Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Oh the richness of the soup!
Love the way my host mom prepared the soup of the day...
She boils the onions, garlic, peppers, perhaps some mushrooms, perhaps some beans....and many other unidentifiable ingredients....then the most important part...she BLENDS everything together...and the creamy aromatic soup is served!
It comes in different colors and portions...sometimes with a little rice, sometimes with fine spaghetti, and most of the time...just soup with bread...
Second course, the salad, love the way she cuts the veges and decorates them into a colorful plate of salad. Her best plate of salad yet: cabbage with black olives, avocados, sweet papayas, tomatoes and finally sprinkle the olive oil and vinegar on top of it. I actually fell in love with vinegar here in Barcelona...hahaha..sounds funny in Chinese-- 喜欢吃醋了！ (likes to be jealous:P)
Last but not least the desert. My host mom said the last course must always be sweet.
she does not like it when i mix everything up , such as eating the deserts then going back to the salad or the meat. So you could either choose a type of fruit or Flan ( spanish sweet pudding) with ice-cream. Weirdest contrast to my typical way of eating fruits, instead of eating the fruit ripe and crunchy (pears, peach, apples), we eat it overripe and soft....the taste is extraordinary sweet~~!!
So I learned how to eat soft overripe pears, peaches and also apples which are heated in the oven after 2 minutes.. Try it and tell me how it tastes~!!!:P
She boils the onions, garlic, peppers, perhaps some mushrooms, perhaps some beans....and many other unidentifiable ingredients....then the most important part...she BLENDS everything together...and the creamy aromatic soup is served!
It comes in different colors and portions...sometimes with a little rice, sometimes with fine spaghetti, and most of the time...just soup with bread...
Second course, the salad, love the way she cuts the veges and decorates them into a colorful plate of salad. Her best plate of salad yet: cabbage with black olives, avocados, sweet papayas, tomatoes and finally sprinkle the olive oil and vinegar on top of it. I actually fell in love with vinegar here in Barcelona...hahaha..sounds funny in Chinese-- 喜欢吃醋了！ (likes to be jealous:P)
Last but not least the desert. My host mom said the last course must always be sweet.
she does not like it when i mix everything up , such as eating the deserts then going back to the salad or the meat. So you could either choose a type of fruit or Flan ( spanish sweet pudding) with ice-cream. Weirdest contrast to my typical way of eating fruits, instead of eating the fruit ripe and crunchy (pears, peach, apples), we eat it overripe and soft....the taste is extraordinary sweet~~!!
So I learned how to eat soft overripe pears, peaches and also apples which are heated in the oven after 2 minutes.. Try it and tell me how it tastes~!!!:P
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Universitat de Barcelona( UB)
Since Dartmouth Study Abroad Program has been so well run in the past few decades, few of us rarely have to worry about anything at all. The excursions are well planned, we have Dartmouth students studying together with us, which means we do not really have the need to go out to the 'wild'.
However, after attending the UB international Orientation, I realized I have been inside the Dartmouth bubble even though I'm studying in UB! It was a very formal ceremony, where we were seated in the Para-nymph Hall of UB oldest historical building, well decorated with big murals and glorious marks of history. The first speech is actually about the hall itself, where the speaker introduce the meaning of every painting, the latin words on the wall, and the names and portraits in the hall( including king Alfonso, and the first female doctorate). Its a formal invitation for the international student, announcing the identity and purpose of this long standing institution for more than 500 years. I felt like I was sitting in a Basilica Cathedral because the wooden benches are just like the ones I have seen in the Cathedral. The speaker spoke in a special balcony so everyone could see him, giving him some sort of authority and poise.
I am not surprise when they said that the majority of the students are from Europe and Italy have the most students here. I looked around and see all new faces, who probably are just starting to adjust their life in Barcelona, when mine is almost ending. If I were to be just another student attending this University, these international students would have been my friends, some even best friends, family. But because I am with Dartmouth, I do not need to reach out. Even if I want to, there's really few rooms to float around. Everything is arranged.
I left early,right before their group picture....somehow I do not feel like I supposed to be in that group photo....
Monday, November 9, 2009
Watching FC Barcelona in the "Nosebleed" section
Yeah the sensation is wonderful....a stadium that can fit 110,000 people
Imagine one horn, one curse, one scream multiply by 110,000
Anyways, so me and Ana came up with all these funky rules when watching a Barca match:
1) Bring warmer cloths!!! especially if you are in a nose-bleed section (aka the highest level of the stadium where you can barely see the players:P )
2) embrace/ learn the cursing when the other team scores..
3) Sing along with the fans by reading the lyrics of the Barca song on screen "Barca,Barca, Baaaaaaarca"
4) Bring a Bocadillo (sandwich) to munch !
5) Apparently the top of the bottle can be a weapon (many throw them towards the field), so if you are bringing a bottle of water....avoid inspection or give the inspector your top (oops that doesn't sound right)
6) hide between the stairs during half-time to avoid the strong wind...
7) take pictures before the match ( cause then you can see the letters of "FC Barcelona" from the seats)
8) Shout your lungs out!!
Even though I was distracted by the cold and the crowd most of the time, and did not even recognize 'Henry' on the field, ( coz i dunno his number) I enjoyed this game very much!!!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Back to Work....
The aftermath of traveling and having awesome time with friends:
You realized how much money you have spent over the holidays and decide to stay home as much as possible....( maybe for a couple of days)
You realized how little you have practice the language you are supposed to master over the vacation and start panicking
The wave of homework and assignment starts coming in and you realize the term is ending soon!
You have to start worrying about Winter term: housing, winter itself and...the 'cityless' life...
You have to Skype everybody you know just to share the vacation that is now over!!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Cooking European food in London....
You always have to think about the first course, second course, and dessert..
then you do the shopping...then the cooking....
its fun.
and then a bottle of red wine:P
Living with Austeja and Maciej in London...I learn how to do it the European way:P
then you do the shopping...then the cooking....
its fun.
and then a bottle of red wine:P
Living with Austeja and Maciej in London...I learn how to do it the European way:P
Monday, October 26, 2009
Virus virus Virus!!!
So we, the LSA-ers are lucky enough to have a week plus of holiday, but so what??
Most of us are screwed with the aftermath of sickness:flu, cold, dirrhae ....
It started off well on last thursday, when we took the High velocity train (AVE) from Barcelona to Madrid. Took us only slightly more than 2.5 hours. The hotel we live in, Opera hotel was excellent, with good meals and strategic location at the center of Madrid. Still can´t believe that we are paid by Dartmouth just to visit the two important Museums in Madrid: Prado and Reina Sofia.
I think i fell in love with Valazquez, the pioneer artist in Spain whose master piece ¨the Meninas¨is Prado´s proudest asset. His modern idea of mixing reality and illusion, with different levels of space and light tells a story of his own, which still amazes today´s spectators.
On Saturday, we were ´released´to be on our own. Most of us chose to explore around Spain, near from Segovia and Toledo and far towards the south of Spain, the Andalusia state which important cities are Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada....
However, my travelling mate, Ana, started to show signs of uncomfort, our day started out slower as plan, and we headed to her hosts´apartment. Turns out she has high fever and suspected swine flu case.
Sunday, I decided to travel around Toledo, Spain´s old capital by myself. I forgot my camera, which was a pity. But lucky enough to have found travelmates upon arrival. There were a group of Thai stewards and stewardess and they are kind enough to help me take some photo.
Toledo is spectacular with the old castle, long river, cathedral and the theme color of badge that fill up the whole city. However, my nightmare also began here when we decided to order their local specialty: pork, veal, jamon....
The mixture of meat and the exotic way of preparing the dishes might have caused my stomach ache. I ended up have a dirrhae the very next day when I was supposed to travel south to Cordoba, the city where Mosque is built inside Cathedral... I am still contemplating whether I should take a midnight bus today to go to Cordoba and spend a day there before coming back to Madrid the very same evening...
Most of us are screwed with the aftermath of sickness:flu, cold, dirrhae ....
It started off well on last thursday, when we took the High velocity train (AVE) from Barcelona to Madrid. Took us only slightly more than 2.5 hours. The hotel we live in, Opera hotel was excellent, with good meals and strategic location at the center of Madrid. Still can´t believe that we are paid by Dartmouth just to visit the two important Museums in Madrid: Prado and Reina Sofia.
I think i fell in love with Valazquez, the pioneer artist in Spain whose master piece ¨the Meninas¨is Prado´s proudest asset. His modern idea of mixing reality and illusion, with different levels of space and light tells a story of his own, which still amazes today´s spectators.
On Saturday, we were ´released´to be on our own. Most of us chose to explore around Spain, near from Segovia and Toledo and far towards the south of Spain, the Andalusia state which important cities are Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada....
