Look at me post 2weeks in a row!
Today, I am in Knoxville, Tennessee with my mom. She is taking a 1.5day course and has a really intense test to take at the end of the second day. I am sitting in our hotel room enjoying the peace & quiet. And procrastinating from actual work. Dude, it's my holiday break - any work I get done means I am one step ahead, and any work I don't get done does not mean I am behind... at least that is the way I justify emailing, & reading blogs and twitter posts and facebook statuses for 2hrs. wow.
So this past week was Christmas. My first Christmas at home in 4 years, to be exact. And I thought it went pretty well! I am grateful to be blessed with a family who is honest, loving, open and emotional. While we are very typical in the fact that we're all a little crazy, I like to think that we are slightly atypical in the fact that we admit it! :) I love that we are always trying to improve who we are and the relationships we have - with one another, with other people and with ourselves. There is this sense of self-analysis that I truly appreciate in each of my family members. I don't know if everyone else's family is like this or not, but I like to think it's what makes my family special - and not in the bad way.
I would hate to live in a family where everything always stayed the same and we ignored our problems. I would hate to be a part of a family that was "perfect" on the outside and completely insane in the hidden parts. I like that we can talk to one another, process with one another and argue with one another - without ever feeling less loved.
It really is a good feeling to know that wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, however I feel, or whoever I disagree with, I will ALWAYS be loved - TRULY loved by my family. That love is what keeps me going. It's what encourages me to better myself and it is what pushes me to really look at my faults and desire to change them.
For me, family is not about tradition. It is not about history. It is not even about proximity. It's about relationships.
I have taken my family for granted over the years and it took me leaving for 6yrs to truly appreciate them. This week - actually, this month - that appreciation was tested - and proved true. I love them more today than ever before. Even if they do get on my nerves. :)
Today, I choose to assume that when my family gets on my nerves, it is an opportunity to BE LOVE. I will fail, I am sure, but this is the outlook I want to have from now on.
Love to everyone in blogland - I hope you find a way to BE LOVE in your life too! :)
28 December 2009
21 December 2009
New Read
In an effort to post more regularly, I may resort to posting on my current reads... tonight for instance:
I have completed Plato's Symposium and thought I would be continuing Plato to read The Apology... but when I started reading it, I realized that I had already read it for my undergrad*, yay! So since I know the basic plot, I am going to put off reviewing for the details until its turn during the course. So as of last night, I have begun reading Pale Fire by Nabokov.
Whoah.
I am really glad that I have read Nabokov before and feel that he is worth reading - Mary was one of my fave books of undergrad - because this book is craaazy! If I didn't know how brilliant Nabokov was, I would probably be irritated, but I'm going into it with an open mind...
Basically (if I understand correctly), it's a completely fictional book written entirely by Nabokov which includes a foreward; a 4 Canto, 999 line poem; and over 100pp in commentary. The foreward and the commentary are 'written' by a fictional character, who is a self-proclaimed friend to the "poet". So as far as I can tell, there are 3 authors in this book: Nabokov, the Poet and the Commentator. Keeps life interesting, I guess! :)
I am over halfway through the novel and it is really tough to get through the commentary portion, but I am pretty excited to see how class discussions go next semester, haha!
PS
The course is named "irony & truth"... I am really looking forward to this class!!! (that is not sarcasm, fyi - I fully embrace my nerddom... and reserve the right to make up words in the process)
*Things I have learned about myself since beginning my MA: names and I are not compatible. I usually know books and characters by the actions performed. Sometimes, I feel like I am discussing literature from a kindergartener's perspective... "you know, the tall guy whose dad made gravestones and mom was obsessed with property... the one who thought his whole family hated him?" (also known as Eugene Gant from Look Homeward Angel) or "the story that involved a magic ring the lady stole and put under her tongue to become invisible and decided that she no longer needed help from a heroic man who slays sea monsters" (aka Orlando's Furioso - right?) --- all of this to explain how I didn't realize that I had previously read The Apology. The title did nothing for me. But once I realized that it was the defence of Socrates, all was well!
I have completed Plato's Symposium and thought I would be continuing Plato to read The Apology... but when I started reading it, I realized that I had already read it for my undergrad*, yay! So since I know the basic plot, I am going to put off reviewing for the details until its turn during the course. So as of last night, I have begun reading Pale Fire by Nabokov.
Whoah.
I am really glad that I have read Nabokov before and feel that he is worth reading - Mary was one of my fave books of undergrad - because this book is craaazy! If I didn't know how brilliant Nabokov was, I would probably be irritated, but I'm going into it with an open mind...
Basically (if I understand correctly), it's a completely fictional book written entirely by Nabokov which includes a foreward; a 4 Canto, 999 line poem; and over 100pp in commentary. The foreward and the commentary are 'written' by a fictional character, who is a self-proclaimed friend to the "poet". So as far as I can tell, there are 3 authors in this book: Nabokov, the Poet and the Commentator. Keeps life interesting, I guess! :)
I am over halfway through the novel and it is really tough to get through the commentary portion, but I am pretty excited to see how class discussions go next semester, haha!
PS
The course is named "irony & truth"... I am really looking forward to this class!!! (that is not sarcasm, fyi - I fully embrace my nerddom... and reserve the right to make up words in the process)
*Things I have learned about myself since beginning my MA: names and I are not compatible. I usually know books and characters by the actions performed. Sometimes, I feel like I am discussing literature from a kindergartener's perspective... "you know, the tall guy whose dad made gravestones and mom was obsessed with property... the one who thought his whole family hated him?" (also known as Eugene Gant from Look Homeward Angel) or "the story that involved a magic ring the lady stole and put under her tongue to become invisible and decided that she no longer needed help from a heroic man who slays sea monsters" (aka Orlando's Furioso - right?) --- all of this to explain how I didn't realize that I had previously read The Apology. The title did nothing for me. But once I realized that it was the defence of Socrates, all was well!
18 December 2009
10:36pm, EST
Hello all,
It is not late enough for me to be as exhausted as I am... having done as little as I did today... I blame the rain. And I'm not in Ireland... it just follows me... yay.
Here's a tiny baby update, sort of:
So last month, I met with a man who works with the sustainability department of the University about getting a film brought to Columbia, and last week, he phoned me to ask if I was interested in a graduate assistantship with him next semester! of course, I said "yes." It's basically doing what I did for Dan: managing a billion projects and organizing a small administration. Because of this assistantship, I now qualify for in-state tuition, which is approximately $6000 less per term than out-of-state. WHEW! It's 10hrs/week and I will get a small stipend for those hours, although I don't know how much yet. This position is strictly for one semester for two reasons: his wife will be having a baby and he needs someone to cover the office mid-semester, and...
in the fall, I plan to be in Mulhouse, France, woot! Which brings me to another mini-update. Here are the basics:
Mulhouse is in the northeast corner of France, on the German border & 20km from the Swiss border. It is 1.5hr from Zurich and 3hrs from both Paris and Brussels, by train. And approx 4hrs by car to Milan. craaazy!
I will be teaching English at the university "de haute-alsace" and receiving a paid stipend as well. The position is called a "lectrice" or "lectrice d'anglais" position and runs from october thru may.
I plan to return to the Carolinas over Christmas (the French break is mid-december to 1 february) so that I can take my phd qualifying exams in the first week of January. Otherwise, I will have to postpone my phd an extra year.
I won't be taking phd classes while in France, so I am already postponing one year, but it's worth it because: 1) I get teaching experience at the uni level, 2) I get paid and don't go further into debt, and 3) I plan to be fluent in French by the time I'm done... which brings me to step 3 in this crazy little thing I call "my plan":
I have pretty much been guaranteed a teaching assistantship to teach in the French dept of U of SC (if there is space in the budget) when I return from France, if I do attain the appropriate level of fluency (and I will). Which will give me teaching experience at the uni level in two languages, WOOT!
in other news: my GPA at the end of term 1 is a 4.0! (that's straight As, for you non-GPA minded, haha)... the first time I've made straight As since grade 7.
It seems like I only ever get on here to brag lately... but my life is not always roses, I promise... I just want to take every chance I can to thank the Lord for His guidance and for showing me clearly the path He wants me to follow... Proverbs 16:9.
Now if you'll excuse me, I will return to my regularly scheduled program of "Plato's Symposium"... it took me 21 minutes to write this post. I really do hope to post more often so that you guys aren't limited to my random updates on here!
PS
This break, I will be attempting to create two work-related blogs, so maybe if I get into the habit of actually posting for those, I can add something personal on a regular basis too... idealism, I know, I know... and fyi, the topics of my other 2 blogs will be: environmentalism made easy and a biblio of utopian publications (obviously not the titles of the blogs, haha!)
It is not late enough for me to be as exhausted as I am... having done as little as I did today... I blame the rain. And I'm not in Ireland... it just follows me... yay.
Here's a tiny baby update, sort of:
So last month, I met with a man who works with the sustainability department of the University about getting a film brought to Columbia, and last week, he phoned me to ask if I was interested in a graduate assistantship with him next semester! of course, I said "yes." It's basically doing what I did for Dan: managing a billion projects and organizing a small administration. Because of this assistantship, I now qualify for in-state tuition, which is approximately $6000 less per term than out-of-state. WHEW! It's 10hrs/week and I will get a small stipend for those hours, although I don't know how much yet. This position is strictly for one semester for two reasons: his wife will be having a baby and he needs someone to cover the office mid-semester, and...
in the fall, I plan to be in Mulhouse, France, woot! Which brings me to another mini-update. Here are the basics:
Mulhouse is in the northeast corner of France, on the German border & 20km from the Swiss border. It is 1.5hr from Zurich and 3hrs from both Paris and Brussels, by train. And approx 4hrs by car to Milan. craaazy!
I will be teaching English at the university "de haute-alsace" and receiving a paid stipend as well. The position is called a "lectrice" or "lectrice d'anglais" position and runs from october thru may.
I plan to return to the Carolinas over Christmas (the French break is mid-december to 1 february) so that I can take my phd qualifying exams in the first week of January. Otherwise, I will have to postpone my phd an extra year.
I won't be taking phd classes while in France, so I am already postponing one year, but it's worth it because: 1) I get teaching experience at the uni level, 2) I get paid and don't go further into debt, and 3) I plan to be fluent in French by the time I'm done... which brings me to step 3 in this crazy little thing I call "my plan":
I have pretty much been guaranteed a teaching assistantship to teach in the French dept of U of SC (if there is space in the budget) when I return from France, if I do attain the appropriate level of fluency (and I will). Which will give me teaching experience at the uni level in two languages, WOOT!
in other news: my GPA at the end of term 1 is a 4.0! (that's straight As, for you non-GPA minded, haha)... the first time I've made straight As since grade 7.
It seems like I only ever get on here to brag lately... but my life is not always roses, I promise... I just want to take every chance I can to thank the Lord for His guidance and for showing me clearly the path He wants me to follow... Proverbs 16:9.
Now if you'll excuse me, I will return to my regularly scheduled program of "Plato's Symposium"... it took me 21 minutes to write this post. I really do hope to post more often so that you guys aren't limited to my random updates on here!
PS
This break, I will be attempting to create two work-related blogs, so maybe if I get into the habit of actually posting for those, I can add something personal on a regular basis too... idealism, I know, I know... and fyi, the topics of my other 2 blogs will be: environmentalism made easy and a biblio of utopian publications (obviously not the titles of the blogs, haha!)
