The last 8 months (two semesters) have brought many great memories and taught me many valuable lessons. I learned the importance of washing machine pods and how crucial they are to maintaining clean clothes. I realized that metal or foil should not be thrown into the microwave. But the most important lesson I learned over the course of my freshman year is that I'm an adult and I'm responsible for my own actions.
Rewind to last august when I was moving into Clark. My mom and I pulled up in the 'clerking lot' and started unpacking. The campus looked so large and new. There were all of these random students walking around who I had never seen before. I was intimidated greatly. My mom helped my unload all of my clothes and put everything up in my dorm. After about an hour, she wiped her hands and asked if there was anything else I could need. I tried to think about any possible thing I left home or what other supplies I could possibly use before I start the semester. The best I could muster up was "wanna get food?"
We went to BJ's and had our last meal together. I was starting to get a little sad when I realized that it's going to be a long time before I see my family again. We finished our meal and my mom dropped me off back at the dorm. We embraced one last time and parted ways.
The following month consisted of trial and error. I learned how to do laundry but failed to do so without shrinking a shirt or two. Simple chores were becoming second nature and I finally figured out how to iron button downs.
The freedoms that came with being away from parents were great! I could come back at whatever hour I wanted to. My roommate and I became fond of watching Walking Dead until 4 AM every weeknight. While it was fun at first, I soon learned that sleep is kind of a crucial process that college students need. I eventually cut those tv marathons short in favor of more sleep.
Going to the doctor was definitely another shock for me. I never realized how many forms one has to fill out before they can even see their doctor! I was started to realize how much I took my parents for granted.
I am in no way complaining about the new freedoms that I've gained ever since I started attending college, but they brought with them a wake up call. I learned that if I want something accomplished, it is my responsibility to see it out. Maybe the shock wasn't so big to other students. For this mama's boy it sure was!
Monday, May 5, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Buck Fever?? (Laughter)
I have mentioned before in my conversation partner blog that I recently went hunting for the first time. The experience I had was one I would never forget. Every man has his war story. Mine is slightly unique in the fact that it climaxes with uncontrollable laughter.
I am in most respects probably considered a 'city-slicker'. I was born and raised in Richardson, Texas, a suburb just north of Dallas, Texas. I rarely ever go to country and when I do, it is only for a brief moment to visit friends or family. I drive a tiny little sedan that moans at the slightest incline or ditch and my family's pet dog is a poodle. Like I said, looking at me doesn't make anyone think country.
Last December I got the opportunity to go hunting with my uncle and dad in San Angelo. The five hour drive was pretty bearable and the chilled weather was nothing to worry about. Armed with a Remington hunting rifle (named deer slayer by my uncle) and a clean conscious, I was ready to kill my first deer. We posted up in the deer blinds fairly early in the morning and were to wait patiently until our prey arrived. My uncle and I posted up in the valley bound blind and my dad was by himself just north on the hill. Uncle Willie and I shared stories and a chuckle here or there. The 50 year age difference was no boundary for us. As deer started to show up at around 4:00 P.M. my uncle warned me about buck fever. He had a hard time explaining it to me, only saying that it will turn you into a mad man and you'll sacrifice your shot.
Here is the urban dictionary definition for those who need a better understanding:
'buck fever is a condition hunters get. its symptoms include: jumpy-ness, seeing a buck deer when there is a doe, or no deer at all. Hunters with buck fever need to be extremely careful of their shot and target.'
As I took a deep breath and centered my cross hair on a buck, a weird sensation started to overtake my body. Quick nervous breathes turned into chuckles and chuckles turned into laughing. It was as if some maniacal comedian had possessed me and sent me into a crazy fit of laughs. My crosshairs were shaking due to the excessive laughs and nerves and the deer perched its head up and looked straight at me. I knew it was now or never. I squeezed the trigger and watched as the deer dropped about 5 seconds later. I did it!
The buck fever subsided and my uncle seemed to have caught it. Although I'd say he had buck fever fever. He was laughing at my sudden nervous fit and lost control just as I did. We sat in the blind for a solid 5 minutes just reimagining the whole episode and needless to say, the story was told a handful more times at dinner that night. To this day, my uncle calls me the mad man and makes a hyena noise as he gives me a playful punch to the gut.
