It's raining again. Looks like we're in for a swampy Christmas!
❇ ❈ ❅ ❄ ❆❄❅ ❈❇
Between a cold (I can finally sort of breathe through my nose again!), finishing Christmas presents, time with family, and a few other issues, I've not been on my computer much (and will continue to not be on much) but I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year!
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, something else, or nothing, this is still a great time to show your love and support to family and friends.
I wish you all the best.
-Ally
23 December 2011
13 December 2011
Finals Week Haikus
Haikus for each of my classes and some about finals week in general:
Class about "real life"
Do I really need to know
This much about porn?!
Personalities:
We don't quite know what they are
Or how to use them.
Inferential stats
My P-value is
NOT significant.
Marx, Goffman, Foucault
Your theories change over time
You give me some hope
Mental disorders
You probably DON'T have one
So stop your whining
What? No, I can't come!
I've got three finals today!
Ask some time next week.
One final to go
And then I can go back home
And sleep for three weeks.
I don't think this test
Measures what you want it to
(i.e., what we learned).
Okay, now it's your turn! Haikus about finals, stress in general, or just the week you've been having, please!
Class about "real life"
Do I really need to know
This much about porn?!
Personalities:
We don't quite know what they are
Or how to use them.
Inferential stats
My P-value is
NOT significant.
Marx, Goffman, Foucault
Your theories change over time
You give me some hope
Mental disorders
You probably DON'T have one
So stop your whining
What? No, I can't come!
I've got three finals today!
Ask some time next week.
One final to go
And then I can go back home
And sleep for three weeks.
I don't think this test
Measures what you want it to
(i.e., what we learned).
Okay, now it's your turn! Haikus about finals, stress in general, or just the week you've been having, please!
08 December 2011
More Gay Penguins!
In light of my recent story about the gay penguin couple that was separated (and subsequently reunited) in Toronto, I wanted to post more good news of a story reported by Time Magazine's website of a zoo in China.
Harbin Polar Land in China not only allowed their gay penguins to stay together but they also threw a wedding (even giving them outfits in the traditional Chinese wedding color, red) for them. Further, they gave them a chick to raise! The chick had been one of two that a female was struggling to raise (I've babysat twins, they are QUITE a handful...and penguins don't even have hands) and the keepers through that, since the gay penguins (Steve and Adam) had tried to steal eggs in the past, it would be a good chance to share some parenting skills and make everyone a little happier.
Contrast this to Toronto, who separated the penguins for "breeding purposes."
I think they're adorable and I'm glad to see how well this works out for all the parties involved. Also, it's adorable.
I would love to hear some other opinions!
Harbin Polar Land in China not only allowed their gay penguins to stay together but they also threw a wedding (even giving them outfits in the traditional Chinese wedding color, red) for them. Further, they gave them a chick to raise! The chick had been one of two that a female was struggling to raise (I've babysat twins, they are QUITE a handful...and penguins don't even have hands) and the keepers through that, since the gay penguins (Steve and Adam) had tried to steal eggs in the past, it would be a good chance to share some parenting skills and make everyone a little happier.
Contrast this to Toronto, who separated the penguins for "breeding purposes."
I think they're adorable and I'm glad to see how well this works out for all the parties involved. Also, it's adorable.
I would love to hear some other opinions!
06 December 2011
Why is it...
That I have three finals this week and only two during finals week?!
Between that and the fact that it's my last week of work, I am a bit busy and for that I apologize.
Between that and the fact that it's my last week of work, I am a bit busy and for that I apologize.
Forgive me? Pleeeease?
01 December 2011
More Job Fails
So, remember when they were changing the room number of the room I had to go to for work as I stood there watching?
Today, I went to another building. All the rooms on the floor were labelled...except the room I needed.
Not a room number mishap but still work-related:
Yesterday I was standing at the front of a room (on the second floor of a more than forty story building), talking to the class when water drips from the ceiling about an inch from my arm. I immediately step to the side ("Smart choice" says a kid in the class) and see a stained spot on the rug. I don't know what it was but it wasn't water.
Fun times.
Today, I went to another building. All the rooms on the floor were labelled...except the room I needed.
Not a room number mishap but still work-related:
Yesterday I was standing at the front of a room (on the second floor of a more than forty story building), talking to the class when water drips from the ceiling about an inch from my arm. I immediately step to the side ("Smart choice" says a kid in the class) and see a stained spot on the rug. I don't know what it was but it wasn't water.
Fun times.
30 November 2011
I have:
Two weeks and a day until I'm home for the holidays (and get to see my family and friends)
One week until my first (two) final(s)
One week and two days left of work
Two more church services in which to sing this semester
One more handbell concert
Four things that I want to do on Thursday...all at the same time
Four examinations (only one cumulative, thank goodness!) and a take-home essay test coming up
Written a 9 page (maximum limit: 8 pages...oops!) paper on Venezuela and the U.S.