However, my travelling mate, Ana, started to show signs of uncomfort, our day started out slower as plan, and we headed to her hosts´apartment. Turns out she has high fever and suspected swine flu case.
Sunday, I decided to travel around Toledo, Spain´s old capital by myself. I forgot my camera, which was a pity. But lucky enough to have found travelmates upon arrival. There were a group of Thai stewards and stewardess and they are kind enough to help me take some photo.
Toledo is spectacular with the old castle, long river, cathedral and the theme color of badge that fill up the whole city. However, my nightmare also began here when we decided to order their local specialty: pork, veal, jamon....
The mixture of meat and the exotic way of preparing the dishes might have caused my stomach ache. I ended up have a dirrhae the very next day when I was supposed to travel south to Cordoba, the city where Mosque is built inside Cathedral... I am still contemplating whether I should take a midnight bus today to go to Cordoba and spend a day there before coming back to Madrid the very same evening...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The rhetoric of Chinese women in relationship
I have not been really updated with Chinese entertainment news, but the latest news I have heard is Andy Lau, the Hong Kong movie star/singer recently got married and has finally admitted his girlfriend of 24 years.
Growing up in Malaysia, we often hear rumours about his secret lover, since his girlfriend is Malaysian. I have always known that this day would come, but didn't really expect that he has been hiding this relationship for this long.
I bet you are wondering: why suddenly brought up a tabloid like this?
Due to my nature, I did some research on Youtube and found a Taiwanese program that specially discussed about Andy Lau and his 'concrete' girlfriend. He was accused a liar by fans for hiding the fact that he is 'engaged', but that wasn't the point. If you are dumb enough to ignore this rumor and blindly thinks that he is still single at 50, that's fine.
My point is, which type of women could bear such anonymity and sacrifice? To be invisible? To be unknown? to have no voice of your own? The program proudly analyzed the other Superstars like Jackie Chan. He too, has been hidding his wife and son for 20 years. His wife, Lin Feng Jiao, was a rising star in Taiwan when they first met. However, as soon as she got pregnant, she announced her exit from the entertainment industry and willing to be Jackie's invisible wife.
Many said that (chinese) women can bear and sacrifice anything, as long as the man 'loves' her, (by giving her a son/ daughter?) she does not need to be 'certified'. I am not surprised that critics found this positive. They actually admire such persistence from these women, who ask nothing in return. Instead, always do whatever the men wants. They always take care of his needs: never jealous because they understand the nature of their job as movie stars; never walk hand-in-hand in the public; worse, never say a word when questions are raised.
Perhaps these are extreme cases, we are talking about superstars here. But I find this kind of character in woman exists everywhere. I was taught that self sacrifice without any return is an honorable thing to do. My mom is such a woman, and I slowly realized myself too, is slowly falling into this rhetoric:
Lastly, just want to throw this into my argument: What is the cause of Domestic Violence?
Last week, I watched a movie " Te doy mis ojos" ( I give you my eyes) about domestic violence and I have to write a commentary on it:
I thought domestic violence are caused by man's insecurity of their 'self' rather than insecurity about the woman. He might have low self-esteem at work or his social life and therefore needs to release their sense of defeat at home by acting like a 'tyrant'. Housewives are usually the victims because they depend on their husband so much for living. Thus, bearing their temper seem to be the most natural thing to 'pay back' for what he has given to her, financially. But is this fair?
Going back to the Andy Lau and Jackie Chan's case-- Yes, I am happy for the women in their story. But are they the best example in showing the role of Chinese women in a relationship?
Having grow up in this culture and having exposed to romantic stories in novels and movie of this nature, I can't help the fact that I am clearly influenced by such rhetoric when I am in a relationship. I am 'weak' and 'self'less. But I am determined to be a more outspoken and independent woman, even though most of the time that does not really please the man.
Growing up in Malaysia, we often hear rumours about his secret lover, since his girlfriend is Malaysian. I have always known that this day would come, but didn't really expect that he has been hiding this relationship for this long.
I bet you are wondering: why suddenly brought up a tabloid like this?
Due to my nature, I did some research on Youtube and found a Taiwanese program that specially discussed about Andy Lau and his 'concrete' girlfriend. He was accused a liar by fans for hiding the fact that he is 'engaged', but that wasn't the point. If you are dumb enough to ignore this rumor and blindly thinks that he is still single at 50, that's fine.
My point is, which type of women could bear such anonymity and sacrifice? To be invisible? To be unknown? to have no voice of your own? The program proudly analyzed the other Superstars like Jackie Chan. He too, has been hidding his wife and son for 20 years. His wife, Lin Feng Jiao, was a rising star in Taiwan when they first met. However, as soon as she got pregnant, she announced her exit from the entertainment industry and willing to be Jackie's invisible wife.
Many said that (chinese) women can bear and sacrifice anything, as long as the man 'loves' her, (by giving her a son/ daughter?) she does not need to be 'certified'. I am not surprised that critics found this positive. They actually admire such persistence from these women, who ask nothing in return. Instead, always do whatever the men wants. They always take care of his needs: never jealous because they understand the nature of their job as movie stars; never walk hand-in-hand in the public; worse, never say a word when questions are raised.
Perhaps these are extreme cases, we are talking about superstars here. But I find this kind of character in woman exists everywhere. I was taught that self sacrifice without any return is an honorable thing to do. My mom is such a woman, and I slowly realized myself too, is slowly falling into this rhetoric:
- We are smart enough to let the guy 'win' in arguments (even though we know the truth is not necessary how he sees it);
- we suffer with them ( even if we could easily solve the problem by ourselves) because we don't want to ruin their reputation;
- we give them 'face' ( meaning not to ruin their public image, though the image might be a pretense);
- we keep our fights and our problems to ourselves (never tell others besides close family member);
- we give everything into the relationship: heart, soul, and 'self'. Being in the relationship seem to require us to lose our sense of self: we no longer pursue our own dreams ( especially dreams like movie star, singer, public figure that would outweigh the man), our own hobbies (cause our time is used to adjust around their life).Some might even give up their job and be a 24/7 mother.
Lastly, just want to throw this into my argument: What is the cause of Domestic Violence?
Last week, I watched a movie " Te doy mis ojos" ( I give you my eyes) about domestic violence and I have to write a commentary on it:
The husband has been abusing his wife for years but still claims to love her. She left him to stay with her sister, and found her passion in being an Art Curator in Museums and decided to pursue her dreams. ( she found her 'self') But as she decided to go back home to his husband, her husband was challenged by the fact she dresses up for work, and not answers his phone calls. He thought she is cheating thus he lost his temper again and started to smash things in the house. At the end of the story, the wife was heading to her new job interview, when his husband stripped her off by force and humiliated her by locking her in the balcony of the house.
Just to be brief, she finally decided to leave him, even though he has not beaten her since.
I thought domestic violence are caused by man's insecurity of their 'self' rather than insecurity about the woman. He might have low self-esteem at work or his social life and therefore needs to release their sense of defeat at home by acting like a 'tyrant'. Housewives are usually the victims because they depend on their husband so much for living. Thus, bearing their temper seem to be the most natural thing to 'pay back' for what he has given to her, financially. But is this fair?
Going back to the Andy Lau and Jackie Chan's case-- Yes, I am happy for the women in their story. But are they the best example in showing the role of Chinese women in a relationship?
Having grow up in this culture and having exposed to romantic stories in novels and movie of this nature, I can't help the fact that I am clearly influenced by such rhetoric when I am in a relationship. I am 'weak' and 'self'less. But I am determined to be a more outspoken and independent woman, even though most of the time that does not really please the man.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friends' collection of photos...
Pictures from: Beach in Sitges, Liquor tasting , eatting juicy tree branch, Museum in Monserrat (old monastery by the mountain), and flamenco in Park Guel
Friday, October 2, 2009
Spanish culture observed and learned
PIROPOS
meaning whistling or complimenting your physical appearance on the streets. Totally permissible in Spanish culture and its not an attack for the ladies. Ladies actually enjoy the ‘pilopos’ and usually smiles back (though didn’t stop walking). Might be a bit sketchy at night though.Wonder what the 8-10% of Muslims in Spain think about this.
MARIJUANA
Illegal to buy or sell, but legal to consume. Spanish respect everybody’s private life, therefore have no comment on what happen behind your own backyard. Basically you are allow to smoke pot at home, but people do it anyway in the Metro, on the street, before class, in the garden…. You name it. My conversation professor said that he once smelt pot from a student in his 8 30am class.
DRINKING
Alcohol beverages are cheap here for a reason. It doesn’t have a timeframe for a can of beer or a glass of wine. Some people drink at lunchtime before going back to work, which is a norm.
SMOKE
There’s no negative connotation to smoking here when 9 in 10 people smoke.
