As of the past couple of months, we have had the ping pong table up in our garage. During these intense finger nail biting, keeps you on the edge of your seat, matches, I have learned some life lessons!
Lesson 1: Always expect the unexpected.
Ping pong application: Beware of your hand eye coordination becoming temporarily impaired. Some of the best excuses that can be used are: "there is an odd glare on the table," "the lighting is to dim," "my eyes are fuzzy." (etc.)
Lesson 2: Always be relaxed. Tensing up or becoming frustrated only makes situations worse.
Ping pong application: While playing war pong don't tense up. Tensing up makes the pain of the ball striking your stomach slightly more intense. If you remain relaxed, the strike is able to distribute more evenly throughout the gut area thus relieving the sharp stinging sensation.
Lesson 3: Better to be safe than sorry!
Ping pong application: Always place the paddle over your face when playing war pong. Even if your opponent is striking your back. When playing in an enclosed area, with walls a maximum of 9 feet away, chances are the ball will ricochet off the wall and hit you in the face with the same amount of velocity!
Lesson 4: Always better to have the best gear.
Ping pong application: One's paddle is the key to his/her game. Often times having a better paddle can make or break your performance.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
TA DA!!!!
Well, here it is. It is officially sent in with my application however, I'm not stopping there. I will probably continue to revise it more in order to stretch my writing skills. Please feel free to comment or criticize as it will help me grow in writing!
Fairy Tales in Education
I.
Are fairy tales truly important? Do they have any influence on the human soul? Is it at all efficacious for the successful education of young people? The following essay attempts to answer these questions by considering several arguments for, and several arguments against, the importance of fairy tales in the education of young people. It appears that science is the leading tool of knowledge these days because it deals with facts. Would it not be better to educate our children with facts instead of fiction? There seems to be no danger in teaching a child facts however, there appears to be a danger in educating them in fiction. Science explains what a thing is made of, thereby making us capable of knowing what the thing “is”. Fairy tales on the other hand claim that science is only one way of gaining knowledge. And, that knowledge is incomplete without fairy tales. In fact, science could not stand on its own without the help of fairy tales. Yet fairy tales likewise would be incomplete without science. We have been taught to leave the realm of fairyland behind in our old childish dreams. Perhaps we ought to think differently and should never have left that realm, only incorporate into it other truths.
Science is independent of all imagination and metaphysical dealings. The crux of science is in dealing with the empirical evidence found in nature. Thus, understanding how our physical universe works. Removing the wonder of how a flower blooms and replacing it with the knowledge of how it does bloom, is the job of science. The word science comes from the Latin word Scientia, meaning knowledge. It does not delve into the realm of the imagination where all things appear probable; as in the mind of a child. Science is a realm for practical adults who deal with the laws and hard truths of nature. As Jean Rostand said, “Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men”. To remain in the realm of fairy tales is to lack growth and maturity in truth. Because science revolves around truth, it would be foolish of one to esteem fairy tales (which contain solely fiction) above the laws and physical workings of nature. If at the very least, fairy tales cultivate a child’s imagination giving him/her a false perception of reality and perhaps worse a prejudice against science. By no means can science explain the workings of all things at the present but the progress of science has been so incredible, it will only be a matter of time. What was once thought a miracle in the sky will soon be found to be a mere working of hydrogen and oxygen molecules in a certain pattern.
With these present and future tools of science, we will be able to more adequately educate our children. In science, we will fill the minds of our young people with truths, rather than ideas which are not cohesive with the actual world. Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to educate our kids with the facts of life rather than the imagination of some author? To expose and cultivate a fictitious mind set in our children would be to fail that generation; making them incapable to lead when their time comes. What people want are intelligent leaders, capable of making good decisions. Not leaders who daydream about fairies. One must ask themselves, “Where would our country be if our leaders only considered the impossibilities of fairy land as war tactics?” Our country would be lost to dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, if we did not use the tools of science and reason. To say that our children need to be immersed in fairy tales and educated in them is only a recipe of destruction for the future of the world.
II.
On the other hand, fairy tales are the very tools by which the incredible power of our imagination is awakened. Without the imagination, science cannot exist. New discoveries in science will cease to be made, thus, science will no longer flourish. Therefore fairy tales are an extremely important faculty in the education of young people.
III.