This was the only time in my life that I can say that I laughed in an instinctual way. The situation (of killing a deer) was not funny, but the nerves and how I reacted to them was.
I am in most respects probably considered a 'city-slicker'. I was born and raised in Richardson, Texas, a suburb just north of Dallas, Texas. I rarely ever go to country and when I do, it is only for a brief moment to visit friends or family. I drive a tiny little sedan that moans at the slightest incline or ditch and my family's pet dog is a poodle. Like I said, looking at me doesn't make anyone think country.
Last December I got the opportunity to go hunting with my uncle and dad in San Angelo. The five hour drive was pretty bearable and the chilled weather was nothing to worry about. Armed with a Remington hunting rifle (named deer slayer by my uncle) and a clean conscious, I was ready to kill my first deer. We posted up in the deer blinds fairly early in the morning and were to wait patiently until our prey arrived. My uncle and I posted up in the valley bound blind and my dad was by himself just north on the hill. Uncle Willie and I shared stories and a chuckle here or there. The 50 year age difference was no boundary for us. As deer started to show up at around 4:00 P.M. my uncle warned me about buck fever. He had a hard time explaining it to me, only saying that it will turn you into a mad man and you'll sacrifice your shot.
Here is the urban dictionary definition for those who need a better understanding:
'buck fever is a condition hunters get. its symptoms include: jumpy-ness, seeing a buck deer when there is a doe, or no deer at all. Hunters with buck fever need to be extremely careful of their shot and target.'
As I took a deep breath and centered my cross hair on a buck, a weird sensation started to overtake my body. Quick nervous breathes turned into chuckles and chuckles turned into laughing. It was as if some maniacal comedian had possessed me and sent me into a crazy fit of laughs. My crosshairs were shaking due to the excessive laughs and nerves and the deer perched its head up and looked straight at me. I knew it was now or never. I squeezed the trigger and watched as the deer dropped about 5 seconds later. I did it!
The buck fever subsided and my uncle seemed to have caught it. Although I'd say he had buck fever fever. He was laughing at my sudden nervous fit and lost control just as I did. We sat in the blind for a solid 5 minutes just reimagining the whole episode and needless to say, the story was told a handful more times at dinner that night. To this day, my uncle calls me the mad man and makes a hyena noise as he gives me a playful punch to the gut.
This was the only time in my life that I can say that I laughed in an instinctual way. The situation (of killing a deer) was not funny, but the nerves and how I reacted to them was.
Friday, May 2, 2014
A Conversation with Daisy: A dear friend made
Today marks the last official meet up Daisy and I will be having for my Literature and Civilizations class. It seemed really weird to me to be going into the last conversation. Daisy and I had really gotten to know one another and I'd have to say she left a big impression on me. Coming into this project I thought that I'd be helping her speak and understand english, but instead I got a glimpse of a whole new perspective of the world and of a ambitious Chinese girl who will stop at nothing to follow her dream.
As per her request, Daisy and I met at the BLUU. We immediately started our conversation off with little hesitation. I asked Daisy of her progress with the TOFU tests and she informed me that she unfortunately did not meet the required grade that was necessary to move on towards the next step of her goal. Daisy would be taking the next semester off and returning in spring of 2015. We both shared our struggles with the english language. Daisy told me about all of the different versions of predicates she had known and had trouble identifying. I told her how I thought there was only one type of predicate! Daisy has a much more formal and deep understanding of the English language. They even have Daisy studying latin!
Daisy told me about how common chorus rehearsals are in the church. There are many beautiful songs that are sung in Latin and Daisy had to learn how to pronounce and read the language. Daisy believes that her rough understanding of latin helps her with the structure of English sentences and root words. This made me recall all the way back to 8th grade when my dad urged me to take latin so I'd perform better on the vocabulary section on the SAT. German is another language that Daisy got to dive into. She said that the structure is similar to Latin and English but there is one BIG difference: German words are quite long!
When we brought up the church music again, Daisy explained how all of the symbolic lyrics of he church songs were difficult to understand. Apparently her instructor advised her to attend a couple sessions of church to better gain an understanding of what exactly the lyrics are describing. Daisy then asked if I was a christian. I told her about how I went to church a lot as a child and was exposed to a lot of the choral songs that she spoke of. We both contemplated on how deep and meaningful the lyrics were.
