another quote

To be nobody but myself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting. - e e cummings, poet (1894-1962)

Random quote

Your life is the garden, your thoughts are the seeds, if your life isn’t awesome you’ve been watering the weeds!

Movie rec

If you've enjoyed the new Batman movies... this brings Nolan and Bale together again. If you haven't seen the Batman movies... go watch this anyway.

I'll wake up when December ends...

Hmm... it's been a long time since the last post...
Finals week just got busier than I expected.
I had only one final exam proper but had two final projects to get through. The exam was OK. I could've done better than I did but there's no way to change that anymore... In any case, doing decently in the class for the entire semester translated to a grade of A- (with A being the highest possible) for that particular subject. With both remaining classes being taught by the same teacher, they both had final project requirements. I'd finished one of them ahead of time and sent it in but kept putting the last one off till the last couple of weeks. I could've done it a little earlier... since I actually had two weeks in which I could've worked on it but then... that last minute stress seems to squeeze out decent work... I can say this fairly confidently since I got As in the classes and full points on both final projects. So yay!

Why did I put the project off? No real reason. Laziness... Thanksgiving... Just going off the boil...?
I'd say: "all of the above"

So I experienced my first traditional Thanksgiving this year. My hosts were three American students from my classes, who invited some Internationals over... for the Thanksgiving experience. It's much like my family celebrates Diwali... an excuse for family to get together and have food. Lots of it. We had a slightly non-traditional turkey - no baking (which is traditional) - we actually fried it. Putting a full turkey into a vat of hot, boiling oil? Good fun. Good times!

Laziness needs no explanation... going off the boil just occurred because we had the entire week of Thanksgiving off, where we would usually only have the week-end off. Our professors were off in Paris for a conference and we had nothing to do. Ideally... this should've meant that I worked on my final projects but... for that week and the week before, we had no assignments due, nothing to read... that has an absolutely devastating effect on the momentum of work... You're in the groove for 12 weeks... reading stuff, submitting things... time is no longer linear... it's defined by assignments, due dates and required readings. When none of these things exist, time returns to being linear and you go off the boil... bah.
Add to this the fact that most of my international classmates were yelling off their facebook mountains that they were ready for a break... and that did nothing to keep me motivated. I fought off the infection for about three weeks and then succumbed to it myself. Finally, I was like... "I'm ready for a break!" The only problem was that there were still those final three tasks in the way... Oh well...

This brings us to the title of the post...

Finals week was the first week of December. This last week, I've been on Xmas break in Canada, visiting cousins and family. I've been enjoying catching up with people and basking in familial warmth... even though it's -20 degrees outside and colder...
I suspected that I might go crazy in the break, for lack of having something to do... but that hasn't happened yet and I'm one week into it... Therefore... posts might not be as forthcoming in December... until the new year... However, I will be posting new experiences I've had in this break... already had various minor interesting moments in the last few days... but THAT... is another post...

Also in posts to come:
Reflections on the Grad school experiences in both countries
A look towards the New Year (might happen only in the new year)
A roundup/summation of the semester? With perhaps a focus on new things learned outside of the classroom

We shall see...

Perspectives

The origins of Thanksgiving are multiple -- from giving thanks for safe passage over the seas, to harvest festivals and even a helping hand from an unexpected source, when a drought threatened death...
Today, Thanksgiving is a time to get together with family and thank Man and/or God (depending on how religious/spiritual/who you are) for what you have, your blessings and to pray for peace and happiness.

As I said above... who you are may affect your perspective as to what to be thankful for...

Get Fuzzy!

Get Fuzzy is another strip I read from time to time. However today's the first time I felt like sharing one. Darby Conley, the artist of this strip is a friend of Stephen Pastis', who draws Pearls Before Swine. Perhaps Pastis is influenced by Conley in some way as we have two misanthropic animals central to each strip. Yet, where Rat can have a tender side... Bucky Katt must be almost pure evil. Satchel Pooch is simple but not a dunce like Pig.

I like the third and the last panels in today's strip...

Star Trek Trailer

The 11th star trek film comes out next year. It takes us to the beginnings of the cast of The Original Series. I came across a trailer. I approve and am excited.

Meh

For all people who may wonder what I mean when I say: Meh

Click here

--x--

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

You can never understand one language until you understand at least two. -Ronald Searle, artist (b. 1920)

Blog roll!

If you like cricket and enjoy dry sardonic humour, click below. This writer might just be my hero!

The Confectionery Stall

Reflections on...the end of a semester

So it's been three months since I've been in Tallahassee and nearly three since classes started. My classmates have been ready for a break for the last three weeks. I wasn't quite sure about myself... however I think I am now.

Roughly three weeks ago, my classmates started praying for a swift end to the term. These are people who have taken 5 classes because they have to finish in a year. I can imagine and understand the kind of frantic manicness that they must feel round about this time... However, with three classes for me, I was being kept sufficiently busy and occupied, without wanting to jump into any nearby wells.

Then we had an entire week of no submissions and things were entirely laid back. It's like someone pulled the rug out from under my feet. Now, starting anything is slightly painful. Deadlines are cut close... but the good thing is that there's only two final projects left to submit now and I should finish a practically complete draft of one by the end of this week. That leaves me two whole weeks to steadily work on the last one. I just need to make sure that I do steadily work on it and not leave it hanging. However, finishing the one project two weeks before it's due will motivate me for the rest.
Just another four meetings left for this semester and year... next week's off and then only the last week of meetings and a test.
I think I'm ready for a break... there seem to be other symptoms of it as well... I just hope the break will be rejuvenating and then starting afresh from next year will not be a chore.

I never thought that lack of "busyness" would be so damned annoying...

Word of the Day

Today, I paste an entire entry from my A Word A Day email. It seems especially apt since I'm wondering whether the essay I'm currently writing will be adequate and to the point or prolix.
There's a good chance that it will be posted here at some point of time, so you will be in a position to comment on it then. For the time being, I'll let my teacher worry about that and share this email with you.

---x---

prolix

PRONUNCIATION:

(pro-LIKS, PRO-liks)

MEANING:

adjective: Tediously wordy.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin prolixus (extended, poured), from liquere (to flow), which is also the source of words such as liquid, liquor, licorice. Now you see the connection -- why consuming liquor makes people prolix.

USAGE:

"No one has ever called him prolix. At a future-war seminar that he sponsored, Mr. Andrew Marshall mumbled a few introductory words and then sat in silence, eyebrows arched, arms folded, for the remaining two days."
James Der Derian; The Illusion of a Grand Strategy; The New York Times; May 25, 2001.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Martyrdom has always been a proof of the intensity, never of the correctness of a belief. -Arthur Schnitzler, writer and doctor (1862-1931)

Something to ponder about...

Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the other person sees him, and each man as he really is. -William James, psychologist and philosopher (1842-1910)

Hi! I'm the guy who writes the blog

This is dedicated to everyone who reads and has a blog of their own...

With friends like these...do you really need enemies?

Reflections of America...

