Typhoon Tarim

Here comes a typhoon. The weather fluctuates between sunny with showers, rainy and windy, to stormy and dry. It's crazy. School's closing early, and then we should have tommorrow off. Thank goodness. If I ever needed a typhoon day it's now. I'll feel so much better about being back in Taiwan when I have all my stuff unpacked and organized, and I have my lesson plans and curriculum ready. I still have my final paper for Gender and Empowerment class to write, but I'll worry about that later.

P.S. I got my grades for my first two classes back, both A-. That's much better than I had expected for Security, and a bit of a disappointment for Human Rights. Either way, I think it's good enough to help my masters' applications.

I'll put up some pictures from Vancouver, etc. tommorrow. Well, until we lose power. (=

Arrived in Taipei

I'm in Taipei. Let's not dwell on how I feel about this. Actually, on the positive side, I saw some of my students leaving the school and it made me smile, but other than that I'm feeling sad. The jet lag isn't that bad, because I stayed over night in Vancouver, but I have a sick, melancholy feeling. I'll be fine tommorrow morning, and even better if the Typhoon comes this weekend, then we might have a typhoon day off school on Thursday or Friday. Of course, typhoons are fun except in the case of Katrina, which seems so scary.

Anyway, don't worry- I expect my mood to improve. I'll wait until it does before I tell you all about the last of my time in Halifax and my day in Vancouver.

o

One week!

This will be me, one week from today. Fun? I hope so.

The crazy thing is I have at least 27 pages of assignments to write before then.

Oh, and let me say, last night as I was trying to finish up the last few pages of my scrapbook from the last year, I realized I was missing the month of May. The entire month of May, all my pictures were gone from my computer. Yikes! That's what I don't like about digital, too easy to accidently delete a file! Thankfully, I made back ups of all my pictures, so I'm sending them to Wal-Mart to get done today!

I'm melting...

Sad news. Today I met with the Dalhousie IDS (International Development Studies) Graduate Coordinator. To make a long story short he was very nice in gently informing me that I have a 'snowball's chance in hell' to get into the Dal IDS Master's programme. They have over 150 applicants, and take about 15. Most applicants have their undergrad degree in IDS. He was very a very nice guy, and gave me some suggestions to improve my application, but he was very upfront about how competitive it was, and that it was almost like a 'lottery.'

I am not too upset though. I am glad I have a more realistic view now. I will certainly be looking at other schools to apply to as well, including St. Mary's in Halifax. He said, as I had already assumed, that my grades from these three summer classes would be "extremely" important. No pressure, eh?! We shall see, we shall see.

So, I'm off to work on my last class and maker sure it's an A! I'm pretty excited about my paper, it's on female Philippine migrant workers in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. I enjoy creating links between what I experienced every day on the streets of Taipei and the current academic research. And if I ever do get to do my Masters, I'm pretty sure my thesis will have to be focused on the Asian sphere, probably specifically China and Co.

New CD

Alright, so I sheepishly bought Theresa Sokyrka's album "These Old Charms." For those of you who don't know why I should be so embarrassed: Theresa was the Runner-up in last summer's Canadian Idol competition. Yes, I bought an 'idol' cd. Still, she is the only competitor in any of the US or Canadian shows that I've ever really liked. (the British version is another story). And frankly, it's a great cd, underproduced, earthy, relaxed, Canadian. Cheap too, because it's on a small Canadian label, Maple Music. She's coming in concert on Saturday, but I, sadly, leave Saturday morning. So, I bought her cd, in hopes that she'll stick in the Canadian market, and I'll be able to buy her next cd!

P.S. Funny story. After I bought the cd, I was sitting in a sidewalk cafe, reading the newspaper and enjoying my coffee. One of the guys from my class walked by, and happened to ask what cds I had bought. The one day I buy an 'idol' cd! I admitted it, but I think I turned red. (=

Kathy's work

This is Kathy's shot of Frangipani in the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Isn't it pretty? She didn't even do a 'glow' filter, that's an unedited shot. Lovely. She has more of her pictures up on her travel blog.