08 November 2009
Beaches, France and Feminism
Hi all,
So a few updates that I should probably have spread out into multiple posts, but since I have such a tough time remembering to get on here, I'm just gonna say it all at once:
FIRST:
I went to a conference at Wrightsville Beach last weekend and HAD A BLAST! I rented a car and left Columbia @ 4am, got lost, and was a tiny bit late for the first session, but I got to spend 6hrs just me & Jason Mraz, so it was a fantastic trip :) I got to the hotel and checked in to my canal view room, only to find out that they'd given me an oceanview room instead for the same price! ($50 difference) The conference was great - I learned ton(ne)s, met some great people with whom I am staying in contact, got Fredric Jameson to sign my copy of "Political Unconscious", and signed up to create a semi-annual bibliography for Utopus Discovered (a society newsletter) that will tell people what is currently being published in the Utopian Studies world.
In other news: I also took a lovely walk on the Carolina coast for the first time since 2004, collected a seashell and a really great stone, watched some surfers and got a $40 meal for $5.50 + tip... and on the return trip, I took a "Sunday drive" with Jason Mraz and stopped at fruit stands and tourist shops at regular intervals, after spending the morning driving up & down the Myrtle Beach strand and shopping at the outlet mall.
So overall, no complaints re the conference trip!
SECOND:
While I was at the conference, I had a fantastic visit with my aunt, who lives 15mins from the hotel*! We ate supper at a cute local grille with a fantastic server, then spent the evening getting my aunt signed onto Twitter and watching TV before we both crashed at 10pm. sad. haha. ANYWAY: while Vicki and I were in my room talking, I checked my email and found out that...
THIRD:
I got an email from my advisor (who had cc'd another prof) to tell me about an opportunity for a fellowship in France next school year... my advisor told me the bare details: it's teaching English at a university in Mulhouse [moo-looz], France, paid position (20K euro), for one year. I would get university-level teaching experience, french practice, and not have to go further into debt all in one fell swoop. Is that how you spell "fell swoop"? Anyone know the etymology there? hmm... back to the topic! I hadn't checked my email all day, so the other prof had replied as well, to inform me that NO ONE has expressed interest so far. So I have talked it over with the Fam and I intend to apply**. They have to send an email out and I reply with a letter of interest in writing. I have prayed about it and have come to the decision that - if I am offered the position - I will be moving to France next summer! And if not, then I will more than likely be spending the summer working on French somewhere (maybe Vermont?). Proverbs 16:9, people!
FOURTH:
Compared to that fun-filled weekend, the remainder of my week has been pretty blah. I got my H1N1 vaccine and I think it made me a little sick, but I was over it by late Friday night. AND I have literally spent 15hrs this weekend reading journal articles for 2 essays due at the beginning of December.
Off topic, but still pertinent: I am inclined to make it my mission to become a female theorist who isn't determined to put a feminist spin of EVERYTHING I WRITE. It really is annoying that that is all I read from women theorists. At least that's what it feels like. Can't I be a part of a world that isn't splintered into factions? I may change my mind, but I won't be happy about it.
Love to everyone - will keep you informed!
* she has cats. there was no way I could visit her, so she came to my hotel for a slumber party!
** I have since found out that one other person has expressed interest, and that he went last year, so I don't know what my chances are right now.
So a few updates that I should probably have spread out into multiple posts, but since I have such a tough time remembering to get on here, I'm just gonna say it all at once:
FIRST:
I went to a conference at Wrightsville Beach last weekend and HAD A BLAST! I rented a car and left Columbia @ 4am, got lost, and was a tiny bit late for the first session, but I got to spend 6hrs just me & Jason Mraz, so it was a fantastic trip :) I got to the hotel and checked in to my canal view room, only to find out that they'd given me an oceanview room instead for the same price! ($50 difference) The conference was great - I learned ton(ne)s, met some great people with whom I am staying in contact, got Fredric Jameson to sign my copy of "Political Unconscious", and signed up to create a semi-annual bibliography for Utopus Discovered (a society newsletter) that will tell people what is currently being published in the Utopian Studies world.
In other news: I also took a lovely walk on the Carolina coast for the first time since 2004, collected a seashell and a really great stone, watched some surfers and got a $40 meal for $5.50 + tip... and on the return trip, I took a "Sunday drive" with Jason Mraz and stopped at fruit stands and tourist shops at regular intervals, after spending the morning driving up & down the Myrtle Beach strand and shopping at the outlet mall.
So overall, no complaints re the conference trip!
SECOND:
While I was at the conference, I had a fantastic visit with my aunt, who lives 15mins from the hotel*! We ate supper at a cute local grille with a fantastic server, then spent the evening getting my aunt signed onto Twitter and watching TV before we both crashed at 10pm. sad. haha. ANYWAY: while Vicki and I were in my room talking, I checked my email and found out that...
THIRD:
I got an email from my advisor (who had cc'd another prof) to tell me about an opportunity for a fellowship in France next school year... my advisor told me the bare details: it's teaching English at a university in Mulhouse [moo-looz], France, paid position (20K euro), for one year. I would get university-level teaching experience, french practice, and not have to go further into debt all in one fell swoop. Is that how you spell "fell swoop"? Anyone know the etymology there? hmm... back to the topic! I hadn't checked my email all day, so the other prof had replied as well, to inform me that NO ONE has expressed interest so far. So I have talked it over with the Fam and I intend to apply**. They have to send an email out and I reply with a letter of interest in writing. I have prayed about it and have come to the decision that - if I am offered the position - I will be moving to France next summer! And if not, then I will more than likely be spending the summer working on French somewhere (maybe Vermont?). Proverbs 16:9, people!
FOURTH:
Compared to that fun-filled weekend, the remainder of my week has been pretty blah. I got my H1N1 vaccine and I think it made me a little sick, but I was over it by late Friday night. AND I have literally spent 15hrs this weekend reading journal articles for 2 essays due at the beginning of December.
Off topic, but still pertinent: I am inclined to make it my mission to become a female theorist who isn't determined to put a feminist spin of EVERYTHING I WRITE. It really is annoying that that is all I read from women theorists. At least that's what it feels like. Can't I be a part of a world that isn't splintered into factions? I may change my mind, but I won't be happy about it.
Love to everyone - will keep you informed!
* she has cats. there was no way I could visit her, so she came to my hotel for a slumber party!
** I have since found out that one other person has expressed interest, and that he went last year, so I don't know what my chances are right now.
27 October 2009
New Crush - minipost.
Now, this is not an MG crush, mind you, but I thought I would share a video posted on Superforest.org today. I think I love Jackson. I mean, I even love his dog - it made me giggle! That's some serious crushing. haha.
The end.
The end.
The Plan, part 1
So this past week has been a roller coaster. Actually, more like the past 7 weeks, so I'll start there:
7 weeks ago, I started developing insomnia for the first time in my life. I have never been a great sleeper, but I have always felt rested after I got awake. Until mid-September. For 6 weeks, I averaged 3hrs/night of sleep - and I was getting increasingly irritable. I know... I'm always so sunshiny! Anyway: after 6 weeks of insomnia, I broke down & asked for prescription meds to help. BAD IDEA. Within 15 mins of taking the pills, I was in a full-blown 3-day-long allergic reaction. But I am in the States and didn't trust my health insurance to cover an ER visit, so I rode it out for the night*. I got 1 hour of sleep that night. YAY.
What I realized after (or maybe during?) was that my insomnia did have a trigger: I have also been having panic attacks/mini-breakdowns over the foreign language component of my PhD since mid-September.
I have been seeing a counselor for about a month to help with the PhD anxiety, and in last week's session, I mentioned that I was considering transferring to a PhD in English and we discussed. I decided to at least talk to the English dept - see if it was possible... and not only is it possible, it is WAY easy: one form and $15. So I met with some profs, asked some questions, realized that it would save me at least 6mos on my PhD... and was about 90% decided that I would transfer this week by the time I went in to my night class on Thursday.
Thursday night's classes are always unpredictable. We are never on schedule and the lecturer has had to remove at least 40% of the syllabus because our conversations are always so in-depth. That, and there are 27 graduate students in the class. So I did not expect a 3-hr session on the field of Comparative Lit when I walked into that classroom...
It was amazing. Life-changing. Reaffirming. I walked out of that class knowing that I am supposed to be in Comp Lit. And I have to get over my anxiety and do what it takes to get this degree.
Monday morning I woke up realizing that I have not set foot in the school's language lab yet. So I decided to take that first step, and found out that U of SC is registered with Rosetta Stone - so I spent 3+hrs there and am now on lesson 4 of unit 1 in French, haha! Back to the basics, for serious.
On Monday afternoon, I met with my Comp Lit advisor and told her the above story. By the time I told her that I was staying in the program, she let out a huge sigh and was like, "I was totally prepared for you to say you are leaving!" Then she told me about a summer immersion program in Vermont that she would like for me to check out. It took her a minute to remember the name of the school and all I could think of was "Middlebury" because that is where a cultural theorist/media studies prof named Jason Mittell works - I follow him on twitter and subscribe to his blog. And all of a sudden, my advisor is like, "Middlebury College! That's the name of the school." WHAT? I thought, well, how convenient!
This morning I pulled up the Middlebury College language school website to find out how much the program costs and if it accepts financial aid. As soon as I pulled up the financial aid page, the interoffice mailman came in & my job is to disperse the mail. So I left the page up for when I returned and started delivery.
And the last envelope I encounter is addressed to the Department Chair... from Middlebury College - WHAT???? I told the story to Catherine, the Chair's assistant and lady I desk-sit for over lunch hours. Catherine was like, "well, that's serendipity. This envelope should actually be yours." She opened it and handed me the papers.
I got to my office and started to read the pages. It was an announcement for a fellowship that pays for 100% of the language school summer programs... can I just say now that GOD IS GOOD.??
Now I don't have the fellowship, but WOW.
And if nothing else, I would say that I have confirmation that I am, in fact, supposed to be in Comp Lit!
And that is part one of my PhD plan blog posts.
* I did go to the health center the following day and got help.
7 weeks ago, I started developing insomnia for the first time in my life. I have never been a great sleeper, but I have always felt rested after I got awake. Until mid-September. For 6 weeks, I averaged 3hrs/night of sleep - and I was getting increasingly irritable. I know... I'm always so sunshiny! Anyway: after 6 weeks of insomnia, I broke down & asked for prescription meds to help. BAD IDEA. Within 15 mins of taking the pills, I was in a full-blown 3-day-long allergic reaction. But I am in the States and didn't trust my health insurance to cover an ER visit, so I rode it out for the night*. I got 1 hour of sleep that night. YAY.
What I realized after (or maybe during?) was that my insomnia did have a trigger: I have also been having panic attacks/mini-breakdowns over the foreign language component of my PhD since mid-September.
I have been seeing a counselor for about a month to help with the PhD anxiety, and in last week's session, I mentioned that I was considering transferring to a PhD in English and we discussed. I decided to at least talk to the English dept - see if it was possible... and not only is it possible, it is WAY easy: one form and $15. So I met with some profs, asked some questions, realized that it would save me at least 6mos on my PhD... and was about 90% decided that I would transfer this week by the time I went in to my night class on Thursday.
Thursday night's classes are always unpredictable. We are never on schedule and the lecturer has had to remove at least 40% of the syllabus because our conversations are always so in-depth. That, and there are 27 graduate students in the class. So I did not expect a 3-hr session on the field of Comparative Lit when I walked into that classroom...
