Snow

It snowed today.  It was quite the sight as it was very sudden and unexpected.

As you can see it's not the deepest snow.  I've been told it won't last too long before it melts then refreezes as ice.  But it's a step in the right direction.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I don't have much anything to post about.

Various Topics

I only got questions from one person!  They are:

1) Can you see Russia from your school?

No.  Though there are parts of Alaska that are close enough to see Russia.  I however am many miles away from these parts.

2) What kind of shower products did you buy?

Suave Body Wash and Suave Ocean Breeze Shampoo.

3) How could you not get a salted caramel mocha at Starbucks?

I’ve never had a salted caramel mocha, so I wouldn’t know to go for it or avoid it.

If anyone has any questions in the future, I will gladly post them here.

Events Chronologically:

Saturday morning, I was woken up a little before four to my first drunk person experience.  A man was talking very loudly out in the hallway and pounding away at his dorm's door trying to enter.  There apparently were other people easing the situation, but they took a while.  I tried to sleep, but once I realized that they were in no hurry to resolve the problem, I went on my laptop for about half an hour until I stopped hearing them talk.

Saturday night I went to a United Campus Ministry fund raiser dinner where I ate a salad, chicken and wild rice and green been entree and a raspberry bar dessert.  There were also door prizes I watched other people win.  There was a main donor who gave a speech, during which I was astonished to hear that UCM costs about $55,000 annually.  Lastly, we sung.

Sunday (Today) in the evening I went to reTHiNK Christianity by Randy Newman (Not the one that did songs for Pixar).  It was aimed at people who were going to or who had already dismissed Christianity.  I didn't go for that reason, mind you, but I still wanted to hear what he had to say.  I think it boiled down to urging people to think about where they stand truly, and what motivates them and gives them purpose in life.  To throw away nothing without giving it thought.  

There were key points that I remember.  One being the difference between an apathetic, hedonistic life (Prodigal Son) and a rule oriented life (The Son who stayed home).  That neither had it quite right, that lives led by epicurean indulgences weren't suitable, and that lives regulated by overbearing laws were hollow.  Many outside of faith view religion as the latter only, and for this reason they avoid joining in.

Another was how wrong the idea of 'All religions boil down to the same thing' is.  To say that a Jew and a Muslim and a Christian believe essentially the same thing is both insulting and dangerous.  Apparently there exists the thought of the Blind Man and the Elephant approach to religion that some have accepted.  But this is arrogant to think we can call this person and that person blind as it assumes we see a whole picture they can't.

Lastly, confidence.  People believe you have to be completely assured with not a shred of second thought anywhere.  That anything less cannot be faith, that if one doubts, or has a question they don't know the answer to, that they've failed.

So, I enjoyed it.  The speaker was entertaining.

Prayers: Job, Roommate.

Verse: Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Things to Write About

     I don't do very much, my life here is very routine, and I don't interact with very many people, so I don't have much to put here.  The only things coming up I can think of are the upcoming snow fall and the thanksgiving dinner I've already been invited to.  Also Saturday I'm going to a dinner, and Sunday I'm hearing a seminar, but other than those I really do little.  So my one thought is if anybody has any questions that somehow haven't been answered, if you could comment this post or the whole blog, or to me myself, I could answer them.  I don't know if I've covered everything you'd want to know about me or Alaska.  If there's anything, please ask.  Or if there's something completely off the wall you want to inquire about, go ahead.

      Today I went for my monthly shopping at Fred Meyers where this time I bought Kleenexes, shower products, and oral products.  While there, I learned that apparently prestige and premium shampoo are different, and that that discrepancy merits separation.  Were it up to me, I'd line the shampoo aisle gradually from value price to premium while grouping brands.  I suppose though, arbitrary differences must need be considered.

     Since the time between arrival and departure is about an hour I was planning to go to T-Bell for a taco, and sit there wasting time.  However, I wasn't hungry, and instead went inside the Star Bucks already in Fred Meyers where at the island for straws, beverage condiments and napkins I found vanilla powder next to the nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar shakers.  I wasn't aware this existed nor that there was a demand for it.  I didn't try it, but found it interesting.  It was about 45 degrees outside, so guess what I ordered?

