Wise Words:
When life gives you lemons -- PUCKER UP!
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Thursday, February 27, 2003
Normally, when you think of field trips, do you think of museums? Planetariums? Maybe, if you're a Southerner, plantations of the antebellum sort?
Never would I think of this place as a field trip destination. I guess the term should be used a little loosely here -- but then again, the students (henceforth referred to as "kids") I went with don't get out much.
So, this week was field-trip week for the kids at the SCSDB. I tagged along, since I needed an excuse to eat some trashy food (especially after reading FFN). I also thought it'd be good for me to go since one of the RAs had to stay behind with 2 of the 6 kids who had been acting up that day (one even hit the RA in question).
I couldn't remember the last time I had been to a Gatti's, though I do remember having gone there before. As far as I could tell, the food was the same -- trashy, fattening, and certainly not good for you. But it was fun to hang out with the staff and kids in an out-of-school setting.
I was ordered to hang around one particular student, whom I shall call "Curtis", to make sure he didn't spend all his tokens on car games. (The RAs wanted the kids to play games that would award them tickets, which, if you haven't been to a Gatti's, one can redeem for prizes.) Besides watching them play, and playing with them, it was interesting to watch them interact with the Hearing people there. Social etiquette was at play (sorry for the pun): kids being kids, they ran into people at times and of course got dirty looks from the people whom they ran into. But of course, they hadn't the ability to say "Sorry" or "Excuse me", so they continued on their way. Whether this is acceptable behavior in Deaf communities or not, I as yet don't know, though certainly I doubt it. "Curtis" himself was a fun character to follow; when we went to the ticket-counting machines he bumped into people to get a closer look as to how they worked, just like any kid would. For me, the funniest part of the evening was towards the end, when we were at the ticket-redemption counter, waiting for "Curtis" to choose his prize. People watched as I tried to explain to him that he had only 58 tickets, not the 500 required for the football helment he wanted. It was certainly an interesting evening -- reverse mainstreaming in a mainstream setting, if you will.
Moving on to the other highlight of the week: Monsoon Wedding wasn't quite what I expected. (NB: SPOILER) I did expect a lot of Hindi things, of course, but I had no idea the wedding was actually Punjabi. I also didn't expect the scriptwriter to throw in all that he or she did: not only was there a wedding, but there was also an affair (the bride hooked up with her ex-boyfriend the night before her wedding) and other affairs (child molestation, kissing between kissing cousins, that sort of thing). Expecting the film to have some Bollywood characteristics, I was quite dismayed when I realized that the film wasn't that at all - no dance sequences, not much music (although I am very partial to "Chunari Chunari") only a few Hindi-oriented jokes, the film was only 2 hours long.... Oh and lips DEFINITELY INTERLOCKED ON SCREEN, a taboo in the conservative Indian film industry. Language-wise, it was certainly appropriate to have the dialogue mingle between Hindi, Punjabi and English, as part of the issue at hand was the conflict between the traditional and the modern India, as well as between the American-raised NRI (Non-Resident Indian, ie those who were not raised in India but return for whatever reasons they may have) and the aborigines (for lack of a better word). Oh yes, and you would hardly see a wedding of that magnitude in the subcontinent, unless you're in with the multi-multi-multi-billion-rupee crowd.
Overall, I give the film * * * 3/4, as it did deal with some interesting issues. The saris were beautiful, the dialogue was lively, the characters were fun -- but I felt it lacking. If it was intended for an international audience (and I get the impression it was), then it needed more -- perhaps more of a plot? More complex characters? A nice film altogether, though, a good one to watch at home for a relaxing and enchanting night.
14:52
Friday, February 21, 2003
ok, as promised.... a post about employment status. Yes I'm still unemployed, but that may change soon. What I need help deciding is whether or not I have truly found my calling... do I really want to be a chalk-wielder? Do I really want to put up with kids needing to go to the bathroom, needing to go to the nurse, needing discipline from the principal? And most importantly: do I really want to wake up early throughout the work week?
