Computer Problems!

1. Computer won't turn on! We tried plugging in several things (a cable: the keyboard). Then we noticed that our computer didn't have a blue cable while the others around us did, so we went to get it. We also got a thicker cord. 
2. We figured out how to plug things in just by reading the symbols and finding what fit where. Huzzah! It started up!

Charlotte Bronte's Classic Novel

I just finished putting together a presentation on Voice Thread with my roommate Jayne on Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. To my surprise and utter satisfaction, the application was easy to use and a great deal of fun, too! The two of us are English majors and Bronte lovers, so the topic seemed obvious, especially when we considered that we wanted to present something that could be used in a high school English class. Most high school students read this novel, and many go on to read the prequel written by Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea, so this seemed particularly relevant to what high school English teachers might be teaching.

Jayne and I have each read the novel several times, and last semester we watched the BBC miniseries version together with our housemate Heidi. I also had background studying Charlotte Bronte on my semester in England, during which our class visited the Bronte's home in Haworth. We already knew quite a bit about our topic, and voice thread provided a fun and easy way to share our knowledge with a wider audience.

Voice thread has great potential; it's easy enough for students to use but intriguing enough that teachers can and should use it as well. Using digital cameras, students could take pictures of themselves, their family, a trip they took, or something else they want to share with the class. It's the 21st century version of show-and-tell! Check out my voice thread presentation!

Another Weekend Adventure

I have been quite the traveler lately!

This weekend my housemates and I drove south to Temple City, home of the illustrious Jayne Gee! It was such a treat seeing the town she grew up in, meeting her family, and seeing the sights with her.

Perhaps the most fun I had was bike riding with Heidi and Jayne through some of the nice neighborhoods in Arcadia, where peacocks roam as freely as bluejays and squirrels. According to Jayne, the story is that one wealthy household used to own several peacocks, until one day they escaped. Since then, they've been multiplying and now they are a permanent fixture of which the city is quite proud. Signs are posted prohibiting feeding of the peafowl, and there's a fine for hitting a peacock. I think the peacocks must know this, too, for they strut across the streets as slowly as they please, making cars swerve to avoid them. They love to congregate in yards with especially green grass or trees with lofty branches where they can perch. Pretty bizarre, but pretty cool, too. I wonder if the residents of those neighborhoods ever tire of their presence. Either way, they were sure fun to see!

A Fast and Furious Yet Fabulous Fourday

I'm all about the alliteration lately! ;)

For President's Day weekend we had two days off, making for a nice four-day weekend, so with the extra days some friends and I decided to road trip up to my home town of Lodi. We spent some time picnicking at the lake, playing games, and watching movies, which was fairly relaxing. Then, on Sunday, we drove into San Francisco for the day. I love that city, and it's so exciting to be in the middle of it. There's so much to do there--too much for one day--but we still accomplished quite a bit. In the morning we attended City Crossroads, a church Jayne worked with over spring break last year that ministers to the homeless in a poor neighborhood on 6th Street. Afterwards, we went shopping in Union Square, then drove down to Fisherman's Wharf, where we got Ghiradelli ice cream sundaes, saw the seal lions, tried on crazy hats, and viewed some Dali and Picasso paintings. When we were hungry enough for dinner, we walked farther into the city for some delicious Thai food. Mmmmm!

Overall it was a great weekend! We also got to celebrate my friend Callan's 22nd birthday.

Dinosaurs!

I found this article this morning while looking at digg.com. It's been so long since I've thought much about dinosaurs, but they are cool! We don't often think about our recent past, much less the prehistoric past. When I think of North America in ancient times, I'm more inclined to picture Native Americans and buffalo, beautiful forests and rivers, hardly dinosaurs. But they were here alright, as this article confirms--they've been discovered in Alberta, Canada, and now there are several new ones being dug up in Coahila, Mexico. How cool is that?

Ash Wednesday

There's so much happening this week: SuperTuesday, Chinese New Year, the beginning of Lent. A monumental week in our year of 2008.

With so much happening, it's nice to have a reminder to slow down and think about the bigger picture. And to have a reminder that, though things seem chaotic right now, Easter is coming: the promise of rest, hope, and renewal. It's good to have a reminder that time still goes on, that God's redemptive work never ceases in our lives, though it we may not see it clearly.

Not that I want time to move much faster than it already is ... already I'm realizing how this semester and last semester seem to run together in my mind. We're already five weeks into Spring 2008; in less than three months I'll have graduated! And as much as I look forward to that day, it's also a scary one ... the ending of this chapter of college in my life and the beginning of a new one, the content of which is unknown. Still, just as God is sovereign in this period of my life, I trust that he will continue to be faithful through the next.

Here Comes the Sun

Looking at my last blog, I'm even more thankful for the beautiful day and the sunshine. I sure missed it last week! I guess it shows my roots as a Californian, but then, Santa Barbara has me spoiled, too. In any case, I'm glad the nice weather is back, even if it is still cold.

This week I really enjoyed creating my own website, which, through google page creator, proved much easier than I expected. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun adding pages and finding pictures and links to add to it. Here's the address. Check it out!