Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore

Sarah's presentation was really interesting. Studying abroad has been something I've always wanted to do and I've often thought that after college I would go teach in England. Ok, not really a stretch, but I've always wanted to live there and I think it would be cool. Anyway, just hearing about the culture was shocking so I couldn't imagine how weird it would be to actually live it. I mean, yes, she prepared for an entire year. She learned all about the culture there, but you can know something without truly understanding it and I feel you can't really understand a culture until you've lived it.

I keep going back to my trip in Spain, it's the only time I've been out of the country, but if fits perfectly. The way they live there is totally different. In class we discussed time and what it means to different cultures. In Spain, like Brazil, time isn't really something to take into consideration. We stuck to a schedule on our trip because we only had ten days to take in an entire country, but as I observed the people around me, I realized they didn't really seem to be in too big of a hurry. It was 10:00 on a Wednesday night and no one seemed to be too concerned with going home. Here in America, on a wednesday, you don't really go hang out in town until late at night, you do your homework or work or clubs or sports... it goes on and on. I just find it so interesting how time is such a subjective thing, I mean how did it get that way?!?Here in America it is not in any way subjective.... "You arrive five minutes early, you're on time. You arrive on time.... you're late" (Drumline 2002).

Then again, I'm just a teenager...

Wow, that just destroyed all images of marriage and love and I haven't even left high school! Wow, I mean I'm not going to say I was totally disillusioned, I know that the love and passion doesn't last hence the phrase 'honeymoon phase', that wasn't just invented for fun. While I agree with some of the things that she said, I just can't bring myself to buy it. Settle? I don't think that's the right word and I don't think that's the right attitude. Granted, like I said, I'm young, I'm not even close to that point where I'm looking for someone to marry *shiver*, but she took something that is supposed to have some sort of romanticism and stripped it down to something unrecognizable, something corporate and cold. I agree that Mr. Right probably doesn't exist (damn you Disney and Stephanie Meyer for putting the thoughts of the 'perfect man' in my head), but there has to be someone that is close to mr. right. Right? I think that part of my ideas of marriage do have to do with the fact that I grew up in America where at a very young age we are taught to idealize marriage and think that the perfect man is out there, we just had to eat a poisoned apple or leave our glass shoe's laying around. I mean think about it, when you're little, did your parents fight around you? or did they save it for after you went to bed? At the end of a fairy-tale does the princess find that her prince charming has a weird obsession with soaps and burps after every meal? No! In fact you don't hear much from the men/ princes at all, they don't even get you to the wedding. So they build it up to something unrealistic, something wonderful and magical, and while I know that's not true, I also think that there is more to marriage then just 'oh they look like they'll be a good father, there has to be more then that because after eighteen years, what's left? You're just left there staring at a stranger you settled for, that you don't have much in common with and might not actually like (depending on the situation). I think marriage should be more about respect, you should respect them and (almost) everything about them. I think a lot about what the author was saying has some validity to it, but I also think she's OVER settling, which in the long run, will end up just as miserably. But then again what do I know, I'm just a teenager.

Who stole the cookie from the Cookie Jar.......?

So, the end of the cookie poem was hilarious- the poem was great because honestly who hasn't had that moment where you're like 'wow that person is super annoying' and then something else happens and you realize 'wow, I'm a jerk'. It happens ALL THE TIME. This could be a good thing but this is also a bad trait that I have, I very quickly judge and make decisions about people, I can't help it. I would like to change it but I'm not really a 'social butterfly', I'm very low key, I like to be by myself like whatever, I'm cool with that. So I only have a few people that I spend my time with, but to those people I like to think I'm fiercely loyal (I hope they feel the same way!). So it does happen a lot that I make up my mind without really getting to know that person, but I'm working on being better (it's a process), because I know I'm wrong and I could be missing out on some really awesome people. (I hope the above paragraph doesn't make me sound too awful!)

I think I have been stereotyped wrong before, I just recently learned that back in sixth grade, two of my best friends hated me because I was hanging out a lot with one of their friends (In their eyes I had essentially stolen her). They didn't take the time to get to know me, they just hated me because of what was happening. Now though, due to communal friends and having classes together (and them finding out just how awesome I am..... :)...) we have been friends for four years now, it's funny how things turn out.

The episode of 'This American Life' was hilarious, I love (LOVE LOVE LOVE) that series and it was the perfect demonstration of what happens when people jump to conclusions and stereotype. I think overall, due to society and their beliefs and expectations, it's hard not to judge right away, but it doesn't take much effort to go in with an open mind and find out about the person and their circumstances. Everyone should do it!!!

Snap Back to Reality

Today's lesson was really interesting because it really made me think about my life and how I do things that in certain situations are acceptable and in other situations are not. The spit one (although it grossed me out to no end) made me realize how kinda hypocritical I was being. Although you couldn't pay me money to spit on that spoon in class, I spit sunflower seeds (where you put the seeds in your mouth, crack the shell, take out the inside and then spit out the shell) at my brother's baseball games all the time. I would never do this with my friends, but at his games it's acceptable. I think besides the whole mentality of a baseball game, it also has to do the with the people I'm with. I don't really care what twelve 13 year olds or parents think, but doing it in class would def. be super embarrassing. When you're in the circumstance, you don't really think about how you would never do that one thing, like seeding, at a different environment, it's appropriate for that situation and that's all that matters. You need to take a step back and think about things, I know for sure I'll be looking out for things like that whenever I'm in doing certain activities.

Sal also brought up how culture can affect what you do and how you behave. Over the summer I had the chance to visit Spain through SHS. We stayed in Marbella, a town on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and were lucky enough visit the beach. Little did we know (GIANT culture shock) there were a bunch of women there without their tops, just minding their own business, like they weren't just sitting there half naked, like that wasn't totally weird. And it took me awhile to realize for them it's NOT weird (we were clearly not in Kansas anymore) it's normal for them. Here in the US we go to the beach with all parts of our suits on out bodies. I didn't know at the time it was sociology or the Circumstance of our reality, but I mean I see it now. I really think it's so cool how we can all be so close but view the world differently, and how the circumstance of the envrionment you are in, can affect your behavior. Things you THINK you wouldn't do in a million billion years, you DO do. It's awesome.