No change without a rebel!
For a change, Old English was actually fun.
I don’t dislike the subject as such, it can be quite interesting. But the group I’m in has a lot of problems with the grammar, so we’re spending practically every class completely on the explanation of weak and strong nouns, case forms, verb forms, masculine / feminine / neuter differences, etc. etc. It’s like being in German class all over again, and that was never my favourite ( I do so enjoy a good bit of understatement). Furthermore, I myself am not in fact much bothered by the grammar - having taken both German and Latin in secondary school, I know what the difference is between genitive and accusative case, or that it’s quite possible for the noun girl to be “neuter”, making a girl an “it” rather than a “she”. Well, technically. So I find class mostly boring and I’d like to spend more time on the cultural backgrounds and such, but they’re mainly left to self-study at the moment.
However, this class was about Old English riddles, and through an insanely unsolvable one we ended up discussing riddles ranging from ancient myth, the Egyptian sphinx up to and including The Neverending Story, Labyrinth and Die Hard (Simon says…). That was fun!
Afterward, I sought out Mr. V, my Middle English teacher. I still have an essay to hand in from a class I took last semester. ** shame **
(Actually, my study coordinator told me my deadline was 1 December. However, thankfully, she didn’t think to inform Mr. V of that…)
Mr. V and I always end up having the same conversation: how Middle English is great, and I should be spending more time on it (his point of view) and how it’s obviously interesting, but unfortunately I have to divide my time between an office job, translation work, teaching job, several uni subjects and a social life, so that “good enough” is in fact good enough (my point of view). He keeps telling me that all is a matter of priority, and he’s so nice that I never have the heart to tell him that indeed, the fact that my priorities are clear to me is exactly why I don’t spend more time on Middle English… He gave me some good tips on background literature for my essay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, though, which was nice.
But then, just as I was thanking him:
Mr. V: You’re getting a bit chubby!
Me * indignantly * : Chubby??!! I’ve just lost 15 kilos!
Mr. V * looking me up and down * : Well I suppose your new weight still has to settle in!
** Well have you ever! **
Still. I think what he meant was to give me a compliment, albeit in a clumsy, circumspect kind of way. Erm. Yes, I’m sure that’s what he meant. He grinned, so, yes. I’m sure. Yeah.
Anyway. Today’s funny note, as seen on train:
Boring, businesslike, one-of- the-masses, insignificant, suit-clad, suitcase-carrying salesman (or similar) enters train. He has a sensible haircut, wire-rimmed glasses, a dark blue tie and even more sensible shoes. He is the personification of conformity. He sits down. Opens his laptop. And in huge white letters on a red background, his desktop background shouts out:
“NO CHANGE WITHOUT A REBEL”
Ah well. I suppose it’s ok to dream!
I don’t dislike the subject as such, it can be quite interesting. But the group I’m in has a lot of problems with the grammar, so we’re spending practically every class completely on the explanation of weak and strong nouns, case forms, verb forms, masculine / feminine / neuter differences, etc. etc. It’s like being in German class all over again, and that was never my favourite ( I do so enjoy a good bit of understatement). Furthermore, I myself am not in fact much bothered by the grammar - having taken both German and Latin in secondary school, I know what the difference is between genitive and accusative case, or that it’s quite possible for the noun girl to be “neuter”, making a girl an “it” rather than a “she”. Well, technically. So I find class mostly boring and I’d like to spend more time on the cultural backgrounds and such, but they’re mainly left to self-study at the moment.
However, this class was about Old English riddles, and through an insanely unsolvable one we ended up discussing riddles ranging from ancient myth, the Egyptian sphinx up to and including The Neverending Story, Labyrinth and Die Hard (Simon says…). That was fun!
Afterward, I sought out Mr. V, my Middle English teacher. I still have an essay to hand in from a class I took last semester. ** shame **
(Actually, my study coordinator told me my deadline was 1 December. However, thankfully, she didn’t think to inform Mr. V of that…)
Mr. V and I always end up having the same conversation: how Middle English is great, and I should be spending more time on it (his point of view) and how it’s obviously interesting, but unfortunately I have to divide my time between an office job, translation work, teaching job, several uni subjects and a social life, so that “good enough” is in fact good enough (my point of view). He keeps telling me that all is a matter of priority, and he’s so nice that I never have the heart to tell him that indeed, the fact that my priorities are clear to me is exactly why I don’t spend more time on Middle English… He gave me some good tips on background literature for my essay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, though, which was nice.
But then, just as I was thanking him:
Mr. V: You’re getting a bit chubby!
Me * indignantly * : Chubby??!! I’ve just lost 15 kilos!
Mr. V * looking me up and down * : Well I suppose your new weight still has to settle in!
** Well have you ever! **
Still. I think what he meant was to give me a compliment, albeit in a clumsy, circumspect kind of way. Erm. Yes, I’m sure that’s what he meant. He grinned, so, yes. I’m sure. Yeah.
Anyway. Today’s funny note, as seen on train:
Boring, businesslike, one-of- the-masses, insignificant, suit-clad, suitcase-carrying salesman (or similar) enters train. He has a sensible haircut, wire-rimmed glasses, a dark blue tie and even more sensible shoes. He is the personification of conformity. He sits down. Opens his laptop. And in huge white letters on a red background, his desktop background shouts out:
“NO CHANGE WITHOUT A REBEL”
Ah well. I suppose it’s ok to dream!