The notion that fairy tales are the exact opposite and completely separate from the realm of science, is very misleading because it is the very purpose of a fairy tale to stir the imagination of a child. George MacDonald once said, “It (a fairy tale) is there, not so much to convey a meaning but to awaken one.” Without the imagination, science could not exist. How did scientists come to know all of the laws and facts that we know today? It was through a process of observation. However, scientist did not know before-hand whether or not this form of observation would produce results. The process by which he hoped to observe cannot be explained through a certain law he was following but only by his imagination. Certainly it was his intellect that concluded the results but it was his imagination that produced the ability to find the results. Novalis said, “The imagination is the stuff of the intellect”, meaning that it is not the intellect which is the highest tool by which things are discovered. It is the imagination that searches out and the intellect that investigates. For example, the imagination could be thought of as the navigator and the intellect as its hireling. What the imagination discovers the intellect investigates; making the unknown discovery of the imagination known. The very heart of a scientific inventor is his imagination. To stunt the growth of a young child’s imagination is the same as abandoning any further great discoveries in science and leaving humanity hopelessly caught in a torpid circle of stagnation. This would ultimately amount to the fear that most people have concerning fairy tales; a false perception of reality.
However, what they fail to realize is that by limiting or completely ignoring the need for an imagination is to give just as false a reality, because exploiting previously discovered truths is not where a better understanding of reality is found. Certainly this is not to say that those discovered truths ought not to be searched out, but rather to say it is better to cultivate great discoverers than exploiters. Genius is not found in the exploitation of an idea but in the discovery of it. Plato was not a philosophical genius because he elaborated on philosophical truths (although that was part of it) but because he discovered those truths. Just as Thomas Edison is not famous for exploiting the use of the light bulb but rather he invented it.
Therefore, would it not be best to educate our children in the art of invention rather than exploitation? By protecting a child from fairy tales for fear of a false perception, one will only lead them into that same fear but by a different route. Thus an education in both disciplines is the only safe guard against this common and most probable fear. For to educate a child solely in the art of science, is like giving somebody half the pieces of a puzzle. And, in the same way it is dangerous to do so, because when that half of the puzzle is put together the person will have a false idea (however, not completely void of truth) of what the picture of the puzzle is supposed to represent. For example; beauty cannot be found wholly in scientific terms because there is an element to beauty which cannot be explained by its physical attributes. Just as the power of music, cannot be defined by the notes in a scale. Science certainly helps in revealing a part of beauty but it does not give the entire picture. In consequence, without the entire picture, it is much more probable one will twist and distort the truth.
However, this is not the only reason why fairy tales must be an important part of education but also because it is one of the most efficacious ways a child learns. As Chesterton said, “I knew the magic bean stalk before I had tasted beans; I was sure of the man in the moon before I was certain of the moon.” A child is more likely, and often does, retain a story much better than facts stated in a text book. They may not know it but they often hold to the truths conveyed in fairy tales as well. And this is the power of a fairy tale; that too often people don’t realize the moral truths or falsities of which they ignorantly adopt. Therefore, it is a powerful position to be the author of a fairy tale; one that ought not be taken lightly. Thus it is important, that as teachers and educators, we immerse children in good fairy tales, ones that are beautiful and true, that they may grow up having adopted virtuous morals. It would be a wicked act indeed, to write a story of a good man doing bad deeds and a bad man doing good deeds. The world would be a much better place if there were greater story tellers and inventors.
In addition, fairy tales are important if only for this reason; they do not confine a thing to what it is made of. In his book “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” C.S. Lewis portrays this aspect of fairy tales in his character Romandu. Romandu is a retired star slowly getting younger everyday that he might return, “And once more tread the great dance”. But Eustace, in his ignorance, explains to him that in his world stars are only big balls of gas. In response, Romandu explains that is not what a star is, but only what it is made of. Surely it is good to know what makes up the physical attributes of the world but to allow that to be the definition of what a thing is, can only lead to a complete disregard for all that is good and beautiful in the world.
Perhaps it would be best to return to the days of our childhood where all things were wonderful and new. Where science was important and yet not the tool with which all wisdom is found. Stars were amazing because we did not know who they were. And it was to this childish wonder that Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." If the main concern for not educating our young people in fairy tales is a false perception of reality then we ought to realize educating them solely in science will bring about the same fear.
Fairy Tales in Education
I.
