One (or two) of the greatest card games ever!

I just got done playing a card game with my roommate that I was introduced to me during French class in high school. Since then, it has remained one of my favorite card games. Ever.

It's the most fabulous game, involving decapitating nobles (and collecting points according to their importance. Also: Don't worry, it isn't gruesome. The nobles are just cards and are "beheaded" by being taken at the front of a line of cards.) and re-arranging the line-up and sabotaging opponents' attempts to get the most valuable cards. It's pretty simple, and many of the rules are spelled out on the cards. Once they come up, you just follow the instructions on the card.

It's played with between 2-5 players, and consists of three "days" (you'll understand once you read the rules. It's simple enough). My roommate bought it for $15 dollars at the local game store up around 24th in Eugene, but it's well worth the price you pay. It's oddly cartoon-esque for something pertaining to beheading, but I guess that's part of what helps the game remain entertaining and not so morbid. Anywho, I highly recommend this game to play - oh! and another game called "Pass The Pigs".

This next game is a great way to kill time and use up a minimal amount of space. Although I don't recommend this being played in an airplane (the piggies could get lost quite easily). Essentially, the two pigs (both with a dot on one side) serve as dice. You roll them and the various positions they land in equal up to a certain amount of points, depending on the positions. You tabulate the points and keep track as the game goes on. The winner is usually the first person with the point total of 100. It's entertaining, as some of the positions immediately eliminate you from the game (think private, personal piggie time) and if the pigs touch at all, you lose points. This is another great game to play as an alternative to traditional card games (although I'm not dissing on more traditional stuff). This game is roughly between 10-15 dollars, depending on where you buy, but again, SO worth it.

I hope these two games inspired you enough to pick them up. They're great methods of passing time and don't take up much space at all. Enjoy!

French Disaster

Yesterday in French class, we were finishing up our discussion on En Attendant Godot. After that, we were asked to get our books for Dans la Solitude des Champs de Coton. Problem: At least 4 people (out of a class of 17 or so) didn't bring their books. After telling us multiple times in the past, our professor became so angry that he stood up, rambled on (in French, of course) about "Never in my 20 year career....." and "You guys are not serious...." and "Waste of time...." among other choice phrases. He proceeded to gather up his things, and walk out of the classroom, leaving the class to silently stare after him for a moment.

That instantly lead to a guilt trip, although I wasn't a contributor to the problem (I was razzed about being guilty when I didn't really do anything wrong later on that day).

Several students (mostly ones who were prepared) stayed after and tried to make heads or tails of what the first part of the book was about since none of us really had a clear idea. After a time, we decided to all show up at the professor's office hours on Tuesday to ask to discuss the play.

We went to put our names on the sign-up sheet for office hours and he caught us and opened the door. He told us to come in and he apologized for acting so rash. He said it wasn't fair to the people who brought the books and were prepared, but he was just really frustrated. We went back into the classroom and had a discussion and pretty much he just talked to us 7 in a more intimate setting about the stuff he would have talked about in class.

After that, he asked us whether we thought it was fair what he did. He wanted honest answers and several of us (after some hesitation) said that he was right to be mad, but it wasn't fair to leave the kids who WERE prepared out in the cold. A classmate also pointed out that it should be more about who read and contributes than who brings the book to class. He agreed and said what he should have done was kick the people out who didn't have the book. He felt bad because he knows that there are main people who contribute and read and are prepared, and that's who he was thinking about right after he left because he knew that it wasn't fair.


Well, I'm glad that's all over. Personally, in my 20 years of... well.... life, I have never had that happen in a class, although I think he was right to be mad. 


I actually got asked to do a blog about my time as a student in Poitou-Charentes. How cool is that?! Regardless of whether it will be a separate blog, or just documented on this one, I'm pretty excited that I'll provide a view of life in France and people actually want to read it! :)

New People

Is it bad to want to meet people from France before I actually go over there?

