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!

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!

A roundup of the last couple of days...

So the post didn't come on time. Oh well... no excuses, no apologies. Things happen.
Deal with it!
Does it even matter?

Oh the melodrama... but there was a good reason for this late post.
For (probably) the first time in my life, I was being productive at the PC yesterday... answering correspondence, activating my debit card, checking my mail (the regular kind...) etc etc. Makes me feel all grown up!

Yesterday was fine. Got up, biked to college... cooled down...
New class: EDP 5217 - Learner Motivation - Same teacher.
I'm getting more acquainted with the fellow classmates and it should be good fun!

It was a sunny morning, but just as wrapped up, a lady in class happened to say that she wasn't going anywhere... it was suddenly raining!
I mooched about for a bit and then started home as soon as it abated.
Of course... I got caught in another downpour on the way home.
It was funny and infuriating. Brilliant blue sky to the left, dull gray to the right... small raindrops... I'm praying for five minute relief before it comes down... The Powers That Be say: "Hell no!" and it starts pelting. I sought shelter under a tree which was conveniently around and hoped that perhaps it'd be over in five minutes. Eventually, the benevolent tree was no longer effective, I gave it up as a bad job and started biking onward...
Of course... the moment I turn in at the community entrance... it lets up... as I get to my apartment, it's all blue... as I dismount, the thunder rumbles in a wicked chuckle... at having got me.
THE UNIVERSE IS OUT TO GET ME!!!1 OMG!!1 OHNOES!eleven

Riiight... back to Earth...
Came home to read that there was a tornado warning in effect.
One symptom of tornadoes is that there is a silence after a rain storm... and of course... there was silence all round after the rain. No breeze, no one out and about, no rain, no clouds moving... and then... a leaf moved!! But the tree didn't blow away... so no Oz trips for me yet... :'(

I got what are effectively, disaster preparation and management tips for storm season here... they are almost apocalyptic in their descriptions but thunder storms are really the worst that I'm supposed to expect here... Though it's good to know all those safety tips...

The evening was spent being productive... and then an attempt to go to bed early since class was at 9 this morning... For some reason I'm having trouble falling asleep... just thinking too much...
You'd think the biking would tire me... hmm... At least it's not as bad as just before my visa interview... where I'd be up till 5am and get up after 1pm....

Oh well... got up today, a little sleep deprived... once I set out... wondered if the bike was a good idea... everything was misty at 8am! But I stuck to it and my perseverance won! No rain and none coming back either.

Today's class: EDP 5217 - Theories of Learning and Cognition for Instruction.
The instructor is called Dr. Valerie Shute and she seems nice as well. Enthusiastic and open and she had a task for us... to draw (that's right) four things on a piece of paper and find someone we didn't know. We had to talk to them about each other's papers and then introduce our partner.
The four things we had to draw were:
1. My Greatest Accomplishment (I drew a kid giving me a Teachers' Day card)
2. My Greatest Possession (I drew myself giving a friend a Friendship Day card)
3. What I want to be when I grow up (I drew a Best Teacher Award) [Is there a pattern here, do you think?]
4. What I would do if I had only a year to live (I drew a passport, an airplane and an island with a palm tree)

If you haven't figured the descriptions and their meanings out... please seek help!

It was pretty amazing to hear about and hear from the classmates... I am going to enjoy this.
Everyone is here because they want to be and not because they have to. They are OK with saying "I don't know" and are willing to help where they can. It's fantastic!

So yeah... that common theme up there... It's pretty obvious where it's pointing me but with my being pragmatic, I know I will have to defer my "vocation" for a while whilst I get other things done.
I have a meeting with my adviser day after tomorrow and I shall pick his brain about certain ideas I have and see where that leads me...

Tomorrow - explore the bus lines, go grocery shopping and get chinese food!
Whee!

Random reflections, musings and amusing tidbits:

Yesterday I saw two girls collapse in a fit of giggles on a sidewalk. Randomly. Just like that. Was both, scary and amusing.

Today, there was a guy standing near the library with a board declaring Free Hugs. [And the answer is: No - I was on a bike]

Americans seem very patient with cyclists and give a wide berth to you if you're on one...
Not sure whether it's concern for you or worry about you being silly. Perhaps concern that you'd get hit and sue them, perhaps?

The friendly vibe continues... got waved at by a random cyclist in the community today... always a nice feeling. Such similar interests might be the key to making friends here... cycles, food, study, Ultimate!

I actually played Ultimate for half an hour on the 21st! Some kids were playing on the lawn in front of the library and after watching me watch them for a while, a couple came up and asked me to jump in. It was nice. Still getting settled here but I think in a couple of weeks I will start going to pickup games... once I figure the buses out... those games are late in the evening.

