and the main point is... HOLIDAY!!! Yay!! Hurray!! Freedom from the evil torments of the quarter system (Temporary only) But also sad...coz it signals the end of the quarter...coz my favourite class had its last class today :(
I really like the ppl in my class, we have kind of the same 'wavelength', even though we have different opinions. This class allowed me to express my opinions ( I love Americans coz they dun pandang serong at me when i spoke some really terrible english).
This class also allowed me to learn more about environment and nature and biodiversity and ecological stuff that I wouldn't have been really able to explore in Malaysia. Environmentalism is more advanced in USA, and ppl take it more seriously here. In contrast, most msian students (incld me) just memorize stuff so we can bullshit in our essays. I have always been interested in this kind of things (nature bla bla), but i was afraid to express it bcoz i was scared ppl would scoff at me, and call me unrealistic. Biology provided me a way to compromise my interests with the norm. Of course I also find human and cell and animal biology interesting.
^ if the above paragraph was an essay, it'd get a D for organization n spelling lol.
Bla bla bla. Anyway I am SOOOOOOOOO GLAD that i chose this freshman seminar. Totally no regrets, no matter how apprehensive i was at first bcoz it was 'discussion based'. I actually found it qutie relaxing, as compared to other classes where you have to listen/take notes/try not to fall asleep.
Not to mention i simply love Prof. Walsh!! He's laid back, really nice, funny, and encouraging, concerned about his students, like to listen to what we say, and passionate about his field. He also likes to make animal sounds, and enact scenarios.
And I get to learn about stuff i like, i get to learn neat things that happen in ecological relationships in great depth, i get to go on a lovely field trip, i get to read great books (i really like Edward Abbey), i get to write essays I like about topics I like, i get to know people, i get to hear them talk and give their opinions, which are really good, i get to laugh at funny stuff in class (Idil's carrots and Eric's disrespecting elders lol!)....!
And i finally noticed that one writes best when he is writing about stuff he's interested in. I think Prof. Walsh overrates me lol. I better tell him my confusion over what language was my first language.
This is Prof. Walsh! With Sara Lee Premium Choc Cookies...he brought them to our last class for us >.<>
Members of my fall quarter freshman seminar. Olivia is missing though! =( I shud've taken it the week before, when all were gathered. And i wish Prof. Walsh was in this pic too...I'm now even more inspired to head in the direction of environmental studies while majoring in biology. Just the other day, I realized---how glad i was to be studying in the US-- if not, it would be really really hard to do environmental studies in Malaysia, with discouragement coming from every corner. It's actually fulfilling one of my childhood dreams. I've never thought of becoming a scientist, but i did imagine doing stuff to save the environment. How did I ever get here? I am indeed very very blessed, too blessed, to have received the JPA scholarship.
To those who are struggling with STPM now, I believe that you guys will become stronger and more resilient because of the tougher road you guys took. Have a little faith, and don't completely give up on your dream, even though you are sure it's impossible to achieve. Just as you believed in me when I did not believe in myself; I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourselves. As Gabai Baachan (from book "佐贺的超级阿嬷" or "Saga no Gabai Baachan", i blogged about it previously here) insisted,
“到死以前都要有梦想！没实现也没关系，毕竟只是梦想嘛。”
"You must hold onto your dream until the day you die! Even if they are not fulfilled, it's alright, because they are just dreams anyway."
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P/S I've uploaded some pics on FB. not much. sikit saja. but better than nothing rite!
P/S For all ppl facing finals soon, GAMBATTE!!! I also have my finals on 7-9Dec.
2 comments:
"I love Americans coz they dun pandang serong at me when i spoke some really terrible english"
Ah... it's great being an International Student whose first language is presumably not English, isn't it? I always use it to my advantage when I can't speak properly... ;)
"I better tell him my confusion over what language was my first language."
Wait... what is your first language? ;) Mine is "Personalized Manglish" :P
Lots of migrants in USA, so they don't think it's weird to speak bad english :P
I think I'll have to separate it into several categories:
1) spoken language- my first spoken language should be Hokklish, which is primarily spoken in the Wang family in Kelantan =D
2) read/written language-
Home teaching: Pami probably taught us both english and malay when we were toddlers...
School: Yok Eng kindergarten taught all three, but with emphasis on Mandarin...
Self: i read a lot of english books, from which i learnt how to write good English- Church in English also kind of helped...
(I believe i would never be this proficient in English writing if I only followed the syllabus. Hence I firmly support the idea of encouraging/forcing kids to read and enjoy reading!! )
In conclusion, my first spoken language is Hokklish and I don't know what my first written language was, but English is my dominant (and perhaps best) written language. O.O|||
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