The chapter of the Saga of the Volsungs I am reading is entitled "Regin Drinks Fafnir's Blood". Tasty.

there are many people at sugar browns this afternoon

The hours at Sugar Browns Coffee house seem to all run together. It could be because we don't really move once we get here. We sit at our tables, eat our apples, and do our homework. I am dangerously close to getting everything I need to done. And perhaps not having homework tomorrow. That would be startling.
We watched Southpark for a really long time last night, and in one of the episodes giant guinea pigs were taking over the planet, and Stan's dad was video taping the whole thing and saying how "startled" he was.
"Wave to the camera, Shellie."

But mostly I have been finishing up some reading on Latin America. Chapter seven of my regional world geography book to be exact. I find it odd that they have 50 pages dedicated to an ENTIRE region of the world. How could we possibly hope to learn anything about the regions history, culture, typography, etc in 50 pages. I don't like that we cram so much in classes, because I feel like we aren't really learning anything. Having one class like this just on the region of latin america would be over-whelming, must less the WHOLE WORLD.
What I think would be better, though less practical, is to teach an separate class for each of the sections of the world and then take regional world geography after you have taken the others. That way you could put all of the regions in a context instead of trying to learn about the regions and then put them in context.
I suppose that is kind of like trying to teach "modern American literature" and other really broad categories. What we really need is for it to be socially acceptable to dedicate more of our lives to education. We need to learn more. Maybe if we took the time we would not have so many problems in the world.
I guess it seems disporpotionate the amount of time we spend learning and then working. I would like to spend more of my life on education and then not have to work as long...
but that is me. I like how little responsibility we have in college. I like not having to be at the same place from 8-5 every day. I like getting to organize student organizations and spending afternoons at sugar browns and evenings in Terri's room writing while she paints and glen programs.
I like not having kids.
I don't blame people for taking two majors, three minors, and wanting to be in college as long as they can. THERE IS SO MUCH TO LEARN!

I don't like guys in girl pants.

I have discovered Vampire Weekend, and they are rather amazing.

no man is so bad that he can't succeed in something

At evening should the day be praised.

10,000 miles is a long way

There is a painting by Diego Rivera in the carpenter wells study room entitled "Woman of Tehuantepec", and I believe that was the Aztec capital. Lately I have been studying the Aztecs for my Hispanic Life and Culture class. Once again there are SO MANY parallels in life. It's weird writing in English right now. This Spanish class I'm taking requires a lot more reading than I'm used to--which is good, it's been real helpful in improving my Spanish, it just takes a while to read, because I have to look up a lot of the words.
Basically what I have learned is that the majority of native people of this world have gotten killed in some way. I know I am generalizing this, but it seems like the majority of "indigenous" people are still being screwed today, and often don't have the rights that those who came and conquered their country have. This brings back memories of my native America class. I find the study of indigenious people really interesting (or maybe just repressed people, I think that is why I like Africa so much), especially how they are still trying to resist western influence and culture. Once again, way generalizing by saying that. I don't really even have a particular indigenous group in mind.
In reading about the main three indigenous groups of South America, the Incas have been my favorite. I'm sure that textbook and other readings the professor has given me to read way washes their life and culture down, but from what I've gathered, they seemed to be more of a socialist people.
The more I learn about capitialism, the less sense it makes.
There, I'm done with my broad, generalized, rant.

I was unaware that potatoes came in so many different colors. These are grown in the Andes. Which spans 5,000 miles.

I am doing the reading for my Regional World Geography class, and the book (World Regions in Global Context) just said that Honduras has "malnutrition and illiteracy rates higher than those of most African countries" and seemed surprised.
Like Oh, God, there exists a place worse off than Africa.

oh the places you will go

I've decided to keep on updating this blog throughout the year, though no one will read it...not that anyone does anyway. I really like the idea, and sometimes pen and paper don't suffice for what I am trying to say.

My classes this year are so vast! I'm taking a senior level class on Tolkien, a Hispanic life and culture class, International Economics, and Regional World Geography. It's weird, but they are all interconnected. We talked about regionalism in my Regional World Geography class and how it can often lead to separatism (regionalism is having pride in your region, separatism is regionalism gone bad...like you no longer want to be a part of your nation), and as I was doing reading for the spanish class, it talked about how the Andes caused regionalism which in turn led to conflict.
It's cool how terms will flow from class to class.
Also I learned that because the Andes are so high up, people who live there are often sterile.
I've excited about them, because I feel like I am learning about how the world works as a whole. It's so interesting! And all the places!
There are so many exciting and beautiful things in the world. I look back and wish that I had taken time to study abroad. It would have been a really great opportunity, one I won't really have again. But then I realize that I don't think I would have been ready. Previously I probably would have spent a good majority of the time missing Glen and my family, and wouldn't have gained anything from being over there. Or maybe it would have helped me mature faster.
One can never know.
But I want to travel. I want to go to Africa for a year as a Fulbright Scholar and learn. I want to go to South America. I want to walk the great wall of China. See the Berlin Wall in Germany.
Sometimes I think we forget how vast the world really is. And access to it is waiting at our finger tips.