oh America

so I'm back from Sri Lanka, but most of you know that. It was pretty much amazing - I'll try to talk about it on here later, but I literally have no time right now and I want to commit the necessary effort to the discussion.

Coming back to CA was interesting, and it would have been a cooler experience if I didn't hit the ground stumbling/sprinting....so much make up work, I cant' even make this all that long.

Yeah, Sri Lanka was an amazing experience, and I think I may do a pet project next year to get UCLA students doing this stuff - it's a really good summer opportunity. I mean, we'll see, but I'd love to do it.

More importantly than that, I grew a beard by not shaving my entire time in Sri Lanka. the result?


What a well angled shot


Then I shaved half of it off and took a picture - at my brother's request, I did one side of my beard and the other of my moustache.....he's a strange one, that Timothy.


finished! I clogged my sink drain with all the hair...sigh. Also, notice that I look high - I was deliriously tired by this point (the night before I didn't sleep b/c I stayed up reading HP #6, which was really intense and good, and before that I got 2 hours of sleep on a 30 hour journey - so that's 2 hours in a ridiculous number of hours that included travel, a very stressful first day at ucla, and the hardest shave I have ever done).

I kinda like that last one - it amuses me. But the middle one is the new facebook pic.


To conclude, my supreme court professor is really anal and mean, and almost didn't let me make up the work. To give you an idea of her bitchiness, here is a sample correspondence between us (after I employed my most sycophantic skills just to get her to grudgingly let me make up the work that I missed (helping tsunami victims and orphans, btw - come on):

Dear Professor,

This is Greg Wannier, I talked with you yesterday during your office
hours about my missing the first week, and catching up with the
class by the end of this week.

I have attached my bibliography and annotations, as discussed.
Once again, I apologize for whatever inconvenience I may be causing
you, and thank you for your understanding. I will have the first
assignment emailed to the TA by late Thursday night (with the
information that you did grant me an extension, so that he knows),
and will bring a paper copy into class on Monday.

If there is anything else that I should be doing (apart from the
reading, of course) that I may have forgotten from our conversation,
please let me know.

Thank you again, and see you in class tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Greg Wannier

Her response:

Greg,

What you need to also do is follow the electronic communication
guidelines that are posted on the course website, including specific
guidelines for sending assignments via e-mail to me and to Forrest.
With over 200 students in six weeks, it is very important that you
follow these guidelines so that I can efficiently communicate with
everyone.

Thanks,
Prof. Schuele

Notice HER incorrect grammar - "it" doesn't have over 200 students in six days

God, I want to say so much more...but I have a paper to write tonight...........everything just seems less important here because of how intensely bad so many things are over there - it kind of makes me annoyed when people make big deals over really trivial stuff (case in point: this professor). It's just like, when there are people starving, going blind from vitamin deficiency, getting kidnapped at 12 to join a rebel group, and having 75 foot waves destroying their lives, harping on the correct title for an email frustrates me to no end.

Summary of my return?

"Welcome to America - get to work"