INTERRUPTING
The more the merrier! Spaniards interrupt all the time—according to my professor, they like to talk more than to listen, I hope he’s just joking. Hahaha. He once talked with a Chinese student, and he couldn’t stop talking because she wouldn’t interrupt! lol
PDA( Public Display Affection)
I couldn’t stress more how frequently they do it here. Touching and kissing is a way to express love, thus I see couples, from teenagers to old couple, they would hold hands, caress each other and of course kiss in public. Once, I was waiting on a Metro, when a couple sitting next to me making out loudly….The lady was sitting on the man’s lap, French kissing like nobody’s business. I was just 3 inches away from them….
SPANISH
Apparently, when you are absolutely certain that you will do something in the future, you use PRESENT tense instead of FUTURE tense. Therefore, when somebody is using FUTURE tense talking about the FUTURE, he/she has not make up their mind…hahaha
For example: He watches TV tomorrow (absolutely sure he’s gonna watch tv)
He will watch TV tomorrow ( he’s just saying, not sure yet)
HOW LIBERAL?
Homosexual marriage is legal for 5 years now and Abortion is legal since 1986!
Can’t think of more right now. Till next time. Dieu (Catalan way of saying ‘Adios’)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Dartmouth Excursion trip in Barcelona (click)
Touring the Medieval Places in Barcelona with Dartmouth students and professors....pampered with a four hour lunch.....fireworks, devils and dragons...and much more!
will post some videos soon!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Barcelona sept 18-20
First day in Barcelona
Arrived safely without much hustle. Bueno, maybe the luggage are too heavy, but what is there to lose with you have 2 free check-in luggage? These days, airlines do rip customer off by charging a whole lot of luggage fees.
Met a young woman, Denise in the plane who is a child psychologist. My mind was wandering, ‘grieving’ the fact that I have left Hanover, that I didn’t talk to her until 2 hours before landing. We were talking about children behavior problems and problems of peace in the world, and we reached a conclusion where peace is hard to achieved when one ( person/ country) over identifies him/herself. What might cause such action is fear of change, fear of losing power. Think about why locals hate immigrants? Why Globalization can be ‘polluting’ one’s culture and identity?
Upon finish admiring the interior of the Barcelona airport, I arrived at the baggage claim area and met my first classmate, Breanna. None of my classmates are friends with me in Dartmouth before this Language Study Abroad (LSA) trip, and I am the only non-American student. Amanda joined us half and hours later. Both of them have their mom helping them with packing. Reminds me of my first trip abroad with similar situations….four years ago.
After hours of waiting for more students arrived, we decided to give up and meet the rest of them in the city. It was an easy bus ride to Barcelona, a place that is going to be my home for 2 .5 months. We dragged our luggage all the way from the central station to the University Plaza, which is situated only a few blocks away. Doesn’t feel near when you have 2 big luggage and 2 carry on. Later, I stopped regretting bringing too many clothes because Barcelonans do dress up fashionably and I have to keep up with them! (so far, I think I did a good job:P)
8 of 12 students met and we started to stroll along the famous La Rambla street after we put down our luggage. We had 4 hours to spend before meeting our host family. From the street entertainers to different animal stalls, La Rambla in mid-September is full of energy. September is one of the best time to be in Barcelona and many tourists know not to miss the chill Mediterranean weather. I get the feeling that my group of classmates is trying to avoid doing touristy activities. Contrary to that, I love to just explore this particular street more than once just to observe the different people. I sensed danger (me dropping out from group activity).
At 5 pm, we finally met our host families. These families have been hosting Dartmouth students for years since the program first started. We are rest assured that we will be good hands ( its true!). Pepita, my host mom, greeted me with kisses on both my cheek. Ah, I am back to the ‘huggy & kissing’ culture that reminds me of my UWC friends. We were ‘warned’ not to be surprise about strangers standing in close distance, guys starring at girls when talking, closer ‘normal’ distance between people….yada yada yada (that’s why pickpockets use this culture to their advantages!)
I lived in a lovely apartment just slightly off the centre of the city. I could easily take a 20 minutes bus ride to classes daily. Public transport is the shit here! From the bus ride, I could see why Barcelona is one of the best city in the world. It accommodates EVERYBODY: The old, the young, the traditional, the modern, the locals and the foreigners. It is so easy to get around that old people do not need to depend on their son or daughter to meet up with their friends.
Extremely jetlagged and tired the first night, I did not unpack and slept without finding my toothpaste…..hahaa
Sept 19
Got our sim card first thing in the morning. For some reasons, Prof. Aguado, our trip leader was extremely panicky about us not letting our cell phone switched on 24/7. Guessed many students in the past did get lost a lot.
Epic failure looking for WIFI: we walked from Starbucks to local café and could not find any free WiFi. Dartmouth really spoilt us with 24/7 Wifi. At the end, I gave up and went to the Internet café few blocks away from my home.
For those who asked me about guys: yes, they are cute!! Come in a package of huge sideburns, soft curly brown hair and difficult to tell whether there are straight or not! (just had an experience in the bus, where I observed two cute guys caressing each other on the lap, talking to a pretty lady who was sitting in front of them at the same time. No big deal!) *one more fun fact, our university IS situated in the gay zoneJ
Observation of the day:
- the elevators of my apartment is where neighbors catch up
- supermarket cashiers flirt(or communicate) with people loudly (Cashier to customer:Hola Caliente! Hey sexy)
- older couples do not give way to the young ones when it comes to holding hands and kissing each other in public. So sweet….
Sept 20
An account at 4am :
Just back from my first nightlife experience in Barcelona. A city that never sleeps!
Bars and Pubs run till 1 am and clubs only start receiving crowds at 1 30 am and all the way till dawn.
The house music gotten a little boring after a while when none of us are willing to pay much for drinks. Most of us were sober :P Sexy bitch by Akon is the only song I got excited dancing to. The rest of the time, I am avoiding bumping into the person next to me. Have I grown out of this? In one of the most notorious night scene, yet I was spacing out?
Woke up at 2.30 pm the same day and still didn’t miss lunch. Did I mention lunch only take place at 3.30pm? This will be the most difficult culture adjustment for the whole trip. Haha. Consciously made up my mind not to join the rest to the beach, because I did not want to be too tired before my first day of class. Instead, I joined my host sister, Maria del Mar and her friends for a Spanish movie called “Gordo (fat)”. (no I did not understand everything, but I got the idea)
The movie is nothing along the lines of ‘slim is good’ BUT about living in our most comfortable self. It started with a therapist trying to ‘cure’ the fat people who came to him: A lady who fears her long distance bf found out about her weight gain; an ex promoter of slimming pills who turns fat and became gay (inferior to woman); a guy whose from a whole ancestry of fat relatives and never know the word slim, and a religious couple that consist a slim guy and a plump pretty lady.
Turns out there are really nothing wrong with the clients but the therapist. He is obsessed with PERFECTION, that when his perfectly slim wife got pregnant, he did not even dare to neither look at her in the eyes nor touch her at night. He even missed his baby’s birth by hooking up with the first lady I mentioned.
Most of the clients lose some weight and at the end gain back the weight, because they were convinced that ‘fat’ is what preventing them from happiness. But at the end, happiness is right in front of them that they do not have the guts to appreciate.
The first lady found her happiness by having affairs with strangers; the ex promoter found his happiness with a woman who did not care he was gay (of course he wasn’t just too scared); the fat guy got back together with his wife after a huge fight of questioning whether he is the father of his thin son; and after breaking up with her bf due to her weight loss (thinking that she can find a better man), the plump pretty lady realized that her ex is indeed her true love.
At the end, the therapist went out of business and his wife stopped talking to him. Despite the ‘horrendous’ sex scene of fat people, (European movie have lots of nudity!) the movie is truly inspiring.
Went back home for a 10 30 pm dinner! Help!
That marks my first few days in Barcelona. Happy Belated Birthday to my dad and mom!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Counting down my days to Barcelona LSA
Dear Readers,
I am not abandoning this blog. It's just that things
are quite intense and difficult to explain in blogs nowadays.After all the crazy traveling around half the globe and then many many hours of car rides, my sister is finally in safe hands ( her University) studying one year ahead of me for a College degree. Yes, I am still a Sophomore, and she's a Junior now.
