Friday, March 31, 2006

Em & Em

It's always nice to have visitors, and this time it was good ol' Emily down from Boston. Seems that all sorts of people are traveling these days too: Sarah B is heading to Israel tonight, Keith is going to Europe, I'm going somewhere in two weeks, Tony is heading back toward Shanghai, Sheila's on her way home to Chicago...it's all crazy to think about! In an hour, I'm heading down to Baltimore with a car full of surprises for my brother's birthday. He's got his performance recital tonight, and quite frankly, I think it's going to be one of the best concerts I've attended (or will attend) in a long time. He just rocks out like no one else I know and has the music in his heart. Cheesy, but true.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006


Katie, Me, Lindsey by the Water!


At the Black Sheep

Guinness Believers

Guinness Believers. That's what we are. Maria, Nujy & I. On Friday I made the perilous drive to Philly (making it in record time I might add!) to go out to a dinner sponsered by Guinness for its BELIEVERS. Oh it was a delightful start to the evening, with free dinner, beer, and stories by our host, Patrick. We got free keychains and tshirts, and Maria did a jig on stage to win a cooler backpack. It was mucho fun! Then we wandered back towards Nujy's and had some drinks out at the Black Sheep while enjoying some nice ol' March Madness. Yet another weekend celebration of why I like having employment and such great friends :)

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Spring Break :)

So going against the grain, I've decided to take my Spring Break the week after Easter instead of this week like everyone else on campus. The best part? I have no clue where I am going! I'll be travelling with my little sister and mom, and all I know is that I need a bikini and a passport. Ahhhh.....what could be better? I can't wait!

Gravel in the Knee

So today I went to pick up a sandwich from Zorba's for lunch, and my shoe broke. Normally that wouldn't be enough to annoy me, but not only did it break, I fell and totally skinned my knee and wrecked my skirt. By the time I got back to my house, I was literally a mess. I feel like a little kid again. Oh boy! Guess tonight won't be time for a run!

Monday, March 20, 2006

Weekends at Home

I took the day off on Friday to drive back to Duxbury with a friend that was visiting. I'd met her in Germany, where she was teaching in a nearby Bavarian city. It was her first time in New England, which made the trip extra special. On our way up North, we stopped off in Warwick, RI to have lunch with my grandparents, who are both nearing 90. Let me be the 1st to tell you that I have the cutest grandparents ever. You might think you do, but really mine are the best. You should have seen how excited my grandmother got when she realized that I cross-stitch! It was adorable. Friday night, Lindsey and I had dinner with my parents at the Sun Tavern -- if you ever come visit Duxbury, the food there is fantabulous, and they have this wicked awesome wood-carved map of Germany from ages ago. The next day was filled with all sorts of local area type adventures. We went to the General Store & picked up sandwiches, which we took across the wooden bridge to the Beach. Despite being a wintery day, our layers kept us quite warm, and we were able to enjoy the clear, sunny day on the shore. We even succeeded in our mission to collect sea glass, a grand thing indeed considering how high tide it was at the time. Linds wanted to check out Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower down by the Plymouth waterfront too, so we drove down there for a bit. There were many other delectable moments this weekend, including an afternoon spent with Jaime re: her August wedding (!!), that it reminded me of how good it feels to be home. Yay!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

"Education Matters"

This was the title of a lecture tonight in McCosh Hall, hosted by the Student Volunteer Council of Princeton as part of their yearlong theme of education and the University. There was a panel of three distinguished speakers, namely Cornel West, Eddie Glaude & Jeffrey Stout. Over the course of an hour and a half, they covered many various aspects of their personal educations, time teaching, and general observations on the field of education. Here's a short collection of (paraphrased) comments that struck me as interesting:

* The first thing I try to do when I walk into a classroom is wake up my students. By that I mean, wake them up from the dream that is their privileged adolescent youth. (Stout)

* It's all a question of what classroom we want to refer to and discuss. Creationism has no place in the physics classroom, but look in a history or sociology class and we have something to talk about. (West)

* Education is erotic. It's about loving our subjects in public. It's about standing naked in front of concepts, founders, and other great minds and engaging in mental intercourse as we try to grapple with our surroundings. That's what we have to do in front of the public, our students, and that's what we have to make them excited about too. (Glaude)

Throughout all they had to say and the questions brought forth at the end, a main stream of thought emerged: education is about setting the standard high for ourselves and those around us, about openly loving the students we work with, about sharing passion among friends and peers. The three panelists offered a kernel of advice to anyone listening, "find yourself a group of friends, who are willing to never compromise on the truth and will remain unfailingly honest in their pursuit of knowledge and intellectual inquiry." These words serve as a reminder of why I was so eager to set foot on the campus as a student and of my current interest in education as a field of growth. Tonight's discussion serves as a great prelude to several upcoming panels and, hopefully, to Teacher Prep's reunions event on K-12 education in the United States.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Joschka Fischer

Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer has been extended an offer to join [Princeton's] faculty..."It is true that I have received an offer from Princeton University, but I have not yet taken a decision," he told the German newspaper Handelsblatt in January. Fischer, who never finished college and has been criticized for his role in violent activism in the 1970s, has reportedly received a similar offer from Harvard...In a speech delivered at Princeton in November 2003, Fischer spoke of the incredible potential of the European Union and of the need for cooperation between the United States and Europe in order to achieve world peace. At the time, Wilson School professor Wolfgang Danspeckgruber called Fischer the "quintessential foreign policy maker of Europe." ~ Daily Princetonian 3/3/06


Funny how many changes to the faculty, particularly related to German Studies, there have been since I graduated. This would mark a significant investment and shift in the way the University focuses on Germany within Europe as a policy maker. Could be very interesting, enough so that I really do wish he comes!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Let's see...

I'm snuzzled into bed. I have a paper lantern. I love my books. I'm very, very good at starting things and not as good at finishing them. I own a toolbox…and tools to go in it. I once backpacked for a week with a group of people I had just met the day before. I am not flawless. I like to walk. I love to dance and sing. My favorite colors are blues and greens, but sometimes oranges too. I laugh very, very loudly. I am super ticklish. People ask me if I played soccer, and I never, ever have. I love collarbones and necklines. I would never change my eyes. I've been out of school for more than a year and can't wait to go back, but I can't quite figure out where. I love repeating patterns and images. I can stare at the ceiling for hours without even looking at it. I love to play...be it with words, conversation, objects, line, color, or people. I like the feel of water on my skin, but it's been years since I played in the rain. I recently remembered that sunrises can be better then sunsets. I often feel more like an observer then a participant. And I don't mind. I think far too much about complicated matters, and not enough about little things. I think intimacy should involve laughter. The thought of mediocrity scares me. I am fascinated by black lines. I once sank a boat. I love writing poetry. When I get nervous, I tell stories. It takes me too long to remember people's names when I first meet them. I appreciate silence, but love noise. I try to make art. I am open-minded. I have an broad command of random knowledge. I can say a lot without saying anything in three languages. I am--in part--a reflection of my friends and family. Let's see...