Reflections on... The American Presidency

So... Barack Obama is the President-elect for the USA.
He said it's time for change and that "Yes, we can!" change... and now people are saying "Yes, we did!"
History has been made, no doubt.
History was made when George W took up his father's mission to go after Saddam... and he came up a cropper. The entire situation would likely have been much different if they HAD found WMDs in Iraq.
Though for all that is said and done... it's all bygones.
Bush couldn't have come back for a third term. Any Republican candidate would've distanced himself from Bush as McCain did... Apparently, the American people are tired of cowboy politics and they voted Blue. Florida's voted Blue for the first time in years, as have other previous Republican leaning battle ground states.
It's all good. All is well. I think. I suppose.
For... I don't care!

Why should I?
I don't belong to this country. I never shall.
I don't vote. I don't pay taxes at this time... when I have to do so, it will be with the intent of being law-abiding in general...
I've had people asking me whom I support... why should I support anyone?
If I were to make a forced choice, I'd root for the underdog.. in this case it was Obama. [And for the record, it was George W when he first came to power... especially after the whole intern mess that Clinton got into]
I read an article on some news website which compared the candidates and asked which one was better for India... the verdict was that technically, McCain was better... Obama wants to cut tax breaks that would affect outsourcing of jobs, cut H1B visa allotments (or at least not increase them) and the Dems are more rabid about non proliferation. However, McCain was a potentially irksome challenge in his being confrontationist... Also, people like Obama because he's a signal for change and the world is hoping for "a less arrogant America".
Good luck with that... Some part of me almost hopes that the new administration crashes and burns... now THAT is something that WILL sober up America... apparently, there might not be a lesser of two evils. Though... I hope I'm proven wrong.

The bottom line, however, is I don't care.
Why should I? I repeat this because... as much as we kowtow to and brown nose America, we're a nation now who doesn't need to be in awe of too many people or things. We're quite capable of asking why we must do something in the international arena... and not just toe America's line... and we do it!
I was discussing this with a Chinese classmate and told her the same thing. India and China... can't be affected too much by a regime change in America (except perhaps economically - but a regime isn't going to get the country out of the economic mire it is in, nor the rest of the world). America's too scared of China and they couldn't give a damn... India... is growing fangs and horns and is becoming an international adolescent perhaps. That's not meant to sound condescending... just that it signals positive growth and change. My friend mentioned that they don't have the same kind of freedom in China that people here do. That's besides the point... internal struggles can't affect foreign policy... won't... shouldn't be allowed to... Strife or not, I'm sure the entire Chinese population would respond to a "call to arms" by whatever entity rules them and that scares America.

So yeah... India and China... all good.
We shouldn't care.

Something bugs me though...
It's all well and good for American people to be relieved and saying "Praise the Lord!" and some such things... they are responsible for this result, they are accountable for the outcome and hopeful for the future. What gets my goat is... all people who are in America (or not), are not American and are all going "yes we can!" and "obama obama obama" -- what is all this about?
International students (who, I should add, were told specifically to keep their heads down during this time) getting rabid about it. People from back home asking me about it. People who would almost never talk politics any other time. What do they care? What do they know? How does it matter?

Do you want to know who I support?
I'm all for making history. I'd say - make double history. They should've had Condy Rice run for the Republican candidacy. First black woman President. There you go.
However I'd made a small oversight. One of my classmates corrected me and I had to agree.
He said I had the wrong woman. There's one woman, he said, whom he'd vote for, regardless of party affiliation. Whom are we talking about?

Oprah Winfrey for President!

And you know what? He's not far off. She's popular enough to get into Office. Even if she doesn't have the credentials, she'll have the right kind of staff around her to get her the required info and put on a good show. She's got 20+ years of experience at that...

vOte for Oprah!

Reflections on... Facebook

So I've become a facebook fiend in the last couple of days... Suddenly decided to crawl out of the woodwork and go adding old cronies from address books... getting in touch with quite a few.

I resisted using this American tool for the longest of times. Now it's become popular in India and much like AIM, which I had to use when I was active on scum, I need to use FB now to keep in touch with contacts I make here...
It's a little involved but can be quite fun if you don't go overboard...

And now I run into this... Hehe...

(The mousies crack is actually quite funny but you needed to follow the strip for that :-( )

Yes! again!

Every so often I post these small sayings or quotes I find lying around... either as I wander the intraweb or sometimes even on passing vehicles.
People have a habit of putting up pretty inane things in their IM status messages but this one former classmate of mine seems to have a knack of putting in really interesting ones. We don't talk a lot. We didn't talk a whole lot at school until the final few weeks but now when we do, it's pretty interesting and I realise that the interesting conversations are not just a fluke but she really has a different way of thinking/outlook on stuff... which reflects on her choice of quotes.

The gem for today is:

Dreams are not things that you see in your sleep. Dreams are things that don't let you sleep.

And all I can say is: YES!

A waking nightmare...

What do I mean by a waking nightmare?

Have you ever had a dream where you are doing something, saying something - which is innocuous and decently pleasant by itself but then you wake up.
You wake up with no familiar sensations of a nightmare...no cold sweat, no racing heart...
Until...
Until...you somehow remember the dream... realise that the dream was perhaps some part of sub conscious is trying to tell you something, dig up something which you've put away - something you've dealt with and you're happy about how you've dealt with it. You've modified your thoughts until your head wins over the heart... and then you go to sleep... your heart and your head conspire... like the Sirens' song and then you wake up!
And the nightmare begins...
You wake up and realise that what you were dreaming about is a nightmare... should be a nightmare and if you hadn't woken... you wonder about what you'd have heard, what you'd have seen...
And then the heart starts racing and the sweat starts beading...

*That* is a waking nightmare...


(Well, all of that is true except for the sweat - that was just caused by too many blankets on me :P )

Cruising the Nile...

Last week I was linked to a beta version of a new browser based game - Nile Online.
It's in beta right now, which means that it's not quite all ready but it's free (will remain so) and you can ask for a beta invite just by providing your email address. I started, I still play but it can get a little slow... though it's actually ideal if you have only a few minutes to play every day. Playing here means making decisions on development and coordinating with other players for trade.

Anyway... it got me to dust of the disc for its parent game - Children of the Nile. Incidentally, I never finished the game originally and since I have some downtime now, I thought it'd be good to give it a whirl. I've been progressing pretty well - this week is the first one without any assignments due in about a month and this was perfectly sedate way of killing time - nice music, not overly challenging (sometimes this can be good) and decent graphics.

I did notice something scary though...megalomania can strike in the weirdest of ways!

One builds a prestige rating in the Egyptian world by one's actions in the games. You can gain prestige by building fancy tombs, by exploring and establishing trade routes, by constructing monuments or achieving a high standard of living in you city. For every particular level of prestige you attain, you can hire more graduates and these graduates are essential to the administration of your society.

