Smallish Updates, Thoughts, and Observations

1) Teachers here are constantly relating things to Rousseau (in Music and Lit classes!). Sorry, Geneva, I'm not a big fan of Rousseau; FYI he's partially responsible for the French revolution, and he's a little bit of a huge hypocrite. Also, he's not a big deal in the musical world because he wrote that opera that one time! :]

2) The locals look at me funny when I go jogging in my pink Smith hoodie. Oh well, I'm not ashamed.

Me lovin' the goldfish Aunt Sue sent me!

3) I really like riding the bus while listening to my ipod and walking a lot from place to place. People on the buses here are incredibly quiet, which is strange because America public transportation is always a chaotic universe. When Smith students travel together on the bus, our laughter always makes us stick out! I wish people here would laugh out loud in public more, but I still love them. Another thing I noticed is that it's also very rare that people try to prevent others from sitting next to them by putting a bag on a chair or sitting in the aisle seat (whereas in America, it's almost a necessity to keep sketchy people from sitting next to you!).

4) I went to the UN yesterday and listened in on some of the Human Rights Council! I even have a little badge with a terrible, terrible picture of my face on it. I feel like such an outsider surrounded by all these political/international studies people, but it's so interesting to be able to observe this lifestyle in action! It's also dangerous, though, because I have too many interests already, haha. It seems to me like the diplomat/international studies lifestyle is very intensive, though; it really takes up your whole being  inside the UN and outside of it, and you don't always see the results of your hard work very immediately, which must be frustrating.

5) Things I miss that I am living without here: my Aussie Awesome Volume Shampoo & Conditioner, Reeses, the Atlantic Ocean, the rest of my clothes (I'm getting bored of the ones I packed...), my Ferris Bueller poster, and being surrounded by pianos in the Smith music building...I'm obviously doing okay without all of these things, but there are always moments I find myself missing the luxuries! :] I also miss seeing the Smith campus coming alive in springtime! But, I'm loving Spring here, too.

6) I've become addicted to the show "The Big Bang Theory," and now all I want in life is to marry a physicist with framed glasses.

7) I've started to talk to the mountains outside my window. I'm not really concerned about it, but I probably should be.

xxx
Kayla