Much Time To Fill...

Yesterday was my first Tuesday up in the dining hall without an essay to write, which was nice but meant that I had a lot of free time on my hands. I used to hours to research into inter railing travel and lots of book writing. I met up with Sean over lunch and discussed a bit more the end of the semester. I also had chance to talk with the parents, which Will weighed in on after I ate second lunch with him. 

After class and into the evening I did more book work, totaling just over 4,000 words for the day, and continued my addiction with 'Suits' - season one nearly finished. 

The Final Film...

Today began the last, incomplete week of classes of the year. In Civil War a guy in my class brought in a couple of bullets that actually wounded his great-great-grandfather who fought under Lee in Virginia, which was really great. I had no idea just how heavy the bullets were. 

At lunch I met up with Sean and discussed the possibility of spending some time at his house and in New York before he flies out to Ireland and I then head down to DC to fly home. No concrete plans yet but it's an idea. Having looked at the cost of travel and considering that I'm inter railing when I get home, I have decided on a quiet, relaxing and easy going end to my year abroad. This may seem like a bit of an anti-climax, but I don't think it is. This year has been full of adventure and now I am ready to reflect upon it and completely unwind for my last weeks in America.

Anyway, after a particularly the absurdest film 'Bedazzled' from Peter Cook and Dudley Moore to finish the day and the semester of films, the Americans got a glimpse at just how really crazy Brits could get when it came to comedy. Afterwards I headed to the library to print off my Supernatural film essay and prep the last two articles for Miller. 

In the time before dinner I watched 'Suits' and did some writing. A trend that I continued into the evening, whilst everyone else is busily planning their end of semester travels. 

Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

Today rounded off the sunny, relaxing weekend with a day out. This morning Sean and I went to McDonalds for breakfast because the dining hall was opening after we left for the baseball. After our gourmet start to the day we ensured that we had everything prepared and then went over to the CAC to wait for the bus. 

We left campus and arrived at the Orioles stadium in Baltimore in plenty of time for the game start at 1:00pm. At the third inning we went to get some food. Keeping up with our healthy day, we had jumbo hot dogs and beer to keep ourselves going. The game wore on with some great catches and a home run to boost the crowd. 

By the seventh inning Sean and I were in the mood for a snack so, having still never tried it in the states, we made for the funnel cake vendor. Lots of queuing later, we arrived back in our seats for the last inning. 

Catching the bus back, we arrived at campus at 7:00pm, myself nicely sun burned having not learned after twenty-one years to wear sun cream in hot weather. But, a cold shower later and I feel more comfortable. This evening I went to mondo's again, having arrived back too late for the dining hall and sat down to a couple of episodes of 'Suits'.  

Booking Inter Railing...

Today was a very relaxing day indeed. After a lie in I went to brunch, where I found Eoin. When Sean finished with his last campus tour he joined me. With clear skies and the sun shining down, we moved out onto the balcony and spent half an hour chatting, relaxing and enjoying the warmth. 

At 2:00pm, having doing some writing, I Facetimed Cambridge to discuss inter railing arrangements with Tom, Grace and Saoirse. So, after much discussing most of the hostels are now booked, the trains have been timetabled in, and the flights home chosen. 

This afternoon, I met up with Will and Lenka and we went to the Chester 5 to watch the new 'Captain America' film. I'm not an avid superhero fan, so I won't go crazy about the plot line and character portrayals, but I liked it. 

This evening I did more writing and had a quiet night after O'Connor's yesterday. I also need to be up for a day out to the baseball in Baltimore - post and photos to follow.

Going Vintage...

Yesterday wrapped up another rapid week. In the morning I did some book work and played the piano. After classes I walked down to the shops and picked up a pair of blue suspenders for my outfit to the 1920s Speakeasy Dance that I had forgotten was happening. Luckily I'm such a classy guy that I could throw together the rest from my wardrobe. I also had to put more product in my hair than ever before in my life in order to tame my fringe into a slicked side parting, but it was finally achieved. 

After the social we headed to O'Connor's which got busy fast, but it did mean that I had chance to meet up with a lot of people that I don't often see. 

Starting Travel Plans...

