Doing this week's assignment about interviews brought me back to the day I had my interview at PacSun. It is the only time I have ever been to a job interview and I remember I did not really know what to expect. I also remember being really nervous. I know that job interviews are necessary but they are so nerve-wracking! That is why I am glad that we are learning about this now so that by the time I am interviewing for jobs in my career I will be better prepared.
I was talking to my dad today about this class and mentioned to him about the assignment we had to do for the presentation of self and he thought it was a great idea. I agree and I feel like this class is really teaching us a lot of things that we will be able to carry out into the real world. For example, learning about interviews is very helpful and how to be prepared for them. Also, redoing my resume and learning how to write a cover letter for the first time are very helpful things to know how to do in the professional business world.
Another part of the assignment this week was to look up job descriptions and specific companies or organizations that we would want to hire us. I found this to be really interesting as well because it is something I will probably end up doing when it comes time for me to start searching seriously for a career opportunity. (257)
-kp
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Blogging = Refl Inq Assignment
No class this week! And apparently, according to the e-mail that Eric sent us a few days ago, we also do not have to do the Reflexive Inquiry Assignment number 3. This would be great news to someone who was stressed out about doing a third project, but for us bloggers it really does not make a difference at all. We still have to blog every week.
I was thinking, is it fair that we have to continue blogging every week, on average 400-500 words, while the rest of the class does not have to worry about the Reflexive Inquiry assignments at all anymore? The 6 or so people in the class that are blogging have to write way more than anyone else has to write. And now that the third inquiry assignment has been taken away, it seems like we are doing a lot more work than everybody else.
I was thinking this over and the truth is, I knew from the start that I would have to write more than the people that were just turning in a couple projects. I like to blog because I think it is fun and I usually am inspired sometime throughout the week with something that has to do with PCP and I thought a blog would be a good idea so I could record what I thought on a weekly basis. Plus, the people that are blogging are going above and beyond what Eric asked of us in these Reflexive Inquiry assignments so that means that will probably boost our grade.
I guess all in all it will work out, but I do feel like the bloggers are required to do a lot more work than the rest of the class. Maybe in the future, the weekly word count for bloggers should be a little less. I think it would be more reasonable to require 150-200 words a week from the people who choose to blog because we are writing much more often. (333)
-kp
I was thinking, is it fair that we have to continue blogging every week, on average 400-500 words, while the rest of the class does not have to worry about the Reflexive Inquiry assignments at all anymore? The 6 or so people in the class that are blogging have to write way more than anyone else has to write. And now that the third inquiry assignment has been taken away, it seems like we are doing a lot more work than everybody else.
I was thinking this over and the truth is, I knew from the start that I would have to write more than the people that were just turning in a couple projects. I like to blog because I think it is fun and I usually am inspired sometime throughout the week with something that has to do with PCP and I thought a blog would be a good idea so I could record what I thought on a weekly basis. Plus, the people that are blogging are going above and beyond what Eric asked of us in these Reflexive Inquiry assignments so that means that will probably boost our grade.
I guess all in all it will work out, but I do feel like the bloggers are required to do a lot more work than the rest of the class. Maybe in the future, the weekly word count for bloggers should be a little less. I think it would be more reasonable to require 150-200 words a week from the people who choose to blog because we are writing much more often. (333)
-kp
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
While I'm at it...
...I might as well post my link to my online portfolio up here. So, here it is:
www.coroflot.com/kpfromme
enjoy! =]
(19)
-kp
www.coroflot.com/kpfromme
enjoy! =]
(19)
-kp
My presentation of self...
...is complete! I went through the checklist a few times and I'm positive I covered everything and more. I have a business card, cover letter, resume, 2 page "presentation of self," portfolio of work, and links to my online professional portfolio and blog, all put together in a nice fancy professional black portfolio. I found this project to actually be very helpful and fun. I still wish we were taught more in class about what was required, but I learned a lot and feel more confident about presenting myself as a professional. (92)
-kp
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Project
So I realized something recently; I really do not know much about making resumes, cover letters, or anything we have to make for our personal presentation of self. I looked up some sample resumes and online tutorials but I still do not feel like I really know what I am doing.
I really wish that we had learned about this kind of stuff in PCP class. We have not been taught anything having to do with professionally presenting ourselves to clients or when applying for jobs. I feel like I am a little lost and wish I had learned more about the do's and don't's of making a cover letter and resume. Also, I am making an online portfolio of my work, but I am not sure if it is "professional" enough.
