V Bar.

Today is the first day of the strike.

I didn't have Italian because my Italian teacher, who is a grad student, is choosing to strike.

I did have my Looking at Popular Culture class, and this was located in a different place in solidarity with the strike, so we met at V Bar.

V Bar, I would guess, stands for "Vino Bar" because it offers an impressive selection of wines from all over the world, as well as 30 different types of beer. It has comfortable tall tables with tall chairs in a communal air, and then two smaller four person tables, as well as a long tall bar, and two window seats with cushions. There were just enough seats for all of the class- about 22 of us in total- and we took up literally every seat the place had. They serve fantastic coffee, tea, and a small but enjoyable selection of food items.

It was actually really relaxing and a nice change of pace to have class but NOT in a classroom. However, I found that as my mind wandered over the wine menu (hand drawn on a big black board above the bar) it was very difficult to concentrate. Time passed slower, and I was hyper aware of how much I'd rather be there sitting by myself with a good book and a glass of wine. And maybe you, too.

I think I'll go back. In fact I plan on it, in the near future, I liked the place so well. I had a cheese, bread, and olive platter and shared it with some classmates, and we all sipped our coffee and tea (Gallatin purchased our beverages in apology for our removal from a normal classroom... that was actually pretty nice, and unecessary) and talked about how Aristotle's Poetics applies to television.

It has been a nice day, despite the clouds and ominous sky, and I imagine the night will be very great too.