Flipped back and forth between frantic and freaked out and completely mellow and relaxed
Still not decided about which finals I'm worried
Quite a few people for whom I still need to figure out/acquire gifts for the holidays
Two museums and a botanical garden to visit before I go home
Melted snowflakes on my jacket
Not yet figured out how I feel about said snowflakes
Approximately 200 sheets of paper in my backpack
A wocket in my pocket
...okay, that last one's a lie. But I wish it were true.
Things are getting crazy because they're winding down (and the winding down is a bit too fast for those affected, hence the crazies) and it's exciting to see how little I have left to do and yet how much. It's a fairly short amount of time but it's jam-packed with exams and activities (both of my choosing and not so much).
And I'm mostly loving it. Probably because I do know that I'll get a break soon.
What stands between you and your winter holiday of choice (even if it's just a day or two off from work)? How was your Thanksgiving? To what are you most looking forward this winter?
One week until my first (two) final(s)
One week and two days left of work
Two more church services in which to sing this semester
One more handbell concert
Four things that I want to do on Thursday...all at the same time
Four examinations (only one cumulative, thank goodness!) and a take-home essay test coming up
Written a 9 page (maximum limit: 8 pages...oops!) paper on Venezuela and the U.S.
Flipped back and forth between frantic and freaked out and completely mellow and relaxed
Still not decided about which finals I'm worried
Quite a few people for whom I still need to figure out/acquire gifts for the holidays
Two museums and a botanical garden to visit before I go home
Melted snowflakes on my jacket
Not yet figured out how I feel about said snowflakes
Approximately 200 sheets of paper in my backpack
A wocket in my pocket
...okay, that last one's a lie. But I wish it were true.
Things are getting crazy because they're winding down (and the winding down is a bit too fast for those affected, hence the crazies) and it's exciting to see how little I have left to do and yet how much. It's a fairly short amount of time but it's jam-packed with exams and activities (both of my choosing and not so much).
And I'm mostly loving it. Probably because I do know that I'll get a break soon.
What stands between you and your winter holiday of choice (even if it's just a day or two off from work)? How was your Thanksgiving? To what are you most looking forward this winter?
23 November 2011
Thanksgiving and Thankfulness
I spent the first semester of my freshman year of university in Scotland.
It's a long flight there and back.
And they don't celebrate Thanksgiving.
So there I was, my first year away from home to start with, in a foreign country on top of that, facing the prospect of my first ever Thanksgiving without my family and friends and without any notice from the rest of society. I would have classes the day of Thanksgiving, I would have them the day after, and no one (except the other American students) would understand why this made a difference.
I had tons to be thankful for: family, friends, good health, and this huge opportunity for me to be experiencing life in a new place.
But for a holiday about giving thanks, that didn't seem to be enough.
The two components of Thanksgiving for me were always the food and being surrounded by my family and friends, the people who loved me unconditionally. In Scotland, I was facing thousands of miles of distance between myself and my family group and you just can't buy most of my family's traditional foods there (without paying a huge price to import it).
Pumpkin is only available at the gourmet stores, where they imported Libby's brand pumpkin just for the American exchange students who were studying at the University. Cranberry sauce is the traditional meaning, a fairly liquid-y affair rather than a deliciously gelatinous blob that retains the shape of the can from which it comes. Turkey (not that I eat it anyway) isn't stocked in the butcher shops until closer to Christmas. Little things that I'd taken for granted (like so much in my life) were no longer there.
There were no turkey decorations, no pumpkin-flavoured baked goods and drinks, no politically incorrect pictures of awkward pilgrims and native Americans.
And, once I remembered the occasion that started Thanksgiving, it made sense. And I didn't really expect a Thanksgiving.
I lived with another American exchange student and three Europeans (all of whom I absolutely adored). The other American girl and I decided we couldn't make it through without some type of Thanksgiving, so we planned one.
I was also lucky enough to find a bible study group; there were many Americans and a Canadian in that group and, just because we loved food, fun, and trying new things, we decided to have a Thanksgiving feast too.
And you know what?
They were both fantastic.
I may have been eating vegetarian haggis instead of fake turkey...but it was Thanksgiving.
Those around me may have been strangers as of three months before but we had found tremendous affection for each other...and it was still Thanksgiving.
I may have been missing some of my family's traditional dishes and learning about some of the Thanksgiving foods from across the nation...but it was still Thanksgiving.
It wasn't the Thanksgiving I was used to and as I always pictured it...but it was definitely still Thanksgiving.
And I learned a lot from that. Thanksgiving doesn't need to be the same thing every year to be wonderful; you don't need to have a Norman Rockwell occasion to have fun and feel happiness. It was very different and often funny* but it was incredible. I got to teach people about hand turkeys and my family's traditions, I got to learn about new foods (that I now want to make for Thanksgiving this year) that are traditional to others, and I realised that I still had those love and food components that really made Thanksgiving what it was.
Most of all, I learned to be thankful in a whole different way. Thankfulness for new friends, for sillness, for love and support, for learning new things, for new experiences, for opportunities. Thankfulness for all that continues to be dropped in my lap.
