I think if I get through a year of this without killing anyone, virtually anything I could encounter in Chicago will seem like a cakewalk.
So, I started my day by going to my sociology class. As per usual, I got to see the long string of frat boys in their backwards caps, as they gawked at my outfit as I walked by. This only enhanced the high school-esque feeling of the school, along with the public high school bus that was dropping students off and picking them up at my "college".
I get into my Sociology class. My teacher starts saying how the administration had met and decided to have school on labor day. Well, I'm kind of tired and I've seen more ludicrousness already at this school than anywhere else, so I believe him. No one is saying anything, either laughing or protesting or any emotion at all. The usual Kalamazoo blandness, I guess. So I say something and he says, "That's a joke." Okay, no biggee. I don't always get the jokes of people I don't know, especially when delivered in such a deadpan manner. But the whole class starts laughing hysterically. Uproariously. It was insane. I hadn't seen anything like it on a college campus ever. Never. Okay, maybe I can be gullible. I admit it. But that warrants at most a little teasing, sure as hell not to be the laughing stock. This isn't high school, I thought it was a college. And that sort of inane overreacting to anyone who does anything that might stand out is just bizarre to me.
So I respond with, "you know it wouldn't be the first time in Kalamazoo that there was something that made no sense whatsoever."
"Well, that's true." The teacher said. At that point, the laughter died down. But that wasn't enough for the trashy, slovenly woman in a grateful dead tee shirt sitting next to me. She had to pull out the sarcasm card and say "Well duh, obviously it's a joke!"
So, I decided I needed to reiterate my stand with some firmness. I said "You know what? This town is do damned assbackwards that nothing would surprise me now!" Which pretty much shut her up. But I was more than a little annoyed. Okay, maybe I didn't get the joke but you know what? In the real world, where not everyone and everything is the same, people do have misunderstandings. And in the real world, when someone doesn't get a joke, people at least have the tact and the maturity to be subtle. My only comfort was knowing that in a year I'll be living in a loft apartment in Chicago, either going to a much better school or working in the design field. Whereas I could come back in ten years, and find these people in crappy housing, even uglier and blander than they are now, with three + kids, and a lifetime at a job that I already consider to be beneath me.
So, I got out of class furious and filled with hate towards my school. I didn't want to go back to high school. I wanted to go to college. I can't believe the mentality there. I mean, I know it's just a community college but Christ. So We went to lunch and then out for coffee. Still disgruntled, I got back around six pm for my Flash class.
Wow, it really is a world of difference between day classes and night classes. I mean aside from being alot quieter, it's also a lot more subdued. There are more older students, and there's a lot less attitude from the younger students. I mean sure I might get a few looks from yokels, but they're not in a big group, so they're more low key.
My class was much better too. There was actually a level of presumed intelligence, and the teacher just went over the syllabus briefly, telling us to read the rest, rather than spending an hour to explain it down to the minute detail. So, that was a relief. I played around with Flash a bit, with the various tools.
So I got home, and I felt drained from the long day but at least better. I still hate my school but I'm willing to stick it out if I can have more good classes than bad. I'm hoping that my last two will be more like the Flash class.
So, I got home and did some looking on the schedule. I noticed if I change my Thursday morning electronic publishing class to Monday morning, I can sign up for a design and appreciation class with a different teacher on Thursday evening. I had wanted to add the Thursday night class, but I was worried about the Thursday morning class. I also have an afternoon class, and was afraid two would be too much. But by scheduling the morning class on a different day, I was able to get out of that evil woman's design and appreciation class, but still actually take that class. So hopefully this will work better for me. I know that my design and appreciation class is an evening class now, so hopefully they'll be a little more accustomed to dealing with adults at least.
Blah.
I gotta say, it's fucking ironic that Valley was the impetus for moving here. I can't believe how much bullshit we were fed about this town before moving here. I mean, I've been deluded before, but this really does take the cake.
I guess the fact that I'm here is living proof that I'm gullible.