I respectful asked Daisy about what religions are popular amongst the Chinese. Daisy said how most Chinese people who come to America adopt christianity but in China there isn't a standard religion adopted. Personally, Daisy believes in Buddhism and enjoys the ideals of it. It was fascinating getting to learn about the culture of Buddhism and how the dynamics of the religion work. Daisy said that Christians focus on being nice and caring. If a christian man does wrong, he prays for forgiveness. The Buddhist man does not act the same way. What happens is with purpose and not as a consequence. She said if someone is suffering, buddhism reminds them that while times may be harsh a positive time will happen soon in the future. It is also interesting to hear that the religion is especially popular amongst Chinese businessmen. Daisy didn't dive much further into the topic but I could tell that she was getting flustered. Religion is a complicated topic and is difficult to describe even by the most eloquent speakers. Daisy already had a new subject in mind to talk about.
For her persuasive speech, Daisy decided to discuss the pros and cons of gun control. Daisy's viewpoint was that guns should be taken out of criminals hands and therefor out of the public hands. She gave me a few pros and cons about each side and then asked for my opinion. I shared my viewpoint, that an American has the right to own a gun IF it is used to protect their PROPERTY and is sold to a licensed owner. I believe that background checks are important in determining that the potential owner is rightful and safe for his/her community in owning such a dangerous piece of equipment. Daisy asked if I had ever shot a gun. I was happy to tell her about my most recent hunting experience.
Last December, I got to go hunting for the first time with my dad and uncle. I didn't know what to expect going into the situation but was pleasantly surprised. I asked daisy if she likes the nature and being in solitude. Daisy replied with a comforting nod. I explained thats what hunting is, it's the epitome of soaking in everything nature has to offer and getting to watch wildlife. When I told her how I shot a couple of dear, Daisy didn't react the way I anticipated. She thought it was pretty interesting and wanted to learn more about it. I made it clear that venison, lean deer meet, was saved from the dear and actually fed my family (really my dad) for about five months. I asked Daisy if she had ever gone fishing and Daisy said she had gone once or twice when she was about six years old. Daisy said that she enjoyed the peace but didn't quite have a attention span to wait the whole time. She said it was boring up until she caught the fish. Then the wait was all worth it. We both agreed about our love for fish. Daisy's favorite type of meet, however, is pork. It was at this moment when Daisy taught me a little lesson about the differences between the American and Chinese cuisine.
Apparently American pork is much more lean than Chinese pork. In China, they favor the much tastier and fatter pork. Daisy made a bold claim, that Chinese people eat fatter and more unhealthy food than Americans. That was one statement that I had a difficult time believing. I said that Americans eat greasy fast food and, outside of the attractive college campus of TCU, are statistically proven to be pretty fat. Daisy believes that the American culture focuses much more on calories and working out. In China, Daisy would work out once a year. In America, Daisy works out once a week. She said that Americans are much more toned that her friends back home. I definitely believe that statement regarding the working out. We laughed about how she thought Chinese ate fatter food yet Americans were the fatter population.
I looked down at my phone and realized that almost an hour and half had passed! I knew I had to go back to studying but didn't want to. Daisy and I had truly developed a bond and it was a sad moment to realize we weren't going to see each other for a long time. We agreed that we should keep in touch and email each other from time to time. I'm interesting to see Daisy's continuing journey to follow her dream to become a choral conductor. Before we left we took a photo.
I truly am blessed that I was given the opportunity to meet Daisy and watch her develop into a more confident and competent student over the semester. She is a bright and spirited woman who is sweet inside. I've learned that there are many great people out there with great stories. You can uncover them as long as you take the time to get to know them. This isn't goodbye but a so long (for now!)
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn so much about you, your culture, and even myself! I can't wait to see what the future unfolds for you Daisy!
As per her request, Daisy and I met at the BLUU. We immediately started our conversation off with little hesitation. I asked Daisy of her progress with the TOFU tests and she informed me that she unfortunately did not meet the required grade that was necessary to move on towards the next step of her goal. Daisy would be taking the next semester off and returning in spring of 2015. We both shared our struggles with the english language. Daisy told me about all of the different versions of predicates she had known and had trouble identifying. I told her how I thought there was only one type of predicate! Daisy has a much more formal and deep understanding of the English language. They even have Daisy studying latin!