So, the sister part is done. I am back to my Dartmouth bubble. Smart enough to create a short film about Dartmouth bubble, but still clumsy to miss the official screening of the film! ( I mixed up the date and time, duh?) Anyways, I emailed out the youtube links to my friends on campus and of course posted the video online in my blog, hopefully that compensates my idiotic actions. ( I was playing basketball when the time the movie was supposed to screen...grrrr)
The rest of my time? I am trying to catch the last few glimpse of the sunny days and waiting for my buddies to return to campus. My flowery shirts and hot pants are about to be kept into the box, its freaking cold here even its sunny. Luckily, yesterday, we got to enjoy a little nature 15 minutes away from campus-- its call the Ledges, and the scenery is pretty nice, we do not need to hike in order to reach there, that's the pretty part of it :P
We sat on that big rock for one hour of sunshine. Of course the blacks do not need sunscreen as they do not get sunburn!!:P
After that, we went for a Chinese buffet in town and then a game of bowling. All and all, it was a fruitful day, a little tired due to the little climbing (scratched my thigh due to wearing shorts) and the little bowling.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Fond Memories
What I used to do:
#1-- attending Chinese Orchestra Practices : contributing my "strength" in banging those big drums and timpani, admiring how well we played at several instances ( now listening to the CD my teacher lend me), always guessing our standards and how far we are in National level...hahhaa
#2-- way of Shopping : trying to remember everything I see in one day before buying them, after window shopping, too tired to go back to the place where my noted items lies, go home empty handed, satisfied for not spending money ...( :-D)
#3-- talking Celeb : never miss any entertainment programs from Astro, waiting for that moment where the MC pairs up the most-talk-about couples, where they never fail to disappoint us over and over again by just distancing themselves away from each other.... with that shy smile..geram..(:<)
#4-- Mamak : eating indian food by the streets, starring at the big screen over football match, pretending that I know anything about football and converse to guy friends about them, catching up about each other's love life.(:P) *Weird that I have not done that in the two weeks I am back..hmmm*
#5-- Stalking friends on friendster, blogs, yahoo photos (facebook doesn't even exist back then:P)
#6-- Pasar Malam: food, food, food , and pirated DVDs of course
#7-- Korean Dramas: cute guys, romantic plots and the dreamy atmosphere where the kisses took place...ahhhh
Weirdly, I didn't do much of it since I am home. All has become too strange for me since being far away from home..old habits were replaced by new ones...still its fun to look back and smile....
#1-- attending Chinese Orchestra Practices : contributing my "strength" in banging those big drums and timpani, admiring how well we played at several instances ( now listening to the CD my teacher lend me), always guessing our standards and how far we are in National level...hahhaa
#2-- way of Shopping : trying to remember everything I see in one day before buying them, after window shopping, too tired to go back to the place where my noted items lies, go home empty handed, satisfied for not spending money ...( :-D)
#3-- talking Celeb : never miss any entertainment programs from Astro, waiting for that moment where the MC pairs up the most-talk-about couples, where they never fail to disappoint us over and over again by just distancing themselves away from each other.... with that shy smile..geram..(:<)
#4-- Mamak : eating indian food by the streets, starring at the big screen over football match, pretending that I know anything about football and converse to guy friends about them, catching up about each other's love life.(:P) *Weird that I have not done that in the two weeks I am back..hmmm*
#5-- Stalking friends on friendster, blogs, yahoo photos (facebook doesn't even exist back then:P)
#6-- Pasar Malam: food, food, food , and pirated DVDs of course
#7-- Korean Dramas: cute guys, romantic plots and the dreamy atmosphere where the kisses took place...ahhhh
Weirdly, I didn't do much of it since I am home. All has become too strange for me since being far away from home..old habits were replaced by new ones...still its fun to look back and smile....
Sunday, July 26, 2009
and there's only us....
Yasmin Ahmad just passed away yesterday. I have not been following her blog and work like my sister does, but knowing that there's someone working on making Malaysia a better place, I felt safe.
Yes, another death after Michael Jackson, Ming fu...all concern individuals who worked to 'change' the world....Many of my friends shared similar childhood memories like mine where we danced to MJ's music without really knowing the issue he is campainging for-- race, AIDS, Africa nor about his pathetic rumours, and in my case, his gender ( my 5 year-old mind was set to think that girls has long hair, and guys have short hair); Ming fu who died innocently falling off from a government building was a passion young man with visions in Malaysian politics; A friend of mine, upon receiving the text messages of Yasmin's death, ran out from our table in tears. The impact of these people in our hearts is clear, we need them, we want them to do what they do best.
I guess God is constantly trying to remind us how fragile life is, that everyone does have a responsibility for the world we live in. Doesn't mean that one King of Pop is in place, we do not need to work harder to transcend the music industry from Michael Jackson. We wish that there will be always someone out there doing the job of art creation, peace-keeping, conflict resolution for us, but Death comes, and there's only us left to work the rest of the world's problems out, only us.....
Tributes for Yasmin Ahmad
taken from STAR online:
Yasmin Ahmad - a talented storyteller and film director, does not only show her creativity through film making, but in the film making itself, it speaks louder than 10000 written words. I remember watching all her Petronas Ads at one go and couldn't wait for the next Ads whether during Independence day or any other festive seasons - because it never fails to warm my heart with the message of unity, love, and forgiveness. May you rest in Peace Yasmin, even though you have passed on, but your work, what you have left behind will FOREVER be etched in all our hearts. - Elaine Leong
Getting a twitter update in the wee hours of the morning today was definitely heart breaking and devastating. Yasmin Ahmad was more than just an incredible filmaker, she was an inspiring individual not just to me but to everyone out there. This noble lady should be commended on her tremendous effort of producing heart -touching ads which portrays the true Malaysia. She has given us the gift that we will definitely treasure. Rest in peace Yasmin Ahmad, as you never fail to inspire me everyday although being thousands of miles away. - Yuvha Dharshini, Auckland, New Zealand.
Before Sepet came along, I always have this negative feeling about Malaysian made movies. That all change because of Sepet. It made me laugh and cry at the same time, a quality that has been missing from Malaysian movies. Yasmin's theme of 1Malaysia which is only advocated by our prime minister recently has been in her movies and commercials for a long time. Though I may not have known Yasmin Ahmad personally but her personal work (commercials and movies) touched my heart personally, for that I feel like I have lost a friend. If Michael Jackson's passing is wept by the world, I think Yasmin's passing should be wept by all Malaysian regardless of race, religion or ethnic, a true hero of 1Malaysia. A great talent she definitely is. She shall be missed. - CHU SP
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Summer Art Exhibition by Si Jie Loo
My installation blurb for the public:
June 30 - July 7, 2009 - Carson/Novack Carridor.
Through various rites and patterns such as DOC trips, the culture of wearing "flares", the Greek scene, the bonfire and the striving for academic achievement, Dartmouth manages to structure our emotions. This structuring of emotion tends to stifle more impromptu expressions outside these boundaries, because we carefully pick and choose how to express our ourselves to match suit these occasions and everyday rituals. Consequently, we run the risk of forgetting how to express ourselves outside of these boundaries.
In this public art project, I attempt to create a scenario that allows Dartmouth community members to express their hidden emotions. By putting a "Grafitti" wall and a display of "nostalgic" toys in public space, I anticipate the direct interaction between the art and its viewers, with each spectator reacting to what has been expressed before. In this way, one will be able to see how emotions can be experienced, related, and relayed. The public display of art brings people together at a personal level. This project aims to provide a public setting for Dartmouth community to express their private emotions and to recognize, unexpectedly, each other's emotions in a setting where they are customarily hidden within traditions, social patterns, and expectations.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Reunions
Picture from Dartmouth Homepage: Class of 1949
Reunion is a very interesting phenomenon in Dartmouth. Every year, right after Graduation, where you send off the latest batch of Seniors, Dartmouth welcomes back graduates of 5, 10, 15 and up to 50 years!! Since this is 2009, the class of 1949( those who graduated 50 years ago and are 70++ years of age) celebrates their 50th year reunion.
Within 10 days, tents are set up in almost every patch of green ( field) you can find on campus: In front of library, in between dorms, back of the church etc. Every time I past by those tents, I see graduates of the same year, reminiscing their years in Dartmouth and sharing about their current lives.
In the ten days, I was experiencing a phase of life of MANKIND and expectations that follows in a particular age. As the 10 days progressed, the age of the graduates become younger and younger, from 70 ++, to 65++, 60, 50, 55 and finally the last batch of 25++).In those tents,wine glasses and fancy gowns and coats slowly transformed into beer in plastic cups and casual jeans and dress ;Music from the 50s slowly progresses to rock n roll, soft rock and live band concert; and People strolled in the form of 2, 5, 2, 5. How do you explain this? So the old graduates (60 to 70 years old) come back in 2 (obviously their children are not with them), the couples in the mid 30s to 50s come in 5 ( they have big vans and all their children tagged along, its a family trip), the engaged couple in their late 20s and early 30s come in 2, and finally the graduates who are single come in 5 ( with their best friends from college).
