strange occurences
I just spent the last three hours in the photo lab being abused by computers in various ways. I think my Canon software broke the G4 I was previously using. It took me an hour of beating at it with Ryan to determine that it was f*cked in more than one way (and that I was probably not responsible) before I gave up and got my images through other means. It took me the next two hours to make my contact sheets and get my prints to the level I wanted them at. All told, they look friggin awesome. But I STILL have to mount them and finish my History paper before class at 4. And I haven't evne gotten to work out or shower today, god damnit. I hope to get in a short run and at least rinse before class. Fleh.

Frustrated though I was after coming out of the photo lab, I was promptly greeted by scenes involving two of the most vapid and vain appearing individuals I've ever been "blessed" to see on campus. "Like, did you get your hair lightened?" "YEAH. I was TOTALLY going for blonde, but LOOK what happened." I feel considerably more secure with my own intelligence now.

This morning in Japanese, some girl complemented me on my language skills. She said "oh, but you don't need to worry about the oral performance. You're so good." And I just thought ummmmm, what? I know I score A's in that class but I always feel like I never learn anything and I'm always struggling. I guess it really is a difficult language after all. But I never expected to actually be told I was good at Japanese. It seems to me like I'm just squeaking by. I'm constantly terrified that someone will find out I've been faking it all along. We've got a "practical proficiency" test at the end of the year that scares the beejezus out of me. What if I don't really know anything? Even though I spend most of my time doubting my abilities, there are still moments where I'm amazed that I look at kanji, hirigana and katakana and see sounds/ words/ pictures at all. A year and a half ago, that was more gibberish than alphabet. I guess that definintely says something about learning... it sneaks up on you.

In closing, I'd just like to share a frightening and amusing image. An acquaintance by proxy was driving down the freeway when a deer, startled by an oncoming semi truck, leapt off the overpass it was walking across and fell through the roof of his car. I'm so amazed no one was killed. This has been your daily doseage of surreality. Carry on.