what the left eye sees

ghastly

2006-11-04T16:20:26Z

and then i found a can full of happiness.

www.creaturesinmyhead.com

i've been so busy. no joke.

i'm supposed to write a program that thinks its a coke machine for csc 241. instead i named it velky pivo and gave all of the drinks the names of good czech beers. half of my variables are czech, too. oh CZ, how i miss you. sigh.

anybody want to do central and eastern europe with me this summer?

tonight is the "saturdays alright for fighting" party over at the 1B senior apartments. no, there will not be any actual fighting. i hope. then, the alpha sigs have decideed to celebrate halloween. again. <>

thanksgiving time is coming close, but before then i must take the GRE (bum bum bum). not very excited about it, but it must be done.

bah.

blink.

lefteyesees @ 2006-10-01T13:31:00

2006-10-01T17:31:34Z

It is now october.

fire alarm

2006-09-28T01:00:00Z

our fire alarm went off today. i'd previously noticed that a screamer is directly above my bed, but the observation didn't really sink in until this afternoon when it started howling at me.

who knew folding clothes could so quickly become a terrifying experience?

cheating death

2006-09-10T15:10:35Z

Its about 8 on friday night. We're on I-95 heading north into Richmond. The car is going 70 miles an hour in the far left lane. Girl behind the wheel rolls down the window. Car drifts to the left. She overcorrects and we start to head into the other lane. She then overcorrects in the opposite direction. We hit the Jersey wall. It seems like we just bounce off. For a moment I think we're back in control and we're gonna be fine. Then the car shudders and swerves back over to the left. We hit the wall again. We do a 360. I see the headlights of the cars behind us out the windshield. Then we're facing forward again. We're not spinning anymore. All the lights on the dashboard are dead. We make it over to the shoulder and get out of the car.

1) we didn't roll. maybe it was cbeause there were 4 people and their luggage in the car.

2) we didn't hit anybody. there were cars all around us. dumb luck? i dunno.

Cops show up and start drawing diagrams of how we should be dead. "100% fatalities in these kinds of accidents," they say.

I'm back in Clinton, SC.

Its good to be alive.

destination: DC

2006-09-08T15:08:25Z

i'm about to spend upwards of 8 hours in a car with 4 people i don't really know. this could be a disaster. it could be a blast. it will be an adventure. i don't know where i'm getting dropped off in DC (between 10 and 11 at night). hopefully close to the metro, but anything goes, i suppose.

wish me luck.

moscow

2006-09-05T01:02:58Z

what is the significance of moscow, idaho?

mondays

2006-09-04T22:06:05Z

I fuckn hate mondays. They are always the heralds of bad moods or something.

Apparently its Labour day today. You wouldn't know it here, because at some point in the past, Presbyterian College decided not to celebrate labour day. Maybe its unchristian or the fruit of crazy liberal politicians. I dunno.

Last night I did something that was probably disastrous for my academic year: I spent a solid 1.5 hours playing Halo. Lets hope it doesn't consume my soul again. I did surprisingly well considering that I havn't really played since January or December. Lets hope it doesn't consume my soul again.

I've had to turn to ILL to acquire the 6th book in the Foundation series. It's the only one we don't have here. gar (= impatience).

I'm done for the day.

lefteyesees @ 2006-08-30T21:22:00

2006-08-31T01:43:15Z

I've finished the fourth of the Foundation Series. Contemplating number five, but I've got other material for tonight.

I have an interesting weekend coming up. Friday night is the school sponsored "Shuck'n and Shagg'n" festival type thing: dance and oysters down by the pond. I don't like oysters, and I rarely dance (at least not without ample amounts of appropriate intoxicants), but all the same, I'm considering making an appearance. I don't feel like I know as many people on campus as I used to: all of my older friends have gone and graduated. That combined with my convenient absence last spring have left me wondering who all the (silly) sophomores are (in accordance with my usual disdain and otherwise apathy directed towards ('at' would give them too much identity) the freshmen class). Perhaps I will make a few friends. Saturday night, the usual debauchery has been planned with even more than the usual attention to detail, frivolity, and variety. We (the student body) have been informed by the Ruling Participants that admittance to the "social" (fraternity) court this year will be strictly monitored, and only those that have paid up front (in blood, I might add) will be allowed to partake in aforementioned festivities. I (as a member of, in accordance with, and directed by a certain cabal of liberal minded students) have taken it upon myself to take advantage of certain wellplaced (drunk) friends and gain otherwise prohibitted entrance to said festivities. Stick'n it to the man.

