Friday 22 February 2008
Changes-changes
As Exam period is over (for now) I have a little more time on my hands, and as a result I am dedicating some of it on the Blog. As in actually finding a colour other than white, putting up a picture (of me sleeping on a sofa at new years eve in my favorite (and only) short dress) and putting up some links. There will be more of them. A lot more. Up until now my net-surfing has been mostly limited to Romance-Land, but I am branching out. ;) Who knows, some day I might even tell someone about this!
Kitty
My christmas present last year. She has only been with us for little over a year, but I have a hard time remembering how it was before she came. Less hairy, but far more lonely..Thursday 21 February 2008
Languages
I read a comment the other day in Que! I think it was, one of those free news papers. The author was convinced that because she began learning english at the age of 11 and not at 2, she never had a chance to learn it properly.
Umh. Lady. I began my english classes at ten like most other norwegians, and although there are various degrees of level, as in any subject, I think I can claim that all norwegians know enough english to have a enlightened conversation. (that they would Want to have this conversation is another subject..)
Not that I am against beginning early, but at the moment it would be a vaste of time and resourses. Because a Spaniard goes through his/her daily life without hearing a word of english. Unless he or she make an effort and activly search for it.
In Spain the Terminator and Marlon Brando have the same voice. Any snippet of english spoken on interwievs has a voice over translating it. All the series on tv are dubbed. They loose out so much of the interpretation of the actors..I almost feel pity for them if it were not for the fact that they want it this way! "We would not understand what they say" and "one would need to read so fast" and "but the translation to text would mean reducing the words.." These are some of the objections I hear the most. Bullshit. It may take a movie or two to get used to, but the text is there to convey the general meaning, to be filled out by the way the actor speaks the lines. One of the most important parts in the process of learning a language is to listen to it.
So, Lady, all those kids that learn english when they are two will in most cases never use what they learn on a daily basis, and therefore they will not retain it. It would do more good to stop the horrible dubbing, that is how we learn english in my home country. Beginning at 10 years.
Umh. Lady. I began my english classes at ten like most other norwegians, and although there are various degrees of level, as in any subject, I think I can claim that all norwegians know enough english to have a enlightened conversation. (that they would Want to have this conversation is another subject..)
Not that I am against beginning early, but at the moment it would be a vaste of time and resourses. Because a Spaniard goes through his/her daily life without hearing a word of english. Unless he or she make an effort and activly search for it.
In Spain the Terminator and Marlon Brando have the same voice. Any snippet of english spoken on interwievs has a voice over translating it. All the series on tv are dubbed. They loose out so much of the interpretation of the actors..I almost feel pity for them if it were not for the fact that they want it this way! "We would not understand what they say" and "one would need to read so fast" and "but the translation to text would mean reducing the words.." These are some of the objections I hear the most. Bullshit. It may take a movie or two to get used to, but the text is there to convey the general meaning, to be filled out by the way the actor speaks the lines. One of the most important parts in the process of learning a language is to listen to it.
So, Lady, all those kids that learn english when they are two will in most cases never use what they learn on a daily basis, and therefore they will not retain it. It would do more good to stop the horrible dubbing, that is how we learn english in my home country. Beginning at 10 years.
Sunday 17 February 2008
quantum
I went to Fnac yesterday to by a book, and looking through the 2 shelves they have of english books (2/3 of those are accupied by Nick Hornby, JAne Austin and Dan Brown..) I found the latest instalment of The science Discworld. The themes so far are intelligent design vs evolution, and time, timetravel and shapes of the universe.. I think.
Evolution I get, as beeing a med student I read all about it in genetics and biology. It is not new territory. But Time is a bit harder. When they start with coneshapes and linear whatnots and paradoxes.. I go "dhuuu". Possibly a bit of saliva drooling. (Think Patrick Star, Spongebob´s best friend.) And this is the fat-free version of it all. But it is good for the brain. It has not been doing much thinking lately, merely trying to memorize stuff. Don´t get me wrong, learning things and memorizing them is hard work, but it doesn´t need any New Thinking. New Thinking is the one that makes the head feel sore.
Evolution I get, as beeing a med student I read all about it in genetics and biology. It is not new territory. But Time is a bit harder. When they start with coneshapes and linear whatnots and paradoxes.. I go "dhuuu". Possibly a bit of saliva drooling. (Think Patrick Star, Spongebob´s best friend.) And this is the fat-free version of it all. But it is good for the brain. It has not been doing much thinking lately, merely trying to memorize stuff. Don´t get me wrong, learning things and memorizing them is hard work, but it doesn´t need any New Thinking. New Thinking is the one that makes the head feel sore.
