Ahhhhhhh....
Oh, excuse me. That was just me breathing.
Ten pages single-spaced ready to turn in today; three down, six to go. (You're not supposed to add because I don't feel like changing it.) We'll just skip the part about how and when those were finished since such evidence might cause someone to lose her good name.
If I can just survive the next semester, there are two possible reactions: leave the educational world forever or stick around to reform it.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Professors in Argentina
Once the Literature II professor was thirsty in class and requested that the girl in the front row lend her the girl's water bottle. After about ten minutes and repeated sips in between lecturing, she returned it.
Today the Political Economy professor mentioned (for the first time, to my knowledge) at the beginning of the class that we would need a second mini syllabus, the #5, which logically follows the #4 (just as logically we had had no need of #1, 2, or 3), suggested to the two girls sitting next to me that they run down (to the bookstore in the basement) and buy it, and while they were at it they could buy him one too... either he hadn't brought it with him or he didn't have it (and did not clarify that point).
(Please excuse the frequent parentheses in that paragraph.)
During the break a girl from China was asking him questions and we learned that many professors here teach in several universities... three or four, at least (I know for a fact that at least three of my five professors do this). In order to teach, they don't need to complete any studies of pedagogy, only studies in their field of specialty.
Today the Political Economy professor mentioned (for the first time, to my knowledge) at the beginning of the class that we would need a second mini syllabus, the #5, which logically follows the #4 (just as logically we had had no need of #1, 2, or 3), suggested to the two girls sitting next to me that they run down (to the bookstore in the basement) and buy it, and while they were at it they could buy him one too... either he hadn't brought it with him or he didn't have it (and did not clarify that point).
(Please excuse the frequent parentheses in that paragraph.)
During the break a girl from China was asking him questions and we learned that many professors here teach in several universities... three or four, at least (I know for a fact that at least three of my five professors do this). In order to teach, they don't need to complete any studies of pedagogy, only studies in their field of specialty.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Discúlpenme
Excuse me for not posting. Life continues. Tonight is the last midterm (!) and the next two weeks come due exams and papers for other classes.
Down here we are enjoying the 90s for temperature, accompanied by a good crushing humidity.
One of our professors informed us that this is December weather, not typical of October. But we should be getting rain and the mere 80s soon.
Down here we are enjoying the 90s for temperature, accompanied by a good crushing humidity.
One of our professors informed us that this is December weather, not typical of October. But we should be getting rain and the mere 80s soon.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Monday's homework
[This was supposed to go up yesterday, but Blogger couldn't drag itself past 0% publication.]
Contemporary Argentine Art has to be one of the easiest and most fun classes here. Once we had to travel to the center of town to walk along a major street and take pictures of two buildings that reflect a certain movement in architecture. Twice we have been required to go to a museum and take pictures of two works from a particular movement in painting... well, the first time it was paintings, but this one is more open as we have fallen headlong into the bottomless world of modern art, which includes things like oddly-formed mattresses hanging from springs on the wall. Tomorrow I'm off to hunt up such weird things from the '60s and '70s, tomorrow I'll order the photos, and Monday I'll pick them up before leaving for class.
Taking a colectivo (bus) used to be a little scary, but not so much anymore, especially making a particular trip a second time. The most fun is taking a colectivo from somewhere inside the general city center (el Capital) to the surroudning region that tends to be a little more industrial and residential (la Provincia). Why? Because, if you go at the right hour, the colectivo is full and you get to stand up and hold on to a seat back (if you're too short to reach the overhead handholds) and keep your balance while the colectivo zooms along longer stretches and jerks to a stop at the paradas (unless, of course, there is an extra lot of traffic, in which case it's only slugging along and jerks). This is a lot of fun! Of course, if you go at the wrong hour, such as around 11 a.m., you may end up being the only passenger for twenty minutes or more.
Contemporary Argentine Art has to be one of the easiest and most fun classes here. Once we had to travel to the center of town to walk along a major street and take pictures of two buildings that reflect a certain movement in architecture. Twice we have been required to go to a museum and take pictures of two works from a particular movement in painting... well, the first time it was paintings, but this one is more open as we have fallen headlong into the bottomless world of modern art, which includes things like oddly-formed mattresses hanging from springs on the wall. Tomorrow I'm off to hunt up such weird things from the '60s and '70s, tomorrow I'll order the photos, and Monday I'll pick them up before leaving for class.