But yeah... to get back to the point... when I was playing on Friday, I was doing quite well at the prestige, in fact the scenario I was playing had a high prestige requirement. I just decided to go on and see how long it took before the game ran out of superlatives for my government. While I was doing this, my city started running out of food and the people were complaining. I had actually destroyed a tomb so that my victory screen would not come up because I wanted to build pyramids to see how far I could go. When I heard the people complaining, I actually didn't care! When I start a city, the focus is always on getting enough food in before any other development starts. It's all for the people then. Here, at the end of the scenario, they were asking for food and I didn't care! I was all like: they can go hunting for pomegranates in the wild. I want to see how far *I* can go and see how well MY prestige does. Also, I knew that the food problem would never cause concern or riots because I knew I could simply jump ship by rebuilding that last tomb I needed and get out of there. I might as well have been playing a lyre!
Does art imitate life? Does life imitate art??

Scary...

Update?

It's been two weeks to the day since I last posted.

Like I mentioned to my aunt yesterday...I've settled down into a routine here and whilst I don't find the routine boring... there really is nothing spectacular to write about.

I tick along with assignments and the like; still doing well on them and enjoying the fact. Pretty soon, I will confirm (next week I think) if the Spring assistantship for the STE is going to be possible. Otherwise, I think I'm going to approach Dr. K (Happy/Funny/Silly Panda... or whatever I called him last time...) and ask if he will have me as an assistant. I spent an afternoon with my peer mentor here today and I asked her if that was kosher and she was like: Go for it! So let's see...

Today is Halloween. I was looking forward to this for a long time. We always visited in October but left before Oct 31 thanks to the school schedules...but this year, I'm here. Given that I live in a graduate student community, there aren't actually hordes of ghouls running around but they started at about 6pm - it was still light and one of the first people I saw was a teen in drag... He definitely scared Andrew, my neighbour...
I volunteered at a party for the community kiddies two weeks ago and that was fun enough...saw the cutest ever Care Bear running about that evening. I wasn't sure of doing the whole distribute candy to trick or treaters thing especially since I didn't know what my workload would be like during this weekend.
The usual protocol here is that if the porch light is on, you're OK to knock and ask for candy. No light. No candy. Since I hadn't planned on handing any out, my light was out. However, one motley group did knock and I had some candy lying around, so that was good. I was a little unsure as to how it works? What sort of candy? How much? etc. I had to make do with what I had and they each got one little bar but no complaints and 'thank you's all round so that was fun. Next year, I'll have legit candy I think. It was also interesting to see the parents hanging about in the background playing chaperone. Heh...
Andrew got a "not cool" stare from the same group though when they went a-knocking at his door... he hadn't stocked up. Poor him. At least they didn't egg his door... the usual trick for lack of a treat...

I'd gone into college earlier today and I saw people dressed up and attending classes. Those people are brave... I saw Raggedy Anne, a lady bug (that's right) and some guy in a fur lines sleeveless tunic with a pseudo cow lick... Definitely interesting.
I had an appointment with Saint Mary, our all wise and all knowing "academic program specialist" because I'm doing a Job/Task analysis of her job and she mentioned she considered coming in as a witch but she had a meeting. Too bad. I'd have liked to analyze her witchly duties...

Hehe...

After that meeting, my mentor took me shopping for the monthly stockpiling that I do... I'd gotten my cart and was just picking up some tomatoes when a random guy came up to us and asked what our collective education level was. Well, she's a Masters student in the same program as me and we answered accordingly. He said that that seemed appropriate because he could tell that we were very well educated. She asked if that was just by looking at us and he said yes. That was amusing...I responded with a thank you...because that's possibly the only reaction one could give. He mentioned some sort of "intellectual awesomeness" being radiated by our respective glasses (spectacles), wished us a good day and went away...

Now my mentor is a big anti Walmart fanatic because of the way they undercut brands and mom and pop stores but she said that something like this happens every time she visits one; even though she goes there rarely. I should probably make her my monthly ride... that should make for some interesting shopping trips...

We came back and I gave her an olfactory tour of Indian spices as we chatted. Fun... looks like we will a cookout at some point of time.

What happened in the last couple of weeks?
Like I said - nothing spectacular.
I came to the realization that the Coen Brothers are slightly weird film makers. One really shouldn't go to their movies with expectations of a mind blowing story line but they definitely give you something to think about... watched Burn After Reading two weeks ago and followed that up with Fargo (a much older movie). Should look into There Will Be Blood.
They get a lot of stick for unnecessary violence but somehow I didn't get grossed out... they do have absolutely ridiculous numbers of deaths in their movies (at least the two I saw) but they are not outright bloody or gory. Maybe I'm just weird. Oh well...

This was just a sort of "touch base" post. The fact that I'm struggling to think of something to write about means that it's time to wrap up!

See you in November!

AJ's Culinary Capers!

Today we introduce a whole new segment into this blog:

AJ's Culinary Capers! *drumroll*

Well, it's nothing fancy but just a thought that I'd like to share some of my kitchen experiments because they excite and amuse me! [And yeah - AJ is what I go by here...easier for the folks to remember and keeps them from making a mush out of my name!]

So I'm considering calling this AJ's Laundry Delite!

Why such an appetizing name? Well...I worked upon it (mentally and otherwise) whilst doing my laundry. Wee!

It's an Asian hybrid.

You need:

- 2 medium green bell peppers
- 2 medium onions
- 1/2 cup (I'm guessing here...let's just call it a "fistful") of sliced cabbage. Bok choy - chinese cabbage is what I used; regular kind shall also do.
- 1/2 spoon FRESH grated ginger
- Schezuan sauce (however you want to spell that
- Satay Peanut Sauce
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Salt (to taste)

I call it an Asian hybrid because technically the peanut sauce is thai, satay is of malay origin but we'd probably call the dish chinese, in India! ;-)
Notice it doesn't have soy or chilli sauce? That's because it's hybrid!
Now, it'd really be great if you could be operating the washing machine on the side as you do this as that'd lend it authenticity.

Preparation:

- Cut the onions and bell pepper julienne and set aside.
- Grate however much ginger root is required to get half a tea spoonful!
- Heat oil in a fry pan - a wok works better but I don't have one at this time. If you're trying this out, you have my permission to use a wok instead and still call it AJ's Laundry Delite. Also, I used olive oil on a whim and it didn't taste bad but any oil might do - especially if you don't like the smell of olive oil when it is heated.
- Once the oil is hot enough, put in the ginger. It will sizzle, crackle and jump. Try not to get singed. Spread it about a little bit in the fry pan (this is why a wok might be better)
- Add the onions and sauté till they are transparent
- Add bell peppers and let cook. No need to cover but the bell peppers will take some cooking before they become nice and soft. This is not meant to be mush, nor crunchy.
- Pour in red wine vinegar. With both ingredients (though I really don't taste the wine in it), personal preference will dictate how much goes in
- Add salt and stir
- Add cabbage and keep stirring.
(You need to decide how hot is too hot, I'm not going to give directions on turning the heat up or down!)
The cabbage will reduce in a bit (lose volume) - add two spoonfuls of however-you-want-to-spell-it-schezuan sauce.
- Stir
- Add peanut sauce 2 min later. Enough to cover all the ingredients in about one swoop.
- Stir

3 minutes later, you're done.
Smell.
Savour.
Drool.
Serve over steamed sticky rice.