I love the freedom that we get in PCP class when it comes to our assignments, but I really wish we had solid knowledge pertaining to what we have to turn in for our Professional Presentation of Self. Even my business card I am not sure is "professional" enough. I put everything I thought was necessary on it, but I am not positive about what typically should be on a personal business card.
I feel it is a bit unfair to the class to require us to do so much work for this project when we have not been taught anything about what we are required to turn in. Sometimes I feel that Eric expects we already know how to do all of this, but I honestly never thought about presenting myself "professionally" through cover letters and what not. I have never even written a cover letter before. (280)
-kp
I really wish that we had learned about this kind of stuff in PCP class. We have not been taught anything having to do with professionally presenting ourselves to clients or when applying for jobs. I feel like I am a little lost and wish I had learned more about the do's and don't's of making a cover letter and resume. Also, I am making an online portfolio of my work, but I am not sure if it is "professional" enough.
I love the freedom that we get in PCP class when it comes to our assignments, but I really wish we had solid knowledge pertaining to what we have to turn in for our Professional Presentation of Self. Even my business card I am not sure is "professional" enough. I put everything I thought was necessary on it, but I am not positive about what typically should be on a personal business card.
I feel it is a bit unfair to the class to require us to do so much work for this project when we have not been taught anything about what we are required to turn in. Sometimes I feel that Eric expects we already know how to do all of this, but I honestly never thought about presenting myself "professionally" through cover letters and what not. I have never even written a cover letter before. (280)
-kp
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Business Card
This semester in PCP, one of our major class projects is the Professional Presentation of Self. Basically, the assignment is that we need to find ways to present ourselves in a professional way. This includes the making of personal business cards, resumes, cover letters, websites, portfolios, and anything else we feel represents ourselves professionally.
I have been working little by little on this project for the past few weeks and tonight I finished designing my business card. I figured the most important information I would want a client to have is my name, phone number, and e-mail. I thought about including my address but thought it was unnecessary.
My design style is usually pretty clean and neat and for my business card, I chose to only include information that was necessary and set it in a clear and legible typeface. The white type on black background also plays nicely with contrast. I like the way it turned out so I decided to post it up here. (166)
-kp
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Baby Victoria
Isn't she cute?! This past weekend I visited with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and baby cousin Victoria. She's about 10 1/2 months old so she does not talk yet. Therefore, she communicates by other means. I found it so interesting to just watch how she interacted with us without saying a single word.
Victoria is really into pointing and waving. When she wants something, she'll point. For example, at one point her mom was holding her and she wanted to go to my grandpa so she started moving more and looking towards my grandpa. Then she held out her hand and pointed her little finger towards him. We knew this meant she wanted him to hold her so my aunt handed her over, and little Victoria was very happy.
Another gesture Victoria uses is waving her hand. Whenever someone new walks into the room she will wave at them. She also waves at everyone when her mom picks her up to bring her to her room for a nap. She knows to wave because my aunt holds her towards everyone in the room and we all wave to her. She mimicks what she sees, but the process of waving has become something that is routine to her and she even understands that it means she is leaving. I know this, because at one point we were all waving goodnight to her and she started crying, like she did not want to go to sleep.
At another point during the visit, we had the door to the porch open to let in some fresh air and Victoria was sitting right next to it. We did not want her to crawl outside but she was so close and I knew she was tempted. She would keep looking at me and then she would turn to crawl out the door. I immediately went, "no, Victoria," or said something around those lines but with a forceful tone. As soon as I said it she stopped, turned her head, and looked at me. After a few moments she tried again and again I told her, "no." Each time I said this, she would stop, turn, and look directly at me. She even smiled a little bit each time like we were playing a game. She cannot speak but she understood that when I said, "no," it meant to stop doing what she was doing.
I love visiting with my baby cousin because each time I see her, she is completely different. She changes so fast and I find it so intriguing to watch the process of a growing and evolving human being! (438)
-kp
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Where the wild things at?!
This weekend my boyfriend and I went to the movies to see Where the Wild Things Are. First off, the movie was really cute! (Oh, and side note: the website is very nice and suits the movie perfectly. It's probably the graphic designer in me coming out, but I thought the website was really fun to poke through. I highly recommend checking it out.)