It was amazing. Life-changing. Reaffirming. I walked out of that class knowing that I am supposed to be in Comp Lit. And I have to get over my anxiety and do what it takes to get this degree.
Monday morning I woke up realizing that I have not set foot in the school's language lab yet. So I decided to take that first step, and found out that U of SC is registered with Rosetta Stone - so I spent 3+hrs there and am now on lesson 4 of unit 1 in French, haha! Back to the basics, for serious.
On Monday afternoon, I met with my Comp Lit advisor and told her the above story. By the time I told her that I was staying in the program, she let out a huge sigh and was like, "I was totally prepared for you to say you are leaving!" Then she told me about a summer immersion program in Vermont that she would like for me to check out. It took her a minute to remember the name of the school and all I could think of was "Middlebury" because that is where a cultural theorist/media studies prof named Jason Mittell works - I follow him on twitter and subscribe to his blog. And all of a sudden, my advisor is like, "Middlebury College! That's the name of the school." WHAT? I thought, well, how convenient!
This morning I pulled up the Middlebury College language school website to find out how much the program costs and if it accepts financial aid. As soon as I pulled up the financial aid page, the interoffice mailman came in & my job is to disperse the mail. So I left the page up for when I returned and started delivery.
And the last envelope I encounter is addressed to the Department Chair... from Middlebury College - WHAT???? I told the story to Catherine, the Chair's assistant and lady I desk-sit for over lunch hours. Catherine was like, "well, that's serendipity. This envelope should actually be yours." She opened it and handed me the papers.
I got to my office and started to read the pages. It was an announcement for a fellowship that pays for 100% of the language school summer programs... can I just say now that GOD IS GOOD.??
Now I don't have the fellowship, but WOW.
And if nothing else, I would say that I have confirmation that I am, in fact, supposed to be in Comp Lit!
And that is part one of my PhD plan blog posts.
* I did go to the health center the following day and got help.
19 October 2009
Judge a Book...
Hi all -
This will be short, but I was sitting here trying to come up with research ideas and I looked up at the shelf above my desk and thought: "If someone were to randomly see all of these books, they'd probably think I have split-personality disorder!" So I thought I would share the list...(L-R):
Plato's Republic
Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia & Other Science Fictions
Ordinary Enchantments
Literary Topics: Magic Realism
A Companion to Magical Realism
The Spaces of Latin American Literature
Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination
The Immanent Utopia
Literature, Culture & Society
The end of Irish History?
Strands of Utopia
Demand the Impossible: Science Fiction and the Utopian Imagination
Captain Rock,Night Errant:The Threatening Letters of Pre-Famine Ireland, 1801-45
Jorge Luis Borges
The Image of the Future
Latin American Science Fiction Writers
And there you go! Books representing the various research ideas I have had in the past month. hah. Way to go INDECISION! :)
Love you all and miss you ton(nes) - and I do apologize that this does not include a crush-of-the-week bearded edition... but if it did, you KNOW there'd be a pic of MRAZ!
take care ~
SS
This will be short, but I was sitting here trying to come up with research ideas and I looked up at the shelf above my desk and thought: "If someone were to randomly see all of these books, they'd probably think I have split-personality disorder!" So I thought I would share the list...(L-R):
Plato's Republic
Archaeologies of the Future: The Desire Called Utopia & Other Science Fictions
Ordinary Enchantments
Literary Topics: Magic Realism
A Companion to Magical Realism
The Spaces of Latin American Literature
Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination
The Immanent Utopia
Literature, Culture & Society
The end of Irish History?
Strands of Utopia
Demand the Impossible: Science Fiction and the Utopian Imagination
Captain Rock,Night Errant:The Threatening Letters of Pre-Famine Ireland, 1801-45
Jorge Luis Borges
The Image of the Future
Latin American Science Fiction Writers
And there you go! Books representing the various research ideas I have had in the past month. hah. Way to go INDECISION! :)
Love you all and miss you ton(nes) - and I do apologize that this does not include a crush-of-the-week bearded edition... but if it did, you KNOW there'd be a pic of MRAZ!
take care ~
SS
08 September 2009
Serious Thought
I recently found a few questions that I thought were worthy of taking the time to answer... I thought I would share my ponderings here.
What inspires me?
I am inspired by words, language, literature & photography. I love "reading" humankind... I am inspired by the way people interact and how words, literature, language and photography are used as reflective tools. I love noticing the way people view themselves and the world around them, how they would like to see it and the ways that they use these four venues to create, encourage, and decipher their individual world. I find inspiration in the way each individual world intertwines, reflects and, ultimately, connects with the world universal... I am fascinated with how words can be manipulated, how language can forge bonds, how literature can reflect and how photography can represent both the person and the culture - how they can breathe new life into the mundane and edify humankind. I am beginning my studies as a Utopian scholar because of this passion. (can you tell?)
What do I love about my community?
I have lived in 3 nations and have managed to feel a part of my community wherever I am. I am blessed to recognise that my community is not limited to my geographical location, but that my community is "my world" - the people, the history, the culture, the architecture, the music - into which I am immersed. This blog is a personal (sometimes admittedly boring) blog that I have subtitled "welcome to my world: a novel" as an invitation to join me on my travels (both internal & external).
Charlotte, NC is my familial home. If you want to know what I love about Charlotte, in particular, I would have to say that I love the hugs. I love that since returning to the South less than a week ago*, I have gotten more hugs from strangers than I got in 6yrs living abroad! Charlotte is a big city full of Southern charm - she's got amazing history, a rich culture and her hands reach toward the dream of a better future while embracing the past within loving arms.
How is Love expressed as Me in the world?
(I love the phrasing of this question!)
I would say that Love is expressed as Me in the world via the relationships that I forge with people on a one-to-one basis. I put a lot of effort into forging real relationships with everyone I know. I ask questions, offer advice, love & pray for the people I encounter. I listen and I try to believe that I can learn something from everyone I meet. I believe that Love is exemplified in the trust, encouragement and edification that is offered to each new friend in my life. I hope that, through one-on-one relationships, Love (and Joy and Peace) is/are able to cross racial, national & religious boundaries and reach out to all of humankind - one friend at a time.
So there you go! A little more insight into the mind of Steph than you had before :)
*at the time these questions were answered
What inspires me?
I am inspired by words, language, literature & photography. I love "reading" humankind... I am inspired by the way people interact and how words, literature, language and photography are used as reflective tools. I love noticing the way people view themselves and the world around them, how they would like to see it and the ways that they use these four venues to create, encourage, and decipher their individual world. I find inspiration in the way each individual world intertwines, reflects and, ultimately, connects with the world universal... I am fascinated with how words can be manipulated, how language can forge bonds, how literature can reflect and how photography can represent both the person and the culture - how they can breathe new life into the mundane and edify humankind. I am beginning my studies as a Utopian scholar because of this passion. (can you tell?)
What do I love about my community?
I have lived in 3 nations and have managed to feel a part of my community wherever I am. I am blessed to recognise that my community is not limited to my geographical location, but that my community is "my world" - the people, the history, the culture, the architecture, the music - into which I am immersed. This blog is a personal (sometimes admittedly boring) blog that I have subtitled "welcome to my world: a novel" as an invitation to join me on my travels (both internal & external).
Charlotte, NC is my familial home. If you want to know what I love about Charlotte, in particular, I would have to say that I love the hugs. I love that since returning to the South less than a week ago*, I have gotten more hugs from strangers than I got in 6yrs living abroad! Charlotte is a big city full of Southern charm - she's got amazing history, a rich culture and her hands reach toward the dream of a better future while embracing the past within loving arms.
How is Love expressed as Me in the world?
(I love the phrasing of this question!)
I would say that Love is expressed as Me in the world via the relationships that I forge with people on a one-to-one basis. I put a lot of effort into forging real relationships with everyone I know. I ask questions, offer advice, love & pray for the people I encounter. I listen and I try to believe that I can learn something from everyone I meet. I believe that Love is exemplified in the trust, encouragement and edification that is offered to each new friend in my life. I hope that, through one-on-one relationships, Love (and Joy and Peace) is/are able to cross racial, national & religious boundaries and reach out to all of humankind - one friend at a time.
So there you go! A little more insight into the mind of Steph than you had before :)
*at the time these questions were answered
06 September 2009
I have no witty title
Hello -
I was hoping to blog weekly (at least) once I got settled in, but it turns out that life isn't so exciting in West Columbia as one might think, haha!
I need to figure out how to get photos from my phone onto the computer because I have one that really exemplifies life here in SC. It's a grocery story display selling pickled eggs and pigs feet. yum. But until I figure out the technical side of things, you'll just have to use your imagination :)
The rest of my life has been so routine - and I LOVE it! My weeks are usually: read for four days (with some tv at night), Tuesday & Wednesday I'm on campus from 8:30am-5pm with a 30-min break, and Thursday I'm on campus from 8:30am-8pm with a 2hr break at suppertime.
Speaking of Thursdays, this past Thursday was a doozy. doozie? d'ouzi? hmm... regardless:
For anyone who doesn't know (and cares), I have a shuttle that runs from my apartment to the Uni from 7am-7pm... which means that I can't catch it after my Thurs class at 8pm (obviously). And the public transit stops at SIX PM (what?). My roommate has been able to give me lifts home most days and I took a taxi in the rain one day, but this week I got brave.
I decided to bicycle home from class - in the dark - over a bridge which apparently houses homeless people. I could totally deal with all of that. So I took my bike to school. Then I get an email from my Dr in the middle of the day: "your blood tests have come back abnormal. please make an appointment with an MD asap." -- umm.. do we know me??? I tried not to go into panic-mode and did really well, but it was emotionally draining. I made an appt for that afternoon (on my 2hr break) and was told that I may have hypothyroid and I have some indicators of potential chronic kidney disease, but the latter was unlikely. It is more likely that the test showing possible kidney disease was elevated because I take ibuprofen. hmm. who knew? So now I can't take ibuprofen (or apparently aspirin, either) and I have another blood test in a month. they are running more tests re the hypothyroid*.
After that lovely stressor, I run (actually bike, woot!) to class and sit for 3hrs in a theory class discussing semiotics and linguistics. F.U.N.
At one point during this class, I actually had a mini-breakdown and was like, "why am I so lost? I am the only person not getting this? I don't belong here! I should just quit now." But then I remembered that my other friends who are farther along in their PhDs have also felt like this, so I didn't cry like I wanted to.
The next day, I found out that my mini-breakdown is what some people call "imposter syndrome" - where we feel like everyone else is smarter than us and that we don't belong. Apparently, EVERYONE goes through that! I hope I don't do it again. I did not enjoy the feeling. I blame the long, stressful day.
And THEN, I bicycled 2.5 miles home - and you know what? as afraid as I was that I wouldn't make it, or that I would get run over by a reckless car, or that I would get a flat tire right by the homeless-person bridge... the thing that I had not anticipated: BUGS. Everywhere. I had one fly into my eye at the very beginning. a giant one landed on and stuck to my shirt. and hundreds of tiny flying insects hit me in the face... do you know how tough it is to ride a bicycle uphill with your mouth closed??? I'm just sayin', now I know why cars have windshields.
So no more night-cycling for Steph. I was absolutely disgusted.
Have I mentioned that I dislike bugs? I'd rather endure -40winters and be mostly bug-free than have 6mos of summer and have creepy-crawlies EVERYWHERE. for the record.
but since I have to endure the bugs... I think I am going to go sit by the pool and do some of my reading now! :)
Love ~
SS
* is it bad that I am actually hoping for hypothyroidism, so that it would explain my recent weight gain? does that make me a horrible person?