American Universities are giant energy guzzling behemoths, but after spending one class on monday with it being 30 degrees in the room, (closed windows, no ventilation), I've decided that a/c is good. Sorry polar ice-caps! :-(

There are people in my course who are getting paid to study and their accommodation and course all paid for... by respective armies... it almost, *almost* makes me want to sign up but... I'm a wuss and my formal education is *almost almost* done...
Oh well... but those guys are amazing...

I have now gotten obsessed with the Blackboard discussion group for EME 5601 - there's a thread there that lets us get acquainted with each other... these guys' observations about each other and their own stories are brilliant. I know I'm gushing but believe me... I'm not overdoing it...

More... as and when they come...

Mamma Mia!

Today we saw a nice movie.
If you're a fan of ABBA, go find Mamma Mia! somehow.
It's the movie adaptation of a musical, based on the songs of ABBA!

Two hours (including promos) pretty nicely spent.
An ensemble that did a good job of having fun together, being campy, slightly irreverent, singing songs... yet not at the drop of a hat... all against the backdrop of gorgeous greek islands and sunshine...

Makes me want to go to Greece.
Makes me want to see the actual musical!


That was random but a note for now:

Tomorrow, we shift to my apartment.
There is no internet connection there yet.
I have no phone.
Dad leaves on the day after.

With all of these things coming together... updates/emails/notes/scraps might be a little less forthcoming.

Yet.

The FSU has tons of computers for student use.
The labs are open till late.
With the friendly people, perhaps the installation service will be prompt.
I've applied for an assistantship which is just fantastically ideal to everything I've done. Wish me luck, send positive vibes that I get it... so get a social security number... so get a phone.
Send me vibes for other jobs and general goodness.
I will have classes only on M, T and W.. and perhaps might drop the one on T as well.

So... tons of time and almost tons of resources and I might not be all gone... but a note nonetheless.

My circadian rhythm's on the fritz!

Well, I'm not exactly worried about traumatic events but these days....I go to bed at about 4 or 5 am and wake up upwards of 12 pm...

People say it's the stress and worry of things getting delayed here.
Well...perhaps.
Stressing is not going to help those processes speed up any more than they are at the moment...
And I'm not worried about it...just a little annoyed but getting annoyed won't help either.

When I was little, my father used to tell me to shut off the factory in my head and go off to sleep. This used to work quite well when I was fidgety...the factory's taken a life of its own lately...
So many things to think...so many thoughts randomly wander in and out...
Yesterday, I finally wrote some stuff down...a lot of planning goes in in my head, late at night...the relevance might be lost by the next morning...Perhaps by writing it down, I can just get it out of my system and it will be a good reminder to start the process off the next day...

Oh well...I go to Pune tomorrow...for a week...
Wonder if that will help any.... I hope it does...
The other day...I went to bed at midnight...got up at 1pm...so it's not necessarily insomnia.
Blah!

Need to wake up on time tomorrow...catch a bus...sleep on it NO DOUBT...then go play.
Yay for playing!
Hope it happens tomorrow...

Withdrawal...

So...I'm in Mumbai now...
Long-ish sort of day.
Played in the morning and goofed about.
Drove in in the afternoon...
Dinner with family, preceded by a nap.

As we set out for dinner, I was really made to wonder - how did I live in this place for 3 years?
It's hot. It's sticky. It's full.
*sigh*
But...the area where we stay is pretty much bearable...

We had live music as we ate...the guy sang a couple of "sad" songs.
That made me pensive... I will miss the kids a lot.
I've known for a while that I get attached to some people too quickly and that's slightly the case here...
In some ways I left at a good time, before getting too involved... in other ways, I cannot imagine doing anything else.

I'm in Mumbai for the various formalities that would be required for my next course of study. I daresay that will keep me occupied and distracted...
Ideally, I need to work on this aspect of mine (getting attached) - though perhaps I'm more involved than they are... which is enough of a wake up call to fix the faulty emotional connections...

Also - this attachment and pensiveness does not fit into the "happy or nothing" spiel. So I've started the thought restructuring process.
Things will be fine. Life goes on. This experience was fantastic. New ones await...

Will probably take a couple of days to get out of my system though. Just hope I don't have a relapse when I go back to say the "final" goodbye in a few weeks' time. But then...the finality of that act should act as decent closure...

Oh well...

Time to get back on track!

So the last couple of days have been slightly tiring or I've been a little unmotivated to get here and post...for whatever reason but it's time now to get back on track!

Today was a good day.
Played Ultimate after a long while and later, had a couple of my kids over for lunch.
Good times. Pasta + board games = win!