Anyway, my boyfriend and I have a little joke we bounce back and forth about the title of this movie. Instead of calling it Where the Wild Things Are we like to say "where them wild things at?" but with a southern drawl. So it ends up sounding more like "Where dem wald thangs at?" It's silly but... actually it's pretty much said for the sake of its silliness.
So it surprised me when the two of us were buying our tickets and the woman collecting our tickets called the movie Where the Wild Things At. She spoke in a southern accent too! I caught it immediately and smiled to myself. When I glanced over at my boyfriend however, he did not seem to catch on. Later I mentioned to him that she had pronounced it incorrectly, the way we jokingly say it, and he was so surprised he did not notice.
I found it interesting that when the two of us say the title of this movie with improper grammar it sounds silly, but when the woman who had collected our tickets said the same words in a different way it passed without notice. We both knew exactly what movie she was talking about even though she had not said the title correctly. It's funny how little mistakes in language can seem perfectly correct in certain situations, depending on how the person says it and in what context.
-kp
Anyway, my boyfriend and I have a little joke we bounce back and forth about the title of this movie. Instead of calling it Where the Wild Things Are we like to say "where them wild things at?" but with a southern drawl. So it ends up sounding more like "Where dem wald thangs at?" It's silly but... actually it's pretty much said for the sake of its silliness.
So it surprised me when the two of us were buying our tickets and the woman collecting our tickets called the movie Where the Wild Things At. She spoke in a southern accent too! I caught it immediately and smiled to myself. When I glanced over at my boyfriend however, he did not seem to catch on. Later I mentioned to him that she had pronounced it incorrectly, the way we jokingly say it, and he was so surprised he did not notice.
I found it interesting that when the two of us say the title of this movie with improper grammar it sounds silly, but when the woman who had collected our tickets said the same words in a different way it passed without notice. We both knew exactly what movie she was talking about even though she had not said the title correctly. It's funny how little mistakes in language can seem perfectly correct in certain situations, depending on how the person says it and in what context.
-kp
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Boys & Girls
.....they communicate very differently. Even when we're all speaking the same language, the way girls communicate and the ways boys communicate is so different that we might as well be speaking different languages sometimes.
This past week in my Intercultural Communications class we learned a bit about the differences in the way both genders communicate. This really connected to PCP so I wanted to talk about it. I find it so interesting that both genders have different ways of approaching communication and connecting with one another.
For example, boys tend to be more competitive and the way they bond with their friends is by showing off. At least, this is what I saw in the short video we watched in class. In the video, 5 year old boys were playing outside together and discussing how high they could hit a ball. One boy said he could hit it up to "here" and then lifted his hand to narrate how high he could hit. The next boy said that he could hit it to the sky. The third boy said he could hit it to heaven. Finally, the fourth boy said he could hit a ball all the way to God. It was really comical watching the way these young boys interacted with each other and how by one-upping another they bonded.
Girls are much different. In the same video, 5 year old girls were videotaped having a conversation about one of the girls babysitters. One girl says that her babysitter has contacts. The other girl says that both her mom and her dad have contacts. The first girl then comments again by saying, "the same?!" This shows that girls bond by showing how alike they are and by saying that they are similar, they are communicating that they like each other.
Another interesting thing that we learned was that males in general tend to speak more bluntly while girls tend to "beat around the bush." I sort of knew this already, at least it is something that I've noticed in the ways that males and females communicate. In fact the more that I learn about communication between by Intercultural Communications class and PCP the more I find I analyze my own conversations and ones that I hear.
For example, a conversation that I had with my boyfriend made me think about how differently we communicate. This weekend we were in Disney World celebrating my friend's birthday and as we were walking in the park someone close to me sneezed. I automatically said bless you just because that's something that I've always done. I also say bless you to my boyfriend when he sneezes all the time. So it caught me off guard when after I "blessed" this person for sneezing my boyfriend turns to me and says that saying "bless you" is meaningless and stupid. Just outright says that. Then, sensing that I was a bit offended he followed with "well I mean, that's what I think and it's why I stopped saying it. I don't really have a problem when other people say it."
Looking back at this conversation I noticed that because he's a guy, so naturally speaks more bluntly, he said this without taking into context the people around him (me) and how they might feel about the matter. Though he did pick up on it after the fact. I then thought about how I would have approached the matter if the roles had been reversed, and for certain I would not have said that I think what he does is stupid and meaningless. I probably would have asked why he does it or say something like, "what does bless you even mean when someone sneezes?" so that I could hear his side on the issue and understand better. I guess you could say it's "beating around the bush" but really I'm just taking into account his feelings and reactions before I speak. Which I guess guys don't always do. At least not as much as girls. Generally speaking that is.