I was hoping to blog weekly (at least) once I got settled in, but it turns out that life isn't so exciting in West Columbia as one might think, haha!
I need to figure out how to get photos from my phone onto the computer because I have one that really exemplifies life here in SC. It's a grocery story display selling pickled eggs and pigs feet. yum. But until I figure out the technical side of things, you'll just have to use your imagination :)
The rest of my life has been so routine - and I LOVE it! My weeks are usually: read for four days (with some tv at night), Tuesday & Wednesday I'm on campus from 8:30am-5pm with a 30-min break, and Thursday I'm on campus from 8:30am-8pm with a 2hr break at suppertime.
Speaking of Thursdays, this past Thursday was a doozy. doozie? d'ouzi? hmm... regardless:
For anyone who doesn't know (and cares), I have a shuttle that runs from my apartment to the Uni from 7am-7pm... which means that I can't catch it after my Thurs class at 8pm (obviously). And the public transit stops at SIX PM (what?). My roommate has been able to give me lifts home most days and I took a taxi in the rain one day, but this week I got brave.
I decided to bicycle home from class - in the dark - over a bridge which apparently houses homeless people. I could totally deal with all of that. So I took my bike to school. Then I get an email from my Dr in the middle of the day: "your blood tests have come back abnormal. please make an appointment with an MD asap." -- umm.. do we know me??? I tried not to go into panic-mode and did really well, but it was emotionally draining. I made an appt for that afternoon (on my 2hr break) and was told that I may have hypothyroid and I have some indicators of potential chronic kidney disease, but the latter was unlikely. It is more likely that the test showing possible kidney disease was elevated because I take ibuprofen. hmm. who knew? So now I can't take ibuprofen (or apparently aspirin, either) and I have another blood test in a month. they are running more tests re the hypothyroid*.
After that lovely stressor, I run (actually bike, woot!) to class and sit for 3hrs in a theory class discussing semiotics and linguistics. F.U.N.
At one point during this class, I actually had a mini-breakdown and was like, "why am I so lost? I am the only person not getting this? I don't belong here! I should just quit now." But then I remembered that my other friends who are farther along in their PhDs have also felt like this, so I didn't cry like I wanted to.
The next day, I found out that my mini-breakdown is what some people call "imposter syndrome" - where we feel like everyone else is smarter than us and that we don't belong. Apparently, EVERYONE goes through that! I hope I don't do it again. I did not enjoy the feeling. I blame the long, stressful day.
And THEN, I bicycled 2.5 miles home - and you know what? as afraid as I was that I wouldn't make it, or that I would get run over by a reckless car, or that I would get a flat tire right by the homeless-person bridge... the thing that I had not anticipated: BUGS. Everywhere. I had one fly into my eye at the very beginning. a giant one landed on and stuck to my shirt. and hundreds of tiny flying insects hit me in the face... do you know how tough it is to ride a bicycle uphill with your mouth closed??? I'm just sayin', now I know why cars have windshields.
So no more night-cycling for Steph. I was absolutely disgusted.
Have I mentioned that I dislike bugs? I'd rather endure -40winters and be mostly bug-free than have 6mos of summer and have creepy-crawlies EVERYWHERE. for the record.
but since I have to endure the bugs... I think I am going to go sit by the pool and do some of my reading now! :)
Love ~
SS
* is it bad that I am actually hoping for hypothyroidism, so that it would explain my recent weight gain? does that make me a horrible person?
21 August 2009
PhD Classes, day one
well... there really is not much to say about today - nothing out of the extraordinary, which in and of itself is pretty cool! Things that are noteworthy to mark the day include:
1) having a prof who, I have decided, is the official doppleganger of Jay Mohr - jokes, awkward pauses for effect, blond, receding hairline, and midwestern accent all-inclusive! haha
2) a classmate offering to give me a lift home after the last class ended at 8pm, only to arrive at class and find out that her car had broken down. (which turned out okay, because I took a taxi home and if I had found out about her car before I left for school, I would have tried to bring my bicycle and it started thunderstorming right as class ended... so, although I was inconvenienced, I wasn't miserably drenched and all is well.) - that is so not grammatically correct. sue me.
3) seeing an overwhelming amount of apparel announcing the word "cock". GOOOOOOOO GAMECOCKS! whatever. The shirts, hats, gym shorts, etc all shortened it to COCKS or COCK*. and not "GO..." one-word advertising is all this school needs, apparently. ugh.
4) having the world's most annoying classmate in EVERY SINGLE CLASS. And by annoying, I more-than-likely mean "just like me 10 yrs younger". Except thinner and with straighter teeth. Very outspoken, VERY flirtatious (I've got nothing on her remark to the only cute guy in the class: "What can I do to get your help with theory??? I have learned that the easiest way to get a guy to do something for me is to feed him or seduce him..." WHA???**), interested in Magic Realism and Southern Lit, and very critical... did I mention outspoken? How about flirtatious?
5) being introduced to a very influential prof in the following terms: "I recommend that you keep an eye out for this young lady... she is very impressive and I see her going places...***" HOW COOL IS THAT? :)
6) meeting another prof who is a younger, thinner, American-accented version of Sayid on LOST. dreamy!
Okay. so maybe this day was worth blogging about. Some pretty cool things happened! :)
* I tried to link to photos online, but they don't exist... now I will make it my mission to take a pic of this annoying trend amongst campus fashion.
** the "T" is intentionally omitted here for emphasis on my shock and horror/jealousy at her talent/bravery
*** said by a prof I'd just met the day before in a pre-semester Q&A panel session for 1st-yr grad students (new to UofSC)... of course I asked questions! I know that after I left the 'influential' prof's office, my advocate went over and explained what I did to impress him, but I left them alone to discuss how (apparently) awesome I am. haha!
1) having a prof who, I have decided, is the official doppleganger of Jay Mohr - jokes, awkward pauses for effect, blond, receding hairline, and midwestern accent all-inclusive! haha
2) a classmate offering to give me a lift home after the last class ended at 8pm, only to arrive at class and find out that her car had broken down. (which turned out okay, because I took a taxi home and if I had found out about her car before I left for school, I would have tried to bring my bicycle and it started thunderstorming right as class ended... so, although I was inconvenienced, I wasn't miserably drenched and all is well.) - that is so not grammatically correct. sue me.
3) seeing an overwhelming amount of apparel announcing the word "cock". GOOOOOOOO GAMECOCKS! whatever. The shirts, hats, gym shorts, etc all shortened it to COCKS or COCK*. and not "GO..." one-word advertising is all this school needs, apparently. ugh.
4) having the world's most annoying classmate in EVERY SINGLE CLASS. And by annoying, I more-than-likely mean "just like me 10 yrs younger". Except thinner and with straighter teeth. Very outspoken, VERY flirtatious (I've got nothing on her remark to the only cute guy in the class: "What can I do to get your help with theory??? I have learned that the easiest way to get a guy to do something for me is to feed him or seduce him..." WHA???**), interested in Magic Realism and Southern Lit, and very critical... did I mention outspoken? How about flirtatious?
5) being introduced to a very influential prof in the following terms: "I recommend that you keep an eye out for this young lady... she is very impressive and I see her going places...***" HOW COOL IS THAT? :)
6) meeting another prof who is a younger, thinner, American-accented version of Sayid on LOST. dreamy!
Okay. so maybe this day was worth blogging about. Some pretty cool things happened! :)
* I tried to link to photos online, but they don't exist... now I will make it my mission to take a pic of this annoying trend amongst campus fashion.
** the "T" is intentionally omitted here for emphasis on my shock and horror/jealousy at her talent/bravery
*** said by a prof I'd just met the day before in a pre-semester Q&A panel session for 1st-yr grad students (new to UofSC)... of course I asked questions! I know that after I left the 'influential' prof's office, my advocate went over and explained what I did to impress him, but I left them alone to discuss how (apparently) awesome I am. haha!
17 August 2009
FIRST DAY in SC
okay*, so it's my 2nd day here... but yesterday all I did was unpack about a billion boxes and CLEAN. And that is just no fun to blog about... because this place was disgGUSting. my feet were black at the end of the day... ewww... but (Bron), the last tenants did leave TP, which was very useful at one point.
I don't know how this blog is going to turn out, but I don't want to take this time for granted, even if I'm not in some exotic place like Ireland or SASKATCHEWAN! :) I am hoping to play tourist in my backyard and we'll see how this turns out.
So today was my first day of work. I didn't tell you about my job? oh. okay, let's start there: I went to UofSC as soon as I arrived in the Carolinas to talk to financial aid about the fact that the $$ they were allowing me to have was not enough to live on. A couple weeks prior, I had run across a possible work-study (where the govt funds student employment - cheap(ish) labour for the Uni & tax-free paycheques for the students)... anyway! While I was on campus, I decided to stop by & meet the lady (Carla) and see if she could tell me where financial aid was. By the time I left her office, I had a job - and she offered me $2 more an hour than was posted online... Praise the LORD!
SO.
Today was the first day of that job. I am one of 3 admin assistants in the department of languages, literatures & cultures, which happens to be MY department, woot! My schedule has me working Tue/Wed/Thurs for 14.5hrs/week and, in conjunction with my course schedule, I now officially have 4-day weekends, double-woot**! :)
Today, I met about 40 people and started to learn about 80 names. I answered phones and was asked questions that I had no clue how to answer for the 1st half of the day... I learned the copying system... I networked... and I ran up and down stairs for HOURS (delivering mail). And I was happy! I was able to meet the Comp Lit program director face-to-face, have a sit-down meeting with the graduate studies director, be introduced to the dean of the department, and meet a fellow classmate (who got a teaching assistantship, but I won't hold it against her...)!
Things I found out today are:
1) one of the instructors in the German department (to whom I was introduced and ended up talking with for a while) is from Dublin -- and it turns out that one of her good friends is one of my lecturers at UL! WHAT? Pretty cool, eh? And she also sent me to a couple dudes who may be interested in supervising my dissertation (when the time comes) - yay for networking!!! and
2) I cannot take graduate-level spanish lit courses in Latin America like I'd hoped... BUT, UofSC offers 2 graduate-level summer courses and, assuming I do well in them, the director of graduate studies wants to consider me for a teaching assistantship next year in Spanish! (okay... we'll see how that goes, but it is an incentive to get on the ball with the spanish speaking-phobia I've recently developed, right?)
In addition to all of that excitement, I rode my bicycle 1/3 of the way to school (at 7:30am, what?) and all the way back from school - a total of just under 5miles. And got lost without a map on the way to get bloodwork done (I have to prove that I won't catch measles or rubella... sigh) and wandered campus for about 30mins. Can we say "workout"***???
And in addition to all of THAT excitement: I met a cute boy. His name is Rob, he lived in Ireland for 3.5months, he doesn't wear a wedding band, he is new to campus (too), and his mailbox # is 286. That is all I got after running into him at least five times today... NOT BECAUSE I'M A STALKER, either!!!!... because he kept talking to ME! (just so we're clear.) If I had been smart, or at all socially adept, I could have swung a "we'll have to get together for lunch or coffee sometime" during our 10-min conversation that started out with "where's a good place to eat around here?" and quickly (d?)evolved into "Limerick is the murder-capital of the EU (me)" to "the Burren is amazing! (both of us)" to "yeah, I'll probably live at the Colloquium (aka nearby coffee shop) most of the time (me)"... to the elevator doors closing... but we still chatted (about NOTHING) 3 more times after that catastrophe, so I didn't scare him off... yet.
