FTP 34 - Stir crazy

     Some people vent excess frustration by criticizing others. Some people do it by yelling or throwing a tantrum. Some do it by immersing themselves in music until they forget the outside world (and associated problems) exist. Some regain their calm with mediation, some by physical activity and exhaustion. I, apparently, do it with drawing, if I'm not in a position to be free with other expressions.

Ballpoint pen on a notepad, nothing fancy.

     What's your outlet? Is it a healthy one? Are you happy with it? If you can't indulge in your major method of blowing off steam, maybe try a smaller (quieter/ healthier) one, and do it a little more often. Can't hurt to try, right? 

Crunch time

     Going back to reality after time off is always difficult, and this coming week is proving to be no different than usual. On the positive side, there are only three weeks left of classes before the end of the semester, so crunch time won't be too bad. On the well, not-so-positive side, these three weeks are going to be somewhat difficult.

     For starters, the French pronunciation through song class that I'm auditing/ helping out in is gearing up for it's version of a final, which is a week of 5-hour evening rehearsals and then two nights of performances. Unfortunately, the rehearsals start at the same time my Russian class does, so I either need to beg out of the first two hours (thank goodness I just have a bit part), or go to the earlier Russian classes... which would then cut into the time I am scheduled to work. So already, right off the bat, scheduling chaos.

FTP 33 - Moderation and turkey

     With that said, I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, now I"m going to sleep off this food coma. Happy holidays!

Why languages?

     As both a linguistics major in college, and a speaker of three languages- ones in which I am reasonably fluent, anyhow, never mind the smatterings of others I've picked up- people often ask why I chose to study language. The answer is a complex one, and ironically contained within itself, but here goes an attempt on why I am fascinated by languages.

     1) Language and thought. There are a number of different theories on whether language forces thought patterns into a certain path, or if thought patterns are learned before language, and therefor forces linguistic style into a certain shape. Regardless of the chicken or the egg question here, there is clearly a connection between language and thought, and I am fascinated by how people who speak other languages- or even other dialects- can view the world differently. For example, studies show that people who speak languages that differentiate between perfective and imperfective verbs (i.e. verbs that imply an end points vs those that don't, such as 'completed' vs 'worked on') focus more on whether a task was finished or not rather than how long it may have taken. Little things like that permeate literally everything we say and think, and that, to me, is awesome.

Yes but, for how long?

     2) Langauge and culture. Different cultures hold different things to have more importance in life, leading them to lexicalize different concepts. Lexicalization is giving an entire concept a single word, rather than having to describe it each time. As cultures mix and merge, they borrow each other's lexicalizations, since there's no one word that is a direct translation. That's why, for example, we have to use "c'est la vie" to denote the necessity of just accepting that some things happen succinctly, and "schadenfreude" to point out when someone is taking joy from others' misfortunes. Those concepts were not important or recurring often enough as English developed to become words of their own, but to the French and Germans, respectively, they were. I love finding out backstories and etymologies to explain why things developed the way they did, and what the lives of earlier people were like that made those ideas so necessary.

FTP 32 - Forgiving yourself

     Something I have come to realize lately is how unequally I treat myself compared to how I treat my friends, my family, and even strangers. Maybe it's time to even that playing field a bit. 

Keeping busy

     I know it's a little early still, but I'm quite ready for 2012 to end (the year, not the world, thank you), so I've been starting my personal year in review already over the past few weeks. While I'm not sad that any of the year happened, it was definitely not one of the best years. Unfortunately, most of this can be blamed on no one other than me, and while I'm taking steps to ensure that next year will be better, there are still a few more weeks of this one to endure.

     In many, many ways, life is cyclical. A misjudged reaction to a given situation often nudges you too far into the opposite camp, and sets the wheels in motion for bouncing back and forth between extremes without finding balance. For example, spring semester this year was a little rough, and I was really looking forward to summer break. Despite the chaos of a month in Russia, however, I was extremely bored during the summer. As a result, when it came time to set up my schedule for fall semester, I overestimated how annoying a split schedule of work and classes would be, and have been struggling to not feel overwhelmed.

     The key to remember in this particular situation is that everyone has a different definition of "busy." For me, I like to be effectively active from 9-5, preferably, and then have the rest of the day to do whatever hobbies, crafts, or personal enrichment classes strike my fancy. If I don't have those 8 hours of productive (and that is the key word- productive) work, I don't feel like I'm really doing enough. Even if the rest of my time is crammed full of driving, classes, homework, volunteering, etc, I just won't feel like I've earned the right to consider myself "busy," regardless of how exhausted I am from everything else.

FTP 31 - Excuses or action

     Something to think about over the weekend:

     Which one are you? (Here's a hint, if you looked at this and said, "well but that's because...!" then it's the former.) Now the real question: which one do you want to be, and what are you willing to do to make it happen? Cheers!

Practical lessons

     One day while standing in line for an ATM, I heard a little boy who was standing with his father behind me lean over to the juniper bushes and say, "look dad! Blueberries!" His dad chuckled and replied, "No son, those aren't blueberries." The little boy repeated his discovery, and was again informed of his error. At a third insistence, however, the dad simply said, "alright. If they're blueberries, go ahead and have one." The son eagerly grabbed one, shoved it in his mouth, and promptly spat it back out again, complaining that those weren't blueberries! I was trying so hard not to laugh as the dad calmly responded, "I told you they weren't. Maybe next time you should listen!"

     While there are, no doubt, plenty of child activists and safety prevention groups that would have cheerfully taken this guy to task for "endangering the life of his child," I think that practical lessons are a surefire way to let new information really stick with someone (provided it's not truly life-threatening, as juniper berries are certainly not).

FTP 30 - Mental health day

     Before things get to this point:

     Consider taking one of these:

     Trust me, it's worth it. 

Photo from hiren.info