-kp
This past week in my Intercultural Communications class we learned a bit about the differences in the way both genders communicate. This really connected to PCP so I wanted to talk about it. I find it so interesting that both genders have different ways of approaching communication and connecting with one another.
For example, boys tend to be more competitive and the way they bond with their friends is by showing off. At least, this is what I saw in the short video we watched in class. In the video, 5 year old boys were playing outside together and discussing how high they could hit a ball. One boy said he could hit it up to "here" and then lifted his hand to narrate how high he could hit. The next boy said that he could hit it to the sky. The third boy said he could hit it to heaven. Finally, the fourth boy said he could hit a ball all the way to God. It was really comical watching the way these young boys interacted with each other and how by one-upping another they bonded.
Girls are much different. In the same video, 5 year old girls were videotaped having a conversation about one of the girls babysitters. One girl says that her babysitter has contacts. The other girl says that both her mom and her dad have contacts. The first girl then comments again by saying, "the same?!" This shows that girls bond by showing how alike they are and by saying that they are similar, they are communicating that they like each other.
Another interesting thing that we learned was that males in general tend to speak more bluntly while girls tend to "beat around the bush." I sort of knew this already, at least it is something that I've noticed in the ways that males and females communicate. In fact the more that I learn about communication between by Intercultural Communications class and PCP the more I find I analyze my own conversations and ones that I hear.
For example, a conversation that I had with my boyfriend made me think about how differently we communicate. This weekend we were in Disney World celebrating my friend's birthday and as we were walking in the park someone close to me sneezed. I automatically said bless you just because that's something that I've always done. I also say bless you to my boyfriend when he sneezes all the time. So it caught me off guard when after I "blessed" this person for sneezing my boyfriend turns to me and says that saying "bless you" is meaningless and stupid. Just outright says that. Then, sensing that I was a bit offended he followed with "well I mean, that's what I think and it's why I stopped saying it. I don't really have a problem when other people say it."
Looking back at this conversation I noticed that because he's a guy, so naturally speaks more bluntly, he said this without taking into context the people around him (me) and how they might feel about the matter. Though he did pick up on it after the fact. I then thought about how I would have approached the matter if the roles had been reversed, and for certain I would not have said that I think what he does is stupid and meaningless. I probably would have asked why he does it or say something like, "what does bless you even mean when someone sneezes?" so that I could hear his side on the issue and understand better. I guess you could say it's "beating around the bush" but really I'm just taking into account his feelings and reactions before I speak. Which I guess guys don't always do. At least not as much as girls. Generally speaking that is.
-kp
Sunday, October 4, 2009
PCP Overview
Since it's about that time for mid-terms, I figure I'll do a little assessment of PCP class so far, just about 7 weeks in.
CLASS: I am really enjoying the class and what we're doing each week. Recently we just started our group presentations, so I've been working with my group a lot discussing how we are going to go about our presentation (which we'll be giving this week!) Usually class involves some sort of short lecture and then group activities and presenting. I like this routine because it breaks the class up and the lectures are not 3 hours long. Also, it gives us opportunities to present on a weekly basis.
TEACHER: Eric really connects with his students, probably because he's a younger guy and still in school (like us) but I really feel like he's very approachable and easy to talk to. He's also very open to our creativity in our assignments which is awesome. He's very passionate in what he talks about which in turn, makes me feel passionate about what he's saying.
CLASSROOM: The room we are in for our class seems to suit our needs comfortably. There are enough chairs and tables for everyone, and there is a white board to write on. The projector makes it easy for Powerpoint presentations and also gives us something through which we can show visuals. The only real issue with the room, for me personally, is that it is so dark! There are no windows and it feels a bit claustrophobic. I would prefer the class to be somewhere more open and light, like the new academic building.
ASSIGNMENTS: The homework that Eric assigns seems to have been a pretty comfortable work load. I keep up with my blog every few days plus I've been reading Orbiting the Giant Hairball. My group presentation is this week so I've been working on my presentation as well. Although there's a good amount of reading to do every week, the material is usually an easy-read or interesting enough to capture my attention. Hairball especially, with its graphic elements and interesting layout, keeps my attention and makes me want to continue reading.
