Generic Blog Entry Mark I

After last week's "meeting" with Greg, I was a tad bit distraught. I was not commended on my blog entries, though I wasn't expected to be. What really got me was the fact that he assumed that I was behind on my blogs. Until about five minutes ago, I had simply assumed that he hadn't bothered to read anything I had written. Perhaps this is the case, and maybe it isn't. Either way my motivation to write interesting blog entries has subsequently dropped. Regardless, Now I can clearly see that for some reason my blog entries are scattered across this blog, and must be searched either by name or spotted somewhere among the 80 other entries on a long list. Greg, I am up to date on my blogs, and I will explain this to you on Tuesday.

Ok, time to blog it up.

This past week, the Dean of the International Studies Department and my advisor Dr. Hagan came to visit the Chateau. This was particularly nice because I was able to get advised at the Chateau, bypassing all of the obstructing bureaucracy that is the WVU advising system. This upcoming semester, I plan to graduate. I do enjoy the city of Morgantown, and their law school isn't half-bad, so I am planning to stay another three years at WVU Law. That is if they take me, of course.

On Wednesday, we met with Dr. Hagan outside the mammoth facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg. We sat down for a drink, and he proceeded to explain to us some of the enthralling history of the church: The mixture of architectural styles resultant of periods of contention between the Germans and the French for hundreds of years. He pointed out the fact that this particular church was unique, as it possessed an exoskeleton of sorts, surrounding the front of the church like a set of fishnet stockings. Following the short lecture, we were met by our tour guide at a cafe adjacent to the cathedral. She took us inside the Notre Dame, but within minutes, we were outside again surveying the exterior art work of the church, due to an unexpected student mass taking place. I could liken the sculpture on the outside of the church to a visit to the Louvre. It would take me days to properly view and assess the myriad of artwork present on the Cathedral. Each terraced level of stone told a story, whether it was a dipiction of the Last Judgment, or the cliche crucifixion of Jesus. One piece that caught my attention, after being brought to light by our tour guide, was the sculpture depicting the parable of the wise virgins. With Jesus in the center, there were three wise virgins on his right, who were all bearing burning lamps with sufficient oil, on his left were three more virgins, all lacking oil for their lamps. Next to these three unwise virgins was a seemingly innocent looking chap holding an apple. What was most interesting was that this man was not innocent at all. Rather, he was the Devil in disguise. Upon acute observation, one can see both snakes and frogs climbing up his back. (Insert philosophical assertion here).

Today, in about three hours, I am meeting with my multicultural team in order to prepare for a presentation on international business negotiation. This has been quite the learning experience, and I have certainly found two new friends in Anders of Denmark and Evelyn from Mexico. They are both intelligent, task oriented, and very personable people. If there is anything I hope to bring home other than experience from this semester, it is friends from different countries, all with their unique perspectives on the world. I absolutely love the fact that these two have more knowledge about American politics than the vast majority of American citizens. I can be assured that after every meeting with these two, I will leave with a headache, increased disdain for the American political education and political structure, and the pressing desire to have been born somewhere else, somewhere that is neither overwhelmingly ignorant about the rest of the planet, nor despised by the masses in foreign lands. Thus concludes Generic Blog Entry Mark I. Disengage.

-Tyler Collins