Beginning of Sophomore Year

Just recently got back from school--first day of sophomore year, that is. The halls all seemed far more crowded then last year, and the school feels quite different, as though a thick layer of whiteout has been applied and a sleek, unfamiliar pen has written strange words over it all.

But enough attempts at waxing poetics, let us carry to on the more important part, classes:

1. World History: nothing happened here. My World History teacher is the one that gave the AP World History entrance exam, in which I didn't bother to take the second half of. I wonder if she remembers.

2. Spanish 3: the teacher talks almost solely in Spanish. I don't mind, but my classmates seemed troubled. Save for three or four students, everyone in the class is a junior--it's a little intimidating.

3. Algebra 2: same thing with the juniors overpopulating the class, only in this class there are only two sophomores (including myself). We have a Taiwanese teacher, and one of the juniors kept asking rude questions and lumping Taiwan in with China and Japan.

4. Honors English 2: I like the teacher for this class, I wanted him my freshman year but he only taught regular English. The only thing I don't like about him is that his classroom religious practices are slightly overwhelming. It isn't extreme, but it's quite more than I'm used to. Perhaps it was just so for today, though. We talked a little about Dorian Gray--we wouldn't have, but someone asked a question about it ("Are the main characters homosexual?"). Well, my answer is that they're certainly not straight. I was terribly disappointed that the teacher failed to mention English romantic friendships (of which I just learned of recently, upon seeing Brideshead Revisited). I think that really covers their attractions to each other, that term. "Man crushes" would have also been an apt term, but I understand it would most likely be a little crude a term for a teacher to use.

5. Lunch: I saw Nat at lunch. Lunch wasn't really exciting though, since I did not have anything to eat. I tried to eat a brownie but I couldn't, and it just got stuck in my braces. I worry that when I finally am able to eat without pain, I won't want to anyway because I'll feel so disgusting getting food stuck everywhere.

6. Honors Chemistry 1: This was a rather unpleasant class. Instead of getting a table and chair like everyone else, I had to sit alone at a lab table in the back on a stool. I really hope my seating arrangement will change, sometime. It's quite uncomfortable.

7. Catholicism: The only "exciting" (if you will) part of this class was the girl next to me. And by "exciting" I mean very talkative and rather self-absorbed... You know those people who try to strike a conversation with you and all they can talk about is themselves? I do appreciate when people at least try to ask about you, and at least attempt to feign interest. It isn't something I enjoy, but it's certainly appreciated in contrast to listening to someone talk very animatedly about themself for long periods of time.