Thanksgiving Review
I've decided to save my bilingual posts for when I've got time, and do English-only for the time being. This is not because of any desire to avoid using Chinese (to the contrary, I actually appreciate my linguistic ability more than ever now), but rather because I've realized that laziness is really one of the key reasons for my constant procrastination, and that having thoughts written down in English beats having none written at all. So this blog post will be a sort of rough summary of this past semester.
This is my third year at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. It didn't hit me for a few days that I was now officially in the "upperclass" and that I had passed the halfway point of college, and maybe these would be the last two years of school in my life. I'm making this point mostly as a response to some members of the family who think that's the obvious next step for me is to go to grad school. This is not meant in any critical way, just an explanation of my thought process.
At a certain level, the meaning and purpose of "grad school" varies greatly by field. For example, one of my roommates is doing Hydraulic Engineering, and is taking higher level courses with a focus on application. No thesis required (which is not to say that it's easy at all, that's simply the way the Master's program works here), just take the more difficult classes and that's it. He's going to be graduating from UM this fall. And since a lot of Asians tend to work in this sort of postgrad field, it's understandable that grad school seems like a logical option for me too.
Except, that's not necessarily the case for Political Science and Asian Studies - while I admit I will have relatively little knowledge (in the grand scheme of things) by the time I graduate, (it would be presumptuous to believe that) I don't necessarily feel that grad school is where I should go immediately next. For one thing, the difference between undergrad and grad in my field is not merely limited to difficulty - the way you go about learning and thinking about things is different. In undergrad Polsci, essentially you are going through lots of general material fairly quickly for the first few years, and you're rewarded for memorizing and regurgitating the material taught in class. For the most part, that's reasonable, given that at that point we're learning about basic political theory and international relations and what not. Standing on the shoulders of giants.
On the other hand, grad school for this field inherently entails research - it's very purpose-focused, and self-directed so that you can't just go about it like you do undergrad, where you basically just go to classes and fulfill the admittedly difficult coursework. You have to finish your research, write your thesis, get it approved, etc. That's entirely different, and it's naive to assume that I'm capable and/or willing to do this right now. That's not to say that I'm taking it off the table - it's just that I'd much rather work for a few years in something relating to Polsci or Asian Studies (ideally something that involves both, which is probably some form of foreign policy or diplomacy), getting some real world experience before I decide what happens next. Who knows - maybe it turns out my true passion is elsewhere, and I'd rather find out shortly after graduation rather than in 30 years.
In other news, I've moved into an apartment with other members of AIV, which is cool and definitely different from live in the dorms for several reasons. First off, there are always people around, because I live in a 5-person apartment. Officially it's built for 4, though at the beginning of the semester we had 6-7 people living here until they got settled down more "permanently", which is to say for the rest of the year in college terms. Back in East Quad, I'd see my roommates at night, and maybe sometimes during the day, but I had a lot of time alone. This in of itself isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, just something that varies depending on what you want or need at the time. The second major difference is that I have to cook my own meals, which is frustrating from a health perspective. It also forces mt to face up with my utter incompetence.
Simply appeasing my hunger isn't all that difficult - rice, noodles, or bread are ridiculously easy to prepare, so long as you don't intend on having them with anything that's remotely healthy. Carbs are easy, cheap, and utterly without nutritious value. So, I don't starve, but I also don't get fruit or vegetables nearly as often as I did back in the dorms, where at the very least there was steamed broccoli or green beans or corn or something, (admittedly nasty, but providing fiber) and apples, bananas, and oranges all year long.
Now, this isn't good. On the other hand, I'm also reluctant to go to Meijer or Whole Foods every week to get fresh produce. Apples last for a ridiculously long time once refrigerated so I've been eating them most frequently, particularly since AIV went apple-picking earlier in the semester and whenever we do that we actually end up with so many apples that not only do you always have enough to eat, pie-making is almost mandatory just to use them up. Now, grapes and strawberries rot in like a week, so one way or the other if you go shopping any less than once a week you're going to be without fruit for most of the time. For veggies you can at least get frozen ones and then dump them on your fried rice, or maybe put them in your noodle soup... but I've quickly realized that Asian vegetables are where it's at.
