It is a truth universally acknowledged that finals week can drive students to caffeine and interesting procrastination diversions. I didn't realize that in our short time here at Wheaton, we would experience this phenomenon. Today I had a paper due, a test on Macbeth, and two hundred pages of reading. I also was in charge of chapel along with two other students. One minute you are in the English department getting tea, and then the next thing you know Dr. Ryken has put you in charge of chapel so fast your tea hasn't even steeped.
I was not alone in this stress, which is good because if you are going to stay up late reading about the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde, you might as well have friends with you. And snacks. Last night, we stumbled into Evviva (located across from Terrace Apartments. Despite living in Terrace for a year, I went to Evviva twice. I was missing out on a true gem of Wheaton) and proceeded to order enough sustenance of life (coffee) that they had to put on a new pot. The cashier kindly asked us, "What the hell is going on? Are you guys in finals or something?" We conceded that we were and she offered us her condolences. She also told us that she would have the coffee brewing until 10:30 (a shrewd business move). Armed with coffee and gelato, we marched back to the St. and Elliot apartment complex to master.....the afro circus dance.
The Afro Circus dance is my new favorite internet sensation. It was made for finals week. It is brilliant in it simplicity and ability to stay stuck in your head forever. I am forever indebted to Elisabeth Fojtik for introducing it to the group. If you haven't seen the video yet, or if you yourself need some festive merriment to distract you, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAzXjaIWbh0.
Since classes are over today, life is looking pretty fine. While these two weeks have been intense, it is nice to have a ton of work behind you and be able to enjoy London. Tomorrow is our last day of classes in Wheaton and we are ending on an easier note. In Shakespeare, we are watching Henry V as our one foray into Shakespeare's histories. In Oxford we will pick back up with his tragedies and finish with a romance (we have already covered three comedies). In London, we will be able to see a play at the Globe! In addition, we will hopefully be able to fulfill Dr. Ryken's greatest dream for the trip: to see a performance of A Midsummer's Night Dream in Regent's Park right after Midsummer. A magical evening, if I do say so myself.
Medieval Literature is also taking a theatrical turn tomorrow as we will be performing morality plays from the middle ages that were used in the Church for those who did not understand Latin. It'll be a nice break after the heavy reading of Arthurian Romances we have just completed. Interestingly enough, this early romances are not even about Arthur. He is just a background character who naps most of the time and lets others rescue his wife (which really backfires when Lancelot rescues her...). The best romances of the collection are not even about the famous Arthurian Knights (Perceval, Lancelot, etc). Instead they focus on Erec and Yvain (who had a lion that followed him around and fought for him. Win).
Arthurian only meets every other day, so we have tomorrow off. We recently finished Tristan and Isolde which is one of the most famous tragic love stories of all time and was the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. Tonight a few of us are celebrating finishing it by watching the 2006 movie version starring James Franco. It is probably nothing like the book which is OK. Sometimes a light hearted mental break is needed.
And then Friday.........we fly to LONDON!
I was not alone in this stress, which is good because if you are going to stay up late reading about the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde, you might as well have friends with you. And snacks. Last night, we stumbled into Evviva (located across from Terrace Apartments. Despite living in Terrace for a year, I went to Evviva twice. I was missing out on a true gem of Wheaton) and proceeded to order enough sustenance of life (coffee) that they had to put on a new pot. The cashier kindly asked us, "What the hell is going on? Are you guys in finals or something?" We conceded that we were and she offered us her condolences. She also told us that she would have the coffee brewing until 10:30 (a shrewd business move). Armed with coffee and gelato, we marched back to the St. and Elliot apartment complex to master.....the afro circus dance.
The Afro Circus dance is my new favorite internet sensation. It was made for finals week. It is brilliant in it simplicity and ability to stay stuck in your head forever. I am forever indebted to Elisabeth Fojtik for introducing it to the group. If you haven't seen the video yet, or if you yourself need some festive merriment to distract you, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAzXjaIWbh0.
Since classes are over today, life is looking pretty fine. While these two weeks have been intense, it is nice to have a ton of work behind you and be able to enjoy London. Tomorrow is our last day of classes in Wheaton and we are ending on an easier note. In Shakespeare, we are watching Henry V as our one foray into Shakespeare's histories. In Oxford we will pick back up with his tragedies and finish with a romance (we have already covered three comedies). In London, we will be able to see a play at the Globe! In addition, we will hopefully be able to fulfill Dr. Ryken's greatest dream for the trip: to see a performance of A Midsummer's Night Dream in Regent's Park right after Midsummer. A magical evening, if I do say so myself.
Medieval Literature is also taking a theatrical turn tomorrow as we will be performing morality plays from the middle ages that were used in the Church for those who did not understand Latin. It'll be a nice break after the heavy reading of Arthurian Romances we have just completed. Interestingly enough, this early romances are not even about Arthur. He is just a background character who naps most of the time and lets others rescue his wife (which really backfires when Lancelot rescues her...). The best romances of the collection are not even about the famous Arthurian Knights (Perceval, Lancelot, etc). Instead they focus on Erec and Yvain (who had a lion that followed him around and fought for him. Win).
Arthurian only meets every other day, so we have tomorrow off. We recently finished Tristan and Isolde which is one of the most famous tragic love stories of all time and was the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. Tonight a few of us are celebrating finishing it by watching the 2006 movie version starring James Franco. It is probably nothing like the book which is OK. Sometimes a light hearted mental break is needed.
And then Friday.........we fly to LONDON!
Haha. Afro Circus for the win!
ReplyDeleteOh, morality plays, such fun!
ReplyDeleteWe actually had a pretty good time with them when I took Shakespeare. I miss that class.