A long overdue update

Uggh I suck at keeping up with the cyber world sometimes, but I am home sick today, so I figured that I had better get on here and give a bit of an update.  I have an essay to write as well, but I have wicked bad writers block the last couple of days *bangs head against desk*

My trip to Europe was great!  I loved seeing where Steph has been living and going to school, and of course it was fantastic to finally see her since it had been so long.  We had a lovely little Christmas together with a tasty goose for dinner.

Rome was really interesting to see, especially after having learned quite a bit in Art History over the Fall semester.  The Coliseum was breath-taking to see, and imagining what it must have been like to be in the audience was pretty crazy.  I'm not sure I can quite imagine how loud it would have been.  The Baths of Caracalla were beautiful, and I wish that they were restored to their full glory so that I could have used them lol.  We also went to the Catacombs of San Callisto which was very interesting, but very eerie. 

Barcelona was probably my favourite part of the trip.  I finally met Steph's boyfriend Jed which was really nice.  And we had a great time checking out the city, and eating delicious (and cheap!) food.  We rented bikes one of the days, and biked around the city.  It was a really nice way to see part of the city, albeit a little freaky when the cars were within arms length.  One of the highlights was seeing the Sagrada Familia.  It is the most gorgeous church I have ever seen.  It was seriously awe-inspiring.  I would love to go see it again in a few years, and I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished.  We had a really nice New Years, eating paella and then sipping champagne on the beach watching fireworks.

Then I went to London for the last few days solo.  The first night was really unsettling because of arriving in a foreign city in the dark, but the next day was much better.  I did a little shopping at the markets in Islington, and wandered around Brick Lane.  I really enjoy exploring a city solo as I find it's so much easier to get the feel of the city.  Also, then you get to know how to get around and you start feeling comfortable.  Of course, it's also really nice to share the experiences with someone, but it was a good trip nonetheless.  I climbed all 550 stairs to the very top of St Paul's Cathedral, and certainly enjoyed the view.  The Tower of London was a must, and I was thrilled to finally see with my own eyes where Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard met their tragic fates.  I walked all over the city, and saw the Big Ben and Westminster Abbey along with the London Eye (aka the Millennium Wheel).  And I managed to at least visit the British Museum (of the many, many museums and galleries) to have a look at some of the artifacts discussed in my Art History class.  

Since arriving back home I've already written a few tests, and I am currently working on a paper for my Greek and Roman Studies: Classical Literature and Mythology class.  It's supposed to be about gender roles in greek mythology.  Most people are probably writing it about how feminine or masculine the characters are portrayed, and cases of gender ambiguity, as that was the starting point.  However, I have a few different ideas that I've been running by my tutorial instructor.  In my Religious Studies class, we were discussing how ideas that are externalized and then objectivated (thought to exist on their own, and have their own agency) are then incorporated back into ourselves.  I'm interested in how the belief promoted in Greek myth about women being manipulative, as in the cases of Rhea, Pandora, and Hera, has filtered down through history.  I want to explore how this idea may have contributed to later generations viewpoints by comparing Eve from the Bible, as well as Anne Boleyn.  Good idea?  I think so, but I'm having trouble putting pen to paper.  The paper isn't due until Friday, but I want to finish it today so that I can have a few people proof-read it.  It's funny though, I always enjoyed writing, and I thought that I would love writing papers... Ya, not so much.  I'd rather take a test any day.  I think I just dislike forced creativity.  Even if you feel interested in a topic, it's hard to write something when you have to.  When I can just do it for fun, the words flow with no problem.  I have a feeling this is a common problem.  I know it's part of my university career though, so I just have to get used to it.  I think that with time I will get more comfortable and confident in writing papers.  Right now, it seems so daunting.  Sigh.  I feel a little more inspired today though compared to yesterday, so hopefully the creative juices will flow and I will have my 1,000 word paper completed by the end of the day.

Other than school, there isn't a whole lot going on.  Gavin and I had a wonderful Valentines weekend.  He works at Le Germain boutique hotel, and he gets one night free per year.  So we made good use of the stay.  The king size bed was so comfortable!  And the huge rainfall shower and gorgeous bathtub were definitely fantastic.  We went to Charcut for dinner, and man was it tasty!  Harlow was also very pleased that we brought a bone home for her.  We had bone marrow (in the bone) and escargot as an appy, and it was really good!  I know it sounds really odd, but it's seriously yummy.  Don't knock it till you try it :)

Ok folks, I'm going to get back to the semi-blank word document of my title-less essay. *gulps more coffee*