Tales within Tales within Tales…

The above is the title of a class I'm taking, with my major advisor. Part of the class is to write 10 responses on Moodle about our reading. Today, I was so entranced by the first 3 readings, that I wrote 3 responses. That is pretty much a first for me. This class is utterly fascinating and I'm really looking forward to the rest o the semester in it, and hoping that my motivation keeps up.

I had Tai Chi this morning. I hate having to wake up for it, and it's hard on my feet, since it's standing, basically still at this point as we learn the initial forms. I have very flat feet so standing still like that is extremely uncomfortable. Once we start moving move, things should be better there. It's only 50 minutes and it's an amazing way to wake up. Since I have class at 10:30 on Tuesday and Thursday, this keeps my schedule fairly routine.

Monday is a long day. I start at 10am and go until 9pm. It goes like this: Tai Chi -> 2.5 hour break -> Tales within Tales within Tales -> Academic Honor Board -> The Art of Translation.

Tuesday and Thursday are also long, and with fewer breaks and further spread around campus. Like this: American Lit from 1865-1914 -> 1 hour break -> Studies in Comedy -> Roll Over Beethoven: The History of Rock. The last two classes are 2 hours each, but both give a break.

Every single one of my classes takes attendance. 3 of them require responses weekly or more, with American Lit requiring "preparatory notes" before every class. I only have one final exam, again in American Lit. Tai Chi has a final, but you have to just do a sequence of moves (a Kata in Karate, not sure yet what it's called in in Tai Chi!) on the last day of class. The others have fairly easy final papers. Two of the classes require drafts for all papers, and not just to the professor but peer-reviewed.

It's all very exhausting, and yet this semester encompasses the most interesting classes, I believe, that I've yet taken at Smith. It looks like a busy and exciting semester. I'm already tired and it's only 3 days in.

For tomorrow I have to read a lot - what I'm most looking forward to is Lysistrata. I've read that before, and it's friggin' hilarious. I'm looking forward to re-reading it. =)