I didn't mention the rice?
Well, you had to make that first of all, so that it'd be good and ready to serve right away. Leave in a little extra water to make it sticky.
Serve in a bowl!
Chopsticks are good. I didn't have any :-(

Do not. I repeat DO NOT add tofu or mushrooms under any circumstances. These staples of chinese cuisine would make this cease to be AJ's Laundry Delite. Now if you want to reinvent all of this WITH tofu and mushrooms and call it your own Laundry Delite...who am I to argue?
Just share the results when you do!

Oh and remember: do NOT skimp on the ginger!

Ciao!

Of happiness and happy coincidences...

Last time I wrote, I was grumbling about missing two questions on a midterm. Well, I got my scores back and the class average is 45, with me getting 42. So I'm happier now... due to other people's "failings" no doubt but happier. Heh. I *did* get a full score on the essays and that's slightly ahead of the class curve. That makes me happy too. It led to a conversation with my mother - about the feeling of being ahead. For years she's been telling me how good it feels. No doubt. She asked me how I felt. I felt good. However, the corollary to this is our continuing clash over me doing "just enough" to get by/get through to whatever I wanted to do and I found myself telling her that while it felt good being ahead...that was only happening because I'm thoroughly enjoying myself in this particular educational context. If it becomes something unenjoyable, I suspect I will regress to doing "just enough" but that's as far. I won't go the extent of doing "nothing". This realization has been dawning on me for some time now and I feel happy to be able to verbalize it now.

So I went to college for a bit today. There are two internships I'm currently looking at and half working on. One would be the "real" one I will get credit for somewhere down the line, towards my course. This is the PACER internship. The second is me helping develop (potentially) a course that the School of Teacher Education (STE) wants to put together - the MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching). I went into this looking to get an insider's view into a course I myself would consider taking later. It is also a possible backup for internship credit later. Finally, it's just something different and exciting to do. Currently, we're just doing a pilot survey study to see if there is indeed enough interest to justify writing a new course - that was the mindless work from the last post but it should go to a better place. The people in charge seem pretty enthusiastic about this, so I'm hoping it's not something that will fall flat on its face once the surveys are done. The surveys are not overwhelmingly positive right now but that was not to be expected. A little below 50% of respondents are indicating interest. Yet, with a master's class cohort of 16 being enough to push for a course, it should all work out.
As I went in to turn in the previous batch of surveys I'd finished and to pick up a new set, the lady I'm coordinating with - Dr. Galeano - asked if I had an assistantship for next semester and how long I was around. I said I hadn't and I should be around till the summer of 2010. So she's going to see if she can get me an assistantship with her. She had one for this summer and so technically not supposed to have an assistant in the Spring but she's the coordinator so maybe she will pull strings. I feel happy at the prospect of this working out. In case it doesn't work out next spring, I will poke other people with greater confidence in my ability and also - I suppose she will keep me in mind for the summer when she might be able to have an assistant. Woo. Updates as they come.

Finally, I had three bus drivers today - four bus journeys. Two of those guys seemed very happy, saying hello to everyone who got on board and wishing everyone who got off as well. I don't think it was "Wish Your Customers Day" because the third guy didn't say a word but he *did* stop to pick me up at a place where he technically wasn't supposed to stop - which was great because otherwise I'd have had to wait another hour before I could get a bus home.

And when I got home, I got to reconnect (sorta) with a cousin and that was a happy moment as well.

Putting all of this together, I found myself wondering about life in general right now and it came up in a conversation with Andrew, my neighbour as well.
Just before I came here, I was a little concerned about adjusting and being alone and what not. However, slowly but steadily I'm just reaching out and networking with more people. I like the pace and I like the results. If I throw a party right now, the turnout would be pretty sad - though probably fill my little hole here - but I'm happy with that. I'm satisfied with the progress that is happening and that makes me think that I'm either very strong as a person and can adjust well or I'm a hollow shell of a human being with very little need in the way of affiliation.
Either way - I'm happy with what I am! ;-)

Here concludes a post on happiness and happy coincidences.

Go figure...

So I had a mid term test today.
Online - 20 questions - 105 minutes...
I got two wrong and I'm bugged about that but meh. We also had two essays - 1-2 pages, twenty points each.
It was at home, instructor doesn't mind if we refer to notes. In fact, the prompt for the essay encouraged it. The essays went better...I think. Somehow, I'm never really "sold" on my own writing - at least what I do for assignment/testing purposes - but the results always seem to come out well. So I'm hoping the trend will continue.

What's the post about though?
Well, even with a mere 20q and two essays - one for which I already had an answer! It was rather interesting that after I had the whole thing done, I found some solace and rest for my brain in mind numbing activities of sorting surveys and collating email addresses. It worked wonder for relieving my tired brain of the rage Jean Piaget brings on... and to compare and contrast him to Lev Vygotsky... *sigh*

But yeah... it was good not to have to think. Not to think but just do...
Just do it. Swoosh!

Watch this.

Watch it now!

Anecdotes from the week...

To go back to a theme running through the grad school experience, I'm going to share a couple of things discussed in class -

"You get promoted to your level of incompetence."

That's not a direct quote but it makes sense. If you're good at what you do, you keep going higher. Then you reach a certain level where you cannot go higher because you don't have the competencies for that post. Ergo, you're incompetent for the next rung and remain where you are!

Read more!

In Motivation class, we're currently looking at the concept of confidence and control and something called a Serenity Prayer was mentioned.

I really liked the thought behind it, though I will change a little part to reflect my "views":

Let me have grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Very nice.

Read more! and be sure to read the mother goose ditty on that page.
As a related spinoff, I found Bill Watterson being irreverent about it (and deliciously so) below:




And finally,

"What will the preachers do if the devil is saved?"

I will let you wonder about that for the time being... it's pretty interesting to ponder upon!

Perspectives again...

Here follows a short log of a conversation I had with a cousin today.
It is mostly here for me to reflect on the things I (now) believe in. These things were not always the same. During the recent months I have noticed that I seem to have some inner source of optimism that I did not know existed previously. Perhaps it didn't. Life has never been disappointing, in fact it has been very good. Yet, for some reason I was conditioned for a long time to lower expectations about things highly wished for (and some not so much) that it was never a disappointment when they didn't happen and always a sense of pleasure and relief when they did happen the way they were wished for.
Is this the result of a child's fancifulness? Wishing for things which cannot be - leading to lowering expectation?
Is it inborn? I do not know.
Does everyone go through it. I suspect this is more or less true...in varying degrees and at varying times.

What has changed? I am not aware.
Maturity of mind, body, spirit, experience? Perhaps all and more...or all leading to a greater whole... Is it the school experience? Not likely but what helped during that experience was probably this budding spring of optimism.

