Ok. Saturday is officially over. And I can't sleep. There's someone in my building who has a somewhat inconsiderate affinity to playing Arabic music loudly after midnight. This usually happens around once a week, so it is tolerable, I suppose (subtle P&P innuendo there). BUT STILL.
I need to get up early(ish) tomorrow to take a shower and head off to church, but there are so many things in my head at the moment that I have to let some of 'em out.
Looking through that previous YT vid again (adorable kid!), I found out something more I'd like to have in a future bf/partner-for-life (note that I didn't write "partner-in-crime" here -- I'm not a criminal (duh)). He has to have a great laugh. I remember I'd gotten for one of my English assignments in Senior High to describe someone in my family, so I chose to describe Dad. I remember describing his laugh like a "high-pitched machine gun laugh". I'd like to have something like that as one of the top features of a future bf/partner-for-life. He has to have a contagious and memorable kind of laugh.
In other news, while the rest of mah peeps are studying for their semester finals, I've ostracized myself from that level of stress, if you get my drift. I'm not going to have any exams before spring (!), so I'm not really feeling the kind of nerves others of my acquaintance are feeling. Nonetheless, this means that the culmination of my classes will be postponed -- which can also be a bad thing. In addition, we've been given the task of writing 3 essays in the course of the next few months, so there'll probably be a lot of IB tendencies lurking about this Christmas... :-S Vacation is going to be somewhat short for me this year, I believe/fear... The first draft of one of my essays is going to be handed in January 4, so I'd better put the pedal to the metal and get started with it. Ugh. I feel really torn between letting myself work a little this Christmas and concentrating as much as possible on these essay drafts, but I fear that I'll just have to let work take a back seat this Christmas. I must admit I do feel guilty for doing so, but considering the fact that I don't have that much time to write my drafts, I don't think there's much for me to do about it.
Ugh (#2). I feel I'm letting people down by doing this, but ultimately uni has a higher priority than work. Still... The guilt factor is sky high.
This sucks. SUCKS, I tell you. SUCKS.
Meanwhile, besides this semi-killjoy attitude of uni with respect to essay writing (bah, humbug), I'm slowly but surely getting into the Christmas mood. At the soccer stadium they've started decorating the adjacent shopping street (it's really not that long/extravagant) with lights and tiny plastic Christmas trees. Purdy. Real purdy. They've also started decorating on campus, albeit just a little. This week there was this huge crane at the southern end of campus, ready to set up Christmas lights in the trees. You should really see those trees when it's dark outside (or after dark). Nothing short of beautiful!
Bought myself a bag of Christmas marzipan today as well. Lord knows marzipan is one of the best things ever created. I didn't really like it when I was a kid, but it's sorta' grown on me over the years. Just like licorice, mustard, brown cheese and raw/unprocessed tomatoes. (I adored spaghetti sauce with tomatoes and ketchup when I was a kid, but ironically enough I couldn't stand raw tomatoes. In case you didn't know, I was weird back then. Heck, I'm still weird in many ways!)
So what's missing now to make the picture complete is SNOW. That and reading by a lit fireplace snuggled inside a blanket in your jammies and favorite slippers sipping gløgg (approx. the same as mulled wine) while huge cotton-like wads of snow quietly fall to the ground. With the sweet and spicy smell of gløgg gradually filling the air and the sporadic crackling from the fireplace in reach. Oh yeah. Bliss. ("Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...")
*snaps out of trance* Hokai. Enough for now. I'd better hit the sack and get my beauty sleep. Going to church with dark bags underneath your eyes isn't exactly ideal. Besides, Sir Play-It-Loud seems to have surrendered to the increasing levels of serotonin in his body. Finally. I should do the same.
'Till next time!
Signing off (zzz...),
Elise
Showing posts with label uni. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uni. Show all posts
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
"Whatever..."
Watch her hand gesture in the middle of this clip. Adorable!
Meanwhile, I'm meeting up with my Senior High (Upper Secondary) School tomorrow with the rest of my group (we're 8 people in total going to the same school). How do I feel about that? I'll tell you: It's a mix of terror, happiness, giddiness, worry, nervousness, exitement, anticipation, anxiousness and butterflies. I'll only be observing at this stage (at least officially speaking), but it's all up to the teachers if they want us to participate in the classes instead of just sitting there looking at what's going on. We'll see what happens...
Signing off (and hitting the books one last time for the day, still sensing the butterflies in her stomach already),
Elise
Meanwhile, I'm meeting up with my Senior High (Upper Secondary) School tomorrow with the rest of my group (we're 8 people in total going to the same school). How do I feel about that? I'll tell you: It's a mix of terror, happiness, giddiness, worry, nervousness, exitement, anticipation, anxiousness and butterflies. I'll only be observing at this stage (at least officially speaking), but it's all up to the teachers if they want us to participate in the classes instead of just sitting there looking at what's going on. We'll see what happens...
Signing off (and hitting the books one last time for the day, still sensing the butterflies in her stomach already),
Elise
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Nobody told me there'd be days like these.
In case you didn't know, this is part of the chorus in the all-too-famous John Lennon song "Nobody Told Me". It couldn't be more fitting right now, considering the fact that I've got a cold. Again. Ugh. I'd just barely gotten rid of the first wave (hardly even that, seeing as it's still coming out at the moment) when suddenly, after having laughed my head off last evening/night with a couple of friends, I noticed I got a little sumthin'-sumthin' in my throat. In other words, a hairball. Uy. I went to bed last night with the voice of a gecko and woke up today only to find it was still there. Topped off with my head spinning slightly. Again, uy. So, as in so many times before, I've now stocked up with grapes, a banana, 3 apples, soup for dinner, tea, infusions, lemon juice, honey and peppermint essential oil to gargle with (if worst comes to worst) and to just clear the air of my flat.
