Classes and extracurricular activites

My classes started on Thursday and so far they've been a very mixed bag. My first ever American lecture felt much more like a sixth form class than a lecture - there are only 35 people in the class and the lecturer expects us to constantly ask questions. It was an introductory lecture and so I learnt nothing besides the syllabus. The first thing he actually taught us was that the plural of syllabus was not syllabi because putting an "i" on the end of a word to pluralise it was a Latin thing and syllabus was originally Greek, and this was a Religious Studies class. Another interesting but largely useless fact to add to my collection.

My second lecture was no where near as fun as my first, instead of learning irrelevent facts I was learning Arabic (which you could argue for most people is irrelevent) and they went straight into it, no introductory lecture. I walked in on time but the class had already started and there were no seats left, in fact several people were already standing up. I had to stand too close to the board and at a bad angle so I could see very little of what he was writing, and I was expected to copy it. Again it was more like a class than a lecture, he asked us all random questions and so we were expected to be on the ball all the time, no chance for a sneaky nap in this class. I actually learnt how to daydream first in French class, but I must fight the impulse in Arabic. I'm used to finding classes quite easy and this blows me away, it is so difficult, but it is good to really struggle at times and so I shall persevere. Incidently having done some of the homework (all lectures have given me homework already) I can now spell and pronounce my first word - door, which I'm sure will prove really useful. "Shut that baab!"

Yesterday I had what I would describe as my first real lecture, Introduction to Cultural Anthroplogy, with 900 other students! I got in a few minutes early (I'm learning quickly that spaces fill up fast and lectures start early) to a v.large and fairly packed lecture theatre. I actually heard someone complain that all the seats at the front are taken! I'm used to hearing the opposite. I found a seat fairly easily next to some freshman girl who seemed adverse to any form of conversation, but a lot of other people weren't as lucky as I was and had to spend quite a while walking around looking in vain for a single seat by itself and if they found one they had to squeeze past lots of people to get there. I felt particularly sorry for one guy who clearly had problems socialising (you can often just tell by how they look - how they hold themselves, the clothes they where, etc, this guy had a really bad mullet which is saying something) and it took him ages to find a seat, but at least he got one, not everyone was so lucky. The lecture started with a clip of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street which is usually a good omen, however not in this case, it was a really tedious introductory lecture and I was surrounded by freshmen and felt old (which incedently made a nice change - being under 21 I'm constantly made to feel young). I was very glad to get out of there. Hopefully it will improve soon.

After all that hardwork some extracurricular activities were in order and at a boring coffee afternoon with other international students I got invited to a birthday party and how could I refuse? But I didn't go straight to the party, I went to an amateur improvisation comedy club first, it was really funny, after an hour and a half of comedy that included a guy appearing from between some poor girls legs, horror stories from a political rally and racoons the show ended and I went to the party.

None of my close friends were there when I arrived and I ended up talking to an Aussie bloke for ages, I'd met him a few times before and knew he was a nice guy but somehow he morphed in front of my eyes into a hot nice guy, which is always appreciated and I'm pleased to say (particularly to my concerned gran) that it wasn't alcohol making that happen, I only had a single beer. The party ended when the host decided she wanted to go down to DP (the main party street) and crash a party so we were kicked out of the apartment. Oz and I ended up going with a big group to DP but felt awkward about the crashing, so we ended up walking down to the beach (I love living so close to the ocean!) and paddling before stargazing. It is concerning that Oz, who was brought up in the southern hemisphere was able to recognise constellations that I couldn't. I think I need to do some more stargazing, preferably with a book to guide me. Eventually we wandered back to mine, arranged to meet again the next day and said goodbye. Somehow it was 1.30am, last thing I knew it was 11pm.

After not getting nearly enough sleep I awoke at the bright and early time of 9am and got ready to go cycling in the mountains with Oz. Having just got a bike (with gears!) I was dying to try it out and Oz happens to be a keen cyclist. When we got to the foothills I quickly realised that my gears were useless, the hills weren't that steep but it was really hard work. I'm used to having a cog that goes lower than my new bike and it was nightmareish. There was Oz with his flash mountain bike showing off and there I was red in the face and struggling for breath, which was attractive! Our map was fairly useless, it was free and so there were ads covering the mountains. The first road we tried turned out to be a dead end at the foothills, but going down I learned a valuable lesson about my bike - the breaks were too loose. I jammed my breaks on full but the bike would not stop so I yelled "shit!shit!shit!shit!" in an attempt to warn Oz but he didn't understand what I was saying and it was only when the road went uphill slightly and I came to a halt that he understood and was able to tell me exactly what was wrong, which was useful but did not fix them.