This year it appears (as of now) that I'll have not one but three Thanksgivings, including one with the same people and foods I was raised with. I'm excited to have that again and I know that I will love it...but I think I will miss that strange and wonderful experience that I had in Scotland, learning new things, teaching new things, and creating something completely different. It was so different but still amazing.
I'm still learning that. Different doesn't have to be awful; it may be frightening at first but that doesn't mean it won't be beautiful, too.
Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? If so, what traditions abound at your Thanksgiving? If not, what do you think you would like most about Thanksgiving?
Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it and happy Thursday/almost winter holidays to everyone. I am thankful for you.
*At my bible study group, the Scottish and English students (one boy in particular) were wary of pumpkin pie; they always thought of pumpkin as a savoury food and couldn't understand it as a dessert. They all promised to try it but looks of dread abounded until they got their first taste. All but one ended up loving it. (Related, one of the girls in my flat, who is from Norway ended up becoming completely enamoured of it.)
It's a long flight there and back.
And they don't celebrate Thanksgiving.
So there I was, my first year away from home to start with, in a foreign country on top of that, facing the prospect of my first ever Thanksgiving without my family and friends and without any notice from the rest of society. I would have classes the day of Thanksgiving, I would have them the day after, and no one (except the other American students) would understand why this made a difference.
I had tons to be thankful for: family, friends, good health, and this huge opportunity for me to be experiencing life in a new place.
But for a holiday about giving thanks, that didn't seem to be enough.
The two components of Thanksgiving for me were always the food and being surrounded by my family and friends, the people who loved me unconditionally. In Scotland, I was facing thousands of miles of distance between myself and my family group and you just can't buy most of my family's traditional foods there (without paying a huge price to import it).
Pumpkin is only available at the gourmet stores, where they imported Libby's brand pumpkin just for the American exchange students who were studying at the University. Cranberry sauce is the traditional meaning, a fairly liquid-y affair rather than a deliciously gelatinous blob that retains the shape of the can from which it comes. Turkey (not that I eat it anyway) isn't stocked in the butcher shops until closer to Christmas. Little things that I'd taken for granted (like so much in my life) were no longer there.
There were no turkey decorations, no pumpkin-flavoured baked goods and drinks, no politically incorrect pictures of awkward pilgrims and native Americans.
And, once I remembered the occasion that started Thanksgiving, it made sense. And I didn't really expect a Thanksgiving.
I lived with another American exchange student and three Europeans (all of whom I absolutely adored). The other American girl and I decided we couldn't make it through without some type of Thanksgiving, so we planned one.
I was also lucky enough to find a bible study group; there were many Americans and a Canadian in that group and, just because we loved food, fun, and trying new things, we decided to have a Thanksgiving feast too.
And you know what?
They were both fantastic.
I may have been eating vegetarian haggis instead of fake turkey...but it was Thanksgiving.
Those around me may have been strangers as of three months before but we had found tremendous affection for each other...and it was still Thanksgiving.
I may have been missing some of my family's traditional dishes and learning about some of the Thanksgiving foods from across the nation...but it was still Thanksgiving.
It wasn't the Thanksgiving I was used to and as I always pictured it...but it was definitely still Thanksgiving.
And I learned a lot from that. Thanksgiving doesn't need to be the same thing every year to be wonderful; you don't need to have a Norman Rockwell occasion to have fun and feel happiness. It was very different and often funny* but it was incredible. I got to teach people about hand turkeys and my family's traditions, I got to learn about new foods (that I now want to make for Thanksgiving this year) that are traditional to others, and I realised that I still had those love and food components that really made Thanksgiving what it was.
Most of all, I learned to be thankful in a whole different way. Thankfulness for new friends, for sillness, for love and support, for learning new things, for new experiences, for opportunities. Thankfulness for all that continues to be dropped in my lap.
This year it appears (as of now) that I'll have not one but three Thanksgivings, including one with the same people and foods I was raised with. I'm excited to have that again and I know that I will love it...but I think I will miss that strange and wonderful experience that I had in Scotland, learning new things, teaching new things, and creating something completely different. It was so different but still amazing.
I'm still learning that. Different doesn't have to be awful; it may be frightening at first but that doesn't mean it won't be beautiful, too.
Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? If so, what traditions abound at your Thanksgiving? If not, what do you think you would like most about Thanksgiving?
Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it and happy Thursday/almost winter holidays to everyone. I am thankful for you.
*At my bible study group, the Scottish and English students (one boy in particular) were wary of pumpkin pie; they always thought of pumpkin as a savoury food and couldn't understand it as a dessert. They all promised to try it but looks of dread abounded until they got their first taste. All but one ended up loving it. (Related, one of the girls in my flat, who is from Norway ended up becoming completely enamoured of it.)
20 November 2011
16 November 2011
Confusion Abounds
My part-time, on-campus job requires me to go to a lot of different classrooms in many different buildings. Since it's a huge city campus, there are a ton of buildings and, since a lot of buildings (or floors/areas of buildings) are specialized to different subjects, I've never been in many of them before. This means I do a lot of looking at maps of campus. I've gotten pretty good at knowing where rooms will be but it can be challenging sometimes.
