Academics and Alcohol

Broken Keyboard

I think this is a physical expression of what most of us here are feeling. If I had an extra keyboard to smash, I probably would. Weather permitting, maybe I'll go look for one this afternoon. As everything meteorological tells us to stop doing what we're doing, stay inside, and stay warm, the semester continues. And therefore, so must we. And after classes we lock ourselves in rooms. Feeding off of socially inset fears of colossal failure and only the strongest of caffeine, we do our best to avoid brutal internet consumerism and complete whatever mind numbing task that's been assigned. It's an all too familiar process. As our eyes become bloodshot, we nervously eat our fingers, and of course smash keyboards.

But last week was a glorious victory in the ongoing battle against state funded pedantics. The "class" is ecocar. Every year, Shell sponsors an eco-marathon. "To drive as far as possible using the least amount of energy: that is the Shell Eco-marathon challenge!". From what I've heard we've won a few of the classes. This year we will have an urban concept vehicle running on dymethyl ether and a prototype running on hydrogen fuel cells. Just to give you an idea, checking the results on Shell and googling into our idiotic English units, the top car in the internal combustion engine class was capable of 6,786 miles on one gallon of fuel. That would easily cover four trips from New York to Florida. Now I don't know the details of that car or anything, but it probably wasn't too comfortable, and I'm sure it didn't have a radio. I know I know, that blows, but still, it's a start right?

As for the class, I'm currently involved in the journalist/sponsor group. And I've finally got something to show for the work I've put in.


I designed and finally launched the ecocar website (though I ironically did not write it). It's still early to criticize it too much, but feel free to give me any input. Even though the media section of the page isn't up yet, I can give you a peak at some of the ideas we're working with. A student, Peter Schmidt, drew up these amazing concepts, and I photoshopped in some shadows and a bigger signature to make them look a bit more professional. They're not quite final as the aerodynamics group hasn't fully tested the models, but it gives you an idea.

Last Wednesday was the first sponsor reception for the project. We had about 8 Danes come from all over the country to come see our work first hand. After we got the site up, it was off to the market for 6 bottles of wine and a few cases of beer. After they left we finished the plates of fancy food and sat around and drank. Not too bad for another day of classes.

In Need of Tie-Dyed Leg Warmers

I got up around 7:30 this morning to giddily postpone my gentle electronic awakening, and to close the window as my room was beginning to get a bit cold. When I woke up at 9 it was snowing, and quite hard. Oh how I missed it. Though it turns out my fall beard isn't growing in fast enough to save me money on a scarf. Crap.

This past weekend they had the Halloween frisbee tournament back home. It's been more than two and a half months since I've played. And some how I'm not getting fat. Haven't figured that one out yet. I was really trying to plump up in time for Christmas. Especially as a natural means of staying warm in a frigid and dark country. It's just logical. I'm rambling... I miss frisbee. I miss it quite a bit. Back when I was playing I was ambitious enough to think I'd be able to easily join a league here. Well that hasn't happened yet. Maybe it will, but as of now, my cleats are sitting in the corner of my room cleaner than probably any other thing in my room and filled with Gold Bond. I'd very much like to get them some proper usage out here, but until then I guess I can just bask in my fond but sexually questionable memories of years past.


If only I could dress like this more often...

So at this point in anyone's semester, the academics are really kicking in. If you've spoken with me at all since I've been out here you're probably well aware than I'm struggling. But after two months it seems to be picking up now. Yesterday I built a three room apartment with Legos with which I'll test a primitive climate control system, and today I've been interviewing Danes in my ecocar course as I prepare to launch their website. It's not all bad. It's not bad at all actually. As much as I complain about everything, it's hard not to love it out here.