Day 48, 3/9/2010; Maybe today is the day

Day 41 3/2/2010

Ok now I can talk about this day. Maybe today I'll finish it... no I probably won't..

Well this was Tuesday. It was a very long day. We had to be up at the school at the normal time but we wouldn't finish for the day till way late. We started the day with videography again. Today was just another lecture because we weren't ready to mess with the cameras yet. We went through that part of the day with nothing more exciting happening than me taking notes and everyone else messing with their computers. We didn't really pay attention because this is stuff that we've been over before. Right after that we had lunch then the last half of the day was studio. Today we were to start a new project because we finished the last one last Thursday. We were to split up into groups of two. Today was not a good day for me emotionally. I was beginning to get that left out feeling again. Then I get stuck with the person that no one else likes either as a partner for the rest of the semester. It kinda sux. It was just like Jr. high when you know no one else really likes you that much and you get stuck with the only other person that they don't like more than you. Well we got our character. I wasn't too happy about it because I couldn't think of anything at first. She is a Monstress, shes half pretty half ugly. Shes obsessed with flying and hates flies and mosquitoes. That was all they told us, O and she dreams of being a stewardess. So we had to come up with a character analysis based on the questions they provided. It was rather difficult. We came up with one though and it was a good one. After we did that I started to try to draw her but it was little difficult. We spent the rest of the day coming up with her story. After that we presented her to the rest of the class. Everyone else presented as well and the day was over. I didn't have much else to do so I headed home.


Day 42 3/3/2010

Today class was canceled for both. The last game class was suppose to be today and the videography class was moved to Friday. I ended up sleeping most of the day. Again. I didn't want to go anywhere. I also spent part of the morning taking pictures for an assignment that we had due the next day. Vanessa came home early today and I didn't take the bath I wanted to take because she was here. So I messed around in my room and talked to Sean over the internet. I should have gone out and done something but I didn't want to go anywhere. I was tired from having to get up early and the next week we would have to get up even earlier. This was all that I did this day.


Day 43 3/4/2010

This was one of our excursion days. We had several company visits as well as class. We didn't have to meet up till around 10 so it was ok that I slept a little later. We were also meeting up at the hauptbahnhof which cuts off most of my travel time in the morning so I can leave later in the day. I got to the hauptbahnhof and we caught one of the region trains over to Bad Godesberg. Our first excursion was to a movie theater. This was really interesting because we were able to go behind the scenes and learn about the projector and how they get the movies out to the customer. We were allowed to inspect a normal analog projector as well as a 3D digital projector. This movie theater was named Kinopolis. We didn't learn much about the history but we did get to see the giant plates that the film sits on and is how it is realed out to the projector then respooled after its finished. basically the film is pulled from the center then respooled so that all they have to do is move the reel back to the top plate if they want to start the movie again. The reels are huge. At least three foot in diameter and they looked incredibly heavy. There was also a movie playing while we were there so we were able to see the reel as it was moving through the projector. He also talked about the distribution of the reels and the digital films. He told us how they get the sound to work in the entire theater. Which is also really cool. They have perfect surround sound in every chair so you have the optimal seat no matter where you sit. I found that the most interesting. What else did we talk about? O I also forgot to mention that he told us all this through Jens our Videographer professor because he didn't speak English very well. Another thing was that he told us all this while we were standing around these projectors and watching him point out the different parts of the projector. He turned it on and also showed us how fast the thing actually moves. There are huge light bulbs in these projectors that the projectionist has to know when to change them they can work for up to 4000 hours of movie time but it depends on the watts. These bulbs have at least 4000 Watts. They cost close to that much as well so its the mark of a good projectionist if he knows exactly when to change the bulb so he doesn't waste the theaters money because these bulbs cost several thousand Euro. We asked a lot of questions that I don't remember because there were so many. After that we presented the theater owner some candy and it was time to go. Basically we got there he met us down stairs we walked up to the projection room. We talked and he talked. Then we walked over to the projection room that was showing a movie. We looked at how the whole thing works and how the film is taken in by the projector and then respooled on the bottom plate. Then we walked back to the first room. Talked some more and looked at the projector some more. Then we were done. We walked down stairs said our Thanks and goodbyes then left. By then it was time for lunch. Ariana wanted to take us to another student cafeteria that was near one of the stops on our train. We hoped off the train when she told us to and headed to eat. When we got there there were two lines. One to go upstairs to get Essen 2 and a line downstairs to get Essen 1. Essen 1 was a Cannelloni plate with tomato sauce. I didn't feel like chicken and I was the only one that wanted that plate so I went to stand in line for that one while everyone else went upstairs for number two. I got my meal and headed up the stairs to meet with my group because that was where Ariana wanted to eat. I got up there and none of them had finished getting their plate so I sat down where there was enough room for us but she found a better table. Before I could even start eating at the first place I sat down she waved me over to the new table. I gathered my stuff and went over there. It was just two tables away so it wasn't that bad. I sat down and we ate and of course talked and laughed. After lunch we caught a train back to get to the AIB because we had a small lecture session that we needed to do before the excursion in the last part of the day. This was mainly about the pictures that we took for an assignment. We spent the class period looking at and critiquing peoples pictures. Right after that we were late heading out. So, instead of waiting for Jens and the rest of the class several of us just left to get to the hauptbahnhof on time and we were still a little late. When we got there Lars wasn't happy that we were the only ones there. It didn't matter because the rest were right behind us and the train showed up right as they got there. We hopped on the train to head to Cologne for our company visit. This was another gaming company. This one was the worst out of all of them. We got there and headed up stairs to their level. First, they had us do a survey and it turned out to be pointless. I don't quite understand the point of it. Not that I wouldn't take the opportunity it was like they were using us for some reason. I guess it was for a study they needed in relation to a conservation game they are working on. All the questions had to do with energy and similar things. After that we had a brief showing of the two games that they have worked on featuring what they focus on the most. I was only impressed with the lip sync educational game that they had created. Otherwise the presentation didn't make it too interesting. We talked to two of the employees there about what they do and that was the extent of the visit. Trisha and I lingered behind to talk to an artists that works there doing concept art. Lars and Jens lingered too to let us talk while everyone else went outside to wait. After a few minutes Lars asked us to come on and we reluctantly left. After that we made our way back to the train station to catch the train home. Trisha, Catie and I caught our usual train and then the day was done. Normal routine at home then bed.

BTW the normal routine is me getting here unlocking both doors to get in because that is how you open them is with a key there isn't a handle on the outside. Usually I have to go up the outer stairs because Trudy leaves her keys in the bottom inside door and they are usually pushed too far in so I can't unlock that door so I have to go up the stairs and go in the upper floor. This is ok because my bedroom is on the second floor. I go in drop my jacket, scarf and sometimes gloves in my bedroom. Then I go to the bathroom and then I usually get on my computer till 7 depending on what time I get home. I eat at 7 or around 7. Then I go back to my computer where ever I've ended up. It all depends on the internet. Sometimes I can get it in my room for a while then it turns off and I have to come down stairs. Other times it works just fine the entire time I'm on and I can stay upstairs. Other times, that is most of the time lately, I have to come down stairs and plug into the router next to the couch. I usually sit here the rest of the night messing with the computer till its time for 'bed.' In other words when Sean gets off for my own good. Other wise I would stay up much later talking much longer and he knows it. So after he and I get off I usually finish whatever I was doing, usually messing with facebook. Then I go upstairs. Some times I end up reading and that takes up longer that I should let it, or I go right to sleep. Which is what I should do every night but don't.