Yesterday was a momentous milestone, with the last essay of the semester, indeed, my last assessment for six months, written before lunch. In the afternoon I relaxed with some writing and piano playing. In the evening I went over to KC and Will, Lenka and I started making some actual travel plans for the end of the semester to see what is feasible with travel and timings. For myself, Boston, New York and a little bit of DC to finish off is looking like the plan. 

The Prestige...

Today I spent my spare time playing the piano and did some book work. After class I went over to KC and we watched 'The Dark Night' before dinner. After food I met up with Caitlin and passed over my unnecessary suitcase for her to take care of for the time being - a huge thank you for storing it. 

This evening I took some Easter chocolate back to Lenka's and we watched 'The Prestige', which is one of the few films in the world that I have seen and Will hasn't. A list that has now shrunk even further, like my chocolate supply. 

Farewell Reception...

My apologies dear readers for letting the blog fall by the wayside the past couple of days, but they haven't been the most riveting of days to write about, what with term starting to wind down. 

On Tuesday I planned the last essay of the year on the Jesuit relations with Native Americans in New France, and played the piano for quite a while - I did say that not much happened. Although I did watch the second episode of 'Suits', which I have decided will make a good replacement to 'House of Cards' and prevent too much withdrawal from Kevin Spacey. 

Yesterday, I began the packing up process. Caitlin very kindly offered to store one of my suitcases at her house in DC until I need to swing by and take it for the flight home. So, I sorted out clothes and belongings that I didn't want to drag around America with me, decided what I would leave for next year's exchange students, and the few bits and pieces I still need. All in all, it looks quite manageable and I don't think I will have to ship anything home ahead of time, which is good. Although, the bookstore will be in for a shock when I bring my bag full of books to sell back to them. 


In the afternoon, myself and the other international students went down into Chestertown for food, drink and a farewell reception at the President's House, which was very nice. I had chance to chat with the President's wife, who is British and we made a date to meet up next year when I'm back at Holloway, which will be nice. 

Happy Easter!...

Unlike what I heard from home, Easter Sunday has been sunny and warm, if a bit breezy. After a lazy start, I changed into smart clothes and made my way over to KC where Will and Lenka were getting ready also for your Easter meal out with Sean and his friend, Lindsey. Sean picked us up at quarter to three and then we drove out to Rock Hall, where he had made a reservation for a late lunch at a very nice little restaurant. It being a buffet, we ate as much as we could and then went down to the water for some photos by the bay. (Photos to come)

Model shoot finished, we headed back to campus where I collected my laptop and went back over to KC to Skype home for the holiday. Having caught up I went back and relaxed with some writing in Worcester. Later on the plates of food were wearing off so I headed for Mondo's and a late snack. 

The Colour Run...

Yesterday I woke bright and early to sort out the last bits for the colour run before the taxi departed from campus at 7:30am. The drive into Baltimore was smooth enough and the roads were open as far as the event itself, so we didn't have a long walk to the check-in. 

Inside the venue we were issued our runner packs, with a t-shirt, race number, sun glasses and other freebies. Once we were kitted up we joined the last wave of runners funneling towards the start line. 

The race itself didn't feel like 5km, but I suppose that time passes quicker when there are new things to see as you go. There was a different colour paint station at each 1km milestone where staff threw their colour onto the runners as they passed through. Suffice to say that by the time the race was run we were coated in colour from head to foot.

The rest of the time at the event was spent at the after race concert where everyone was given lots of individual bags of colour to throw in the air/at each other, which made for a great display. We also took advantage of the free food and drink, and the post-race team photos to give a nice contrast to the spotless shots from earlier in the day. 

With a couple of hours before the taxi was due to pick us up, we walked down to the waterfront for a bite to eat and to take advantage of the sunshine. The taxi picked us up on cue and we arrived back at campus by mid-afternoon. 

Once I was back in Worcester I had the most intense hour long shower of my life, comparable to a scrub down following exposure to nuclear fallout - a situation not helped by the fact that I so found out I was slightly sun burned as well. But, eventually I was squeaky clean once more. We spent the evening at Sean's in Chester and then we moved across to KC for the rest of the night. 

Colour Run Prep...

Today was spent making final preparations for the Colour Run tomorrow - making sure that everyone has the right money, knows where to go and has printed off everything they need. Now, I think everything is in order and I need to pack a bag for myself - hopefully with the weather dry tomorrow the powder won't cause us too much hassle. 

