After months of silence, I have returned to Revenite Veritatem with guns blazing. I have had many things to say, but no proper way to say it. One of my biggest concerns of late has been politics, and given my strong resistance to devoting this site to the political cause, I have resisted posting about all the exciting things happening in that world. There are only two things I will say on this matter:
Congratulations to Bob McDonnell on winning the Virginian gubernatorial race by nearly 60%.
I encourage the members of the 8th Congressional District of Illinois to look into Republican candidate Maria Rodriguez. Find her here.
It's been a very good semester here at UVA; classes have been busy and challenging, but ultimately very satisfying. The marching season is coming to a close, with only the game against Virginia Tech remaining. The football team has been weak this year, currently standing at 3-7, but they gave me two sweet away game trips to watch them win at UNC and Maryland. Hard to believe we're already almost done with the first semester of Second Year.
Which brings us to second semester. I have been approved to go to Rome for the semester, and I am very excited. I can assure you that, unlike this semester, I will regularly be returning to the truth to chronicle my experiences.
For your viewing pleasure, here is a scene from Fall in Virginia: Given my amount of time away, I'll leave you with a fitting reflection from Francis Cardinal George, OMI, regarding losing time: Losing time is different from wasting time. Losing time usually means that one has been so absorbed in private concerns that you lose track of the larger rhythms of nature and of society. Losing time can leave you isolated, unless the time “lost” is spent with God. God always keeps us connected, whether we realize it or not. God bless you.
Springfield was quite an experience. I learned and did a lot. Outside the Capitol, we saw the Old Capitol Building and went to the Lincoln museum. I highly recommend the museum; it's a fitting tribute to a great man. Inside the building, I had the opportunity to help staff the Education Committee, watch the special session from the gallery, and even walk around the house floor! It certainly solidified my love of politics.
View from the Speaker's podium
Musically, I have been keeping busy lately, as well. I have seen Blues Traveller, Huey Lewis and the News, Tom Jones, and Steve Miller Band. Tom Jones was fantastic--he is still going just as strong as he was 50 years ago.
Now, I am sitting at the kitchen table of my Grandma's house in New Jersey, gearing up for our Jersey shore vacation tomorrow. To all at home or in transit, have a great rest of the week!
I have gone on unintentional hiatus from the blog yet again this summer. I kept putting off finishing my Brazil trip posts, but then everything else began to pass by. I am just going to stop with the Brazil recaps and say that you are more than welcome to ask me about my trip if you want to know more!
So many things have been going on this summer: culturally, physically, metaphysically.... First things first. I am working for a couple of different political entities this summer, and am enjoying every minute of it. Learning about the workings of state government is a new experience for me, and it has been a positive journey so far.
Next, we took our final leave of the priory at school yesterday. It has been sad to see the Carmelites leave, but I am thankful for their 47 years of care and am excited for the new things that are awaiting my friends on the horizon. As King Arthur once willed, their "fleeting wisp of glory" will not be forgotten in the hearts of those who care.
Culturally, I have been doing a lot, too. I have been downtown to see the "Legally Blonde" twice in one weekend (believe it or not), down to watch the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform a tribute to Rogers and Hammerstein, out to Ravinia to see a concert performance of my dear "Camelot" (by Lerner and Loewe), and downtown just last friday to see Topol perform "Fiddler on the Roof" in his farewell tour. I was very surprised at how much I was moved by "Fiddler;" if you can get your hands on the score or the movie (Topol played Tevye in the movie, too) I highly recommend it.
And now, we gear up for the Fourth of July. Hopefully I will have a patriotic post in for that! Until next time, may you all continue to enjoy the summer.
I apologize for the lateness of my updates. I was not able to use my own computer down in Brazil to access the internet, so I had to wait. Anyway, I'm going to break this into three parts: one for each of the cities I was in. First, Rio:
We got to Rio de Janeiro around noontime on Saturday. We got a quick lunch at the airport, and then hopped on a bus and headed to Candelaria church in the city, where we gave our first concert. It was extremely well received. My favorite moment was at the end: the audience clamored for their national anthem again, and came to the front and sang with gusto. Afterwards, though, they clamored for our national anthem, and sang it just as proudly. God Bless America.
The next day, we toured around the city. We went to the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, and also saw Christ the Redeemer. He is massive, rising up from the peak of the mountain outside the city. His arms reach out to the city and to the world.
The semester is finally over as of 11 AM this morning, and with it my freshman year of college. Hard to believe.
I am writing this to you from my hotel in Miami, where I am eagerly awaiting tomorrow's commencement of the trip to Brazil. After months of preparation, I am ready for it to happen.
Expect updates--I should have internet. Good luck to all my friends taking AP tests, and to all my UVA friends, congratulations on and thank you for a great year!
As I sit in the library endeavoring to study for economics, it's almost uncanny that I realize I really shouldn't neglect my blog any longer.
A lot of things have gone on sine I have last updated. Let's have a look at the recent scenes from a rapidly passing parade:
-A few weeks ago was the week of political happenings. First, I met former Secretary of State Warren Christopher at a talk he was giving at the Miller Center. I was one of a handful of students invited to attend (many thanks to my US History TA). Two days later, I attended an address given by the German Ambassador to the United States Klaus Scharioth. Both men gave excellent reflections on the future of the United States in foreign affairs, and had good perspectives on Israel and the Middle East.
-Foxfield happened. Essentially, the University picks itself up and moves a few miles over to a racetrack for the day. It's a steeplechase, you know. It was quite southern, with all the gentlemen in ties and all the ladies in dresses and big hats. Well, I was in my summer hat, too, so ladies and me....It was lovely to be in the sun with horses and friends for a bit before finals mania began.
-Finals mania began. I had my first exam this morning, and have an exam and a paper due both on Monday and Tuesday, and have yet another exam on Thursday of next week. By the grace of God, we'll get through it.
-The final countdown to the Brazil trip is commencing. A week from today, I'll already be in Miami preparing for the next day's trip to Sao Paolo. I am very excited--expect pictures! Our performances are going to be aired on the Brazilian equivalent of PBS and on radio while we're there; I will give a holler if I discover that they are anywhere on the internet.
And, as usual, many things I'm sure I forgot. I'm very excited to be coming home for the summer for a while, and I'm sure many shenanigans will be springing from that, not the least of which being Ravinia trips and musical goodness.
I should really get back to studying, but I will leave you with an old but good youtube video. To all who are finishing up their semesters, I wish the best of luck with finals and safe travels home. Until next time, take care!