Yes, I'm talking about becoming a teacher. Things have been escalating so quickly at the SCSDB so much these last weeks that I haven't really had the time to step back and think about it all. Last week I met with the principal of the Blind school, as I had known that they were in need of some full-time educators up there; I could very well take up the job, but in order to keep it I would need to become certified -- which means that in order to keep the job and continue working at the school, it would be necessary for me to:
- take courses in the discipline I would be teaching to receive certification, and to take courses in the field to keep it (at about the rate of one graduate course every 6 years);
- spend money taking the courses, buying the books, etc, as well as paying BUTTloads to take the required examinations to get certification -- all while being paid minimum wage, if that;
- do all of this WHILE holding a full-time job in which I would need to do much of the planning and preparation by myself.
(Oh-- and once certified, a teacher can't change the subject he or she is teaching -- unless he or she plans to go back to school for a few more years.)
Now does this sound like a good idea to anybody? Granted, one with plenty of energy might be able to handle it-- but sheesh, I doubt I'll ever be sure if I want to do this. I just want a job, a good one, not one that requires no brain power (telemarketing) or one where there is no personal fulfillment (insurance, finance, BOOKKEEPING).
If only I had applied to JET... I'm thinking I'd be better at teaching EFL / ESL than anything else, anyway. And it'll lead me to more options teaching overseas, whereas I'd be stuck stateside with a certificate.
Decisions, decisions.
*sighs*
15:39
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
family and fast food
I'm planning on posting a longish update on my job search / employment status later this week, but first of all some news:
My grandmother passed away yesterday morning. This would be my mummy's mummy, since my daddy's mummy passed away last year, if y'all might recall.
Now then. I have never met this woman before, nor do I know what her voice sounds like, where she lives (somewhere in Hong Kong is as specific as I can get), what she likes to eat, what her life is like, etc. So, when I told my dad that I can't feel any remorse, is that terribly wrong?
Yes, if it wasn't for her existence, I wouldn't exist -- but how can I be saddened by the death of someone I hardly know? If it wasn't for the photographs framed and hanging in the hallway, I wouldn't even know what she looks like, for chrissakes. It's as though I should be mourning heavily over the death of a local who otherwise would not enter my life if the person's death wasn't mentioned in the local newspaper.
When I reminded my dad that I didn't know her and said something to the effect of, "So what?" I was reminded yet again that I have been born and bred into a Chinese family and, as part of such, I must follow the cultural guidelines imposed by it. To my comment he instananeously -- and rather tartly -- replied, "You can't say that." My English translation of what he said doesn't do it justice; the words he used have the connotation of not an inability to say what I said, or of a lack of permission thereof, but of a moral obligation not to do so. It's just another example of how deeply rooted the Confucian doctrine can be found in the typical Chinese mindset.
Now the family's dwindled down to two generations. I bet my parents are feeling really old now.
Moving on: I have just finished reading what I uncompromisingly would call (and I doubt I am alone here) "The Jungle of the twenty-first century". Trust me: if you don't want to eat fast food ever again, Fast Food Nation is the book for you. Did you know that there are children in America -- 6 or 7 years old, for crying out loud -- that die of heart attacks because they're overweight? Did you know that 4 or 5 fast food workers are murdered on the job every month? And if IBP hasn't killed Kenny, they sure as hell came close. This book was a delightful combination of satire and information -- which to me translates into a delightful yet highly didactic read. The gruesomeness of the tales and facts Schlosser recounts is overwhelming, but there are some lighter parts. (I personally enjoyed reading the opening chapter, a short summary of America's intriguing fast-food industry; the sections on biotechnology; and the mysterious world of the flavor industry.) Perhaps it had a very strong impact on me because I had just recently finished Sinclair's work itself; or maybe it's because I'm feeling really bitchy towards that all-American (Wal-American?) family, the metonymy of all American (and all-American) big business.