I was going to reflect on various levels/types of friendship on the 16th as the articles coming in have touched upon various different opinions and definitions. However, I think shall save that for the 24th...

My guests today...opened up an entirely different thought process for me from their interaction.

They are brothers - 3 years apart in age - and well...one hears of brothers being "big bro and little bro" and the ensuing interactions. One hears of brothers not getting along (Ambanis, anyone?).
However, these two guys genuinely seemed to be friends.
I mean... of course there was the good natured ribbing that goes on between siblings - especially males ones I suppose - though of course the reason I never considered having family itself as friends (except for CoCo as I mentioned earlier) is because I have no siblings of my own.
Despite the ribbing, I "caught" or rather noticed two instances of sweetness where they had their arms around each other just the way friends do, rather than siblings.
It was very refreshing and very sweet.

M mentioned in her article that her friend is her mum.
Well, I get along with my parents - however, would I call them my friends?
No. Guides. Sure. Have a problem - go to them! Even share a few things...but in some ways...not share all.
In fact, in my levels of friendship, I hesitate to name best friends (reasons will provided in the relevant post) and I have different friends for different gripes. So there is no one person with whom I share everything...

How many of you think you have someone in your family who is a friend?
Siblings? Parents? Close aunts/uncles? If cousins...probably only ones you interact with frequently count. As far as CoCo and I go...we interact online but who knows...while we get along now... we might not do so if we spent a lot of time together ... then again, maybe not... it's something I'd like to find out at some point of time...
Oh well...that's entirely another story and this is not the time for a ramble.

Two articles today though...to make up for lost time.
I feel a little bad about it but maybe...just maybe...might not get through the goal of a new one everyday but will do my darndest to be more pushy to have folk submit stuff!

Hmm...in order not to miss any more articles, I think I will attempt this new scheduling feature that blogger has introduced. Shoud work decently...
Let's find out!


Oh and...

Highlight of the day!

I almost stole a car today!
After Ultimate, as I headed back home with my guests, I went to a car and opened the door lock, got in...my key wouldn't unlock the steering. The car's just been serviced...I wondered if there was a big in it. Did some jiggling around. Asked a couple of people to do it for me. Thought perhaps the steering lock was impeded by tire position. Moved the car a bit - pushed it. As I was trying the lock again I happened to look ahead through the windshield and I saw my car number...
Now one would imagine that one's own car number can't be seen when one is supposedly in it, eh?
Hah!
Apparently, my door lock key opened a random car but at least the steering key wouldn't.
I'm not used to that car yet...I should've noticed the different seat covers etc.
Oops!
Locked the other one. Scooted away and got in the actual one.
This time, they steering key worked...

A good day!

Today...was a good day!

I finished the second of my last five exams for this course.
I was actually a little worried about this one but after "studying" for the last couple of days, I felt pretty good about it...even with leaving some things for "option".

I got to the exam center before anyone else and dazed/dozed away some time till a classmate came to sit with me. That was good as I picked his brain about some things I was not sure about...and this turned out to be quite a good thing.

Eventually, SV the S/P came up and he'd read the blog...I'd also used that epithet for him while talking to Doctor last night and she'd passed that on. Hehe...he was *not* amused.
However, I was quite amused by his reaction...poor fellow...he genuinely seems to feel bad about being called that (S/P) but then of course, evil kritter that I am, I shall continue...for precisely the same reason!

Haha. I got death threats from him and he asked why I didn't say good things about him to others. Meanie that I am, I said he's not a good guy but...it all boils down to this...I've asked some people to write for me on this blog. I spend time with only those people I like and I definitely speak civilly with people I think are decent...
Since he fit all those categories, I just told him to stop being a block head and use his head...

Oh well...but I had a real good laugh about this. Made my day. Absolutely.

Things got better as the exam started. The paper was a cakewalk. I'm quite happy about it. However, this is not to say that happiness will necessarily reflect in the mark sheet. The mystical arbitrariness of marking papers in this system...just has to be experienced to be believed. Oh well..bygones.

Came home feeling peckish and went next door to Uncle Sam's (Not kidding) who'd made some really brilliant Pav Bhaji. I hogged it...and on my way back, had another giggle...
Auntie (Uncle's wife) returned a knife of ours that she borrowed and I was about to set off when another aunt (Mum's sis. Uncle is also Mum's bro btw...CONFUSED YET???) said..."don't take it like that!"
I was like..."um...what?"
There's a lot of old people living in that building and if they'd seen me walking about with a bare knife...(and it was a large one) a couple hearts might've stopped but channeling some sociopath feelings myself, I said that it's all in how you held a knife...in your hand...or by the hilt...

Most of you might not be able to picture what I mean by that...next time you're visiting...ask me to demonstrate!

*deranged cackle*