Languages! (and classes!)
I've got a lot of work ahead of me this week. But I'm not really worried, because I WANT to do this paper that I have, and I want it to be good.
I'm really pleased with how much I've progressed as a historian just from this paper - I don't think I will ever again shirk away from reading articles that might be useful just because they're in a foreign language that it will take me too long to get through. I have been reading Spanish and French all day! It's definitely slow going, and google translate has helped me out with some vocab words certainly, but it's really not as big a deal as I thought it would be. I'm proud of how many Spanish articles I'm getting through, and that the French one didn't kill me today. And after all the hours at reading groups this year and with Whittaker's online dictionary, reading Latin is pretty approachable now too. GOD I wish Latin were as easy as French or Spanish. I've taken god knows how many Latin classes and it's still easier to read French, which I've taken a semester of. Now if I could only read German and Catalan, why then I'd really be set.
In some form or another, I'm going to start Arabic in the fall. It may mean auditing it on top of an already full course load, but after this ass-kicking of a semester, I kind of feel like I can handle anything. And I really really want to learn Arabic. I feel like I won't be able to take myself seriously as a historian of Spanish history if I don't at least give it my solid effort. I am comforted knowing that Miller and experts like Dr. Rustow that I talked with a few months back didn't start learning it until their mid-20s either. Makes me feel less behind. I'll be taking that on top of a Latin translation course, (which I'm psyched about because I LOVE JOAN!) so it'll be a language heavy semester. I'm so looking forward to diving back into that aspect of my studies.
I'm trying to decide if auditing Arabic, taking Joan's Latin NT, doing a grad-sized-portion-of-work in Fr. Schoenig's undergrad class on religious orders, and taking Dr. Hitchcock's Tudors seminar (woot for my minor in Early Modern History!) on TOP of teaching for Dr. Popiel next year will be as horrible as doing a full class load + teaching + exams was this semester. I really don't want to make myself miserable again...
My students had their exams today. Must find time to fit grading into this week. I really hope they do well. I had such a good batch of students this semester! Joseph drew another amazingly hilarious whale in the back of his final exam. A+ for him is what that means. jk. It is hysterical though, and I'm certainly hanging it in my cubicle asap.
PS - Saw Iron Man on a date at the Moolah Temple with Casey tonight! OMG SO GOOD. We laughed so hard together on that comfy loveseat. "TASTES LIKE COCONUT!!!" We went really early to get a couch, and looked at tourist books of Spain while we waited. So Excited for honeymoon!!!
I'm really pleased with how much I've progressed as a historian just from this paper - I don't think I will ever again shirk away from reading articles that might be useful just because they're in a foreign language that it will take me too long to get through. I have been reading Spanish and French all day! It's definitely slow going, and google translate has helped me out with some vocab words certainly, but it's really not as big a deal as I thought it would be. I'm proud of how many Spanish articles I'm getting through, and that the French one didn't kill me today. And after all the hours at reading groups this year and with Whittaker's online dictionary, reading Latin is pretty approachable now too. GOD I wish Latin were as easy as French or Spanish. I've taken god knows how many Latin classes and it's still easier to read French, which I've taken a semester of. Now if I could only read German and Catalan, why then I'd really be set.
In some form or another, I'm going to start Arabic in the fall. It may mean auditing it on top of an already full course load, but after this ass-kicking of a semester, I kind of feel like I can handle anything. And I really really want to learn Arabic. I feel like I won't be able to take myself seriously as a historian of Spanish history if I don't at least give it my solid effort. I am comforted knowing that Miller and experts like Dr. Rustow that I talked with a few months back didn't start learning it until their mid-20s either. Makes me feel less behind. I'll be taking that on top of a Latin translation course, (which I'm psyched about because I LOVE JOAN!) so it'll be a language heavy semester. I'm so looking forward to diving back into that aspect of my studies.
I'm trying to decide if auditing Arabic, taking Joan's Latin NT, doing a grad-sized-portion-of-work in Fr. Schoenig's undergrad class on religious orders, and taking Dr. Hitchcock's Tudors seminar (woot for my minor in Early Modern History!) on TOP of teaching for Dr. Popiel next year will be as horrible as doing a full class load + teaching + exams was this semester. I really don't want to make myself miserable again...
My students had their exams today. Must find time to fit grading into this week. I really hope they do well. I had such a good batch of students this semester! Joseph drew another amazingly hilarious whale in the back of his final exam. A+ for him is what that means. jk. It is hysterical though, and I'm certainly hanging it in my cubicle asap.
PS - Saw Iron Man on a date at the Moolah Temple with Casey tonight! OMG SO GOOD. We laughed so hard together on that comfy loveseat. "TASTES LIKE COCONUT!!!" We went really early to get a couch, and looked at tourist books of Spain while we waited. So Excited for honeymoon!!!