Classes: Day 1

Today was my first day of classes at Duke. My first class was 8:45 AM Math 31 in West Duke on East Campus. Confusing. I woke up to eat breakfast in the Marketplace and bolted across the lawn to West Duke Building realizing it was two minutes past the time class started. No worries.

I walked in. My professor is a grad student from South Korea. Though it was hard to understand him for the most part, I did not for some reason feel stressed by the upcoming semester. So good, so far.

The hottest day I've experienced yet. I stopped by a booth for a Loco Pop. (Locopops.org) It's the thing around here...found only in this NC area... Loco Pops. We also like Ben and Jerry's shops, I've noticed. I couldn't decided what flavor to get...Mexican Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Apricot Amaretto, Cherry Lime, Mango Chile, Cucumber Chile..I had never seen such a variety of flavors. I asked the man about the pops..some were cream based..some water based.

Sweating from the awful heat, I couldn't decide..so I got one of each. The apricot amaretto and the cucumber chile. They were amazing. Different. For sure. The cucumber chile had ACTUAL cucumber..and ACTUAL chile..not just flavors. Completely different than the popsicle I expected. But I loved it; my first Locopop experience. Rather exciting.

I then spent way too much time looking for the Student Health Center to make an appointment. It turns out it's behind the entire school..

My next walk was towards Science Drive for my Chemistry Class. At first I was worried because I couldn't find the building. I asked a grad student, and she led me through the scenic trees, up concrete steps into the building. Awful building. The grad student said the lovely scenic route had to make up for the ugliest building on campus. haha.

Four chem professors stood at the front of the room waiting for students to arrive and quiet down. It made me rather nervous, for at first none of them smiled.

The class is taught by two of the four professors. The lab is administered by one. The fourth does actual demonstrations...like exerting enough pressure on a cotton ball to ignite a flame.

We'll see how the next few days go in there....

Next stop, endurance swimming. I ran out of Chem 31 up the hill towards Wilson gym. Be reminded, it is the hottest day I've felt here.

Endurance swimming. What can I say other than I have never taken swimming, never learned how to properly swim. Intense. One word. The class consists of 12, mostly guys, AT LEAST twice my size. A little much intimidating. On the other end of the pool, competition divers flip once...twice...three times..four...splash..from a diving board at least 25 feet in the air.

I made it through.

I stayed at the Wilson gym to get my cardio in on the elliptical for about half an hour, ending my workout for the day with a kiwi, smoothie, water, and a shower. To be honest, there was no point in showering..as soon as I got back outside, I began perspirating again.

I pushed my way through the mobs of students onto a hot, cramped bus to get back to East campus. Everyone smelled awful. I smiled though. This was so different for me...but there have been so many moments in my past week here that I can't help but smile. It's the experience. Whether it's trying out a local favorite restaurant, taking the bus, meeting new people, walking across campus, driving through Durham/Raleigh...

I got back to my humid dorm and cleaned up a bit, attended a dance minor information meeting, went to dinner to meet an Indian girl and two others. I followed along with them to the Duke Forever Block Party, got a Class of 2014 directory, took a bus to West to use the computer. I dropped out of music and movement after the info session and signed up for Modern Dance I which meets tomorrow afternoon.

I believe now..it's time to get started on homework and laundry... :)

One day down.