it's a beautiful day in cambridge!

http://etothelo.blogspot.com

trying something new.

every time i tell people i won't be back to school until the beginning of february, i get one or a combination of these responses:

1) gaping mouth w/ look of astonishment
2) "whaaat???"
3) "you're so lucky!"
4) slight expression of jealousy masked by surprise

and then i explain mit's unusual winter session of sorts, which allows both me to have time to go to el salvador for a 2 week workshop and kedar (note: non-mit student) to learn how to make a didgeridoo:

  (who kedar might become...or not)

but anyways, after the fall semester, i don't necessarily feel smug about the long vacation, just thankful.

i leave on thursday and have yet to complete my set of tools or learn spanish, both which i was hoping to have done by now.  ah well - tomorrow i'll get the tools, and as for the spanish...at least i'll have "donde esta el bano?" securely under my belt, along w/ some other key phrases like "parada tras de mi!" (= stop following me... ok, maybe only used if i walk around guatemala city at night by myself).

i had many aspirations for this iap (independent activities period, aka the mit month of january), such as:
1) learn spanish
2) start a new blog
3) work on rhino skills, esp. rendering
4) help remodel the kitchen
5) clean my room
6) gain weight (after the semester's weight loss)
7) meet up w/ friends
8) clean out my mailbox
9) write back letters
10) find my hiking boots

i achieved 6+7+10, partially achieved 5+8+9, and have been attempting 1...  but the others have fallen by the wayside.  ah well...that's how things go.  list items don't always get completely crossed off.

now, off to see what the cdc says about el salvador...

<currently:> reading three cups of tea - g.mortensen, listening to old-school j.mraz

in ambler!  i survived!
call/email if you want to hang out :]

(and i promise i'll try not to be flaky...but sometimes there are reasons...)