     If you guessed a warm drink, you're wrong.  I got a strawberry smoothie.

    I was going to get a big filter while there so that I would be better at filling my water bottle since my source of water would just be in my room rather than downstairs outside of Moore.  However, after a lot of searching and eventual discovery of their location, I had doubts about their worthwhileness.  It would take a long time to fill it, during which I'd have to pause for any passerby filling a smaller bottle.  Plus water's heavy.

     Any prayers for my job situation would be very much appreciated.

   

I took my Spanish test.

I did well.


I needed to get a ~34 for 101, which was all I needed.  I got  61, which almost credit for 202.  Yay.


Thanks for the prayers!

Time

     Time on the macro scale is losing its meaning to me.  On the one hand I feel like I've been here for a while, but on the other hand, I'm astonished that there's less than fifty weekdays left until I get to return home.  It's a sort of incomplete blur I can't understand.  While I feel happy that school's passing by quickly, I fear Christmas Break will follow suit.

    No more leaves here, at least on most all seasonal trees.  It went from a gilded landscape to a rather desolate scene.  Apparently snow should soon blanket the land and provide a new, blank beauty.

     I've been applying for jobs.  I haven't ever held one, so I'm nervous.  Because of these nerves, it's taken me so long to even make my résumé, cover letter, and references page.  The first position I saw and liked was an attendant at the Museum of the North here, but I waited too long and the position must have been closed or filled.  Next, I found one at the Financial Aid Office, but apparently I was ineligible.  Most lately, I applied for a general Student Aide position, and am now sit in pool to await consideration.  I need the money, for certain, but the laxity I've somewhat fostered all my life makes me want to maintain my free-time.  I'll wait and see where I'm led.

     Tuesday I have a CLEP test for Spanish to show I deserve to be in 201.  (The teacher has allowed me to skip the 100 level classes since I've taken five years on the basis that I take this CLEP).  Prayers would be appreciated as I did not do well on my last major Spanish test.

Food and Updates and Thoughts

     Friday I went to a food festival event held in the language floor of the Gruening Building where there were many different foods representing many different places.  I'm sorry I have no pictures of this, but given how very crowded it was, it would have been difficult to take any.  I tried some enchiladas, some ropa vieja, a rice dish, some kind of Italian pasta I've never had before (They were like little dumplings).  I tried a pink ball I thought was a sort of doughnut, but was entirely wrong.  It mostly doughy, and had a brown sort of creamy center.  The Japanese professor told me that it was a dessert, and told me the name of it at a speed that went completely over my head.  While it was a dessert, it wasn't sweet nor rich like I'm used to.  But part of that is because Americans like things a lot more sweet, apparently.  My favorite thing I ate was a half of a German sausage.

     While there I talked to my Spanish professor about my upcoming Foreign Language Minor, and I think she was saying I could just take Spanish for it, though I thought I needed another language.  I still would like to take another (In addition to Spanish and some Native Alaskan Language) but I don't know which.  But I don't want to spread my strengths too needlessly thin.  But studying languages that aren't related helps further your linguistic knowledge and understanding.
     

     Still no snow here, but it's hovering around the forties in the highs, which I've been growing used to.  My classes aren't really hard, but I do have a few tests coming up.

     Do you know about [ɸ] or [β]?  If you make the /f/ sound, but use your lips instead of lower lip and teeth, you make [ɸ] instead of [f], the same goes for [β] and [v].  Spanish uses this in [diβino], which means divine.  I'm trying to train myself to use [ɸ] and [β] in my regular speech because I like those sounds, but it's a tough change considering I'm tying to lose something I'm ingrained with.

     I made a resume, and am trying to get work.  I should be able to get at the least a revolving door desk job, which though paying little (like $8.50, better jobs can pay $14.00 upwards per hour), will still help my tuition.