OVERVIEW: In general, I have learned a lot in the class. Eric is a phenomenal teacher because I feel like he honestly cares about us students, and wants us to get as much out of the class as possible. The material we are learning is really helpful, to me especially, as a graphic designer. A major part of being a graphic designer is to be able to communicate clearly through visuals. In order to do this, we have to know how to communicate. Honestly, I think this class should be mandatory for GIC majors because it has helped me a lot in understanding how communication and mis-communication occurs between people.
-kp
CLASS: I am really enjoying the class and what we're doing each week. Recently we just started our group presentations, so I've been working with my group a lot discussing how we are going to go about our presentation (which we'll be giving this week!) Usually class involves some sort of short lecture and then group activities and presenting. I like this routine because it breaks the class up and the lectures are not 3 hours long. Also, it gives us opportunities to present on a weekly basis.
TEACHER: Eric really connects with his students, probably because he's a younger guy and still in school (like us) but I really feel like he's very approachable and easy to talk to. He's also very open to our creativity in our assignments which is awesome. He's very passionate in what he talks about which in turn, makes me feel passionate about what he's saying.
CLASSROOM: The room we are in for our class seems to suit our needs comfortably. There are enough chairs and tables for everyone, and there is a white board to write on. The projector makes it easy for Powerpoint presentations and also gives us something through which we can show visuals. The only real issue with the room, for me personally, is that it is so dark! There are no windows and it feels a bit claustrophobic. I would prefer the class to be somewhere more open and light, like the new academic building.
ASSIGNMENTS: The homework that Eric assigns seems to have been a pretty comfortable work load. I keep up with my blog every few days plus I've been reading Orbiting the Giant Hairball. My group presentation is this week so I've been working on my presentation as well. Although there's a good amount of reading to do every week, the material is usually an easy-read or interesting enough to capture my attention. Hairball especially, with its graphic elements and interesting layout, keeps my attention and makes me want to continue reading.
OVERVIEW: In general, I have learned a lot in the class. Eric is a phenomenal teacher because I feel like he honestly cares about us students, and wants us to get as much out of the class as possible. The material we are learning is really helpful, to me especially, as a graphic designer. A major part of being a graphic designer is to be able to communicate clearly through visuals. In order to do this, we have to know how to communicate. Honestly, I think this class should be mandatory for GIC majors because it has helped me a lot in understanding how communication and mis-communication occurs between people.
-kp
Sunday, September 27, 2009
It's funny how people's attitude changes depending on the type of people they are surrounded by. This is just something I was thinking about earlier this weekend while I was visiting my grandparents that live in St. Pete.
I usually visit my grandparents every few weeks and spend a weekend with them at their apartment downtown. I actually really enjoy spending time with them. They're my home away from home (since my home is back in CT)... plus I get to do free laundry and get home-cooked meals =] My grandparents are pretty young too... only just crossing the threshold into their 70's... and if you met them you'd know, they're really kids at heart.
This particular weekend, the apartment building held a party. Sort of a "meet and greet" type of thing with lots of food and drinks... and people well over 60! I attended this get-together with my grandparents and met many of their neighbors who, for the most part, are all well into their sixties, seventies, and eighties, and long retired.
While we were sitting at the table during the party eating some dinner, my grandma turned to me and said "this must be a big change for you, being surrounded by people that are all over sixty, when you're so used to only being around kids." I replied with something like "hey, we're all people," but afterward I thought about it a little more... and it's true. Being surrounded by people over 60 is much different than being surrounded by college kids.
Something I noticed while I was at the party was that everyone I talked to seemed to conform to the "rules of conversation" I guess you could say. In other words, something like:
"Hi, I'm Kayla."
"Oh hi Kayla, nice to meet you, I'm Fred and this is my wife Susan."
"Hi, nice to meet you guys."
"Nice to meet you too. Are you visiting for vacation?"
"No, I actually go to school down here in Sarasota."
"Oh really, whereabouts?"
etc etc etc....
And then we conversed about what I was majoring in, they would link it to something their son or daughter did in college, we'd share a few stories, and it would end something like this:
"Well Kayla it was great talking to you. Good luck in school and we hope to see you around!"
"Yeah definitely, great talking to you too. Enjoy the brownies!"