Now I see why my dad is so reluctant to buy ground meat. And now I am also glad that my parents actively dissuade me from eating fast food. My only complaint is that MORE PEOPLE SHOULD READ THIS.
Overrall rating: * * * * * out of 5 stars. A very high rating indeed, especially considering how picky I am. But folks, this book is a must-read, no matter how much you appreciate (or, hopefully, depreciate) the globalization and bureaucratization of American culture.
And grace à the Slammer for introducing me to this great, great read.
16:06
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
If anyone knows how the hell I can get the font of the posts small again, please let me know. This is bugging the f*ck outta me.
14:35
Monday, February 10, 2003
off to a sheepish start: installment 2 of 2
This being Chinese New Year, we here at Chez AZN had to celebrate. We (ie, me and the parental unit) bought tickets to see a show in Atlanta. I hadn't road-tripped with my parents to Atlanta in a while; it was something we did a bit when I could still call myself a kid.
Wanting to get there early for some dim sum, we left around 8 am and got there in time to get a good table and help ourselves to what was first out of the kitchens and onto the carts. Since I hadn't dim summed it in a while, it was pretty disorienting for me -- and things got a lot more interesting when, to celebrate the New Year, a visiting troupe performed a lion dance in the restaurant. First they prepared outside, the dancers putting on their costumes and the musicians warming up; then they did a traditional blessing in front of the restaurant before they actually entered and entertained the patrons. Me being the ethnonerd that I am, I was steadfastly more interested in the instruments than the dance. I had forgotten that the drum is hit on the rim as well as the face, against the studs around the edge of the skin; it presents a nice timbral difference from the cowskin -- and actually resembles the sound of ban (wooden clappers). I noted that the rim is hit especially when the dancers (ie, the lions) are retreating. I also analyzed the rhythms used in the dance; no surprise here, it was all dimeter. One particular rhythm I remember -- let's see if I can type it out:
dagu pattern
| beat | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
| | drum pattern | dun | dun-dun-dun | dun | -- dun | dun | dun | dun |
| | explanation | quarter | triplet | dotted quarter | eighth rest, eighth note | quarter | quarter | quarter | quarter rest
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The actual rhythmic pattern of the drum seemed somewhat improvisatory or arbitrary, so long as the drummer maintained that dimeter. The rhythmic patterns of cymbals, however, were the same throughout, from what I recall.
Curious as to who these people were, where they were from, where they got the drum, and who paid them to do this (if anyone), I naturally tried to speak to them after they exited the restaurant, but all I got from them was that they were form Gainesville (maybe FL or TN?); I did get to bang on the drum a tad bit. The wooden mallets are rather short and thick, not surprisingly, since thin mallets wouldn't do the drum's size justice. Oh, and I kinda reached a conclusion that the group was a mix of ethnic Thai and Cambodian... but that, of course, would've been hard for me to find out for certain. What the presence of children told me, though, is that this was a form of rote learning in progress.
So, that evening was the show; it was a good show, packed with stuff, but it was three hours long, with just a 10-minute intermission. The acts were quite nice: Tang Dynasty costumes reminding me of ones I'd seen in Nanjing, a Uighur dance which strangely resembled an Irish folk dance (maybe it was just the costumes), a Tibetan dance (if one can call it that -- the music certainly wasn't Tibetan). The show got to a start with the Spring Festival Overture, played by the Georgia State Orchestra; if it wasn't for the overly gesturing conductor, I would've enjoyed it very much. The show was actually a good introduction into the Chinese approach to humor -- one performance had two people performing a skit, "Are we the same?", in which they discussed things like sneezing, coughing, and reacting to a mosquito bite. (I told you this is Chinese humour.) What made it a bit funnier (again, this is Chinese humor) was that the main person doing the talking was a wai guo ren -- and his Chinese could put mine to shame any day. The finale to the show was a pop star, Cheng Lin, who apparently was big in the mainland back in the 80s. (Hm... what does that say about her now, in 2003? That's right -- she sucked.) After each performance, there was modest clapping; before each act was a formal introduction by the show's hosts (numbering five in total, 3 of which spoke English). A nice gesture by the mid-Georgian community. But three hours? Not even the most attentive of the yellow skins could sit through that without yawning.