In other news, all I have eaten today is half a bagel & 2stalks of celery. Now I'm off to bed!
* sorry, no cool pics this time to distract you from the lengthy-ness of this email.
**I love that blogging automatically grants me the right to make up words, yay!
***to be honest, I do not recall why I starred this. I think in my head, I wanted everyone to cheer "WORKOUT!" with me... haha :)
PS
There may be more Rob stories to come, mostly because I enjoy telling boy-stories (Ian, close your eyes, haha!)... until I find out he's married or gay. or MY PROF. Optimism: ain't it grand?
take care world ~
I don't know how this blog is going to turn out, but I don't want to take this time for granted, even if I'm not in some exotic place like Ireland or SASKATCHEWAN! :) I am hoping to play tourist in my backyard and we'll see how this turns out.
So today was my first day of work. I didn't tell you about my job? oh. okay, let's start there: I went to UofSC as soon as I arrived in the Carolinas to talk to financial aid about the fact that the $$ they were allowing me to have was not enough to live on. A couple weeks prior, I had run across a possible work-study (where the govt funds student employment - cheap(ish) labour for the Uni & tax-free paycheques for the students)... anyway! While I was on campus, I decided to stop by & meet the lady (Carla) and see if she could tell me where financial aid was. By the time I left her office, I had a job - and she offered me $2 more an hour than was posted online... Praise the LORD!
SO.
Today was the first day of that job. I am one of 3 admin assistants in the department of languages, literatures & cultures, which happens to be MY department, woot! My schedule has me working Tue/Wed/Thurs for 14.5hrs/week and, in conjunction with my course schedule, I now officially have 4-day weekends, double-woot**! :)
Today, I met about 40 people and started to learn about 80 names. I answered phones and was asked questions that I had no clue how to answer for the 1st half of the day... I learned the copying system... I networked... and I ran up and down stairs for HOURS (delivering mail). And I was happy! I was able to meet the Comp Lit program director face-to-face, have a sit-down meeting with the graduate studies director, be introduced to the dean of the department, and meet a fellow classmate (who got a teaching assistantship, but I won't hold it against her...)!
Things I found out today are:
1) one of the instructors in the German department (to whom I was introduced and ended up talking with for a while) is from Dublin -- and it turns out that one of her good friends is one of my lecturers at UL! WHAT? Pretty cool, eh? And she also sent me to a couple dudes who may be interested in supervising my dissertation (when the time comes) - yay for networking!!! and
2) I cannot take graduate-level spanish lit courses in Latin America like I'd hoped... BUT, UofSC offers 2 graduate-level summer courses and, assuming I do well in them, the director of graduate studies wants to consider me for a teaching assistantship next year in Spanish! (okay... we'll see how that goes, but it is an incentive to get on the ball with the spanish speaking-phobia I've recently developed, right?)
In addition to all of that excitement, I rode my bicycle 1/3 of the way to school (at 7:30am, what?) and all the way back from school - a total of just under 5miles. And got lost without a map on the way to get bloodwork done (I have to prove that I won't catch measles or rubella... sigh) and wandered campus for about 30mins. Can we say "workout"***???
And in addition to all of THAT excitement: I met a cute boy. His name is Rob, he lived in Ireland for 3.5months, he doesn't wear a wedding band, he is new to campus (too), and his mailbox # is 286. That is all I got after running into him at least five times today... NOT BECAUSE I'M A STALKER, either!!!!... because he kept talking to ME! (just so we're clear.) If I had been smart, or at all socially adept, I could have swung a "we'll have to get together for lunch or coffee sometime" during our 10-min conversation that started out with "where's a good place to eat around here?" and quickly (d?)evolved into "Limerick is the murder-capital of the EU (me)" to "the Burren is amazing! (both of us)" to "yeah, I'll probably live at the Colloquium (aka nearby coffee shop) most of the time (me)"... to the elevator doors closing... but we still chatted (about NOTHING) 3 more times after that catastrophe, so I didn't scare him off... yet.
In other news, all I have eaten today is half a bagel & 2stalks of celery. Now I'm off to bed!
* sorry, no cool pics this time to distract you from the lengthy-ness of this email.
**I love that blogging automatically grants me the right to make up words, yay!
***to be honest, I do not recall why I starred this. I think in my head, I wanted everyone to cheer "WORKOUT!" with me... haha :)
PS
There may be more Rob stories to come, mostly because I enjoy telling boy-stories (Ian, close your eyes, haha!)... until I find out he's married or gay. or MY PROF. Optimism: ain't it grand?
take care world ~
29 July 2009
Mr. A-Z
I'm just sayin'...
yeah, yeah - I have a few things to apologise for:
1) taking a billion years to post a new blog...
2) not sending out self-inquiry questions to a few friends who were nice enough to request them from my last post (still no telling when they'll happen!), and
3) stealing Jason Mraz' creativity to title tonight's episode of my world!
Please forgive me.
And now on to last night's adventure... I know that writing this out is not nearly as cool as actually telling the story, but my throat still hurts from last night, so this may be for the best anyway... this will be a long one, so get comfortable...:
OKAY!
Sooooo... as most of you know, I was psyched to attend the Jason Mraz concert last night!!! I mean, seriously, I planned my move from Calgary to the Carolinas 3 weeks earlier than I needed to for this show. I bought my tickets to the concert BEFORE I bought my flight home. The only thing most important than going to the show (with a tiny hope of meeting & potentially making out with Jason - 'cause he & I are tight and we're on a first name basis, apparently) was sharing the experience with my sister. It had been 6yrs since she and I had taken time out of our busy schedules (and international boundaries) to spend sister-time together. To be fair, Jen does not care one whit about Jason, but she knew this concert was important to me, so she agreed to go...
she seriously did not know what she was getting into.
It began as a normal concert experience - the venue just opened a couple months ago, so we were unfamiliar with the directions, parking, regulations, etc... but the biggest stressor for me was the storm clouds I could see gathering later in the afternoon. I kept trying to explain Stephanie's Law to my sister, and she was trying to counter my negative thoughts with positive ones all afternoon... the Law won.
We arrive safely, Jen bought a $5 poncho from a vendor on the sidewalk as we were parking - just in case - and parking was a breeze. Then we walked the 1/4mile to the amphitheatre.
Did I mention that this venue is outdoors, and there is no covered seating? Or that the tickets said "rain or shine"? How about the fact that they did not allow umbrellas, chairs or blankets into the venue? no? okay, well, now you know.
So we get to the line, they search our bags, we have to take the lids off our water bottles and take the open containers into the seating (huh?), have our tickets scanned, pass by the "gratitude cafe tent", and find our seats. It's a pretty neat space - we were 24th row, but it didn't seem to be too far away from the stage. I was okay - I mean, we weren't on the lawn and we did have reserved seats.
The concert had already begun with the opening act (K'naan, I think?) I was not impressed, but my sis liked him okay, so I was happy! We found our seats, put our water bottles in the holders*, I handed my sister her poncho and opened my anorak as we sat down. And before we had the protective coverings on, the sky opened into TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR. I am not joking. Between putting one arm in my sleeve while completely dry and putting the other arm in its sleeve, my entire body was drenched. It was like I stepped into the shower. I figure, at least this is warm rain - not that crazy frigid-cold stuff that fell from the sky in Ireland... right?!
So Jen got her poncho on and I zipped my coat and we stood up for a minute and did a "rain dance" (we were encouraged by the singer on the stage, fyi)... and then he cut off mid-song and said something like "umm... so I have been told that lightning has been sighted, so we're going to have to cut off the power here on the stage..." and Jen & I sat down and waited. In the rain.
The place was starting to empty out, except for a few rows of fans who had crowded under the eave of the stage, so we set out to join them (in hopes of getting a decent seat once the show resumed, of course). And about the time we arrived, they make an announcement telling everyone that we have to leave the amphitheatre and return to our cars until the electrical storm passes - that we will be informed when the concert resumes. RIGHT.
Well, our little crowd were the only ones left (or so it appeared), and everyone was turning to leave, when the HAIL rained upon us. WHAT??? The hailstones weren't giant, but man, could they sting! I got hit right by my eye and thought "well, if I start bleeding, at least I'll have a scar to remind me of this night..." and Jen was in front of me doing what looking like a fire-walk, jumping around trying to avoid the stings of flying iceballs. We're making our way down the stairs when some guy walks toward us yelling "EVERYBODY OUT!!!!" at the top of his lungs... because, obviously, walking toward the exit wasn't enough indication of us leaving...
Jen started walking barefoot because she was sliding in her flipflops, and we took cover under the eave of the will call/ticket office with about 20 other people to ride out the storm. I didn't want to go to the car and risk missing the concert because of slacker event staff, so we stood. In the rain. In an electrical storm. In more than an inch of water. Barefoot (well, one of us at this point). For 45mins. With more and more people arriving - I'd say hundreds more cars.
The storm moved on and the rain slowed from a downpour to just plain rainfall. So we left the shelter and returned to the entrance of the amphitheatre in order to be at the front of the throng. Remember Stephanie's Law**? Anyway! We waited and waited. I started to sing "I'm Yours" and a couple people hummed along. Then all of a sudden, Martha Chinnis shows up with her boyfriend (Erick) and we talked for another 20-30mins or so.
And then THEY showed up. The DRY PEOPLE. They would come out from inside the amphitheatre and would wave down from the other side of the fence at us lowly wet folk. At first, it was a couple people at a time.
Then, at around 9:30 (the concert began at 7pm), event staff returned... only to start breaking down tables and removing garbage cans. And when we asked them what was happening, they only answered "I don't know". So I sang some more songs. This time Erick and Martha joined me.
I knew Jason had done midnight shows before, so I was hopeful, but more as an obsessive fan than a realistic citizen. I had decided that I didn't want to leave until someone (from the event staff) told me I had to. My sister supported me.
I think Jen was okay with the drama*** until the DRY PEOPLE started coming down the stairs without saying a word. Beer-in-hand, stone-faced DRY PEOPLE walked out of the amphitheatre - by the HUNDREDS. I stopped one lady and asked where she had been and her reply was something like, "well, I was in the amphitheatre!" and I was like, but the place was empty when I left and she answered, "no, it was nearly full!" WHAT??? (again).
And I was still okay... and Jen was still supportive... and then all the other people in line in front of us U-turned and walked away... without a word. So I made my way to an event staff member and asked her the story and here's what I got (with a sad look on her face):
"Jason has agreed to play an accoustic show next door in the Fillmore. But it only seats 2000 people and the seating is first-come-first serve."
I asked directions to the Fillmore, turned around, took MY shoes off, whispered to Jen, Martha and Erick to follow me and BOLTED. Through mud, grass, bushes... I drilled my way through the throngs, with Jen hanging onto my anorak for dear life, Martha tugging on Jen's poncho and Erick clinching Martha's raincoat... and I haven't told them a word yet. Then I hit a wall of people. I whispered to the other 3 the new information and Martha yells out "WHAT'S THE FILLMORE?" (Martha, Martha, Martha!) And then I take our train on a loop around the ticket office. And then I realise...
I only have one ticket in my hand.
I had been holding onto mine & Jen's tix at the front gate. When I noticed the missing ticket, Jen offered to sit in the car if they don't let her into the Fillmore... please. Like I was going to let that happen!
