As the Semester Winds Down

I am finally almost done with this semester.

All that stands between me and freedom are two 4-5 page papers due tomorrow (which, at this page in my academic career, doesn't phase me . . . I haven't started either) and an Anth final on Wednesday.

Then I plan to relax . . . which for me involves books, coffee, and crocheting. Not generally all at the same time. Cannot wait.

I am also excited about the new movie Avatar coming out this week. Not only do the graphics look amazing, I was just at B&N flipping through one of those companion books and it looks like the alien species the humans are fighting against were actually thought out and given a realistic culture!

(Please excuse the giddy anthropology student.)

It also seems like it will have a good message--one that could be applied to issues like indigenous rights--so I will have to let y'all know what I think about it in a few days.

Current read? I haven't had a lot of time to read recently (those pesky exams!), so I've been plodding my way through Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. You may be familiar with Neil Gaiman--he wrote the book Stardust, which was turned into a movie of the same name.

I'm only about a third the way through the book, so it's a little early to discuss impressions, but I will hopefully be able to catch up on my reading soon. There is quite a pile beginning to form.

Anyway, I suppose I should do something productive with the rest of my afternoon/evening. Off to tackle Indian history in 8 to 10 pages!

Fanboys

Saw this a little while ago, but I haven't had enough time to blog about it.

(Note: The night before two final exams is the perfect time to do anything and everything not school related.)

This movie gets a pretty solid B. While the plot is lacking and it can be crude at times, this is compensated for by enough legit (fan) humor to come out okay.

Highlights? An epic battle against some Trekkies, calling "Chewie" instead of "shotgun," and cameos by Billy Dee Williams (Lando) and Carrie Fisher (Leia).

(Possibly a few more people I didn't notice.)

If you are a fan and know a decent bit about Star Wars, it is worth subjecting yourself to this movie. If not, you can skip it and still sleep quite well at night.

All Over the Place

I have been busier this past week than I think I have been in years.

But seriously.

You may or may not remember my fiasco about a year ago with the Study Abroad Office. Well, there's a class being offered next semester on francophone culture that includes a Spring Break trip to Paris (you know, the center of the universe . . . francophile Mecca) and Brussels. In applying for this trip, I have been forced to interact with them again. And, while they haven't really been any more pleasant this time around, at least I knew what to expect.

In addition to working on the 17 page application for that all week, I also finally gave up on finding my lost passport and went to apply for a new one. That involved two long and confusing forms, a birth certificate, another form of ID, and two separate fees.

Yay, government.

Furthermore, the clock is ticking on a million and a half papers due in the next week.

And my sinuses are trying to kill me.

Also, I've been doing some more thinking on post-undergraduate plans. However, as I have class in a few minutes, that will probably make it into a different post.

Busy, busy, busy.