Take yesterday, for example.
I was told to go to the science building and go to room 12, which would be a classroom for more than 100 students. Fine, I knew where the building was and, even though I'd never been in it, I figured it would be easy enough to find the room.
I walked up the hill to the building and went in. All of the rooms were in the 100s and so I figured that I'd go down a floor to find the double digit rooms. The buildings here are laid out like that: 100s on the first floor, 200s on the second, etc. Sometimes we have a "ground" floor with single and/or double digit rooms but sometimes we don't (a mix of the European and American systems).
I went down the stairs and got to the ground floor and found a room called G-12. This was surprising to me because normally the room number I'm given will indicate any prefixes like that. I peeked in through the window and saw--a (VERY) small lab. It could barely accommodate ten people, let alone close to two hundred.
A little worried at this point, I went up to the library:
Me: I'm going to ask what is probably a very stupid question.
Student librarians: [look at each other] Okay, that's what we're here for
Me: Where is room 12?!
Student Librarians: [giggle] They *just* renumbered them. In the middle of the semester. They're one of the auditoriums over there
I walk over and, lo and behold, see a workman prying off the little plaque that says "Room 12" and putting one with "Room 152" in its place.
I guess I'm glad I got there early!
Anyway, that's kind of how life's going. Terribly confusing, a bit stressful, but also hilarious.
I don't even know if this makes any sense; it's just how my life is going right now.
How's your life? Any stress or confusing that is hilarious when you sit back and look at it?
Do you think a school should change classroom numbers in the middle of the semester without telling the students?
(I'm not going to lie, I'm looking for validation of my feelings in that last one.)
Take yesterday, for example.
I was told to go to the science building and go to room 12, which would be a classroom for more than 100 students. Fine, I knew where the building was and, even though I'd never been in it, I figured it would be easy enough to find the room.
I walked up the hill to the building and went in. All of the rooms were in the 100s and so I figured that I'd go down a floor to find the double digit rooms. The buildings here are laid out like that: 100s on the first floor, 200s on the second, etc. Sometimes we have a "ground" floor with single and/or double digit rooms but sometimes we don't (a mix of the European and American systems).
I went down the stairs and got to the ground floor and found a room called G-12. This was surprising to me because normally the room number I'm given will indicate any prefixes like that. I peeked in through the window and saw--a (VERY) small lab. It could barely accommodate ten people, let alone close to two hundred.
A little worried at this point, I went up to the library:
Me: I'm going to ask what is probably a very stupid question.
Student librarians: [look at each other] Okay, that's what we're here for
Me: Where is room 12?!
Student Librarians: [giggle] They *just* renumbered them. In the middle of the semester. They're one of the auditoriums over there
I walk over and, lo and behold, see a workman prying off the little plaque that says "Room 12" and putting one with "Room 152" in its place.
I guess I'm glad I got there early!
Anyway, that's kind of how life's going. Terribly confusing, a bit stressful, but also hilarious.
I don't even know if this makes any sense; it's just how my life is going right now.
How's your life? Any stress or confusing that is hilarious when you sit back and look at it?
Do you think a school should change classroom numbers in the middle of the semester without telling the students?
(I'm not going to lie, I'm looking for validation of my feelings in that last one.)
13 November 2011
A Note of Apology
Hello, all!
I just want to apologise for the lack of content this weekend and for the forthcoming lack of content. It is term paper season and most of the writing I'm doing is for the papers that must be handed in soon (and when I'm not writing them, I am generally studying >.<).
As an apology (and because it's adorable), here are some sleepy puppies and a duckling taken from Iruthk's youtube page:
I hope that helps make up for the lack of posts!
I just want to apologise for the lack of content this weekend and for the forthcoming lack of content. It is term paper season and most of the writing I'm doing is for the papers that must be handed in soon (and when I'm not writing them, I am generally studying >.<).
As an apology (and because it's adorable), here are some sleepy puppies and a duckling taken from Iruthk's youtube page:
I hope that helps make up for the lack of posts!
11 November 2011
The Gay Penguins
...ARE BACK TOGETHER!
Penguins tend to mate for life but a pair of male penguins who had become partners were recently separated by a zoo in an attempt to get them to breed (admirable in concept, I suppose). After public outcry, they are now back together.
As a penguin lover and a believer that we are how we are because we are supposed to be that way, I am thrilled. I know I would be devastated if I was separated from my boyfriend and the penguins wouldn't even be able to understand why they were being separated and for how long.
So it's a happy day here. Yay penguins!
Penguins tend to mate for life but a pair of male penguins who had become partners were recently separated by a zoo in an attempt to get them to breed (admirable in concept, I suppose). After public outcry, they are now back together.
As a penguin lover and a believer that we are how we are because we are supposed to be that way, I am thrilled. I know I would be devastated if I was separated from my boyfriend and the penguins wouldn't even be able to understand why they were being separated and for how long.
So it's a happy day here. Yay penguins!