Unfortunately, I go shopping at the Asian markets even less frequently than I do at the American ones, though I love doing it because there's just so much awesome stuff that reminds me of home. I always have to consciously restrict myself to buying the same stuff that I need over and over again - namely, soymilk, noodles, dumplings, curry, and occasionally vegetables. It's quite hard to resist the temptation to get the shrimp crackers, the various different drinks, the Korean-style ramen noodles... yeah. If I ever get homesick, it's when I see Asian food, or when I'm watching Asian dramas. That or when I'm talking with friends about Taiwan.
The third big difference is that my location on campus isn't nearly as good as it used to be, and I can't get into the dorms easily. This matters primarily because getting to Japanese conversation tables in East Quad can get really annoying, if you're trying to avoid awkwardness. Perhaps I should backtrack a bit. I completed the Residential College's Intensive Japanese program last year, and that was quite different from the 3rd year Japanese that I'm taking now. For one thing, it was two hours of class each day (in addition, we had office hours, tutor sessions, and lunch tables aside), five days a week. That's a significant amount of class - but the other side of the coin is that you're constantly provided with opportunities to use the language, and by the end, the class can grow quite close to each other. (I say *can be* because while our class and this year's RC Japanese class is quite close, this wasn't necessarily the case in previous years) This year though in LS&A Japanese, there's been *one* conversation table for the entire year, which is practically worthless if your goal is to get better at Japanese through practice.
At any rate, students who completed the RC language program are constantly encouraged to come back and volunteer at language tables, and I'm glad to do so, partly of out gratitude to Satou-sensei, and also in appreciation of the volunteers when I was in the class. However, since I'm not actually living in East Quad or taking classes there, my Student ID (MCard) doesn't actually unlock the doors. As a result, in order to get in I basically have to piggyback on someone else who actually lives there, which either entails an awesome sense of timing or a bit of awkwardness while waiting in front of the door. I've done stupid stuff like circle around the entire dorm rather than do the smart thing and just wait because I didn't want to seem awkward.
So yeah, that's been one aspect of life that significantly differs from the previous year(s). In other news, I'd forgotten exactly how tough it was taking 5 classes. For all of last year I was taking 3 classes, and while one of them was 10 credits and a lot of work, it was easier than studying for 5 different subjects - this was particularly noticeable during exams. This also meant a *lot* more textbooks - I think I got nearly ten books this semester, almost all on Amazon which was a lot cheaper than it would have been at Shaman Drum or Ulrich's or wherever. Price aside, I actually enjoy buying books second-hand online, because while a lot of people prefer new books, I *like* used ones because most of the time as long as they're not so bad they're falling apart, there are highlighted parts, sometimes with notes made by the previous student which are always very useful, because you can see what they thought was important and worth remembering. Over the years I've accumulated quite a few textbooks and papers and handouts from classes, and they're starting to take up several boxes worth of space because I can never really throw them out - perhaps just this idea that they'll probably come in handy *someday*. So far, I haven't reused any of my old textbooks, though one of my roommates has actually borrowed some of the China-related ones for his other writing classes so at least that was worthwhile.
In addition, I finally joined an acapella group - Kopitonez, the only Asian-interest one on campus. For the previous two years I'd been part of the RC Singers, a choral ensemble, but I figured that it was time to try something new. That, and John Trotter, our awesome conductor, was moving on to another group so I figured the timing was about right. What group to join? Originally I had been considering "Good News", the Christian acapella group, but eventually decided against it. It seems sort of strange thinking about it... I liked their music and everything, but I was ironically looking specifically for a *non-Christian* group. At a certain level it seems somewhat paradoxical, given how much of my life Christianity has become, but on the other hand my rationale is this: when people in AIV graduate, a common sentiment is that they didn't really have many good friends outside of AIV - they lived together with people in the fellowship, and mostly hanged out with the same group. Granted, this is indeed a great bunch of people, but there's something wrong when your religion emphasizes outreach and evangelism yet you don't have any real non-Christian friends that know you well and can share their hearts with you, and you likewise.
So, to avoid making it an irreversible problem, I decided that this would be another way for me to retain good connections with people outside of AIV. (My previous Japanese class was another) Besides Good News, Kopitonez was the only group in which there was someone I already knew, and could vouch for its "worthwhileness". So as the semester started I auditioned again (I had actually tried out last year but didn't go to callbacks so didn't join), and got in. I'll say it here - socially, Kopitonez is everything I thought it would be, and more.
