Creative Regurgitation AKA the art of taking finals exams

Yes, I did say final exams. You may not have expected such a phrase arising so early in my grad school "career" but it's true. I have officially survived my first (of many) grad school finals. After three weeks of nonstop Public Budgeting including daily class from 9-12 and 1-4, group work assignments, daily readings of at least 50 pages a day, the creation of a full-blown yearly budget for a hypothetical Day Care, and then a day and a half devoted to studying for the final, I went in this morning and completed the course with an exam worth a whopping 50% of my overall grade! For those that do not know me, just surviving the transition from the Paraguayan paradigm into American life has kept me on my toes--not to mention the transition to a new Syracuse way of life--but this whole studying Public Budgeting right off the bat really did a number on me. I don't have a background in budgeting and with so much financial management thrown at me and the whole time struggling to catch up with concepts that all the econ majors were flying through, I sincerely feel accomplished for having survived this course. Well, I guess that conclusion is yet to come since I don't have a clue what my grade is going to be. But, in general, I'm amazed at the actual learning capacity of the human mind and that, in a few short but intense weeks, I have been able to cram so much completely unfamiliar information into my reeling brain. I have no idea how long it'll be in there, but at least I got a lot in.

When the 3 1/2 hour test finished (it was supposed to only last 3 hours but seeing that not one person had finished with 1/2 an hour to go, they gave us an extension...I had literally started the last section with that 1/2 hour to go and was freaking out and still didn't finish the whole test with the extra time), all my anxiety swelled up from deep down and I was literally shaking for a good 20 minutes, my hand had gone numb from all the writing stressing an already stressed nerve, and I couldn't get my heart to stop racing. I found a good outlet for it though--ribs. As a celebration, a big group of Maxwellis headed down to the famous Dinosaur Barbecue in downtown Syracuse. An established biker joint, it's also a fabulous diner catering to college and tourist crowds alike. I had gone there with my friend Megan just before she and her husband shipped out of Syracuse and headed for Idaho. And, I was excited to be back--especially for THIS celebration! My friends laughed at how involved I was with my half-rack of beautifully-smoked ribs smothered in Dino BBQ sauce, but I enjoyed every bite! That, alongisde root beer on tap made me almost forget the stress of the past three weeks...almost.

We then joined up with some other MPA students to see a Friday afternoon showing of the new Batman Dark Knight movie. It was INCREDIBLE! I was a little skeptical through the first part because it was becoming painfully predictable, but then everything turned around and I had no idea what to expect and was (as one of my guy friends so lovingly pointed out) "squirming" in my seat for most of the show. Twisted, sometimes really dark and disturbing, thought-provoking, and generally mesmerizing, I LOVED this show! I don't know if I could see it again any time soon, but generally amazing. It's a tragedy that Heath Ledger was so affected by his role that it would take his life, but to his credit, his performance was truly riveting. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but I will comment on the discussions it raises on human nature and the battle between good and evil. Basically, he is a psychotic villain mastermind "with no rules" that acts completely unpredictably, turning things around and defying any sort of logic or moral reasoning. Past any self-interest, the Joker is simply insane. But, in facing his twisted tactics, there were various responses from the "good" and "bad" guys and you learn that the line isn't always as clear as we would like to think. When you can justify self-interest, you make yourself the good guy. But, when that self-interest becomes a vendetta for revenge, you make yourself a new kind of bad guy. Anyway, it really makes some interesting commentaries...the bigger and better they are, the harder they fall; sometimes people deserve more than "the truth; heroism and villainy are often only a decision away; inspiring good will also provide fodder for evil; sometimes you have to endure injustice as a result of your moral decisions; and so many more! Yes, these stories are based on comic books and written with a lot of those POW! BAM! action scenes that glorifies violence and raises mortals to invincible hero stature, but they can also be pretty inspiring, honest commentary on some of the most difficult questions in life. So, while the guys are getting their fix of blood and guts, they may also get some subliminal ethical training on the side.

Finally, I've been house/dog-sitting for the past week and have found that having a loving animal in my life has been probably the most enjoyable and sincere stress-reliever around. The chair of the International Relations department went on a trip with his wife to see family on the West Coast and asked if I wouldn't mind dog-sitting. His beautiful terrier Sophie has been a gem of a companion and I'm blessed to make a new friend that doesn't mind how much I might grumble about budgeting. She's always happy to see me, sleeps alongside me every night (and the occasional nap), and is even patient when I don't let her go as far on a walk as she might like because I don't have enough time to keep her out. I'll post some pics soon. It makes me really want to have my own puppy...but my roommate is allergic so it'll have to wait. As for now, I am thrilled to renew this love I've always had for animals and it couldn't have come at a better time (at least scholastically).

Anyway, just wanted to give an update. No, I guess these activities aren't as "exotic" or book-worthy as my romp in Paraguay, but this is, after all, just a day in the life of Kristine. And, these days, this has been my life. I'm back to the grindstone on Monday with another 3 week, 3 credit course, this time on Public Administration and Democracy. So, look forward to another analysis of my next creative regurgitation on that final...wishful thinking that I make it that long? I hope not.