well, my spring semester has officially started.
let me see, i'm not up to my eyeballs with homework, yet. i do have a lot of reading to do, however. i'm suppose to be reading "Mexican Mosaic" by Buchenau (?) and Cicero, and some other online readings that i have not yet gotten to.
so let's talk about what's going on so far:
in ancient rome: we are discussing the geography of rome. so we won't be lost and know exactly where the professor is when he speaks about the seven hills of rome. i think that pretty much covers the first week. we also had a trip to the library on friday, so that we can get started on our research papers.
i picked up an English class with Dr. Heckler on Friday. i had pretty much promised myself, my husband, and my kids that i would NOT take 5 classes. but, if i want to finish in this millennia, i really need to. so i'm taking language and culture...so far it has been a repeat or blend of grammar and descriptive linguistics from last semester. arbitrary rings a bell, and so does prescriptive and descriptive grammar/language.
in mexican cinema: we have literally sprinted through thousands of years of mexican history in a week. from the people that walked across the berring straits to the calderon election. a very compact, concise (not very detailed history), but enough to get us started on our first movie tomorrow.
in contemporary mexico: we are covering the same thing as mentioned above (it is the same professor) up until benito juarez (yesterday). the class will cover 1910-present. so, i think we are just about to start on the real class material.
in world civ. II: guess what? it is pretty much starting with columbus, cortes, the treaty of tordesillas....so my life and classes pretty much feel like groundhog day (the movie). yes, again, i have heard of ysabella and ferdinand. etc., etc. i think we are suppose to have a quiz today. lucky for me, i lost my folder with my notes on friday at pan-am.
what i know:
this is semester is going to pick up speed and come at me fast and furious. i need to prepare. i guess that means that i should stop blogging and get ready for class.
interesting coincidence, though. in my hemingway class, my professor explained to us the significance of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Well, my civ II professor in speaking of spain, said that the best paella he has ever eaten was in Santiago de Compostela. so i guess i have to someday visit the place for its historic significance and for its awesome paella. don't you think?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
spring comes early
well, so much for loving my semester break. :(
i received an early email from one of my professors, who is anxious to dive into Ancient Rome. hmm? what i'm trying to decide is whether or not this is a good thing. yes, i can get a head start on one of my classes. no, i don't to start worrying about my classes.
oh, well...
Shall we dive in?
the first book is The Nature of the Gods by Cicero. so, i made the long trek to the university bookstore today to buy it. i have started on the introduction and have had to stop to look up 2 things. (and please forgive me if i sound stupid!)
1. what does Hellenistic mean? i'm sure i was suppose to have learned that in my civ I class, but it just doesn't ring ANY bells.
well, according to the merriam-webster definition it is:
of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after Alexander the Great.
of or relating to the Hellenists, which is a person living in Hellenistic times who was Greek in language, outlook, and way of life but was not Greek in ancestry.
2. what does the translator mean when he writes, "This early acquaintance with prominent figures...made him the most highly educate of emergent orators when he embarked on a forensic career in his mid-twenties.."
surely, Cicero was not part of CSI, right? or would it be RSI for Rome Special Investigation. what does CSI even mean? i never watch the show.
no, my dear reader, upon further investigation into the merriam webster dictionary, i believe forensic means his public career. the definition is: belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of judicature, or to public discussion and debate.
o.k. so now i've moved past page xv. i still have a lot of pages left in the introduction. i wonder how much more "research" i will have to do in order to get through this book.
i'm going to spend another 10 minutes reading and call it a night.
bonsoir et bonne annee!
i received an early email from one of my professors, who is anxious to dive into Ancient Rome. hmm? what i'm trying to decide is whether or not this is a good thing. yes, i can get a head start on one of my classes. no, i don't to start worrying about my classes.
oh, well...
Shall we dive in?
the first book is The Nature of the Gods by Cicero. so, i made the long trek to the university bookstore today to buy it. i have started on the introduction and have had to stop to look up 2 things. (and please forgive me if i sound stupid!)
1. what does Hellenistic mean? i'm sure i was suppose to have learned that in my civ I class, but it just doesn't ring ANY bells.
well, according to the merriam-webster definition it is:
of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after Alexander the Great.
of or relating to the Hellenists, which is a person living in Hellenistic times who was Greek in language, outlook, and way of life but was not Greek in ancestry.