And then there's the left-over chocs from last night for the more extreme cases of self-pity. ;-)
"Nobody told me there'd be days like these..."
To keep myself preoccupied, then, the professors have been so kind and generous as to overload us with reading material and a presentation next week. Or well, technically we're talking about two. Yarr.
There is so friggin' much to do this year you have no idea. But then again I just might have been spoiled with only having three 2hr classes last semester and sort of waltzing through it. I might have gotten too used to having more time than enough to read up on the texts and take notes. Now, however, eh. Not so much. Or rather, not as much.
Again, "nobody told me there'd be days like these..."
So yeah, anyway, I went to my second Catholic mass on campus last Wednesday. "Why only second?" you may ask so cleverly. Because of classes always colliding with this mass. They still do. However, a friend/classmate of mine invited me to join in on mass + lunch considering the usual Wed. lecture was canceled, so I did. A few people there, actually, although we were only 7 people. Of which were one priest and myself as the only girl there. Hm. A potentially socially awkward situation, but actually it was quite nice. I felt like I fit in instantly. Needless to say it was all small talk, but for me it was nice to actually get to know some Catholics there; and practicing Catholics at that. And no, no potential bf's there. It was all strictly platonic. I'm not exactly looking for one at the moment either. Don't expect me to elaborate further on that.
"Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed
Strange days indeed..."
Signing off,
Elise
Saturday, August 29, 2009
A day wasted academically speaking, but with lots of thoughts (brace yourself).
Hokai. Back again.
Just finished watching "Moonwalker" on TV, when I really should have continued writing my essay due Fri. It was ok, but you could see that Michael's vids had been pieced together. A little... what's the word... "synthetic"? I didn't really manage to catch the very beginning of it, but with all due respect, Your Majesty, the King of Pop, it just didn't quite... do it for me. I mean, his vids are basically stories in themselves, so trying to piece them together into one story might be too much of a tall order. I dunno. As I said, it was ok.
Furthermore, I'd just finished watching the last part of the televised funeral of Ted Kennedy as well, so by all means, my opinion could have been a little affected by that as well. Catholic as I am, it felt quite nice to see how the ceremonies in the States were in comparison to those here in Norway. Mostly the same, though with a few tweaks to the sequence. By tweaks I mean omissions. But okay. I'll leave it at that. All of the people of political importance in the States seemed to be there: President and Mrs. Obama, Pres. Clinton and Senator Clinton, Pres. and Mrs. Bush, Senator McCain, Senator... Oh, what's her name? You know, the "pigs-wearing-lipstick" Senator... Sarah Palin! Right, that's the one. And then Kennedy's family was there: the few remaining members of the Camelot era (to put it that way) and their kids and grandkids. The eulogies were so moving. They mostly followed the same layout in no particular order: first an address to the family members and the congregation, then impressions of the mass and/or personal sentiments with respect to Kennedy's passing, personal experiences with him, then an alternation between general sentiments and personal experiences before rounding it off. Clichéd to some extent, I guess, but it was interesting to see how alike his sons were to himself - as well as JFK. The latter kind of resemblance (viz. between that of Ted Kennedy's sons and JFK) was the most striking, albeit obvious in that he was their uncle (!). I mean, the eyes, the slightly nasal voices, the marked angular jawlines, and the pronunciation + intonation were striking. Again, it didn't really come as no surprise, but it was so incredibly fascinating to watch the similarities. I have to say, though, that President Obama's speech was for me the best one there, even though -- or perhaps because -- he had a slightly more distanced relationship to the late Ted Kennedy than being a family member.
Oh, and the thing that moved me the most were "Panis Angelicus" (Bread of Angels) performed by Plácido Domingo and Yo-Yo Ma (worldwide reknowned cellist) and "Ave Maria" (Hail Mary; Schubert version) by... some soprano who, due to ignorance, will remain nameless. It might be because I haven't been well lately that I was moved to tears by these performances, but seriously, they were indescribably beautiful. Especially "Panis Angelicus". My God, to think You've created such beautiful voices is just downright amazing!
But pursuing the topic of me not feeling very well, this basically started on Fri. I had 2 classes from 8am to 12pm that day, so at the end of the classes I hadn't eaten since 7:20 or so. So you can imagine I was starving by then. The sound even resonated throughout the classroom (not to the same extent as in ExPhil for those who were so unfortunate as to experience that! Again, sorry...), but it was somewhat uncomfortable for yours truly, at the very least. Anyway, as I had some time inbetween the end of class and doing lunch with a friend of mine, I decided to hand in the police certificate to the faculty administration (to make sure that my criminal record was clean before starting the teaching practice at the school). So after having gobbled down some cottage cheese with strawberry jam, I noticed that my head was still spinning a little. I was clearly hungry. Nonetheless, I had to hand it in, as I wanted to get the whole shebang over with once and for all.
(I'd received a general police certificate which the admin. didn't accept because the relevant articles on teaching in Norwegian law weren't specified. The police sent me a revised one instead -- this time with the wrong name, address and social security number (!!!). Then, after 2 weeks, I finally got the right one (with an apology for the inconvenience on a post-it note).)
So yeah, I handed it in, and after a little hesitance from their part and a bit of 'splaining/telling them off, the administration accepted it. Thank God! I so didn't need that, especially when I was tired, hungry and prone to be exceedingly cranky at that moment. Blargh! Not a good combo.