After class I had a chance to skype home from KC for a catch up before Easter weekend - my Easter Bunny package arriving just a bit too late for me to pick up for Sunday, so I will have a delayed treat next week. 

To finish, a small treat (I hope) in light of the 200th post yesterday and your continued loyalty. Below is a recording of one of the songs I've been working on put as a packing track to photos from the Cherry Blossom Festival because I like the photos and I couldn't work out how to insert an audio file by itself. It's a bit slow on the load and excuse the squeaky stool in the background.

The Blog's Bicentennial...

Well, dear readers, it is the 200th blog post of my amazing time here at Washington College. I have decided that once my time here is passed I shall continue a new blog and I invite you preemptively to continue to join me when the time comes. Writing these posts by lamplight is somewhat of a habit now that I will find hard to shake off. 

But, enough of the future. This morning I wrote the penultimate paper of the semester on a genre of film coined by our very own Professor Richard Striner as 'Supernatural Romance' - films comprising of love, death and the afterlife. My particular topic was on 'The Presentation and Personification of Death and the Supernatural' within the genre. With that done and once I had eaten it was time for class. The rest of the afternoon passed with more 'House of Cards' - a serious addiction now. 

This evening, and a fitting event for such a momentous post, was my final dinner with David and Deirdre. This time I took Wilson as my +1 because he had not yet sampled Deirdre and Joan's amazing food, or the great company that everyone provides. Unfortunately, Fern has returned home to LA, so no wolf-husky for entertainment, but it didn't put too much of a damper on the evening - the Bellini's certainly helped to raise our spirits. I shall certainly miss our brief hiatuses from the dining hall to sit around a dining table with home cooked food in front of the fire. But, I thoroughly look forward to seeing David and Deirdre later in the year when we pass by their place in Canada. 

Returning back to Worcester, I watched the last two episodes of 'House of Cards' to round off another small era - what will feed my addiction now?

Anchorman...

Yesterday was a long, but routine day, with the workload starting to ease up as the last few weeks of the year draw to a close. I played quite a lot of piano to pass the time in between classes, working on a new song and learning actual pieces. I did some reading for Miller on the final text of the year that needs reading - 'Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings'.

In the evening I went over to KC after watching some 'House of Cards', to chill out with a film. We decided on 'Anchorman' as neither Lenka nor I had seen it. I won't deny that the film was amusing, but with Will quoting from it so often it is nice to now have some context to his conversations. 

House of Thrones And Game Of Cards, Wait...

Yesterday was a quieter day for workload because Striner has shortened the last couple of film essays because their deadlines are so close together. One is already out of the way, but the second took far less planning, with half the number of pages to fill. So, to fill the rest of my time in the dining hall before class, I did some book work and then had lunch with Sean. 

Following class, I went to the piano for a while and then did some relaxing and catching up with 'House of Cards' in the time before dinner. Afterwards, I dealt with my bedding in the laundry, which left me with a fresh clean bed - always a great way to finish off a day. Totally hooked as the series rises to its climax, I watched another episode of house of cards before going over to KC to catch up with the second episode of 'Game of Thrones'. 

A Greenhouse Gym...

This morning the laundry was due again, although I could swear that I only did a couple of days a go - time flies. In between first and second class I rang my Granddad to wish him a happy 80th birthday, which was nice to catch up and hear the voice of home. 

After classes I played the piano a short while and then hit the gym, which was sweltering because apparently 26'C and bright sunshine hitting a glass-fronted room isn't hot enough to turn on the AC. So, I only ran two and a half miles and did a bit on the mats, not wanting to over do it in the final run up to the colour run this Saturday. 

This evening I spent some time chilling out with Will in Chester and then came back to Worcester to catch up with 'House of Cards', which I have been neglecting of late. But, given what happened in the last episode (season 2 episode 8), not giving away any spoilers. 

Cherry Blossom On A Bright Sunday...

Yesterday we had a later start, leaving from Caitlin's and catching the metro into DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival. First, however, we needed some food and after wandering around, we found a Languedoc French Bistro opposite Ford's Theatre and neighbouring the house in which Lincoln died. I had some excellent coffee and an omelette whilst the others settled on Eggs Benedict Florentine. 

