Sex, rock and roll, and random thoughts that flit through my scatterbrain

Today I was waken up by the pounding of two speakers blasting rock and roll music that could be heard throughout the block.

It seeped through the doors and dully reverbrated in my eardrums.

Followed by a frenetic knocking at the door: "Wake up! Wake up!"

I tried to get back to sleep (it was ONLY 8am) and hoped futilely that the music would soon stop.

Alas, those degenerates were wilier than that. Most people gave up the fight for a few more minutes of precious slumber and stumbled blearily, cursing, towards the washroom.

I swayed to the beat of the song still booming in the corridors while brushing my teeth.

It's COP day.

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What is COP day? Definition: Change Of Pace Day. According to my college website it says that "Change of Pace" (COP) days combine presentations and discussion with recreation and evening social activities.The topic of our very first COP (lasting a marathon 6 1/2 hours including lunch-replaces a whole schooling day) is SEX.

Interesting, yes?

Well, it was, but so LONG. Sometimes I feel like we're talking about it just for the sake of talking, just to be able to say that "yeah, we brought up the issue of sex with the students, we are an open-minded discursive community". So much of it was presentation after presentation (STI, biological explanation about sex, common sex myths, condom usage, where to turn to for help, different sexual orientations) and only a short while for discussion in which no one really lets down their guard completely.

Let's face it. There's something about sex that makes us shy away from discussing it in public, in a formal setting. There's too many implications that could be taken the wrong way and cause others to form negative opinions of you. One of the aspects that distinguish man from animals: the shame, the privacy, the taboo-ness on sex.

Some parts of it were fun as well. Biological presentation had some funny parts inserted (collage of American leaders gesturing with their forefinger and thumb a small distance apart and a text bubble saying "How big?") , the one on sexual orientation (where a gay, a lesbian and a bisexual spoke) was enlightening and the very last presentation on "The Joys of Sex" was plain funny. They wanted to end it on a happy note, and I believe they succeeded.

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Here it comes to the random thoughts part:

1) Lately I've been wondering off and on, what do I really want to achieve here? What is my priority? Blaze of academic glory? Lifelong friends and rich social life, popularity? Deeper understanding of self? Deeper walk with God?

Of course, I would love to have every one of them. But sometimes you can't do everything and a choice must be made between two different things that both mean a lot to you. If I don't have priorities and put all of these on an equal standing, what happens when it all clashes and clamours for my attention?

2) When will I truly love this place? I can see people swimming and frolicking in the water already and I'm still only half-wet, not completely at home with this environment. Is it okay? Do I need to let go of my wistful thoughts of home in order to fully enjoy each bit of my two years here?

And so it goes. Interspersed with thoughts of "what to do next?", "get laundry!", "hmm, he's kinda cute when he smiles..." and so on.

That's all for now. But if by deep cogitation, you come up with any good answers to my questions, do let me know. Then I can finally focus on Biology, which I should be studying now.

Toodles!