As for the students who are working for the reunion like me, work very hard to accommodate to these Alumni. We work in catering, housing ( they live in the dorms) and additional programs for the family. Dinning tables and dorm rooms are designed differently to suit the need of the Alumni. Students babysits, play with the teenagers, serve dinners in the tents, clean the rooms etc. As for me, I worked with the toddlers ( children from 2-5 years old, they are soooo cute!), playing games, making crafts and coloring. During the program, I hear almost identical conversations from the parents: how they talk about their kids, how they talk to their kids, how they talk about Dartmouth, etc.
For me, this reunion is not about the successful, loyal and wealthy alumni, but the REALITY of life. It amazed me and scared me at the same time how most people do the same thing at certain age! NO matter who we are, we are FOLLOWING the circle of life: graduate, develop a career, settle down, start a family, maintaining the family, retire and companionship. Even our taste for music, wine, food evolved as we aged( we are still doing the same thing like the rest!) .Are we forced to do this? We are in such hurry that we always give ourselves a limit by setting goals so that we can meet with all these expectations,for example, " I have to figure myself out ( passion, ambition, purpose of life) within this 5 years, so that I can have a job and get married!" " I have to know about wine tasting at the age of 30!"
How many of us are planning to stick to this PHASE OF LIFE that I see in this reunion and how many of us are not?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Graduation 2009
Picture: President Wright's last graduation ceremony at Dartmouth.
Witnessed for the first time what it's like to graduate from Dartmouth.987 Seniors in their Graduation gown, showing off their titles ( membership to a Senior society, secret society, black-American society etc) with a scarf or a cane in their hands, with their family sitting behind them, cheering when their names are called. Graduation is indeed a significant moment in life, one of the moment that you always look back to, whether to look for the best times of life where you achieve things, reach for the sky,and are allowed to search for the self , make mistakes, choose your passion, and maybe to KNOW.
You are allowed to be confuse, to try new things, to fit in, to be original. As I read back my posts from Thailand, I noticed that I told myself, " if you can't change the environment, let the environment change you, or fit in, or be one of them! " I optimistically chose the later, thinking that there's nothing wrong to fit in. But in Dartmouth, fitting in becomes a matter of principles, values, boundaries and the self. Was I not myself when I try to fit into the Thai community? Am I defending the 'self' when I refuse to be a REGULAR Dartmouth student? That always become a dilemma.
I teared when I listened to the Commencement Speaker, Louise Erdrich, talking about her experience being the first batch of women and the first batch of Native American in Dartmouth back in the 1972. She's now a well-known poet and writer. She talked about the experience of "fear". "The only two things we fear are perhaps failure and humiliation, but without taking things personally, we will move forward". She motivates us to conquer fear, and most of all, have love(for the world) alongside with whatever things we are pursuing in life.
Most speakers at the ceremony, including the President, the valedictorian (perfect GPA graduate) and Louise Erdrich pull in different instances so that we are connected to them. The murals in the library, the lone pine, the snow sculpture and even the famous drinking game , Pong, on campus. The lesson to take home is perhaps, whoever you are, graduate or not, you'll always belong to Dartmouth. The Dartmouth experience will always be shared generations after generations, starting from strolling on the campus where many have come and go, to the different traditions that we are all made to believe and love.
Maybe, at the end of my Dartmouth years, I will learn how to love the traditions: the bonfire, the winter carnival, the night outs in fraternities and sororities (which are mostly events for partying and drinking).Though at this moment, I still do not believe these experiences can answer the question of "who I am", but more like, " we are sons and daughters of Dartmouth because we did all these things, therefore we are family and therefore I will return you any favor for that!" Maybe, in the middle of all the traditions, we will find our 'self's. Maybe finding the 'self' and finding the connections are two different agenda. Friends became assets and stepping stones in addition to the simple form of soul mates. What do I want to carry away from this institution?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Coming up concert on Wednesday!!(click)
Some pictures from my rehearsal...
my camera is rusty. need to use it ....:P
Friday, April 17, 2009
Just performed...
Some drumming before the prospective students.
Americans are lucky here, once they got accepted, they could come stay in Dartmouth where the current students will lend the "floor" to them for the weekend.
Students will put up skits and performance show to impress them, so that they would come to Dartmouth. Before and After acceptance is a different story. Now Dartmouth is begging these prospies to come to this prestige institute.
Dartmouth is so crowded these few days that it feels more like a school now. Usually I barely see people talking with each other on the street or socializing on the big green field. One friend told me, " if you see friendly and smiley people, they are the prospies". Since when Dartmouth students are not smiley and friendly? Guess we are just so used to our specific friends that we forget how to smile to strangers.
My Rhetoric class today discussed about photo tampering ( basically editing photo into a way that makes different arguement). The first picture we saw was Brangelina. Apparent the beach picture of the couple is a fake, but people are still stunned by it. Then we look at how people crop picture to let it look different. A chaotic picture become heroic when the mess is cropped out and the struggling people became hero.
Most of all, we learned that "American Idol" is just a fulfillment of criticism and how audience react to the different types of people on stage. Their votes actually represent Americans values. This year American Idol sees the outstanding Adam who is a openly gay, a Christian, and a 17 year old with red hair. Who will America vote? After Obama, is American ready for gay as their American Idol?
Not to mentioned "British got Talent" Susan Boyle, a 47 year old, unemployed contestant, singing her lung outs and turned the crowed into tears. Is Success only connected to Youth and Beauty? Will you be shocked if she is a young, beautiful woman?
In this cynical world, "abnormal" people have to work extra hard to achieve their dream....
Americans are lucky here, once they got accepted, they could come stay in Dartmouth where the current students will lend the "floor" to them for the weekend.
Students will put up skits and performance show to impress them, so that they would come to Dartmouth. Before and After acceptance is a different story. Now Dartmouth is begging these prospies to come to this prestige institute.
Dartmouth is so crowded these few days that it feels more like a school now. Usually I barely see people talking with each other on the street or socializing on the big green field. One friend told me, " if you see friendly and smiley people, they are the prospies". Since when Dartmouth students are not smiley and friendly? Guess we are just so used to our specific friends that we forget how to smile to strangers.
My Rhetoric class today discussed about photo tampering ( basically editing photo into a way that makes different arguement). The first picture we saw was Brangelina. Apparent the beach picture of the couple is a fake, but people are still stunned by it. Then we look at how people crop picture to let it look different. A chaotic picture become heroic when the mess is cropped out and the struggling people became hero.
Most of all, we learned that "American Idol" is just a fulfillment of criticism and how audience react to the different types of people on stage. Their votes actually represent Americans values. This year American Idol sees the outstanding Adam who is a openly gay, a Christian, and a 17 year old with red hair. Who will America vote? After Obama, is American ready for gay as their American Idol?
Not to mentioned "British got Talent" Susan Boyle, a 47 year old, unemployed contestant, singing her lung outs and turned the crowed into tears. Is Success only connected to Youth and Beauty? Will you be shocked if she is a young, beautiful woman?
In this cynical world, "abnormal" people have to work extra hard to achieve their dream....
I keep....
tripping myself from the stairs...
my right knee is green now and I almost fell again 5 seconds ago.
my right knee is green now and I almost fell again 5 seconds ago.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A+ and drinking
I personally think that I manage my time well. But nothing can go any worse if you arrange time for a "Time Management" workshop.
So their tips for me:
Lay out your GOALS
and how you specifically can reach the goal
then arrange the action towards the goal into your timetable ( must be an overall weekly plan)
well, basically its law of attraction all over again. So think, act, receive.
am annoyed with ppl always saying, " You are Dartmouth students, I know you are all brilliant, Your goal must be achieving A+, so you have to study EVERYDAY" Oh god. PLLLEASE.
After sending more emails to some prospective international students and urge them to join our international community, I sat by a Cafe, trying to finish off my Spanish homework and readings for my SOCY class. Tough reading. Greg, the protagonist of the " Life on the Color Line" is a Black and White mix but looks totally white. He suffers all the time from questions like " why are you with the blacks" " you are at the wrong side of the line" and " go to the back row of the bus". His father is drunk more often than sober and the school just wouldn't give him the Honor award he deserves as the highest achiever in school. after having spent so much money on his suits and getting his father and grandmother to the ceremony, his name was never called. I felt his disappointment.
Meanwhile, guys and girls with shinny outfit strolled by me. They call those shinny colorful outfit " flare", no particular function why people dress that way, its just how it is to party here. Yes, wednesday nights are big here. People go to fraternities to "socialize" by drinking of course.
Fraternities are basically "brotherhood" houses where the "brothers" invite people to their basement and play 'Pong' (kinda like table tennis) game and socialize. Yes, that's how Dartmouth people networks towards their future career, and I am not even joking.