08 November 2011
Tuesday Treat: Six-Layer Bar Cookies
I can't promise that this will be a weekly thing (as I said in my last post, it's midterm, term paper, and oh, so much more time at school) BUT I've decided that I do want to post recipes sometimes, at the least.
These are very easy to personalize and I do suggest you do so. I used butterscotch chips, you can use white chocolate chips. I used almonds, you can use pecans, walnuts, cashews, whatever. If you want to chuck something else on these that you think would be delicious, go for it (I think craisins might be nice)! They don't have to be six layers, they can be 7, 12, or really however many can fit in your pan. I do, however, suggest putting something melty evenly throughout (chocolate chips, for example) to hold it together. I also chose to put the almonds on top so they'd brown a little and look pretty and taste extra yummy!
They cut pretty nicely but they are very messy! If you have any questions, ask away!
These are very easy to personalize and I do suggest you do so. I used butterscotch chips, you can use white chocolate chips. I used almonds, you can use pecans, walnuts, cashews, whatever. If you want to chuck something else on these that you think would be delicious, go for it (I think craisins might be nice)! They don't have to be six layers, they can be 7, 12, or really however many can fit in your pan. I do, however, suggest putting something melty evenly throughout (chocolate chips, for example) to hold it together. I also chose to put the almonds on top so they'd brown a little and look pretty and taste extra yummy!
They cut pretty nicely but they are very messy! If you have any questions, ask away!
6-Layer Bar Cookies
(Adapted from an Eagle Brand recipe)
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted (that's one stick)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 and 1/2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
1 bag butterscotch-flavored chips
1 cup chopped or slivered almonds
Similar amounts of anything else you'd like (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if you're using glass)
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of a 13 by 9 pan (I lined mine with foil so they'd be easier to take out)
3. Pour condensed milk evenly over the crumbs and butter
4. Pour chocolate chips evenly over mixture in pan. Repeat with coconut, butterscotch chips, and almonds (and whatever other ingredients you're using).
5. Press down gently (I just buttered my hands and pressed down that way but you can use a fork if you'd like).
6. Bake 25 minutes. If you did put nuts on top and they're not browned, you can keep them in or stick them under a broiler for a few minutes (watch closely!) until they are.
7. Enjoy! I like them with a big glass of milk!
8. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
07 November 2011
The Foreigner
There are apparently people in Russia reading this! Hello! Hi! How are you? How did you encounter me? I'm so glad to have you!
I wish I could say something in Russian (okay, I can say about two things but I have NO idea how to write them). I can also pretty much guarantee that you are better at English than I will ever be at a second (or third, fourth, etc.) language. I'm incredibly jealous.
And a German as well! Hallo, wie geht's?
And hello to anyone from other countries that aren't showing up on my stats!
I wish that the American public school system would get on board with teaching languages at a developmentally worthwhile time and in a functional way. Starting a language in late middle school or early high school is not going to help us much. Very, very few people can pick up and become fluent in a second language starting that late (and they have to be very gifted, very motivated, or both). So many studies have proven that the earlier you start, the better the results and with a growing Spanish-speaking population, this could be vital in their future employment. I also wish that I could (rather than just wishing uselessly) do something to change this.
I understand that, especially with today's economic issues, this will probably never happen (or at least not in my lifetime). It therefore makes it so, so important to me to become at least proficient in another language. I know small amounts of American Sign Language (not British, though, because it confuses me) and German (I used to know a lot more but I lost a ton of it, ironically, during my final year of high school in my AP class). I can generally have basic conversations and get my point across but that's about it (and I feel extremely self-conscious while doing so).
I am hoping to learn Spanish some time in the near future and to keep up what ASL I recall. Both would be extremely useful to me (I hope to be a social worker in an area with a huge Hispanic population) and I do plan on taking Spanish courses. I'd also like to learn some French and Italian and Norwegian and Portuguese and Polish and so much more (all of which I hear spoken on a regular basis, at least to some extent). (Unless I get the money for Rosetta stone, though, I am not currently very positive about these actually happening.) As a child I had always hoped that I would be fluent in tons of languages but it's starting to look doubtful. And if I do end up having children somewhere down the line, I want to speak to them (or have my husband speak to them) in a different language so that they can learn it along with English and they can have that gift.
Until then, I'm muddling along with my one (and sort of two bits) fluency.
Does anyone have any recommendations (other than immersion and Rosetta stone; I'd love both but neither are that financially feasible right now) for learning foreign languages? What about ways to encourage our school systems to start teaching languages in elementary schools? Do you speak any other languages fluently (or close to fluently)? If so, what are they and do you find them useful?
I wish I could say something in Russian (okay, I can say about two things but I have NO idea how to write them). I can also pretty much guarantee that you are better at English than I will ever be at a second (or third, fourth, etc.) language. I'm incredibly jealous.
And a German as well! Hallo, wie geht's?
And hello to anyone from other countries that aren't showing up on my stats!
I wish that the American public school system would get on board with teaching languages at a developmentally worthwhile time and in a functional way. Starting a language in late middle school or early high school is not going to help us much. Very, very few people can pick up and become fluent in a second language starting that late (and they have to be very gifted, very motivated, or both). So many studies have proven that the earlier you start, the better the results and with a growing Spanish-speaking population, this could be vital in their future employment. I also wish that I could (rather than just wishing uselessly) do something to change this.
