HiBAiSHi

Last week was the first time since I have been here that I have met someone Jewish. They aren’t really popular around Europe for some reason, I don’t know why. We cut up snowflakes because they were non-denominational to put up on the windowsill. Outside of my window, we finally have a Christmas tree. No star of David on top though.

The schooling here is weird. All the practice tests are the same and year after year they ask the same questions. If this were to happen back home, everybody would average around a 90% on their exams. I have seen practice questions like “what is a histogram.” Today I had a lab, but due to some complaints about having exams from my American colleagues, the lab ended up not counting and we just left and receive a grade on our practicals that will be the average of the other three labs. I guess that works out pretty well for me, though I feel a little guilty. Also, despite the fact that I am supposed to be studying I have watched the first half of the first season of 30 Rock. Great show.

Caitie stayed with me the other night and brought brownie balls. She also convinced me that I should friend my 9th/11th grade English teacher/debate coach on facebook. Now we are much closer. I think she stopped teaching now that she has two kids. Too bad. I’m at that stage where stuff like that makes me think how much I would like to go home right about now, but I’m sure two weeks in my own home will make me yearn for school soon enough. Anyway, some links I will share:

• I have an RSS feed from my google reader on the bottom left of this page, but some of the articles I thought were cool include Why People Hate Duke Basketball and Steve McNair being implicated in a “bizarre” lawsuit, to say the least.
• Oh, and mostly due to the sub-prime mortgage market, Capital One along with other credit card companies are dying in the market. Lucky that I wasn’t freaking out about my lack of company stock like everybody else there. I’m interested in knowing, but not interested enough to expend any effort, in finding out who from my summer is actually going to be working a the company. It was weird when this girl I knew from work who is studying at Oxford was talking to me about whether or not I was keeping in touch with anybody, we both awkwardly responded with a “no.” Too bad.
• Michael Vick got sentenced today, to 23 months. I mean, I’m against animal cruelty and all but I think it’s ridiculous that this was a light sentence compared to the five years he could have received. Then again, now that I am more or less a pitbull owner myself, maybe I should be more sympathetic to dogs.
• Still, you compare something like that to Leonard Little, who only received 90 days for killing a woman even though he is a “persistent drunk driver.” Note that this article was written for another DUI that he received, after the one where he killed the woman. Wow.
• I found out that I have the same fashion sense as Jessica Alba. I know. Be impressed. Actually considering this was travel clothing for me and Lakers game clothing for her, that’s a bigger plus, because obviously if I’m dressed that well for a trip consisted of rain and long bus rides, I must dress really well when the weather is nice. Right?
• Just because I am a fan of Pixar movies, here is an extremely comprehensive list of easter eggs found in them. With pictures and everything!
• As the end of the year approaches, we have some study music. This is kind of cool because it aggregates a bunch of “top of 2007 lists.” My list? In no particular order. I think it’s like 11 songs. No albums because I only have the means of downloading songs from music blogs right now. Now’s your chance to comment with your favorite songs of the last year, since its almost over. Shocking eh? 2008!
  • Ted Leo/RX – The Unwanted Things
  • Feist – My Moon My Man
  • LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
  • R. Kelly ft. Usher – Same Girl
  • Bloc Party – Flux
  • Justice – D.A.N.C.E.
  • M.I.A. – Paper Planes
  • Beirut – The Penalty
  • Rihanna – Umbrella
  • Menomena – Wet and Rustling
  • Outkast – The Art of Storytelling Pt.4
• On a Chargers note, LaDainian Tomlinson of 60 minutes fame, was so upset at his quarterback for throwing two of the worst interceptions I have ever seen that he left the bench as soon as Rivers sat down. Then, surprisingly, they came back from 14 down in the 4th and won that game thanks in large part to Rivers finally playing like a first round pick. Or learning to step up in the pocket and not take 10 yard sacks all the time. But yeah, Lorenzo Neal is also out. I really hope we don’t lose our third straight playoff home game. The thought is upsetting.