At some point in the next couple of weeks I'm going to part of a group hosting a Koren cultural program. Sung Mi (I think thats her name) is going to teach dance and the rest of us are going to (try to) cook Korean food. It should be fun. Hopefully not disasterous but inevitably fun.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

lefteyesees @ 2006-08-30T15:18:00

2006-08-30T19:18:16Z

twice

lefteyesees @ 2006-08-23T20:09:00

2006-08-24T00:31:57Z

i cam very close to academic disaster today. technically i have not declared a major. i am on track for a physics major, a history minor and a math minor, but i never got around to telling the registrar's office what my plans are. what i did not know is that the requirements for each major are subject to change each year, and you go by the rules established for the year you declare. those rules have changed a lot in the past year for the physics department. the names of all the classes are changing and several chemistry classes have been added to the curriculum. chemistry classes that i don't have time to take between now and the spring. insert panic here.

good news, though. the head of the department has the power to change those rules on an individual basis. my advisor knew that but had me go all the way down to the registrar to find out for myself. why let me live out those 20 minutes of worry and anxiety? maybe he's more cruel than i have given him credit for. or maybe that was his way of expressing dissapointment or something.

the heat here is oppresive. its extremely humid. i've been in a foul mood for the past couple of days. i'm ready for fall.

now.

today i went to nuclear physics, comp sci 241, and sociology. i noticed some interesting differences between my american-style sociology class and my european-style anthropology class in prague. the first thing my anthro class did was talk about the differences between the different branches of sociology and anthropology and how those different branches were organized and taught in different ways around the world. my sociology class just said "this is sociology." my anthropology class required us to diffferentiate between emic and ettic styles of analysis. my sociology prof didn't seem to care that people were mixing the two up in the same sentences. my anthro class was taught in a prominent city in a european institute that has been around longer than my country of origin. my sociology class is being taught in bumfuck south carolina. maybe i'm just judging the class too early in the semester.

i was sitting with landry (from france) and felix (from columbia) this afternoon. they discussed the diffferent negative stereotypes that their respective countries had for other countries. i realized right there that the greatest negative stereotypes i have are against other americans. maybe thats why its so easy for me to meet and become friends with young people from other countries, but i have issues doing the same with young people from america.

maybe thats why i've already formed negative opinions about my sociology class.

tomorrow i have E&M 1. 1 is just E. you don't get to the M part until E&M 2.

good night and good luck.

impact

2006-08-22T00:29:20Z

i have returned to presbyterian college. the weekend was not as eventfull as i had hoped, but it also wasn't home. its good to see people again. its good to be here again.

i think that i have identified how my semester abroad has changed me. i feel like this campus has diluted me. i'm not the will that i once was. on some level that hurts, but everybody changes. i have decided that this last year will be different. i will be grendel. i will be strange. i will be loud. i won't care.

i've just finished iron sunrise by charles stross. it is uncannily in the same setting as newtons wake by ken macleod. iron sunrise tries to do too much towards the end. it needs another couple hundred pages. i didn't like it.

bah. i've met almost all of the international students. there are two girls from south korea, two guys from france, two girls from germany, a guy from columbia, a girl from north ireland, and a couple more i havn't run into. seems like a good group. i'm a little disappointed that i didn't end up rooming with one of them.

my roommate introduced himself as captain crunk. with that simple phrase he has succeeded in ridiculing himself far more than i ever could.

my RA is a girl named blakely caswell. she's pretty cool. seems pretty laid back. i think she's cute.

classes don't start until wednesday. i have one more night to pack in the frantic before school rush of new people, alchohol, and late nights.

lefteyesees @ 2006-07-04T01:04:00

2006-07-04T05:04:54Z

happy fourth. it is a holiday. about my day:

i get home from work early and dick around for a couple of hours. i think about going to a movie, but i notice a message waiting for me on the phone.

