Birthday cooking

Yesterday I had over Laurie's children (another faculty in my department we both teach Educational Psychology courses), Luke 12 years of age, and Maggie 8 years. And Taylor had Oliver (their dog) as playmate.
The two dogs had a blast they played till they fall tired. Then Oliver who is three times as big as Taylor tried to squeez into Taylor's little bed, Oliver seemed to not mind that :-)


















I thought the one good way to entertain the kids woud be doing a baking project. Maggie loves chocolate cake so that was what we did.
She even came dressed as a cook :-)

When we had to wait for the cake to cool down we took a walk with the dogs till the lake and back, and had a little chat. It turned out it will be Maggie's 9th birthday on Wednesday, March 1st! So, then the cake transformed into a Birthday cake.

The two kids have different personalities. Luke is kind and reserved, and pretty skilled when it comes about cooking.
Maggie is a sweet and happy little girl, we had a good girls' chat together.
I really enjoyed both of them. Somehow I always enjoy more the kids than the adults. We played cards and then finished just in time the B-DAY cake.
They made my Sunday brighter! I just love them and hope to see them again for another project we might think about.

One hour joy

I know how to count till 1,000 and just learned the months of the year. I know how to write (draw) the sounds for: a, i, u, e, o, ka, ki, ku, ke, and ko.
One hour every week I am in first grade Japanese class :-)
It is so different from all languages I know, yet so similar to all. For example the word "lip" = kuchibiru. That is "the lip of the mouth" (kuchi=mouth). And this sounds to me so much as the word used for "lip" in Hungarian "szaj szele."
I enjoy so much this one hour/week. Unfortunately I am a lazy student since I don't have time to study as I should. But I spend 15 minutes every night before I go to bed, and look over a couple of pages from my notes and textbook, or to draw Japanese sounds. It is so new like exploring a new planet.

I might never use Japanese, even if I dream of visiting someday Japan :-)

Konichiwa!

I know the greetings around the clock and how to count till ten.
I also learned how to write in Hiragana: a, i, u, e, o.
I love it!
Domo arigato!

Our teacher Shachiko is a native Japanese. She does not know well enough English to teach us in a professional manner. She told us this is her very first time she teaches Japanese. I love her and am glad that she is not one of those professional teachers who go at light's speed with us.

Japanese is so different, especially when I learned I have a minimal basic 2,000 characters to be learned (if I ever would think of reading a magazine, book, or dream about writing a short letter). It is completely frightening. Nothing like learning French or English!
I really love it. I just wish I had more time to learn. But in 10 classes (of one hour each) I will be able to start the learning process. Then the rest... is just keeping up the work and going to the next time they offer Japanese classes.

I dream about visiting Japan in the future. OK, might be a very far future... but hope it will be in this life :-)

Sayonara, ogeNkide.

On my feet :-)

I did not grow up with computers around.
I was in college when I first saw a computer and typed my first doc.
I was always curious to know what is inside and how it works... of course since I am an engineer (even if a Civil Engr.).
At U of A I had my good friends at the computer lab, Michael and Rich. Michael was teaching me about how to use different programs, and Rich was teaching me what is inside the computer, where do wires go, how to open and change a card in the computer, how to add extra memory. Today since they are so far away I still e-mail and call them when I get in trouble and need advice. But slowly I learn and I hope I can stand on my feet, if for not else at least for learning how to ask the good questions :-)

I am learning how to download my videos from my mini DV camera. I got a firewire, then I discovered that I do not have the required plug on my computer. Bought from Radioshack the card, installed it. Downloaded my video. Remembered Michael once told me that I need to burn the video on DVD-R. Got that also from Office Max. Here I am ready to burn my first video little movie. What I discover? I think I can burn CDs with my burner but not a DVD. I don't know for sure but I really suspect that since each time I try to burn the video I get an error that I do not have a disk in the E: drive.
I really suspect I need more up-grading on my computer. The DVD part of my computer is only to play videos not to burn one :-(

Next step: do I buy a new computer or do I update it? Since now I know how to open and manage a computer, the later seems easier and cheaper :-)

Contentment

After the "storm and stress" period of last semester, through comparison (did I say once that happiness and bitterness come from comparison?) this semester I feel content.

I am still cold - especially that it's a max of 34F and snow - but I tell myself it could be even worse. I enjoy the classes I teach this semester - and hope my students enjoy it too!

I continue my project with K-2 kids, which is lot of fun. And will start Japanese and drawing classes :-) along with Taylor's obedience class, and my weekly 1h swim. I finally consider that fun and work must be in balance. Life needs to be enjoyed in order to perform your best. Amazingly I am more productive than when I felt disappointed and bitter.

Perhaps because of my contentment I can be open to others' needs also.

When I read for the first time the Bible I asked my Mom how it comes that all the most important decisions and messages were sent by God in a dream, and why God does not speak anymore to people in our dreams? My Mom told me that God still speaks but it is us, the people, who do not listen anymore. Of course I smiled in disbelief at that time.

Last week I had some very scary nightmares related to a friend I did not kept in touch for a very long time. First I told myself my dream was related to a movie I saw the night before. But night after night I continued to have scary and weird dreams involving this lost friend. Finally I have sent a short e-mail - not even knowing if the e-mail address is still valid or not. Mostly I sent that e-mail like a message in a bottle dropped in the Ocean. The response came fast: my lost friend goes through a very tough time, very distressed, needing my prayers.

So, God still speaks in dreams, we just have to be at peace with ourselves, to be in a contentment state, to move the focus from us to Life... and then we can hear God.

Fun

One of the New Year's resolutions (that I never had the courage even to list) is to have some fun in my life. I was really glad when I was told that in the Art building every Friday in the afternoon for two hours are drawing sessions. Drawing is something I did not do since 10th grade high school (I was at Fine Arts). I might go once to see how it is.
Also on the faculty listserv I noticed language classes. Along with the French conversational hour I participated last semester a couple of times, on Friday also, there is a Japanese intro course (something that I always wanted). My big surprise was that I forgot French almost completely. I was not able to tell who am I and what I do at SIUE! Cannot believe this, 10 years ago I was better in French than English. Use it or loose it! Oh, it is so true!

My choice is the Japanese course. For one hour every week I will learn how to say hello and ask a glass of water! I might never need to use it. I might loose it.... Not likely I will ever go to Japan, but it is something only for me! Perhaps is life wisdom, or I might be at the age when I think I don't have as much left ahead then is left behind...

Fun things in life are like batteries that recharge and give you more energy to be more productive. One thing I discovered in my life is that I loose the time anyhow when I am tired. I procrastinate if I have too much free time, and end up working late nights to accomplish a deadline anyhow. So, then better use some fun time in my schedule, and then I have the obligation to recuperate the time "lost" in having fun!

I'll let you know what I learn next week after my first Japanese class.