Orientation and first week of classes at UVA aka The Intellectual Meat Market

Orientation was great. Everything was an excuse to drink. In fact, Karaoke Night was only called that because the organizers couldn't call the evening "The All You Can Drink Beer Night". We all sat at long, cafeteria style tables with a pitcher of beer between four people; a pitcher of beer that was refilled 5 seconds after it was emptied by eager bar staff running around on the tables. A few frosh leaders tried to do some Karaoke, but it was pathetic, and the microphone was good only for encouraging all of us to drink.

Today we had the welcome dinner for the Graduate School's international studens, where a former student spoke and gave us practical advice about living in Amsteram. This included words of wisdom about which bars not to do heroin in (because in the black light you can't find the veins), who to buy coke from (a guy named Larry), what kind of pot to smoke (always organic, and a vapourizer is the way to go), and where to buy stolen bikes (but I'm already an expert). The dinner was great though; we each got 4 drink tokens. In Canada you're lucky to get one for tap water.

Class is also great. It is so easy compared to UofT, which was hardcore. I have two classes a week, the readings for which I already did in first year. Today I freaked because I overslept for my first class of the semester (I woke up at 9:15 for a 9am class), only to arrive at 10am and learn that the class was cancelled because the Prof never showed.