Even my Spanish class today superficially uses " Which fraternity is better?" for Comparative practice. I dislike this overemphasized frat culture. Why not admire things with a better sense of taste than the atmosphere of the dirty frat basement?
I miss the times in Bangkok- where going out means sitting in the bar, chatting with sophisticated people introduced by Father Joe(and get the whole night paid by the bar owner), or get together with ppl of the common aim of doing good work in Mercy Centre. Sometimes we the young volunteers go out and meet people from different background, sipping a glass of wine or two, telling life stories with occasionally dancing and drumming with the guitarist on stage.
Or Summer in Kuala Lumpur- hopping from restaurants to restaurants trying delicious seafood and French dessert, never lack of good company to talk about the world from our heart and soul.
Waking up from my "night" dreaming, I came back to the " Oh my gosh, Harrot ( name of one fraternaty) is full of hot atheletes, we should TOTALLY go there....." culture.
Luckily that is not the only culture available here.
Peace.
So their tips for me:
Lay out your GOALS
and how you specifically can reach the goal
then arrange the action towards the goal into your timetable ( must be an overall weekly plan)
well, basically its law of attraction all over again. So think, act, receive.
am annoyed with ppl always saying, " You are Dartmouth students, I know you are all brilliant, Your goal must be achieving A+, so you have to study EVERYDAY" Oh god. PLLLEASE.
After sending more emails to some prospective international students and urge them to join our international community, I sat by a Cafe, trying to finish off my Spanish homework and readings for my SOCY class. Tough reading. Greg, the protagonist of the " Life on the Color Line" is a Black and White mix but looks totally white. He suffers all the time from questions like " why are you with the blacks" " you are at the wrong side of the line" and " go to the back row of the bus". His father is drunk more often than sober and the school just wouldn't give him the Honor award he deserves as the highest achiever in school. after having spent so much money on his suits and getting his father and grandmother to the ceremony, his name was never called. I felt his disappointment.
Meanwhile, guys and girls with shinny outfit strolled by me. They call those shinny colorful outfit " flare", no particular function why people dress that way, its just how it is to party here. Yes, wednesday nights are big here. People go to fraternities to "socialize" by drinking of course.
Fraternities are basically "brotherhood" houses where the "brothers" invite people to their basement and play 'Pong' (kinda like table tennis) game and socialize. Yes, that's how Dartmouth people networks towards their future career, and I am not even joking.
Even my Spanish class today superficially uses " Which fraternity is better?" for Comparative practice. I dislike this overemphasized frat culture. Why not admire things with a better sense of taste than the atmosphere of the dirty frat basement?
I miss the times in Bangkok- where going out means sitting in the bar, chatting with sophisticated people introduced by Father Joe(and get the whole night paid by the bar owner), or get together with ppl of the common aim of doing good work in Mercy Centre. Sometimes we the young volunteers go out and meet people from different background, sipping a glass of wine or two, telling life stories with occasionally dancing and drumming with the guitarist on stage.
Or Summer in Kuala Lumpur- hopping from restaurants to restaurants trying delicious seafood and French dessert, never lack of good company to talk about the world from our heart and soul.
Waking up from my "night" dreaming, I came back to the " Oh my gosh, Harrot ( name of one fraternaty) is full of hot atheletes, we should TOTALLY go there....." culture.
Luckily that is not the only culture available here.
Peace.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
"Writing is like Kissing"
3 courses I am taking for this term :
Spanish 2
Rhetoric of Power and Subversion
Multiracial Identity
What I am doing this term :
World Percussion Music Ensemble
START- Student Teaching in Art
Research Assistant- Anthropology
-program development around Tibet and the Himalayas, with a specific focus on Yunnan.
America Reading- founded under Bill Clinton Administration where Undergraduates student Read for School Kids
_____________________________________________________________
It is impossible to describe my daily life if you do not know the above information. ESSENTIAL. Everything is related to those above. After attending an Academic Skills Session where the advisor scared me that PEOPLE FORGET COMPLETELY WHAT THEY ABSORB AFTER 3 DAYS WITHOUT REVISE, I decided to keep up with my life, for I longed to write a biography just like Obama did with his " Dreams of my father".
I thought I was going to wake up early today to secure my campus housing in the summer. Guess my brain know that is not as urgent as my slumber. My brain tends to know how to procrastinate. I am pleased with it. Whenever I decide to tune my alarm to 8 am even if my class starts at 11 am, I wake up just in time ( 10 am today) to have breakfast, read through my class material before 11 am. So even if I am technically late for whatever my plans are for the day, I still end up completing my tasks. GOOD JOB, BRAIN!
The night before, I have imported the Audio CD of " Dreams of my father" into my IPOD Touch. Ipod touch is my best friend. It never fails me. I could do so much with it: Games, Timetable, Emails, Music, and now listen to Obama read his own book. Having his voice right next to my ear is a magical moment. His rhythmic description about his childhood just made me forget that I am alone in the cafeteria ( most of the time I would have start searching for familliar faces to sit with). Eating my Omlet with ham, spinach and mushroom ( i have given up cheese) , I learnt that when Obama moved to Indonesia with his mom together with Lolo, his stepfather, he was culturely shock about things that I am very familiar in my childhood: Beggars on the streets, seeing someone cutting a chicken alive, leeches, boys fighting , learning Indonesian(Malayish), learning to be strong, and Orang Utans. Instantly, I connected with him.
Why do I do this? "Dreams of my Father" is actually my textbook for my "Multiracial identity" class. Our class studies the identity crisis faced by people born in multiracial blackground and perhaps associate it with multicultural. I was raised up monocultural. However, as I move forward towards the world, I see things in multicultural perspective. I am no longer belong to only one ethnic. Interesting enough, I only learnt recently that the term " ethnic " means cultural group, and not race. One's etnicity can change but one's racial identity do not change. Due to the fact that I am both racially chinese and ethnicly one too, I never consider cases such as people's whose ethnically different than his or her race.
After breakfast, I went to my Spanish Class. I was accepted to go to Barcelona and Mexico for Dartmouth's Language Study Abroad (LSA) program. It is hard to choose between the two and for a long time, I remained confuse. But after some debating and discussion with family and friends, I decided to settle for Mexico and participate in a Korean Exchange Program in September. Therefore, I must take this Spanish Class. My professora makes class dynamic. We did "Comparative and Superlative" today where we compare the wealth and beauty of Hollywood stars. Superficial but we learnt. Most Americans in the class said: " Tom Cruise is more crazy than .....( another star)". ( As usual, I am the only international in the class)
Due to this Spanish class, I missed my signing up session to monitor in the Music Department ( Door guarding where you unlock doors for students to practice, boring but good pay). World Economic Crisis makes me extra nervous about my on-campus job. I already lost 2 jobs this term because of department budget cuts. Therefore, yesterday I have been to interview with different professors and emailing prospective job supervisor. Luckily, or Dramatically, the sign up sheet that was full has only 6 days a week ( how could this happen?!) . So I noticed and told my supervisor," Where's Saturday?" and I ended up having a 4 hours slot on Saturday for door guarding.( just my luck)
Then, more luck came in. My friend from China, Yuxiang, have a ticket to a Dance performance tonight but he could not attend. He gave me the ticket for free and I thanked him forever ( It was the best ballet/contemporary dance I have seen so far). After that I went to Collis, the student centre for some emailing before class. I declined another job offer because I got a job for the Research Assistant ( refer above)! I will be collaborating with professors from in and out of Dartmouth to held events on the topics of Tibet and China. A job that is both experience enhancing and educational. Meanwhile, two students were flirting right infront of me. They thought I couldn't hear them since I have my headphones on, but one was telling the other , " 你知道我很喜欢你吗” GOOSEBUMPS.
Then, it wass time for my MULTIRACIAL CLASS . Let me call it SOCY class. I mistaken a floor, so I have to ran back down a level ( embarrassing only for myself , nobody notice). Things learnt from today's class : African American are extremely sensitive with the word " Nigger". I thought it was an African thing and that if people are open-minded, it didn't matter to say it. I WAS WRONG. Throughout the class, nobody say the whole word. They just said, "The N world..blabla..." I was so curious why and I say, " Me and my African friends joke about it all the time , " and then 3 people immediately blast back to me, "Are they black?"" are they Black Americans?"" Its important, especially Blacks from the south" " My parents hate this word". Wowwowowow! See, that's how interesting is my class, we step on each other tail to examine this sensitive topics. Apparently, certain schools even forbit the use the N word in the first day of school just to avoid futher fighting. Everybody remembers back in 1950s, people still hang Black men on the trees ( they call this "lynching") when they looked at White girls. This memory is still fresh and not erasable yet. That's why multiracial kids sometimes admire their parents courage to be together despite all the critisism. Our class needs to write essay to talk about our own racial experience and that's when our professor said, " Writing is just like Kissing : everybody thought they are good kissers, but they can never know. Depending who you kiss, somebody thinks you kiss well and some don't. As long as you express yourself and are grammatically correct, I am fine with that!" What a quote to share!
