I've just finished my first anthropology honors assignment, so as you should guess, I'm feeling pretty accomplished now. But probably not for long, because I've got the Odyssey by Homer sitting on my shelf (I refuse to look at it), and I haven't even completed the Iliad yet! Okay I need some serious help here. All this Greek Great Books stuff honestly doesn't appeal to me- hopefully i can get through this term without too much mishap. Also finished my German Language Learning Journal, in which I clumsily scrawled a paragraph in halting, ungrammatical German about my life in UM so far and the challenges of rowing, and hopefully my recitation tutor gives me a check plus for that. I wonder why they call the foreign language lessons "recitations" instead of "discussions"? The word "recitations" never fails to evoke mental images of little European children sitting at wooden desks in a small classroom and obediently chanting phrases from a large reader aloud.

Taking a well-deserved break from gym today- actually I wanted to go down to the intramural sports building to erg (use the rowing machine/ ergometer) before dinner, but it's raining heavily out and I can just feel the burning glare of the Odyssey boring holes into my head so I decided to give erging a miss, just for today. Today's morning run was kind of odd, because it was really misty outside and visibility was rather bad. I could hardly see anything a hundred yards down the street, especially when I was running down South State bypassing the Athletic Campus and wanted to cross the road to East Stadium Boulevard, and it was rather hard to cross because cars would suddenly appear from nowhere, making it rather tough for me to get over to the other side.

Ted and I went to check out Harvest Mission Community Church (HMCC) today, which had its Sunday celebrations at the very accessible Angell Hall Auditorium A, which is just 5 minutes from South Quad if I walk, or barely a minute if I run. It's the place where I have my Political Science 140 lectures, so instead of seeing Prof. Inglehart and his powerpoint slides, it was a welcome change to see the church band and Hillsong praise songs on the overhead screen. I must say I'm definitely more accustomed to the style of the worship, much more charismatic in form as compared to at First Presbyterian off Washtenaw, which I visited 2 weeks ago. That was somewhat more traditional and homely, but edifying nonetheless (they had a terrific old grandma with a voice worthy of the opera stage to lead the hymns). HMCC was not bad, I daresay I would feel pretty comfortable there. For some reason it's primarily Asians, perhaps because the pastoral staff are all Koreans or something to that effect. Next week I think I'll be checking out New Life with Ted and Hannah (one of my crew buddies), which has its celebrations at 10.01am (hmmm!) at the Modern Languages Building auditorium 3. And that's where I have my Great Books 191(zzzZZ) lecture and Cultural Anthropology 101 lecture. But I'm glad I went to church.

***
Proclaim Your awesome power
Tell of mighty deeds
Declare Your future kingdom
Of everlasting peace

And my eyes they look
Unto You always
And I am captured
By your majesty

All of my days
I will sing of Your greatness
All of my days
I will speak of Your grace
All of my days
I will tell of Your wondrous love
Your love in my life
Your love

All Your works will praise You
Your children bless Your name
We speak of all Your goodness
We walk in fields of grace

And my eyes they look
Unto You always
And I am captured
By your majesty
***

Hillsong: All of My Days