Are fairy tales truly important? Do they have any influence on the human soul? Is it at all efficacious for the successful education of young people? The following essay attempts to answer these questions by considering several arguments for, and several arguments against, the importance of fairy tales in the education of young people. It appears that science is the leading tool of knowledge these days because it deals with facts. Would it not be better to educate our children with facts instead of fiction? There seems to be no danger in teaching a child facts however, there appears to be a danger in educating them in fiction. Science explains what a thing is made of, thereby making us capable of knowing what the thing “is”. Fairy tales on the other hand claim that science is only one way of gaining knowledge. And, that knowledge is incomplete without fairy tales. In fact, science could not stand on its own without the help of fairy tales. Yet fairy tales likewise would be incomplete without science. We have been taught to leave the realm of fairyland behind in our old childish dreams. Perhaps we ought to think differently and should never have left that realm, only incorporate into it other truths.
Science is independent of all imagination and metaphysical dealings. The crux of science is in dealing with the empirical evidence found in nature. Thus, understanding how our physical universe works. Removing the wonder of how a flower blooms and replacing it with the knowledge of how it does bloom, is the job of science. The word science comes from the Latin word Scientia, meaning knowledge. It does not delve into the realm of the imagination where all things appear probable; as in the mind of a child. Science is a realm for practical adults who deal with the laws and hard truths of nature. As Jean Rostand said, “Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men”. To remain in the realm of fairy tales is to lack growth and maturity in truth. Because science revolves around truth, it would be foolish of one to esteem fairy tales (which contain solely fiction) above the laws and physical workings of nature. If at the very least, fairy tales cultivate a child’s imagination giving him/her a false perception of reality and perhaps worse a prejudice against science. By no means can science explain the workings of all things at the present but the progress of science has been so incredible, it will only be a matter of time. What was once thought a miracle in the sky will soon be found to be a mere working of hydrogen and oxygen molecules in a certain pattern.
With these present and future tools of science, we will be able to more adequately educate our children. In science, we will fill the minds of our young people with truths, rather than ideas which are not cohesive with the actual world. Wouldn’t it be more advantageous to educate our kids with the facts of life rather than the imagination of some author? To expose and cultivate a fictitious mind set in our children would be to fail that generation; making them incapable to lead when their time comes. What people want are intelligent leaders, capable of making good decisions. Not leaders who daydream about fairies. One must ask themselves, “Where would our country be if our leaders only considered the impossibilities of fairy land as war tactics?” Our country would be lost to dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, if we did not use the tools of science and reason. To say that our children need to be immersed in fairy tales and educated in them is only a recipe of destruction for the future of the world.
II.
On the other hand, fairy tales are the very tools by which the incredible power of our imagination is awakened. Without the imagination, science cannot exist. New discoveries in science will cease to be made, thus, science will no longer flourish. Therefore fairy tales are an extremely important faculty in the education of young people.
III.
The notion that fairy tales are the exact opposite and completely separate from the realm of science, is very misleading because it is the very purpose of a fairy tale to stir the imagination of a child. George MacDonald once said, “It (a fairy tale) is there, not so much to convey a meaning but to awaken one.” Without the imagination, science could not exist. How did scientists come to know all of the laws and facts that we know today? It was through a process of observation. However, scientist did not know before-hand whether or not this form of observation would produce results. The process by which he hoped to observe cannot be explained through a certain law he was following but only by his imagination. Certainly it was his intellect that concluded the results but it was his imagination that produced the ability to find the results. Novalis said, “The imagination is the stuff of the intellect”, meaning that it is not the intellect which is the highest tool by which things are discovered. It is the imagination that searches out and the intellect that investigates. For example, the imagination could be thought of as the navigator and the intellect as its hireling. What the imagination discovers the intellect investigates; making the unknown discovery of the imagination known. The very heart of a scientific inventor is his imagination. To stunt the growth of a young child’s imagination is the same as abandoning any further great discoveries in science and leaving humanity hopelessly caught in a torpid circle of stagnation. This would ultimately amount to the fear that most people have concerning fairy tales; a false perception of reality.
However, what they fail to realize is that by limiting or completely ignoring the need for an imagination is to give just as false a reality, because exploiting previously discovered truths is not where a better understanding of reality is found. Certainly this is not to say that those discovered truths ought not to be searched out, but rather to say it is better to cultivate great discoverers than exploiters. Genius is not found in the exploitation of an idea but in the discovery of it. Plato was not a philosophical genius because he elaborated on philosophical truths (although that was part of it) but because he discovered those truths. Just as Thomas Edison is not famous for exploiting the use of the light bulb but rather he invented it.
