accumulation {and letting go}

in this whole moving process, nothing so far has been more satisfactory than going through large boxes of crap and determining what stays, what goes, and what gets donated.  it amazes me how much stuff just accumulates--especially unimportant stuff. also, the therapeutic power of dumping papers and books and odds/ends which have a negative history feels so liberating! being able to ask honestly: "do i really need this?" and being able to say "no" is quite nice too.

now, if only there was a quick and relatively painless/time non-intensive way to make some cash for items that are actually worth something...i may just have to bite the bullet and list a few things on craigslist.

may 20th, 2011-->mark your calendar!

i have been (keep your fingers crossed!) granted permission to participate in graduation! i can walk with my co-horts! woot! double woot! triple woot!

now, all i have to do to get the damn diploma is: 1. write a 20 page paper for one class 2. come up with and execute a prject on policy change for my other class 3. find a VIABLE summer language class ( i have one in the works, it still needs to be approved, then finagled from 3 credits to 4 credits) 4. finish the summer class 5. get my diploma

can i do it folks, with less than a month to go??? will i sleep? will i lose my sanity? will i drrive my family and friends up the wall?

see? told ya so....

oh, the tail-end of the semester. a mixed bag of feelings and emotions...and feeling like you're on the verge of an emotional breakdown.  finding new and creative ways to procrastinate. all my in class presentations are done. one out of 2 papers are done. the other has a snazzy title (OUTspoken: A Thematic Literary Analysis of Murakami Ryu's Piercing and Kirino Natsuo's Out) 

have i mentioned how much i *love* coming up with snazzy titles???

anywho...it's got a title and i've even outlined it. and that's as far as i've gotten. it was originally due this weekend, but R-sensei pushed it back to the 23rd. great. just what a motivation-ally-impaired person needs, a teacher induced procrastinational tool

so busy i forgot to update

that about sums it up. this year is totally kicking my ass. between reading approx. 200 pages *per class, per week* and working and trying to not stress out too much, i have neglected posting. meh. no big whoop. not as if i have a cult following.

since my last update the dreaded class has gotten better. still fucking annoying and imperfect but at least, better. literature is still going well. we have a mid-term type paper due that we will get info about in class tonight (i think). does anyone else find it odd for a grad-level class to have a midterm-thingy? for the other class, we had to submit a tentative title for our FINAL PAPER last week. mine will have to do with people challenging traditional gender norms in japan...surprise!

anyways, that's about it right now. still haven't figure out how i'm going to fulfill my final 3rd of the language requirement. or when i'm supposed to have time to explore/apply for further schooling options. SIGH.

paper, part 1

so, i'm gonna post this. DON'T STEAL IT! this paper is *MY* property.

Noh Women/ No Women: Neo-Confucianism and Its Radical

Alteration on Perceptions of Gender as Seen Through the

Sociological Lens of Traditional Japanese Theatre

all my ducks in a row---almost.

spending the morning finishing up for tonight's discussion/facilitation. managed to pull together a basic, but interesting power point. i know i didn't *have* to, but i am a visual and kinetic learner. i like pretty shiny objects to look at. so sue me.

now i just have to put together basic notes about what i'm going to say--which, to me, feels ridiculous. i mean, i was a theatre major in undergrad!!! i did 3 years of improv (during those years) and plenty more prior. if there's one thing i know how to do well, it's entertain/speak. and yet, i am afraid of sounding dumb or rambling to much or getting off the subject.

UGH. when in my life did i suddenly get so concerned (or fiercely competitive- you decide) about sounding put together and/or academic??? if this is the kind of grief i give myself for a simple class discussion, why am i even considering the idea of eventually pursuing my doctorate????????

grades are in!

and i did pretty frickin' awesome! i am quite proud to announce that i did NOT fail my language class, in fact, i managed to get a B+!!! WOOT! i'm still not quite sure how that happened but, i will gladly take it!

also, it turns out that my winter break is way longer than expected- classes don't begin until like the 25th or something crazy like that.i am lovin' having off, even though it means i'm working like crazy--for example from january 2nd until NEXT WEEK saturday (i think that's like the 16th??) i have worked/will be working at one of my 2 two jobs every day! phew.

i double-heart <3<3 winter break!!

how wonderful to take the time to read books that a) i want to b) are not required and c) are mainly fiction! woot! while the downside is i'm working like a crazy mo-fo: 2 jobs both part-time to bring in money to pay the bills; the up-side is, generally feeling relaxed and in control of my life. in theory, i could be working on an optional take-home language project for extra points but, seeing how i will be joining a new language class (and hence, new teacher!) come january AND it's break, i think i won't. plus really, i don't have the time/patience right now to sit down and do an intense, 8-page bonus assignment so, i will accept the grade i get, i guess.

crit. hit? or crit. miss? (debuting my critical analysis)

alright, it seems i have figured out how to make this "hidden text" thing work! the ONLY snafu is: if you go to my individual entry- it won't be hidden. if you are on my main page, you have the option to expand and read.

that being said-- i am posting the critical analysis i wrote for my basic-overview class below. it has to do with textbook controversy in the asia-pacific and is in response to 4 lengthy articles we had to read. the "goal" of the paper was to show we understood the main points/insights and then to process them, looking at them critically and analyzing what we read (surprising right? who knew that's what a critical analysis was?!?!)  don't be concerned if you don't understand the particulars--if you choose to read it.

ALSO: THE BELOW PAPER IS MY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. please please please do not plagiarize it. i will cry tears of molten lava and that will hurt....

oh the places you will go

i accomplished so frakin' much today and feel like a ROCKSTAR. there is seriously nothing more satisfactory than getting work done and feeling like you may actually understand what you are doing. 2 of my 4 supplementary readings: read. responses: written, but informally. i'm waiting to hear back from the prof if they need to be formalized. verb chat for studying-common present positive, common past positive, common present negative, past common negative, imperative and formal tenses: DONE.

and i even had time to do the dishes and make a casserole.

i am a goddess!!!!!!