Saturday 16 February 2008
electon time
This was going to be about elections. Media here in Spain seem far more intrested in US elections than in the one that is soon about to take place here. Everybondy and their uncle is discussing Barak and Hillary and the merits of one compered to the other. The republican candidates are more unknown. It may have to do with the democratic candidates being more visible, but also because it is assumed that a democrat will end up in the white house this time around. The candidates here are far more bland. Boring one might say.
curiously there seem to be a similar thing going on in the republican party and in PP (the right-wing party) in that there is a battle between the hardcore conservatives and the more right-light. In the Us that is resolved in the voting. (I think) Voters want the light-version, they vote the light version.
The news is having lots of fun with the mayor of Madrid and the "senator" of the same region, both from PP. Here the fractions fight inside the party and the one who wins get to dictate politics of the party until there is a new fight. The voters don´t have much say in it, and the only way they can state their opininon is voting for another party.
Hmm. This did end up being about politics after all. And I who thought I was going to tell u all about my Free-cell abstinences...
curiously there seem to be a similar thing going on in the republican party and in PP (the right-wing party) in that there is a battle between the hardcore conservatives and the more right-light. In the Us that is resolved in the voting. (I think) Voters want the light-version, they vote the light version.
The news is having lots of fun with the mayor of Madrid and the "senator" of the same region, both from PP. Here the fractions fight inside the party and the one who wins get to dictate politics of the party until there is a new fight. The voters don´t have much say in it, and the only way they can state their opininon is voting for another party.
Hmm. This did end up being about politics after all. And I who thought I was going to tell u all about my Free-cell abstinences...
Friday 8 February 2008
Uffda
oh dear. The day of crap has turned into the week of crap, and I am now trying to convince myself that it is not turing into any longer crap. crap.
I daydream of far away paradisiac islands with food dump once a day. (and also a fully funcional toilet with flusher under a palm three where I can do my thing and enjoy the sunset.)(and soft toilet paper)
Failing that I am happy to stay at home doing nothing and preferably in bed, under the covers. Not dealing with anything.
I am happy to report I am still showering, but the appetite is dwindling. Everything is just such an effort. If it was not for the fact that I cook food for A, I would not have eaten much at all. Defietivly a self-apreciation-self-love issue going on here. Namely, somewhere inside me there is this nasty old aunt that does not believe I can do It or Handle It.
uffda
I daydream of far away paradisiac islands with food dump once a day. (and also a fully funcional toilet with flusher under a palm three where I can do my thing and enjoy the sunset.)(and soft toilet paper)
Failing that I am happy to stay at home doing nothing and preferably in bed, under the covers. Not dealing with anything.
I am happy to report I am still showering, but the appetite is dwindling. Everything is just such an effort. If it was not for the fact that I cook food for A, I would not have eaten much at all. Defietivly a self-apreciation-self-love issue going on here. Namely, somewhere inside me there is this nasty old aunt that does not believe I can do It or Handle It.
uffda
Friday 1 February 2008
shitty day
Today is turning out to be a real bad day. Item number one; did not do fisica-exam and am trying to find out why not. I mean, I got to the gate of the faculty! then I just took a few steps to the right and left the campus all the while trying to convince myself that I should turn around...I am such a chicken-head sometimes.
item number two; I have deleted all the games from windows, and can no longer spend hours doing free cell. It is a good thing in the long run, but I like playing free-cell!
item number three; have another exam on monday so cannot relax my brain from the down-turn today.
So at this moment I have in my head, embarrasment (over behaving in the silly way I do), anger, sadness, headache coming on, and generally hating myself for not "getting on with it". I mean, I know what I need to do. I know what I want to do, so why is it so effing hard to just do it? Courage is so hard to find sometimes, and specially when my fears are tied up in something so silly as an exam.
Ah well, I will lash myself a bit more, in private and then I have the joy of telling A I fucked up today, before leaving for the library I do not really like to study for the next one.
item number two; I have deleted all the games from windows, and can no longer spend hours doing free cell. It is a good thing in the long run, but I like playing free-cell!
item number three; have another exam on monday so cannot relax my brain from the down-turn today.
So at this moment I have in my head, embarrasment (over behaving in the silly way I do), anger, sadness, headache coming on, and generally hating myself for not "getting on with it". I mean, I know what I need to do. I know what I want to do, so why is it so effing hard to just do it? Courage is so hard to find sometimes, and specially when my fears are tied up in something so silly as an exam.
Ah well, I will lash myself a bit more, in private and then I have the joy of telling A I fucked up today, before leaving for the library I do not really like to study for the next one.
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