Alas, No Diamond

Well, Neil wasn't there, nor was anyone stilt-bound, but there was an open bar, and that's something. The shindig was actually pretty well-stocked with goodies of the drinkable and edible varieties. What it didn't have, alas was space. multiple thousands in one building was frankly a bit too much for me. It didn't make matters much better that I was lugging around my bag o' joy. See, I don't have a lockable office anymore, so I have to drag about everything I own, and that sucks.

Anyway, beer, eggrolls, mini sammiches, roast beast, and other finger foods were enjoyed before I escaped crushment.

Such was yesterday.

Today was the first big day o classes. I got to see the lecturer for whom I TA in action, lecturing. Frankly, it was a pretty bad situation. several hundred students, none of whom seemed to have properly enrolled. Most of the class was eaten up with trying to sort people into categories - those with a faint glimmer of hope of getting in the class over there, those with no hope over there, and the handful of people who actually enrolled properly can sit over there and daydream. uck.

My first TA section is tomorrow, and I'm a bit worried. Not only do I not understand any of the technical and administrative issues, the content is something fundamentally different from anything I've ever taught before. Joy. So, I'd better get plotting.

Oh, yeah. Bonus cool! I got free tickets to a really cool show this weekend. Yea me!

Dark Secrets of the Ivory Tower

Secret #1, it ain't ivory. It's mahogany.

I just escaped from orientation number four, and am very prepared for the wild and crazy shindig that has been promised for tonight.

This last orientation was perhaps the most sobering. It was the departmental one that explains all the how-tos of getting a PhD here. It was brought home in painfully clear language the time and effort required. It was terrifying and exciting. I'm sure there are going to be many more of these awakenings, but I'll say it here as I've said before and I'm sure I'll say again. I'm in a PhD program. I mean seriously. Wow. What in the hell were they thinking when they let me in? hehe. I feel like a kid that's been let into the teacher's lounge.

On that note, I've been given the keys (figuratively) to a members only reading room. No hoi paloi allowed in, thank you very much. Only grads and profs, and only those from our corner of academia, because you can't ever trust some types of those people. You know how they are. It really is gorgeous, too. I've sprawled out at a nice desk next to a window surrounded by lovely books (useful ones, even) happily housed in arches of dark wood. I think I'm going to live in here. Pity it's not open 24 hours.

I've got a few more minutes before the above-mentioned shindig, so I'll gather myself up and head out. They promised foods from all corners of the world, acrobats.... on stilts! and monkeys! on stilts! and... and... Neil Diamond! They said they couldn't get him on stilts though. Something about insurance or somesuch. So they've got Scott Biao - on stilts!

If I see any of that, I'll let you know.