So I leave the other 3 in the middle of thousands of people with instructions to keep pushing forward and I turn around and skip hundreds of people in line at the ticket office to plead my case: I explain how I moved to Charlotte from Canada 3 weeks early just for this concert and how I wanted to share it with my sister and how, in the rain and the chaos, one of my tickets was gone... and asked if they would possibly be able to reprint my 2nd ticket... and they said I'd need ID, the original credit card and the one ticket I had - which was in Jennifer's hand. So I yelled across, like, 50ppl and she passed the ticket back to me... and eventually I wound my way through the crowd back to my sister with 2 tickets for the concert in my hand! WHEW!
At this point, I notice that there was an empty space of ground right in front of us and ask Jen, Martha & Erick why they hadn't filled it in and I had about 10 people tell me that the tree in the clearing had fire ants.
(notice fire-ant tree on left and Fillmore sign in background)
By this time, I was running on pure adrenaline. We had been told that the DRY PEOPLE had bought VIP tix and had already been safely shuffled into the Fillmore, leaving only about 1700 spaces left and 3000+people waiting outside. I risked the fire ants.
I had also decided that, if I didn't make it to this concert, I was driving (or busing or whatever) to Jason's concert in Cary, NC (about 3hrs away) the next night. Jen decided she was going with me.
Then the announcements started:
1) the Fillmore is only licensed for people ages 21+
2) they are letting people with reserved seating in first
3)and my favourite 3-in-1 (announced to a SILENT crowd of thousands): YOU HAVE A CHOICE: #1- you can attend tonight's accoustic concert, but Jason won't be singing, #2- Jason is planning to return to Charlotte at a later date this summer or #3- you can opt for a refund of your ticket.
Between these three announcements, Martha & Erick decided to turn back while Jen & I made it to the front, say, 600ppl.
Then the rain fell down. AGAIN! The crowd morphed into a throng - it literally pulsed. Jen & I were expecting a riot or at the very least a mosh pit. We couldn't turn around in our spots - she was holding onto my anorak again, but this time, there were 2 bodies between us. Another torrential downpour!!! It rained and flooded. Jen & I are still barefoot. My claustrophobia had kicked in about 30mins prior. And the doors opened.
HALLELUJAH! (can I say that? a little blasphemous, I know...)
There were 4 security guards posted across the sidewalk and LITERALLY just as Jen & I passed by them, the hands came down to cut the crowd off. I yanked Jen in because I saw the arm raise above me...
as I handed my tickets to the attendant, I made sure Jason would be playing (#1 of that 3rd announcement was just to weed out people, apparently - it had been passed down by word of mouth) - and actually, my exact words were "if he doesn't sing, I will come back and find you." I was promised that he would sing.
We walked in to find a bunch of DRY PEOPLE (now drunk dry people) seated around the outside of the room. And we found ourselves in a standing-only room.
And we stood approximately TEN FEET from the stage! Honestly, there were maybe 4 rows of people between me and Jason!!!!!!!!!
The rest of the story is just a letdown, I am sure. But it involved DRY DRUNK PEOPLE trying to squeeze in to the crowd, looking all perfect & pretty and my sister and I starting a barricade. There were about 10 people around us who joined in a vendetta against the DRY PEOPLE. (that's what they were called by everyone, fyi) One older man in the back would yell "elbows out!" and everyone would stand their ground while Jen & I were like "no." or "you can take another way to find your mom/child/husband/whatever." or "I guess you love going to the bathroom more than you love being close to the stage, then." or "I'm pretty sure this isn't reserved seating." I honestly had determined that I was wet enough to where, if I had to pee, I would probably have just peed standing up rather than give up my spot. Seriously. The girl in front of us offered her black-belt services, if need be. And the guy beside her was like "I'm with her!" (even though he wasn't really with her) - just to keep everyone happy... we pretty-much bonded! Glad I didn't pee and ruin the good vibes.
And yes, the concert was PHENOMENAL. It was better than I could have imagined, considering the overall outcome. And eventually (about 3/4 through Jason's set), Jen & I did give up our spots to go sit down on the floor stage left. When I wanted to stand and join the crowd, I was in the 2nd row, but with a partial view - still AWESOME! We had been standing for a solid 5.5hrs by then (the concert ended at 1am), and Jennifer had worked on her feet from 7:30am till 2:30pm. Did I mention my sister ROCKS???
We both decided we like Bushwalla, too...
she more than I, but I am grateful that Jen enjoyed the concert after that unbelievable experience... what a great sport, eh? :)
*the water bottles remained in their holders at our seats, in case you were curious.
** Stephanie's Law: whatever Stephanie wants, the opposite must occur. (but only with the little things... mostly)
***you know, the drama that follows me EVERYWHERE??? :)
PS
here's a peak at the audience warmup with Jason... not much, but my internet sucks, so you only get a blip.
yeah, yeah - I have a few things to apologise for:
1) taking a billion years to post a new blog...
2) not sending out self-inquiry questions to a few friends who were nice enough to request them from my last post (still no telling when they'll happen!), and
3) stealing Jason Mraz' creativity to title tonight's episode of my world!
Please forgive me.
And now on to last night's adventure... I know that writing this out is not nearly as cool as actually telling the story, but my throat still hurts from last night, so this may be for the best anyway... this will be a long one, so get comfortable...:
OKAY!
Sooooo... as most of you know, I was psyched to attend the Jason Mraz concert last night!!! I mean, seriously, I planned my move from Calgary to the Carolinas 3 weeks earlier than I needed to for this show. I bought my tickets to the concert BEFORE I bought my flight home. The only thing most important than going to the show (with a tiny hope of meeting & potentially making out with Jason - 'cause he & I are tight and we're on a first name basis, apparently) was sharing the experience with my sister. It had been 6yrs since she and I had taken time out of our busy schedules (and international boundaries) to spend sister-time together. To be fair, Jen does not care one whit about Jason, but she knew this concert was important to me, so she agreed to go...
she seriously did not know what she was getting into.
It began as a normal concert experience - the venue just opened a couple months ago, so we were unfamiliar with the directions, parking, regulations, etc... but the biggest stressor for me was the storm clouds I could see gathering later in the afternoon. I kept trying to explain Stephanie's Law to my sister, and she was trying to counter my negative thoughts with positive ones all afternoon... the Law won.
We arrive safely, Jen bought a $5 poncho from a vendor on the sidewalk as we were parking - just in case - and parking was a breeze. Then we walked the 1/4mile to the amphitheatre.
Did I mention that this venue is outdoors, and there is no covered seating? Or that the tickets said "rain or shine"? How about the fact that they did not allow umbrellas, chairs or blankets into the venue? no? okay, well, now you know.
So we get to the line, they search our bags, we have to take the lids off our water bottles and take the open containers into the seating (huh?), have our tickets scanned, pass by the "gratitude cafe tent", and find our seats. It's a pretty neat space - we were 24th row, but it didn't seem to be too far away from the stage. I was okay - I mean, we weren't on the lawn and we did have reserved seats.
The concert had already begun with the opening act (K'naan, I think?) I was not impressed, but my sis liked him okay, so I was happy! We found our seats, put our water bottles in the holders*, I handed my sister her poncho and opened my anorak as we sat down. And before we had the protective coverings on, the sky opened into TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR. I am not joking. Between putting one arm in my sleeve while completely dry and putting the other arm in its sleeve, my entire body was drenched. It was like I stepped into the shower. I figure, at least this is warm rain - not that crazy frigid-cold stuff that fell from the sky in Ireland... right?!
So Jen got her poncho on and I zipped my coat and we stood up for a minute and did a "rain dance" (we were encouraged by the singer on the stage, fyi)... and then he cut off mid-song and said something like "umm... so I have been told that lightning has been sighted, so we're going to have to cut off the power here on the stage..." and Jen & I sat down and waited. In the rain.
The place was starting to empty out, except for a few rows of fans who had crowded under the eave of the stage, so we set out to join them (in hopes of getting a decent seat once the show resumed, of course). And about the time we arrived, they make an announcement telling everyone that we have to leave the amphitheatre and return to our cars until the electrical storm passes - that we will be informed when the concert resumes. RIGHT.
Well, our little crowd were the only ones left (or so it appeared), and everyone was turning to leave, when the HAIL rained upon us. WHAT??? The hailstones weren't giant, but man, could they sting! I got hit right by my eye and thought "well, if I start bleeding, at least I'll have a scar to remind me of this night..." and Jen was in front of me doing what looking like a fire-walk, jumping around trying to avoid the stings of flying iceballs. We're making our way down the stairs when some guy walks toward us yelling "EVERYBODY OUT!!!!" at the top of his lungs... because, obviously, walking toward the exit wasn't enough indication of us leaving...
Jen started walking barefoot because she was sliding in her flipflops, and we took cover under the eave of the will call/ticket office with about 20 other people to ride out the storm. I didn't want to go to the car and risk missing the concert because of slacker event staff, so we stood. In the rain. In an electrical storm. In more than an inch of water. Barefoot (well, one of us at this point). For 45mins. With more and more people arriving - I'd say hundreds more cars.
The storm moved on and the rain slowed from a downpour to just plain rainfall. So we left the shelter and returned to the entrance of the amphitheatre in order to be at the front of the throng. Remember Stephanie's Law**? Anyway! We waited and waited. I started to sing "I'm Yours" and a couple people hummed along. Then all of a sudden, Martha Chinnis shows up with her boyfriend (Erick) and we talked for another 20-30mins or so.
And then THEY showed up. The DRY PEOPLE. They would come out from inside the amphitheatre and would wave down from the other side of the fence at us lowly wet folk. At first, it was a couple people at a time.Then, at around 9:30 (the concert began at 7pm), event staff returned... only to start breaking down tables and removing garbage cans. And when we asked them what was happening, they only answered "I don't know". So I sang some more songs. This time Erick and Martha joined me.
I knew Jason had done midnight shows before, so I was hopeful, but more as an obsessive fan than a realistic citizen. I had decided that I didn't want to leave until someone (from the event staff) told me I had to. My sister supported me.
I think Jen was okay with the drama*** until the DRY PEOPLE started coming down the stairs without saying a word. Beer-in-hand, stone-faced DRY PEOPLE walked out of the amphitheatre - by the HUNDREDS. I stopped one lady and asked where she had been and her reply was something like, "well, I was in the amphitheatre!" and I was like, but the place was empty when I left and she answered, "no, it was nearly full!" WHAT??? (again).
And I was still okay... and Jen was still supportive... and then all the other people in line in front of us U-turned and walked away... without a word. So I made my way to an event staff member and asked her the story and here's what I got (with a sad look on her face):
"Jason has agreed to play an accoustic show next door in the Fillmore. But it only seats 2000 people and the seating is first-come-first serve."
I asked directions to the Fillmore, turned around, took MY shoes off, whispered to Jen, Martha and Erick to follow me and BOLTED. Through mud, grass, bushes... I drilled my way through the throngs, with Jen hanging onto my anorak for dear life, Martha tugging on Jen's poncho and Erick clinching Martha's raincoat... and I haven't told them a word yet. Then I hit a wall of people. I whispered to the other 3 the new information and Martha yells out "WHAT'S THE FILLMORE?" (Martha, Martha, Martha!) And then I take our train on a loop around the ticket office. And then I realise...
I only have one ticket in my hand.
