and so it begins...

and here i am on the first day of classes. i finally did it. i've been thinking and dreaming and wondering and imagining what it would be like to sing again, what it would be like to perform in an ensemble, and i told myself when i was up at 5 a.m. yesterday morning that, yes, i was going to find a way to do it. i did a lot of thinking yesterday morning at 5 a.m. woke up 'cause i had to use the bathroom and then when i got to bed, decided that it would be far more fun to listen to music and chill, as the alarm would be going off at 7:30 anyway, and so i put on my awesome mix and just laid around and thought.... thought about everything that's happened and everything that lies ahead. and i was thinking about how this is a life-changing experience and the like, but 'twill only be life-changing if i make it so. and then i started thinking about how while i'm here, for the next four and a half months, i want to do everything that i've always wanted to do but never had the opportunity or the time or the chance to do. i want to go to plays, and go to art exhibits, and go to galleries and lectures. i want to hear classical ensembles play and attend lectures. i want to visit huge mansions that are hundreds of years old. i want to get dressed up and go dancing and flirt wildly with silly british boys. most of all, though, i want to write. i want to research. i want to read. and, god almighty, i want to sing.

so i obsessed over life last night and managed to dredge myself into the a mire of my own making, mostly because i was completely exhausted and therefore all my thoughts took a slightly depressing, morbid bent (thanks to all who helped yank me out of it). what i did do, though, is email the head music tutor and ask for an audition.... and this morning I got a response back saying that they will schedule one with me. egads!!! but i did it, and now i'm one step closer to my dream. and yeah. that actually makes me very, very happy.

this morning i had my first initial meeting with my tutor, dr frith, for my narrative class. i'm really excited about it. my first week's assignment is to read a tale from the decameron, offer a one-page analysis of the plot structure. then i am to write my own modern-day tale in boccaccio's style, using a similar structure for my plot. finally, and as always, i get to write a piece of my own. i've got to go through my archives and see what i can dredge up to bring by to him. i'll probably pick a couple of super-short pieces; my myth, perhaps, and maybe that super-short character sketch i wrote in junior year for fontaine's class. and, maybe perhaps i'll be able to find something that i've done in college. dunno. so much of it has been joint writing, and so much of it is super personal.... but we'll see.

the tower of london trip was on sunday and i feel a little lame for not posting anything up, but hey, i've been tired and busy. but i'll try and write a bit of something out, and to post some photos. photos are sorely lacking as i've been too lazy to upload and resize pics.

for now, i think i'm going to cut it short and grab some water. the only drinkable water is upstairs in the kitchen, as the water in the bathrooms and in the sinks in our bedrooms have been softened; can't quite remember the reason why. i have my first lecture for the integral course today at 2:30 from dr crowe entitled, "the renaissance: art, philosophy, and the dignity of man." sounds like a blast. then we're all running to the bodleian library (easily the most amazing looking place on earth) where we shall be sworn in as readers. i'm free for the rest of the day, which is still bizarre to me, so i dunno. i'm thinking that a walk before lunch and a walk after the bodleian would be nice. i'm feeling a bit more rested, so maybe we might even venture out for the evening. who knows? all of this freedom is vaguely weird, but i s'pose i shouldn't get too used to it. the reading load is going to be extensive, and i've got a book to read before my colloquium next week. oh! school supplies. hmm. perhaps i'll go off and buy a few of those. right-o. cheerio, darlings! leave me a comment or two and i shall return the favor...