Or something of that sort. Everyone was very friendly and polite and had a proper entrance and exit to the conversation. I found that to be a lot different than talking to a bunch of college kids. Around here I find conversations tend to contain a lot more joking, teasing, swearing, sarcasm, etc. Maybe this difference is due to the different ways our generations were raised. Or maybe it's due to where we stand in our particular lives at this moment. Maybe it's popular culture influencing the youth. Or maybe it's just that darned rock and roll... who knows!
-kp
I usually visit my grandparents every few weeks and spend a weekend with them at their apartment downtown. I actually really enjoy spending time with them. They're my home away from home (since my home is back in CT)... plus I get to do free laundry and get home-cooked meals =] My grandparents are pretty young too... only just crossing the threshold into their 70's... and if you met them you'd know, they're really kids at heart.
This particular weekend, the apartment building held a party. Sort of a "meet and greet" type of thing with lots of food and drinks... and people well over 60! I attended this get-together with my grandparents and met many of their neighbors who, for the most part, are all well into their sixties, seventies, and eighties, and long retired.
While we were sitting at the table during the party eating some dinner, my grandma turned to me and said "this must be a big change for you, being surrounded by people that are all over sixty, when you're so used to only being around kids." I replied with something like "hey, we're all people," but afterward I thought about it a little more... and it's true. Being surrounded by people over 60 is much different than being surrounded by college kids.
Something I noticed while I was at the party was that everyone I talked to seemed to conform to the "rules of conversation" I guess you could say. In other words, something like:
"Hi, I'm Kayla."
"Oh hi Kayla, nice to meet you, I'm Fred and this is my wife Susan."
"Hi, nice to meet you guys."
"Nice to meet you too. Are you visiting for vacation?"
"No, I actually go to school down here in Sarasota."
"Oh really, whereabouts?"
etc etc etc....
And then we conversed about what I was majoring in, they would link it to something their son or daughter did in college, we'd share a few stories, and it would end something like this:
"Well Kayla it was great talking to you. Good luck in school and we hope to see you around!"
"Yeah definitely, great talking to you too. Enjoy the brownies!"
Or something of that sort. Everyone was very friendly and polite and had a proper entrance and exit to the conversation. I found that to be a lot different than talking to a bunch of college kids. Around here I find conversations tend to contain a lot more joking, teasing, swearing, sarcasm, etc. Maybe this difference is due to the different ways our generations were raised. Or maybe it's due to where we stand in our particular lives at this moment. Maybe it's popular culture influencing the youth. Or maybe it's just that darned rock and roll... who knows!
-kp
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
My Big Fat Greek Post
If anyone has not seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding... Go. Now. And watch it. Seriously though, it is a really great movie that explores the idea of being introduced to a totally different culture than you are used to, and how difficult it can be to communicate and relate to each other.
I had to watch this movie (and take notes) this past week for another class that I'm taking this semester called Intercultural Communications but I've been finding a lot of connections to communication in general as well. So I guess I'm kind of killing two birds with one stone here. Yay for connection making!
So, like I said, not only is My Big Fat Greek Wedding a very entertaining movie, it also relates a lot to communication and how people from different cultures intertwine. For example, in the movie, Tula who comes from a very large and boisterous Greek family falls in love and gets engaged with Ian who is everything her family could have hoped for her... except for one thing: he isn't Greek. Therefore, he is unfamiliar with Tula's family traditions and lifestyle.
For example, in Greek culture, it is the man's duty as a suitor to approach his love interest's father and ask his permission to marry his daughter. Ian is not familiar with this, and instead just asks Tula herself. This angers her father very much because as the father he is used to being the dominant male in the family who is in charge of everyone, especially his daughter and her hand in marriage.
Not only is Ian unfamiliar with the ways of the Greeks, he is also unfamiliar with the Greek language. Tula's brother and cousin have a lot of fun telling him to say common phrases in Greek and really making him say something ridiculous. Not only is there an obvious miscommunication there, but even just when conversing in English with Tula's aunt there is miscommunication. Tula's aunt wishes to cook for Ian and Ian tells her that he is a vegetarian and does not eat meat. The idea he does not consume meat is just unfathomable for Tula's aunt because as a Greek woman, one of her main jobs is to cook for the family... and meat is always the main food group. So, not comprehending, she exclaims that instead she will make lamb for him. Which obviously is indeed meat.
Eventually the family comes to accept Ian but it takes a lot of time and interactions with the Greek family to really start to understand how they work. This is a great example of how people from different backgrounds have difficulty relating to each other and how interesting, and comical, it can be.