Therefore, would it not be best to educate our children in the art of invention rather than exploitation? By protecting a child from fairy tales for fear of a false perception, one will only lead them into that same fear but by a different route. Thus an education in both disciplines is the only safe guard against this common and most probable fear. For to educate a child solely in the art of science, is like giving somebody half the pieces of a puzzle. And, in the same way it is dangerous to do so, because when that half of the puzzle is put together the person will have a false idea (however, not completely void of truth) of what the picture of the puzzle is supposed to represent. For example; beauty cannot be found wholly in scientific terms because there is an element to beauty which cannot be explained by its physical attributes. Just as the power of music, cannot be defined by the notes in a scale. Science certainly helps in revealing a part of beauty but it does not give the entire picture. In consequence, without the entire picture, it is much more probable one will twist and distort the truth.
However, this is not the only reason why fairy tales must be an important part of education but also because it is one of the most efficacious ways a child learns. As Chesterton said, “I knew the magic bean stalk before I had tasted beans; I was sure of the man in the moon before I was certain of the moon.” A child is more likely, and often does, retain a story much better than facts stated in a text book. They may not know it but they often hold to the truths conveyed in fairy tales as well. And this is the power of a fairy tale; that too often people don’t realize the moral truths or falsities of which they ignorantly adopt. Therefore, it is a powerful position to be the author of a fairy tale; one that ought not be taken lightly. Thus it is important, that as teachers and educators, we immerse children in good fairy tales, ones that are beautiful and true, that they may grow up having adopted virtuous morals. It would be a wicked act indeed, to write a story of a good man doing bad deeds and a bad man doing good deeds. The world would be a much better place if there were greater story tellers and inventors.
In addition, fairy tales are important if only for this reason; they do not confine a thing to what it is made of. In his book “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” C.S. Lewis portrays this aspect of fairy tales in his character Romandu. Romandu is a retired star slowly getting younger everyday that he might return, “And once more tread the great dance”. But Eustace, in his ignorance, explains to him that in his world stars are only big balls of gas. In response, Romandu explains that is not what a star is, but only what it is made of. Surely it is good to know what makes up the physical attributes of the world but to allow that to be the definition of what a thing is, can only lead to a complete disregard for all that is good and beautiful in the world.
Perhaps it would be best to return to the days of our childhood where all things were wonderful and new. Where science was important and yet not the tool with which all wisdom is found. Stars were amazing because we did not know who they were. And it was to this childish wonder that Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." If the main concern for not educating our young people in fairy tales is a false perception of reality then we ought to realize educating them solely in science will bring about the same fear.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
A new discovery!!
This may seem like old news to most of you....but I have just recently discovered that you can buy books on tape from itunes!! And not just by modern authors but also books by C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, T.S. Eliot, Christopher Paolini (I know he is a modern author but still....)and so many more!! The reason for my ecstacy is this: at work I am able to listen to music through my ipod the whole time I am there. Recently I have been listening to the Narnia series and have begun to feel very sad now that I am on the last book. However, my mourning was turned into dancing when I discovered itunes audiobooks!! Work now seems more inviting when I can take fairy land along with me as well as systematic theology! :~)
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Coming soon
I am in the midst of writing a rather large paper as part of my Torrey Honors application (hence the lack of posting). Slowly, I am beginning to finish it up and plan to post most of it up on my blog. The thesis of my paper is "On Fairy Tales and Their Importance." So stay tuned!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Two Perspectives of Christianity
Perspective #1:
What Christ and the scriptures say are true. All things are to be tested as true by comparing them with scripture. If anything contradicts scripture it is to be accounted as false. There is no negotiation, scripture is the truth by which all other truths are tested.
Perspective #2:
Christianity is true and yet the truth of it is what the "truth seeker" clings too. If on their quest for truth they find Christianity is false, it is to be accounted as false. However, while Christianity remains true to the truth seeker, he must use (what appear to be) outside philosophies as the testing of its truthfulness. These other philosophies will either sharpen or make dull one's belief in the truth of Christianity.
For as much as these two perspectives compliment each other, one cannot be both. Because perspective one insists on the truthfulness of Christianity and its validity concerning all things. Making the Bible the very source of our knowledge of truth; enabling us to decipher what is true and what is not.
On the other hand, you have a perspective which relies mostly on man's reason, however it can lead to faith. Just as Dante is led by Virgil up to Paradise. What this perspective is assuming is, truth is the thing worth searching for. If Christ is true, then we must pursue Him in order that we might discover truth. Part of discovering the truth however, is learning how to discover it.
