A Tale from the Dance Floor...ish

Let it be known, I am in an international ballroom dance class. Basically we'll see how it goes.

So today in class, we "warmed up" with the box-step. For all you who are unaware, the box-step is the basic dance step of the waltz. We were supposed to have a partner with which to do this. But of course some guy did not show up to class on time, so yours truly did not have a partner with which to dance. Hence I got to dance by myself. It was weird and a little bit embarrassing, especially since people walking by could see everyone dancing with a partner...except for that one lame girl dancing awkwardly by herself. A midst trying to be ok with my situation and telling myself that others have danced by themselves before and no one really cares whether or not I have a partner (clearly I have issues with any situation that is even the least bit abnormal...it runs deep), in walks Neuroscience Guy. I call him this because the first time we danced, he was wearing a BYU Neuroscience shirt. I like to think he's studying to be a neurosurgeon or something. He totally looks like the neurosurgeon/left-brained type. (Sometimes my imagination just goes off.) Anyway so the first time I met him, he inquired if I swam. Bewildered, I answered yes then asked, with a very furrowed brow I might add, how he knew that. Laughing he said he knew this because I still had my wrist band on and, he reiterated a few times, it was not because I smelled of chlorine.

I diverge. Back to my story. I'm dancing all by myself, having a nice little pity party inside my head (Party in Emaline's head, population: 1), and in walks this guy. Impeccable timing, I think, just as the teacher shuts off the music.

And then I realize that this closely resembled a scene out of a romantic comedy type movie. Except in the film, the girl would have been devastated and stumbling over her footing just as the guy came in, took her in his arms, gazed into her eyes, and danced her away.

Or something.

So clearly I have issues with dancing alone when I should have a partner.

My life is a romantic comedy gone awry. Totally alright with that however.

I learn new things about myself [almost] every day.

"There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere." -Jane Austen

Such is the theme of life.
The point is to just not give up.

Dreaming

I am a vivid and avid dreamer. I think it's because I make it a priority to get so much REM sleep.

But lately my dreams have been particularly vivid, and I'm not sure why. They have also been more taunting.

I hate taunting dreams. I wake up confused with a vague sense of longing. These are the kinds of dreams that remind me I'm not where or with the people I want to be, doing the things I would rather be doing.

The other day I woke up, and all the sudden I had the urge to just leave and drive the nine hours to Michigan. I think this often actually, but this morning the yearning was stronger than usual. I could totally do it, technically speaking. I don't really need my parents' permission....they might be upset with me if I just left with their car. I'm actually pretty sure my mother would slightly freak out. But hey! It's completely plausible [though a bit outlandish].

Christmas

Christmas this year was particularly nice.

Getting to go home for the holidays was the perfect present. Really I would have been happy with just that. I like being away from Provo for a short while. A break was more than welcome; it was needed. We ate a lot, played soccer and four square, played Celebrity, the Staring Game, and Munchkin, and then watched It's a Wonderful Life. 

If I've learned one thing this past semester, it's that I miss my dad's sense of humor, talking to my mother in person, Colby's threats and outlandish demands, Leah's facial expressions, and Abby's craziness.

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. I know I did. There's something irreplaceable about actually seeing people face-to-face.

Which Reminds Me...

I took the most terrifying final exam today. Well, it was terrifying for me.

For my Byzantine art history class, my professor puts up pictures of a fresco, mosaic, building, etc. and we are supposed to identify the building, year it was built (within +/- 10 years), location, and artist/architect if known; we then have to list everything about the work that we know (the more the better). That's 3-4 points you could potentially miss if you failed to do all that. We talk about a lot of frescoes/mosaics, and most of the time it's very difficult to find quality pictures of them on the interweb. Usually I do OK with finding images, but this time....no. I could not find hardly anything.

Conclusion: I basically guessed on three churches. It felt like I was poking around in the dark. He happened to put up images from three churches that I absolutely could not find. I usually don't feel prepared for his tests, but I tend to do pretty well on them anyway. This one was different though. I hate it when I don't know things, so I'm having to deduce and infer.

By the way...I guessed correctly. So relieved.

After I take this World Civilization final, I'll have three finals left which means halfway done. I have a German oral exam tomorrow that I am really nervous for. I suck at speaking German. I can read and write just fine, but speaking and listening comprehension? Ha. No. I had to sign up to take the exam at 8 AM. That kind of sucks/I hope I wake up. But it gets worse on Thursday; I have an exam at 7 AM. That's...just inappropriate. /I really really really hope I wake up.

You can't starve a fasting man, you can't steal from someone who has no money, you can't ruin someone who hates prestige. This is truly freedom.

Thus are the lives of Franciscan monks. I want to be one.

Some Byzantine Art Humor?

Guess who hasn't blogged in almost a month. I'm always annoyed when people don't blog for extended periods of time, i.e. a month, so naturally it's been really annoying me.

My first semester of college is over.

Conclusion: 18 credit hours are totally doable. Am I doing it next semester? Not as of right now, though that is subject to change. I'm considering adding an Intro to International Relations class however, just because it would fit perfectly into my schedule. Also, I am going to miss Professors Brown and Johnson. I ended up loving my PoliSci class, much to my surprise. Everything I ever thought about politics? Totally changed. That class was so enlightening. I'm really going to miss my Byzantine art history class. I loved Byzantine art before I took it, but I love it even more now. And Professor Johnson is just so awesome. His scope of knowledge is something I aspire to have one day. I also love his sense of humor.

In the fresco below is depicted the Visitation Scene where Mary and Elizabeth, both expecting, greet each other. They happen to be floating off the ground, and Prof. Johnson called it a "chest bump." So amused by this, but it might be one of those things where you had to be there to find it funny....

And then in the scene below, is the Lamentation Scene in which Christ has been removed from the cross and all around are mourning for his death. John's (in the pink) arms are thrown backward and his mouth is open, and I just imagine him saying, "What are you doing!??" It doesn't seem to me to be the "saddest" of poses, and I probably shouldn't find it as funny as I do, but I can't help it.

And I'm sure there's some Renaissance art historian somewhere who just died a little bit, because I implied the Giotto's Lamentation scene is Byzantine.