Slumpy Day

Today shouldn't be a slumpy day. Today had so much potential. I bought my level 3 students candy and did a fun activity (or fun for me. They had to eat black licorice with their eyes closed- not knowing what it was- and then describe it), I went to a fantastic lecture with the inspiring Uyghur woman Rebiya Kadeer, I didn't have to teach much of my level 4 class (because of the lecture that we attended) and I get to go to Irish dance. And I really like what I wore today, which, shallow as that may seem, actually can affect my mood for the day.

But I still feel slumpy. I partially blame two of my students. They're frequently negative about the topics we discuss in class and today I really didn't know how to react to them. Usually I just shrug them off and continue with our conversation, but today their brief comments about nothing made me go from perfectly content to perfectly not.

The thing is, I've been feeling like that more and more this semester. Now if it were January or February, this would be quite normal. But usually in the fall I'm happy to be back at school and starting afresh. But I'm not. I'm less patient with my students and less inclined to spend extra time doing things for them. I know I should "live in the moment," but I'm exceedingly antsy to move on with our life. I just wish I knew what "moving on" entailed, other than moving out of Utah. I'm going to stir crazy and some days I think the unsatisfied wanderlust might just kill me.

And more and more often I wonder if I really want to teach. Don't get me wrong- I really like teaching. But isn't there something more meaningful I could be doing? Like working with the Uyghurs to help free their people? Or finding money for my Haitian friend whose school is still in ruins? Or going back to Guatemala to help them with their gardens so their children aren't malnourished and sick? Or...or....

Sorry for complaining. I just had to get that off my chest. Do you ever feel this way?

"I want my first amendment...as long as I agree with it"

The other day I heard someone say the following:

"The people who say there should be no mosque at ground zero are some of the same ones who say the pastor in Florida has the right to burn as many Korans as he wants."

Now lest you think I think something other than what I actually think, let's make two things very clear:

1. I think they can put a mosque wherever they dang well please, and no, I don't find it inappropriate or insensitive for a mosque to be built on or near ground zero (because it's actually 2 blocks away AND there was a Muslim prayer room in one of the towers for years). I think it would actually be quite nice. America is not at at war with Islam. We're at war with terrorists who, yes, are Muslim, but that doesn't condemn an entire faith.
   
2. OBVIOUSLY it's rotten to burn Korans. Rotten, horrible, insensitive, exceedingly disrespectful, etc. But do people have a right to do so if they feel like it? Sure. Is it stupid? Very. But not illegal.
   

I find it interesting, however, that some people seem to have a double standard with the rights of Americans. To protect the rights of pyromaniac Americans, we must allow a Koran-burning, but then interfere with the rights of a religious minority who want to build a mosque? I don't think it works like that. Or it shouldn't. I think if burning Korans is ok, so is a mosque. The rights that protect one unpleasant thing are the very same that protect one pleasant thing. I guess as we cling to the First Amendment, we have to allow for some give and take on both sides.

Chickens!

The long awaited pictures of our chickens:

This is Bertha. She's the dominant one of the bunch and was a champion layer until she got sick. She still hasn't quite recovered. She's not the most beautiful thing and we sometimes wonder if she's half turkey. She's so fat she waddles when she walks and almost falls over if she runs, leaving her panting and heaving in recovery.

This is Roger (upon T-rav's insistence, we named our lovely hen an ugly man's name). She's third in the pecking order and currently our best layer:

The coop T-rav built, plus our neighbor's old dog kennel combined to make a great pen. We sometimes let them out into our yard and the neighbor's orchard for some extra excitement. Bertha is sometimes to fat and unsteady on her feet to make it down the ramp without a tumble. A new ramp is in the works.

For a while we were only getting 1 egg a day, but we're up to 2 the past week. If they don't crank up the numbers soon, we might just have to buy another 2 chickens. I want a surplus of eggs. But here are the fruits of our/their labors. Don't they look nice?

greetings

Many of my students have been disenchanted by American greetings because they don't realize that when an American says "Hey, how're you doing?" they don't really want to know how you are. It's just a greeting. Some of them have been quite surprised when the American expressed discomfort at their detailed explanation of their current mood.

Because I'm aware of this, I usually don't ask my students how they are unless I really have time to hear their answers. And we talk about what Americans really mean by their question. But I was wondering what you say. When you see someone you know walking past or in a room, what is your usual response? Do you just say hi and keep walking? Do you ask them how they are? Do you stop and chat? I'm sure one's response is greatly dependent on how much time is available...I'm speaking generally here. What would you do/say?

new season new semester

School has started and, true to how the world should be, it's suddenly much cooler. Knowing Utah, it's not likely to stay that way, but I've been enjoying it while it lasts.

The hard drive on our laptop is kaput. Lovely. This also explains why I feel so disconnected from the world (no computer, no TV. You mean if I want to know what's going on, I have to go to the library?!)