'hi my name is blah blah blah. we've lost taft in costa rica.'

shit. i called the state department. i checked recent transactions on his credit card. i drove to the bank and tried to get them to tell me if/where he'd accessed his account in costa rica (they said fuck off). i freaked out. that's so not my job, but i guess thats what happens when the 'rents are out of town. i found a sheet of paper in his room with his school's emergency contanct person. made the call. he's been in touch with taft all day. everythings groovy. no worries. chill out, will.

called the state department again and told them not to send any tanks.

ate at em's. watched superman. now its bedtime.

july

2006-07-01T05:08:29Z

it is july now. i guess that means its really summer.

my brother has been in town since monday. i can't stand it. he's hit or miss. sometimes he's fun. sometimes he's not. it has been a not time.

i think i'm done being emo about not being in europe. it was fun. i miss it. whatever.

work is work. i don't talk all day. my boss's office is right behind me. i work and work. people complain when i show up and talk lots. they ask me whats wrong or who did i talk to.

towards the end of the summer i have things to do. as in places to visit. it basically comes down to visiting grad schools or visiting friends. i havn't decided.

tomorrow i go kayaking. the nantahala will be packed this weekend. good? bad? we'll see.

today i talked to thad. he's flying out of ATL in a about a week. maybe he'll be in town? who knows. i'm done for tonight.

stuff. yeah.

lefteyesees @ 2006-05-07T14:17:00

2006-05-07T18:24:42Z

Wow. I took my last final on thursday. Friday was full of goodbyes. I was very sad. still am. Then i was awake for something like 48 hours. I finally broke down and sobbed on the plane. Now, I am home. I feel strange. Did I ever leave? Was I ever really in that magical place? Did I meet all of those wonderful people, or were they all a dream? We are scattered now. All across the country. Some scattered across the world. When will I see you all again?

Will vs. Jonathon- round 1

2006-05-01T22:10:17Z

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions of a very intimate and creepily personal nature. Or not so creepy/personal.
3. You WILL update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someoneelse in the post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

lefteyesees @ 2006-05-01T23:26:00

2006-05-01T22:08:18Z

1. As I understand it, you are getting Physics degree. James and I discuss physics all the time, in and out of the game. I've never really noticed you participating (at least not when I was involved). Why is that? Would you be willing to discuss these theories with us/me?

I think I miss out on those conversations cause I'm not around sometimes. I do participate when I'm around. I'd totally be up for it, though, whenever you're game.

2. What provoked your trip to Prague? Was it everything you hoped it would be? Was it worthwhile to you? Would you recommend it? (Don't you love compound questions?)

I really wanted to get out of the country. I wanted to get away from my routine. I wanted to do something abnormal and different. Prague is in central europe. I didn't know a lot about central or eastern europe so I decided that this was a good opportunity to check it out. My scholarship pays for it, and I had some academic time to kill. Why not? To tell the truth, Prague is more of a western city than I wanted it to be. Don't get me wrong, Prague is very different and far from being a western city, but it wasn't quite far enough out there for what I was expecting. One of my greatest misgivings is that I didn't expect to live with just americans. Living with czech and/or more international kids would have been awesome, but I'll deal (I'm listed as being open to living with an exchange student next semester, so I have a shot at it yet). It was very worthwile, and I would definitely recommend it to anybody.

3. What got you into Magic the Gathering? What keeps you interested in it?

I got into M:tG one summer at camp. Then I stopped for a long time. Jonjon sorta got me back into it. New cards, new decks, and new strategies keep me interested. I like that each deck is fully customizable.

4. You've been out of the country for a while now. Prognosticate with me for a bit. What changes do you expect upon your return? What changes do you hope for on your return? These changes can cover anything, really, but it would be more interesting if you could at least cover the following: the US, the shop, your friends, your family.

To tell the truth, I've been losing sleep for the past week over anticipating my return. I don't know what to expect. I suppose it will be good to be home and back in the US, but all the political crap will still be around.