But that's a story for another day.
This is my third year at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. It didn't hit me for a few days that I was now officially in the "upperclass" and that I had passed the halfway point of college, and maybe these would be the last two years of school in my life. I'm making this point mostly as a response to some members of the family who think that's the obvious next step for me is to go to grad school. This is not meant in any critical way, just an explanation of my thought process.
At a certain level, the meaning and purpose of "grad school" varies greatly by field. For example, one of my roommates is doing Hydraulic Engineering, and is taking higher level courses with a focus on application. No thesis required (which is not to say that it's easy at all, that's simply the way the Master's program works here), just take the more difficult classes and that's it. He's going to be graduating from UM this fall. And since a lot of Asians tend to work in this sort of postgrad field, it's understandable that grad school seems like a logical option for me too.
Except, that's not necessarily the case for Political Science and Asian Studies - while I admit I will have relatively little knowledge (in the grand scheme of things) by the time I graduate, (it would be presumptuous to believe that) I don't necessarily feel that grad school is where I should go immediately next. For one thing, the difference between undergrad and grad in my field is not merely limited to difficulty - the way you go about learning and thinking about things is different. In undergrad Polsci, essentially you are going through lots of general material fairly quickly for the first few years, and you're rewarded for memorizing and regurgitating the material taught in class. For the most part, that's reasonable, given that at that point we're learning about basic political theory and international relations and what not. Standing on the shoulders of giants.
On the other hand, grad school for this field inherently entails research - it's very purpose-focused, and self-directed so that you can't just go about it like you do undergrad, where you basically just go to classes and fulfill the admittedly difficult coursework. You have to finish your research, write your thesis, get it approved, etc. That's entirely different, and it's naive to assume that I'm capable and/or willing to do this right now. That's not to say that I'm taking it off the table - it's just that I'd much rather work for a few years in something relating to Polsci or Asian Studies (ideally something that involves both, which is probably some form of foreign policy or diplomacy), getting some real world experience before I decide what happens next. Who knows - maybe it turns out my true passion is elsewhere, and I'd rather find out shortly after graduation rather than in 30 years.
In other news, I've moved into an apartment with other members of AIV, which is cool and definitely different from live in the dorms for several reasons. First off, there are always people around, because I live in a 5-person apartment. Officially it's built for 4, though at the beginning of the semester we had 6-7 people living here until they got settled down more "permanently", which is to say for the rest of the year in college terms. Back in East Quad, I'd see my roommates at night, and maybe sometimes during the day, but I had a lot of time alone. This in of itself isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, just something that varies depending on what you want or need at the time. The second major difference is that I have to cook my own meals, which is frustrating from a health perspective. It also forces mt to face up with my utter incompetence.
Simply appeasing my hunger isn't all that difficult - rice, noodles, or bread are ridiculously easy to prepare, so long as you don't intend on having them with anything that's remotely healthy. Carbs are easy, cheap, and utterly without nutritious value. So, I don't starve, but I also don't get fruit or vegetables nearly as often as I did back in the dorms, where at the very least there was steamed broccoli or green beans or corn or something, (admittedly nasty, but providing fiber) and apples, bananas, and oranges all year long.
Now, this isn't good. On the other hand, I'm also reluctant to go to Meijer or Whole Foods every week to get fresh produce. Apples last for a ridiculously long time once refrigerated so I've been eating them most frequently, particularly since AIV went apple-picking earlier in the semester and whenever we do that we actually end up with so many apples that not only do you always have enough to eat, pie-making is almost mandatory just to use them up. Now, grapes and strawberries rot in like a week, so one way or the other if you go shopping any less than once a week you're going to be without fruit for most of the time. For veggies you can at least get frozen ones and then dump them on your fried rice, or maybe put them in your noodle soup... but I've quickly realized that Asian vegetables are where it's at.
Unfortunately, I go shopping at the Asian markets even less frequently than I do at the American ones, though I love doing it because there's just so much awesome stuff that reminds me of home. I always have to consciously restrict myself to buying the same stuff that I need over and over again - namely, soymilk, noodles, dumplings, curry, and occasionally vegetables. It's quite hard to resist the temptation to get the shrimp crackers, the various different drinks, the Korean-style ramen noodles... yeah. If I ever get homesick, it's when I see Asian food, or when I'm watching Asian dramas. That or when I'm talking with friends about Taiwan.