2. what does the translator mean when he writes, "This early acquaintance with prominent figures...made him the most highly educate of emergent orators when he embarked on a forensic career in his mid-twenties.."
surely, Cicero was not part of CSI, right? or would it be RSI for Rome Special Investigation. what does CSI even mean? i never watch the show.
no, my dear reader, upon further investigation into the merriam webster dictionary, i believe forensic means his public career. the definition is: belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of judicature, or to public discussion and debate.
o.k. so now i've moved past page xv. i still have a lot of pages left in the introduction. i wonder how much more "research" i will have to do in order to get through this book.
i'm going to spend another 10 minutes reading and call it a night.
bonsoir et bonne annee!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
break it down
i'm on break, and it feels wonderful...
for the most part, anyway. i need to figure out which classes i will take next semester. trying to see into a crystal ball is proving pretty tricky. what to do? what to do? yes, i really wish someone could take me by the hand and say, "look little patricia, you must take this class and this class and then all of your requirements will fall into place. not only that, but you will thoroughly enjoy your classes and quite possibly become an intellectual!"
this is what i know for sure about which classes i must take next semster:
i must dabble in latin american history. AN ABSOLUTE MUST!!! DEGREE REQUIREMENT MUST!!!
and that is it. according to the academic advisor (and you know that academic advisors have never steered students wrong ;) the world is my oyster. i can take any other class i want.
i'm sorry, my dear reader, i have rambled on long enough. i will put my soapbox away for now. good night.
for the most part, anyway. i need to figure out which classes i will take next semester. trying to see into a crystal ball is proving pretty tricky. what to do? what to do? yes, i really wish someone could take me by the hand and say, "look little patricia, you must take this class and this class and then all of your requirements will fall into place. not only that, but you will thoroughly enjoy your classes and quite possibly become an intellectual!"
this is what i know for sure about which classes i must take next semster:
i must dabble in latin american history. AN ABSOLUTE MUST!!! DEGREE REQUIREMENT MUST!!!
and that is it. according to the academic advisor (and you know that academic advisors have never steered students wrong ;) the world is my oyster. i can take any other class i want.
i'm sorry, my dear reader, i have rambled on long enough. i will put my soapbox away for now. good night.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
if...
if i was to tell you that this semester has been the most difficult one EVER, would you call me a crybaby? never in my years of college had i ever taken 15 hours. madness, i tell you, madness! i am glad it is all over! well...kind of...there is that nerd in me that loves to learn, you know!!
i still have my grammar test tomorrow. (the one i should be studying for--instead of blogging about.) perhaps i like blogging because it SO much like blabbing. i love to talk, and talk, and talk; just ask my husband. and i guess blogging is talking with my hands. but, i really must study...i have to review all the conjunctions, relative clauses, dangling modifiers, etc., etc.,
au revoir!! bon chance a vous!!
speaking of french, i am still actively pursuing my french lessons. j'etudie le francais les vendredi avec hana et pauline. mais, je dois etudie le grammaire anglais maintenant. un jour mon coeur me dit que je veux etre professeur en France. Je pense que je serais tres contente et j'aurais une vie heureuse. C'est un beau reve, n'est pas?
(i don't have my french dictionary handy, but i hope i wrote that correctly.)
i still have my grammar test tomorrow. (the one i should be studying for--instead of blogging about.) perhaps i like blogging because it SO much like blabbing. i love to talk, and talk, and talk; just ask my husband. and i guess blogging is talking with my hands. but, i really must study...i have to review all the conjunctions, relative clauses, dangling modifiers, etc., etc.,
au revoir!! bon chance a vous!!
speaking of french, i am still actively pursuing my french lessons. j'etudie le francais les vendredi avec hana et pauline. mais, je dois etudie le grammaire anglais maintenant. un jour mon coeur me dit que je veux etre professeur en France. Je pense que je serais tres contente et j'aurais une vie heureuse. C'est un beau reve, n'est pas?
(i don't have my french dictionary handy, but i hope i wrote that correctly.)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
it's almost over
if i could call a friend right now...
i would tell her that i DO NOT WANT to write my final exam essays for my literary theory course. i'm tired, and i'm tired, and i'm tired...
but i need to encourage myself in christ and finish my race.
happy tuesday to all of you!
i would tell her that i DO NOT WANT to write my final exam essays for my literary theory course. i'm tired, and i'm tired, and i'm tired...
but i need to encourage myself in christ and finish my race.
happy tuesday to all of you!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Redeeming My Time
ever since i started my college career, i have felt this desperate need to redeem the time i lost after high school. you see, i am not your traditional student...i messed up my life in so many ways after i graduated from high school. so, i have felt blessed with the opportunity to redeem myself. the wonderful opportunity, however, came with a huge responsibility: DO IT RIGHT!!! thus, i have been killing myself for each grade. i have struggled through many semesters, but i have never faltered. you see, my dear reader, i was trying to redeem my past. in vain i have tried, only to come to the sudden realization that i can't. only Jesus can redeem me--my past, my fears, and my sins.
***********************************************
Below is a beautiful poem written by Jael Sprinkle. Thank you so much!!!
She sits and studies in a chair
Near the window
With clear air
Filtering through
Releasing cares of
Her grow-up life.
She's a girl again
Sweet and pretty
With a mind and a will
And a dream
But the woman inside her
brings the fight that lights
her alive and gives her a drive
and keeps her turning
page upon page upon
pencil scratched page
til she's written the world
exactly the way
she wishes.