Either way, I arrived at the cafeteria to meet my friend, I sat down, took off my jacket and waited. I remember feeling a little cold right then, but I didn't pay much attention to that. It persisted, though, and I really started to get a little worried, as my head was still spinning a little and my limbs felt like lead. So after having eaten and chatted a bit, I went home. I literally spent all of that evening lying on my bed, head spinning, limbs feeling extraordinarily heavy, muscles aching suspiciously more than usual after my first workout, and body temperature seemingly alternating between hot and cold. It was normal, though. I just couldn't understand what was going on. Was this a case of the swine flu? Knock on wood! Again, my temperature was around 37C, so I wasn't really sick per se. Just to be on the safe side, I took some paracetamol as I was lying there gulping down tea, chamomile infusion and orange juice (the last few deciliters I had left in the fridge) and tried to chomp on some bread for the sake of getting some solid food in my gut as well. Better to nip it at the bud if it were to be a case of a fever or flu. Didn't work. So before I went to sleep I took another paracetamol tablet and prayed for it to pass. Seriously, right now I don't have time to get sick! I have to have enough energy to finish up my essay!
Right now, after having alternated between sleeping and going to the bathroom during the night and after having spent too much time taking it easy when I woke up to make sure it was all out of my system before I did anything else, I feel much better. I know what it was, but what caused it is up for speculation. I reckon it was probably a combination of unexpectedly much wind and rain, me not eating regularly that day, sitting under a vent in the cafeteria, my sweating after having scurried back and forth from home to campus and around campus, and too much lactic acid in my muscles after my first workout. Mmm... lovely. I'm sure many of you can relate to something similar to this. It's not exactly cloud 9, to put it that way.
Besides uni and a new course program, there's also another issue that's been keeping my mind occupied. About 2.5 weeks ago, I got a text from my mom that a close family friend found a tumor in her uterus. The doctors said it was the size of a child's head (I guess by this they meant the size of a baby's head). They weren't sure if it was benign or malignant, but after having taken a CAT scan they could at least determine that it wasn't spreading, nor was the tumor growing. As this was a delicate matter -- and since she had told this to my mom -- I didn't want to talk to Mom's friend just yet to express my sympathies and support for her and her fam.
Yet just recently I plucked up the courage to send her a text, at least. By that time Mom 'n' Dad had just visited her and her husband, so I thought that she must know that I know about it by now. Anyway, I sent her a message expressing my shock and that she was in my prayers, trying consciously to avoid expressing pity. That's the last thing she needs at the moment. In such cases you want to tread carefully. Support, yes, but pity, no. I rounded it off elegantly with "big hug, Elise". Anyway, she really appreciated it and even told me "if only you knew how great hugs you give, Elise!". A tad awkward as this was more of a virtual hug rather than a physical one (I haven't seen her for ages), but ok. It was nice to get that verification that what I wrote didn't offend her in any way. You never know how people may react in such cases. Anyway, she told me she was doing fine and that she was going to have another run of tests in about 3 weeks time. Apparently the doctors don't want to take any tests of the tumor until they have extracted it completely. This to prevent any potential spreading of any cancerous cells. When this will be done, I don't know as of yet, but I reckon she'll either tell me or Mom about it. For the mean time they try to think as little of it as possible.
There are times like these when you get a slight wake-up call. We aren't as invincible as we'd like to think. We are but mere mortals. You think that these things only happen to those outside your circle of acquaintances, not to those within it. The thing is, they can. That's the cynical, cold, hard truth. I know this from experience, and those of you who have really stuck by me for eons know what I'm talking about.
When I think about this even more, I find that life in itself is basically a constant struggle for survival. You never really think about it when you're in the middle of it, but with every action, be it done consciously or unconsciously, you really are just ensuring that you'll continue living. The thing is just that there are only a few things that are under your control. To put it a little figuratively, you never know what will happen to you when you turn a corner. As Forrest Gump's mom always said: "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." This could never sound truer right now. But the key is -- as we all may be aware of -- is to just take what comes your way and deal with it when it comes. To worry too much about what comes around the bend will result in too much worrying and paranoia. Then again, to worry too little about it is apathetic and cynical. So the golden rule is basically to worry, but not worry too much. All things in moderation. And appreciate all the good things that happen to you, 'cause these are your life's little gems.
Man, this was deep. Heh, again, news such as this kinda gets you thinking.
Now, a little request for you readers out there who might be Christian/Catholic or religious in any way. You might have guessed it by now. Could you please include this family friend of ours in your prayers? Both she and her family need all of our support right now. She's being brave about it all, though, despite all of this. But still, what else can you do but be brave in such a situation? Who wouldn't have to accept what life throws at you? You'd be a fool if you didn't. As she told me: "Life isn't a cakewalk, but you just have to make the most of it."
I know your prayers help. Thanks.
Signing off,
Elise
Ps.: Here's Plácido Domingo's performance from Ted Kennedy's funeral plus the choir singing "Let Nothing Ever Grieve Thee" (Brahms). Domingo starts his performance during the Communion, at about 2:04. You can perhaps see/hear why it moved me to tears.
Just finished watching "Moonwalker" on TV, when I really should have continued writing my essay due Fri. It was ok, but you could see that Michael's vids had been pieced together. A little... what's the word... "synthetic"? I didn't really manage to catch the very beginning of it, but with all due respect, Your Majesty, the King of Pop, it just didn't quite... do it for me. I mean, his vids are basically stories in themselves, so trying to piece them together into one story might be too much of a tall order. I dunno. As I said, it was ok.