Saturday Morning

I successfully changed dorms this morning. Mount St. Vincent University is quite nice, reminds me of Huntington a bit. It's outside of Halifax, in a suburb called Bedford. The bus in is quick, so I came to 'town' to finish up my errands. Thank goodness for MEC, I got a cheap duffell that will carry everything I need, and not break like the Wal-mart junk.

My new phone number is (902) 457-0899. I'll be there until Saturday morning, the 27th, when I fly to Vancouver.

Crunch Day

Come Back to Taiwan!

Today is crunch day, when everything is due. Fortunately I'm am on schedule and feeling fine. (=

Part of that is because I got an email from Kathy saying that Pong (Taiwanese housemate whose family is always in the apartment) will be moving out, because we have two new young female English teachers moving in. So, I am SOOO much more excited about going back to Taiwan to live with 6 peers. I think the whole Pong, culture, mess, language, angry issue was a real reason I wasn't excited about moving back. I've come to realize that a sense of 'home' that is a safe and comfortable place is the key to living in any culture. That makes me much more ready to face Taiwan. When cockroaches invade my safe space, well that's something else. It will make me a stronger woman.

I wrote the names of some of my favorite students on a little piece of paper and pinned it up on my bulletin board. Whenever I think about leaving Halifax in a week, and feel sad, I think about how rewarding it is to see them every day, and how much I want to get to teach them again.

Temptation comes in all forms

So much has been happening in my mind and my life, and I have a great desire to write a nice long blog entry.

But, I also have the common sense to realize that 90% of that desire comes from the fact that I only have this small window of opportunity to finish editing my paper and print it off.

Get behind me, Procrastination!

All that to say...Talk to you later! (=

The envy of all who read...

I'm sorry to have to tell you about today, because I can pretty much guarantee that 9/10 of my readers (are there ten of you? Maybe that's a bit optimistic!) will be very envious and wish they could change places with me.

Today I started a course called "Empowerment, Gender and Development." I was really looking forward to it, and our first class today (From 1-4:30!) was everything I had hoped for and more. Without jinxing it, I think this could be one of my favorite classes of all time. It's everything I'm passionate about in so many different areas of life. Today was introduction, so the 24 women and 3 men took turns telling a little bit about themselves. Then we split up into pairs and talked about the one time we felt most empowered or disempowered. My group was disempowered, which was a bit vulnerable, but it was very helpful to hear every one's stories and really start to look at what can make women feel empowered, and what can help the poor / enfrancised be empowered. It especially seems relevant to my post a few days ago about women in leadership. I was thinking alot about what it would take to empower women in the church. I think I'll end up doing something along the lines of religion for my final research paper. I was talking with Heidi this weekend, and she had some really interesting thoughts about the Pope's view of women, as the Roman Catholic view of women. I think it would be interesting to look at the effect that has in some Southern nations that are predominantly Roman Catholic, and how Mary as the ideal female either empowers or disempowers the women who live within those societies.

But Mary will have to wait for another day - this is my crunch week. Class all afternoon, now I'm off for a quick dinner, then my Human Security class this evening! )= We have a guest speaker whose supposedly an expert in the field of blood diamonds, so that sounds interesting. I need to go eat now.
Oh, and get well soon Benoit!

Teasing

Kathy posted about her run-in with the Malaysian fish. I think it's hilarious that she's afraid of little fish. Too bad, I think snorkeling is great fun.

Last night I sat for 5 hours in front of the tv and scrapbooked. I watched While You Were Out, Rehersal Hall: Sarah Harmer, While You Were Out "Royal Renovation" Special, then Rehersal Hall: Feist. Delightful Evening. I got 10 pages done. I have 21 to go. That's 10 hours of scrapbooking to finish this week. I can do it, just two hours after class each evening, right?