By a quirk of fate(?) we're studying control and confidence in our Motivation class. There is a concept called Learned Optimism - it talks about learning to be optimistic through cognitive restructuring. This strikes closest home. The cognitive school of thought in psychology appeals greatly to me and my thoughts run in the following manner for now.

[start log]

Aditya says:
to go off on a little garden path: is your pessimism useful?
Caprice says:
it's a case of : 'if i keep my expectations low, then it will usually not work out to be that bad!'
Aditya says:
i know what you mean
Aditya says:
i know exactly what you mean
Aditya says:
but (and i found this upon reflection recently and i really was surprised) realism and pessimism are not one and the same
Caprice says:
no?
Aditya says:
the surprising part of that reflection is how much of an optmist i (seem to) have become
Aditya says:
there's a good belief in your own ability and the knowledge that you have given your goal your best effort
Aditya says:
it is tempered by the acceptance and knowledge of the fact that life's vagaries sometimes dictate outcomes and not everything happens the way you want
Aditya says:
yet, from my experience, things seem to work out for the best
Aditya says:
i'm not saying that our destinies are predetermined
Caprice says:
i just need to choose a goal to give my best effort to! that is mainly the problem here..
Aditya says:
but perhaps that the paths before us and even the choices are determined
Aditya says:
but when we need to make that choice, we are pushed gently towards what works out best
Aditya says:
i realise this is idealistic and doesn't explain an iota of what's wrong with the world
Aditya says:
BUT
Aditya says:
and whether this is mean or not (it's definitely selfish) - the rest of the world is not our concern
Aditya says:
our concern is to be the best we can, do the best we can
Aditya says:
hope that others do their best as well
Aditya says:
and either the world calms down because everyone does their bit
Aditya says:
or you through your actions make your world (and others') a little better every day
Aditya says:
if not better, at least not worse
Caprice says:
yes, that is a very good outlook to have
Aditya says:
i will be honest with you. i have no idea where it came from
Aditya says:
i didn't even realise i had it until about a couple months ago
Aditya says:
but it makes sense
Aditya says:
*shrug*
Caprice says:
yup!
Caprice says:
i think i've heard that before somewhere
Aditya says:
heard what?
Aditya says:
i've not been sermonising to you before
Caprice says:
that if we all focus inwards, the outward world will also improve!
Aditya says:
no! it's not a matter of focusing inwards
Aditya says:
that (to me) indicates going into a shell.
Aditya says:
let your energies come out of you
Aditya says:
look at YOU, the entire you, not just the inner you
Aditya says:
and the rest should follow
Aditya says:
if not by example, at least for (most) of your experience

[end log]

So yeah do your best, with both ability and effort, and just see what happens. Be prepared for the possibility of failure but even slightly wonky dice rolls can be made to work in our favour with proper effort, planning and strategy!

Dovie'andi se tovya sagain! It's time to throw the dice!

It just doesn't matter...

It is a cool dark night. You are standing on a balcony high on top of a building.

The moon is blocked by the building itself and there are no stars about. Not quite a breeze around but a wintery chill is around you

It is not quite cold or uncomfortable. It feels crisp and despite the late hour, you feel quite wakeful.

Why are you here? You do not know.

Where are you? What is this building? What is this city?

You do not know.

How did you get where you are? Why are you there?

It does not matter.

It is like you just started your life from that point.

As if you are dreaming

That doesn't make sense... but it really doesn't matter.

It just... is.

What were you doing before? Who are you? It does not matter.

All you know, all you feel is a freshness out on that balcony.

Some dark weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

An unknown shadow no longer covers your heart.

What was this previous foreboding? You do not know.

It just was. But that's the point, it WAS. It isn't any longer.

You feel alive. You feel fresh. You feel new.

You feel like you want to run, run out into the night and shout out your happiness to the world

You decide to do just that.

Where are you? You are in a balcony on a tall building

What is this building? Which city are you in?

It does not matter

You are happy. You are alive. You want to run.

You turn around to go down the stairs. There is no elevator

As you come into the stairwell, you notice a bottle of whiskey.

Its dark content fill 2/3 of the bottle

It is perched quite precariously on the edge of the stairway, just below the railing bars.

The slightest of nudges would send it crashing below.

The world has been sterile for now. There is just the night, there are no stars. There is the moon but you cannot see it.

There is just the cold and your feeling of being alive

Is there anyone else in this world?

What is this world?

You do not know.

You do not care.

It does not matter.

Until you see that bottle of whiskey.

It makes you wonder.

Do you really want to be thinking right now? Think about what?

What is it that you felt before this happiness?

Does it matter? It does not.

But it makes you think. And thinking makes your heart beat faster

and it makes you a little uncomfortable.

Then you hear it.

You hear the long drawn out moan

It is unnerving

Not high pitched. Quite low

But long and as if there is some suffering which cannot be put in words

Your heart quickens, you look up

Up?

Weren;t you at the tallest part of the building?

Where is up?

What is up?

It does not matter

Then you see him

He looks disheveled. As if rags are tied all over his body in lieu of clothing

At least he's covered but that seems to make you more perturbed.

He is obviously drunk.

But you do not smell it on him.

Why not?

Does it matter?

Your mind just says one thing

run

RUN!

one command

one mind

two feelings

Life

and terror

RUN!!

so you run

You run down the stairwell, taking three steps at a time.

You hear the drunkard above. He reaches his goal. he gets his whiskey.

He quenches his thirst.

Yet you still run. The feeling of terror is creeping on

Why? The drunkard is not after you!

You do not know...

You run

and then you see him

He's coming up the stairs

A very ordinary looking fellow.

Seems like a nursing intern. he is dressed in a nurse's scrubs.

It is late... he is rubbing his eyes

Perhaps he's off a late shift.

Terror

RUN!

But you collide into him.

Caught on the wrong foot and out of breath, you take a moment to recover.

He's quicker

What's the matter? -- He can speak. He asks

Nothing's the matter

Well... there's this guy upstairs

Can you hear him?

He's hurt...badly

a pool of blood.

I don't have a phone. Do you?

You lie.

Why?

You dont quite know.

Terror. Run!

No I don't. He replies. He is real.

Is he?

But there is a bank of phones in the basement

Why the basement?

But it seems safe enough... any place but here.

