My big Lacan exam is tomorrow, and I feel prepared, but that somehow doesn't make the transition between now and then any easier, so I've got a tremendous amount of nervous energy that I need to put somewhere, and I'm going to do something I've been trying not to do, given the blessings I can currently count just off the top of my head. I will also do this in the form of a list, so that you'll all be spared the long-windedness of my less than zen state of preparedness.

Things I don't like (hate) about Leuven:

1. There's no such thing as free water in restaurants (although you frequently get free booze)
2. Beer is cheaper than water.
3. Coffee only comes in two sizes: small and extra small.
4. The coffee sucks.
5. It's raining almost all the time.
6. All the ATMs run out of cash on a weekly basis
7. The only food you can get after midnight is terrible for you.
8. The sidewalks are narrow and uneven.
9. The bicyclists couldn't give a shit about anyone else.
10. There isn't always a clear distinctinction between the way of pedestrians and the way of cars.
11. There is NO good breakfast here. You'd think in the land of waffles they'd have figured out by now that with a little imagination (and a little less chocolate), you can eat them for something besides dessert. What I'm really saying is I miss diner food.
12. The clothes are both better and vastly more expensive.
13. NOTHING is open until 3pm on Sundays.
14. The libraries work on the 9-5 clock, and hardly at all on weekends.
15. I can't deposit money in ATMs
16. Almost all payments are made internal to the banking systems, so the phone company can take their payment whenever the hell they want.
17. I have to go to the ring to get Bagels.
18. Nobody knows what rye bread or TVP is.
19. There's no Korean food, and no affordable sushi.
20. The music in the cafes and bars sucks... A lot. (except for Blue Cat and Libertad)

That's as many as I can think of without straining myself. Not bad, only 20. It's been worse? Yeah, it's been worse.

I think I might post my two page answer to Moyaert's question "What was the course about?" tomorrow after the exam. It will probably be a bit boring, I had to take out all the nice rhetorical flourishes for the sake of eXtreme concision.

I'm gonna break a leg, so much is obvious.