I took a nap before going to my Spanish Drill Session. Basically is a 50 minutes time for students to DRILL in all the new Spanish words into their head by repeating out loud. We do look dumb but it really helps!
PEAK of the day happens after Spanish Class. I watched the best performance BY Paul Taylor Dance Company. He has been in the Dance world for over 60 years! he is the founder of the Taylor dance company and still direct after retiring as a performer in 1975. I could never predict such creative modern movements come from the tall old man standing on stage.
There are many hidden messages in the dance:
Dancers are actors, their expression in their dance kept me engage in Taylors "conversation" to the audience and help me understand his message.
Moments that I enjoyed most : A swan princess who was not able to fly -- we have seen beautiful dancers as the elegant swan princess, but who have thought off a swan princess with flappy wings that move so fast but still fail to fly. The dancer was on point the whole time, moving quickly around the same spot, "flapping" her arms. I could feel her tideous effort and misery trying to live up to her "status". Hearing the laughter around the auditorium, I think Taylor is trying to say, " Can't we fail at times? " and " It's equally impressive for a dancer to perform success AND failure of something, in this case the Swan princess".
Then, we have a gender switch in the skit of the Spaniard bull fighter. The bulls are 3 nervous men and on stage, they kept running away from the female Spaniard bull-fighter;
Couple dancing in a french (suppose to be romantic)outfit, but they never manage to stay in sync and constantly fighting and try to knock each other on the floor ( who says couples have to show they are in love with each other when dancing?)
Then there's a women trying to be sexy and seductive but again, failed miserably. Everytime she try to take off her gloves and bit her lips, her gloves wouldn't come off! hahaha.
Its like mime, all presented without words, just classical music, nothing has changed in the staging, costumes or music, except the dance movements and actors' expression.
The last dance that take my breath away : many dancers dressed in different colours running around the stage, They ran hard ( just like ppl work hard in life ) , and they ran rotating around a person ( significes time) , and they ran in all directions ( confusion and future) , and then they always find someone , they either jump onto the hugs of the men or cling onto each other and do more running ( there's always that special one that supports and care nearby ), though sometimes they dont' notice , they are doing the same time, sometimes they don't. ( you just have to search for people with common interest and "dance"together in life) , Sometimes its the same movement but happen in different time , ( we either adjust our pace to follow or wait for each other, we live in groups, not alone)
Basically they are JUST RUNNING. But from their runs, I discover all the life principles.
I am not alone in search for knowledge. My fate is waiting, there's someone waiting, there's someone helping and guiding me, there's always someone.
Spanish 2
Rhetoric of Power and Subversion
Multiracial Identity
What I am doing this term :
World Percussion Music Ensemble
START- Student Teaching in Art
Research Assistant- Anthropology
-program development around Tibet and the Himalayas, with a specific focus on Yunnan.
America Reading- founded under Bill Clinton Administration where Undergraduates student Read for School Kids
_____________________________________________________________
It is impossible to describe my daily life if you do not know the above information. ESSENTIAL. Everything is related to those above. After attending an Academic Skills Session where the advisor scared me that PEOPLE FORGET COMPLETELY WHAT THEY ABSORB AFTER 3 DAYS WITHOUT REVISE, I decided to keep up with my life, for I longed to write a biography just like Obama did with his " Dreams of my father".
I thought I was going to wake up early today to secure my campus housing in the summer. Guess my brain know that is not as urgent as my slumber. My brain tends to know how to procrastinate. I am pleased with it. Whenever I decide to tune my alarm to 8 am even if my class starts at 11 am, I wake up just in time ( 10 am today) to have breakfast, read through my class material before 11 am. So even if I am technically late for whatever my plans are for the day, I still end up completing my tasks. GOOD JOB, BRAIN!
The night before, I have imported the Audio CD of " Dreams of my father" into my IPOD Touch. Ipod touch is my best friend. It never fails me. I could do so much with it: Games, Timetable, Emails, Music, and now listen to Obama read his own book. Having his voice right next to my ear is a magical moment. His rhythmic description about his childhood just made me forget that I am alone in the cafeteria ( most of the time I would have start searching for familliar faces to sit with). Eating my Omlet with ham, spinach and mushroom ( i have given up cheese) , I learnt that when Obama moved to Indonesia with his mom together with Lolo, his stepfather, he was culturely shock about things that I am very familiar in my childhood: Beggars on the streets, seeing someone cutting a chicken alive, leeches, boys fighting , learning Indonesian(Malayish), learning to be strong, and Orang Utans. Instantly, I connected with him.
Why do I do this? "Dreams of my Father" is actually my textbook for my "Multiracial identity" class. Our class studies the identity crisis faced by people born in multiracial blackground and perhaps associate it with multicultural. I was raised up monocultural. However, as I move forward towards the world, I see things in multicultural perspective. I am no longer belong to only one ethnic. Interesting enough, I only learnt recently that the term " ethnic " means cultural group, and not race. One's etnicity can change but one's racial identity do not change. Due to the fact that I am both racially chinese and ethnicly one too, I never consider cases such as people's whose ethnically different than his or her race.
After breakfast, I went to my Spanish Class. I was accepted to go to Barcelona and Mexico for Dartmouth's Language Study Abroad (LSA) program. It is hard to choose between the two and for a long time, I remained confuse. But after some debating and discussion with family and friends, I decided to settle for Mexico and participate in a Korean Exchange Program in September. Therefore, I must take this Spanish Class. My professora makes class dynamic. We did "Comparative and Superlative" today where we compare the wealth and beauty of Hollywood stars. Superficial but we learnt. Most Americans in the class said: " Tom Cruise is more crazy than .....( another star)". ( As usual, I am the only international in the class)
Due to this Spanish class, I missed my signing up session to monitor in the Music Department ( Door guarding where you unlock doors for students to practice, boring but good pay). World Economic Crisis makes me extra nervous about my on-campus job. I already lost 2 jobs this term because of department budget cuts. Therefore, yesterday I have been to interview with different professors and emailing prospective job supervisor. Luckily, or Dramatically, the sign up sheet that was full has only 6 days a week ( how could this happen?!) . So I noticed and told my supervisor," Where's Saturday?" and I ended up having a 4 hours slot on Saturday for door guarding.( just my luck)
Then, more luck came in. My friend from China, Yuxiang, have a ticket to a Dance performance tonight but he could not attend. He gave me the ticket for free and I thanked him forever ( It was the best ballet/contemporary dance I have seen so far). After that I went to Collis, the student centre for some emailing before class. I declined another job offer because I got a job for the Research Assistant ( refer above)! I will be collaborating with professors from in and out of Dartmouth to held events on the topics of Tibet and China. A job that is both experience enhancing and educational. Meanwhile, two students were flirting right infront of me. They thought I couldn't hear them since I have my headphones on, but one was telling the other , " 你知道我很喜欢你吗” GOOSEBUMPS.
Then, it wass time for my MULTIRACIAL CLASS . Let me call it SOCY class. I mistaken a floor, so I have to ran back down a level ( embarrassing only for myself , nobody notice). Things learnt from today's class : African American are extremely sensitive with the word " Nigger". I thought it was an African thing and that if people are open-minded, it didn't matter to say it. I WAS WRONG. Throughout the class, nobody say the whole word. They just said, "The N world..blabla..." I was so curious why and I say, " Me and my African friends joke about it all the time , " and then 3 people immediately blast back to me, "Are they black?"" are they Black Americans?"" Its important, especially Blacks from the south" " My parents hate this word". Wowwowowow! See, that's how interesting is my class, we step on each other tail to examine this sensitive topics. Apparently, certain schools even forbit the use the N word in the first day of school just to avoid futher fighting. Everybody remembers back in 1950s, people still hang Black men on the trees ( they call this "lynching") when they looked at White girls. This memory is still fresh and not erasable yet. That's why multiracial kids sometimes admire their parents courage to be together despite all the critisism. Our class needs to write essay to talk about our own racial experience and that's when our professor said, " Writing is just like Kissing : everybody thought they are good kissers, but they can never know. Depending who you kiss, somebody thinks you kiss well and some don't. As long as you express yourself and are grammatically correct, I am fine with that!" What a quote to share!
I took a nap before going to my Spanish Drill Session. Basically is a 50 minutes time for students to DRILL in all the new Spanish words into their head by repeating out loud. We do look dumb but it really helps!
PEAK of the day happens after Spanish Class. I watched the best performance BY Paul Taylor Dance Company. He has been in the Dance world for over 60 years! he is the founder of the Taylor dance company and still direct after retiring as a performer in 1975. I could never predict such creative modern movements come from the tall old man standing on stage.
