Old Problems, New People

I took my computer to the repair shop today. The repair guy swore a lot, shined the flashlight in a couple of places, and told me to buy a new one, that it would cost at least 100 Euro to fix.
Great.
I also have a new suitemate named Sophie. She's nice, a 20 year old German studying International Business and Communications. She speaks a little English, and I speak a little German, so we can kind of communicate. With Markl here and Franz back, this place is starting to liven up again. It's nice, except late at night.
Anyway, I have loads of homework to do. I read Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks over the weekend, purely for pleasure. It was worth it. The book's a little melodramatic, and tends toward the graphic side, but it's a powerful image of village life in the 17th century, and human nature in any time.
On the other end of the spectrum, I had to read Nietzche for class today, and am about to start Freud's Civilization and its Discontents. I think Dr. Griffin put the detestible authors side by side on purpose, but I can't prove it.
And now I have to go finish my art journal. Nothing like reflecting on that which I only partly understand.
At least it gets my mind off my poor, fried computer.