We decided to go on up the mountains regardless and eventually found the right path but I gave up pushed my bike fairly quickly - I felt it was better than being sick. We didn't make it even that close to the real mountains but found a beautiful view, sat down and chatted. It was really nice, and once again time elapsed very quickly. I was not overly excited to get back on the bikes and return when we decided to, more because I was saddle sore than anything else, I need a new saddle if I intend to do anymore real cycling. When we eventually got back to his to have lunch I was very grateful to disembark.

I had planned to do lots of homework, but I'm too tired after the ride and so have been wasting away the rest of my afternoon on the internet. Arabic can always wait another day.

How to host an excellent party for new international students

1. Meet up with someother new international students and have a few beers.
2. Chat about how boring the introduction days are going to be.
3. Jokingly discuss how good a social lubricant alcohol is.
4. Drunken brainwave - "Let's hold a party!"
5. Volunteer to hold it at your place without even considering the implications.
6. On the day of the induction (and party) write down the details of the party (not forgetting the all important "Bring beer" line) lots of times and go around inviting too many people.
7. Discover that everyone you're inviting already knows about the party and realise that it is going to be very big and your apartment is small.
8. At lunchbreak persuade a few burly male friends to help you move anything breakable out of the living areas and push all furniture back as far as possible.
9. Look around at your handiwork and optomistically think that the apartment can fit far more people than previously expected.
10. In the afternoon session of the tedious introduction sit through a talk from the police about how they deal with parties.
11. Realise that you are holding an illegal party in your house and consider whether it is possible to call things off.
12. Cancelling is impossible so party must continue despite the pessimistic murmurings of flatmate.
13. Inform your flatmate that you will take full responsibility for everything (gulp!) as it was your (bad) idea. Find someone over 21 who is willing to pretend they live there should any policeman ask. Promise to drink very little.
14. Clean house, tidy away any breakable item, sort out the music (a mixture of international music ranging from Korean hip-hop to Mexican dance) and buy some alcohol to start the party off. Enlist a small group of helpers who are bound to get too drunk to take any responsibility or do anything you ask.
15. Put signs up around the place informing people that should the police ask Salvador lives there (if there are lots of people who don't know the host the police view the apartment as a public place, where it is illegal to have parties - if most people know the host then it is a private party as far as the police are concerned).
16. Pray that the cops don't come.
17. Greet your guests that come slowly at first but before long fill your apartment.
18. Suddenly discover that the party has become so full that it is continuing outside. Which is most definately illegal and highlights that there is a party going on (that happens to have a lot of under 21s at it).
19. Try to get people inside.
20. Fail.
21. See the police drive past once.
22. Twice.
23. Three times.
24. Crap. They know that there is a party going on. Try harder to get everyone in and inform them of the police's new found knowledge.
25. Ask your friend to tell people and then return outside to push people in.
26. Hear a yell from inside followed by a strange silence.
27. Look inside to find your friend standing on a chair telling the masses about the police situation.
28. The party goes on regardless, the music (which couldn't be heard over the talking anyway) gets turned off.
29. Get slightly stressed. A criminal record would not be the best way to start a new school year.
30. Go outside again to encourage people to go in. Fail but end up talking to a nice scottish bloke who reassures you that there are bigger parties happening elsewhere.
31. Feel more relaxed, go in for a drink and come across someone opening a $50 bottle of Moet and Chandon. Introduce yourself to Champagne guy (English - who else could be so sophisticated?) and get a glass of pure heaven. Feel even happier.
32. Start to enjoy the party more.
33. A few people leave and there is suddenly space to breathe and it becomes slightly cooler (60 people in a fairly small room with a window that can't be opened for fear of noise levels and no air conditioning does not make for a comfortable temperature).
34. Talk to some very drunk people.
35. The party quickly gets smaller and before you know it the only people who are left are about 7 brits and an Irish guy left. Feel proud at the staying power of your nation.
36. Discover that The Shins are playing in Santa Barbara next week and invite yourself along with them.
37. Help yourself to a few well deserved beers.
38. When everyone has left realise you are now quite drunk but try and help your friends to tidy up the empties anyway.
39. Fall into a dunken sleep the moment your head its the bed.
40. Inspect the damage the next day and discover beer split on the floor, v.dirty floors, bottles evrywhere and your flatmate vacumming.
41. Groan and begin the clean up safe in the knowledge that everyone had a great time and you're now the most popular girl of the international students!