This leads me to my question then; how do we discover truth? And can it be found in scripture?
What Christ and the scriptures say are true. All things are to be tested as true by comparing them with scripture. If anything contradicts scripture it is to be accounted as false. There is no negotiation, scripture is the truth by which all other truths are tested.
Perspective #2:
Christianity is true and yet the truth of it is what the "truth seeker" clings too. If on their quest for truth they find Christianity is false, it is to be accounted as false. However, while Christianity remains true to the truth seeker, he must use (what appear to be) outside philosophies as the testing of its truthfulness. These other philosophies will either sharpen or make dull one's belief in the truth of Christianity.
For as much as these two perspectives compliment each other, one cannot be both. Because perspective one insists on the truthfulness of Christianity and its validity concerning all things. Making the Bible the very source of our knowledge of truth; enabling us to decipher what is true and what is not.
On the other hand, you have a perspective which relies mostly on man's reason, however it can lead to faith. Just as Dante is led by Virgil up to Paradise. What this perspective is assuming is, truth is the thing worth searching for. If Christ is true, then we must pursue Him in order that we might discover truth. Part of discovering the truth however, is learning how to discover it.
This leads me to my question then; how do we discover truth? And can it be found in scripture?
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Angelus Silesius
"If even in Christ himself there were Selfwill at all,
Despite his Blessedness, believe me, he would fall."
Don't know quite what to make of that....
Despite his Blessedness, believe me, he would fall."
Don't know quite what to make of that....
Sunday, December 17, 2006
The Gift of Giving?
Is it really better to give than to receive? Seriously, I really enjoy being showered with gifts. I often venture to think that it is good for me to receive with a grateful or even ungrateful heart. What is the difference as long as I am still receiving and enjoying the newly acquired possession? Why am I told then, that giving is better than receiving? Is it because other people are being selfish and want me to shower them with gifts? Or do they know something I do not?
I have begun to see a certain theme running throughout all of philosophy and in Christ's parables. Plato talks about the goodness of virtue and how it ought to be followed for the sake of one's soul. Christ talks about the realm of the spirit and the goodness of His Father and the law He set forth. Which also ought to be followed for the sake of one's soul. Surely if as humans we want what is good for ourselves, then we will want to follow virtue and the law. Because ultimately not only would it be good for us but it would also bring about joy and gratitude. Both of which we find satisfying . However, we don't find any of those things to be what they are said to be. We think virtue is hard and if God is good then He would not condemn people to hell for breaking just one of His laws.
Perhaps, if these great men (one of them just so happens to be God!) exhort us to do these good things-things that we find difficult-then we must have a messed up view of what is good for us. Maybe giving is better than receiving because it satisfies a desire that we thought was manifested in a different form. What we thought would be good enough is not enough at all. Such as receiving to much or even the wrong thing could be damaging to our soul. (I realize that the argument "giving is always better than receiving" is pretty weak. Because it could work vice versa. Also it is not always bad to receive...such as receiving the gift of salvation.) Augustine conveys in his "Confessions", the same problem of not understanding what his desires are. When he was searching for God, he realized that what he thought was God, was not God at all. Making it nearly impossible to find the one true God instead of an empty fantasy.
"For what I thought of was not you at all; an empty fantasy and my own error were my god. If I tried to lodge my soul in that, hoping that it might rest there, it would slip through that insubstantial thing and fall back again on me, who had remained to myself an unhappy place where I could not live, but from which I could not escape." ~St. Augustine
It was after a severe destruction of Augustine's own pride and ego, that while his soul lay desolate before him, he found the raw desires of himself. Desires placed in us by God. And by seeking out those desires (as painful as it was) he came to the God he had longed for all of his life. It was then that he realized, "Our souls are restless until they find rest in You".
I have begun to see a certain theme running throughout all of philosophy and in Christ's parables. Plato talks about the goodness of virtue and how it ought to be followed for the sake of one's soul. Christ talks about the realm of the spirit and the goodness of His Father and the law He set forth. Which also ought to be followed for the sake of one's soul. Surely if as humans we want what is good for ourselves, then we will want to follow virtue and the law. Because ultimately not only would it be good for us but it would also bring about joy and gratitude. Both of which we find satisfying . However, we don't find any of those things to be what they are said to be. We think virtue is hard and if God is good then He would not condemn people to hell for breaking just one of His laws.