You shout thanks and run down.
You hope your story was enough. You hope the moans are enough.
You hope he goes to check on the moaning.
So you lied. (Why did you lie? It doesn't matter) By the time he figures out the lie, you'll be out.
Running.
Free.
As you round the stairwell, you see him following you.
No time for questions.
No time to arouse suspicions.
There is a leer on his face. You don't like it.
You just...run!
You get to the basement.
Enclosed. The door is... down the passage way. Bright lights. No windows.
Phones!
You dial.
A voice: 9-1-1. What is your emergency?
Listen, I'm alone in this basement and there's a man after me.
Surprise flickers across his face. Then...annoyance.
There is no protest. Your fears...were not unfounded.
He's followed me down into the basement and then there's this person upstairs.
Bloodied. Dying.
You lie again, why?
Uncertainty flickers on the face.
The voice: Is this person armed? Do you see a weapon?
Is he armed?
IS HE?
Can you even remember the face enough? The only thing you notice is the fleeting nature of expressions. You don't like those expressions. Not quite a remarkable face.
Armed? No he doesn't seem to be armed.
A gamble... this entire thing a gamble.
A dream. Questions!
Where are you? Who is this? Who are you?
You don't know. It doesn't really matter.
Right now.. just terror and survival. Two things matter.
Retreat.
He has gone away.
The gamble worked.
?
Relief.
You turn around, trembling in relief. Half sobbing.
He is gone.
Listen - he's gone. It doesn't matter. There's no problem.
The voice: Are you sure? What is your location? I will send a unit to help you.
No really. It doesn't matter. It's all OK.
Fire alarm!
Fire alarm?
SPLAT!! goes the axe as it smashes through your head.

The voice on the trailing phone cord: Are you there? What is your location? Hello? Are you OK? Hello?

It just... doesn't matter....

Catching up on correspondence...

For the second time in as many months, I find myself sitting down and catching up on correspondence.
While it's not quite snail mail... it's still interesting that one does need to take the time (if one is to make an effort) to sit and write separate things to people, answer separate questions, ask separate ones of one's own and not just send out some weird cc going "hi! wassup? how r u? lol!~~1"

It makes me wonder and reflect.
- I have people writing to me
- These people ask different (and interesting) questions
- I respond
- Am I lazy to have to do this all at a time? Yet the answer to this is "no!" - most decidedly... especially since I wouldn't like the lol type message sent to me, I'm not going to send it myself and it's worth it to make an effort for people who make some themselves...

It feels quite good and I hope it keeps up.
It's different, I suppose...being a little further than away than a (regular) phone call or to just up and go see someone... but I'm glad it happens...

Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Perhaps not necessarily but it does seem to make communication something one can't take for granted...
and I'm pleased with the effort on all sides...!

A change in perspective

It's been pretty interesting lately. I'm only a month and a half into this course but already, a lot of things around me become more interesting from a different perspective. The perspective of an Instructional Designer. There is some new jargon, there is some new classification of old and known things and there is a wonder about different processes and things - how they work, how could they be made to work better and more effectively. Three examples to illustrate.

I always thought that perhaps Americans need to be told too many things. I laughed at Windows XP when it had a tooltip (these are the small yellow boxes that briefly appear when your mouse pointer hovers over something and they tell you what the button does.) appear when hovering over the close button. All Windows user know what the X does and Mac users are not going to be stupid. However, when I looked at two pieces of print guides - one... my international center grad student handbook and second ... an instruction sheet I got for a party that is going to be put up soon, I had a new respect for thoroughness.
Perhaps the tooltip over the close button is still a little redundant but I suspect it comes more out of an ingrained thoroughness or a requirement of completeness which is global in all aspects.
What I mean by this is: There is no reason for a good designer to stop including certain things in small "obvious" places when they do a certain thing for the larger whole.
There is nothing really that my graduate handbook doesn't cover... from registration, to working, to working after the course, health, night clubs, transport... you name it and it has a place, person and number for every bit of information you need. One just needs to bother to read it.
The party sheet has instructions on how to set up your station, what items it will have, how to greet visitors and what to do with them, how to wind up and how to clean up and finally, where and how to return the materials you used. (It goes as far as telling the food crew to give away opened food packets at the end of the day) You just can't go wrong. It is an entire instructional module - thorough, complete and no need to ask questions. Time consuming at first but enduring and easily edited later.
(If you're confused by now... that's OK... this will still be a good post for ME to reflect upon later)

Secondly... I was amused by an automatic check out machine at a store yesterday. If you have no cashier, you're going to need instructions and you get them - written and in voice.
You press "start" to get started. (Duh!) Then a voice tells you to scan your first item and place it in a bag. I did scan. I didn't place it in the bag, I placed it on the side. The voice asked me to place it in the bag! (There are some weight sensors under the bag) When I did place it in the bag, it asked me to scan the next item. I was to click Pay when I was done, select payment method, follow written instructions and be on my way.
The insistence of the machine amused me - you could put anything in the bag, doesn't matter as long as it has weight - but it still made me put it in the bag. Another thing that happened was an understanding and wonder at the machine, the thought that went into it and the nature of its instructional design. I'm reminded in daily life, of applications for what I'm learning and it's not limited just to HR and the like and that's pretty interesting and gratifying.

Finally - HR has certain jargon - you learn about it (well, you do if you're studying HR) and it remains a little sterile (at least it did for me) in its application and you think it applies only to the corporate scenario. One such jargon term/idea/concept is a job aid. A job aid is anything that helps you make sure you do your job properly. These are checklists and/or instructions on a machine, at your work station as you do work.
To me, these things were only limited to factories and production lines and their kin.
However, the washing instructions on your t-shirt? They are also a job aid. They help you take care of your clothes properly. Never thought about it this way but my perspective's been changed and I look at almost everything in a new angle.

It is different. It is new. It is interesting and it is good!

Go watch this!

Go watch this movie.
Check in your disbelief at the door. Check in your meal at the door - it's not gory enough to make you want to lose it but it's pretty violent. Be prepared to have a good time.
Be prepared to raise some eyebrows. Be prepared to have fun.

I completely agree with the critic below who said:


"'Wanted' is kind of unintelligible and idiotic. Also kind of nasty and brutish. And also undeniably kind of fun..."

Don't say you weren't warned but go anyway!

If you've watched the first Narnia movie... the lead guy is Mr. Tumnus, the fawn - which makes it even funnier/more interesting.

A productive morning...

Yeah... so that last update post never got done.
It will.. eventually. The thing about that is, while I'm doing many different things and learning much different stuff, it all sort of contributes to a larger whole. No single thing is monumentally interesting enough to report on and telling about it all would probably be incredibly boring.
I will be looking at periodic updates, interesting anecdotes and happenings and that kind of thing but I think to truly see the synthesis of my experience here, you'd either have to talk to me, see some of my work (when it comes about) or just wait and watch! It's not really something that can be explained.

So yeah... following up on the last post, a couple more ideas have popped up. At this time, I'm considering just doing the technical "teacher training" courses like instruction, assessment, evaluation etc. without going in for the degree. I would link these as electives for my current course and come and do a B.Ed back home... that should work.

Another thing I considered/am considering is switching to a doctoral track. The main reason for this is that doctoral students are studying the same courses as I am, and get a fancier degree. They also get preference for assistantships and thus get waivers etc... so it'd sorta be a free ride. Yet, if I don't get that (right away, at least) - then it's an added expense that's not really required. My (chosen and proposed) line of work doesn't really require a doctorate but it would feel nice to have it and one of my teachers believes that it might be beneficial for certain other plans of the future as well... yet for those plans... keep watching this space.

