Friends change, lovers leave

I have done the first two papers of Anth 200 and handed in the first one. I think the professor will return it to me next Monday. I will see how the grade and he comments it. For writing the first two, we read around one or two thirty page articles. However, for the third one, we need to write an overview that based on a part of a book; the book is total five hundred pages and we have to read three hundred pages. I feel it is unbelievable that a weekly homework of an undergraduate course is reading a three hundred page book and writing a 2-3 page report. I may double check this issue from the professor when I see him next time.

I know my English is improving because in my early years in college, I could speak and write little. However, now I can speak and write much more than that time. The new difficulty I have to overcome is how to speak and write better. I will work on them.

I am catching a cold lately. When my husband heard this new, his first reaction was happy rather than sad. He said it is normal that people catch a cold once or twice a year. When you catch a cold, you body has to fight with disease. That is a helpful exercise seem as a country’s army has to do exercise even though this is a peaceful period. Since I am a person very rare to catch a cold, my husband calls me superwoman and this is the reason he is happy about my illness. Because of the cold, I stop going swimming this week; I wish I can get over quickly. Catching a cold may good for your body from the perspective that my husband pointed, but it makes my eyes painful and very easy to be tired. I hate that because for this reason I have to postpone my reading job. That is a thing I really don’t want to see.

One day I saw some interesting words in a lady’s room. Someone writes, “Friends change, lovers leave, but only sisters are forever.” Later, another person adds a few words, “for your sisters” after the words “lovers leave”. I always feel very sad when I lose friends. I knew it is reality or absolute law of nature that everything is constantly changing, but I just could not help myself feeling very very sad when my friends change.

Difficulties on history 200

Through three years college study, my English is improving and I am proud about that. However, while I am taking higher level courses, the requirement rises higher too; consequently, I get more rather than less stress on my study.

On history 200, although the two professors are both very nice, I feel their requirement is far beyond my present English ability. For each class, we need to read one or multiple articles before class and then discuss them during the class time. Reading is not too difficult; even though some materials are old or relatively hard to be understood, as long as I spend more time, I can overcome this problem in general.

The real problem is class discuss. According the professors, a good grade is not counted by how much and how often you talk, but the quality of what you say. In my previous classes, I said very little because I have totally not confidence on my speech. This time, since I am aware that I must talk in class, I encourage myself saying as more as I can. Although after one or two classes, both my professor and my classmates have figured out how worse my talking is.

Writing is another problem. We need to write four response papers in informal format and two long and formal papers in the while semester. I started the response paper from the first week. I want to write more than four of them in order to practice and also show the professors that I am trying my best on this class. For the first paper, the professor suggested me to go the writing center to help my grammar. For the second paper, I have discussed the grammar with a writing tutor before handed in it, but the professor commented it by that I should go deeper on my points. I started to worry about the two formal papers of this course.

I have expected an A on this course, but now I lost the confident about it. Nevertheless, I will never give up. Encountering difficulties is just a good time to make myself become stronger and braver.

I dropped His 103

I finally dropped History 103 because I really could not stand such an uncertain situation. I don’t know when the professor will come back, or the college may cancel this course or probably a new teacher will be sent as a substitute. I made the decision by myself; after I did that, I got a relief.
I replaced it by registering the course, Buddhist art and architecture, to fulfill five courses or fifteen credits for this semester. Even though I registered it later, I didn’t miss any class of it. I am attaining this class since the beginning of this semester for my interest. My interest solved me at the key moment; otherwise, right now is too later to register any other course.

How should I think about my courses? On the one hand, I am not very happy that I had to drop a major course. As a result, I have total three courses for my major and minor. On the other hand, the courses that I am taking now are not only relatively easy, but also very enjoyable. I love to go class and read textbooks very much. I think I am touching happiness through my current studying. I complain nothing.

My college swimming poor open on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening. I usually go to swimming twice a week within two of the three days. Although I think I am one of the worst swimmers among the stranger people I meet in the swimming pool, I may be the best swimmer among my friends or the people I know. This is the reason that I feel difficulty to find a partner to go to swimming together. In fact, I never mind do something alone. There are many advantages for doing things individually. First, you can do things fast, never waste time on unnecessary waiting. Second, if you hope someone coming but he or she doesn’t, you will be disappointed; consequently, you will get upset. Third, if you can swim better than most people, if you have friends with you, you may have to spend time to take care of them or instruct them, and so on and so on. I know there definitely are benefits for having friends. Nevertheless, I am a completely pessimist and mostly focus on the negative side of our live. Also, I admit that I am not a nice person at all. I am more selfish than many other people.

My courses for Spring 2008

It is so funny that I always hope and register six courses when I plan a new semester, but I have never successfully handled them. This semester too I registered six and dropped one within the first week. So, this semester I have five courses as usual. They are History 200, History 103, Anthropology 200, Chinese 360, and East Asian Study 235.

History 103 is American history from 1607 to 1865. The professor is very old. I saw his hands shaking when he tried to take a book. In the first class, he handed out an incomplete syllabus and held class less half hour long. The second class time, we waited twenty minters but he didn’t show up. We signed an attendant sheet and left. Today, the third class, a note on the door of our classroom says the class is cancelled. I start to worry about this class. However, I can do nothing but being patient.

I registered History 200 because the professor is the same professor whom I had last semester in African history. She is very helpful and reasonable. Even though her assignment is not light and her grade is not too easy, I believe if I follow her and study hard, a good grade is expected. The experience of studying with her is joyful. To my surprise, history 200 is co-teaching with Anth 330 in this semester. The prof. from Anth 330 looks very nice too. Thus, we get two nice ladies to instruct us in every class. Although this course is a seminar course and oral expression is the weakest part for me, since my faith to the good professors, I still believe that I can do well on this class.

Anth 200 is about the history of Anthropology. There are seven short paper assignment, two or three pages, and a final exam. The professor does not really require students talking in class. I feel ease about that.

The rest two are Prof. Sukhu’s classes. We study Tang poetry in Chinese 360 and continue Zen in East Asian Study 235. I raise hand every time if the question Prof. Sukhu asked I knew. I feel I may seem as a little bit odd since I talk exceeding in class.

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year Eve. I will help my aunt to cook a big family dinner. Except eating, we know nothing to celebrate our greatest holiday. I really don’t want to focus on eating only, especial I often get too full to feeling comfortable in holidays. By doing that, I merely want to happy my older relatives, e.g. my aunt.