-kp
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Flammable = Inflammable?
I just read Strunk and White's The Elements of Style and guess what? I learned something new. According to Strunk and White, the word "flammable" also means "inflammable." Who woulda thunk?
Apparently, both words mean the exact same thing. The prefix -in in "inflammable" is derived from the latin preposition in and also appears in the word "enflame." However, it has apparently misled people (including me up until just yesterday) into assuming that the word "inflammable" means "not flammable."
Which is why most caution and warning signs say "flammable" instead of "inflammable" to avoid confusion. Even though both words mean the same thing.
I learned a bit more about the definition at dictionary.com.
I found The Elements of Style to be extremely packed with information, but it was short and sweet at the same time. I probably won't remember everything (of course) but this little tid-bit about the common mis-usage of the word "flammable" I found really interesting.
-kp
Apparently, both words mean the exact same thing. The prefix -in in "inflammable" is derived from the latin preposition in and also appears in the word "enflame." However, it has apparently misled people (including me up until just yesterday) into assuming that the word "inflammable" means "not flammable."
Which is why most caution and warning signs say "flammable" instead of "inflammable" to avoid confusion. Even though both words mean the same thing.
I learned a bit more about the definition at dictionary.com.
I found The Elements of Style to be extremely packed with information, but it was short and sweet at the same time. I probably won't remember everything (of course) but this little tid-bit about the common mis-usage of the word "flammable" I found really interesting.
-kp
Sunday, September 13, 2009
This feeling of "oughtness"
What is it? Why is it that in social situations, we feel we have an obligation to act a certain way?
I looked up the definition of deontic logic and it explained that the term deontic is derived from the ancient Greek déon, meaning, that which is binding or proper. But what is proper anyway? I guess this relates to my previous post about the meaning of the word professional. Both of these words are circumstantial.
However, to give an example, something we were talking about in class last week was how in America when someone sneezes, we have a need or feeling to say "bless you" afterwards. Sort of this feeling of social "oughtness." I can definitely relate (obviously) and I do feel that need to say "bless you" after someone sneezes, even if I don't know them. Sometimes I say it offhand at random places, like in a store or something when I hear a sneeze. Also, something funny, I usually find myself feeling a little insecure if I sneeze and nobody says the typical response to me.
Now I'm not really a religious person, but I still feel this need to say bless you and to be blessed after I sneeze. I just feel that it's what's proper.
Another example, it's just a social norm that if someone smiles or waves to you, you wave back. Something I found to be completely ridiculous yet kind of interesting at the same time was something that happened to me last week. I was walking on the sidewalk by the road and a car drove by me with people I didn't know and one of the guys in the back seat was staring out the window with a goofy look on his face and a hand up waving to me. I knew he was just joking around because he was definitely making a face, just trying to get a reaction out of me. Anyway, the strange thing was, even though I knew he was kidding around, I felt my hand want to go up and wave back to him. Just because his hand was up waving to me. Like this thought process happened first, and THEN I realized I did not know the person and he was kind of creeping me out. Funny huh?
-kp
I looked up the definition of deontic logic and it explained that the term deontic is derived from the ancient Greek déon, meaning, that which is binding or proper. But what is proper anyway? I guess this relates to my previous post about the meaning of the word professional. Both of these words are circumstantial.
However, to give an example, something we were talking about in class last week was how in America when someone sneezes, we have a need or feeling to say "bless you" afterwards. Sort of this feeling of social "oughtness." I can definitely relate (obviously) and I do feel that need to say "bless you" after someone sneezes, even if I don't know them. Sometimes I say it offhand at random places, like in a store or something when I hear a sneeze. Also, something funny, I usually find myself feeling a little insecure if I sneeze and nobody says the typical response to me.
Now I'm not really a religious person, but I still feel this need to say bless you and to be blessed after I sneeze. I just feel that it's what's proper.
Another example, it's just a social norm that if someone smiles or waves to you, you wave back. Something I found to be completely ridiculous yet kind of interesting at the same time was something that happened to me last week. I was walking on the sidewalk by the road and a car drove by me with people I didn't know and one of the guys in the back seat was staring out the window with a goofy look on his face and a hand up waving to me. I knew he was just joking around because he was definitely making a face, just trying to get a reaction out of me. Anyway, the strange thing was, even though I knew he was kidding around, I felt my hand want to go up and wave back to him. Just because his hand was up waving to me. Like this thought process happened first, and THEN I realized I did not know the person and he was kind of creeping me out. Funny huh?