So tommorrow is crunch week - an almost 4 hour afternoon class, quick dinner, then my 2 hour evening class. It's going to fly by. Good news, I have both of my first two classes' research papers finished. I'm editing them tommorrow morning, then turning them in, both a week early. See, I'm not a procrastinator when I don't have anything to distract me!

I'm off now for a hummus sandwhich and greek salad at the coffee shop. I've been working all morning, and it's now 3pm and I'm starving, and ever so shaky from two coffees and a diet coke. Whoa.

MicMac Mall

Did you know, the minute I stepped inside the mall last night, I knew I had been there before, and probably could have drawn a pretty accurate floor plan? Isn't that odd? I remember being there with Kathy and Jill, and we were shopping for Christmas presents, specifically I remember Jill getting a garden troll for Mario, and all of us getting Monkey socks at Bluenotes. It was probably 1999, the only time I've been to that mall, and I remember the entire thing (nothing else about that trip, though). Actually, I think I remember the layout of every mall I've ever been in. It just shows how spatially / visually oriented I am. It's like my super-power. Well, at least it means I'll never get lost, I can always backtrack based on visual reminders.

P.S. What's with the eggs? Well, they were 75% off at Chapters. Easter wan't that long ago, was it? They're truffle eggs from Belgian or something, and boy, are they good.

Good for another week

Shopping last night was exactly what I needed to 'center' myself. It really isn't the 'shopping' that does it, it's more the space to move quietly, think, sit, breathe. It would be the same experience in an art gallery. Although, you can't get the cutest necklace ever at an art gallery! Yes, I said I wasn't going to buy much, and I didn't. Except, for one little splurge, something that *gasp* wasn't on sale. (Almost everything I have ever bought has been on sale). It's from Smart Set, and it's just the perfect everyday necklace, with lots of colours to match, and no pretension (buttons are a little more down to earth than gems). To me, it looks like it belongs on an ecentric writer lady who lives in the century old house, eh? I can only dream.

But, after I bought the necklace, I had to put it on. Later, two different sales assistants complimented me on it - the sign that I made the correct $15 splurge purchase.

Success!

Ah-ha! I have completed my first Cryptigram. I was inspired by the fact that my grandmother does one every morning, and I had not previously been able to finish one without first screaming and ripping up the poor newspaper in frustration. But today, I sat down, and decided to try yet again, and this time it worked. To be fair, I think it was quite an easy one. Still lesson learned:

"A perfect democracy is the most shameless thing in the world." -Edmund Burke

I'm so proud of it, I cut it out of the paper. I might even try to fit it into my security/ development paper on the Chinese Communist Party's repression. (=

Current Finds

Guilty Pleasure: Lou Lou


Listening: Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days




Reading: Don DeLillo, The Body Artist

Happy as a Lark

As predicted, today has been a super-duper day! After my depressing blog entry last night, I headed to class, which ended up being a guest speaker, who was excellent. Kirk somebody or other, whose the head of counter-terrorism, counter-organized crime for the UN mission in Kosovo. It was great to hear all about the problems with the UN, from someone who has obviously chosen to work through those issues, instead of dismissing the entire system. Afterwards, the professor, speaker, and a couple students went out to talk further. I, as usual, ended up sitting and listening for most of the time, but I greatly enjoyed it. Especially the half an hour or so conversation on the Chinese threat to Taiwan. Hmm.

So, other happy news: I just finished my entire paper, 12 pages. Only took a few hours. I always get discouraged by spending so much time researching, the writing is so easy in comparision. And the best news is, I had twice as many notes and quotes as I needed, but this time, I have a whole other paper to write. So, I basically did all my research for two papers without knowing it. It's not the same paper, I'm writing two entirely different ones, but to do with the general topics of Chinese government repression. Lovely, happy, stuff.

Now, I'm off to go shopping as a little treat. I'm not planning on buying much, but I just want to sit in Chapters. And, I feel like going to Scholar's Choice for school supplies. No one likes going back to school at the end of summer, but new school supplies make it more enjoyable, I'm hoping it works the same for teachers.

Hope you're all having equally happy days!

