Right where I want to be

I was passing out my resume to a ton of businesses at the career fair today, and it kind of made me sad to think that I've got so little time left here (unless I stay on for after college).

I can honestly say that this community has some of the nicest people around, and while I never would have considered myself rural or small-town oriented, I think I feel more at home here than anywhere else I've lived. Part of it has to do with me becoming the extra-vocal extrovert I am now, but part of it has to do with the people. I am really going to miss them.

Back up north I would never have...
--Acted in one of the most controversial plays ever written for THREE YEARS STRAIGHT
--Become a fairly well-known and well-respected player in local politics (there's a reason I got to endorse a county board candidate and that the head of the Champaign Dems came to one of MY organization's events)
--Been able to walk into the vintage store and joke with the proprietress about all sorts of random things. Much less have her set aside something for my birthday!
--Written a play based on my experiences with therapeutic artwork and the lovely people who champion it as a good way of helping others
--Joined one of the oldest (and friendliest!) clusters in the state and experienced the feeling of being valued for more than outward material displays.
--Been able to banter back and forth with the assistant dean. It felt weird, but yes, at my cultural committee, I get to toss ideas back and forth with the dean! And it felt more like she was one of my peers instead of an all-powerful administrator.
--Been nominated for a departmental award.
--Gone into one of the most heartbreaking but rewarding vocations and met some incredibly courageous men and women in the process.
--Made some of the wildest, weirdest, and most wonderful friends I could ever want to have. I am so fortunate to have them all.

Well, I never thought I was sentimental, but this post totally proves the contrary! I know I'm going to miss them all.

Revelling Round the World

This is a realization that has lasted since my grade school days, but it's gotten even stronger now. Although I am of European descent, I've always had a fascination with the non-Western parts of the world and have enjoyed learning about them. And I've often felt that they've been not given nearly enough time or study in grade school/high school/some college courses. At least not in proportion to their stores. My interest isn't in a stylized, exoticized, "Other" sort of way but rather an appreciation for all of their complexities.

I'm in two non-Western courses right now, one about the Middle East and one about East Asia. I took a predominantly-Japanese themed class last year and absolutely loved it (it's given me my one and only departmental nomination). Then, last semester, we learned about the Indonesian revolutions in another class through the lyrically lovely novel This Earth of Mankind. I loved that book so much I scooped up the other three in the series this past break! I didn't know that much about Indonesia before, but I had a great time looking up more books/information about it after I read that book.

The courses I have right now are really cool. Lots of reading but still cool. I think the Middle East class (or its SAMES equivalent) should be a lot more accessible to more people, not just be a 400-level one with tons of prerequisites. Far too often, people tend to generalize about that area and lump all of its countries into the same old "other/foreign" category (especially now with the US being so mired in conflict there!). But if you take the time to learn about the different countries and their history, you will see that there are some long-standing issues that cannot be simplified or resolved with one action or "troop surge" to "bring democracy." It's just about as complex and diverse as the US is! Then we have the East Asian one. That's just as interesting because of the long and rich histories many of the countries have. My teacher is really great at explaining, and she's had to clear up many people's misconceptions about the different countries. I think my next history class will have something to do with Africa so I can round it all out. It's just so fascinating to break up what appears to be one area with its own set of preconceived notions and really sink my teeth into the history and complexities.

Sexism is a social disease.

I'm looking through my GWS texts and some of them are the stereotypical dried-up social-sciency types: "Can the Subaltern Speak?," "Visual Pleasure and the Narrative of Cinema," "Feminist Theory and PostStructuralist Practice," and "Sex in Question: Materialist Feminist Anthologies."

On first glance, I think, wow, these look dry. Who would read something like this?

Then on second glance, I think, Me! I would read this!
And then I dig in and am gone.

2008 is here...

Here's to making 2008 the best year yet!

The awesomeness that was 2007 is going to be hard to top, but who doesn't love a good challenge?

I think it's already off to a good start! I went to a fantastic New Year's Eve party to kick it all off, hung out with some great buddies and relatives over break, and have returned to school to find five interesting classes and some great activities! My organization has some cool new members, and I recognized some folks from my play on the cultural committee! The only thing that could have improved was the Rose Bowl. It could've been better (I was seriously convinced my sister was gonna put me in a straitjacket when I was watching it), but hey, you can't always get what you want. Or you can't always not get what you don't want. If that makes sense.

Other than that, I've been riding a creative streak and have some new songs, designs (consign me now!!), and an act and a half finished of a script. I'm planning to finish the script by April (hopefully) and donate the designs to the V-Day auction/raffle.

2008 is going to be awesome...