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...

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!*:

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"...

A little about me

Here are a few of my favourite things*:

1) Mama Mia! I bought it the day it came out on DVD after seeing it twice (once in the theatre & once on a plane) -- I have seen it twice already this week. I love knowing that I own something that is pretty much guaranteed to make me smile - and sing!

2) Research. yep, I'm a nerd. But I love it! However, I don't mean the kind of research that requires in-depth detailed origins of words or historical evidence... I mean the kind of research that let me know the ideas of others. I am an idea person. I like looking at how other people see the world.

3) Photos. In particular, those taken by Ky** and Stuart Kasdorf. And I enjoy taking them myself, as well -- but I haven't done much of that lately.

4) Narrative. The act of storytelling makes me happy - I like being able to create scenes in which others can imagine themselves. I also like reading narrative in which I can imagine myself. I pretty much love imagining, dreaming, planning, idealising... anything that involves living in my head.

5) Saskatchewan. I love the flat. And the dry-cold. I love that many of the roads are like graph paper. I love that people from SK don't let long distances deter them from making memories -- that driving 1.5 hours each way to pick up a friend so that she can celebrate Christmas with them -- or driving 20+hrs in a weekend in a car with 5 ladies for a one-day ski trip -- is embraced. I love that SK prides itself on being 'hard to spell, easy to draw' & that I get to teach others around the world how to pronounce it properly.


*My original post title was "Raindrops on Roses" until I realised I already had a post with that title! Obviously, my creative side is in a lull.
** Although the link posted here does not expose the world to the abundant talent of Ky H, it does reflect her (and Lyn's) wonderful sense of humour and her ability to capture this humour on 'film'. :)

Just some things I was thinking about today.

Love you all!

PS
Before I forget, although this should really be its own post:
I got my marks back! All the posts you guys had to suffer through while I was writing/researching for my thesis, I figured you earned the right to know... I ACED IT!!!! Literally! I made and A2 (equivalent to about a 3.6 GPA and a 95%) on my thesis and have been awarded a First-Class Honours degree overall!!! (That's about a 3.3GPA or a 90%) WOOT!!!! So I have decided to return to Eire for graduation next month... this was not part of my plan, but neither was a First-Class Honours. I will be there from 16-23 January & I graduate on 20 January. WHEW!

Thank you so much for your support. Seriously.

Love,
SS
xoxo

Three Weeks Later

Hello again (finally)!

So! Now that my life has begun to resemble some sort of normalcy and my state of limbo is minimal, I figure it's safe to post a mini-blog:

It is official: I can legally work in Canada as of 3pm today, whew!

I spent the past week with my family in Charlotte, enjoyed probably my most favourite Thanksgiving ever, and received my work permit at the Calgary airport on my way in to Canada. Today I got a SIN (sort of like a SSN in the States or a PPN in Ireland) and Bema can put me back on the payroll, woot!

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with a tentative new roommate, so we'll see how that goes... but Ev said she won't mind if I stay here a bit longer. :) I would like to have a place of my own, though, and this place is nearby (for Calgary) and affordable (for aywhere!) -- and if I were to take this place, I would be living with 3 other Christian girls in their 20s.

While I was down in Charlotte, my grandparents - RON and Pat Brown* - and I took a day trip to Columbia, SC, where I plan to take my PhD starting next fall. We found an apartment** for me about which I am thrilled!!! I also had the priviledge of taking a tour of my grandparents' childhood haunts - they grew up about a mile from my Columbia apartment - and really enjoyed my visit. I think I'm going to like being closer to home :)

And finally: I am obviously going to have to change the theme of this blog, since I no longer live in Ireland and can no longer publish my Irish memories as I live them. I may start to relive my Irish memories that I did not put on here before... I just thought I would warn anyone who is actually interested! If I take tips from MayB, I may be able to come up with some pretty good material for a post every once in a while - I am one of those people who need a prompt, and life in Calgary is not quite as exotic as life in Eire... sorry to any Calgarians reading this!

If you have any ideas, let me know, but I may start up a x365 of my own... who knows?

Love to everyone!

* You have to be a family member to get this... but now all of internetland knows who my grandparents are :)


** Here are some highlights of the place:

• Free 24 hr. Gym

• Free Internet Cafe

• Free Shuttle to Campus

• 42' TV in all living rooms

• Hardwood style floors in select units

• High speed Internet and Basic Cable in all units

• Resort Style Pool and Spa/Tanning Bed
  

• Walk- in closets and Private bathrooms in every bedroom

very little

Hi all,

It's amazing how little I feel the need to post on here when my life is in a constant state of slip-and-slide. I have no definitive plans for my near-future and I am therefore avoiding putting anything down in writing, you know??

But I can tell you little things:

• I was have been able to visit Lynmara (and inadvertently Kelly/Keith & Jordan) twice - YAY!

• I love that I can just randomly phone my friends (*VinceP*) and ask if I can come over & watch tv when I'm bored... and fyi: those guys have a fanTAStic basement!!!!!
  

• I went to the "boys'"* house here in Calgary to celebrate the birthday of a guy I didn't know on Halloween. I watched people play Rock Star, ate pizza & watched The Hulk - Ed Norton version - for the 2nd time in a week.

• the next night, I went to a YP costume party where I 'dressed up' as Jacob by wrapping a fake beard around my arm & carrying around a parchment** that said "Official Birthright - from Isaac - to Esau - unless he sells it for a bowl of soup" -- or something like that. Turns out John L had decided to come as Esau (unintentional planning on our parts) -- and fyi: hairy John = unfun. :)

• then on Tuesday, I went to a high school football game with Shelley B where it SNOWED! It was my first post-Ireland snow and it was perfect! I missed that. I'm sure I'll change my mind by spring... after the game, Shelley & I had a great visit over coffee and nanaimo bars.

• I volunteered to be the 'leader' for this week's YP study of The Screwtape Letters, Letter 10. I think it went well... but only because everyone was so willing to participate and it made me happy!

• I have a flight to go home for Thanksgiving, so YAY! I really miss my family. A Lot. This also means that...

• I may be in Canada for Christmas - preferably SK, please? We'll see how that works out - like I said: life = slip-n-slide lately!

I think that's all for right now.

love to you all!

*if I could tell you who all lived there, it would be helpful, eh? let's see... greg h, nathan d, eric s, tim l... and I would not be surprised if I left someone out. I only saw Greg & Nathan that night

**okay, okay... it was a certificate I printed on Ev's computer, so sue me!