Uugh

Not especially happy today. I spent most of the day working on a research paper, but still have so far to go. I'm running out of time! And I got my teaching schedule for the fall, which makes me want to run and hide under a bush. No changes really, well - grade 1s instead of grade 2s, but that was expected.

I got my test of definitions back and was not happy with my grade. It's this whole Canadian grading thing. I feel like I failed, when really I think I was closer to the upper end of the pack. Still, I'm disappointed.

I was thinking today how nice it would be to be a thinker rather than a feeler. Some days I would certainly rather not have my emotions dictating me. Hmm. I guess I can't change it. Tommorrow will probably be a happy day and make up for today!

A Sunny Day

Well, I have unfortuantely been holed up in my dorm room slaving over my class work. Outside, Halifax is deliciously warm, as hot as I like it. Yesterday the temperature, according to the paper, reached 30. Still, I haven't felt 'sweaty' once. Summer as it's made to be - enjoyable!

Working instead of playing means that I don't have any new pictures. This is a sunflower shot I took at the public gardens last week. It makes me feel happy. (=

Some of my current diversions...

I'm going to take that reading list off my sidebar, because I haven't changed it since I put it on. Really, I do read quicker than that. Although I'm currently overwhelmed by the 20 some books sitting above my desk waiting to be read and processed into research papers, the two books I'm really reading are:

The Lexus and The Olive Tree, by Thomas L. Friedman. Yes, it's on globalization and it probablly will make it's way into a paper, but it still counts as 'fun' reading, because I'm enjoying it. Its, let's say, less academic. In other words, readable!

Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham. I just got this from the library today. I LOVED the Hours, and the movie was really just icing on the cake. So, according to a few blogs, his new book is similiar, this time structured around Walt Whitman. I'm going to take it to the sea, sit in the grass, and read it under the sun.

For music, I'm enjoying a few new cds: Drunkard's Prayer by Over the Rhine, which I knew I would love, and I do. Michelle made me a great cd with Feist and Arcane Fire. I'm not sold on Arcane Fire yet, but I love Feist. I trust Michelle to point out the really great Canadian musicians, becuase otherwise my cd collection would be a little US heavy. And finally, I'm very impressed with David Crowder Band's Sunsets and Sushi. I was so sick of 'worship music' I thought I would never be able to buy one of those prepackaged American cds again, but thankfully, Sunsets and Sushi was excellent (and entirely different.) Okay, so I'll put the David Crowder Band onto my list of all-time favorites.

For television, I delight in a weekly episode of Monarch of the Glen. Other than that, I'm trying to limit my TLC intake, because as some of you know, once you start, TLC can suck 3 or 4 hours out of your day without you noticing. But, While You Were Out I consider to be worthy of my precious time. Finally, a new show I've just fallen in love with is Slings & Arrows. Yes, Slings and arrows, like from Shakespeare. It's a Canadian show on Showcase, about a Shakespeare festival, like Stratford. It's filmed mostly in Toronto, I think, the last episode I recognized the lobby of the Phantages Theatre (I suppose it's called the Canon now, but that's just sad). It has Paul Gross and Rachel McAdams (The Notebook) in it. It's hilarious, and just so very Canadian.

Snow Angels under the stars

I'll tell you, the closer I get to the end of the summer; the more stressed I get. I just feel like I am being dragged away from a beautiful, peaceful, intrinsically nice country to a sweatshop. Literally. And I have to drag myself away kicking and screaming: "But I want stars, and sunsets, and snow angels!"