Furthermore, I'd just finished watching the last part of the televised funeral of Ted Kennedy as well, so by all means, my opinion could have been a little affected by that as well. Catholic as I am, it felt quite nice to see how the ceremonies in the States were in comparison to those here in Norway. Mostly the same, though with a few tweaks to the sequence. By tweaks I mean omissions. But okay. I'll leave it at that. All of the people of political importance in the States seemed to be there: President and Mrs. Obama, Pres. Clinton and Senator Clinton, Pres. and Mrs. Bush, Senator McCain, Senator... Oh, what's her name? You know, the "pigs-wearing-lipstick" Senator... Sarah Palin! Right, that's the one. And then Kennedy's family was there: the few remaining members of the Camelot era (to put it that way) and their kids and grandkids. The eulogies were so moving. They mostly followed the same layout in no particular order: first an address to the family members and the congregation, then impressions of the mass and/or personal sentiments with respect to Kennedy's passing, personal experiences with him, then an alternation between general sentiments and personal experiences before rounding it off. Clichéd to some extent, I guess, but it was interesting to see how alike his sons were to himself - as well as JFK. The latter kind of resemblance (viz. between that of Ted Kennedy's sons and JFK) was the most striking, albeit obvious in that he was their uncle (!). I mean, the eyes, the slightly nasal voices, the marked angular jawlines, and the pronunciation + intonation were striking. Again, it didn't really come as no surprise, but it was so incredibly fascinating to watch the similarities. I have to say, though, that President Obama's speech was for me the best one there, even though -- or perhaps because -- he had a slightly more distanced relationship to the late Ted Kennedy than being a family member.
Oh, and the thing that moved me the most were "Panis Angelicus" (Bread of Angels) performed by Plácido Domingo and Yo-Yo Ma (worldwide reknowned cellist) and "Ave Maria" (Hail Mary; Schubert version) by... some soprano who, due to ignorance, will remain nameless. It might be because I haven't been well lately that I was moved to tears by these performances, but seriously, they were indescribably beautiful. Especially "Panis Angelicus". My God, to think You've created such beautiful voices is just downright amazing!
But pursuing the topic of me not feeling very well, this basically started on Fri. I had 2 classes from 8am to 12pm that day, so at the end of the classes I hadn't eaten since 7:20 or so. So you can imagine I was starving by then. The sound even resonated throughout the classroom (not to the same extent as in ExPhil for those who were so unfortunate as to experience that! Again, sorry...), but it was somewhat uncomfortable for yours truly, at the very least. Anyway, as I had some time inbetween the end of class and doing lunch with a friend of mine, I decided to hand in the police certificate to the faculty administration (to make sure that my criminal record was clean before starting the teaching practice at the school). So after having gobbled down some cottage cheese with strawberry jam, I noticed that my head was still spinning a little. I was clearly hungry. Nonetheless, I had to hand it in, as I wanted to get the whole shebang over with once and for all.
(I'd received a general police certificate which the admin. didn't accept because the relevant articles on teaching in Norwegian law weren't specified. The police sent me a revised one instead -- this time with the wrong name, address and social security number (!!!). Then, after 2 weeks, I finally got the right one (with an apology for the inconvenience on a post-it note).)
So yeah, I handed it in, and after a little hesitance from their part and a bit of 'splaining/telling them off, the administration accepted it. Thank God! I so didn't need that, especially when I was tired, hungry and prone to be exceedingly cranky at that moment. Blargh! Not a good combo.
Either way, I arrived at the cafeteria to meet my friend, I sat down, took off my jacket and waited. I remember feeling a little cold right then, but I didn't pay much attention to that. It persisted, though, and I really started to get a little worried, as my head was still spinning a little and my limbs felt like lead. So after having eaten and chatted a bit, I went home. I literally spent all of that evening lying on my bed, head spinning, limbs feeling extraordinarily heavy, muscles aching suspiciously more than usual after my first workout, and body temperature seemingly alternating between hot and cold. It was normal, though. I just couldn't understand what was going on. Was this a case of the swine flu? Knock on wood! Again, my temperature was around 37C, so I wasn't really sick per se. Just to be on the safe side, I took some paracetamol as I was lying there gulping down tea, chamomile infusion and orange juice (the last few deciliters I had left in the fridge) and tried to chomp on some bread for the sake of getting some solid food in my gut as well. Better to nip it at the bud if it were to be a case of a fever or flu. Didn't work. So before I went to sleep I took another paracetamol tablet and prayed for it to pass. Seriously, right now I don't have time to get sick! I have to have enough energy to finish up my essay!
Right now, after having alternated between sleeping and going to the bathroom during the night and after having spent too much time taking it easy when I woke up to make sure it was all out of my system before I did anything else, I feel much better. I know what it was, but what caused it is up for speculation. I reckon it was probably a combination of unexpectedly much wind and rain, me not eating regularly that day, sitting under a vent in the cafeteria, my sweating after having scurried back and forth from home to campus and around campus, and too much lactic acid in my muscles after my first workout. Mmm... lovely. I'm sure many of you can relate to something similar to this. It's not exactly cloud 9, to put it that way.
Besides uni and a new course program, there's also another issue that's been keeping my mind occupied. About 2.5 weeks ago, I got a text from my mom that a close family friend found a tumor in her uterus. The doctors said it was the size of a child's head (I guess by this they meant the size of a baby's head). They weren't sure if it was benign or malignant, but after having taken a CAT scan they could at least determine that it wasn't spreading, nor was the tumor growing. As this was a delicate matter -- and since she had told this to my mom -- I didn't want to talk to Mom's friend just yet to express my sympathies and support for her and her fam.
