Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Friends

1. I got a call on VP today from a good friend of mine. It was great laughing and chatting with him. We had a good time and got a chance to catch up on everything.

2. Got to chat with My Girl today. Even though it was short, it was still good to hear her voice and catch up a little on what's been going on in her life.

3. I got a phone call from a friend of mine who I met in Japan. She's in Europe now...I think! She moves so much that I always forget which country she's in. Anyway, I miss her call unfortunately but hearing her voice on my voice mail was awesome! I haven't heard her voice in a long time...at least 2 years. I hope to be able to talk with her soon!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Bulletin Board, Thesis, Madonna

1. I woke up early and got my bulletin board done. It came out very pretty and so far have received many compliments on it. I enjoyed working on it as it's one of those creative arts and crafts things that I like doing. It took me a while to finish it so I'm glad it's out of the way.

2. I met with my professor/advisor today and got some positive feedback on my thesis. I'm glad I finally got something right on it! I need to change a few things and hand it in on Friday. I'm hoping I can get those changes made before something else distracts me.

3. For some reason while I was working on my bulletin board today, I got on this 80's kick. I downloaded some 80's music and played that while working on my project. Rocked out to Madonna while gluing all my stuff onto the board. I now have Madonna stuck in my head! I love 80's music!

Monday, September 24, 2007

SLEEP!, Feedback, Bulletin Board

I've been either too busy or too tired to really focus on what I should be doing. That is, focusing on 3 important things everyday that are good in my life. School is eating my days now and I'm now back to being sleep deprived. Welcome back to grad school!!! Here are my three for today...

1. For the first time in two weeks, I slept really good last night! I actually slept through the entire night without waking up and without having to down sleeping pills for a change. I finally rolled out of bed around 11ish, went to the cafeteria, then met my classmates off campus for some feedback and support on my thesis. Felt so good to finally get some sleep!

2. I got some great feedback from two of my friends (classmates) on my thesis. RC helped me clear up and organize my thoughts better. I love these two classmates of mine who I consider to be good friends now. They make me laugh and accept me for who I am. Their encouragement made me feel better about where I'm going in my research. I now feel more prepared when I meet with my professor/advisor tomorrow.

3. I worked on my bulletin board today. My topic is "Antarctica". I'm gonna try and post it up tomorrow if I have the time. The bulletin boards are like an arts and crafts project for me so I kinda went a little overboard but I think the residents will like it!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Thesis, Got it!, German Culture

1. Found a few books related to my thesis topic. Now that I have my topic established, I really need to get going on it. My defense/proposal is due next Tuesday which needs to be in Power Point and 30 minutes in length. The books aren't master pieces but it will give me a good start.

2. After struggling with the readings for one of my classes, I finally understood what was being said. Well, that's after the teacher explained it. It was like a light bulb went on in my head. *click*

3. I learned some interesting facts about German Culture through one of the international students. For example, furniture is not to be moved and is to stay in one place. Unlike here in America where we tend to move chairs and such for better view. Also, anyone who is in your peripheral vision is automatically included in your personal space. This includes at work in the office. If you can see them, that means they are in your office. In America, we have a boundary which is usually set at the door. Someone could be standing outside your door talking to you but they are not "in your office". Everyday I spend with the international students, I feel like I'm traveling the world.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

The Professor, Fridge, Cheer

1. This morning, my class met off campus at a coffee shop instead of in a regular classroom. My professor wants to create more of a class discussion rather than him standing there doing all the lecturing. Anyway, after class, my professor offered a few of us a ride back to campus. We get to his car to find he had left the keys in his door! This is DC where cars are broken into and stolen on a daily basis. We couldn't believe the car was still there! To make matters even funnier, there was a police car doubled parked so he couldn't get out. We waited for a while until the cop showed up. He apologized to my professor and explained that he was taking down a report for this lady who just had her car stolen! I guess my professor made it too easy for some thief; I guess he decided to steal another car! We all had a good laugh over it :)

2. My mini fridge came today! Yippee! Now I don't have to always rely on the cafeteria.

3. One of my friends from back home sent me a "cheer up" card today. The picture and what it said inside made me laugh. That's what friends are for!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

VP, Clothes, Culture

1. I had a very long nice chat with a friend of mine on VP today. I miss him and glad he is doing well.

2. I wore my favorite jean skirt today. I love it because it's so comfortable and keeps me cool when it's hot. It was about 90F today so it was a perfect day to wear it.

3. I sat with a woman in the cafeteria who is from Saudi Arabia. From her, I learned about the language of men and women in her culture. Since men and women are segregated, they have they're own ways of speaking and their word choices are different. She's a very strong advocate for deaf people in her country and is trying to make it better for deaf people there. Her story about some of the meeting she's had with the committee (I forgot which one she mentioned) was fascinating! They are so behind in that country that it makes life here seem so easy. We as Americans take many things for granted...one being our freedom.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Brownies, Job, Soup

1. My boss today made brownies for all of us RA's. I'm trying to watch my weight but the smell of hot fresh brownies out the oven made me lose my control. Even though I couldn't really taste the chocolate due to my cold, I still didn't feel guilty. I looooove brownies! :)

2. I feel like I'm starting to get to know my job better. I don't feel so overwhelmed in the RA office like I did on the first day!

3. The cafeteria today actually had something that I thought tasted pretty good. They had this cabbage soup that was spicy. I know cabbage soup doesn't sound appetizing but it actually tasted pretty good. At least I got in some of my veggies for the day.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Homework, Cafeteria, Movie

1. Got some reading done for class. Although, I still don't understand half of what I read!

2. Had a nice chat in the cafeteria and met some new people. Now I have new people to sit with and don't feel so lost!

3. One of my favorite movies was on this morning so I stayed in bed and watched it..."Gone With the Wind". Yeah I'm a sucker for the old time classics. I grew up watching that movie with my mom and grandmother. It was a good excuse to stay in bed all morning. I'm catching a cold and didn't feel like getting up anyway. All the more reason to be lazy!

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Out & About, Friend, Movie

1. It was a gorgeous day today with clear blue skies and not a cloud in sight. Temperature was perfect for hanging out without breaking a sweat. A friend of mine and I went to Target a few other stores today. Afterwards we hung out at Dunkin Donuts and chatted for a bit. It was a nice drive and it was good to spend some time away from the campus.

2. Had a friend contact me on IM who I haven't heard from since May. Seems like he's going through some rough times which I was able to identify with and try to offer support. Despite the sad news from him, it was nice to catch up for a bit. I've noticed that I'm slowly everyday hearing from various friends of mine who I have all over. I realized today that I have more friends than I think and that I'm not completely alone.

3. Tonight, I saw the movie Wild Hogs with some friends of mine in the main student building on campus. The movie was hilarious and I enjoyed it very much. It made me me think of my dad with all the motorcycles and such. I now understand why my dad loved this movie. I can't wait to go home and watch it with him over winter break.