This rant was motivated by the feeling I get every evening when I walk out of class into a still, pink world. The sunsets here in Halifax are divine, and I didn't see a single sunset my entire time in Taiwan. I find it hard to believe that you can't see a sunset anywhere in Taiwan, I assume it has more to do with the fact that Taipei is in a smog-filled valley, and I am always surrounded by tall buildings. But there's never even a hint of pink in the grey gunk that is the sky in Taipei. No clouds floating through, carrying all shades of lilac and salmon. No soft breeze that smells like the salty sea. *remorseful sigh*

The other thing I was remembering was Millenium's Eve, when Kathy, Jill and I wandered up the hill behind Grammie's house, and laid down in the crunchy thick snow, made snow-angels and stared up at the starriest sky I've ever seen. *remorseful sigh*

A Lovely Saturday Night

This was one of my favorite parts of my overall wonderful weekend in Mapleton.
It was Saturday night, and Grammie and I stayed home from the 50th Anniversary Bash (Aunt D brought home squares, anyway!). There was nothing on TV, so Grammie played the piano. She started out trying to play from the books, like Chopin and such. She was having a bit of trouble, so she decided to just play from ear. Wow, it's incredible that she can remember all those beautiful and complicated songs at the age of 91 (?). It made me so happy that she has such a great qualitity of life, and it also made me think about how most of my female ancestors lived into their 90's. So that means I likely have a good 70 years of life left. That makes me feel a sense of relief, that I don't have to rush to start trying to fit in all I want my life to be. I've got some time. (=

Patty

Patty has come into her own, since the sad death of Netta. She looks like she's enjoying her new Alpha female status, no?

Which reminds me, you should read about poor Mrs. Watson, the cat. Her photo reminds me of my kitten Emma who died. (Remember that batch of kittens that all got sick. So sad.) oh well, enough about cats getting sick and dying. That's too depressing for an extreme cat lover like me.

Catching up on posts

I love getting back from a few days away from the internet. It's so exciting to get to read multiple new posts on my favorite blogs. There were two posts that really touched me and made tears come to my eyes (not good - this is a computer lab, for goodness' sake). One was good tears, the other hurt tears.

The good one: Real Live Preacher's Essay Big Numbers and Little Girls

The sad one: The comments to Bobbie's Emerging Sideways post about, well, I suppose the lack of understanding in some emergent leadership. It's fascinating. I'd love to be able to use it for my gender, feminism and development class. It starts with a few different women commenting and agreeing with Bobbie's hurt, you can really sense the emotional emphathy. Then, enter a few dominant male leadership types, bringing a sort of black and white defense of their position. Then the women come back in and try to knit all the voices together and get everyone to some sort of consensus.

It made me sad, because I've felt that male leadership dominance that claims to be completely open to women in leadership, yet really sticks to the traditional leadership roles that exclude women. One thing I found really interesting, when I checked out the sites of the men who were being criticized and were criticizing back, they could have been written by any of the pastors / leaders I've known over the years. It's that one 'type' that rises to the top in the business world and the church as well.

On Pagitt's site, he has the same personality test results that I have on mine. The Enneagram. He's a type 8: a Challenger."The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational" I'm a type 5: an Investigator. "The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated." There's no competition there. Obviously, there would have to be a commpletely new understanding of what 'leadership' in the emergent church looks like, if there were ever to be a place for a female type 5, instead of being ruled by the type 8 males.

That's my two cents. Let it be said that I really know nothing, know none of these people, and don't think through my opinions before I write them. Disclaimer!

feels like friday

So, it feels like Friday. Tomorrow I'm taking the bus to Springhill to spend the weekend with Grammie and the Aunts. (= I'm quite excited. However, before that I must plow my way through a 'test on definitions' in this evening's class. On one hand, I feel confident, because it seems exactly the same process I perfected in my Mainstreams of Civilization classes at Huntington. On the other hand, I feel like my lack of knowledge of the political terms somewhat prohibits me from making stuff up that sounds good, which is an integral part of essay tests. We'll see.

For example, there are two new terms that seem to come up in every article and every lecture in this class and the last. I figured out what they meant from the context, then looked them up later. Anyone know what hegemony or diasporas are? I'd let you guess, but then what if everyone knew what they meant then I'd feel stupid and so on.

So, hegemony is "The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others." My first professor said she defines it is "who sets the rules of the game." Interesting, eh? You can use it in lots of ways and sound quite smart.

