picnics, unsturdy chairs, rain, george herbert

Since last I left you, I wilt not feign the pretense that much hath occurred.

However, I am getting considerably better at speaking like I belong in 17th century England thanks to my good friends Herbie and Johnny (aka George Herbert and John Donne, if you'd like to be a bit more reverent to dead poets or whatnot).

Yesterday evening, we gathered for dinner on Blanchard lawn and feasted upon pasta, roast chicken, and brownies amidst a crowd of gathering flies. Many literary puns were exchanged ("I'm so Donne with all this homework," "I just don't know if the WORDS are WORTH it," etc), Jane Austen was quoted ("why yes, I would like to take a turn about the room") and books were compared.

Note: Yes, I am among English Majors. You may call us nerdy if you'd like, but we aren't really. We just have love affairs with literature on a daily basis.

Then, excitement struck: the plastic chairs were a bit un-sturdy and one of our group went toppling over.

AJ takes a tumble

However, she made the best of it and lay there with a rather contented smile on her face. Soon, friends joined her and a rather clumsy moment transitioned smoothly into an endearing document of friendship.

AJ and Emma (or the new Fault in Our Stars cover)

Tuesday morning greeted us with rain and muffins, supplied by the wonderful English Department secretary, Marie. Most of us rolled into class drowsy and wet, yet some of us managed to still carry an aura of transcendental with us. The feather in the hair helped.

Namatha 

We've moved onto George Herbert now, a clergyman with a penchant for poetry. I'm teaching on his poem "Virtue" tomorrow. He published it along with several other poems in a 1633 book The Temple.

For our Orientation, we discussed certain British stereotypes of Americans. I mean, even though we're not all gun-totin', flag-wielding, patriotic fatties... we have some definite negative connotations attached to us. Brits see us as super friendly, tell-you-every-thing-about-us, touchy-feely, sentimental, and loud. (I fit none of those descriptions...that's funny because it's not in the least bit true. Guess I'll have to work on uppin' my Brit)

For reference, see "10 American Habits Brits Will Never Understand." It's pretty amusing and covers everything from flossing to drinking milk.

In other news, it's still rainy.

least I know my umbrella works

My theory? The weather is obviously just preparing us for all that wonderful England drizzle.

Consolation: least it's not snow. Wheaton's landscaping is simply gorgeous in summer-time. Here's a picture of a flower I took just to prove to all of you who know our Chitown school as a barren wasteland.

this is pretty

Stay cool out there, kids.

Cheers!