Minha jornada língua

Since October when Brazilian skateboarding was revealed to me, I started to teach myself Portuguese.  I already know Spanish so I thought it wouldn't be too hard to teach myself a romance language since I already know one.  Needless to say Google translate has become my new super best friend.  (See my devotion to it from the title.)

At this point, I can read news articles and understand most of it.  Its funny that I can read so much better than I can speak or understand it spoken. It definitely wasn't like this when learning English or Spanish.  I decided that if I stick to this for a year than I will actually go and take a class, but for now Living Language, YouTube videos, o globo, random sports articles, e os twitteros skatistas will have to do.

So far this has been a nice distraction and it makes me happy when I see myself making head way so quickly. I know in a few more months that I will probably hit a wall and that is the make it or break it phase where I will truly have to disipline myself and the hit the books hardcore.  I'm hoping by then I can find others that can speak the language so I can practice out loud to someone instead of just to my soul mate (my vaio).

I hope you look forward to random facts that I find out about Brazil and to more language learning stories from pit stops along the way.

12-22-2010

Merry Christmas!!

I will try not to be this guy, this year:

Lack Luster

I'm in a funk. I don't really know if its a depressing funk, more like a blah funk. I have fallen off the loose sch. I've been on. Pesando en el. I think he's forgotten about me.  I've been staying in the house a lot lately and just sitting.  I really don't think about anything.  I just wish it was warmer.  Its easier to forget past pain if there is nice weather.

I have gotten some of my grades back.  I'm waiting on the last one to come in.  The lowest I have gotten is an A- so far.  I should be happy about this.  But I think, lo que sea, they're just grades.  Me siento vacia.  No sé como llenarme... Tengo miedo que nada llenará este espacio para mucho tiempo.  Spanish has been comforting to me.  I want to immerse myself in it to escape my English thoughts.

(random note: btw does any know how to place accent marks in blogger?  every time i write them through my word doc and paste them in, blogger erases the rest of the post instead of just editing the single letter.)

Skateistan: Skateboarding in Afghanistan

SKATEISTAN: TO LIVE AND SKATE KABUL from Diesel New Voices on Vimeo.

Altmuslimah promoted this documentary about skateboarding in Afghanistan.  The interesting part is that girls are starting to like it more than boys.  This would be different from how the rest of the world has followed this sport.  Insha'Allah this doc will have a wide release.  I would really like to see this in its entirety.

Coffee Prince (Tales of the Unemployed part 2)

I've always heard Korean novelas were good, but I never watched any b/c of the language barrier.  However,  Hulu has put a bunch of Korean series on their site with an English subtitle option.  This one is so cute!! Enjoy.

Tales of the Unemployed

You take in your friend's cat for Thanksgiving weekend and it turns out to be a whole month.  Then you discover his favorite place is in the bathtub and amongst the shampoo, the medicine, and the cleaning supplies.

Now, only if he could clean, he would be the world's best cat.

What a world...when you can't even get unpaid work.

Yeah,  I didn't get the internship I applied for which means most likely I will have to do summer block. If I do that that means for sure I will be out of work for a year.  I am not looking forward to that.  This was a real ego blow, but I will continue to put one foot in front of the other.

My Saturday job uplifted my mood.  My kids (I shouldn't call them that anymore since they are all around 18) learned the word "flat." One of the kids started singing, "Flat like a G6. Flat like a G6."  I had to smile at that as well as correct it.  He was a little disappointed when I told it was "fly" like a G6.  He got his confidence back, though, when he told me that stutter was tartamudeo in Spanish.

To be a little more positive

I am currently sitting in the library of my school trying to entertain myself through a long break between classes.  I just turned in my last final and I only have 3 1/2 semesters until I graduate with my master's degree.  For some reason my other teacher wants us to come into class, even though we turned in the final on Monday. (I'm crossing my fingers for a surprise pizza party.  I know it won't happen, but a girl can dream!!)  I'm glad to be done, but I'm afraid of how to fill the time.  I haven't found a full or part time job yet (I'm only working 3 hours on Saturdays) and a lot of my friends want to hang out now.  We'll see what happens.  I have to start up my job search again since finals are over and now I can concentrate.   I'm hoping something will come quick.  On the news, I heard in 3 months that more job openings will start opening up.  It would be nice to be able to pay my bills, move out of my mother's house, take a vacation to an exotic local, and finally not have to scrimp and save.  But I guess that is the life of a sharshura, pinching pennies till there is nothing to pinch.

So far I like my Saturday job.  Its not every Saturday and it doesn't pay much.  That is the bad side.  At the school I'm working at, I'm working with the ESL students on ACT prep.  I finally get to have the best of both words, working with immigrants and with kids!!!  My students are cute.  The coordinator said that they have high comprehension, but I'm little worried.  He said that some of the kids are undocumented and for them to go to college they need a high ACT score to apply for scholarships.  (Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for financial aid in the U.S.)  I don't know how these kids can handle all the uncertainty in their futures.  I don't know if I could handle it with as much grace as they do.

I wonder if the Dream Act will pass today.  I really hope it does. Se Deus quiser.

Terrible Realization

When someone tells you, when you leave, that they will die alone a drug addict.  What do you call this?