Les finales. Les vacances de printemps.

Hello jolly people! And yes I feel as though I can say jolly people, because I am in quite the jolly mood. As of last Friday, finals are officially over! So, here is a list of the things I no longer have to do:

1. No more philosophy. And no more philosophy silly things, like papers and exams consisting of at least 5 in-class essays.


2. No more history of Modern Japan. 


3. No more philosophy.


4. No more 15-page research paper on the history of homosexuality in Japan.


5. No more philosophy. And can I just mention one more time, no more philosophy?

Gah. Philosophy class was seriously horrible, if you couldn't tell. No wait, I take that back, not seriously horrible, I mean my professor (Dr. Acharya) was a genuinely nice guy and talked a lot (and dressed like a hipster), meaning I didn't have to talk a lot, so that helped. It was just the exams, and the monstrous almost-damn-near-impossible 8-page paper that pretty much killed the entirety of my soul (and for those of you who have read Plato, that should seem extremely ironic...). The final, which was again a timed essay themed exam, was probably one of the hardest I have ever taken in my academic career. I remember, during the last class of the term, Dr. Acharya specifically mentioned that we would only have to know the works of Hume, Kant, and Nietzsche for the final exam; so what does he do?? On the second to last essay question, he asks us to "explain why Nietzsche claims that the search for knowledge is 'experimental,' and then compare and contrast with Platonic views about the search for knowledge." What the hell? So much for no Plato...and then there was another question about Kant which was so annoyingly obscure, I'm pretty sure I made up the last like third of my answer. So basically after finishing the exam I just thought get this fucker away from me, said a prayer or two or sixteen, attempted to telepathically force my teacher to give me any grade higher than a C, and turned in the exam packet without so much as a second glance. Good riddance philosophy, good fucking riddance.

And just to mention something on my class on the history of Modern Japan, when I say that that class wasn't that bad, I mean it in all aspects. I actually had fun writing my research paper, which by the way the specific proposal for was this: "What are some of the developments and differences of and between male and female homosexual groups from the 10th century (the birth of the Pre-Tokugawa period) to the closing of the Meiji reform period? How did these developments change over time, and was the Japanese culture altered? If so, how?" But I already talked about that in the previous post. I think I might just miss the class just a little bit too...hmm. What a concept.

There's only really one thing I'm like extremely not giddy about (in a way that makes me want to destroy everything in sight) right now, so I guess I'll start a list for that too:

1. The fact that my French class is over, and I won't be taking the next level with Holly next term. (Still sad face).

We've already gone over that in the previous post (sorry for the double repeat-offense), so I won't waste your time with further rambles. And that was the world's shortest list. Anyway, winter quarter 2012 is now officially over. Whew! In reflection, I think this was honestly one of the strangest quarters I have ever experienced here at Seattle University. Not strange like a lot of strange things happened, just strange in the way that I feel like a lot of things are changing, and I don't know, I just feel different. I feel like I know who my real friends are now, and things are looking mostly in the upward direction, which is good. Now, I don't have to go back to school until March 26, so one week off, (and  not to mention a load off...). I am so excited for this upcoming week of spring break it's not even funny. Time to relax, not think about all the homework I should be doing, read what I want, and just have fun. Fun is good. Sooo...

My spring break plans/things I've already done since it's Sunday and I've been on break for a day and a half already:


1. Friday (3/16): 
-Derped around with Lauren, Arielle, Joe, and Andre in the afternoon, aka. celebrate with gusto the fact that we somehow managed to make it through finals week with our brain (and all of our hair) intact.
-Went out to dinner with Lauren, Andre, and Nick at the Honey Hole to celebrate again our survival of finals' week. If you don't know what the Honey Hole is, it's a little sandwich/hamburger restaurant on Capitol Hill in Seattle, and it is seriously one of the greatest things my taste buds have ever experienced. Go there.


2. Saturday (3/17):
-Happy St. Patrick's Day!
-Lauren left at the butt-crack of dawn (6:00am) for SeaTac to catch her plane home to Hawaii for the week...I kind of hate her...
-Mom came up for a visit! And is staying until Tuesday!
-Mom and I cleaned dorm room, and by that I mean deep cleaned the bathroom, sink area, and shower. Oh and we vacuumed. All in all it was a very interesting experience, and the room now smells faintly of chlorine and cleaning products. Woot.

-Post-dorm room cleaning status: Spent the evening in the U Village (UW...) shopping and eating and walking and shopping some more. (AND I FINALLY GOT A PAIR OF WHITE JEAN CAPRIS...FROM H&M FOR ONLY $24...AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. I CAN DIE HAPPY NOW).

-Walked around Capitol Hill. Noted the thousands of drunk people stumbling around screaming about it being St. Patrick's Day. Ha.

And now for future plans:

1. Spend Sunday with mom.

2. Go into work at the preschool on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for about 4 hours each day. I am so excited to see the little munchkins again (since I had finals' week off I haven't seen them in over a week and am having withdraws).

3. Read the entire Hunger Games trilogy, and Jodi Picoult's newest novel, Lone Wolf. Both have been on my to-read list for far too long.

4. Fly down to Sacramento, CA from Seattle on Wednesday night to visit my best friend Bre (who goes to University of the Pacific in Stockton), and stay with her until the following Sunday. 

5. Plan lots of shenanigans with Bre for my trip down.

6. Partake in said shenanigans.

7. Hope that said shenanigans include going to San Francisco next Saturday...I think they will...

8. Ride a cable car in San Francisco.

9. Eat at In N' Out Burger (part of the essential California experience, and besides they give you these cool little stickers).

10. Fly back to Seattle next Sunday evening and pretend like I don't have school the next day.

11. Listen to this song over and over and over and over and over and over:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt74jX2C1m0 

Somebody That I Used to Know - Peter Hollens feat. Evynne Hollens. Both of them are professional singers from Eugene, and he does covers of a cappella songs, some his originals, and some from current artists. I am obsessed. However, my music tastes are currently going through kind of an a cappella phase anyway, so that could be part of the reason why I am so obsessed, and rambling apparently...oh for the love of pete just go listen already.

So umm...yep, I think that about covers it. Not to fear however, I will do my very best to keep you up to speed on this week of relaxation or whatever. Although I should mention that there might be some death mixed in there somewhere because my final grades come out next Wednesday. Details. I think I'll just ignore them until some pesky admissions office asks for a transcript in the future. Sounds good to me.

~Erin