Daisy told me about how common chorus rehearsals are in the church. There are many beautiful songs that are sung in Latin and Daisy had to learn how to pronounce and read the language. Daisy believes that her rough understanding of latin helps her with the structure of English sentences and root words. This made me recall all the way back to 8th grade when my dad urged me to take latin so I'd perform better on the vocabulary section on the SAT. German is another language that Daisy got to dive into. She said that the structure is similar to Latin and English but there is one BIG difference: German words are quite long!
When we brought up the church music again, Daisy explained how all of the symbolic lyrics of he church songs were difficult to understand. Apparently her instructor advised her to attend a couple sessions of church to better gain an understanding of what exactly the lyrics are describing. Daisy then asked if I was a christian. I told her about how I went to church a lot as a child and was exposed to a lot of the choral songs that she spoke of. We both contemplated on how deep and meaningful the lyrics were.
I respectful asked Daisy about what religions are popular amongst the Chinese. Daisy said how most Chinese people who come to America adopt christianity but in China there isn't a standard religion adopted. Personally, Daisy believes in Buddhism and enjoys the ideals of it. It was fascinating getting to learn about the culture of Buddhism and how the dynamics of the religion work. Daisy said that Christians focus on being nice and caring. If a christian man does wrong, he prays for forgiveness. The Buddhist man does not act the same way. What happens is with purpose and not as a consequence. She said if someone is suffering, buddhism reminds them that while times may be harsh a positive time will happen soon in the future. It is also interesting to hear that the religion is especially popular amongst Chinese businessmen. Daisy didn't dive much further into the topic but I could tell that she was getting flustered. Religion is a complicated topic and is difficult to describe even by the most eloquent speakers. Daisy already had a new subject in mind to talk about.
For her persuasive speech, Daisy decided to discuss the pros and cons of gun control. Daisy's viewpoint was that guns should be taken out of criminals hands and therefor out of the public hands. She gave me a few pros and cons about each side and then asked for my opinion. I shared my viewpoint, that an American has the right to own a gun IF it is used to protect their PROPERTY and is sold to a licensed owner. I believe that background checks are important in determining that the potential owner is rightful and safe for his/her community in owning such a dangerous piece of equipment. Daisy asked if I had ever shot a gun. I was happy to tell her about my most recent hunting experience.
Last December, I got to go hunting for the first time with my dad and uncle. I didn't know what to expect going into the situation but was pleasantly surprised. I asked daisy if she likes the nature and being in solitude. Daisy replied with a comforting nod. I explained thats what hunting is, it's the epitome of soaking in everything nature has to offer and getting to watch wildlife. When I told her how I shot a couple of dear, Daisy didn't react the way I anticipated. She thought it was pretty interesting and wanted to learn more about it. I made it clear that venison, lean deer meet, was saved from the dear and actually fed my family (really my dad) for about five months. I asked Daisy if she had ever gone fishing and Daisy said she had gone once or twice when she was about six years old. Daisy said that she enjoyed the peace but didn't quite have a attention span to wait the whole time. She said it was boring up until she caught the fish. Then the wait was all worth it. We both agreed about our love for fish. Daisy's favorite type of meet, however, is pork. It was at this moment when Daisy taught me a little lesson about the differences between the American and Chinese cuisine.
Apparently American pork is much more lean than Chinese pork. In China, they favor the much tastier and fatter pork. Daisy made a bold claim, that Chinese people eat fatter and more unhealthy food than Americans. That was one statement that I had a difficult time believing. I said that Americans eat greasy fast food and, outside of the attractive college campus of TCU, are statistically proven to be pretty fat. Daisy believes that the American culture focuses much more on calories and working out. In China, Daisy would work out once a year. In America, Daisy works out once a week. She said that Americans are much more toned that her friends back home. I definitely believe that statement regarding the working out. We laughed about how she thought Chinese ate fatter food yet Americans were the fatter population.
I looked down at my phone and realized that almost an hour and half had passed! I knew I had to go back to studying but didn't want to. Daisy and I had truly developed a bond and it was a sad moment to realize we weren't going to see each other for a long time. We agreed that we should keep in touch and email each other from time to time. I'm interesting to see Daisy's continuing journey to follow her dream to become a choral conductor. Before we left we took a photo.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn so much about you, your culture, and even myself! I can't wait to see what the future unfolds for you Daisy!
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