NICO | GALOPPO || journal

While UNC undergrads are spending their spring break tanning and drinking away in sun-immersed paradises like the Virgin Islands, Cancun or snorkling in Bermuda (and getting class credit for it too!), the life of a grad student is not so. I am spending my days sipping Peruvian caffeine at Weaver Street Island and writing the Integrative Paper for the PhD requirement. It’s OK though, I like sitting here with my iPod, listening to Lais, and observing the people. WSM is situated in Carrboro, which has the reputation of being somewhat of an alternative (almost revolutionary) population. It is clear that Bush isn’t very popular over here, and I have noticed that most of the regulars in here can be categorized in three groups:

• Other undergrads reading and writing papers
• People reading books about Lebanon, Libya and grannies looking into photo documentary books of Afghanistan
• Retired 40-year olds with their laptops and bluetooth wireless cell phones playing the trade markets all day

Still, the conversation is friendly, and overhearing some of the conversations is fun (the trick is to turn your iPod volume down).