Kosher

For Lent, I decided to eat kosher. However, as Lent technically ends on Resurrection Day, I decided to extend my kosher eating until after Passover, since this year Passover falls after Resurrection Day. I know, odd. It didn't seem right to quit eating kosher right before Passover. Anyway, I've found that my diet has changed far more significantly than I thought it would. To eat kosher, there are three main things that have to be followed:

1) Only meat from an animal the chews the cud and has a cleaved hoof. Basically, that means no pig or equine animal. I highly doubt that they'll be serving horse or donkey in food service, though.

2) No shellfish or bottom-feeding fish. That's been pretty easy.

3) Don't mix dairy with meat. This means no meat and cheese sandwiches, no sour cream and shredded cheese in chili, no alfredo sauce with meat in it, etc.
Now, all of these sounded really simple to me, and they are. The elimination process is very easy to follow. However, because of this, I eat a lot more vegetables. On top of this, I've been under the weather with some sort of congestion illness that's been going around. So, guess what I've been drinking a lot of? Orange juice. So, with the combination of lots of vegetables and orange juice, I have to relieve myself far more often than I used to.

I have a Messianic Judaic friend who, upon hearing that I was eating kosher until after Passover, told me that I ought to go kosher full-time. I don't think I will, because I like having sour cream and shredded cheese in my chili, and one of my favorite sandwiches is ham and swiss.

I didn't succeed in coming across as mad today; however, I did succeed in spending most of the day speaking with a British accent. I've realized that my problem is that I need to have a reason to go mad, something like a bump on the head or a tragedy. That is how Hamlet was able to begin; there was a basis for people to give cause to his madness. We'll see what comes my way (ex. an injury or a nightmare), made up or no.

If no one reads these, then thus shall it be.

As I've found that no one appears to read this blog, I thought I'd disclose some information since none but I shall read it. For the next few days, I am going to feign madness. I saw a film RTC production of Hamlet starring David McDonald (also known by his stage name, David Tennant). Hamlet appeared to be having such fun feigning his madness that I thought I'd try it. The only difficulty is how far I take it. Do I allow my roommate to believe my madness? We shall see. I shan't allow the madness to affect my work or academics; however, once outside the workplace or the classroom, I shall be an absolute loon. I shall call the annoying young man who haunts me a fishmonger, the pagan who avoids me a gravedigger, and so on and so forth. If someone reminds me the slightest bit of Captain Hook, I shall call them a codfish. What fun this shall be!

Blessed With a Friend

I recently rediscovered a private blog from a few years ago, and it reminded me of the passion I had for my overseas home. It's been rekindled to at least some degree, which I needed.
Due to missing my overseas home, I called one of the young ladies at my college who also lived overseas, saying that I was having an "mk moment". It turned out to be a real blessing. We discovered that we had both needed someone we could talk to about our past adventures who would understand the perspective behind it. It was wonderful.

Most Americans don't understand that once one has been overseas for an extended period of time, it completely changes one's perspective of the world. The American dream comes across as boring. One wishes (especially at our age) that more time were spent on talking about things not nearly so meaningless as video games and television shows. (Now, there is a time and a place for such things, but at our age, people talk about such things far too often.) One finds small reminders of past experiences much more meaningful. One's whole worldview is affected. That is why my friend and I feel very blessed to have found one another.

First B2

I am now living on a college campus for the first time. My new college is very very far from home, and so it's not possible to visit often. However, there are plenty of things to do here. Sometimes I wish I had more down time. It's as if I barely can scrap together time to get my assignments done. And yet, I manage to have snippets of time with my new friends.
I'm picky about choosing friends, so there are only four, maybe five, people whom I consider my friends. Why I'm like that is for another time. However, I do recognize many a face on campus. I simply consider them either acquaintances or people I'm familiar with. It's interesting to see how many different kinds of people can be gathered to a college. I rejoice when I find someone who has anything of significance in common with me. Anyway, life here is good.

First A2

I have my first roommates ever. There are four of us: two 25-year-olds, two 19-year-olds, and a 13-month-old. It has been so much fun living with these girls. I love it!

First X1, Y1, and Z1

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. I've had several firsts since then. For one, I finished my first year of college. It's strange; it's a significant step in my life, and yet it feels just as mediocre as every year I finished in grade school. I suppose that's because my community college feels more like a high school due to all the early college and dual enrollment students. Immaturity galore!
Another first is that I'm job-hunting. I know this sounds like I've got the luck of a leprechaun, but every paying job that I've had so far I got because someone offered it to me before I had the opportunity to go searching for one. Now that I'm going to need a second job to save up for car insurance over the summer, the hard work has to be done. I'm glad that I'm doing it, though. This will prepare me for the real world.
My final first for this post is that I went to my first wedding for a childhood friend. I had a good time. However, every time I think back on it, I have to remind myself that she has married at a young age. It seems that once you get to college, even in one's first year people are talking about getting married. This makes it difficult when one wants to get married but doesn't even see any promising ones out there. I've had to learn that patience is key. My man will come along in God's timing. He doesn't have to show up tomorrow, this year, or even while I'm in college. I'm going to be alright.
Welcome, summer. Treat me kindly, please. I'm going through a lot of changes right now.