-kp
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Taking PCP
Well here goes the start of my new blog about the PCP class I'm taking at Ringling! (gotta love that acronym, never gets old) But what PCP really is all about is Professional Communication and Presentation and it's the first class of its kind here at Ringling College of Art and Design, being taught by Eric Engel.
And I have to say.. not only is it the first of its kind because Ringling has never offered a PCP course before, but it is also the first kind of class where I feel I have a lot of freedom to express myself in a working environment in a creative way. I guess I'm kind of starting off this blog with an evaluation of what I think of the class thus far (3.5 weeks into the semester).
So! Here goes. Like I said, I really like how Eric gives us freedom to be creative but also get work done... and learn in the process, of course. My expectations of the class at first was that it was probably going to be a little boring, since it was about giving presentations. My immediate assumption was that giving presentations meant maybe each week he would give us a topic and we would have to constantly make power-points and flash cards and what not, sit around in a big circle, and listen to each other give speeches in front of a podium. Much to my excitement, I was very wrong about what this class is all about.
PCP seems to be much more about learning how people interact with one another in a "professional" and also everyday environment and what that all means. For example, "professional" can mean a number of different things. Here's what the Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines professional as:
professional
Function: noun
: a person who is professional; especially : a person who engages in a pursuit or activity professionally
So, thank you Miriam-Webster for using the word we are looking up IN the actual definition and leading us in a big circle. Well, leading me in a big circle at least. However, after chewing on this definition and letting it marinate in my head for a bit, I combined it with what we previously discussed in class about the meaning of this word to try to make sense out of it.
To engage in a pursuit professionally means it must pertain to the profession. Therefore, depending on the profession, the meaning of professional changes as well. For example, to be a professional basketball player does not mean that one needs to dress up in a suit and tie and nice dress shoes to every professional basketball game. Rather, the complete opposite is necessary: basketball jersey and sneakers.
However, for a lawyer to appear professional, he or she must wear a suit and tie and dress up. This is because that particular outfit pertains to the environment of a court room and is necessary to appear professional in that particular work environment.
All of this I found to be really interesting. I find that this particular class makes me think differently about a lot of things. I even find myself thinking about what we talk about in class a lot outside of it. This is why I figured a blog would be my best bet for our reflexive inquiry writing assignment.
-kp
And I have to say.. not only is it the first of its kind because Ringling has never offered a PCP course before, but it is also the first kind of class where I feel I have a lot of freedom to express myself in a working environment in a creative way. I guess I'm kind of starting off this blog with an evaluation of what I think of the class thus far (3.5 weeks into the semester).
So! Here goes. Like I said, I really like how Eric gives us freedom to be creative but also get work done... and learn in the process, of course. My expectations of the class at first was that it was probably going to be a little boring, since it was about giving presentations. My immediate assumption was that giving presentations meant maybe each week he would give us a topic and we would have to constantly make power-points and flash cards and what not, sit around in a big circle, and listen to each other give speeches in front of a podium. Much to my excitement, I was very wrong about what this class is all about.
PCP seems to be much more about learning how people interact with one another in a "professional" and also everyday environment and what that all means. For example, "professional" can mean a number of different things. Here's what the Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines professional as:
professional
Function: noun
: a person who is professional; especially : a person who engages in a pursuit or activity professionally
So, thank you Miriam-Webster for using the word we are looking up IN the actual definition and leading us in a big circle. Well, leading me in a big circle at least. However, after chewing on this definition and letting it marinate in my head for a bit, I combined it with what we previously discussed in class about the meaning of this word to try to make sense out of it.
To engage in a pursuit professionally means it must pertain to the profession. Therefore, depending on the profession, the meaning of professional changes as well. For example, to be a professional basketball player does not mean that one needs to dress up in a suit and tie and nice dress shoes to every professional basketball game. Rather, the complete opposite is necessary: basketball jersey and sneakers.
However, for a lawyer to appear professional, he or she must wear a suit and tie and dress up. This is because that particular outfit pertains to the environment of a court room and is necessary to appear professional in that particular work environment.
All of this I found to be really interesting. I find that this particular class makes me think differently about a lot of things. I even find myself thinking about what we talk about in class a lot outside of it. This is why I figured a blog would be my best bet for our reflexive inquiry writing assignment.
-kp
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
