It definitely feels nice to know that I do not have to teach anymore this semester -- no more lectures for me. I have been helping teach a graduate level class this semester, and it has ben very, very tough. I now have a much better appreciation for what our professors go through, and I now know much better what I am getting myself into when I say that I want to go into academia.
All told, I am really grateful for this teaching experience this semester. It really cemented some concepts that were fuzzy in my mind, it helped me be more at ease with public speaking, it showed me that I can actually teach on something I don't fully understand, and many other nice things. However, I was really glad when I found out that I will not be responsible for any more lectures this semester. Of course, there is much more involved with teaching than just giving lectures, and I will still be doing that, but at least one of my duties is now done ... and it feels real nice.
]]>I have a blog, and I guess that means I should post something to it on occasions.
So, life has been BUSY. Blogging has not happened because of lack of events in my life ... it is because of lack of time.
Let's see. To catch up, I've
Okay. We're caught up. Now I can get back to blogging.
I'll be seeing you around more often.
]]>It's all very exciting, and my head is still totally in the clouds. I'll post a little more about it when I finally come back down into reality. I'm happy where I am right now, though.
]]>Right before Fall Break (which is a really funny concept to most graduate students), I went through my first promotion test and passed from White Belt to Yellow Belt. Now, White Belt is what they give to all students who shell out $40 and buy the uniform. It is only there to hold your uniform in place (and to remind you how lousy you are at this martial arts thing). The Yellow Belt isn't much more prestigious. They give that to basically anyone who has stuck around long enough and who can remember that punching uses the hands and kicking uses the feet. The Yellow Belt basically qualifies you to defend yourself from an attacker who doesn't move at all (which really defeats the whole purpose of self defense).
Then we get to the Orange Belt. This is the first belt where they admit that they don't just hand out to anyone. You actually have to prove you know something (albeit not very much). I know and can use a whole bunch of kicks (Front, Side, Roundhouse, Turnaround, Hook, Axe, and lots of variations) and punches (not too many because this is Tae Kwon Do and we know that the legs can do a whole lot more damage than our flimsy arms). The Orange Belt basically qualifies you to defend yourself from an attacker who may or may not give you a nasty look.
The culmination of the Orange Belt test was a board breaking challenge. We stack two boards together and used a Side Kick to break them. There's no other way to say this, but breaking boards with your bare feet is
On a slightly related note, here is something Kristen showed Meadow and I. First, go read this page. Only after that, go read this page.
]]>I'm thankful I no longer live on the threshold of Camden, NJ, our nation's most dangerous city.
Now I live in a much safer place. Atlanta is all the way down at number three on the dangerous list.
I am thankful about that ...
]]>Food: 6/10
Slightly better than mediocre but very pricy.
Service: 2/10
There was no wait to be seated, but we did have to wait for nearly eternity to get any sort of service. Even the very occasional times the wait staff came by, they were not at all helpful, and mostly mumbled so we couldn't hear what they said.
Atmosphere: 8/10
The only real attraction to this place was the setting. It is very much in downtown, and had that sort of feeling. It was a nice balance between trendy and Italian bistro that just sort of worked. We were really excited when we sat down and looked around (but then we kept sitting, and sitting, and sitting ... ignored).
Overall: 5/10
Way too pricy for the quality of food (and service). The food was fine, but I'd rather go to Carrabba's (and I hate chains). This was by far the most expensive meal we had with our coupon book. Only the ambiance of the place made this worthwhile.
If you've never seen or heard of these entertainment books, they have thousands of coupons for food, movies, dry cleaning, etc. I really like them for the food coupons -- buy one get one free, usually. Anyway, this book is only $25, so it pays for itself really quickly.
So, I thought I would try out some of these restaurants for you, so you don't have to.
]]>I'm listening to my favorite show that I've downloaded from this site. It's a show by Bob Schneider. I first saw him on Austin City Limits, but he recently came to town and I got to see him live. His albums ... well, they leave something to be desired. However, his shows are amazing. He can work a crowd like no one else I've ever seen.
If you have a high-speed connection and lots of extra room on your hard drive, check out this show. It's an accoustic set with just Bob and Mitch Watkins.
Enjoy.
]]>Anyway, kudos to all you out there who are teachers. You work hard, and you deserve way more respect and compensation ($) than you get.
Next semester, I get to teach a whole class. Well, actually, I will be co-teaching it with my advisor and another graduate student in my lab. I'm looking forward to all the experience I'll get doing it (and the knowledge I'll have to acquire in order to teach the material), but I am not at all looking forward to all the work involved. I'm not really interested in putting my research on hold for about a semester while I teach this class. Oh well. Hopefully I'll get a good feeling for what it is like to be a professor, since that's what I'm saying I want to be when I grow up.
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