31 March 2009

A-mock

Yes, I'll run out of these "a-" words soon. For now, revel in them.

So, why are things amock? Namely, a.) I FORGOT about my China orientation meeting today, thus arriving late and leaving early, and b.) I am now blogging about it instead of studying for my test in less than 12 hours.

The thirty minutes of the meeting that I caught, coupled with the increased chat with friends about my upcoming departure and future plans, made me excited about the trip. The past couple of weeks have consisted of a lot of paperwork, which I understand is necessary, but it's just not fun, you know? Today, one of my favorite professors, with whom we will take our first national tour and kick off our Suzhou classes, presented a slideshow about the campus, logistics, and rules - mundane, perhaps? NAY. Exciting! I was actually able to imagine myself living there.

Have I mentioned that I have stayed on this campus before? At first, I was hesitant and a bit bummed out about this, but now, I feel that it is an asset. I will sort of know where things are, yet things will still be unfamiliar, as I was only there for a week before and I didn't speak Chinese.

In other news, I may actually get a well-paying summer job that I like. We'll see; knock on wood.

What are your summer plans?

20 March 2009

Study A-Way

I'll be studying away next term.

Before I came to Furman, I always called it "study abroad." I guess that that is somewhat inaccurate, because our programs are not limited to those in foreign countries, but I will be in China. I think that that qualifies as "abroad." However, "Study A-Broad"..."Study a Broad"...it just doesn't come off quite so nicely, now, does it?

What does this blog even mean? you ask. What is its purpose? Well, I've considered starting a blog for a while now - I have had one off and on that I did not promote publicly, and when I applied and was turned down for a school blogging position last summer, I was bummed. When I was in New York City last week, I flipped through a book on blogging and considered buying it before I realized that I basically knew what to do already - so, I figured, why not?

I came up with the title because I feel as if it represents so much in my life right now. Yes, I'll be blogging primarily from China, but I see it as more than that, hence the dash: study a WAY of life - study people, study language, study society. I people watch; I've done it for years. I photograph, I observe. I study ways of LIVING - study a-way of everyday existence. Study success, study failure. Study growth. This blog is and will be an evolution.