I'm already trying to connect with things to do in Poitiers by following organizations and people on twitter. I know it's roughly 3 months away, but you can never prepare too early (okay, well maybe you can, but in this case I don't think it's too bad). So, I guess, does anyone from France want to connect? Comment and let me know!

Thoughts?

So, I'm sitting in Astronomy 121, bored out of my mind because the professor literally reads the notes from Blackboard online in a monotonous tone bad enough to make even the most mild mannered person run screaming from the lecture hall in frustration. I've been (sort of) making plans(ish) regarding France and getting things like new matching luggage (can I get a "heck yeah!"?). One thing that has come to mind is a going away party (hyphen or no?). My mom thinks it would be cool to have one, since I won't see anyone for at least nine months, more if I land an internship next summer. I also think it'd be great to have a get-together like we did for Get, and I could get addresses from people who would like postcards and such.

Although it's a great idea, I'm afraid no one would want to come or be able to come. Wouldn't it be the pits to set up a bitchin' party and a grand total of 0 people show up? Yeah. I'd feel super cool. So I want those who are reading to give their opinion. Should my family throw a going away party? Would you show up if you could? Would you even want to go?

Did I ever mention I miss Europe? France and Denmark in particular. I miss Tivoli and being uber independent and just running around Copenhagen, finding my way with the EXTREMELY limited Danish I know (and with the help of my bestie Victoria). I can't wait to travel.

One of my bestest friends, Victoria and me. Oh, Denmark.

Ughh

As I try to complete my essay on Jupiter, I check my school email. I get an email from my geology professor saying that there wasn't enough interest in the Redwoods trip so it was cancelled. Damnit. Also, my dad's hometown of Joplin, Missouri was hit with a devastating tornado. I called to tell him and now he's trying to get a hold of his cousins who currently live there.

Remy is getting more clumsy and he isn't using his hands to eat treats like he used to. I'm worried he has a pituitary tumor, which is inoperable and will only give him a few weeks to live. I love my Rem-Rem and I don't want anything to happen to him :(. I've been sad and crying all weekend because of it. I know he's just a rat, but he's gotten me through a lot and I love him very much.

I really don't want to go to French today. I haven't even begun to read for today (Dans le Solitude de Champs de Coton - not a fun read).

On the up side, I discovered this really cool artist who has a great song. Check her out:

Summer is fast approaching...

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to summer....

I'm applying several places for a summer job (fingers crossed!), one of them I'm going in to sign up for today at Norris Farms. After that I'll be walking the dogs with my mom, which I thoroughly enjoy. I've realized I have some pretty awesome things lined up for this summer:

1. May 28-29 - Redwoods Trip (with geology club)
2. June 13-16 - San Francisco (for visa)
3. July 26 - Pink Martini (Music on the Half Shell)
4. August 2 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Music on the Half Shell)
5. August 24 - Depart for PDX (We're thinking about a Going Away Party as well)

And that's just what I can think of right now. I know there will probably be more things to add, but I'll wait until I can think of them. :)

But, before then I have a paper to write on Jupiter for Astronomy, a write-up on my field trip to Smith Rock, and a final composition for French. Bleh...

Well, I thought I'd leave with a view from the top of Smith Rock. It's a pretty awesome climb.

Huh?

  I was trying to get some sleep last night, but around 2:30am, I woke up to someone yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs outside my apartment. He was yelling about some girl who wronged him named Sonya. Now, I don't mean he was getting "sort of" loud, I mean he was screaming and yelling and acting so incredibly insane that I got up to make sure my front door was locked. The way he was yelling made me  think he was on some sort of drug and was overdosing. He sounded borderline suicidal and I was worried I'd hear a gun or a car screech with a "thud".
  After this guy got done yelling, I heard a motorcycle try to grab traction as it squealed and sped off. I'm assuming he grew tired of yelling outside my apartment and went to try it somewhere else. From the sounds of it, he was going dangerously fast. I can just tell that this ended badly...