It's a fight-
And the light's gone low
her supper's cold
but she closes her book and
turns off the lamp.
Quietly she crosses the living room
to kiss her sleeping husband who waited
until he dozed on the couch, the television on.
She presses "off" then makes her way down
the hall to her sleeping daughters
to catch a glimpse of their small faces
to remember the reason she's turning the pages
of a life once stale, now full, overflowing
with trying and fighting and pushing and moving
everything around until it fits
just the way she wanted it.
Her life, once small, now large enough
for grandchildren and intelligent love
and students that might never have known
this lovely world that she has presented to them
from the crisp pages
she was up til midnight
crafting with her very soul
to move their very souls
to see the world
she wrote for her children's children.
You have my every confidence. Hang in there friend!!
***********************************************
Below is a beautiful poem written by Jael Sprinkle. Thank you so much!!!
She sits and studies in a chair
Near the window
With clear air
Filtering through
Releasing cares of
Her grow-up life.
She's a girl again
Sweet and pretty
With a mind and a will
And a dream
But the woman inside her
brings the fight that lights
her alive and gives her a drive
and keeps her turning
page upon page upon
pencil scratched page
til she's written the world
exactly the way
she wishes.
It's a fight-
And the light's gone low
her supper's cold
but she closes her book and
turns off the lamp.
Quietly she crosses the living room
to kiss her sleeping husband who waited
until he dozed on the couch, the television on.
She presses "off" then makes her way down
the hall to her sleeping daughters
to catch a glimpse of their small faces
to remember the reason she's turning the pages
of a life once stale, now full, overflowing
with trying and fighting and pushing and moving
everything around until it fits
just the way she wanted it.
Her life, once small, now large enough
for grandchildren and intelligent love
and students that might never have known
this lovely world that she has presented to them
from the crisp pages
she was up til midnight
crafting with her very soul
to move their very souls
to see the world
she wrote for her children's children.
You have my every confidence. Hang in there friend!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
for the week ending 10/16
well, another week is in the books. i did so-so and i'm just glad the week is over. there are now officially eight weeks left in the semester. and, eight times 3 is 24, so that means that i have 24 more days of this agonizing term left.
grammar: we learned about adverbs and particles. particles are actually a lot of fun. they can be moved around in a sentence with no problem. i.e. Gage put off the operation. Gage put the operation off. She turned in the exam. She turned the exam in. OFF and IN are the particles and they can be moved around in a sentence. adverbs, on the other hand, are not fun at all! i actually have to engage my brain...
hemingway: we started a farewell to arms. i wish i had read romeo and juliet. a farewell to arms is suppose to be hemingway's romeo and juliet and i don't see the comparisons because i've never read romeo and juliet.
american novel: we are still reading the scarlet letter. what can i say? dimmesdale put himself through hell for not confessing. hester, on the other hand, seems to me like she gave the puritans "h*ll" by defiantly wearing the scarlet letter.
descriptive linguistics: i missed monday's lecture, and i had a lost feeling all week. i missed the lecture on prepositional phrases. we took a quiz on friday. i know for sure that i labeled "may" as a complement, when it was really an auxilary verb. oh, well...
literary theory: I'M DYING!!!!!!! i really don't get "IT." i think the schools are fighting over abstract things that will never have an absolute answer. to think that some people have made this their life's work is mind-boggling!
en francais: i'm still trying to learn french. i am reading "le petit prince." c'est tres interessant!
that is it for this past week. i need to work on some homework that is due tommorow.
au revoir!
grammar: we learned about adverbs and particles. particles are actually a lot of fun. they can be moved around in a sentence with no problem. i.e. Gage put off the operation. Gage put the operation off. She turned in the exam. She turned the exam in. OFF and IN are the particles and they can be moved around in a sentence. adverbs, on the other hand, are not fun at all! i actually have to engage my brain...
hemingway: we started a farewell to arms. i wish i had read romeo and juliet. a farewell to arms is suppose to be hemingway's romeo and juliet and i don't see the comparisons because i've never read romeo and juliet.
american novel: we are still reading the scarlet letter. what can i say? dimmesdale put himself through hell for not confessing. hester, on the other hand, seems to me like she gave the puritans "h*ll" by defiantly wearing the scarlet letter.
descriptive linguistics: i missed monday's lecture, and i had a lost feeling all week. i missed the lecture on prepositional phrases. we took a quiz on friday. i know for sure that i labeled "may" as a complement, when it was really an auxilary verb. oh, well...
literary theory: I'M DYING!!!!!!! i really don't get "IT." i think the schools are fighting over abstract things that will never have an absolute answer. to think that some people have made this their life's work is mind-boggling!
en francais: i'm still trying to learn french. i am reading "le petit prince." c'est tres interessant!
that is it for this past week. i need to work on some homework that is due tommorow.
au revoir!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)