I have alarming news to report, so brace yourself. I have been self-diagnosed with what doctors, scientists, and every other title of a person who should know what they are talking about have called schorlieahdisnrish-ritis, or translated, Tired-Head..itis. I sat on the couch to have a cup of tea a few moments ago, closed my eyes, and, literally, my head was throbbing, bulging at my temples in some strange rhythm. I have been studying in some form or fashion for almost this entire day, and I feel like my head is expanding, growing on all sides. (*in all fairness, it must be noted that I took an hour and a half off to watch the Mavs debaucle of a few nights ago, but when they lose I do not count it). Perhaps a little carefree blogging will allow my mind to release some of the pent-up knowledge floating around.
Thoughts as they come to me:
1. Learning (or attempting to, at least) German is by far the toughest academic thing that I have ever done. There have been times these last few months, and particularly these last few weeks where I have wanted to run my head through a wall, or maybe crawl under a table and hide from the blank stares I receive when I am trying to answer a question in the language. I vascillate between, "I can do this; it may take a few years, but I will get it," to, "I hate this stupid language and everything about it!!!!" I am somewhere in the middle today.
2. I went to the theatre last night with Anja and Svetlio. It was a modern adaptation of Anton Checkov's The Cherry Garden. I did not understand most of what was said, though some, but it was an excellently acted play. Note to Julie, this year we will no longer put off getting theatre, opera, or ??? tickets, because the arts are just so enjoyable. The way this director used color was amazing. I am not an expert, but I do enjoy the aesthetic side of things, and this was superb.
On a different note, there was a guy sitting just in front of me that could not have looked more like Derek Webb if he tried. Had I not heard him speak German at the end of the performance I would have gone up to talk to him, but luckily he did, and this saved me from the awkwardness of asking a guy if he is a relatively obscure Christian singer/songwriter from America.
3. I finished F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beatiful and Damned a couple of days ago, and it was truly, truly great. I will definitely teach it to my Jr. and Sr. class this year. The epigraph (I think that is what it is called) on the title page reads, "To the spoils belong the victors". It is a very clever play on the popular saying, and it fits so wonderfully with the book that I have been mentally repeating it for the last few days. I have since started reading Dostoevsky's Poor People, which has that good 'ole Dostoevsky feel to it.
4. I think I have decided to go to Prague for a few days before returning home in July. I will have a small window with which to travel, and so I think that sounds good. Everyone says that is the place to go.
5. Germans are not afraid of nudity. I have been meaning to mention this. We do not have television at the house, or at least more than 1 channel, but they say that nudity is common on television here, and I believe it. In newspapers, regular newspapers, there are naked people, and even on train station billboards. There is a new ad up at several of the stations, that without being too graphic, show about 99.9% of a reclining male. It is quite striking being from America, but no one here even glances twice at such things. Odd, indeed.
6. I'm going now to either: a) study, b) read, c) watch World Cup at a bar. Actually I will probably do all of the above.
7. Go MAVS!!!!
Thoughts as they come to me:
1. Learning (or attempting to, at least) German is by far the toughest academic thing that I have ever done. There have been times these last few months, and particularly these last few weeks where I have wanted to run my head through a wall, or maybe crawl under a table and hide from the blank stares I receive when I am trying to answer a question in the language. I vascillate between, "I can do this; it may take a few years, but I will get it," to, "I hate this stupid language and everything about it!!!!" I am somewhere in the middle today.
2. I went to the theatre last night with Anja and Svetlio. It was a modern adaptation of Anton Checkov's The Cherry Garden. I did not understand most of what was said, though some, but it was an excellently acted play. Note to Julie, this year we will no longer put off getting theatre, opera, or ??? tickets, because the arts are just so enjoyable. The way this director used color was amazing. I am not an expert, but I do enjoy the aesthetic side of things, and this was superb.
On a different note, there was a guy sitting just in front of me that could not have looked more like Derek Webb if he tried. Had I not heard him speak German at the end of the performance I would have gone up to talk to him, but luckily he did, and this saved me from the awkwardness of asking a guy if he is a relatively obscure Christian singer/songwriter from America.
3. I finished F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beatiful and Damned a couple of days ago, and it was truly, truly great. I will definitely teach it to my Jr. and Sr. class this year. The epigraph (I think that is what it is called) on the title page reads, "To the spoils belong the victors". It is a very clever play on the popular saying, and it fits so wonderfully with the book that I have been mentally repeating it for the last few days. I have since started reading Dostoevsky's Poor People, which has that good 'ole Dostoevsky feel to it.
4. I think I have decided to go to Prague for a few days before returning home in July. I will have a small window with which to travel, and so I think that sounds good. Everyone says that is the place to go.
5. Germans are not afraid of nudity. I have been meaning to mention this. We do not have television at the house, or at least more than 1 channel, but they say that nudity is common on television here, and I believe it. In newspapers, regular newspapers, there are naked people, and even on train station billboards. There is a new ad up at several of the stations, that without being too graphic, show about 99.9% of a reclining male. It is quite striking being from America, but no one here even glances twice at such things. Odd, indeed.
6. I'm going now to either: a) study, b) read, c) watch World Cup at a bar. Actually I will probably do all of the above.
7. Go MAVS!!!!
0 Responses to “Medical Diagnosis”
Post a Comment