I understand that, especially with today's economic issues, this will probably never happen (or at least not in my lifetime). It therefore makes it so, so important to me to become at least proficient in another language. I know small amounts of American Sign Language (not British, though, because it confuses me) and German (I used to know a lot more but I lost a ton of it, ironically, during my final year of high school in my AP class). I can generally have basic conversations and get my point across but that's about it (and I feel extremely self-conscious while doing so).
I am hoping to learn Spanish some time in the near future and to keep up what ASL I recall. Both would be extremely useful to me (I hope to be a social worker in an area with a huge Hispanic population) and I do plan on taking Spanish courses. I'd also like to learn some French and Italian and Norwegian and Portuguese and Polish and so much more (all of which I hear spoken on a regular basis, at least to some extent). (Unless I get the money for Rosetta stone, though, I am not currently very positive about these actually happening.) As a child I had always hoped that I would be fluent in tons of languages but it's starting to look doubtful. And if I do end up having children somewhere down the line, I want to speak to them (or have my husband speak to them) in a different language so that they can learn it along with English and they can have that gift.
Until then, I'm muddling along with my one (and sort of two bits) fluency.
Does anyone have any recommendations (other than immersion and Rosetta stone; I'd love both but neither are that financially feasible right now) for learning foreign languages? What about ways to encourage our school systems to start teaching languages in elementary schools? Do you speak any other languages fluently (or close to fluently)? If so, what are they and do you find them useful?
04 November 2011
Pho- versus Faux-
...tographer, that is.
I've been hearing a lot about this debate lately and it's been driving me a little bit crazy (or at least it's making me crazier than usual).
I consider myself a photographer BUT in a strictly hobbiest way. I'm a photographer because I take photographs (but, not being a professional, I'm probably firmly in "fauxtographer" realm to most people). I won't pretend to know much about the DSLR that I sometimes use (I'm working on getting to know it; it's normally not on the auto setting, I know how to white balance, the rule of thirds, aperture and shutter priority, etc. but I still have far to go) and I'm not going to prate on about how unique my shots are (or how much better than they are than those "philistine" studio photographers or some such nonsense).
That being said, I don't like the dichotomy and elitism that's happening, even if it is just from a few whiny people. I've seen plenty of shots from "professional" photographers (those who make their income solely from taking pictures) that make me want to cringe and take away their camera but I have also seen beautiful photos from hobbyists and people that some would consider fauxtographers.
On a bit of a side rant, don't knock the point and shoot. Not everyone aspires to be the next Teenie Harris and not everyone has the time, money, muscles, or motivation to carry around an SLR or DSLR everywhere they go. I always try to have my point and shoot with me because I will NOT carry the big camera most places and I don't want to miss an opportunity to capture something.
(As a note, I know some people who think this is blasphemous: better to leave it uncaptured than to take a point and shoot picture, which I think is a horrible mentality! I don't want to sell the picture to a gallery, I just want to be able to look back on an occasion and smile and remember.)
In the digital age, anyone can take pictures and enjoy it and being a photographer in some sense of the word. It's become much more accessible (I most likely wouldn't be taking pictures if I had to use film all the time) and available to everyone. Just because they're taking pictures and having fun doesn't mean they're trying to horn in on your field. Try to relax and just be pleased that something you love is bringing joy to others.
I've been hearing a lot about this debate lately and it's been driving me a little bit crazy (or at least it's making me crazier than usual).
I consider myself a photographer BUT in a strictly hobbiest way. I'm a photographer because I take photographs (but, not being a professional, I'm probably firmly in "fauxtographer" realm to most people). I won't pretend to know much about the DSLR that I sometimes use (I'm working on getting to know it; it's normally not on the auto setting, I know how to white balance, the rule of thirds, aperture and shutter priority, etc. but I still have far to go) and I'm not going to prate on about how unique my shots are (or how much better than they are than those "philistine" studio photographers or some such nonsense).
That being said, I don't like the dichotomy and elitism that's happening, even if it is just from a few whiny people. I've seen plenty of shots from "professional" photographers (those who make their income solely from taking pictures) that make me want to cringe and take away their camera but I have also seen beautiful photos from hobbyists and people that some would consider fauxtographers.
On a bit of a side rant, don't knock the point and shoot. Not everyone aspires to be the next Teenie Harris and not everyone has the time, money, muscles, or motivation to carry around an SLR or DSLR everywhere they go. I always try to have my point and shoot with me because I will NOT carry the big camera most places and I don't want to miss an opportunity to capture something.
(As a note, I know some people who think this is blasphemous: better to leave it uncaptured than to take a point and shoot picture, which I think is a horrible mentality! I don't want to sell the picture to a gallery, I just want to be able to look back on an occasion and smile and remember.)
