From Every Mountainside
East Tower. Not as cool as West Tower.
So... Zack and I went to the Mall on Wednesday. I got some pretty good speakers for a mere $10.48 (= 5 pounds and 90p). That's alarmingly cheap. I'm also alarmed that this keyboard doesn't have a pound sign... Anyway, we had a good time. I also managed to see another chipmunk close to the mall.
The chipmunk!
Big flag in the mall.
The mall.
Me by the 'Target' sign. Photography by Zack.
The land of milk and honey. And mega-packs of Reese's Pieces.
Zack selects a drink.
The TCAT (Tompkins County Area Transit)
Next weekend Zack and I are going to New York City. We're going to stay with a friend of his from school, Justin, who's now at the School of Visual Arts in Manhatten. Hopefully we'll see a broadway show on Saturday night. New York City is so full of activity that everywhere you go there'll be something interesting and exciting. It should be an awesome weekend. I'll take my camera.
I watched a film about a local chain of supermarkets that use battery farms to supply their eggs. My US Politics teacher recommended it, and it's free to watch online. It was rather upsetting. Talking about it with another guy in the politics class afterwards made me realise that very few Americans are aware of where their food comes from. The 'free-range' movement that spread through the UK a while ago has yet to hit the USA.
The next day, a girl came into our politics class (I really love it) asking people to sign a petition to get fair-trade coffee in all the dining halls. I was very surprised at how few of the classmates even knew what fair-trade coffee was. People here aren't stupid, it's just that this kind of issue is rarely addressed here, much more rarely than back home. The UK seems to be one step ahead in terms of how society should work. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. I'm having the time of life, and the good things about America definitely outweigh the bad.
Later this semester, Ithaca College is putting on the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Zack auditioned, and was cast as Brad, so tonight Zack, Betsy, John and I watched it with all the members of the new cast. Then we went down to the Campus Center for an event entitled 'Urban Cowboy'. It was a special evening organised by the college with line dancing, Texas Hold 'em, free root beer, and one of those mechanical bulls. We only stayed for a while, but it was cool.
Line dancing.
Eric looking cool. We met in my cinema production class. He's in the Air Force in order to pay for college, and could be sent to Iraq at any time. Far more people have relatives in Iraq than I imagined as an outsider. America, from the inside, is very much a country at war.
Casey, on the mechanical bull.
Then we walked down to a crazy and incredibly sketchy (an American slang word: the Urban Dictionary's definition of sketchy) party in a house owned by some of the seniors involved in Rocky Horror. It was basically just them sitting around a campfire getting wasted/stoned. They were nice people, but it was weird that Betsy, Zack, John and I were the only freshmen. We stayed there for an hour or so before coming back.
The fire at the party. Well, it was more of a gathering than an actual party.
Otherwise, everything is going well. I feel completely settled in here now. Wendy, Brian, and Julie all went back to their homes this weekend. I have to film my 'dream' film... Wish me luck. It should be really fun. Anyway, here are some other photos from during the week.
Wendy at the computer.
Zack and Julie! Note Wendy's poster in the background...
Julie and Zack!
Just a guy I thought looked cool in the Terrace Dining Hall.
The simple and easy addition of a flag can really brighten up anyone's vehicle.
A cool drumming workshop was rehearsing outside the music building.
Sunset over the fountains.
The Bolex camera I'm using this weekend.
John, Betsy and Zack sit beside a sign.
The view out of my window is becoming more autumnal.
Here's the website Cagdas and I made for IT... it's pretty damn amazing. (We got full marks by the way).
Cagdas and Hal's Website! Yeah!
Mood: At the American flag store, buying more flags.
Currently listening to: Pat Metheny Group - The Way Up
Crazy American fact #4: There are over 2,700 Starbucks in America, with an average of 3 more opening every day.
posted by Haldane @ 12:41 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
So. Cool!! I can't believe Zack's in RHPS! How come you didn't audition? I hope you're really excited about going to NYC - i'd love to go to Broadway. On that note, maybe you should ask someone to Take you to The City? (if you catch m'drift...)
Another cool thing would be if you take photos out of your window at regular intervals as the seasons progress, so the scenery becomes redder and redder, then brown and snow-laden, then green again...
Amazing photos as always! :)
An awesome post as ever, Hal. Keep up the good work. Good luck on the film, too. I feel privaledged to have been given a sneak preview of the plot!
It's mad how many flags are over there, I can't imagine seeing a Union Jack or St George's cross in a shopping centre in Oxford...
Oh and congrats on your prize! I'm disappointed you couldn't even be bothered to pick it up yourself though... Some people are so lazy...
Hey Hal,
Reading this is like a sociology and a photography lesson rolled into one. Also feeling increasingly envious of all the fun that you're having.
P.S.re: the website-awesome!
Hey hal!! Sorry i haven't been able to phone you won't believe how retarded Scottish people are when it comes to phone connections. I'm really happy you're having a good time i miss you loads! I thought i'd do a quick update on here for you and anyone else who cares... Lectures are weird and pretty much exactly like you'd expect. Some lecturers throw you right into the deep end ASAP and you just sit there thinking what the hell i don't understand, but the others are totally calm and get the pace exactly right - it's a balence :) But either way you get used to writing notes at like 1,000 words a second really quickly. Meeting people isn't an issue - you'll all fall right into the set question asking immediately and sooner or later you'll have a possy. Anyone going somewhere that isn't Oxford / Cambridge - yes, yes they will continually rip the piss out of your accent. It's so amazing though to have friends that live with / super super close to you. My extension is 68393 for all who wish to phone :) See ya soon.
Kieran.
I watched some clips of Conan O'Brien on the web after reading the graduation speech, and I couldn't stop laughing!! The clips were so random, I'd love to see how they fit into the rest of his show, and see some interviews too-they had some great quotes. The security guard sketch and the 'Bandy' awards were my fave.
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