Fed and more alert, we walked across to the Jefferson Memorial, merging with the throng of people circling the Tidal Basin. There was still sufficient room to wander without feeling completely hemmed in, but did get hot in a crowd under the sun. The trees provided some great photo opportunities and it made a nice change to see DC in the warm with some colour after our past couple of visits. 

The Cherry Blossom Contingency...

...So, it's on to Saturday and a later start than I had anticipated. Missing the 10:00am alarm, I woke up to the fourth call from Sean at 12:45pm, informing me that I had fifteen minutes to get dressed, packed and over to Chester to head off to Virginia. 

Setting off slightly later than first planned then, we made our way to the hotel not far from the music venue. After debating the validity of our free breakfast we dropped off our bags and drove out to the nearby retail park to buy some drinks. The big twist came when Sean returned from calling the taxi company and then several others, informing us that Avicii had been rushed into hospital for emergency gall bladder treatment and so the concert had been cancelled. 

After some rapid contingency planning, we checked out of the hotel, but not before I'd had a much needed shower, and drove three quarters of an hour to DC, where Caitlin was waiting as our saviour with a free house for us to ditch up in for the night. We changed, had a couple of drinks and then grabbed a bit to eat at a really good Italian place down the road. Afterwards, we took advantage of a warmish evening and walked from the Jefferson memorial round past Roosevelt to Martin Luther King, Jr. to take advantage of seeing the cherry blossoms with virtually no one around.

Relay Event 2014...

Lots to write about after a busy few days in which there was no chance to do any blogging. But, to avoid an massively long post, I'll divide up the days into several accounts. So, let's venture back to Friday night shall we?

The day passed by as usual, but in the evening was the climatic Relay For Life Event 2014. Going down after a quick haircut, I helped to set up the remainder of the things for the night and then grabbed one last bite to eat before the evening began. The doors opened at 6:00pm and we set the wheels turning for twelve hours of relaying. 

After initial speeches and the Luminaria ceremony, the night was filled with activities including locks for love, a frozen wet T-shirt contest, messy twister, a burrito eating contest, buy a phi and a rave to give everyone a final boost of energy. With the pizza from earlier in the night wearing off, breakfast was served up, consisting of fruit and doughnuts to provide a mix of healthy and a much needed sugar boost. 

Once the closing speeches had been given and everything was taken down and packed away, I trudged back to Worcester as the sun was coming up. I finally climbed into bed at 6:30am with the view of waking up to have brunch before setting off for Virginia at noon on Saturday. That was the plan...

Fight Night...

This morning I wrote the second film essay of the semester in the morning before class. Afterwards I walked down to Walgreens to get some things with Lenka before returning for an earlier dinner. But, enough about myself (cue some kind of moving soundtrack), today was really about a young man who had nothing but skill and a dream . A young man who wanted more than anything to fight and to win. That young man was none other than Australia's finest, Wilson Hill. 

The MMA boxing competition started a 7:00pm, but we got there early in order to get good seats, which it turned out was a good move because there was a healthy turnout. Our support was naturally thrown into Will's corner and he did great, getting to the final which was eventually decided as a draw - a decision that we contest considering that Will broke the other guy's nose. Anyway, it was a really good, albeit tense evening. Afterwards, we went to Chester for a short while, then KC and onto O'Connor's for a victory drink and an unwind. 

A Marathon Of A Movie...

Today was one of those rare occasions, even less common than a blue moon, when I slept in past my alarm. So, it was a later breakfast and a short stint at the piano before first class. To finish the day we rounded off our Supernatural Romance genre for film class with the suitably lengthy, three hour long 'Meet Joe Black'. Afterwards I did some reading for Miller tomorrow and then headed up for dinner. 

This evening was the last Relay committee meeting in which we made final arrangements and preparations for Friday. After so much built up, it's suddenly come round to the home run of setting everything up. Afterwards I took the shuttle to KC, where I did a bit more reading and relaxed with some writing after a long day of class. 

A Centenary On...

They said it was the war to end all war

and we are still questioning what it was for.

The human race cannot help but fight,

arguing over what they think is right.