In the digital age, anyone can take pictures and enjoy it and being a photographer in some sense of the word. It's become much more accessible (I most likely wouldn't be taking pictures if I had to use film all the time) and available to everyone. Just because they're taking pictures and having fun doesn't mean they're trying to horn in on your field. Try to relax and just be pleased that something you love is bringing joy to others.
29 October 2011
When I hear...
When I hear...I think...
"You can't have your cake and eat it too" - Okay, then I don't have to have it. I'll just eat it!
"He's not the sharpest tool in the shed" - I wouldn't want a sharp rake. I get in enough trouble with them
"Between a rock and a hard place" - Oh, between two rocks, then?
"Fancy pants" - This
"Brownie points" - I have been earning those all my life and have yet to get any brownies out of it.
"Pass the buck" - Oh, I didn't know we were having venison for dinner.
"Bury the hatchet" - Then it will be rusty and give you tetnus.
"Dead ringer" - Zombie bell players?
"Fifteen minutes of fame" - Isn't about time Britney/Miley/Lindsay/etc. got off the stage, then?
"Paint the town red" - Why not purple?
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Yes, but are 28 grams of prevention worth 0.45 kilos of cure?
"If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." - Where am I supposed to get the sugar?
"Ignorance is bliss." - Until someone sneaks up behind you.
"The proof is in the pudding" - ...what?
"A stitch in time saves nine" - I have yet to see one burst stitch that needs nine to repair it.
"Don't put all of your eggs in one basket" - What about one carton? Besides, if I have two baskets then I won't have a hand to hold on to the railing.
"Out of sight, out of mind." - What about "absence makes the heart grow fonder," then?
No wonder people have trouble learning English!
What sayings, proverbs, or idioms seem extra strange to you (or do you have trouble understanding)?
I only mentioned one set of conflicting ones. There are tons more. What ones come to mind?
"You can't have your cake and eat it too" - Okay, then I don't have to have it. I'll just eat it!
"He's not the sharpest tool in the shed" - I wouldn't want a sharp rake. I get in enough trouble with them
"Between a rock and a hard place" - Oh, between two rocks, then?
"Fancy pants" - This
"Brownie points" - I have been earning those all my life and have yet to get any brownies out of it.
"Pass the buck" - Oh, I didn't know we were having venison for dinner.
"Bury the hatchet" - Then it will be rusty and give you tetnus.
"Dead ringer" - Zombie bell players?
"Fifteen minutes of fame" - Isn't about time Britney/Miley/Lindsay/etc. got off the stage, then?
"Paint the town red" - Why not purple?
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Yes, but are 28 grams of prevention worth 0.45 kilos of cure?
"If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." - Where am I supposed to get the sugar?
"Ignorance is bliss." - Until someone sneaks up behind you.
"The proof is in the pudding" - ...what?
"A stitch in time saves nine" - I have yet to see one burst stitch that needs nine to repair it.
"Don't put all of your eggs in one basket" - What about one carton? Besides, if I have two baskets then I won't have a hand to hold on to the railing.
"Out of sight, out of mind." - What about "absence makes the heart grow fonder," then?
No wonder people have trouble learning English!
What sayings, proverbs, or idioms seem extra strange to you (or do you have trouble understanding)?
I only mentioned one set of conflicting ones. There are tons more. What ones come to mind?
26 October 2011
What Would You Do?
...if you found $150,000?
I love news stories. While I don't feel qualified to make comments on most of them (for example, I know very little about Libya other than the basics the news tells us) and others don't mean much to me (I may find them very important in spite of this) some of them really incite strong reactions in me.
This is an example of one.
I'm torn between two really conflicting feelings: anger and hope. I had not heard about this story in the past (probably because it happened during summer, when I am on my computer the least) and so I was completely new to all of the information.
To summarize (VERY succintly): an unemployed carpenter named Wayne Sabaj found a duffel bag with $150,000 in it. And he turned it in to the police (if he had kept it, he would have gotten some much-needed dental work done). And people criticized him for this (not just thinking he was stupid but outright criticizing). At the same time, a wonderful man named Dr. Xhelo Shuaipaj heard his story and offered to do all of his dental work for free (Mr. Sabaj is getting fitted for dentures, which he should have by November). (As a side note, the money is still not claimed and, if it remains unclaimed, Mr. Sabaj will get to keep it.)
So here we have two models for our youth. One model of two men who are doing the right things by turning in found money and helping someone in need and the other model of people encouraging deceit.
As a culture (especially those in their 20s and below) we have a distinct lack of a moral consensus, and people wonder why. There is also (as always) the fear that those in the "next generation" (it always seems to be the 'next' generation) are becoming criminals and psychopaths. When half of the models we see are of people encouraging people to lie and cheat, is it any wonder?
Now, I know that's not quite how it works. I know that we have all sorts of models other than these, I know that I'm probably overreacting (I get emotional sometimes, okay?!), and I know that there are mitigating circumstances and that these are a few, not the many. I'm just so disgusted over the actions of these few.
On the other hand, we have this model of hope. We have a man who really, really could use the money but decided to do the right thing and we have a man who decides to "pay it forward" and help someone. We don't hear about these stories enough, I think (I know they happen, we just don't hear of them). But it does give me hope to think that there are people who are willing to show kindness in spite of criticism.
