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.
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