Day 43 | Thursday, February 12 | 2009

Caitlin...

I do not know how I made it through last night. My whole body was sore and aching from the Tetanus and Hepatitis shots that I had received earlier in the day. On top of that, I had to finish a 16-page paper that was due this afternoon that I had barely made any headway with already. Somehow, I managed to get enough rest and was able to write about 5,000 words in about 4 and a half hours. I am still in somewhat of a shock from all of this writing but hopefully things will return to normalcy soon. It'd be nice to get a chance to genuinely relax soon. We'll see..

Today I feel a little bit better from the vaccines but my arms are a little achy. I am sure that it will be pretty much gone by tomorrow.

I got my ISIC (International Student Identification Card) in the mail today! I am getting really excited about Ecuador with each passing day. I started reading The Panama Hat Trail by Tom Miller, as it is required reading for my program. It is interesting so far -- the whole premise of the book will be to study the manufacturing and eventual distribution and sale of Panama Hats, somehow shedding light on numerous cultural and sociological observations. It turns out that Panama Hats are actually manufactured in Ecuador (not in Panama) and there is a long explanation of why they (the hats) have been come to be associated with Panama instead.

To change the subject completely, I think this is a really good picture of Caitlin. I took it while we were walking from the library to Casa for dinner. She is so beautiful inside and out. Lately I feel that she has been really stressed with the demands of her music classes (sight singing and dictation in particular) but I believe things will work out for the best. I think that she will persevere and make it through this class and then will do likewise in the spring. A lot of weight will be lifted, it seems, once she is done with this dreadful sight singing and dictation classes. In the meantime, though, I will be there for her in her times of trouble as a simple reminder that things might not be so bad and also to remind her how beautiful she is.

Well, I have rehearsal in about fifteen minutes, so I really ought to go. Until tomorrow...

Day 42 | Wednesday, February 11 | 2009

White's Mill...

Woke up early around 6 and finished my theory homework.  We had a brief quiz and I did pretty well on it so I feel a little better about that course.  It's been a busy day.  I got my tetanus vaccine and also my hepatitis A vaccine too.  Tetanus is in the left arm and Hep A is in the right.  I have a vaccine in each arm!

I met with one of my advisors to find out about funding my independent study in Ecuador via Student Enrollment Awards (SEA) through the Council on Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity for Undergraduate, Graduate, and Medical Students.  Last year, they awarded 21 students for a total of $93,774.  One of last year's recipient from my program (Media Arts and Studies) got an award of more than $5,000 -- here is an excerpt from the news release:

Michael Kortlander, an undergraduate student in media arts and studies, received $5,268 to produce a short film, "The Dying Western," which tells the story of a man pursuing his dreams of becoming the next John Wayne.

Just by reading about Michael's project makes me feel like I have a good possibility of winning an award for my proposal.  My proposal, in so many terms, will be to conduct a field recording study concerning some of the bioscapes (phonographic soundscapes) of Andean, coastal, and the Amazonal regions of Ecuador in coordination with documenting the urban, rural, and cultural expressions of Ecuador as experienced through my program's trajectory.  

I still have a lot of things to iron out as far as the details -- I need to define and refine my narrative description, establish a bibliography of research, establish a mentor endorsement and a number of other itemized things required for the proposal -- all of which is due by next Thursday, February 19.

I have added a few favorite websites because they are related to some of my interests -- phonography, field recording, sonic architecture, and found sounds.

Day 35 | Wednesday, February 4 | 2009

Locker...

It is so cold out today.  Everyone that I talk to has been dreading this weather and the Winter.  Everyone except for Evan who loves winter weather.

Today I got a Typhoid and Yellow Fever shot in preparation for studying in Ecuador this Spring.  I still need to get a tetanus, hepatitis, and rabies shot which will have to happen later.  

Today I woke up feeling a little ill.  I really can't afford to get sick because I need to be at full strength this next week.  There are several projects and midterms that come to mind.