Fire drills, hay fever, and mariachi music!!

I experienced my first fire drill on Wednesday morning during my doctrine class, and I was rather unimpressed. Everyone calmly filed out of the building, acting very nonchalant about the whole thing. While they assumed it was a drill, they had no way of knowing for sure. I would hate it if everyone acted that calm and bored during a real fire situation. My fabric is already worn enough without getting it singed.

In other news of note, my hay fever is back. My head hurts, I'm tired, and one of my ears is pressurized. It's one thing to know that you have a head full of stuffing, but it's another thing entirely to feel it... :( I started my Claratin yesterday, so hopefully I'll be feeling better by Monday.

Yesterday was a friend's birthday, which was fun. We celebrated by going to a mariachi concert in the park. I clapped along to the music! This concert was just the break I needed after a stressful day. I'm starting to learn to take purposeful breaks from homework and piano practice to just relax. After all, you can't be tough all the time.

I took another break from studies tonight to watch a comedy routine in the student center. I enjoyed it immensely. Comedy here is fun and clean, avoiding inappropriate humor and poking fun at some aspects of life typically ignored by secular comedians. The segments on class and dorm life here were especially entertaining, as was the song about the broken elevator. I also liked the segment on "Adventures in Odyssesy." I had a good laugh, and I enjoyed my first drink from the campus coffee shop. A mocha... mmm...

The mocha is starting to wear off, though, and my exhaustion from hay fever is returning. As much as I would love to stay up and keep blogging, I think it's bedtime. :) Even a doll like me needs to remember Psalm 127:2 -- I'm not the Energizer Bunny, you know. Good night!

With love from an absolute doll,
Erin Joy

Homework, etc.

So I've been told I need to blog more often. I'm sorry for the delay, but honestly... it's hard to keep up with all this homework when your head is full of stuffing. :)

This semester, I'm taking four classes in the classroom setting, in addition to women's choir, oratorio chorus, and piano lessons. (I know my hands are a bit small for a pianist... but I try really hard!!) My other classes include Old Testament Survey, College Writing, Music Theory III, and Church Doctrine.

I have discovered rapidly that college involves homework. I constantly have a chapter in my theology book to read, or an essay to write for writing class. When I'm not doing that, I'm practicing piano, preparing a sight-singing exercise, or doing a part-writing assignment for theory class.

The class which requires the most homework by far is Old Testament Survey. I am required to read the entire Old Testament this semester, and write four papers on it. I read the book of Joshua this afternoon. While at first, I was extremely intimidated by the workload for this class, I'm discovering that reading the Bible so quickly gives me a different perspective. Normally, I prefer to read a chapter or two and chew on it for a while, meditating on words, phrases, and verses. But reading a book in an afternoon gives me an entirely different perspective: I see the Israelites' conquest of Canaan as a whole, not as a chapter here and a chapter there.

In addition to homework, I also have a couple jobs. (I know... what else is new?) I'm a student accompanist in the music department, and I also serve at a church as the choir accompanist. God has been so gracious, as He provided this employment within days of my arrival in the city.

Overall, the adjustment to city live is going well. I'm starting to learn my way around; I went to Walgreens the other day, and have also ventured out to a park for concerts. I got to hear an opera concert a couple weeks ago. (Are you jealous?? :P) I'm making friends here at the school, and their fellowship is awesome. I love being able to chat about Christ, music, and life in general with the same people.

Well... I'd better sign off. Look for another post soon... maybe in between reading first and second Samuel?

With love from an absolute doll,
Erin Joy