Multicultural Madness

Hello, friends! Today's post will be longer than usual; I did a lot of cool things last week, and since I'm going home for the coming weekend I will not be posting anything. 

My exciting tale starts with last Wednesday, when my RA took my floor stargazing at Shelburne Pond. Being from New Jersey (which is very suburban) I was a little skeptical; how interesting can stars be? But I forgot that this is Vermont. Out in the woods with light pollution, sitting on a rock next to what should really be called a lake, the stars suddenly became much more captivating. We sat by the pond for awhile, then went back to a grassy area and practiced meditation. Overall, it was a very zen-inducing experience. Sadly, I have no pictures to share, as my iPhone just isn't smart enough to pick up stars when it is pitch-black outside. 

Wednesdays there is also a farm stand set up on campus. Everything sold comes from the college's garden, which is managed by students. Lacking a kitchen, I usually don't go for the produce, but I always buy flowers.

My zinnias!

Friday night was cultural event number one. I went to see a French movie - or maybe it is better labeled as Canadian - called Bon Cop, Bad Cop, to fulfill one of my Cultural Engagement Requirements for my French class. For both my French and Spanish classes (so presumably for all language classes, but I'm not sure), I have to attend two events where that language or culture is present. Movies count, so off I went.

I wasn't sure what to expect of the film; my only hope was that there would be subtitles. Much to my relief, there were, and I spent two hours enjoying a surprisingly funny (yet slightly violent) film that Wikipedia terms a "dark comedy-thriller." The film makes light of the tension between Quebec and Ontario that is heavily rooted in stereotypes and other, more complicated issues. Although I'm not a fan of thrillers, I still enjoyed it. Check it out!

Saturday I finally got to experience the organized chaos that is the Burlington Farmers' Market. There is just about every kind of food imaginable, from a butcher's stand to everything maple to a tent selling pumpkins and flowers. I had a fresh sausage sandwich for lunch, and tried some maple cookies, which were amazing. I wish I could better describe all of the awesome, local food they have to offer, but the market is really something you have to experience for yourself. Guess you'll have to come and see!

My evening was a little hectic; there was henna, tea, and mandala-style coloring on the first floor of Dion, so I started with that. I've gotten henna several times, but usually at amusement parks, so it was really cool that it was only three flights of stairs away from my room. Yes, that means I live on the fourth floor, and yes, my legs remind me of that fact every day. But sometimes I use the elevator.

My henna, with the paste still on. It looked much cooler after.

So I got really cool henna, and a picture of an elephant that I am still coloring. I have since been convinced that coloring as a form of decompressing is a completely valid theory. 

After the henna, I went up two flights of stairs to the Latin-american culture event. The school had brought in a dance teacher, who gave salsa lessons for an hour, and then there was a dance (with food!) for another four. I'm not much of a dancer, but the food was definitely worth attending for. I even tried plantains, which I am still not a fan of, but would rank above bananas - the absolute worst kind of fruit, in my opinion. 

I then spent Sunday recovering from my Saturday, and also fit in some homework, too. 

As I said earlier, I won't be posting anything next weekend, as I will be home (!!!). See you in two weeks!
Laura