I've noticed that many of the Santas at the malls this year are wearing pajamas. I want to know what happened to his fuzzy red suit. I miss it.

Why is it that when one emotional thing happens, the rest of all my emotional instabilities come bursting forth? It's a torrent. The dam has burst! Quick! Get out of the way!

12 days of Christmas

I know I already posted a clip of Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade singing at Carnegie Hall, but I couldn't resist this one. Just look at Kathleen's face. And the puffed sleeves (which seem to double as a barrier to keep Frederica at bay). And check out the conductor's glasses. Awesome.

things i've learned this semester

1. One rotten student can profoundly influence a classroom...for the worse.
2. In Russian, if you say "I want you..." it can mean only one thing, and one thing only.
3. My students prefer me to wear boots.
4. Some students will always cheat, even if they know the answers.
5. Some students will never understand students who cheat. It boggles their mind to even think about it.
6. Armenians are some of the most charming people I have ever met.
7. I'm a dang good reading teacher even though it's my least favorite class to teach.
8. Sometimes cultural differences really do make things unworkable, in and out of the classroom.
9. It's more enjoyable to hug people who are slightly squishy.
10. Koreans generally stiffen like a board when receiving a hug from an American.
11. I can be quite spiteful when it comes down to it.
12. Community education classes (made up of mostly Hispanic residents with full time jobs and families) have the best students.
    
13. Small classes just might be more fun than large ones.
14. I'm too emotionally invested in my job.
15. Some girls really do go to college solely to find a husband.
    
16. I regret to say that I am a pushover. Which isn't really a recent revelation.
17. Cliques are bad.
18. They always say don't grade emotionally...how do you not?
19. Korean Christmases are more like Valentine's day.
20. Wearing a Muslim headscarf can be a fashion statement, even if you're an inactive Muslim and only wear a scarf once a week.
21. Having one or two students who desperately want to learn make all the rest of the crud worth it.
22. I'm very happy to be done with this semester.

a missing t?

Well, it's not really new, just being used in a different way. A few weeks ago, I asked how you pronounce words that have a t in the middle. Words like mountain, center, cater, and rotten. I was hoping to get a wide variety of responses, but then I remembered that only my western friends look at my blog. I've kind of fallen out of contact with my east coast friends who might possibly have had something different to add.

But then again, maybe my east coast friends would have had similar results. You see, dear Utahns, a glottal stop (or the stopping of air in the back of your throat) replacing a t in the middle of a word might not be a true Utahism. Some linguists think that it's actually quite common throughout the country. A linguist from the U of U says that she has observed this pronunciation all around the country, but that it has received a negative reaction only in Utah and Vermont. (Utahns are always quick to be critical of the way other Utahns speak, especially when it's perceived to be "wrong" or "different." That definitely says something about Utah culture, doesn't it).

One of my former professors at BYU suggests that pronouncing mountain like "mow-un" is more common among females under 40 in the west (which happens to be the group of people most likely to initiate a language change...and also happens to be in harmony with your comments). He may be right (who am I do disagree with one of my thesis readers!), but I tend to agree with the U of U professor. I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear someone from Virginia or California or Iowa replacing their t with a glottal stop. I'm hoping the Uof U prof will do some research proving this is a nationwide phenomenon. Otherwise I might have to.

You can read/watch more about this here.

remodel #2

Spare room before:
I was almost fond of the blue sky-scape style wall paper. Almost. Ooo, and those lacy curtains!

Spare-room-turned-library after :

We have another shelf hidden off in the corner where you can't see it. Looking at these pictures makes me want more books. And more and more.

We still have a few things to do...like find a better place than the floor for our internet router. And finish painting the windows (one of us believes in avoiding the less pleasant tasks for as long as possible. The other wants to have them done yesterday. You decide which one of me and T-rav is which).

Christmas at Carnegie Hall

Today I discovered that when I'm singing in my house I can be heard in the middle of the street...and all the way to the neighbor's driveway (and there's an orchard separating us). This also means that I was "listening" (ie singing along with) Christmas at Carnegie Hall with Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade. Back when M and I used to live in the same state, we would spend hours singing along to this concert. Usually until we had both nearly lost our speaking voices.

This is usually the only time that I can ever sing several notes above high C. Or rather it's the only time I ever try to. (M- any guess as to how high that actually is? I don't have perfect pitch and neither does my piano). Sometimes my teeth rattle when I sing that high. Or my ears ring like they're going to burst. Though I've never accomplished what M did our Sophomore year: she actually sang loud and high enough to make a plate rattle. I'm waiting for the day she or I can make the plate break.

Anyway. For your listening enjoyment, here's one of our favorite pieces from the Carnegie Hall Christmas concert. The high notes on the First Noel and O Holy Night are especially great.

my christmas tree is up!

I'm always horrified when I hear about/see a Christmas tree in someone's home that looks like it belongs in a department store (I should qualify that by saying if it's the only tree in the house, I'm horrified. If it's your second tree, go to town). Yes, they look very nice and professional and interior decorators world wide clap their hands for joy to see it. My problem with them is that they have no personality. Where's the story behind each ornament? There isn't one. And part of the fun of decorating the Christmas tree is basking in the memories. Opening up my boxes upon boxes of Christmas decor is like reuniting with old friends (almost like unpacking books).

There's the box of Renaissance style bulbs with very Catholic-esque paintings of the Christmas story that I bought my first year away. There's the John Deere lunch box and the mini farm that reminds me of home. There's the gold ones in many shapes and sizes with my name and a year etched on them from my Grandma Joan...back when she used to actually be a grandma. There's the pickle that I hide somewhere in the branches for T-rav to find (imagine my shock when my German teacher told me about the German tradition of giving a reward for the one who finds the pickle. I always wondered why I had a glass pickle among my collection of ornaments until then). And then there's my favorite of all: a Pinocchio puppet from Italy whose legs fly up and down when you pull on a little string!

You just don't get that kind of reminiscing with a color-coordinated, "perfect" tree. At least I don't.

I feel like what I've written is something like a cheesy story I once heard in Relief Society...is there a story somewhere about ornaments?

remodel #1

Since we moved in to the little white house in Orem, our life has been filled with wallpaper, plaster, spackle, dust, (and more dust), popcorn ceilings and paint. We've basically been living in squalor. But the end is in sight! For now, at least.

Here's our dining room before:



And after:


Pictures of the study and living room are soon to come!

t

I have class in 27 minutes. I should be grading an unfortunately hefty pile of papers sitting in front of me...but I can't convince myself that it's a good idea. Instead I've been sitting here wondering about something linguistic (which is kind of related to grading papers, right? They're both language related...) and I have a question: how do you pronounce the word mountain? Do you pronounce the t in the middle as an actual /t/? Does it sound more like you catch the air in the back of your throat and ignore the /n/ (like mou (air stop) in). Does the t sound like something else? What about in these words: center, cater, rotten.

It would make my day if you could post a comment with your approximate pronunciation of those 4 words (mountain, center, cater, rotten), along with your age and where you have lived for the majority of your life. Thanks!

Oh. And in order to get a more "accurate" description of the word, trying saying these sentences.

1. The mountain is turning white with snow.
2. She lives on Center Street.
3. I'd love to cater your wedding.
4. Please toss the rotten salad.

What did you hear?