even if it means you just realize how unoriginal Shakespeare really was. Lastly, Chaucer is, well still the bane of my existence.

I am also taking my required Moral Reasoning class for Stonehill. I chose to take Jesus and Moral Decisions with Father Gribble. I really like Father Gribble as a professor, I had him for my introductory religious studies class Freshman year. The subject matter has been interesting so far, I will be sure to keep everyone updated on what my friends like to refer to as simply "Jesus class". To think last spring i was in Judaism. Now I am in Jesus.

Lastly, I am taking FA101 on Wednesday mornings. I love art. It's going well, even if I am slightly over qualified for the course. Yes, I took the courses backwards. I already completed the upper level drawing class. Some people are just wacky. It should be a good time.

That is the summary. I will do my best to update more frequently. Hopefully on more relevant things.

-Liz