At the same time, I'm a little too lazy to give it my all and spend four more years here. It's interesting but a thought I had yesterday was "illuminating" - I'm not uncomfortable here. I'm not a sort of person who would be against settling abroad. Nor am I the sort who says I must come back. Yet... with things working out the way they have in these last two years, I currently want to come back and as a result... staying here for too long gives me a sensation of being "not at home." Even with me getting more comfortable about the thought of going to work in corporate settings (talking with my teachers and the application based nature of assignments is making it less stressful - I need to realise that no one will expect perfection right away - if there is such a thing anyway - when I start a job... I will be able to learn on the job as well and there, I shall have someone senior to guide me as well... I just need to breathe!) at this time I find myself looking at corporate settings at home. This also has two reasons:
1) I really want to teach back home and for that, I need to be home... and this could be something I could do part time/after hours.
2) There isn't a lot of professional, technical implementation back home, of the kinds of processes I'm learning about here. People do this sort of thing - no doubt - but they wing it and it would be good to perhaps teach them to be systematic or call myself a Pundit and do it myself... India, not the world, could be my oyster.

Segueing from the applications of the ISD process in coporates, I go to schools and if I wanted to do doctoral work, I could just do it in India for two more reasons.
1) Indian Ph.Ds don't seem as hard core and course based as they do it here - so I could do it at a little more leisure.
2) I would have a framework to base my research upon because what I'd like to do is see how Best Practices of instruction transfer from the western world and prior research to India and the collectivist culture.
It will be a challenge - but a delicious one.
I just need to start talking to people.

And talking to people is sort of a skill or an art I'm learning here. Slowly but surely my shell and reserve that keeps me from piping up, asking questions and just approaching unknown people is falling away. Make no mistake... it will be a while before I'm "debonair" about it and it might well take the rest of my course for me to get there but get there, I shall!

So today, I went to meet two of my teachers - well, one teacher and one advisor (he hasn't taught me yet).
To my advisor, I showed my proposed plan of study. I'm aiming for a major in Performance Improvement and Human Resource Development. Employers in India will feel it's delicious!
However, there were some issues some of the electives I wanted to take but the Boss put my mind to rest about that - for now. Suffice to say I'm a little annoyed that there is one course I might not be able to take due to lack of knowledge and subsequent "poor" planning. However, as of now, all things are a go!
What also came out of this meeting was a potential internship.
We need to have an internship component for our degree and the Boss said that we could do it practically anywhere. How it started out was with me discussing course choices with him and whether I should take one on Computer Courseware or Distance Learning. Distance Learning is not really an area of interest but with virtual organizations and the like, it might be a good skill to have in the kit... and he said, well, we're developing an undergrad course and it has videos and stuff and web pages that need developing - so that would be e-learning.
I like it...I get to work with him, it's curriculum development, it's e-learning AND chance of some money. win win win win. Plus win - looks good on resumés.
The genesis to this was really him thinking that perhaps I should do e-learning, rather than computer courseware because I could teach myself the latter. Well, I can teach myself stuff but unless it's required or a deep interest, I don't. It's not a matter of deep interest here but the pressure and requirement of an internship will help me get it done!
So yay!

I talked to my other professor - let's just call him Happy/Crazy/Funny/Silly Panda Bear.
He takes two of my three classes and I went and discussed the possibilities of using my project from the MPM days as a basis for my final projects in his class and that was a productive discussion that led to ideas that, while hypothetical in origin, might actually have real world, real time application. Let's see... that's for when I go back but keep watching for updates on the project and then the final idea. Panda Bear has been talking about the usefulness of a Ph.D in some of my future ventures and that's what led me to the transfer of knowledge/research to India idea and he said that it'd work!

Ph.D is a fair amount of work and Ph.Ds here who teach, need to do a LOT of publishing to keep current and build a reputation. I'm curious. I'm not sure, however, that I'm that interested in publishing. But, if I do transfer the current research from here to India (because I'm curious about the effects) then I should get readily publishable material, I could do a Ph.D on it and since no one is really doing anything of that sort in India, be THE MAN to go to when something like it required. Woo! Power trip! (Don't ask what "that sort of thing" is unless you have an afternoon free and can meet me in person)

After meeting both teachers, I went and met a third one - just went and talked to him about helping with the MAT program and he didn't really have anything in mind with which I could help but he then thought someone else might... so something interesting might work out of that. They haven't started writing... they're still collecting info. So, an insider's view on something I might take. If nothing else, I get more experience from helping, watching and learning on the job!
And again: it looks good on resumés!
All this from just going and talking to someone, asking questions and being prepared to take no for an answer. That's also a skill/requirement sometimes...

And I will continue... it's been interesting. Before I came here, a "boss" in an interesting company said I should go and talk to her if (in her words, I say "when") I came back from the US.
Recently, another "boss" (these are connections through extended family) emailed me and something might happen there... especially on the consultant level, which is great because I want to work in a school for a while!

So yeah... things are working out well. They are not really as confused and rambly as this post was. Believe me... it makes more sense in my head but you just can't jump in to it.

Oh well... excitement (of sorts) and work lies ahead. I should talk to my uncle and my Godfather about a few things as well. *makes note*

That's all for this time... you'll be sure to hear when another surge of excitement passes through!

A roundup of last week (the abortive, non current version)

Last week was one full of occurrences... nothing spectacular happened but plenty of anecdotal things happened...

As I start getting used to the place, I find myself learning new "tricks of the trade" as far as bicycle riding goes...when to use the pavement, when to use the sidewalk... which side of the street to use and so on... it's pretty interesting to see how these things evolve.

I had two meetings last week. One with Dr. Wager, in charge of teacher education at the College of Ed and another with Dr. Wood, co ordinator for English Education, again at the CoE.
Four options cropped up as a result of these meetings:

1. The CoE is currently writing a MAT program - Masters of Arts in Teaching... which should be ready by the time I'm done with the MS... this is a program I was looking at, at other places.. might be most convenient... Since they're still writing it, I've also asked if I can help do that... it could function as my internship... that would be cool and interesting!


2. An ESL (English as Second Language) program which is currently suspended but might be back by the time I am ready. Dr. Wood thought this might be the best, in terms of the applications I want for this certification... which is true to a certain extent...

3. The Masters in English Education - this one might hold the most water back home, with it being a degree, as opposed to a certification but there are a few issues with it.
I need to find out if it would be acceptable as a qualification back home. Dr. Wood was also quite candid about the fact that they had never previously had an international student in this program, especially as it serves to train teachers for Florida public schools - people don't really take it away somewhere. I told her that if I liked it, I might stay back and that made her eyes sparkle... "Oh, we might recruit you then?"
She did bring up a valid point, one which I've already thought about - cultural differences and the expectations of a teacher in an American classroom v/s those in an Indian one. She said that she didn't doubt that I'd be able to finish the program... she wondered if I'd be happy doing it...
Let's see... she did come up with a good idea - that I should register to substitute teach or volunteer in schools. I need to find out whether this is OK with the International Center and then go and get information about registration.