The third big difference is that my location on campus isn't nearly as good as it used to be, and I can't get into the dorms easily. This matters primarily because getting to Japanese conversation tables in East Quad can get really annoying, if you're trying to avoid awkwardness. Perhaps I should backtrack a bit. I completed the Residential College's Intensive Japanese program last year, and that was quite different from the 3rd year Japanese that I'm taking now. For one thing, it was two hours of class each day (in addition, we had office hours, tutor sessions, and lunch tables aside), five days a week. That's a significant amount of class - but the other side of the coin is that you're constantly provided with opportunities to use the language, and by the end, the class can grow quite close to each other. (I say *can be* because while our class and this year's RC Japanese class is quite close, this wasn't necessarily the case in previous years) This year though in LS&A Japanese, there's been *one* conversation table for the entire year, which is practically worthless if your goal is to get better at Japanese through practice.
At any rate, students who completed the RC language program are constantly encouraged to come back and volunteer at language tables, and I'm glad to do so, partly of out gratitude to Satou-sensei, and also in appreciation of the volunteers when I was in the class. However, since I'm not actually living in East Quad or taking classes there, my Student ID (MCard) doesn't actually unlock the doors. As a result, in order to get in I basically have to piggyback on someone else who actually lives there, which either entails an awesome sense of timing or a bit of awkwardness while waiting in front of the door. I've done stupid stuff like circle around the entire dorm rather than do the smart thing and just wait because I didn't want to seem awkward.
So yeah, that's been one aspect of life that significantly differs from the previous year(s). In other news, I'd forgotten exactly how tough it was taking 5 classes. For all of last year I was taking 3 classes, and while one of them was 10 credits and a lot of work, it was easier than studying for 5 different subjects - this was particularly noticeable during exams. This also meant a *lot* more textbooks - I think I got nearly ten books this semester, almost all on Amazon which was a lot cheaper than it would have been at Shaman Drum or Ulrich's or wherever. Price aside, I actually enjoy buying books second-hand online, because while a lot of people prefer new books, I *like* used ones because most of the time as long as they're not so bad they're falling apart, there are highlighted parts, sometimes with notes made by the previous student which are always very useful, because you can see what they thought was important and worth remembering. Over the years I've accumulated quite a few textbooks and papers and handouts from classes, and they're starting to take up several boxes worth of space because I can never really throw them out - perhaps just this idea that they'll probably come in handy *someday*. So far, I haven't reused any of my old textbooks, though one of my roommates has actually borrowed some of the China-related ones for his other writing classes so at least that was worthwhile.
In addition, I finally joined an acapella group - Kopitonez, the only Asian-interest one on campus. For the previous two years I'd been part of the RC Singers, a choral ensemble, but I figured that it was time to try something new. That, and John Trotter, our awesome conductor, was moving on to another group so I figured the timing was about right. What group to join? Originally I had been considering "Good News", the Christian acapella group, but eventually decided against it. It seems sort of strange thinking about it... I liked their music and everything, but I was ironically looking specifically for a *non-Christian* group. At a certain level it seems somewhat paradoxical, given how much of my life Christianity has become, but on the other hand my rationale is this: when people in AIV graduate, a common sentiment is that they didn't really have many good friends outside of AIV - they lived together with people in the fellowship, and mostly hanged out with the same group. Granted, this is indeed a great bunch of people, but there's something wrong when your religion emphasizes outreach and evangelism yet you don't have any real non-Christian friends that know you well and can share their hearts with you, and you likewise.
So, to avoid making it an irreversible problem, I decided that this would be another way for me to retain good connections with people outside of AIV. (My previous Japanese class was another) Besides Good News, Kopitonez was the only group in which there was someone I already knew, and could vouch for its "worthwhileness". So as the semester started I auditioned again (I had actually tried out last year but didn't go to callbacks so didn't join), and got in. I'll say it here - socially, Kopitonez is everything I thought it would be, and more.
But that's a story for another day.
So, please let the story continue...
ReplyDeleteDo not take too long before the next story