500 Internal Server Error

First class of the day: cloud computing lab. (Lab: for those that are interested.) During this lab there were server errors a-plenty. It was rather irritating to have these issues, as the lab itself was quite simple and could've been completed much faster if the schools severs were working properly. They were simply not equipped to handle the amount of people trying to create instances, create snapshots, create security groups etc. The lab teacher actually had to go in and terminate a few of them to create room for the rest of the class. Regardless of the roadblocks, I still finished in just under an hour. The downside to this is that I had an hour to kill before my next class. I didn't wish to sit around in the hallways, so it was obviously the perfect time to finally get the coffee I've been craving. Annnd indulge in another slice of that Cappuccino Creme Brule cake. (Perhaps next time I'll just get a pastry, as this cake is quite rich, though I'll just work it off by going up that hill again.) It's too delicious not to get. The cafe really does have a lovely atmosphere, I felt very comfortable sitting down with my coffee and my computer and just relaxing for an hour. (Plus it's not infested with hipsters like Starbucks is prone to be.) It was nice to just be able to sit calmly and gaze out onto the snowy landscape and watch people walk by on the street. A rare moment of peace that that I thoroughly enjoyed.

But all good things must come to an end, and this was no exception. I had to head back to the CS building for my last class of the week. As always, my estimation of time is miserable, so I arrived quite early. But it was okay, as I got to talk to one of my classmates. He found it strange that this was my first real experience with snow. (I don't count the few years I spent in Kentucky, as I was quite young.) We also discussed some of the differences between education here and education back in the US. (Such as the 3 year vs 4 year undergraduate program, busy work vs exams etc). The lectures for this course (Coding Theory) are recorded, so I probably could've skipped class if I wanted, but I decided to attend anyway as I had a few errands to run afterwards.

I'm starting to feel like a broken record, so just assume that all of my classes are interesting unless stated otherwise. Today's practice lecture covered more theorems regarding finite fields and began a discussion on polynomials over a finite field.

After class I stopped by the multimedia center to print out my bus ticket, Ariail's bus ticket and my Crypto homework. The location is super convenient and it's very cheap to print. After finishing that I met up with Sarah and Ariail to go over to the bank and exchange our euros for some Lithuanian Litas. 1 euro is equal to about 3.45 Litas, and their inflation rate is pretty crazy. It's around 11% and the major thing preventing them from converting to the euro, though they are already part of the European union.

Regardless, I'm pretty excited for this trip, even though I have to stay up late for the bus ride. (I'd end up staying up even later, given that it's a weekend. I'm just not a fan of buses/cars.)

I intended to spend the afternoon getting my homework done, but me being me that fell through. I ended up messing around on the internet, looking at clothes and talking to Katie for several hours. Eventually I went to the kitchen and cooked myself some dinner. I made the same dish as the other night: sauteed mushrooms and garlic with rice. I wanted to use up the mushrooms before I left for the weekend.

After eating, I showered and commenced packing. I basically just grabbed a handful of clothes and threw them into my duffel bag. Packing complete! Now I'm going to relax for a few hours before meeting with Sarah and Ariail downstairs at 1:40 to head over to the bus stop. I'm very excited and I'm sure that I'll have a fantastic time! And rest assured, I will report on and document all of my adventures through words and gratuitous amounts of photographs.