Day 104, 105, 106, and 107: The Final Stretch of Classes Begins

Monday morning started with getting up, working on my blog, grading models homework, and then going to Campus A for heat transfer. After getting back, I was very exhausted, and felt like I deserved to get a coffee for my troubles with my dinner. I got a mint coffee from the downstairs part of the second dining hall, and went upstairs to get the duck fried rice that I liked a lot.

Unfortunately, that restaurant had taken their English menu down, and I had to use my translator to try to order it. I simplified it as much as possible, but the lady didn't understand, and asked a nearby student to help me. He looked at it, taking a second to figure out what I wanted, but pointing to the right one on the menu. I thanked him, and he smiled at me.

After eating what I could, I packed up the leftovers, and headed back to do some grading, enjoying the natural beauty on my walk back.

Beautiful color gradient of the redbuds

I graded for a bit, worked on other stuff online, and headed to sleep.

Tuesday was the second manufacturing processes exam, and I had to go proctor it. I headed out of the apartment earlier than necessary in order to find the classroom we were having the exam in. The exam went well (although one student forgot their formula sheet), and I let another student borrow my calculator. The only hiccup we had was that in the middle of the exam, the lights went off, but as there were large windows, everyone could still see by sunlight. I sat there, working on philosophy homework, watching them work as well.

Afterwards, I collected the exams, and debated about whether or not to go back home, as I found out that the power had gone out in the apartment too, so online grading wouldn't be possible (without wifi either). I decided to go back anyway, and found out that the power was back on. Instead of grading, I made a quick call home, and then I reviewed the statics lecture that I needed for today (since it had been moved from last Friday to Tuesday). 

I went to the digital design lab for a couple hours, reading some more of their textbooks to try to learn more concepts, and then went to the statics lecture when the time came. I told the students that I had my office hour later that night if anyone wanted to see me for the third time that day (since those students are in both manufacturing and statics), and they all laughed at it, so I figured no one was coming.

I then went for dinner, and Nick headed home. I ordered a drink from the cafeteria (accidentally getting milk tea instead of coffee), and getting two dishes form the buffet line, a lotus root and chicken dish, and a potato and sausage dish, along with the typical cabbage soup and rice.

By the time I was done, I was a little bit late for my office hour, but I figured that I'd still be ok.

I settled in, and scrolled through Facebook, and watched Black Mirror while waiting for students, being too tired to actually concentrate on anything. At around 8, I headed home, mystified by the light pollution in the sky.

light pollution as I was walking home

After getting home, I didn't feel like doing much else, and the wifi was being really slow, so I watched another episode of Black Mirror. In the other room, somehow Jessica had enough internet connectivity to have a Skype interview with Children's Hospital for a co-op for the summer, which was good, because she got the job! I congratulated her, and went to sleep soon after.

Wednesday morning, there was yet another statics lecture, which was the last official lecture of the class before the final exam. I went, and then decided to chill out outside for a little bit. If I sat in on C++ lecture, I would be in too much of a rush to get to class. At first, I sat outside in the tree grove, but soon grew restless, and decided to bike off somewhere else to explore.

I came across the black swan pond by the library, and although I didn't have time to draw, I decided to relax by the pond, and just absorb the atmosphere. There were lots of people doing both charcoal and watercolor drawings, and I was envious at both the time they had to just sit down and do it, and the patience that they had (it always took me several times to complete one drawing, I can never just complete it in one sitting).

I saw the swans, and wandered around, sitting at times, trying to see them up close and just enjoy their beauty. I took a couple videos as well.

At first, I thought that the two swans who kept circling each other were mated, because they kept swimming over to each other and softly honking, but on the other side of the pond, a third one joined them, so I settled with the conclusion that they were either family or close friends.

Dinner time

On the other side of the pond, I saw a couple ducks as well, and I felt a bit guilty for the duck dinners that I had had while I've been here......

After relaxing, I went to the dining hall, grabbed a chicken sandwich and Pepsi, and went to Campus A for heat transfer. Following class, I headed back on the bus, chatting with Wei Wei, and went to our weekly meeting.

We discussed our issues (or lack of issues) with our job for the week, and we dispersed. Nick, Sean, and I decided to go to Hell's Kitchen, a Western style restaurant in Sunny Block. Getting there, I was disappointed most of the staff did not speak English, but, eh, I'll take what I can get.

Interesting that they thought barbecue and spaghetti goes together

I ordered a Hell's Kitchen pizza, the same as Nick, Sean got a sausage plate (which turned out to be metts and hot dogs), the guys got beer, we split a plate of fries, and I got a red velvet latte. As we waited, we chatted about a million topics, enjoying each other's company. It turned out the marks you make on the menu to order weren't all counted, and when my latte never came out, we had to get the manager (who spoke English), in order to order one.

Hell's Kitchen pizza (black crust with seafood on top and lots of cheese)

Interesting beer name

Red velvet latte (tasted very little like coffee)

We walked back to campus, and stopped by the pet store, letting a little puppy who had just stopped suckling his mother nibble our fingers, petting the grumpy cat, and petting a beautiful Shiba Inu when its owner stopped it. He kept saying "beautiful girl", and I couldn't help but hope he was talking about the dog, not me, as the latter is slightly creepy.

Thursday morning started off with going to models and proctoring their final exam. I walked back to the apartment with Sean, and got some snacks at the convenience store. I graded models homework and watched manufacturing processes exams. Before I left, I decided to change wallets, and discovered that my debit card was missing! In a panic, I thought I had left it in the ATM last Thursday when I was clothes shopping, but it turned out I had simply misplaced it somewhere in the room, because I remembered having it on my bed. I spent a while looking for it, and then gave up.

I went out to get lunch, trying to relax. I tried a different dish at a fried chicken place in the second dining hall, enjoying it, but saving most of it for later.

I headed outside to make more progress on grading the manufacturing processes exams. After that, I headed to the TA office for the models office hour. Dom decided to go to the library so he could have wifi to grade with, but I stayed in the office, alternating between grading, and watching more episodes of Black Mirror.

First place outside, then I sat by the pond

After my office hour, I ran into all of the others, who were just getting back from Campus A (Sean had visa stuff to take care of.) I went to the top of the hill, resting, grading a bit more, but ultimately finishing my picture. I tried to eat some of my food, but ended up accidentally dumping a lot of it into the grass!

After everything, I went to the grocery store to get the last few groceries for the semester. I decided to try a couple new things, including a new fruit, and mango yogurt for myself, as well as grabbing a cappuccino float from the same place as normal. I biked back, having a time limit of 8 pm, because Nick was starting the movie "Blast from the Past" in his apartment then.

We watched the movie, enjoying ourselves, and I headed to sleep, content.

-Zoe