elanya

I just had my first course of the program... History and theory of nautical archaeology. I'm to do a class on the 21st of October on sail and steam - ship types for archaeologists or something like that. basically how to identify wreck sites underwater.

In about 25 min I have my first Maritime History of the Western World 1450-1850 class. This is, I keep being told, the most demanding course I will have to take here. After that, I am hoping I will better be able to judge if I will be able to manage the Sea Power class, or if I should stay in Legal and Professional Issues or maybe take the Museum course (Which could be fun, but I also keep reminding myself of how I actually wrote six manuals on how to run museums ;p). Those are, basically, my three options at this point. Legal and professional issues is mostly dealing with American stuff, and grant writing. I am not really planning to do work in America, though, so the first part is maybe not so great, and I have done grant writing classes before (in honours anth at UNB), but more wouldn't be bad... Sea Power is a core course for my program, but it might be too much work with the Maritime History course and my 20-hour a week assistantship. I'm really not sure what my best course of action will be, but I am hoping I can talk to Dr. Swanson and maybe he can give me some better advice. I am told, however that he is kind of non-commital in the advice giving department. I keep wondering if it is because he spent so long in canadian institutions ;)

Anyway... What else? I might get to go to Ralleigh, the state capital, this weekend with one of the other guys from my course (Brian something, who was in the coast guard for a long time). He is also the one responsible for keeping me distracted during Exia (my apologies... it is hard to balance focus versus meeting new people and socializing with potential friend types when I am in a public lab, I'm finding). Anyway, he is going to look at bikes (which are terribly over-priced here - even used), maybe, and also hit costco. Well, we shall see, anyway. it would be a good opportunity to get out, and my weekend looks pretty free so far ;p I do have readings to do already, though... I'm two-thirds of the way through the first (of eight!) M. Hist books, and I just got one for theory that I need to review in a week or so. I am looking forward to this next class a lot though, it is supposed to be very interesting and a really good course, despite/because of the work required for it.

Anyway, I'm going to wander down that way now. Better to be early than late, and I want to check out this review book a bit as well.

Oh, before I do, there are a lot of people on my friends list today who need some hugs and general support, so if you are one of them, have some more *hugs* :)