OXFORD - DAY 20

I could easily post the cartoon I used yesterday for today as well, but I'd have to erase the cute little sun because IT'S RAINING AGAIN!

I haven't written an essay in a year, and I'm definitely out of practice.  It's a shame because I've done so much research and it's all in my head, but putting it on paper is proving to be a challenge.  I have been writing a lot this past year though-  unfortunately I don't think a blog-style essay will impress my very traditional Buddhist expert tutor.  Too bad, because if I were allowed to write this paper in a casual voice 1)  It would be kinda funny and 2)  It'd be done in a few hours.

I have until this time tomorrow to be done with it.  So far I have a cover page, a bibliography, and a really good 1/2 page introductory paragraph.  I guess I'd better get back to it.

Oh, on the plus side.  I TALKED TO ZACH BRAFF YESTERDAY!  He is, in a word, awesome.  I really lucked out though.  I met up with Ethan and Camille at the Union, and it just so happens that they're friends with the Union people because of some orientation thingy they went to last term.  So their union friends let us sit in the special reserved section.  In short, during the hour and a half that Zach was giving his speech, answering questions, and making us laugh, I was just a short 2 feet away.

Now, I promised myself I wouldn't say anything to Zach because I've met a lot of celebrities and in most cases when I talked to them I made sort of an ass of myself.  (Offering Joseph Gordon-Levitt my phone number...)  and I did not want to do that here, at Oxford, with all the smart people.  I get star struck too easily, I guess it's just the film major in me.  They're like Gods.

But of course, when the Q&A got going, I couldn't help myself.  I rehearsed it in my head for a good 15 min before I let myself raise my hand, just to be sure.  And would you believe it, I didn't say anything stupid!!  I coaxed a little information out of him regarding his next project, after briefly stating that I was a huge fan of Garden State, which he thanked me for.  It almost felt like a normal conversation, since I was 2 feet away.  -A conversation that had a whole hall of people listening in on.

Anyway, Zach Braff proved to be a very funny, down-to-earth, and gracious guy.  I like him even more after meeting him.  He proved to be pretty tall in real life (~6ft), although in his late 30's he is starting to lose that boyish quality he is known for.  And if anyone is reading this that hasn't watched Garden State, I beg you, give it a look, it is brilliant!