What do you think? Do you think he should have kept the money? Do you think you would have? What about Dr. Shuaipaj, did he do the right thing or should he have kept to himself?
I want to hear other opinions on this!
I love news stories. While I don't feel qualified to make comments on most of them (for example, I know very little about Libya other than the basics the news tells us) and others don't mean much to me (I may find them very important in spite of this) some of them really incite strong reactions in me.
This is an example of one.
I'm torn between two really conflicting feelings: anger and hope. I had not heard about this story in the past (probably because it happened during summer, when I am on my computer the least) and so I was completely new to all of the information.
To summarize (VERY succintly): an unemployed carpenter named Wayne Sabaj found a duffel bag with $150,000 in it. And he turned it in to the police (if he had kept it, he would have gotten some much-needed dental work done). And people criticized him for this (not just thinking he was stupid but outright criticizing). At the same time, a wonderful man named Dr. Xhelo Shuaipaj heard his story and offered to do all of his dental work for free (Mr. Sabaj is getting fitted for dentures, which he should have by November). (As a side note, the money is still not claimed and, if it remains unclaimed, Mr. Sabaj will get to keep it.)
So here we have two models for our youth. One model of two men who are doing the right things by turning in found money and helping someone in need and the other model of people encouraging deceit.
As a culture (especially those in their 20s and below) we have a distinct lack of a moral consensus, and people wonder why. There is also (as always) the fear that those in the "next generation" (it always seems to be the 'next' generation) are becoming criminals and psychopaths. When half of the models we see are of people encouraging people to lie and cheat, is it any wonder?
Now, I know that's not quite how it works. I know that we have all sorts of models other than these, I know that I'm probably overreacting (I get emotional sometimes, okay?!), and I know that there are mitigating circumstances and that these are a few, not the many. I'm just so disgusted over the actions of these few.
On the other hand, we have this model of hope. We have a man who really, really could use the money but decided to do the right thing and we have a man who decides to "pay it forward" and help someone. We don't hear about these stories enough, I think (I know they happen, we just don't hear of them). But it does give me hope to think that there are people who are willing to show kindness in spite of criticism.
What do you think? Do you think he should have kept the money? Do you think you would have? What about Dr. Shuaipaj, did he do the right thing or should he have kept to himself?
I want to hear other opinions on this!
25 October 2011
Quirks
(This is my obligatory "About Me!" post. Cue the chirping birds and jazz hands!)
I'm fairly untidy in real life but I love putting things in piles; on my computer I'm over organized (think folders inside of folders inside of folders to a nearly infinite level). I also really like lists.
I've already taken over 10,000 pictures this year (probably a major reason why I'm over organized on my computer).
There are a few categories of things that I really like to gather and have but I rarely use. Make-up and office supplies are the two things that come to mind. Office supplies especially. I love them.
I really dislike writing with black ink. The only time I use it is if I'm out of the house and away from my bag (and thus am using someone else's pen).
I find it difficult to sit still through a movie. Really, really difficult.
I count stairs, almost compulsively. If I miscount or get interrupted I will often either go back and start again or I will stand on a landing and count visually. (As a result, I can tell you the number of stairs it takes to get to the places I often go.)
I like white walls. I'm not sure why but it may have to do with lighting.
I genuinely enjoy fiber cereal. I think it tastes delicious.
I could go on listing my quirks for ages (but I have to have some fodder for two truths and a lie and/or for other blog posts). (Yes, I'm counting that as a quirk.)
I think this tells a lot about me. I'm not sure what, exactly, but it sure tells you something!
Leave a comment if you have any ideas. I'd sure as heck like to know! ^_^
Peace and cookies,
Ally xo
I'm fairly untidy in real life but I love putting things in piles; on my computer I'm over organized (think folders inside of folders inside of folders to a nearly infinite level). I also really like lists.
I've already taken over 10,000 pictures this year (probably a major reason why I'm over organized on my computer).
There are a few categories of things that I really like to gather and have but I rarely use. Make-up and office supplies are the two things that come to mind. Office supplies especially. I love them.
I really dislike writing with black ink. The only time I use it is if I'm out of the house and away from my bag (and thus am using someone else's pen).
I find it difficult to sit still through a movie. Really, really difficult.
I count stairs, almost compulsively. If I miscount or get interrupted I will often either go back and start again or I will stand on a landing and count visually. (As a result, I can tell you the number of stairs it takes to get to the places I often go.)
I like white walls. I'm not sure why but it may have to do with lighting.
I genuinely enjoy fiber cereal. I think it tastes delicious.
I could go on listing my quirks for ages (but I have to have some fodder for two truths and a lie and/or for other blog posts). (Yes, I'm counting that as a quirk.)
I think this tells a lot about me. I'm not sure what, exactly, but it sure tells you something!
Leave a comment if you have any ideas. I'd sure as heck like to know! ^_^
Peace and cookies,
Ally xo
21 October 2011
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