Yet just recently I plucked up the courage to send her a text, at least. By that time Mom 'n' Dad had just visited her and her husband, so I thought that she must know that I know about it by now. Anyway, I sent her a message expressing my shock and that she was in my prayers, trying consciously to avoid expressing pity. That's the last thing she needs at the moment. In such cases you want to tread carefully. Support, yes, but pity, no. I rounded it off elegantly with "big hug, Elise". Anyway, she really appreciated it and even told me "if only you knew how great hugs you give, Elise!". A tad awkward as this was more of a virtual hug rather than a physical one (I haven't seen her for ages), but ok. It was nice to get that verification that what I wrote didn't offend her in any way. You never know how people may react in such cases. Anyway, she told me she was doing fine and that she was going to have another run of tests in about 3 weeks time. Apparently the doctors don't want to take any tests of the tumor until they have extracted it completely. This to prevent any potential spreading of any cancerous cells. When this will be done, I don't know as of yet, but I reckon she'll either tell me or Mom about it. For the mean time they try to think as little of it as possible.
There are times like these when you get a slight wake-up call. We aren't as invincible as we'd like to think. We are but mere mortals. You think that these things only happen to those outside your circle of acquaintances, not to those within it. The thing is, they can. That's the cynical, cold, hard truth. I know this from experience, and those of you who have really stuck by me for eons know what I'm talking about.
When I think about this even more, I find that life in itself is basically a constant struggle for survival. You never really think about it when you're in the middle of it, but with every action, be it done consciously or unconsciously, you really are just ensuring that you'll continue living. The thing is just that there are only a few things that are under your control. To put it a little figuratively, you never know what will happen to you when you turn a corner. As Forrest Gump's mom always said: "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." This could never sound truer right now. But the key is -- as we all may be aware of -- is to just take what comes your way and deal with it when it comes. To worry too much about what comes around the bend will result in too much worrying and paranoia. Then again, to worry too little about it is apathetic and cynical. So the golden rule is basically to worry, but not worry too much. All things in moderation. And appreciate all the good things that happen to you, 'cause these are your life's little gems.
Man, this was deep. Heh, again, news such as this kinda gets you thinking.
Now, a little request for you readers out there who might be Christian/Catholic or religious in any way. You might have guessed it by now. Could you please include this family friend of ours in your prayers? Both she and her family need all of our support right now. She's being brave about it all, though, despite all of this. But still, what else can you do but be brave in such a situation? Who wouldn't have to accept what life throws at you? You'd be a fool if you didn't. As she told me: "Life isn't a cakewalk, but you just have to make the most of it."
I know your prayers help. Thanks.
Signing off,
Elise
Ps.: Here's Plácido Domingo's performance from Ted Kennedy's funeral plus the choir singing "Let Nothing Ever Grieve Thee" (Brahms). Domingo starts his performance during the Communion, at about 2:04. You can perhaps see/hear why it moved me to tears.
Monday, April 27, 2009
I've got a song stuck in my head.
Recently I've "discovered" the talent prodigy of one of the most genious musicians of all time, Julian Lennon. And you might guess who his father is. You can notice that there's definitely a substantial amount of his father's genes that have been passed on to him.
I just adore this song. The musical quality and the lyrics are just mind-blowing. I love the use of strings and the guitar riff (which is coincidentally (?) reminiscent of those by George Harrison). Just makes the song sound... full. Complete, in a sense. Just has that flavor to it that seems as if it's bombarding you with sound from all directions. And in perfect harmony. Awesome. The vid to it is fitting, but the song in itself is what stands out to me. Just downright beautiful. So turn the volume up to the max, click "play", sit back and enjoy.
Needless to say, he has that Lennony flavor to his voice, though he definitely has his own style as well when you listen to some of his other songs. A little bit more mainstream than his half-brother Sean (who has chosen a more borderline-experimental-Tim Burton/Danny Elfman-esque style - at least judging by the one song I've heard from him), but still very catchy. Have a listen to "Dead Meat" and you'll know what I mean.
Apparently Julian is going to release another album soon after having had an endlessly long hiatus, and based on this song (and others by him) I'm seriously considering buying it. Or maybe just go for his VH1 collection first. Hm. We'll see.
Meanwhile, I have hardly done anything today besides working out and doing my translation assignment for tomorrow. I just haven't really had the energy for some reason. And they say working out is supposed to give you more energy. Bah. Poppycock. (Which is one of the stranger words in the English language, mind you. You might imagine why...)
Anywho, enough chitchat and nonsense from my part. I should get some things done before it's too late. Not sure if I wanna.
Signing off (blahly),
Elise
I just adore this song. The musical quality and the lyrics are just mind-blowing. I love the use of strings and the guitar riff (which is coincidentally (?) reminiscent of those by George Harrison). Just makes the song sound... full. Complete, in a sense. Just has that flavor to it that seems as if it's bombarding you with sound from all directions. And in perfect harmony. Awesome. The vid to it is fitting, but the song in itself is what stands out to me. Just downright beautiful. So turn the volume up to the max, click "play", sit back and enjoy.
Needless to say, he has that Lennony flavor to his voice, though he definitely has his own style as well when you listen to some of his other songs. A little bit more mainstream than his half-brother Sean (who has chosen a more borderline-experimental-Tim Burton/Danny Elfman-esque style - at least judging by the one song I've heard from him), but still very catchy. Have a listen to "Dead Meat" and you'll know what I mean.
Apparently Julian is going to release another album soon after having had an endlessly long hiatus, and based on this song (and others by him) I'm seriously considering buying it. Or maybe just go for his VH1 collection first. Hm. We'll see.
Meanwhile, I have hardly done anything today besides working out and doing my translation assignment for tomorrow. I just haven't really had the energy for some reason. And they say working out is supposed to give you more energy. Bah. Poppycock. (Which is one of the stranger words in the English language, mind you. You might imagine why...)
