Thursday, October 09, 2003
Something New Every Day
Today I discovered a whole new area of MSU's campus. Why? Because I also discovered that it is only convenient to have a parking permit if you can actually find somewhere to park. As a result, I ended up kind of driving around on the curvy campus streets south of the river until I found an employee lot that actually had spaces. When I first got to MSU and was supposed to be proctoring exams, I did the same thing, which is how I know where the health center is. As Danola would put it, "Hey, I've been lost here before!" It is a tried and true method of navigating Japan, so why shouldn't it work here? At least Michigan has street signs, so I only need to be lost once in the same place before I can claim I know where I am, as opposed to lost repeatedly in the same area, time after time.
So anyway, now I know where all the sports fields are, and how all the little streets between Wells Hall and Harrison Ave. connect. The walk to and from my car was rather lengthier than I had intended, but I got to see all the gorgeous trees changing color. There's one outside the stadium that has a brilliant gradation from pale green at the bottom on one side, to yellow, to orange, to flaming red at the top.
Oh, this also reminds me that I haven't said anything about one of the primary joys of working in the building right next to the stadium. In the afternoons when I am usually leaving campus, after teaching my class, is just when the marching band is usually practicing. It's neat to hear them playing so loudly so near by, and then they stop when the band director starts yelling at them through the bullhorn. This is not to say that I've actually seen the MSU marching band, but at least I've heard them. I am so full of school spirit. Rah, rah, rah.
Two other interesting things happened on my way home. I saw, for the first time ever in real life, two girls pushing their friend's car down the middle of a very busy street. They were wearing flip-flops. I bet they wished they hadn't been. There is a lot to be said for wearing practical shoes. Finally, I had to get gas for the first time ever in my "new" car. (I haven't driven it very much at all.) It is so sad. The poor little thing only holds 10 gallons. I also keep expecting it to have the same engine as my old Camry, now my brother's, and it really just doesn't. The things we only learn to appreciate in hindsight. Ah, well. It does shift nicely, at least.
Today I discovered a whole new area of MSU's campus. Why? Because I also discovered that it is only convenient to have a parking permit if you can actually find somewhere to park. As a result, I ended up kind of driving around on the curvy campus streets south of the river until I found an employee lot that actually had spaces. When I first got to MSU and was supposed to be proctoring exams, I did the same thing, which is how I know where the health center is. As Danola would put it, "Hey, I've been lost here before!" It is a tried and true method of navigating Japan, so why shouldn't it work here? At least Michigan has street signs, so I only need to be lost once in the same place before I can claim I know where I am, as opposed to lost repeatedly in the same area, time after time.
So anyway, now I know where all the sports fields are, and how all the little streets between Wells Hall and Harrison Ave. connect. The walk to and from my car was rather lengthier than I had intended, but I got to see all the gorgeous trees changing color. There's one outside the stadium that has a brilliant gradation from pale green at the bottom on one side, to yellow, to orange, to flaming red at the top.
Oh, this also reminds me that I haven't said anything about one of the primary joys of working in the building right next to the stadium. In the afternoons when I am usually leaving campus, after teaching my class, is just when the marching band is usually practicing. It's neat to hear them playing so loudly so near by, and then they stop when the band director starts yelling at them through the bullhorn. This is not to say that I've actually seen the MSU marching band, but at least I've heard them. I am so full of school spirit. Rah, rah, rah.
Two other interesting things happened on my way home. I saw, for the first time ever in real life, two girls pushing their friend's car down the middle of a very busy street. They were wearing flip-flops. I bet they wished they hadn't been. There is a lot to be said for wearing practical shoes. Finally, I had to get gas for the first time ever in my "new" car. (I haven't driven it very much at all.) It is so sad. The poor little thing only holds 10 gallons. I also keep expecting it to have the same engine as my old Camry, now my brother's, and it really just doesn't. The things we only learn to appreciate in hindsight. Ah, well. It does shift nicely, at least.