4. Finish stuff here and do a B.Ed in India... (No further comments at this time)


The whole experience was rather funny... both these Drs are in adjacent rooms but those rooms/offices are within another bigger one... the Education building has been newly renovated and staff working in the building itself didn't know where these people were... the students didn't.. who ought to know? The construction workers of course... and they did!

-x-

So yeah... All You Can Eat

Update soon

I started writing a post for the blog last week but then I had to go out...
It's been saved as a draft but much of the verbosity there might be irrelevant now...

What will follow in a while will mostly be a check-list update of things I've been up to. Things, that is, other than reading, writing (papers), cooking, sleeping and household related work... Yeah... it's pretty interesting in that, life here isn't different than life back home... you just do more things around the house than you used to... and the people in your environment look different...
Boy does it make me mad! When people go about asking: How's life there??
I mean, I understand that they are curious to learn and hear about something they would not have experienced but I wish they'd ask more interesting or intelligent questions and actually give me some leads to talk on... as opposed to asking: what's up? (the ceiling? me? air? the neighbour?? -- what do you want??)

*sigh*

Pearls...

Hmm... I've been meaning to put these up here for a while now...



One of the rare and scary moments when Goat agrees with Rat!



Sometimes I feel I could be so coldly malevolent as Rat... or I wish I could be... but I think it's a good thing I'm not...
Still makes me chuckle and nod knowingly when I read this though...

Anecdotes...

Random anecdotes...

I went to graduate school in shorts today!
Does on do that in college? They do it in Florida...
I was expected to wear formal clothes in my last course.. what do I do with all those shirts now?
Wait for a job I suppose...

I swear I learn more things from my classmates than the text or the teacher...

The teacher asked what your parents would say, when you said you were bored...
One of the ladies said her mother used to tell her that, "Only boring people are bored!"

Point to ponder:
"Someone is boring me. I think it's me." -- Dylan Thomas
Didn't John Berryman say that boredom was a lack of inner resources? These guys must have been friends.

The goal in instruction is engagement, not entertainment! How many of a comedian's jokes do you remember after their routine is over?

This is an interesting link!
I hope they've been washed...

Hmm...

“Teachers should not think of a lesson as a lesson. Think of it as not a lesson just being taught to students, but a lesson being taught to one of your family members. Because if it’s like that, they get deeper into it, and that’s all it takes.”

An evening out

Today was a nice day.
Got up late-ish... but had been pretty productive yesterday - so no problem.
Mooched about till I was picked up by Sophia (a classmate) to go the ISSA Fiesta.
It was a get together of IS people - was supposed to be current students and alumni, as well as staff and faculty - well, only the students turned up (and that was actually considered a good turnout) but it was still good fun. Mexican food and getting to know some more people. I might have found a companion to go play Ultimate with... woo!

After happy hour and some food at La Fiesta, a bunch of us went downtown for the Downtown Getdown which is a bunch of vendors and blocked off streets with live music, beer and food.
It was a fine evening and I hitched a ride with one of my fellow students and three of us went downtown and ran into two more. It was quite relaxed... didn't really do much except talk and hang out and take in the atmosphere but it was quite good.
These Getdowns occur every Friday before a home (American) football game - so perhaps we can make it a regular thing... going there... gives me an excuse to get out and hang out... it's pretty good conversation and I'm being asked to get educated in american ways - especially the beer... hehe... we'll see how that goes!

I did notice a few interesting things there though.

While it was mainly an event connected with football, you had entire families or young cousins/siblings out and about. Beer was being served but no one was being obnoxious. Perhaps the only slight frustration was being let out at the lack of parking (which is a problem in Tallahassee regardless) in the form of elevator humour. That was pretty interesting.

The entire crowd actually reminded me of wandering on Laxmi Road during Ganpati, especially on the last day (not as crowded here though) - vendors, people, activity, buzz - good times.

One of my friends bought some kettle corn - this is pop corn that pop uncovered... becomes rounder for some reason... the guy who was popping the corn was actually break dancing while doing it! We were standing behind him, watching and my companions had a bet going as to what he was dancing to. One guy said Justin Timberlake, another lady said Michael Jackson. She was right! And he just went and got her a free bag of popcorn... we wandered about for a bit... my friends got a few more beers and we went back to our "spot" behind the corn guy and the lady (she's the wife of a classmate) actually got him some water, since she noticed that it was quite hot where he was working and she didn't see him drinking anything.
Somehow, this sort of spontaneity, humanity is not really something I've noticed back home. Something to be remembered, inculcated, emulated perhaps...

Needed to share that.

Some random pics follow:

If only I could airbrush those people out... I think this has come out pretty nicely.



Why, why, why do people drive these kinds of things?

Go watch these movies!

In the last couple of weeks, I've watched a few movies - probably more than I did in the entire last year or so - and I think you should go watch them as well!


Enchanted is a Disney movie paying homage to, as well as making a small parody of, old Disney movies. It's got a princess, a prince, talking animals and a wicked queen. Also, practically everyone sings! What else do you need? I dunno if it's just me but just watching the "old style" animation again made me get goose pimples!


Juno is an incredibly off beat movie and I absolutely loved Ellen Page's portrayal of the title character. She is so level headed and down to earth, despite being in some pretty poor circumstances, I wish I could have her as a friend... things would be great! Slightly predictable but for a small twist, the entire ensemble has done a good job here.


If you like ABBA's music, you should go find a way to see this somehow. Based off the West End play, Mamma Mia is foot tapping experience with good songs, good locales, good looking people and a general "feel good" aura to it in its entirety. We could probably have done without Pierce Brosnan's singing but I suppose he was having too much of a good time to help himself!


Brilliantly funny and comes with a message as well - not a lot to think about but good fuzzy panda bear fun! Can't say much - just watch.


I wasn't aware that Iron Man was an actual Marvel character until this movie began. Given that the Marvel comic universe is profoundly huge, complicated like no one's business and a world and mythology of its own.. this might not be a surprise.
Iron Man first got published in the 1960s but they have adapted an "origin story" for this contemporary one in a pretty good way. Again, even though the "secret boss/evil man" was predictable, this movie kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next and in general, it was a very good ride... up until the end... and it sort of never ended!
Watch it to find out what I mean.


Get Smart... is a movie version of another 1960s phenomenon - this time, it's a remake of a TV series. It takes a dig at the whole spy genre - in fact, in it's conception, it was supposed to work off two of the most popular concepts/characters of the '60s - James Bond and Inspector Clusoe... so you can only imagine what that amalgamation will lead up to.
Irreverant, funny and Steve Carell - three words that ought to sell the movie.
Carell is known for his turn as the Boss from Hell in the American version of The Office and it's a tribute to his histrionics where I couldn't stand him in The Office (though no one beats Ricky Gervais), he was an extremely sensitive foil to his entire family in Little Miss Sunshine and he's got a very different kind of confidence as Maxwell Smart in Get Smart. Get smart - go watch it!
Plus - you get to watch the Rock and The Great Khali both in the same movie!
Is that an incentive??