Who was I?

I have to write a presentation for Spanish and in an effort to procrastinate I have been reading my very earliest of blogs. (you would avoid a presentation if you had to talk about *in spanish* the role of money in war and marriage and draw other comparisons between material and spiritual topics)

Normally I avoid my old writings because I inevitably end up wondering what i was thinking at the time and how I managed to retain friends (I suppose that will but this very blog in that category in about a year).

I started the blog when i was in second year, just 19 years old. I am about to turn 22 and it is interesting to see things that have changed. For one, I took a long quiz-thing and apparently I wanted to be married by the age of 24. Don't get me wrong, that would be great and all but it's looking less realistic now.
Apparently I also considered myself to be significantly right-leaning politically. Wow, things have changed.

On another topic here are some fun cultural tidbits from Linguistics class (inspired by Beth's cultural facts post I suppose).
1. both French and Spanish have no word for generic term 'sibling' like English does
2. Spanish has a word for 'your child's-spouse's-parents' ; consuegros
*lots of praise and may a bit of chocolate for anyone who can identify another language that has a term for the above relationship
3. the word belly originally referred to all the skin covering one's body

Less than fundamental

It's almost 6am. The tossing and turning started soon after the lamp was turned off around 2am and ended with me turning on my computer about twenty minutes ago. Tomorrow promises to be a long day without sleep but one can only lie awake for so long without giving in to it.

In my boredom I searched random blogs and after many chinese, portuguese and computer blogs that I quickly bypassed, one caught my attention. It's a blog by a Christian who considers himself a seeker and (I think like me) wants so much to have the truth from the New Testament but still has questions.

He has articulated some of the thoughts I have been having much better than I have been able to. It is appealing to get a taste of some of the more liberal Christian theology (still reliant on the Bible but willing to accept that it may just not be as simple as one prayer).

If anyone takes the time to read his blog (I recommend "Father, forgive them" and "an extravagant hope") I would be very interested to hear what you think.

who do I have to bribe to get a longer break?

26 hours of bus time logged, three days at home, 3 loaves of zuchinni bread scored: still very behind in my homework. Well worth it though.

This evening I had to entertain myself so i played with windows movie maker, took pictures of random inanimate objects around my house and watched House on peekvid.com.

Maybe I'll name my (potential future hypothetical) daughter aubrey

Every year the Sault Star puts out a "Babies of the Year" for the previous year with photos and names of the recent additions to the local population. Usually there are a good number of Luigi's, Maria's and Anthony's studding the few pages of babies. There was actually many fewer than usual however, one little dude made up for it. His (rather unfortunate?) moniker Massimiliano Sicoli. How his dad convinced his mangiacake mother to use that one I will never understand.

A few other names that make me question the right that parents have to name their children were Dargus (yep, a little girl), Bishop (ok, i know this is a Catholic town, but those are high hopes, why not call him Cardinal? or Pope?), and the people who made it out of highschool before grade 10 literacy testing were little Kaylob and Alexxa's parents.

Something that speaks to the changing demographics of the north: there was a very cute little guy who wasn't white! It is officially the first time i've seen that i'm sure. Little master Bhatt son of Vipul. Times are a'changing.

One Wonder of the World: Check

Sarah and I arrived back here safely after a day-trip to the spectaular Niagara Falls. For a city of 76000 there are an incredible number of larger than life displays. Even burger King was outfitted with an 8m Frankenstein. First things first we saw the falls:

Then we went under the falls:

The amazing force of the falls was fantastic. I couldn't help but wish that I could have seen its beauty and power in a less "tourist" way; being able to come across it having heard the rumble for miles and breaking out of the forest to stand at the edge of the falls. That is how they were meant to be viewed.

We also spent some time at the IMAX and Ripley's Believe it or Not which, by the way, was pretty darn nifty!

Actually, upon further investigation, apparently I have no experienced an actual 'wonder of the world', not even a natural wonder for that matter. Well then, i'm just going to start my own list. The Wawa goose is now on the list. Check #2!

Back in the Day

Today, to divide up a 4th year assignment we gave out the question that no one wanted by playing "inky pinky ponky". It's still useful.

3 Cheers for literacy!

i'm sure i have posted previously on my love for books, but since it is a love then bear with me as I do so yet again. One of my favorite places in the world is Chapters. I always know when something has been altered, a new book or topic put out on display. I probably wander that store 3-5 times per week.

On top of wandering the store I now browse the website looking for new books that ineterest me. I have a $20 gift certificate from Christmas for Chapters however, it is impossible to choose just one book!!!

My wishlist currently consists of:
-The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal by Afua Cooper
-Reflections of a Siamese Twin by John Ralston Saul
-A passage to India by Edward Forster
-The meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester
-The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
-Night by Elie Wiesel
-Paris 1919 by Margaret mcMillan
-Candide by Voltaire
-Shake Hands with the Devil by Romeo Dallaire
-Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
-Che Guevara by jon anderson (i should know this if i'll be going south!)
-The Anatomy colouring book
-Blood Diamonds by Greg Cambell
-RIghts Revolution (Massey Lecture Series) by Michael Ignatieff
-The End of Food by Thomas Pawlik
-Darfur Diaries by jen marlowe
-THe Lonely Planent: Bluelist

This week proves to be a busy one with 3 midterms, one group assignment, one spanish composition and who knows what else. Good thing spring break is almost here!