There are many hidden messages in the dance:
Dancers are actors, their expression in their dance kept me engage in Taylors "conversation" to the audience and help me understand his message.
Moments that I enjoyed most : A swan princess who was not able to fly -- we have seen beautiful dancers as the elegant swan princess, but who have thought off a swan princess with flappy wings that move so fast but still fail to fly. The dancer was on point the whole time, moving quickly around the same spot, "flapping" her arms. I could feel her tideous effort and misery trying to live up to her "status". Hearing the laughter around the auditorium, I think Taylor is trying to say, " Can't we fail at times? " and " It's equally impressive for a dancer to perform success AND failure of something, in this case the Swan princess".
Then, we have a gender switch in the skit of the Spaniard bull fighter. The bulls are 3 nervous men and on stage, they kept running away from the female Spaniard bull-fighter;
Couple dancing in a french (suppose to be romantic)outfit, but they never manage to stay in sync and constantly fighting and try to knock each other on the floor ( who says couples have to show they are in love with each other when dancing?)
Then there's a women trying to be sexy and seductive but again, failed miserably. Everytime she try to take off her gloves and bit her lips, her gloves wouldn't come off! hahaha.
Its like mime, all presented without words, just classical music, nothing has changed in the staging, costumes or music, except the dance movements and actors' expression.
The last dance that take my breath away : many dancers dressed in different colours running around the stage, They ran hard ( just like ppl work hard in life ) , and they ran rotating around a person ( significes time) , and they ran in all directions ( confusion and future) , and then they always find someone , they either jump onto the hugs of the men or cling onto each other and do more running ( there's always that special one that supports and care nearby ), though sometimes they dont' notice , they are doing the same time, sometimes they don't. ( you just have to search for people with common interest and "dance"together in life) , Sometimes its the same movement but happen in different time , ( we either adjust our pace to follow or wait for each other, we live in groups, not alone)
Basically they are JUST RUNNING. But from their runs, I discover all the life principles.
I am not alone in search for knowledge. My fate is waiting, there's someone waiting, there's someone helping and guiding me, there's always someone.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Miami, Washing D.C chilling out pictures ( click)
What we do when we are not working.
LOTS of driving and some of these ....
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Dartmouth's New President (Press)
Me and my friends thought it is the Obama effect, since this is the first Asian President we have in Dartmouth. Everyone is excited!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
How can I forget about the drumming that I love so much?
As I was looking at clips of the jamming of the electric guitars, I was thinking about my drumming.
In my opinion, the contrast and harmonizing of the rhythms in drumming portrays a conversation more than a self-expression. Drumming in different tones shows two or more people talking: they are not fighting, but just trying to be peace with each other.
When one drum is loud, the others try to be softer. They never try to outshine one another. No matter how different their tones sound, together they are harmonizing and conveying the drummer’s emotion. No drum can be outstanding without the help from the other drums. One
tone does not produce music; Music needs multiple tones.
As I watched people of different races and background come together for the Woodstock concert, I was imagining the harmonious rhythm produced by the different sets of drum. They are adapting to each other tones, always looking out at the other players before deciding when is their turn to join. Rhythms are added to attract but not distract, inspire but not interrupt.
When it s your turn to play, everybody else will remain silent. In jamming, all drummers are equal: they take care of each other and make sure everybody is heard.
In my opinion, the contrast and harmonizing of the rhythms in drumming portrays a conversation more than a self-expression. Drumming in different tones shows two or more people talking: they are not fighting, but just trying to be peace with each other.
When one drum is loud, the others try to be softer. They never try to outshine one another. No matter how different their tones sound, together they are harmonizing and conveying the drummer’s emotion. No drum can be outstanding without the help from the other drums. One
tone does not produce music; Music needs multiple tones.
As I watched people of different races and background come together for the Woodstock concert, I was imagining the harmonious rhythm produced by the different sets of drum. They are adapting to each other tones, always looking out at the other players before deciding when is their turn to join. Rhythms are added to attract but not distract, inspire but not interrupt.
When it s your turn to play, everybody else will remain silent. In jamming, all drummers are equal: they take care of each other and make sure everybody is heard.
Rock n’Roll vs Chinese Love Song
My creative response to my Writing class about Rock and Roll: ( I love Elvis, he's so cute!)whispered the whole class of female:P
Despite his ‘vulgar’ movements, Elvis Presley gets attention. People are drawn to his true self. Is the revelation of ‘self’ the same as revelation of body? Not everybody wants to see a bare self, stripped off. The older generation reacts as if he is nude in public. Nudity symbolizes both beauty and vulnerability. If young people see beauty in nudity, I would argue that the older generations see Elvis ‘nudity’ as a revelation of their own vulnerability.
Similarly, vulnerability is in Rock n’ Roll. Rock n’ Roll is about a generation of young people expressing their vulnerable selves: they have no control of their own destiny, for they are ordered to go to war. In other words, they have no freedom and are powerless.
America, as God’s country, fails to give freedom to the people because they stand by the notion of being responsible for the world. Even if one argues that Dostoevsky’s idea of being guilty for each other is what drives America to war, America is wrong to use their power in the process. The war and the peoples’ reluctance have shown that equality has been removed from Christianity’s notion of Love and responsibility for each other, leaving people powerless.
However, Rock n’ Roll manages to change the powerless to the powerful. Through the electric guitars, expressive musicians like Jimmy Hendrix and Santana provide an imaginary space of freedom and power. Their anger in their rhythms conveysa young generation who do not submit themselves to America’s power.
The other side of the world experiences a different phenomenon. None of the music resembles the expressiveness of Rock n’ Roll. Most Asian music is about the Love song, in which the singer is willing to sacrifice for an impossible love. The submissiveness to love portrays a society that is submissive to the authority. People are willing to ignore the flaws of reality (in both love and power) and only sing about the utopia of their dreams. Unlike Rock n Roll, through which people find the mysterious space of freedom in the musicians’ single note, the space of idealism is revealed through the lyrics in the Chinese love songs.
Therefore Rock n’ Roll and Chinese Love Songs portray the submissiveness of people towards power. If Americans escape to Rock n’ Roll to express their anger for their country, Chinese escape into the songs of utopia that they have yet to get from their country.
Once in a while, I replay some cheesy love songs. Perhaps, I too, crave the ideal Prince-charming that only exists through songs but not real life, because we can only dream about someone with ‘”5 Cs” (Singaporean dream: Cars, Condo, Credit Cards, Cash and Career)!
Despite his ‘vulgar’ movements, Elvis Presley gets attention. People are drawn to his true self. Is the revelation of ‘self’ the same as revelation of body? Not everybody wants to see a bare self, stripped off. The older generation reacts as if he is nude in public. Nudity symbolizes both beauty and vulnerability. If young people see beauty in nudity, I would argue that the older generations see Elvis ‘nudity’ as a revelation of their own vulnerability.
Similarly, vulnerability is in Rock n’ Roll. Rock n’ Roll is about a generation of young people expressing their vulnerable selves: they have no control of their own destiny, for they are ordered to go to war. In other words, they have no freedom and are powerless.
America, as God’s country, fails to give freedom to the people because they stand by the notion of being responsible for the world. Even if one argues that Dostoevsky’s idea of being guilty for each other is what drives America to war, America is wrong to use their power in the process. The war and the peoples’ reluctance have shown that equality has been removed from Christianity’s notion of Love and responsibility for each other, leaving people powerless.
However, Rock n’ Roll manages to change the powerless to the powerful. Through the electric guitars, expressive musicians like Jimmy Hendrix and Santana provide an imaginary space of freedom and power. Their anger in their rhythms conveysa young generation who do not submit themselves to America’s power.
The other side of the world experiences a different phenomenon. None of the music resembles the expressiveness of Rock n’ Roll. Most Asian music is about the Love song, in which the singer is willing to sacrifice for an impossible love. The submissiveness to love portrays a society that is submissive to the authority. People are willing to ignore the flaws of reality (in both love and power) and only sing about the utopia of their dreams. Unlike Rock n Roll, through which people find the mysterious space of freedom in the musicians’ single note, the space of idealism is revealed through the lyrics in the Chinese love songs.
Therefore Rock n’ Roll and Chinese Love Songs portray the submissiveness of people towards power. If Americans escape to Rock n’ Roll to express their anger for their country, Chinese escape into the songs of utopia that they have yet to get from their country.
Once in a while, I replay some cheesy love songs. Perhaps, I too, crave the ideal Prince-charming that only exists through songs but not real life, because we can only dream about someone with ‘”5 Cs” (Singaporean dream: Cars, Condo, Credit Cards, Cash and Career)!
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