Anywho, enough chitchat and nonsense from my part. I should get some things done before it's too late. Not sure if I wanna.
Signing off (blahly),
Elise
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
"Ubi Caritas et Aaaaaamor... Ubi Caritas Deus Ibi Est..."
Why I wrote this, I have no clue. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. (FTR, this is Latin (!) and means something along the lines of "where there is charity and loooooove, where there is charity, God is present.")
So. Long time, no blog. Needless to say, I've been kinda busy lately; what with the whole new idea of studying Hispanic texts from "el Siglo de Oro" ("the Golden Age"). I must admit that I was panicking quite a bit after the first week we had classes. I mean, this course started two weeks after the other ones and if we wanted to change into another we only had 4 days to decide. That is NOT fair. At all. I was in fact one of those who thought about changing courses into something easier (or sounded easier, at least); in fact I'd also discovered a Spanish Poetry course, which would span from the Golden Age to contemporary poetry. However, after having fretted about this to my parents, I decided - at the last minute - to stick to what I already had. Besides, I believe that this course would prepare me better for any challenges ahead in terms of teaching as well as future course qualifications. If I pass this (God willing), I believe this will be of great aid to me. After all, we'll be studying Don Quijote in a little while (i.e. the most famous Spanish novel in the world, and also coincidentally dubbed the "world's greatest novel".
Size-wise, I'm not too sure about that.
Besides this, so far I've managed to stick to my New Year's resolution of working out more. I must admit it's become more of a habit now, which is exactly what I wanted. Mind you, I should have had some more time to do this to get the full benefit of it (and also do some more cardio-vascular exercises - but I find these utterly booooriiiing), but as of now with my Lit. and Pragmatics and all that comes with them this can't be done.
Ugh, I've lost my life. Please leave your name and address in a comment if you've found it.
Hang on, actually, I'm telling a lie here, 'cause Mom's coming over this weekend! *happy dance* Think she's anxious about seeing my new room. Plus she's going to deliver some books from Spain she bought for me when on vacation. Among others... the Spanish version of Don Quijote. I must say I feel kinda guilty for using those books, 'cause they're so pretty... They've got such nice pics in them with glossy pages - and a case to put them in (!)... And there I come with my ammo of highlighters, pens, pencils and erasers ready to smear, smudge, color and scribble all over it. But hey, it's either this or pay up for other varieties of books I already have. So there.
Meanwhile, I've FINALLY finished La Vida de Lazarillo de Tormes! Yaaaay! My first completion of a book from the Golden Age!!! It wasn't all bad, it just takes up A LOT of time to look up the words. I'm one of those people who has to scribble down things in the margin or above words to remind myself of what they mean, so that just adds on to the workload. But hey, no pain, no gain. :-)
Oooh, btw, I found the most intriguing vid I've ever come across so far! I dunno, it's just the different reactions of the customers seeing the camera on the conveyor belt (or not even noticing it) and the apparent ignoring of the chefs that's interesting. Very artsy. Besides, I adore sushi, which makes me love this vid even more. :-) Oh, and btw, this was shot at a "Tokyo/Asakasa sushi bar named Maguro-bito".
Signing off (slightly blah, but content for having finished Lazarillo (although the greatest Spanish literary feat remains... *swallows hard*)),
Elise
So. Long time, no blog. Needless to say, I've been kinda busy lately; what with the whole new idea of studying Hispanic texts from "el Siglo de Oro" ("the Golden Age"). I must admit that I was panicking quite a bit after the first week we had classes. I mean, this course started two weeks after the other ones and if we wanted to change into another we only had 4 days to decide. That is NOT fair. At all. I was in fact one of those who thought about changing courses into something easier (or sounded easier, at least); in fact I'd also discovered a Spanish Poetry course, which would span from the Golden Age to contemporary poetry. However, after having fretted about this to my parents, I decided - at the last minute - to stick to what I already had. Besides, I believe that this course would prepare me better for any challenges ahead in terms of teaching as well as future course qualifications. If I pass this (God willing), I believe this will be of great aid to me. After all, we'll be studying Don Quijote in a little while (i.e. the most famous Spanish novel in the world, and also coincidentally dubbed the "world's greatest novel".
Size-wise, I'm not too sure about that.
Besides this, so far I've managed to stick to my New Year's resolution of working out more. I must admit it's become more of a habit now, which is exactly what I wanted. Mind you, I should have had some more time to do this to get the full benefit of it (and also do some more cardio-vascular exercises - but I find these utterly booooriiiing), but as of now with my Lit. and Pragmatics and all that comes with them this can't be done.
Ugh, I've lost my life. Please leave your name and address in a comment if you've found it.
Hang on, actually, I'm telling a lie here, 'cause Mom's coming over this weekend! *happy dance* Think she's anxious about seeing my new room. Plus she's going to deliver some books from Spain she bought for me when on vacation. Among others... the Spanish version of Don Quijote. I must say I feel kinda guilty for using those books, 'cause they're so pretty... They've got such nice pics in them with glossy pages - and a case to put them in (!)... And there I come with my ammo of highlighters, pens, pencils and erasers ready to smear, smudge, color and scribble all over it. But hey, it's either this or pay up for other varieties of books I already have. So there.