Taking a colectivo (bus) used to be a little scary, but not so much anymore, especially making a particular trip a second time. The most fun is taking a colectivo from somewhere inside the general city center (el Capital) to the surroudning region that tends to be a little more industrial and residential (la Provincia). Why? Because, if you go at the right hour, the colectivo is full and you get to stand up and hold on to a seat back (if you're too short to reach the overhead handholds) and keep your balance while the colectivo zooms along longer stretches and jerks to a stop at the paradas (unless, of course, there is an extra lot of traffic, in which case it's only slugging along and jerks). This is a lot of fun! Of course, if you go at the wrong hour, such as around 11 a.m., you may end up being the only passenger for twenty minutes or more.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
How about...
What? You mean I have to keep posting to get comments?
Please, don't take that as a rhetorical question.
Let's make this more interactive. Does anyone have interesting stories from Friday the 13th to pass on? (I'm exempt; it's Tuesdays that fall on the 13th that count here, not Fridays)
Please, don't take that as a rhetorical question.
Let's make this more interactive. Does anyone have interesting stories from Friday the 13th to pass on? (I'm exempt; it's Tuesdays that fall on the 13th that count here, not Fridays)
Friday, October 13, 2006
Events south of the Equator
One item of interest in the news here has to do with the former president Perón, who died in 1974. Martha Holgado has been claiming for twelve years that she is his daughter, so recently they removed the body from its protection of 12 locks to take genetic material and make a comparison. Apparently this will take around 45 days. Perhaps I will find out and report the results before flying back.
Next Monday is feriado because it is Día de la Raza ("Day of the Race"). This particular Latin American holiday corresponds somewhat to Columbus Day. I believe the date has some connection with the discovery of America, and the 'Race' may refer to those of Spanish background, since this same holiday is known as Fiesta de España or Día de Hispanicidad in Spain. If you want to know more, go look in Wikipedia. Of course, the pertinent point is that we don't have classes. I expect it will be another study day, as there are at least three papers and three exams that will start coming due at the end of the month.
Speaking of exams, this week I received back all the grades for the four midterms. One 7, two 8s, one 10 - on a scale of 1-10. 7 does not sound that great to me, but everyone else informs me it's a good grade. Probably corresponds to a B in our system. Of course, in my opinion, a B is not a good grade, but then the midterm only partly counts toward the final grade. Anyway, grades are mere numbers; the important thing is becoming fluent in Spanish.
This Sunday is el Día de la Madre in Argentina! Silvina and her mother Miriam invited me to eat with their family in Miriam's house on Sunday. That will be a little more like home, but of course I will be thinking of you, mi muy querida mamá. :)
Everyone enjoy your snow up there... down here it's already practically summer!
Next Monday is feriado because it is Día de la Raza ("Day of the Race"). This particular Latin American holiday corresponds somewhat to Columbus Day. I believe the date has some connection with the discovery of America, and the 'Race' may refer to those of Spanish background, since this same holiday is known as Fiesta de España or Día de Hispanicidad in Spain. If you want to know more, go look in Wikipedia. Of course, the pertinent point is that we don't have classes. I expect it will be another study day, as there are at least three papers and three exams that will start coming due at the end of the month.
Speaking of exams, this week I received back all the grades for the four midterms. One 7, two 8s, one 10 - on a scale of 1-10. 7 does not sound that great to me, but everyone else informs me it's a good grade. Probably corresponds to a B in our system. Of course, in my opinion, a B is not a good grade, but then the midterm only partly counts toward the final grade. Anyway, grades are mere numbers; the important thing is becoming fluent in Spanish.
This Sunday is el Día de la Madre in Argentina! Silvina and her mother Miriam invited me to eat with their family in Miriam's house on Sunday. That will be a little more like home, but of course I will be thinking of you, mi muy querida mamá. :)
Everyone enjoy your snow up there... down here it's already practically summer!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Saturday
Saturday morning I got up in order to arrive at the post office at 10:00, the hour it opens. This wasn't early enough because there was already a line outside. But fortunately it was only five minutes of waiting.
