(no subject)
Things week in language:
Mayan
Learned about Mayan writing and got to translate a few symbols into syllables and then learn what they meant. Mayan writing, from what I gather, is all about the asthetics. They intentionally change up the symbols a little bit each time they write them so each can be its own work of art, while still comprehensibe. Imagine your back in second grade and trying to read cursive before you know how to write it, except you discover the cursive your trying to read is in German. Yeah, its a little like that.
German
Decided that I wanted to memorize the song lyrics to a German song to teach myself a few new German words. I wanted to remind myself that learning languages is something I like to do, not something I have to do. First German song that came to mind- 99 red balloons (99 Luftballons).
Turned out great because later that day my friend Joe and I ended up watching the video on you tube and signing along to the lyrics in German. We also ended up finger painting with Jenny, Laura, Jacob, and some cool freshman whose names I can't all remember. I ended my day wearing a cowboy hat, a blue nose, and a blue beard.
Serious faliure
I'm not in SITES anymore. I screwed up by missing a mandatory meeting. Consequentially, I got dropped from the program. I apologized and was going to beg the teacher to let me back into the class, but realized that I didn't really deserve to be. I screwed up and I need to accept the consequences.
I'm just not as on top of my shit as I want to be. If I ever learn how to handle an irregular schedule and get myself really organized, I hope that I can go back and do SITES again. Maybe one of these days I will be able to do everything without letting anybody down. For now, I feel like a real idiot. I told Kim I would send her a list of all the teaching ideas I typed up this summer and all the helpful online teaching resources I found. I really hope this doesn't mean saying goodbye to a future in Linguistics.
This week outside of Language:
Despite the fact that I sometimes suck at organizing, I have been doing a lot better at that lately. Room is actually clean and I am on top of things in my classes.
Sometimes when you really screw up, it's nice to remember times in the past where you very easily could have screwed up and didn't. For example, how miserable I would have been if I'd lived in Barrows last year or how much I would have missed out on if I hadn't patched things up with old friends.
Also, it's nice to know that I have some really solid folks in my life who I can count on to make time for me when I really need it. I am really grateful.
*
Tomorrow I will send my parents a check for all any summer expenses prior to having a job. I did better than breaking even, which was my goal.
*
Is it just me or does Harkness seem less social and less radical this year? There is a pretty intense rugby click. I no longer feel like can knock on any door in the house to say hello. Also, while pretty much no one is politically conservative, people seem more conservative in general, or at least more traditional. I mean, beer pong, really?
*
I need to make time to see people more. You should help me with this by stopping by my/ma'ayan's room to say hello.
Mayan
Learned about Mayan writing and got to translate a few symbols into syllables and then learn what they meant. Mayan writing, from what I gather, is all about the asthetics. They intentionally change up the symbols a little bit each time they write them so each can be its own work of art, while still comprehensibe. Imagine your back in second grade and trying to read cursive before you know how to write it, except you discover the cursive your trying to read is in German. Yeah, its a little like that.
German
Decided that I wanted to memorize the song lyrics to a German song to teach myself a few new German words. I wanted to remind myself that learning languages is something I like to do, not something I have to do. First German song that came to mind- 99 red balloons (99 Luftballons).
Turned out great because later that day my friend Joe and I ended up watching the video on you tube and signing along to the lyrics in German. We also ended up finger painting with Jenny, Laura, Jacob, and some cool freshman whose names I can't all remember. I ended my day wearing a cowboy hat, a blue nose, and a blue beard.
Serious faliure
I'm not in SITES anymore. I screwed up by missing a mandatory meeting. Consequentially, I got dropped from the program. I apologized and was going to beg the teacher to let me back into the class, but realized that I didn't really deserve to be. I screwed up and I need to accept the consequences.
I'm just not as on top of my shit as I want to be. If I ever learn how to handle an irregular schedule and get myself really organized, I hope that I can go back and do SITES again. Maybe one of these days I will be able to do everything without letting anybody down. For now, I feel like a real idiot. I told Kim I would send her a list of all the teaching ideas I typed up this summer and all the helpful online teaching resources I found. I really hope this doesn't mean saying goodbye to a future in Linguistics.
This week outside of Language:
Despite the fact that I sometimes suck at organizing, I have been doing a lot better at that lately. Room is actually clean and I am on top of things in my classes.
Sometimes when you really screw up, it's nice to remember times in the past where you very easily could have screwed up and didn't. For example, how miserable I would have been if I'd lived in Barrows last year or how much I would have missed out on if I hadn't patched things up with old friends.
Also, it's nice to know that I have some really solid folks in my life who I can count on to make time for me when I really need it. I am really grateful.
*
Tomorrow I will send my parents a check for all any summer expenses prior to having a job. I did better than breaking even, which was my goal.
*
Is it just me or does Harkness seem less social and less radical this year? There is a pretty intense rugby click. I no longer feel like can knock on any door in the house to say hello. Also, while pretty much no one is politically conservative, people seem more conservative in general, or at least more traditional. I mean, beer pong, really?
*
I need to make time to see people more. You should help me with this by stopping by my/ma'ayan's room to say hello.