Meanwhile, I've FINALLY finished La Vida de Lazarillo de Tormes! Yaaaay! My first completion of a book from the Golden Age!!! It wasn't all bad, it just takes up A LOT of time to look up the words. I'm one of those people who has to scribble down things in the margin or above words to remind myself of what they mean, so that just adds on to the workload. But hey, no pain, no gain. :-)
Oooh, btw, I found the most intriguing vid I've ever come across so far! I dunno, it's just the different reactions of the customers seeing the camera on the conveyor belt (or not even noticing it) and the apparent ignoring of the chefs that's interesting. Very artsy. Besides, I adore sushi, which makes me love this vid even more. :-) Oh, and btw, this was shot at a "Tokyo/Asakasa sushi bar named Maguro-bito".
Signing off (slightly blah, but content for having finished Lazarillo (although the greatest Spanish literary feat remains... *swallows hard*)),
Elise
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas time is here again!
That was a tribute to all you Beatle fans out there who might be reading this humble blog.
Aaah. At home at last. And I haven't been able to update until now as I've been busy with work and stuff. Stuff as in shopping Christmas gifts and sleeping. I haven't had proper time to rest since I got home as I voluntarily jumped on the bandwagon of vacant evening shifts at work. I'm done for now, but I've let them know that I'm available for other vacancies should they need more workers.
Anyway, tomorrow's the Day with a capital "D". All gifts have been bought, cards have been sent (albeit only one - and kinda late at that...) and I can't wait to put my feet up for some days and just relax.
Grades have gone as expected for now, but I still lack the results for SFG. Frankly I'm a little concerned. I mean, conventionally, we should get our grades before Christmas, right? For all I know it could just be that our teacher hasn't gotten the grading done before vacation, but still... I can't help but feel a little (i.e. slightly) distressed. Nevertheless, all that can be done is just to wait.
Meanwhile, I also need to get done my application to my pedagogy year next fall. I kinda wanna apply to more than this uni, as it only has 360 vacancies reserved for students outside the profession study program. I just want to make sure that I can complete it next year and not have to postpone it more than need be. Ideally, what I want to do is apply to various unis across the country and see if I get in anywhere else. Just to have something to fall back on in case things in Oslo go completely awry.
Anyway, academics aside, I haven't gotten the chance to see all of my friends yet, but I hope to do so as much as possible within the coming days. Seeing my best friend again was really nice. Obviously she's looking forward to her Big Day (i.e. the one after Christmas), although she appears to take it all with an air of ease. A good sign, I think. Besides, it won't be a big one either. They aren't exactly the people who like to have big and lavish parties in the first place. I still can't wait, though! :-D
Another thing I can't wait for is resting this vacation and really absorb the Christmas spirit. Me, Mom and a friend of hers went to a concert yesterday at Bjergsted (you know, the one with Bettan and Rein Alexander) and although it was almost straight after work and I was utterly knackered, it was still a really nice way of getting into the spirit. When it comes to Christmas songs, these guys can really evoke that warm, fuzzy feeling inside that you used to have as a child during Christmas - or at least a slight tinge of it. They even did Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli's "The Prayer". As in most cases, it doesn't beat the original, but it was still quite good, though. Not much of the vocal acrobatics from her side as in the original (not that I care for too much of it in a song, mind you), but it was still good.
So, without further ado, I round off for now with this Christmas greeting from the Beatles and a slightly tweaked Christmas classic - just to set you all in the right spirit. Or at least close to the right spirit... ;-)
Signing off (*bells jingling*),
Elise
Aaah. At home at last. And I haven't been able to update until now as I've been busy with work and stuff. Stuff as in shopping Christmas gifts and sleeping. I haven't had proper time to rest since I got home as I voluntarily jumped on the bandwagon of vacant evening shifts at work. I'm done for now, but I've let them know that I'm available for other vacancies should they need more workers.
Anyway, tomorrow's the Day with a capital "D". All gifts have been bought, cards have been sent (albeit only one - and kinda late at that...) and I can't wait to put my feet up for some days and just relax.
Grades have gone as expected for now, but I still lack the results for SFG. Frankly I'm a little concerned. I mean, conventionally, we should get our grades before Christmas, right? For all I know it could just be that our teacher hasn't gotten the grading done before vacation, but still... I can't help but feel a little (i.e. slightly) distressed. Nevertheless, all that can be done is just to wait.
Meanwhile, I also need to get done my application to my pedagogy year next fall. I kinda wanna apply to more than this uni, as it only has 360 vacancies reserved for students outside the profession study program. I just want to make sure that I can complete it next year and not have to postpone it more than need be. Ideally, what I want to do is apply to various unis across the country and see if I get in anywhere else. Just to have something to fall back on in case things in Oslo go completely awry.
Anyway, academics aside, I haven't gotten the chance to see all of my friends yet, but I hope to do so as much as possible within the coming days. Seeing my best friend again was really nice. Obviously she's looking forward to her Big Day (i.e. the one after Christmas), although she appears to take it all with an air of ease. A good sign, I think. Besides, it won't be a big one either. They aren't exactly the people who like to have big and lavish parties in the first place. I still can't wait, though! :-D
Another thing I can't wait for is resting this vacation and really absorb the Christmas spirit. Me, Mom and a friend of hers went to a concert yesterday at Bjergsted (you know, the one with Bettan and Rein Alexander) and although it was almost straight after work and I was utterly knackered, it was still a really nice way of getting into the spirit. When it comes to Christmas songs, these guys can really evoke that warm, fuzzy feeling inside that you used to have as a child during Christmas - or at least a slight tinge of it. They even did Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli's "The Prayer". As in most cases, it doesn't beat the original, but it was still quite good, though. Not much of the vocal acrobatics from her side as in the original (not that I care for too much of it in a song, mind you), but it was still good.