We have a compulsion to take up the gun

and pick off each other one by one.

Somewhere, someone must think it’s fun.

Have the factories stopped making their weapons?

Has the ministry emptied its stores?

Do bombs still fall from the heavens?

Will Janus ever close his doors?

But somehow it makes us feel better

to follow tradition to the letter,

to plant flowers and line up white gravestones

for Tom, Dick and Harry, Brown, Smith and Jones.

Polish off a memorial

shown in a war-torn tutorial,

that teaches us all about grief

to try and forge some kind of relief.

We will still wear the poppy

to show we remember our dead,

soon forgotten with a morning coffee

and a slice of think-healthy brown bread.

The trenches are tactical units

and gas cans are flash bang grenades.

We’re firing higher calibre bullets,

and bayonets are stealthier blades.

de Havilland is now the Tornado,

the Zeppelins converted to drones.

Our outlook on war may be different,

but we’re throwing the same sticks and stones.

So use this year to remember

what brave men and women have done.

They died to give us a future

that they themselves have foregone.

And no, the fighting’s not finished,

I’m not sure anyone’s won

But their sacrifice’s not diminished,

so remember for another century to come. 

Random Inspiration...

This morning I planned out the second film essay of the year, which felt slightly weird because I made the notes on the films back in February. But, it didn't take long to get back into the right frame of mind to write on the title 'Knowledge is Power' in Film Noir. 

After Miller's class Lenka and I went to a talk on the Civil War for some extra credit. By the time it was over with the questioning that followed, it was getting on for 6:30pm. So, after a brief play of the piano I went up to the dining hall where we started trying to make some more concrete ideas for what we will do with our month of travel at the end of the year. 

This evening, keeping Lenka company at KC and struck with some random inspiration, I decided to write a poem on the centenary of the First World War. If anyone is in anyway interest it is on my Facebook wall and I will add it as an additional post after this one. Following some random writing, I carried on with more of the latest book - now over 30,000 words through, so it's slowly getting there. 

Return Of The Iron Throne...

The sad news of the day was that, like that depressing scene in Mary Poppins when Dick Van Dyke's pavement art washes away with the rain, after a day of wet weather there is virtually no evidence of the Relay chalk work from yesterday. But, to try and silver-line these clouds we did get photos, and there has been a considerable leap in likes and feedback on the Facebook page since we did it. 

Today I finally had chance to put my laundry on to dry after breakfast. In the meantime I went down to the piano and started trying to practice a song requested by Lenka, which hopefully won't take too long to learn as she printed me off the easy version of the music.

At the end of the day I went back to Worcester for a while and then headed down to the gym, having not run a 5km for a while. The good news is that despite a slightly persistent cramp in my side after a couple of miles, there was no leg aching. 

This evening I went over to KC and watched the much anticipated TV premiere that aired yesterday; this Storm of Swords...this Clash of Kings...this Feast of Crows...this Game of Thrones. 

Paint The Campus Purple...

Another day of non-academic work, but not quite as lazy as yesterday. This morning I had brunch with Sean and Marcela and then went back to Worcester to put the piling up laundry onto wash. Whilst it was on I played the piano for a while and then had to take my clothes back to my room because I wasn't fast enough to get in with the dryer. It being such a nice day - warmer than yesterday, I took my laptop and did some writing outside the library in the sunshine with Shana and Vanessa.

At 3:30pm it was time to go over to Mt Mary's on the Western Shore to help Katie take over our Paint the Campus Purple supplies for Relay. By 4:00pm we had coordinated who was doing what, so I started helping to chalk out huge cancer ribbons along the Cater Walk. The pictures don't really do justice to the size of them, but to give you an idea it took me until 5:30pm to do three. But, the sun was out, the sky was blue and the wind had dropped, so it really wasn't that bad. The rest of campus looks great with purple ribbons, balloons and flags all helping to make the visual last big push before the event on Friday. 

Afterwards I found Shana and Vanessa again in the dining hall for dinner. This evening I spent some time at KC and then headed to the library to do some more fun writing before another week of essay planning and writing to come.  

A Drifting Day...

Yesterday was one of those perfectly lazy days where you seem to drift from one thing to another without bothering to look at the clock. After a lie in - yes, I did say lie in, I went up to the dining hall for brunch. From there I went down to the volleyball court and played for a while with Relay people, which was a lot of fun. 

