學而時習之，不亦說乎？有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎？
The first verse from the Analects seems to describe the last month. Is it not a pleasure to learn and then put what you have learned into practice? Is it not a pleasure when friends come from far away? Is it not a gentleman who does not get upset when others to not recognise him?
I am studying, and it should be a pleasure. I know, it should be... but lately it has not been. I am going to need to turn it back into a pleasure soon. I have started making some progress on my 882 paper, even though with every line I write in stata I become more aware of how much more is left to do. This is my last semester of a learning journey that has consoumed almost my entire life and has taken me to no less than 15 schools and universities. It has been fun and I would like to think that I have learned a lot, but now it is time to put what I have learned into practice. I called the AETP coordinator yesterday and she said that everything was in order and that they would send out my letter of offer today. Of course I will only relax once I have singned it and sent it back, but I was very happy to hear that and excited to start my new career.
It was a great pleasure to see Vincent who came from far away. Of course it was also a great pleasure to see Jesse who I went a great distance to see. And likewise it was a pleasure to see Will. The New York trip was good. Unfortunately, this was the first time I have been there since my parents left so I had to stay in a hotel room. I didn't even visit Waterside. It was a bit wierd. As I always like to do in NYC apart from seeing old friends, I walked a lot, ate some decent food, did a bit of shopping, and hung out in the East Village. At the end I did not want to leave. It is tough to have a city that I love but I know I can not live there any time soon. I have devised a five year plan to make it back there, but anything can happen, and actually it is the contingency plan. My mother told me that life is long. My parents moved to New York in their fifties. We don't know what opportunities lie in the future...
I am not recognised by my professors, but I will try not to get upset. I got my midterm grades back for this semester, and while they are better than last semester, they are still nothing to be proud of. Graduate school, even though it is just an MA, has been a humbling experience for me. Coming here was a good thing, but now I know that I will never do a PhD. Hopefully working will be more rewarding and will give me more recognition.
I feel like I am starting to make real friends in the program. Of course, these are people that I have been hanging out with for six or so months now, but friendship takes a long time to build and that time gets longer as I get older. There are a lot of good guys, guys that I hope to keep in touch with, even if only through facebook and some beers when we go to eachother's cities. Without being around good people, the whole experience would be different and this year would be nothing other than an ordeal. On the other hand, the program is starting to feel pretty small. Groups, formed long ago, have pretty much been set in place and the whole thing is starting to feel a bit like high school. Debate, my other social context, is pretty much over anyway after next weekend and while I am friendly with many of those people, I don't think I have made more than one friend. At least I am not alone in this whole thing.
Moving to Ottawa this summer brings these issues up again. Ashley will be there, which is a big positive, and there will be some guys from my program coming in Septemeber, but I will have to go through the whole process of adjusting to a new city again. I am very grateful for the internet. For msn and for facebook which allow me to keep in touch with my friends who may not be anywhere near me.
The first verse from the Analects seems to describe the last month. Is it not a pleasure to learn and then put what you have learned into practice? Is it not a pleasure when friends come from far away? Is it not a gentleman who does not get upset when others to not recognise him?
I am studying, and it should be a pleasure. I know, it should be... but lately it has not been. I am going to need to turn it back into a pleasure soon. I have started making some progress on my 882 paper, even though with every line I write in stata I become more aware of how much more is left to do. This is my last semester of a learning journey that has consoumed almost my entire life and has taken me to no less than 15 schools and universities. It has been fun and I would like to think that I have learned a lot, but now it is time to put what I have learned into practice. I called the AETP coordinator yesterday and she said that everything was in order and that they would send out my letter of offer today. Of course I will only relax once I have singned it and sent it back, but I was very happy to hear that and excited to start my new career.
It was a great pleasure to see Vincent who came from far away. Of course it was also a great pleasure to see Jesse who I went a great distance to see. And likewise it was a pleasure to see Will. The New York trip was good. Unfortunately, this was the first time I have been there since my parents left so I had to stay in a hotel room. I didn't even visit Waterside. It was a bit wierd. As I always like to do in NYC apart from seeing old friends, I walked a lot, ate some decent food, did a bit of shopping, and hung out in the East Village. At the end I did not want to leave. It is tough to have a city that I love but I know I can not live there any time soon. I have devised a five year plan to make it back there, but anything can happen, and actually it is the contingency plan. My mother told me that life is long. My parents moved to New York in their fifties. We don't know what opportunities lie in the future...
I am not recognised by my professors, but I will try not to get upset. I got my midterm grades back for this semester, and while they are better than last semester, they are still nothing to be proud of. Graduate school, even though it is just an MA, has been a humbling experience for me. Coming here was a good thing, but now I know that I will never do a PhD. Hopefully working will be more rewarding and will give me more recognition.
I feel like I am starting to make real friends in the program. Of course, these are people that I have been hanging out with for six or so months now, but friendship takes a long time to build and that time gets longer as I get older. There are a lot of good guys, guys that I hope to keep in touch with, even if only through facebook and some beers when we go to eachother's cities. Without being around good people, the whole experience would be different and this year would be nothing other than an ordeal. On the other hand, the program is starting to feel pretty small. Groups, formed long ago, have pretty much been set in place and the whole thing is starting to feel a bit like high school. Debate, my other social context, is pretty much over anyway after next weekend and while I am friendly with many of those people, I don't think I have made more than one friend. At least I am not alone in this whole thing.
Moving to Ottawa this summer brings these issues up again. Ashley will be there, which is a big positive, and there will be some guys from my program coming in Septemeber, but I will have to go through the whole process of adjusting to a new city again. I am very grateful for the internet. For msn and for facebook which allow me to keep in touch with my friends who may not be anywhere near me.
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