So, without further ado, I round off for now with this Christmas greeting from the Beatles and a slightly tweaked Christmas classic - just to set you all in the right spirit. Or at least close to the right spirit... ;-)
Signing off (*bells jingling*),
Elise
Thursday, October 09, 2008
THIS SUCKS. BIG TIME. (HENCE THE UPPER-CASE LETTERS.)
I just found out that I can't take the Newer Hispan. Lit. course I wanted to take Spring '09. For SOME reason, the teacher had cancelled all lectures/classes for that semester. So NOW I have to settle with Older (Elder?) Hispan. Lit. instead.
*grr* (#1)
IN ADDITION, I also found that there are virtually NO courses regarding American History or Civilization in said spring semester EITHER. So if I'm aiming to fill my 30-credit minimum quota for what is supposed to be my final Bachelor semester, I have no other choice but to take "American politics, institutions, geography and economic system". Which will suffice, I guess, but was not quite what I had expected. I wanted more of the American history bit instead of simply just a focus on the contemporary stuff.
*grr* (#2)
FURTHERMORE, it's not possible for me to take the introductory course in Iberian history EITHER. That TOO is only offered in autumn semesters.
*GRR* (#3, more forcefully this time as my agitation rises)
Needless to say, I feel ripped off. Very ripped off, as a matter of fact. And I don't think I'm the only one who's ever felt that before. I just CAN'T BELIEVE what the uni's done to the supposed "array" of courses per semester. This goes particularly to the British and American courses offered here. As far as Spanish is concerned, there have been a few cuts, but not quite as substantial as those concerning English language and English-speaking cultures. Us students are supposed to CHOOSE our own study path without having to resort to taking courses against our will due to inflexibilities of others. Whatever happened to the free choice that the politicians have talked about for what seems ages? Whatever happened to the focus on the educational system and the promotion of higher education?
("Whatever happened to [y]our love? I wish I understood..." (FYI, "S.O.S." by ABBA) Yes, there's still room for randomness in the midst of a fiery rant of the faults of Norwegian higher education.)
Bah. Humbug.
In times like these I just wish that I could flee to some other uni and study there instead, be it another Norwegian uni which actually DOES offer the courses I wish to take in the spring semester or a uni in another country, preferably one in either Spain/Latin America or Canada/the States - where I might perhaps get an even BETTER offer of such courses than here in Norway.
But naturally I won't resort to such drastic measures. I won't jeopardize my being in the Oslo system for this. Besides, it's too late for me to apply for a semester abroad anyway. The deadline for these applications was a couple of weeks ago.
*heaves a deep sigh*
Anyway, enough ranting. On the brighter side of this, I still am able to complete my criteria for entering the Pedagogy year next autumn, as I just had to make a few minor adjustments to my Spanish (future) credits. Older Hispan. Lit. instead of Newer Hispan. Lit. (GRRRRRRRRRRRR!) I'm still able to qualify for that year, at least here in Oslo. The rest of the stuff I'm planning on taking are just things that may come in handy when I'm working.
If only I could take Iberian History. If only I could take an American history course.
If only students had a better course selection.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. I repeat: THIS SUCKS.
Signing off (frustratingly),
Elise
*grr* (#1)
IN ADDITION, I also found that there are virtually NO courses regarding American History or Civilization in said spring semester EITHER. So if I'm aiming to fill my 30-credit minimum quota for what is supposed to be my final Bachelor semester, I have no other choice but to take "American politics, institutions, geography and economic system". Which will suffice, I guess, but was not quite what I had expected. I wanted more of the American history bit instead of simply just a focus on the contemporary stuff.
*grr* (#2)
FURTHERMORE, it's not possible for me to take the introductory course in Iberian history EITHER. That TOO is only offered in autumn semesters.
*GRR* (#3, more forcefully this time as my agitation rises)
Needless to say, I feel ripped off. Very ripped off, as a matter of fact. And I don't think I'm the only one who's ever felt that before. I just CAN'T BELIEVE what the uni's done to the supposed "array" of courses per semester. This goes particularly to the British and American courses offered here. As far as Spanish is concerned, there have been a few cuts, but not quite as substantial as those concerning English language and English-speaking cultures. Us students are supposed to CHOOSE our own study path without having to resort to taking courses against our will due to inflexibilities of others. Whatever happened to the free choice that the politicians have talked about for what seems ages? Whatever happened to the focus on the educational system and the promotion of higher education?
("Whatever happened to [y]our love? I wish I understood..." (FYI, "S.O.S." by ABBA) Yes, there's still room for randomness in the midst of a fiery rant of the faults of Norwegian higher education.)
Bah. Humbug.
In times like these I just wish that I could flee to some other uni and study there instead, be it another Norwegian uni which actually DOES offer the courses I wish to take in the spring semester or a uni in another country, preferably one in either Spain/Latin America or Canada/the States - where I might perhaps get an even BETTER offer of such courses than here in Norway.
But naturally I won't resort to such drastic measures. I won't jeopardize my being in the Oslo system for this. Besides, it's too late for me to apply for a semester abroad anyway. The deadline for these applications was a couple of weeks ago.
*heaves a deep sigh*
Anyway, enough ranting. On the brighter side of this, I still am able to complete my criteria for entering the Pedagogy year next autumn, as I just had to make a few minor adjustments to my Spanish (future) credits. Older Hispan. Lit. instead of Newer Hispan. Lit. (GRRRRRRRRRRRR!) I'm still able to qualify for that year, at least here in Oslo. The rest of the stuff I'm planning on taking are just things that may come in handy when I'm working.
If only I could take Iberian History. If only I could take an American history course.
If only students had a better course selection.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. I repeat: THIS SUCKS.
Signing off (frustratingly),
Elise
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