Dance class, charades, and AUTC girls night out

Yesterday was a very frustrating day for me. Not night, the night was fantastic, but day. Basically, I went to dance class and left feeling sore with pained knees and frustrated with the structure and combinations of the class. My professor seems to care much more about doing combinations fast instead of well, so we do combinations that basically have us flail around spastically because there is no way to do the movement she is asking in a more graceful way. I may have longer limbs, but it is ridiculous. We, again, spent an hour working on the warmup, with her intermittently lecturing the class about how "they can't be like this in class in the real world" (which may be true but could be summed up in a few minutes, not an hour). I was so frustrated, and she kept fixing what I was doing without actually telling me what she wanted me to be doing. So frustrating.

Last night was really fun though. I made an extensive and delicious tofu with vegetables stirfry and then we played charades!! It was epic. There were six of us and so we divided up into teams of three, the girls v. the guys. Basically, we got to watch the guys act out "Single Ladies" and Shakira and escargot while they got to watch us try and act out Hugh Hefner and the Bed Intruder song (yours truly got to act that treasure out) and Pride and Prejudice. It was so funny, and one of the best moments of the game was my flatmate wiggling his hips around like Shakira. I was dying. I didn't take pictures but when my friend puts them up maybe I'll post them.

Today I talked to the International student adviser about what to do for my class. I mean, it's past the add/drop date but I was certain that there would be a way to get around that. Basically, I got approved to take the 300-level dance class, so I would have to work with the department to take that, or I can stay in the 200-level class - which would be much easier and is literally only a technique class. I don't know what to do because I feel like part of it is the professor that I'm not a huge fan of but she teaches both classes. For the 300-level I would have to do choreography, which would actually be really cool, but I have no idea if that's something I want to devote my extra time to while I'm here. Especially because the choreography is probably much different here than in the States. I don't know. Soooo frustrating. But I'm going to talk to the prof tomorrow, unapproachable as she is, and talk to her about what I should do. I need to decide by tomorrow afternoon pretty much. I left the meeting with the International adviser feeling extremely frustrated about the entire situation. Usually dance class helps relieve my stress, it doesn't create it. When I was walking home from class I was just thinking, "I wish I could dance this out" and knowing that nothing I've taken so far here would allow me to do that how I want to really was difficult. If I wasn't so sore from yesterday's class I would have gone running, but I have class the next two days so I figured that might not be the best idea. I know I've been ranting about this class quite a bit, but it's the lone thing that is stressing me out right now and I'm just kicking myself for not dropping the class and auditing it instead.

I felt better when I talked to Katherine and Whitney over facebook today (seriously, if you're reading this, talking to you both made me feel so much better!) and I realized that if this is the only thing that's really making me upset, horrible as is it that it's dance, it's something I'm going to have to deal with and there are way too many amazing things about being here to spend all of my time thinking about that one class (but do expect more frustrated posts about it). And it also gives me another thing to look forward to about returning home - taking legit dance classes with other trained dancers and instructors that teach well and know their stuff.

Tonight I went to girls' night out with the AUTC (Auckland University Tramping Club). I was expecting there to be a lot of people there but there were only maybe eight of us? And one guy showed up. I don't think he understood the concept of 'girls night out' but whatever. He was also kind of creepy, so I made a point not to talk to him. We ate Japanese food, which was overpriced for how good it was but whatever, and then went to a cocktail bar down the street. There was a special on cocktails, so I had to get the [normally] most expensive one that was on the specials list. It was delicious - there was Baileys, Frangelico, Kalua, cream and chocolate syrup mixed together with cocoa powder on the top. It was like a sundae. It was awesome. I already know that being able to go to a bar and have one drink and then go home is something I'm going to miss when I return to the States. It's not a big deal to have a drink here and I like that. And both of the cocktails I have had here have been tasty. 21 is so ridiculous. Anyway.

I really hope that Piha or Waiheke actually happen this weekend. I think they will as long as the weather stays nice. Waiheke is more likely though because I can take the ferry, versus Piha where you basically need to drive. Problem because I don't have a car.. oh well. Sometime I suppose. And St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow! And yes I will be wearing green even though I'm not Irish.

my dinner! (I don't have any exciting pictures from the last couple days)

my drink! (seriously, even looks like a sundae)
(and yes that is chocolate syrup on the bottom :) SO good)