Non-School Research

I feel like my eyes are turning into square shapes on account of all time I've spent looking at a computer today. It can't be helped really. I have been researching relentlessly on places to go, things to see, when to go, and a million other things about europe just about all day.

First off, I got up and was walking to Sociology of the City when some guys from my program came walking back the other way with huge smiles on their faces almost shouting all the way down the street that class was cancelled. I was mildly excited. I like that class and I like that prof so (as geeky as it sounds) I was a little disappointed. Plus, I didn't really have anything I really wanted to do today so I was sort of at a loss. But I went down to the computer lab and starting looking at stuff online and I was instantly hooked. I spent almost all of the time that I would have been in class, reading in my "Let's Go Europe" Book (thanks Amy, BEST BOOK EVER). Seriously.

Then I went to Senior Sem. The topic of class was a chapter in our textbook entitled, "The Relationship of Religion and Morality". Uh oh, major controversy brewing in this chapter. Rachels (the author) basically said that religion and morality are completely different things. He went through a bunch of arguments why that was true (using "reason"). One of the reasons they should be seperated is because some people do things because God says they are right and Rachels says that that is bad reason to do something (paraphrasing here). I actually kind of agree but through the WHOLE chapter, Rachels never once mentioned faith. I think that sometimes you have to do things because you BELIEVE that they are what God wants you to do and that's all you have. That can give people a lot of courage and make people do (good) things that they normally wouldn't do. Sorry to get all evangelistic or whatever but I was a little put off by this chapter. Rachels, in the last paragraph of the chapter, says that "he isn't anti-god". I might disagree. We spent the rest of class doing a readthrough of "Murder in the Cathedral" by T.S. Eliot in preperation for our visit to Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday. Sir Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in 1270 and people have gone on pilgrimages there ever since. Needless to say, I am excited to visit.

After class, I researched more for what I want to do during and after my classes are done. Nothing set in stone, just accumulating knowledge and seeing if things pique my interest or not. I did a half grocery store visit. That means that I bought stuff for lunch and breakfast but not any dinner options really. I still have spaghetti for tomorrow night so I probably won't do that until Wednesday. Very exciting stuff, I know. Oh well. All in all, it was a pretty relaxing day (even if my eyes are tired from staring at the screen), my first one in a while. I hope everyone had a good Monday (not really possible).

Peace!