So now that the sheep has been ushered in (but not yet ritually sacrificed), it's time to move on... Hopefully, this'll be a lucky year. If the number of red envelopes I got is any indication, though.....
Anyway: gong xi fat chai.
13:47
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
Let us catch up on the last 2 weeks, shall we? In our first of two posts, the WHoB takes a crack at the mother of all Presidential ramblings.
So how did everyone enjoy the W's speech? Better yet -- did anyone enjoy it? I was at a loss for words (as I often am whenever I am reminded as to who currently represents our country), but I noticed that the Big Cheese was not. Talk about such eloquent phrases:
(A note: each of the excerpts below was followed immediately by, as the White House website so pesteringly tells us, "(Applause.)"
*In all these days of promise and days of reckoning, we can be confident. In a whirlwind of change and hope and peril, our faith is sure, our resolve is firm, and our union is strong.
--Confident, shmonfident. That "whirlwind" is gonna sweep us all to Oz, Dubya. And what about those who have no faith?
*Jobs are created when the economy grows; the economy grows when Americans have more money to spend and invest; and the best and fairest way to make sure Americans have that money is not to tax it away in the first place.
--Good that you know how the economy works. Now show us how you can make it better! Going from approx. $1,178 a year to just $40 sounds as if it'd put a BIG dent in the government budget, wouldn't it? I know, I didn't major in economics so I'm just blah-blah-blahing. But shouldn't there be a bit of common sense involved in this? Does the govvernment plan to file for bankruptcy with the airline companies?
*The best way to address the deficit and move toward a balanced budget is to encourage economic growth, and to show some spending discipline in Washington, D.C.
--I guess that means no more drunken college parties for Jenna and Barbara.
*As we continue to work together to keep Social Security sound and reliable, we must offer younger workers a chance to invest in retirement accounts that they will control and they will own.
--How about first offering these younger workers a chance to WORK? Being unemployed ain't fun. We can worry about retirement when we're grumpy and wrinkled.
*We have the terrorists on the run. We're keeping them on the run. One by one, the terrorists are learning the meaning of American justice.
--Seems like bin Laden is one bad student -- but then again, he would've been executed under Islamic law if Afghanistan had its way with him. But noooo, I guess we gotta learn the hard way too.
*...we are called to defend the safety of our people, and the hopes of all mankind. And we accept this responsibility.
--You better accept it, because that's what we're paying you for.
*Whatever action is required, whenever action is necessary, I will defend the freedom and security of the American people.
--You? And what army? Oh, you mean those fellow citizens sent to die at the drop of a hat...
*Your enemy [ie, Saddam Hussein] is not surrounding your country [Iraq] -- your enemy is ruling your country.
--Tell me this remark DOESN'T apply closer to home. Just tell me.
*You believe in America, and America believes in you.
--Funny, and I thought we believed in a deity depicted as a Caucasian male. Or a yellow smiley face always depicted with the slogan, "Always low prices."
This being my first viewing of the Address, I also enjoyed the Congressmen getting up, clapping, and sitting back down... over and over again... couldn't help but compare to it a pep rally...
Lean to the left! Lean to the right! Stand up, sit down FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!!!
... a chant I'm sure they're repeating in the Oval Office.
At one point in the many ovations the camera focused on a section of Congressmen: one group standing, the other sitting, the groups divided by the aisle down which the Big Cheese walked to the podium. It tells me something...
Overall rating: * * 1/2 (* 1/2 without the pep rally atmosphere, 1/2 without the deer-in-headlights look given by the Prez whenever he looked in the camera)
Overall bottom line: the SUA simply SUcked.
19:54
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