Cruel Angel's Ph.D. Thesis

Another prospective graduate student visiting weekend has come and gone. Thank goodness it's gone; it's way too draining. It's specifically draining because my buddy and I have essentially taken over the planning since we arrived 4 years ago. The big thing we have been making sure to do, and I'd say this year we have nigh perfected it, is keeping the prospectives busy and social throughout the entire 2 visiting days. Naturally this task involves plentiful alcohol but also not allowing anyone who has flown in from the East Coast or awakened early to catch on to the fact that he is probably sleepy. And it takes too far a toll on me as well.

It's important to be social because convincing them that our school is the most fun is really the only way a graduate student can convince them to come; prospectives tend to pick places mainly on research I sense, and I have very little chance to give them a change of heart in that aspect. But I no longer want to spend 2 days getting to know people I may never see again; and if they do come here there's no guarantee we'll be best of friends (although I will be friendly). And my recent alcohol abstinence pledge has the effect of making me feel that I'm just being fun and witty because I'm jumping through the hoops of it.

A couple cute girls, but I'm not going to get my hopes up for something that would start to happen 5 months away at best.

Going to a Japanese film festival tonight, going to catch the first Evangelion movie (of 4 to be made, the second comes out July in Japan) and Ichi, not the prequel to Koroshiya Ichi but rather a female version of Zatoichi. I'll try to write some reviews tonight or tomorrow.