The next and last errand of the morning was at Coto, a grocery store. All I needed was shampoo and some cereal bars to keep me alive during long days of classes. When it was my turn at the register, I handed the cashier a note of 10 and patiently awaited my five-or-so pesos in change. The lady took the bill, opened it, looked it up and down, this way and that, against the light... I had seen them checking other notes, but never so long, and began to be very nervous that perhaps it was counterfeit. Finally she turned and asked something of another cashier, which I could not make it, then opened the drawer, lifted the tray and put it beneath - hmmm, how odd, I thought, maybe that's for the notes that are halfway suspicious - and started pulling out my change from the slot of 20s! Oh my, I thought, did I somehow hand her a 100-peso note and not see the extra 0? She gave me some 32 pesos. I tried to ask what I had given her, but was so surprised it didn't come out very correctly. She reopened the drawer and showed me the note of 10 Euros I had given her.
Ooops...
I tried to explain that I hadn't realized it and could return another time to buy my things in pesos, but apparently the Euro is plenty stable.
Later I realized what had happened. I had been keeping a 10-Euro note and a 5-Euro note with my checkbook (which I never carry with me), simply as souvenirs for the moment (with, of course, the design of waiting for an exchange rate of something around 100 or above) and when for some reason I had to look at something in the checkbook, happened upon these notes and somehow mistook them for pesos - despite the fact that Euros are made of stiffer paper with glossier embellishments; in other words, I was incredibly not paying attention - and stuck them in my purse ("oh, how lovely, look at these 15 pesos that I was forgetting about...").
Of course, this may not seem very funny to you, but after the first block and first shock, I kept laughing all the rest of the morning!
So much for the grand potential exchange rate. Instead I got rid of my lovely 10-Euro note in a little grocery store in Buenos Aires. When I got back home, my calculator and guesses at the exchange rates informed me that the change was correct.
Well, there's always the 5 Euros, just have to wait for a really good exchange rate...
The next and last errand of the morning was at Coto, a grocery store. All I needed was shampoo and some cereal bars to keep me alive during long days of classes. When it was my turn at the register, I handed the cashier a note of 10 and patiently awaited my five-or-so pesos in change. The lady took the bill, opened it, looked it up and down, this way and that, against the light... I had seen them checking other notes, but never so long, and began to be very nervous that perhaps it was counterfeit. Finally she turned and asked something of another cashier, which I could not make it, then opened the drawer, lifted the tray and put it beneath - hmmm, how odd, I thought, maybe that's for the notes that are halfway suspicious - and started pulling out my change from the slot of 20s! Oh my, I thought, did I somehow hand her a 100-peso note and not see the extra 0? She gave me some 32 pesos. I tried to ask what I had given her, but was so surprised it didn't come out very correctly. She reopened the drawer and showed me the note of 10 Euros I had given her.
Ooops...
I tried to explain that I hadn't realized it and could return another time to buy my things in pesos, but apparently the Euro is plenty stable.
Later I realized what had happened. I had been keeping a 10-Euro note and a 5-Euro note with my checkbook (which I never carry with me), simply as souvenirs for the moment (with, of course, the design of waiting for an exchange rate of something around 100 or above) and when for some reason I had to look at something in the checkbook, happened upon these notes and somehow mistook them for pesos - despite the fact that Euros are made of stiffer paper with glossier embellishments; in other words, I was incredibly not paying attention - and stuck them in my purse ("oh, how lovely, look at these 15 pesos that I was forgetting about...").
Of course, this may not seem very funny to you, but after the first block and first shock, I kept laughing all the rest of the morning!
So much for the grand potential exchange rate. Instead I got rid of my lovely 10-Euro note in a little grocery store in Buenos Aires. When I got back home, my calculator and guesses at the exchange rates informed me that the change was correct.
Well, there's always the 5 Euros, just have to wait for a really good exchange rate...
Friday, October 06, 2006
Tranquil Friday
Laugh of the day: Hearing some guy in the street saying, "Waiyt fo mee, waiyt fo mee..."