I had been holding onto mine & Jen's tix at the front gate. When I noticed the missing ticket, Jen offered to sit in the car if they don't let her into the Fillmore... please. Like I was going to let that happen!
So I leave the other 3 in the middle of thousands of people with instructions to keep pushing forward and I turn around and skip hundreds of people in line at the ticket office to plead my case: I explain how I moved to Charlotte from Canada 3 weeks early just for this concert and how I wanted to share it with my sister and how, in the rain and the chaos, one of my tickets was gone... and asked if they would possibly be able to reprint my 2nd ticket... and they said I'd need ID, the original credit card and the one ticket I had - which was in Jennifer's hand. So I yelled across, like, 50ppl and she passed the ticket back to me... and eventually I wound my way through the crowd back to my sister with 2 tickets for the concert in my hand! WHEW!
At this point, I notice that there was an empty space of ground right in front of us and ask Jen, Martha & Erick why they hadn't filled it in and I had about 10 people tell me that the tree in the clearing had fire ants.
(notice fire-ant tree on left and Fillmore sign in background)
I had also decided that, if I didn't make it to this concert, I was driving (or busing or whatever) to Jason's concert in Cary, NC (about 3hrs away) the next night. Jen decided she was going with me.Then the announcements started:
1) the Fillmore is only licensed for people ages 21+
2) they are letting people with reserved seating in first
3)and my favourite 3-in-1 (announced to a SILENT crowd of thousands): YOU HAVE A CHOICE: #1- you can attend tonight's accoustic concert, but Jason won't be singing, #2- Jason is planning to return to Charlotte at a later date this summer or #3- you can opt for a refund of your ticket.
Between these three announcements, Martha & Erick decided to turn back while Jen & I made it to the front, say, 600ppl.
Then the rain fell down. AGAIN! The crowd morphed into a throng - it literally pulsed. Jen & I were expecting a riot or at the very least a mosh pit. We couldn't turn around in our spots - she was holding onto my anorak again, but this time, there were 2 bodies between us. Another torrential downpour!!! It rained and flooded. Jen & I are still barefoot. My claustrophobia had kicked in about 30mins prior. And the doors opened.
HALLELUJAH! (can I say that? a little blasphemous, I know...)
There were 4 security guards posted across the sidewalk and LITERALLY just as Jen & I passed by them, the hands came down to cut the crowd off. I yanked Jen in because I saw the arm raise above me...
as I handed my tickets to the attendant, I made sure Jason would be playing (#1 of that 3rd announcement was just to weed out people, apparently - it had been passed down by word of mouth) - and actually, my exact words were "if he doesn't sing, I will come back and find you." I was promised that he would sing.
We walked in to find a bunch of DRY PEOPLE (now drunk dry people) seated around the outside of the room. And we found ourselves in a standing-only room.
And we stood approximately TEN FEET from the stage! Honestly, there were maybe 4 rows of people between me and Jason!!!!!!!!!
The rest of the story is just a letdown, I am sure. But it involved DRY DRUNK PEOPLE trying to squeeze in to the crowd, looking all perfect & pretty and my sister and I starting a barricade. There were about 10 people around us who joined in a vendetta against the DRY PEOPLE. (that's what they were called by everyone, fyi) One older man in the back would yell "elbows out!" and everyone would stand their ground while Jen & I were like "no." or "you can take another way to find your mom/child/husband/whatever." or "I guess you love going to the bathroom more than you love being close to the stage, then." or "I'm pretty sure this isn't reserved seating." I honestly had determined that I was wet enough to where, if I had to pee, I would probably have just peed standing up rather than give up my spot. Seriously. The girl in front of us offered her black-belt services, if need be. And the guy beside her was like "I'm with her!" (even though he wasn't really with her) - just to keep everyone happy... we pretty-much bonded! Glad I didn't pee and ruin the good vibes.
And yes, the concert was PHENOMENAL. It was better than I could have imagined, considering the overall outcome. And eventually (about 3/4 through Jason's set), Jen & I did give up our spots to go sit down on the floor stage left. When I wanted to stand and join the crowd, I was in the 2nd row, but with a partial view - still AWESOME! We had been standing for a solid 5.5hrs by then (the concert ended at 1am), and Jennifer had worked on her feet from 7:30am till 2:30pm. Did I mention my sister ROCKS???
We both decided we like Bushwalla, too...
she more than I, but I am grateful that Jen enjoyed the concert after that unbelievable experience... what a great sport, eh? :)*the water bottles remained in their holders at our seats, in case you were curious.
** Stephanie's Law: whatever Stephanie wants, the opposite must occur. (but only with the little things... mostly)
***you know, the drama that follows me EVERYWHERE??? :)
PS
here's a peak at the audience warmup with Jason... not much, but my internet sucks, so you only get a blip.
03 February 2009
Introspection
I have been thinking of the word, introspection since I commented on MayB's blog requesting an interview. That's just sad. But I had fun during my inward search for Stephanie and I hope this sheds some light into my world:
1. If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would you wear?
1. If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would you wear?
pajamas. specifically, an oversized t-shirt and printed bottoms. if I were living in Canada/Ireland, the bottoms would be my pink flannel plaid pants & if I lived in the Carolinas, they would be striped shorts. sad, but true.
2. What old school Nintendo game did you rock at?
2. What old school Nintendo game did you rock at?
it was a tie between Metroid & Legend of Zelda. I guess I would have to say I rocked at Metroid, since I could actually beat the game. (Once!) I only made it to the next-to-top level in Zelda, but I had so much fun playing :)
3. Where did you see your life going by the time you hit this age? Are you where you thought you'd be?
3. Where did you see your life going by the time you hit this age? Are you where you thought you'd be?
It depends on when in my life I was imagining my 33-yr-old self... I guess I always assumed I would be married by now... and done school... and still in North Carolina... WRONG on all counts, wow! When I was 17, I had a Senior Book that allowed me to predict my future. I remember saying that I hoped to be married by the time I was 27 and that I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. 33 never really entered the picture. And apparently, neither did kids. hmmm... and I am definitely not where I thought I would be! I never imagined that I would have lived in 3 countries by now, nor did I see myself ever making (some) $$ from my photos... and I had given up my dream of being a teacher between the ages of 6 & 26, so it was definitely not part of 'the plan' - overall, I'd say I am happy with the changes in direction my life took. Proverbs 16:9, baby: Man may make his plans, but GOD will direct his paths!
4. Name your favourite comfort food and the best reason to eat it.
4. Name your favourite comfort food and the best reason to eat it.
Soup - of most kinds. I love making enough homemade vegetable-beef soup to last for a week. I usually make it when I am poor & tired of making decisions. I also love Chef-Boy-Ardee (sp?) - specifically, ravioli & spaghetti/meatballs. Those are for the days when I've been at work all day & I'm feeling nostalgic for my childhood.
5. What temperature do you keep your residence set at? Sub question: Are you purposely trying to kill the environment?
5. What temperature do you keep your residence set at? Sub question: Are you purposely trying to kill the environment?
When I have control over my residence temperature, I usually like to keep it at 67F/19C during the day and 62F/16C at night. If it helps, my thinking is not necessarily, "I really hope I am doing my part to kill the environment today!" so much as, "I will do what I can to keep my bills consistent... please not another $300 gas bill in January or another $150 electric bill in July!!!" So if the bill increases, I tend to adjust my air conditioning/heating to compensate, if I can survive the resulting temp. And there are always fans & hot water bottles, when necessary.
So here's the catch: I won't stalk you with questions, but if you like this kind of stuff and want to be quizzed, drop me a comment to let me know. But just so you know, I did this for me, so if no one is interested, it won't hurt my feelings, haha!
Here's what you're supposed to do:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. (please make sure I have your email cause that helps when trying to actually email someone)
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. Be sure you link back to the original post.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
So here's the catch: I won't stalk you with questions, but if you like this kind of stuff and want to be quizzed, drop me a comment to let me know. But just so you know, I did this for me, so if no one is interested, it won't hurt my feelings, haha!
Here's what you're supposed to do:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. (please make sure I have your email cause that helps when trying to actually email someone)
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. Be sure you link back to the original post.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
22 January 2009
My first conference!
So over New Years, I was busy working on my very first proposal for a call for papers. I had no clue what I was doing, but my very good friend, Ky, helped me. We didn't have internet and I kept procrastinating on walking up to the office on the North Battleford grounds in the FRIGID COLD WEATHER, so I nearly missed the deadline.
At 11:30pm, Calgary time, Erica let me drive her car up to the street in front of the office in the hopes that the wireless would reach that far -- and it did -- so I got the proposal turned in with 10 minutes to spare, woot!
I just found out today that my proposal was accepted! I have been in attendance at several conferences/workshops, and I am not sure just how competitive these things actually are, but it sure feels good to have my idea accepted by complete strangers...
I am still in the "WOOHOO!" phase, but I am sure the "ohmygoodnesswhathaveidone?" phase will arrive soon enough :) I will worry about that when it happens. For now, I am going to bask in the idea that someone wants to hear what I have to say, yay!
And this experience can go on my CV and make me (hopefully) more hireable in the future and potentially make me more eligible for funding during my PhD.
Right on!
Thought I would share...
At 11:30pm, Calgary time, Erica let me drive her car up to the street in front of the office in the hopes that the wireless would reach that far -- and it did -- so I got the proposal turned in with 10 minutes to spare, woot!
I just found out today that my proposal was accepted! I have been in attendance at several conferences/workshops, and I am not sure just how competitive these things actually are, but it sure feels good to have my idea accepted by complete strangers...
I am still in the "WOOHOO!" phase, but I am sure the "ohmygoodnesswhathaveidone?" phase will arrive soon enough :) I will worry about that when it happens. For now, I am going to bask in the idea that someone wants to hear what I have to say, yay!
And this experience can go on my CV and make me (hopefully) more hireable in the future and potentially make me more eligible for funding during my PhD.
Right on!
Thought I would share...
18 January 2009
Singing in the Rain
HAH.
okay, not so much "singing" as "laughing", and not so much "rain" as "hurricane"... but if I had entitled my post "laughing in the hurricane", it would not have the same ring.
anyway!!!
I arrived in Dublin at 7am Friday morning and took a shuttle to my hostel. They let me take a shower and lock my luggage in their little room until check-in at noon. So I spent a couple hours wandering around Dublintown - went to Trinity College, a couple banks, the tourism board, and Penneys before I realised that I was so exhausted, I couldn't stand up any longer. I had been awake for 23 hrs. I went and spent another hour waiting on the couch in the lobby of the hostel until checkin. Once checked in, I slept. and slept. and slept. until 930pm. and then I woke up, walked over to McDs (almost every place else stops serving food after 7), grabbed some supper, returned to my bed, met a couple girls on leave from the Army - Olivia & Karissa - checked my email and went back to bed at 1130! However, my bed was right by the window and I was SOOOOO cold that I couldn't sleep, so I went upstairs for tea and read my book for a bit. Slept until 530am. The lobby didn't open until 7am, so I sat in the hall and read my book some more, then, at 7, went up for more tea, checked email, read for a couple hours, packed my stuff up, met 2 more girls returning to the States after a 6month missions trip in Liberia - Janine and Karisma (I think). and hopped on the LUAS to Tallaght (pronounced "Tall-uh").
HOW BORING, haha!
Then Saturday really began! I met Diane at Starbucks and taught the Starbucks girls how to make a London Fog latte, then took my stuff over to Diane & Eddie's place before going to lunch with the two of them. After lunch, Diane & I decided to go to a GIANT mall way across town, in Dundrum, while Eddie slept - he had worked the night shift.