One change will be interesting: the beer culture. In the CZ everybody has a beer with lunch and dinner, after work, and pretty much whenever you're hanging out. I have friends back in the states that would call that alcoholic, but in this country its acceptable and nearly expected (if you want to fight a czech guy you should call him a maly pivo-- small beer). Its cheaper than water in pubs and restaurants (the czechs have trouble differentiating between the two), and its easier to get to in grocery stores. Czech holidays are designed such that they are a lot more fun with a beer in the belly, a beer in hand, and two within reach.

As far as friends and family(I count "the shop" in the friends category), I'm excited to see everybody. I don't expect too much to change in that category. I don't want to rush to get everything in, though, because I'm expecting culture shock to some degree, and I don't want to get emo or overwhelmed.

I'm gonna take everything one step at a time.

5. What have you missed the most while you were in Prague?

There are a number of things I have missed. One of the first that comes to mind is ice water. Particularly the kind that the waiter is always refilling for no charge.

I always miss gaming throughout the school year. I havn't played much magic this past semester and no videogames whatsoever.

I miss people, too. Especially my brother. I'm going to see him the weekend after I return. I really do miss everybody, though.

For awhile I was seriously missing the southeast US weather. It was BITTER cold here for a long time. Snowed every week right up until spring break. I'm happy about the warmth and excited about spring in Georgia.

I don't miss republicans and their politics. A significant majority of the people I live with are off to the left (very different from PC).

I'm done for the day, folks. See yall soon.

lefteyesees @ 2006-04-29T16:48:00

2006-04-29T15:09:39Z

Another lazy saturday. The last lazy saturday in Prague. I found new musics: MC Frontalot. "Nerdcore Hiphop" happiness ensues. Playing in the ATL on May 19. Maybe I'll go, maybe not. We'll see.

We're making our week-left-in-prague one last time tour of our favorite restaurants, pubs, clubs, and bars. Tonight is Kmotra.

My roomie got a girl sorta. She's a czech girl, too. He didn't come home last night. Yay for Kevin!

In other news, spring is retreating. Temporarily. It is cold again. I had to bust out my long sleeve shirts. again. Hopefully some vernal warmth will return to this land before I depart. If not, then oh well. Dobry Den.

stuff and things

2006-04-27T07:16:03Z

Interview with K-Wo

2006-04-27T07:15:05Z

1. Where would you most like to go camping?

'Would' being the operative word, I'd love to spend some time in the Andes. I would very much like to do a backpacking trip in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. I think that'd be cool as hell. The places that I have actually been, though, that I like the most are Crazy Jug Point on the north rim of the grand canyon, the Beartooth Range in Montana, and probably the Cherohala Skyway.

2. I asked Rosi this, and I am asking you too. If you had to get a tattoo, what would you get and where?

I would get an eye. Is anybody surprised? I would probably get it on my back over one of my shoulder blades.

3. How would you prefer to die?

I think I would prefer to drown. Or if I don't drown, I would like my ashes to be tossed into a river.

4. What is your fondest childhood memory?

I have a lot of good memories of hanging out in the ravine behind my house with David Bucknell. We spent a lot of time climbing trees, turning over rocks, and generally getting muddy. I think those days sort of defined my childhood.

5. What book or writer has influenced your way of thinking the most?

Jesus. That's tough. I've read a lot of books. I'd probably have to say Herman Hesse. I didn't get the typical angsty shit that most teenagers get out of Hesse, though. Steppenwolf sorta opened my eyes to the whole angsty experience, and allowed me to laugh at it all. I probably need to read it again.

done with history

2006-04-25T16:55:17Z

I'm done with history. Next final is a week from thursday. Anthropology. It's gonna suck a lot.

Eric Benda is gonna be in town this Thursday. He's spending the semester in London, and noticed over facebook that I'm in prague. Gonna hang out this weekend. Should be fun.

My suitemate's phone is going psycho again, but his door is locked. grr.

Today I spent a lot of time outside. I am full of the happiness of spring. The street down by the Hladkov tram stop is lined with trees in bloom. Pretty pink flowers. They smell good, too.

Last night I talked with a girl named Anna (its AHnna, silly southerners) at 'a proc ne.' She talked about drugs for a long time. Said there wasn't anything wrong with LSD and recommended it. I can't communicate with words how screwed up in the head this girl seemed to me. I suppose my thoughts would seem equally screwed up or ridiculous to her, though.