I have a Dane AND a Fin(n -anyone know the proper spelling for a Finnish person?) in my new class. Huzzah!

My attempts to take German 2010 (attempts that were foiled by my department last year) have been foiled once again. Surprise! I have to teach during German twice a week. Thank goodness for auditing. Alas, the total price for books for the lone class = 226.00. And there are no used books to be found since it's a new edition. Down with the publishing industry!

Did I tell you all I now have chickens? Pictures proving their ugliness will be coming as soon as my computer is back in order. I can't wait.

In case you haven't heard yet, Mormon feminism is back.

It's about bloody time.

see vs. meet

The other day I was talking to a friend about her 2 week old baby (we'll call her Bertha) and she asked me "when are you going to come meet Bertha?" There was something very strange to me in that question. Can you guess what it is?

Keep thinking...

I was surprised by her asking me to come meet her baby (did you guess right?). I was expecting her to ask me when I was going to come see her baby, which is what I was accustomed to hearing, not meet.

When I hear the verb meet, I think of becoming acquainted with someone. To me, that implies equal acquainting between people. A baby, in my opinion, although she may have the beginnings of her own personality, is not yet cognizant enough to become acquainted with anyone.

In my curiosity, I asked my mom what she would say (without telling her about meet), and she used the verb see. When I used a sentence in this way with meet, she looked at me funny...which leads me to wonder if this is a trend among 20-30ish women (and men?). But is it regional? I have no idea. I've heard many of my friends use meet, but then again, most of those with babies live in Utah right now.

I was also thinking that this might say something about the general feeling towards babies these days...please bear in mind that I have no babies and don't recall what it was like for mothers 30 years ago, but I think younger women are more likely to feel like their baby is a real, unique person right when she's born than women of the previous generation. I think babies used to just be, well, babies, whereas now they're this miracle of a human that I (well, not I, but you know what I mean) produced in this very baby-centered culture.

Have you heard men or women (or both) use meet? What would your mom say? What have you heard/what would you say?

Your Majesty, Honor, and Excellency

T-rav and I had a lively discussion last night concerning political, military, or religious titles and the respect that accompanies them (or should). If, for example, I were to meet the president of the US, I would be excited to have met the president regardless of whether I agreed with his/her politics; the office of president commands respect regardless of whether I really like the person. I may not fawn over the person if I think they're a schmuck, but I still respect what they've done to get themselves in such a respectable position.

A few years ago Dick Cheney came to speak at BYU for a graducation service. There were all sorts of protests and a group of crazy students (though crazy for other reasons and not just for this) even planned an "alternative commencement" with Ralph Nader for people who couldn't stomach the idea of listening to VP Cheney. I didn't understand all the hype. Had Cheney been a genocidal dictator, this would have been a natural reaction. But Cheney wasn't a bad guy (well maybe they thought so...). Maybe you hate his politics, but he's still the VP and it's kind of cool that BYU managed to get such an important person to speak at commencement. At least that's how I saw it. To me, the vice president, who also happened to be Cheney, would be speaking to BYU students. Since he wasn't coming to give a political speech, his political views were irrelevant to me.

T-rav, on the other hand, sees it the other way around. Although he didn't hate Cheney, he saw it more as Cheney, who happens to be VP, came to speak. Being excited or angry about him coming completely depended on how he felt about Cheney's politics. If he doesn't like the person or the politics, he won't be as excited to meet them. It doesn't matter if that person is president or king or prophet; T-rav respects the office if he also respects the person.

So which category do you fit into? And which do you think is more normal for Americans? Why?

flem or francais?

I know that probably most of you aren't terribly interested in socio-linguistic things, but I found this article absolutely fascinating! I had no idea that Belgium was in such linguistic disarry. In such a case as this, when you have 2 nearly equal language groups that strongly dislike the other, wouldn't it be easier to just divide the country? If only it were so simple...

If you're not in the mood to read the full article, just answer me this: wouldn't you like to be called a Walloon of Wallonia? Or perhaps you'd prefer being a Fleming of Flanders? I just hope I can live in Linkebeek.

news

Here's the latest:

I broke my foot just over 2 weeks ago, which was healing nicely until I thought it would be a good idea to jump (gently, of course) on my auntie's trampoline. Maybe not so much.

We just got back from a week trip with our friends Brian and Callie to California. Traipsing around Disneyland, LA, San Diego and Tijuana with good friends and the cutest 9 month old = loads of fun.

My garden is nearly ready to produce something (other than weeds) and my compost pile is fermenting nicely. If any of you live in the area and have any spare grass clippings or green waste, bring it by!

I shall be spending the next blessed weeks before school starts again reading, gardening, hiking (once my foot gets back to normal, of course) and generally relaxing. Not that I'm trying to rub it in...if any of you have some spare time, feel free to stop by and hang out.