Second, diasporas is: " A dispersion of a people from their original homeland; also, the community formed by such a people." I find this especially helpful for describing the communities around Thornhill. Diaspora. (=

P.S. Kathy's bashing around Australia. She got to go to Target. That's just not fair. If you want to read her adventures, she has started a rather ugly blog: Kathleen in Asia. She's given me permission to pretty it up, which I intend to do, after this little test tonight.
Also, is everyone as impressed with Michaelle Jean as I am? I was watching her live this afternoon, speaking about her appointment as Governor General and her passion for Haiti, and I just thought she was the so eloqent, passionate and sincere. Perhaps its because she's a journalist and not a politician. If only I was a Haitian immigrant who could speak 5 languages, perhaps I could aspire to be Governer General someday.

Summer Reading

I haven't updated that reading list on the sidebar in months. Trust me, I do read books a bit faster than that. This book, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was on some bloggers Books Meme that was going around awhile back. I made a note to get it from the library, and was thrilled at the old, 1950's edition they had. It's a short book, really perfect to read on vacation, by the ocean. The title is literal you see, and she discusses different shells as pictures into a more simple yet full life. Enjoyable, especially when I could sit by the Ocean to read it.

Summer Colours

I didn't touch this picture at all, it really was that blue and that yellow.

Halifax Harbour

Ah, a Sunday afternoon, a bench and a cool (okay, cold) ocean breeze at Point Pleasant Park.

Oh dear...

I'm very comfortable flying. But every so often when we're landing or taking off I think about that documentary I saw as a teenager about how almost all airplane crashes happen on take off or landing. I just saw the news that an Air France flight crashed landing in T.O. I hope it's not as bad as it looks in the picture.

A morning dip

The birds in the bird bath made me laugh. Everything about this weekend seemed lovely and fresh and new. I really had a wonderful long weekend, and finally felt relaxed enough to go into vacation mode. Of course, now it's Tuesday and I am again overwhelmed at all the things I need to fit into the next few weeks. Still, one of my goals this summer was to explore Halifax and that was what I did. (Of course, now I don't want to leave!)

The Farmer's Market

This is the center of the Farmer's Market at Keith's Brewery downtown Halifax. It spreads out in all directions, up and down. It's huge, and pretty busy. I could really get used to this, a Saturday morning walk with my backpack down to the market, for lots of lovely fresh fruit, cheese and baked goods (like Pineapple Cherry Squares). Oh, and it's also the oldest Farmer's Market in North America. Halifax certainly has a lot of old things.

Fields of Lavender

The smell of lavender has grown on me. I used to associate it only with little old ladies, but now I think I associate it with aromatherapy massage. I had to buy a little bunch at the Farmer's Market to scent my dorm room.

Street Performers

And walking along the waterfront, I enjoyed bagpipers and awhile later, some girls Highland Dancing. It reminded me of when Kathy and I used to dance, so I actually gave them money for their "Scotland 2006" trip.

St. Paul's Anglican

This is the oldest church in Canada. I decided to go to this church because I knew where it was and what time it started. They have a lovely traditional service that uses the Book of Common Prayer and hymns. The service, in it's reverence and structure, was a bit like some of the post-modern services I've been to, minus the dark room, coffee and candles, of course!

Inside of St. Paul's

The inside of St. Paul's. You can't really tell, but the accent colour on the back wall and on the pipe organ is Dutch Blue. He-he. That's how I'd decorate a church. There are also lots of those gold plaques around, one of the tour books said it's supposed to be the church with the most memorial plaques. And there's a remnant stuck in the wall from the Halifax explosion, that's pretty cool. And there's a padded red velvet pew reserved for the Queen or the Royal Family, should they venture this way. Isn't that such a great church?

Stained Glass

I can never get enough of stained glass. When we went to that church picnic in Port Greville, the local corner store had an advertisement for stained glass panels from a demolished church for sale. I was ready to buy one for the time, decades in the future, when I own a house and could put in a stained window. I didn't buy one though. (=