Here's the real Orientation days post, although it may come in two parts since the time is drawing near to head down to Naamsestraat (the center of all of this).
Today we learn about trash disposal, which in Leuven is very special and complicated. Blue bags, brown bags, green bags, white bags, curfunf. In a house with this many people (15 or so) I have a feeling this is going to be disasterously complicated.
But yesterday, the Orientation Days for International Students started off with a couple beureacratic speeches and then this old video about Leuven that was centered around many of the famous statues in town. I took notes, so later on I'll take you guys on a tour. For now, all you have is a picture of a statue that we passed on the walking tour that I didn't hear the tourguide explain, so you'll just have to make something up for yourselves.
The opening business took place in the gigantic place called University Hall, which was very grand with the carved wood stage and balcony seats, and lo, this is where I will be defending my dissertation! I didn't take any pictures because it was too crammed with people and chaotic, but I'll take one later, probably when I start freaking out about my defense.
Then we were filed (all 1,500 of us) into Jubilee Hall to get our name and department tags and look around at a series of information stations about cultural and religious resources, health insurance etc. I walked around for a bit, then went and got some free coffee and OJ and sat behind the empty coatracks scanning the room for Philosophy people. I heard someone laughing far in the distance but I didn't realize who it was until I spotted Mr. British Douchebag from across the room. My eyes narrowed and as he drew closer I realized that it was Murphy laughing at me, dangling his law over my head like some kind of sadistic mistletoe. Mr. British Douchebag is in my GD department. Yes, that's right. I get to be in intimate contact with him for the rest of the year! I stayed where I was in the discretion of the coat racks until a little group of philosophers gathered and then went over and introduced myself. He looked at me as I spoke with the others, and when it was his turn he shook my hand with that limp, clammy way that douchebags have. I said something along the lines of "oh yes, I remember you from the blah blah blah..." but he only looked at me. Blood boiled, but inwardly I comforted myself with the knowledge that a nemesis only serves to motivate me. Such is life, it can't all be moonlight and Cyrano.
As far as I have met the philosophy people seem quite diverse. I haven't met anyone else in the Master's programme yet, but everyone is fairly advanced in their studies. There were two Canadians from Carleton (Scott and Shannon), a Brazilian in applied ethics (Alf) and later on at the pub I met Jenz (I'm butchering all of these names, I'm sorry) and Barbara, both from Germany. There's also a lovely couple from Poland, Riszard and Julia, who are (I believe) both doing logic and/or aritificial intelligence. So far Jenz is the only one that is doing anything remotely related to what I'm doing, as he's into German Idealism. Most people here seem to be more interested in the practical side of philosophy, ethics, economics, logic etc. which in my ignorance seems strange to me, since I AM on the continent. More often than not, the world operates in defiance of my expectations anyway, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
After the info session, I walked down Naamsestraat to go to one of the student cafeterias scheduled for lunch. They are called ALMAs and we were to have lunch at Alma 2. On the way, I ran into the two Maltese girls that I had shared a hostel room with when I first got here. We walked and talked, and ended up having lunch together. Their both in medicine, and both very fun and funny, so it was a nice bit of socializing. This is them to the left, Kristjana is on the right and Antonella on the left. There's also a picture of part of the inside of Alma 2, which is an immense and very colorful place, but the food was meh. Cafeteria food is terrible
anywhere I suppose, but cheap as dirt, so that's the benefit.
Well, alas, it is almost 10am here, so I have to get my turban off and go to the thingy. I'll write more later...
Today we learn about trash disposal, which in Leuven is very special and complicated. Blue bags, brown bags, green bags, white bags, curfunf. In a house with this many people (15 or so) I have a feeling this is going to be disasterously complicated.
But yesterday, the Orientation Days for International Students started off with a couple beureacratic speeches and then this old video about Leuven that was centered around many of the famous statues in town. I took notes, so later on I'll take you guys on a tour. For now, all you have is a picture of a statue that we passed on the walking tour that I didn't hear the tourguide explain, so you'll just have to make something up for yourselves.
The opening business took place in the gigantic place called University Hall, which was very grand with the carved wood stage and balcony seats, and lo, this is where I will be defending my dissertation! I didn't take any pictures because it was too crammed with people and chaotic, but I'll take one later, probably when I start freaking out about my defense.
Then we were filed (all 1,500 of us) into Jubilee Hall to get our name and department tags and look around at a series of information stations about cultural and religious resources, health insurance etc. I walked around for a bit, then went and got some free coffee and OJ and sat behind the empty coatracks scanning the room for Philosophy people. I heard someone laughing far in the distance but I didn't realize who it was until I spotted Mr. British Douchebag from across the room. My eyes narrowed and as he drew closer I realized that it was Murphy laughing at me, dangling his law over my head like some kind of sadistic mistletoe. Mr. British Douchebag is in my GD department. Yes, that's right. I get to be in intimate contact with him for the rest of the year! I stayed where I was in the discretion of the coat racks until a little group of philosophers gathered and then went over and introduced myself. He looked at me as I spoke with the others, and when it was his turn he shook my hand with that limp, clammy way that douchebags have. I said something along the lines of "oh yes, I remember you from the blah blah blah..." but he only looked at me. Blood boiled, but inwardly I comforted myself with the knowledge that a nemesis only serves to motivate me. Such is life, it can't all be moonlight and Cyrano.
As far as I have met the philosophy people seem quite diverse. I haven't met anyone else in the Master's programme yet, but everyone is fairly advanced in their studies. There were two Canadians from Carleton (Scott and Shannon), a Brazilian in applied ethics (Alf) and later on at the pub I met Jenz (I'm butchering all of these names, I'm sorry) and Barbara, both from Germany. There's also a lovely couple from Poland, Riszard and Julia, who are (I believe) both doing logic and/or aritificial intelligence. So far Jenz is the only one that is doing anything remotely related to what I'm doing, as he's into German Idealism. Most people here seem to be more interested in the practical side of philosophy, ethics, economics, logic etc. which in my ignorance seems strange to me, since I AM on the continent. More often than not, the world operates in defiance of my expectations anyway, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
After the info session, I walked down Naamsestraat to go to one of the student cafeterias scheduled for lunch. They are called ALMAs and we were to have lunch at Alma 2. On the way, I ran into the two Maltese girls that I had shared a hostel room with when I first got here. We walked and talked, and ended up having lunch together. Their both in medicine, and both very fun and funny, so it was a nice bit of socializing. This is them to the left, Kristjana is on the right and Antonella on the left. There's also a picture of part of the inside of Alma 2, which is an immense and very colorful place, but the food was meh. Cafeteria food is terrible
anywhere I suppose, but cheap as dirt, so that's the benefit.Well, alas, it is almost 10am here, so I have to get my turban off and go to the thingy. I'll write more later...
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