Afterwards, I printed off an article I need to read at some point before Tuesday. Then I walked down to Walgreens and ACME to fetch Addison some things as he was feeling bad again and it being such a nice day I wanted the walk. At the store I bumped into Will, Sean and Lenka who had gone down to the animal shelter earlier on. 

After our fail attempt the other day, Sean and I went to the gym to help  Will train for Thursday's fight. Without wrist supports I'm pretty sure that I did more damage to myself in the end.

Later in the day I met up with Sean and others in the dining hall, going from there to get some drinks for later on. We spent a large portion of the rest of the day in Chester, relaxing and playing some games. Wanting to get some fresh air, Will, Lenka, Vanessa and I headed up to O'Connors, meeting up with Kristine and Axel as well - a briefly bumping in Ester in Safe Ride, so we got to see most people which was really nice. 

MMA "Training"...

Yesterday rounded off yet another working week that flew by. In the free time between classes I did some reading for Miller and played the piano a while. Once classes were done I went to Worcester and changed with the intention of helping Will do some training for the upcoming MMA contest, which turned into playing Xbox for several hours instead - hey, it's not my fight to win. After dinner, we changed and then spent the evening down at JR's, having not been down there for a while.   

Morale And Music...

With all reading done for my essays and another one knocked on the head today, it's starting to feel like we're on the home straight, which is simultaneously pleasing and scary. But, I won't even venture down that avenue of reflection. Today's essay, the second of my Civil War course, was titled 'The Driving Power and Depressive Force of Morale during the American Civil War', using those soldier's letters I planned with on Tuesday.

Aside from work, I went to the piano and began working on a new song idea with a couple more finalised, although I wouldn't be confident with any of them to share via an audio file. Not yet, anyway. I did a bit of writing and reviewed what I got down the other night in the library. 

This evening I went over to KC with Sean, where we spent the evening discussing future travel plans with Lenka and meeting up later this summer. 

Pizza And A Film...

Today I finished off the second half of 'Jesuit Relations' for Miller's class, which I have decided to write my last essay of the year on. The book recounts Jesuit missionaries in New France (French Canada), which fits in nicely with family travels later in the year. To finish off the day, in film class we watched a rom-com classic - 'Sleepless in Seattle'. Watching it again, I recognise an awful lot of actors that would appear in many things later on. 

After classes I went to the gym for an hour before lunch, completing a quick one mile run to warm up my legs before a very sweaty ten miles on the bike. 

This evening was the penultimate Relay meeting before the big night next Friday. Having sorted out the planning and prep for the event, I went over to KC to watch 'Up' with some pizza and cider. 

An Ailing Addison...

Today I planned the Civil War essay as I intended throughout the morning. In the run up to class I chatted with people in the dining hall for a while before playing the piano for a bit and then going to class. 

This afternoon, I went to the business office to top up my print balance with the upcoming final run of essays and articles to be read for Miller. That done, I hung out in Chester common room until dinner, wanting to give Addison and his fever plenty of space. I watched the first half of a 'House of Cards' until I let the ailing wifi get the better of me.

After dinner I spent the rest of the evening and into the night in the library doing some writing to get away from essays and class reading for a while. I may try to watch the second half of that episode.  

The Sunshine Of Spring...

At long last, yesterday brought the first true day of spring. After breakfast I walked down to Walgreens to pick up a toothbrush having mistakenly thrown away one the night before, thinking that I had a new one already. I also picked up a broom to sweep out the growing levels of dust, dirt and debris that gets swept in from the corridor. By the time these errands were done it was time to start classes for the day. 

After first class I spent the time compiling the bibliography for my Civil War essay, which is always a time consuming task, but I'd rather get to the end of the essay on Thursday (hopefully) and just added it in rather than have to write it then. 

Once all classes were done, it being such a nice day and needing to pick up a couple of things, I decided to take a walk into town down to the river and back up. Despite the warmth, I thought that the gym was necessary, so I ran an intense 4km in twenty minutes - well, at least I thought it felt pretty intense. 

The evening was spent with Sean and Will in Chester, just relaxing whilst the other two did work, briefly.