Down Down in an Earlier Round

I am a lyric snob. I always try to know the correct lyrics of a song because it bothers me when words are ambiguous while i'm trying to sing along. I even laugh a bit when someone else is just singing it and obviously does not know the correct lyrics. Yes, I realize it is of no importance and I am officially going to stop being a lyric snob.

Also, it is quite difficult to be a grammar stickler when trying to follow the "one cannot end a sentence with a preposition' rule. Sometimes it just sounds ridiculous!
por ejemplo, Who is this for? What would I say in regular everyday conversation: For whom is this? This is for whom? Naw, i'll keep my 'poor' grammar. But the benefit of the linguistics class is that I'm finally being taught the intricacies of grammar that were denied of me in elementary school. A world of knowledge is opening up.

New Official Degree Program

Someone in one of my project groups suggested this for the new slogan on marketing clothing:
Bachelor of B.S.
Major: Group Work

Maybe you have to be in the program but, oh, haha. It's the only marketing clothing I would ever consider buying. At any given time the 4th floor of the library is 75% commerce students. Finally a program that doesn't encourage individual thought, just what the world needs!

The Giver (warning: spoilers)

In an effort to add yet another book to my 'shelf of pride' I borrowed "The Giver" from a friend. It was a wholly unexpected storyline and it was marvellous.

The story follows young Jonas who is caught up in the predictable life of a small community obsessed with perfection and 'sameness'. In order to avoid the dangerous consequences of individuality and free choice the community is built around control where no one chooses his or her own path. The more eerie part would have been the parallel between this fictional community and the Chinese cultural revolution under Mao. In the story each morning and evening the characters would sit in their 'family units' and share their dreams from the previous night and feelings from the day. The other members of the unit would then discourage strong emotion with reason and understanding until everyone felt content (if anything at all).

How is this like the cultural revolution? In order to control everyone beneath him Mao created mandatory journalling for hours each day where all emotions, thoughts, conversations throughout the day had to be meticulously recorded or risk being accused of withholding anti-Mao sentiments. People gradually went mad and were unwilling to speak to others or even think negative sentiments for fear of having to write them down. Why would a community choose to live this way? (ok, its fictional, but just a rhetorical question anyway)

The boy that the story is centred around is given the great honour of being the new Receiver of Memory. He is destined to take on the memories of the entire world when there was still emotion and pain and love. For the first time he is able to question how his community operates. Unable to open the eyes of his family and friends he can no longer turn back to emotionaless ignorance.

The community put all of their suffering and pain onto one person in order to be in control. But how much did they lose?

I could go on forever about this book but I won't. But I could. But my hands are really cold. And i'm in class.

Passing Time

The title is a bit deeper than is warranted.

I keep getting email reminders from the convocation office suggesting that I apply for graduation soon. I have deleted them. Today is Feb. 2 and in six more days I will have let the chance to graduate this summer pass me by. I have all of the classes I need but I am taking a chance that I will get to do an exchange. Maybe it would be better if I were applying to graduate because it would bring some finality to this year and this degree. Just 6 more days to be strong.

Something that I don't like to admit is that I often lack confidence. This morning in Spanish (a class I typically perform well in) I choked, multiple times, even mumbled because I was unsure of my answers. I put so much pressure on myself to do well in that class now that I constantly stumble. I often feel like two different people: one who tries to come off as self-assured with friends and in groups and another who is terribly shy and afraid of making a mistake. I need to take more risks!

21 going on 90

I have started getting tired (like dead-tired-curl-up-on-the-floor-at-a-friend's-house tired) by about 9pm. Since when have I been such an old lady? I had better start eating dinner at 4pm to accomodate my schedule.

The change from first year until now is stark and a little frightening. I guess I just thought I would be fun my whole life. But really, I appreciate down time, 8 hours of sleep, getting my work done on time without rushing, old lady pace.

Am I growing up?

Happy blood day

Sorry for anyone who doesn't like blood. But today I fulfilled one of my life goals so that deserves celebration (Canadian Blood services provides the cookies!).

I had an appointment at the clinic for 1120am. Iron test: passed again! Then I had to sit for 20 minutes waiting to have my heart rate checked (among other things). It was pretty much impossible to convince my body to calm down, I could think of nothing else but keeping my heart rate low (which is effective, of course). Reading didn't work. music didn't work. Closing my eyes and breathing deeply really didn't work.

Number 43 was finally called and I passed temp: 37.1 degrees. blood pressure: 105/66, good. Heart Rate: 107! Haha, I think I might be an excitable person. its supposed to be under 100. so she asked me some questions and then took it by hand and I made the cut with 10 beats to spare!!!!

One draw back: the whole process took over 1 1/2 hours meaning I, yet again, missed my Spanish seminar. This is the third week that it has been running and I have yet to make it! That's nightmare material.

first week; I just forgot.
second week; went home for a funeral
this week: i don't bleed fast enough.