Tonight, though, my entertainment will be much more wholesome (and probably more sane, too). Chrissy and a beer garden are in my plans. I will now go and recruit others. G'night.

stuff to say today

2006-04-22T11:46:08Z

Today is saturday. A man on the tram asked me for my tram pass. He was a metro cop in disguise! I whipped out my brand new 30 day pass that I just picked up and smiled. If he'd stopped me 15 minutes earlier I woulda been busted.

Will- 1
Praha Transit Authority- 0

Ha! Too bad I won't get another chance to show them up.

The other day I rode down the long escalator at the Hradcancka metro stop. A little girl was riding up the other direction waving at people as she went. I waved back. Smiling at me is what she did. Happy day! Note- happy day is also the name of a local fruit juice brand. You should all try some. And its the name of a casino around the corner. I will be home two weeks from today. Scary. I have a final on monday. I will now use my powers of prognostication to inform myself and others what will be on the test:

question 1) list similarities and differences of soviet and nazi rule in czechoslovakia

question 2) transition period bullshit

And that is all. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

lefteyesees @ 2006-04-17T13:52:00

2006-04-17T11:58:14Z

Monday morning easter celebration!

Accosted by police: 1

Accosted by angry females: um. lots?

Flirted with confused females: um. almost as lots?

Befriended by drunk czechs with similar mission: 1

Befriended by German Italian language student: 1

Classes attended: none!

Beers had: 2

Fun: yes

inspired by ickle

2006-04-13T14:15:38Z

I have a big weekend planned. Odds are good that I'll have stuff to say when its all through. The tran that I normally take into town is being worked on. BarBar, our default hangout, is almost impossible to get to now. Very frustrating. I did make it into Malastranna last night, though, for jazz at U Maleho Glena (at little glen's). Chrissy was going with her dad, and she invited me along. Got a free beer and cab ride out of it. w00t! Was very 50's jazz. The guy on vocals and harmonica looked like he'd stepped out of a timewarp.

Tonight I was gonna go to a place called Radost FX for dinner. Fancy veggy restaraunt upstairs with club downstairs. Thursdays are hiphop (and hence american) night so we weren't gonna hang out after dinner. There's a rock club/pub, though, called Vagon thats pretty cool. The program says ECHT! for tonight. Don't know what that means. It'll be an adventure.

bye kids

lefteyesees @ 2006-04-09T19:32:00

2006-04-09T17:52:25Z

Spent the weekend in Vienna. Saturday night seven of us (me, kevin, dimple, danny, helen, andrea, and dimple's friend melony) bought a bottle off wine each and went to the park in front of the Rathaus and got our sippy sip on. Around midnight I think they headed in. I stopped by a bar called centimeter to check in on braden. Sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. The bartender informed me that the bar was in the process of closing, and I had missed last call by about 10 minutes. I got very mad and said something to him. I do not remember what it was I said, but I wish I could remember because he turned around, poured me a beer, and put it in front of me. Then the bartenders weren't closing the bar anymore. The poured themselves drinks, and everybody still there got shots of raspberry schnapps. Then they turned up the music, and we had a party right there in the bar. Craziness. Some creepy austrian guy named christoff kept putting liquor in front of me. His face was painted green. I don't know why. I'm so sick of buses. Its dinner time.

the best holiday ever

2006-04-06T10:42:45Z

In my anthro class today I learned about Czech easter. It is now my favorite holiday. Little kids go door to door at 7 in the morning with noisemaking toys. At each house they get candy and easter eggs. Midmorning, the older guys (18 and up) go around in a similar manner. They carry sticks with them. The sticks are used to verify the fertility of the girls (who spend the mornings locked in their rooms on the most part). Whenever a guy sees a girl, he chases after attempting to whack her in the butt with his stick. I emphasize the "attempting" part because at each door the guys don't get candy. They get shots of slivovitz which is plum brandy. Later in the day the girls come out of hiding. They buy cheap Russian perfume and mix it with ice cold water in buckets and dump the buckets on the guys.