"vissi d'arte et di medicina"

In 12 hours, I will have survived my first week of medical school!

Most medical schools are infamous for throwing textbooks, journal articles, and exams at first years until they forget about the existence of daylight. Our school, however, deliberately gives us first years an easier first semester in order to allow us to adjust to and enjoy New York City.

Hence, this week, I've taken full advantage of the Metropolitan Opera's Summer in HD festival at the Lincoln Center. They broadcast (in HD) previously recorded productions of world-class quality operas for free at Lincoln Center! I've gone four days in a row and seen Eugene Onegin (by Tchaikovsky), Macbeth (by Verdi), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (by Rossini), and Peter Grimes (by Britton). I've never seen a full opera before this week, and now I've seen four operas in a row. After the first opera I saw on Monday, I went to youtube and watched more opera scenes. I've been smitten. I've found another art form to appreciate and enjoy!

However, the time spent watching operas equals time spent not studying. I thought about tonight when a classmate texted me on my way to see Peter Grimes, "did you do the problem set...," which happened to be due tomorrow. I hadn't, so I'm working on it at 2:30 in the morning. Yes, I sacrificed sleep, but how often does one get to see the opera in high definition for free in New York? For that matter, who gets anything for free in New York?

Biochemistry can wait for culture, especially if it doesn't require money.

Now I must return to the aforementioned problem set, while listening to Leontyne Price's performance of "Vissi d'Arte" from Tosca.