We took the LUAS to Abbey St and then had to walk over to Stephens Green to catch another train. We cannot figure out why the trains don't connect like they do EVERYWHERE ELSE, but, as Diane said, we have decided to find the person responsible for this faux pas and put them in a box while spraying them with cold water.
We walked for about 10 blocks, or so. During that time, the wind was crazy-strong. As usual! See previous blog. (here too.) And of course, it decided to start raining for the FIRST TIME IN TWO WEEKS the day I arrived. Who's surprised??? So we walked for 10 blocks in torrential downpour and biting wind. It was frigid cold and at some points, we had to literally stop where we were and brace ourselves because if we had moved on to one foot, we would have fallen to the ground by the force of the wind. My thighs and knees were hot pink for hours afterward, because the rain was so cold and it stung my skin. I could not feel my legs or my fingers for about 30mins.
I literally felt as though I had jumped into a pool fully clothed. I have done it before, I know what that feels like! And Diane was wearing a faux-fur-lined coat, which made her look like a drowned rat, in my opinion. She agreed. Our first stop at the mall was for new socks. HAHA!
I also bought a pair of fake-Keds in patent neon orange because my shoes were sopping. They were cheap; sue me. I may wear them on a regular basis. :)
The mall was wonderful - it was one of those multi-storey places. About 5-6 floors, and some mini-floors halfway between some levels. Definitely one of those malls a person could get lost in. I had a blast! I spent money on supper and I bought a 5euro scarf, outside of the anti-drenched purchases made earlier. I think I did alright!
On the way home, the rain wasn't pelting as badly, but we hit a wind tunnel a few blocks from the apartment and the wind was behind us. At one point, I couldn't stop and just ran forward until I hit a railing.
And the Irish call this, "blustery"
the journey continues to Limerick (or Cork) today. Will stay in touch!
love you all,
SS
okay, not so much "singing" as "laughing", and not so much "rain" as "hurricane"... but if I had entitled my post "laughing in the hurricane", it would not have the same ring.
anyway!!!
I arrived in Dublin at 7am Friday morning and took a shuttle to my hostel. They let me take a shower and lock my luggage in their little room until check-in at noon. So I spent a couple hours wandering around Dublintown - went to Trinity College, a couple banks, the tourism board, and Penneys before I realised that I was so exhausted, I couldn't stand up any longer. I had been awake for 23 hrs. I went and spent another hour waiting on the couch in the lobby of the hostel until checkin. Once checked in, I slept. and slept. and slept. until 930pm. and then I woke up, walked over to McDs (almost every place else stops serving food after 7), grabbed some supper, returned to my bed, met a couple girls on leave from the Army - Olivia & Karissa - checked my email and went back to bed at 1130! However, my bed was right by the window and I was SOOOOO cold that I couldn't sleep, so I went upstairs for tea and read my book for a bit. Slept until 530am. The lobby didn't open until 7am, so I sat in the hall and read my book some more, then, at 7, went up for more tea, checked email, read for a couple hours, packed my stuff up, met 2 more girls returning to the States after a 6month missions trip in Liberia - Janine and Karisma (I think). and hopped on the LUAS to Tallaght (pronounced "Tall-uh").
HOW BORING, haha!
Then Saturday really began! I met Diane at Starbucks and taught the Starbucks girls how to make a London Fog latte, then took my stuff over to Diane & Eddie's place before going to lunch with the two of them. After lunch, Diane & I decided to go to a GIANT mall way across town, in Dundrum, while Eddie slept - he had worked the night shift.
We took the LUAS to Abbey St and then had to walk over to Stephens Green to catch another train. We cannot figure out why the trains don't connect like they do EVERYWHERE ELSE, but, as Diane said, we have decided to find the person responsible for this faux pas and put them in a box while spraying them with cold water.
We walked for about 10 blocks, or so. During that time, the wind was crazy-strong. As usual! See previous blog. (here too.) And of course, it decided to start raining for the FIRST TIME IN TWO WEEKS the day I arrived. Who's surprised??? So we walked for 10 blocks in torrential downpour and biting wind. It was frigid cold and at some points, we had to literally stop where we were and brace ourselves because if we had moved on to one foot, we would have fallen to the ground by the force of the wind. My thighs and knees were hot pink for hours afterward, because the rain was so cold and it stung my skin. I could not feel my legs or my fingers for about 30mins.
I literally felt as though I had jumped into a pool fully clothed. I have done it before, I know what that feels like! And Diane was wearing a faux-fur-lined coat, which made her look like a drowned rat, in my opinion. She agreed. Our first stop at the mall was for new socks. HAHA!
I also bought a pair of fake-Keds in patent neon orange because my shoes were sopping. They were cheap; sue me. I may wear them on a regular basis. :)
The mall was wonderful - it was one of those multi-storey places. About 5-6 floors, and some mini-floors halfway between some levels. Definitely one of those malls a person could get lost in. I had a blast! I spent money on supper and I bought a 5euro scarf, outside of the anti-drenched purchases made earlier. I think I did alright!
On the way home, the rain wasn't pelting as badly, but we hit a wind tunnel a few blocks from the apartment and the wind was behind us. At one point, I couldn't stop and just ran forward until I hit a railing.
And the Irish call this, "blustery"
the journey continues to Limerick (or Cork) today. Will stay in touch!
love you all,
SS
17 January 2009
As seen on other blogs...
How would you describe yourself? Here by Pugwash
How do you feel today? Quanta Qualia by Hayley Westnra (which apparently translates into "How great & How wonderful" - pretty accurate :)
How do you feel today? Quanta Qualia by Hayley Westnra (which apparently translates into "How great & How wonderful" - pretty accurate :)
What is your motto? Lie before you leave by Montgomery Gentry
What do your friends think of you? Waterloo by ABBA
What do you think about very often? Backwards by Rascal Flatts. really?
What do you think of your best friend? This world is not my home by The Hemmerling Family. okay...
What is your life story? Right back where we started from by Maxine Nightingale
What do you want to be when you grow up? I won't go to Hollywood by Bleu
What do you think when you see the person you like? When I'm in Your presence/My heart's desire by Cyndi Aarrestad. I don't think I equate him with God... but the title is appropriate!
What song will they play at your wedding? Strange Brew by Cream - lol.
What will they play at your funeral? How beautiful you are by Jimmy Wayne
What do you think about love? Ebony eyes by Bob Welch
What is your biggest flaw? Hindi sad diamonds by Nicole Kidman, John Lequizamo & others that don't fit onto my ipod screen...
08 January 2009
what a nice moment :)
so I was working on a call for papers at New Year's camp in North Battleford for a couple afternoons. I worked in the dining hall, where most people were hanging out if they weren't outside playing hockey or on the ski hill... and bro Hinchliff rolls up to me in his wheelchair and asks to look at my computer. He was admiring how thin it is... He told me how his old laptop had just recently died and that he was looking at buying a new one because he used it a lot to email and he liked how laptops fit into his briefcase & he could take it places.
so he was asking what mine did - what kind it was, what all the slots & plugins were on the sides - and i showed him my webcam. I went into photo booth and took the attached photo... thought I would share:
I sent him on to Dell instead of trying to sell him on Macs because he's been using a PC for forEVER and I was confused enough when I first started using my Mac. Not saying he's not smart enough to figure it out, mind you! Just saying a Dell can do what he needs without much adjustment...
so he was asking what mine did - what kind it was, what all the slots & plugins were on the sides - and i showed him my webcam. I went into photo booth and took the attached photo... thought I would share:
I sent him on to Dell instead of trying to sell him on Macs because he's been using a PC for forEVER and I was confused enough when I first started using my Mac. Not saying he's not smart enough to figure it out, mind you! Just saying a Dell can do what he needs without much adjustment...
06 January 2009
why I love him...
no, not MG. Even though I'd be lying if I said I didn't love MG... in a stalker, living in my head sort of way... but this post is about Tom. I love this man for so many reasons - as a lecturer/supervisor, of COURSE!
He is that 'cool' prof who is more likely to swagger into a room than walk. He wears black t-shirts - with sleeves that allow his tattoo to peek out every once in a while - and jeans. His gray hair is overshadowed by the earrings, and his attitude of "don't make life harder than it has to be" comes across in his knowing grin and the way he crosses his arms across his chest when he's engaged in conversation - not the self-protective "stay out of my personal space" arm-crossing, but the relaxed, easy-going "let's chat" arm-crossing.
He's big in his field. Really big. And you wouldn't know it until you found the book(s?) in which he's published with Jameson, Lacan &/or Sartre... and you knew how big THOSE guys are... this guy knows what he's talking about. But he makes room for the opinions of others. He's done his homework, and could preach at a class for hours if he wanted, but he opens the door for new ideas and encourages freedom of thought. He engages in the education of his students, himself and the world - by being less critical and more openminded; by listening and offering suggestions; by guiding rather than instructing.
And if you don't want to take my word for it, here's a little article I found on the website for The Society for Utopian Studies, enjoy!*:
He is that 'cool' prof who is more likely to swagger into a room than walk. He wears black t-shirts - with sleeves that allow his tattoo to peek out every once in a while - and jeans. His gray hair is overshadowed by the earrings, and his attitude of "don't make life harder than it has to be" comes across in his knowing grin and the way he crosses his arms across his chest when he's engaged in conversation - not the self-protective "stay out of my personal space" arm-crossing, but the relaxed, easy-going "let's chat" arm-crossing.
He's big in his field. Really big. And you wouldn't know it until you found the book(s?) in which he's published with Jameson, Lacan &/or Sartre... and you knew how big THOSE guys are... this guy knows what he's talking about. But he makes room for the opinions of others. He's done his homework, and could preach at a class for hours if he wanted, but he opens the door for new ideas and encourages freedom of thought. He engages in the education of his students, himself and the world - by being less critical and more openminded; by listening and offering suggestions; by guiding rather than instructing.
And if you don't want to take my word for it, here's a little article I found on the website for The Society for Utopian Studies, enjoy!*:
Lyman Tower Sargent Award for Distinguished Scholarship has been presented to:
2008
Tom Moylan
Tom Moylan is honored for his groundbreaking books and leadership in the field of Utopian Studies. In Demand the Impossible, he formulated the concept of the critical utopia and identified the key group of four novels that are still central to any discussion of 1970s utopianism. By bringing critical theory to bear on utopian fictions, he made it possible to conceive of how texts can be ironic and self-reflexive, yet still carry political force. Scraps of the Untainted Sky performed similarly significant work by theorizing the critical dystopia. In addition to these foundational books, the Society honors Professor Moylan's contributions in article-length works on topics ranging from liberation theology to his recent work with Irish music. Equally important is his work as an editor, including the collection of essays on Bloch that Professor Moylan edited with Jamie Daniel, the Jameson special issue of Utopian Studies, and volumes edited with Raffaella Baccolini and with Michael Griffin, collections well-known for bringing together people working in disparate areas of utopian studies. Professor Moylan's formative and energetic work with the Ralahine Centre for Utopian Studies at the University of Limerick has created a remarkable forum for global and interdisciplinary scholarship. In the words of Professor Naomi Jacobs: "Through his tireless work to organize lecture series colloquia and conferences, as well as through his own scholarship, [Tom Moylan’s] influence on the field has been 'incalculably diffusive' (to steal a phrase from George Eliot)."
* now I have to go look up "diffusive"...
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