Nostalgia of the day: Was walking to the university and passed someone mowing the lawn. That doesn't seem to belong to the world of Buenos Aires!
Nostalgia of the day: Was walking to the university and passed someone mowing the lawn. That doesn't seem to belong to the world of Buenos Aires!
Monday, October 02, 2006
Qué lástima
Too bad, we don't have our Literature class. This means four hours of being stuck around here with free time, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., at which hour begins Art. Looks like I'll have to study extra or write a blog post - or maybe both.
It has already been a strange sort of day. If it weren't for my alarm clock, I wouldn't have woken up at 8 p.m. because it was raining very hard... and very loud on a tin roof... and we all know how the conscious struggles to take over the mind from the subconscious when it's raining. I didn't know if it was safe to take a shower, considering the lightning and thunder, so I got ready to study, only to discover a mini waterfall in the closet. Ran down to the kitchen and back up twice to get tupperware, which caught most of the dripping.
Silvina got up a little later. Originally she had Monday morning free; then her mother called Sunday night to see if she could work. (!) Emi was supposed to work, then turned out she didn't have to.
It had stopped raining at some point in the morning, but about noon, just when Ramón came to pick up the ladder (that infamous ladder that has been leaning against the wall for all the time I've been here and which I managed to knock over by barely brushing up against it that one time, causing it to bend up the gas heater and nearly knock out a kitchen window, of course while Silvina was gone for the weekend.) But it started pouring again and we had to wait for Silvina to arrive with a lampshade for Ramón to cart off as well....
--Don't worry, you're not expected to understand all the threads of this complicated story - I'm just trying to illustrate how oddly the day is going--
... so Ramón and Emi and I sat around and chatted for fifteen minutes while waiting for Silvina, then fifteen minutes more with Silvina while waiting for the rain.
As for the rest of the day, Silvina is working at the office, Emi is working (painting) at home, and they're both going off to play cards with a friend late in the afternoon. Then perhaps, possibly, Felipe comes over in the evening. But I won't know till I get back around 9:30 p.m., so I don't know if I'll end up making that dessert or not, and so I don't know if I'll have time to study later, and so, in short...
Don't make too many plans for a day because you never know what's going to happen. Just relax and keep working at the next thing, and remember that you have fifteen or twenty or however many minutes to deal with unexpected things, and especially to spend with friends.
It has already been a strange sort of day. If it weren't for my alarm clock, I wouldn't have woken up at 8 p.m. because it was raining very hard... and very loud on a tin roof... and we all know how the conscious struggles to take over the mind from the subconscious when it's raining. I didn't know if it was safe to take a shower, considering the lightning and thunder, so I got ready to study, only to discover a mini waterfall in the closet. Ran down to the kitchen and back up twice to get tupperware, which caught most of the dripping.
Silvina got up a little later. Originally she had Monday morning free; then her mother called Sunday night to see if she could work. (!) Emi was supposed to work, then turned out she didn't have to.
It had stopped raining at some point in the morning, but about noon, just when Ramón came to pick up the ladder (that infamous ladder that has been leaning against the wall for all the time I've been here and which I managed to knock over by barely brushing up against it that one time, causing it to bend up the gas heater and nearly knock out a kitchen window, of course while Silvina was gone for the weekend.) But it started pouring again and we had to wait for Silvina to arrive with a lampshade for Ramón to cart off as well....
--Don't worry, you're not expected to understand all the threads of this complicated story - I'm just trying to illustrate how oddly the day is going--
... so Ramón and Emi and I sat around and chatted for fifteen minutes while waiting for Silvina, then fifteen minutes more with Silvina while waiting for the rain.
As for the rest of the day, Silvina is working at the office, Emi is working (painting) at home, and they're both going off to play cards with a friend late in the afternoon. Then perhaps, possibly, Felipe comes over in the evening. But I won't know till I get back around 9:30 p.m., so I don't know if I'll end up making that dessert or not, and so I don't know if I'll have time to study later, and so, in short...
Don't make too many plans for a day because you never know what's going to happen. Just relax and keep working at the next thing, and remember that you have fifteen or twenty or however many minutes to deal with unexpected things, and especially to spend with friends.
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