Catching Up

I have had very little time to post during these last couple weeks.  Here at Christendom, we don't have internet access in the dorms.  If I want to use the net that involves going to the library, gym or student center.  On top of that, my computer doesn't exactly take kindly to the library modem, which is the closest access from my dorm.  Enough excuses!

A friend gave my a number of pictures from this first part of the semester, so I thought I would try to do a bit of a "scrapbook page" post.  Back to the beginning, at orientation, here is a picture of the farm where we had a barn dance.  This is only a little glimpse of the beauty of the mountains here in Virginia.  This is a bit of the lovely scenery I have around me.  Nature!  Yay!

 Some of my friends are in charge of the Contra Dance club here at Christendom.  Contra is a Latin word meaning against or opposite; the dances are done with two lines of people, men on one side and women on the other.  If you've ever seen movies from the Edwardian era, or danced the Virginia Reel, that's contra dance.  It's loads of fun!  There are many, many dances that can be learned - so far, at contra practice, we're learning some of the easier ones.  The Minotaur, Jamaica, Virginia Reel, Double Reel, Gay Gordon's Mixer, Trench Warfare, and the Nine-Pin Reel are only a few names that I can remember.  We usually don't have very many people at contra, but it is enough for us all to have fun and have some very energetic exercise!  One dance that almost everyone would recognize is the Landler, an Austrian dance.  Remember in the Sound of Music when the Captain and Maria are dancing in the garden?  Yes, I know how to do that now!  Here's a picture from the Virginia Reel at contra practice.Speaking of the Sound of Music...I play trombone, as anyone within earshot of my dorm or Catherine's Glen can tell, and one thing I really miss about being home is the fact that I don't have the band and orchestra opportunities I'm so used to.  However, I have the opportunity this semester to be playing in the pit orchestra for a local school's production of the Sound of Music.  It's great to be back in an ensemble!  Also I happpen to be learning the tinwhistle...it's easy, portable, and very nice to play Celtic music on.

I almost forgot!  Italian night was two or three weeks ago.  Time flows very oddly here, the days go slowly but the weeks quickly so it is hard to remember past a few days ago.  At any rate, we did have the Italian Night dinner and dance, and it was wonderful.  We had very good food, much better than the every-day cafeteria food (I love our kitchen ladies but Mommy, I want your cooking!!!).  After dinner, which was casual, we returned to the dorms and donned our semi-formal wear.  Around here, dances are either casual (skirt or jeans as desired), semi-formal (wear a skirt, and preferably dress rather nicely) or formal, which is, of course, formal.  The Italian dance was outside in front of the commons.  Luckily we had absolutely gorgeous weather and a full moon.  The Student Activities Council did a marvelous job decorating, with roses, candles, and white lights all around.Sarah, Monica, Gloria and I at the dance.  Italian Night is typically black, white, and red or blue.  Also there is the following modern art piece:This started out as a joke, the rose and tie hanging from a tree.  Eventually, however, it morphed into a symbolic "Invisible Man" and started attracting all the girls who wanted to dance.  They were taking pictures by it and hanging around it as a sign that they really would rather be out on the floor.  It is turning into a tradition, now, so I'll try to get a picture take of the Oktoberfest tie this coming weekend!

I've got tests and papers due this week, so that will be all for now!  St. Agnes, pray for us.