finals and the blissful aftermath

I am happy to report that I made it through my finals (relatively) intact. I worked hard, and hopefully my grades will reflect that. Now it's smooth sailing for the next week until Modern Irish Literature starts. I am, however, overly excited to actually have a LITERATURE class. I picked up an introduction to literary theory the other day, you know, just for casual reading. Mostly, I think I'd like to get a jump on the theory element of literature, as I haven't encountered a lot of theory at all in my studies at Grinnell.

Last week, as a kind of study break, I saw Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious", with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. It was phenomenal. It makes a huge difference being able to see films in theatres, as opposed to on a television or a laptop. This week, the Prince Charles is showing three films I really, really want to see: "Gamer", "Les Diaboliques", and Polanski's "Repulsion". The latter two are part of the PCC's "vintage film season". In a few weeks' time, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is playing, which will be wonderful, I'm sure.

Things here have been pretty quiet the last few days, as we're on fall break now and all of my flatmates have left in a mass exodus to various European destinations. I went out to a nearby club last night for Halloween (I went as "Blackmail": I dressed in all black and put a postage stamp on my shirt), which was pretty fun. Yesterday, I also walked around the Portobello Road Market for quite a while, and I ended up purchasing a leather briefcase similar to the ones I had mentioned before. I got it from a street vendor, and I was pretty impressed with my haggling skills, as I paid 20 pounds for this bag, which was marked at 50 pounds, and which probably cost the original owner about 100 pounds.

Speaking of purchases, I have booked a train ticket to Paris the weekend of November 12th! I'm staying for 3 days and 2 nights, and although my parents are skeptical about me traveling alone, I think it will be a lot of fun to go by myself, because I will be able to see and do everything I want without having to compromise with others about time management, etc. I'm staying in a hostel right on the Rue de Dunkerque, which is near Gare du Nord, where my train arrives. I'm really looking forward to this trip.

Tonight, I am going to a liturgical performance of Mozart's Requiem complete with a full orchestra. It's part of a requiem mass on the eve of the commemoration of All Souls. Tomorrow night, I'll be going to the requiem mass at another church, but the performance is Camille Saint-Saens's Requiem. Lots of classical music!