Perhaps, if these great men (one of them just so happens to be God!) exhort us to do these good things-things that we find difficult-then we must have a messed up view of what is good for us. Maybe giving is better than receiving because it satisfies a desire that we thought was manifested in a different form. What we thought would be good enough is not enough at all. Such as receiving to much or even the wrong thing could be damaging to our soul. (I realize that the argument "giving is always better than receiving" is pretty weak. Because it could work vice versa. Also it is not always bad to receive...such as receiving the gift of salvation.) Augustine conveys in his "Confessions", the same problem of not understanding what his desires are. When he was searching for God, he realized that what he thought was God, was not God at all. Making it nearly impossible to find the one true God instead of an empty fantasy.
"For what I thought of was not you at all; an empty fantasy and my own error were my god. If I tried to lodge my soul in that, hoping that it might rest there, it would slip through that insubstantial thing and fall back again on me, who had remained to myself an unhappy place where I could not live, but from which I could not escape." ~St. Augustine
It was after a severe destruction of Augustine's own pride and ego, that while his soul lay desolate before him, he found the raw desires of himself. Desires placed in us by God. And by seeking out those desires (as painful as it was) he came to the God he had longed for all of his life. It was then that he realized, "Our souls are restless until they find rest in You".
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Dr. Reynolds at it again!
Dr. Reynolds of the Torrey Honors Institute (THI) has been blogging a rebuttal against author Cornel West. Cornel West is a Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University. He is known for weaving the traditional Baptist church with transcendentalism and socialism (sounds like one big paradox to me...).
Anyway, Dr. Reynolds has just finished a five part series in defense of constantianism and the religious right. His last blog I found to be the most compelling. He talks about the need for education as a means to stand up for what is right. Unlike Cornel West, we need to not empower the young hip-hop artists of today but educate them. However, Dr. Reynolds points out, that a "conservative" retreat from education and listening to the many will pose the same problem. A problem that Mozart saw and displayed in his Opera, Don Giovanni. The problem being a failure to act.
Go check it out yourself and let me know what you think!
Anyway, Dr. Reynolds has just finished a five part series in defense of constantianism and the religious right. His last blog I found to be the most compelling. He talks about the need for education as a means to stand up for what is right. Unlike Cornel West, we need to not empower the young hip-hop artists of today but educate them. However, Dr. Reynolds points out, that a "conservative" retreat from education and listening to the many will pose the same problem. A problem that Mozart saw and displayed in his Opera, Don Giovanni. The problem being a failure to act.
Go check it out yourself and let me know what you think!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Spanish!
What a roller coaster this semester has been!! All for the sake of one measly little class!! However, a class not to be taken lightly. Yes this is my third semester of Spanish at the local J.C. and could possibly be the last Spanish class that I will ever have to take. Chances are I will voluntarily take the final class offered at the college. "You're crazy!" some might say! Especially for those who know me....they are probably wondering why in the heck I would wish to put myself through this again. The answer is simple (the understanding of it is a very different problem): I would love to become fluent in another language and although I do not necessarily care for the Spanish language, I can't imagine starting all over again. I would be re-missed however, if I did not admit that the language is growing on me, despite my utter frustration.
Learning another language is an experience not easily found anywhere else. Through it, I think I have learned more about my own language than of Spanish. Its fascinating to learn why we put words in certain orders, and how a minor slip could affect the entire sentence. Making it either unintelligible or say the exact opposite of what was intended. This is especially obvious when translating. Often Spanish does not follow the English rule regarding adjectives and nouns (but then again, neither does English at times!!). When one is translating a sentence, they have to reorganize all that they are reading and then try to make the translation sound like the original.
A group of friends and I are in the middle of reading through Dante's Purgatorio together. One of my friends has the original Italian text written next to the English translation. Because the Spanish and Italian language are very similar, we often try to read it in the Italian and compare it to the English. We have noted a couple of times where the English translation does not read quite the same as the Italian. Thereby giving us a different perspective of what Dante is trying to relay. It has occurred to me, through these readings, that there is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of a translator. Not only do they have to understand the other language, but they have to be careful that they do not misrepresent or inaccurately convey what the author is relaying. Not to mention that the work is extremely tedious and requires an enormous amount of patience.
However, what makes this art of language so amazing is it is a talent that everyone is born with. Everyone can speak at least one language. To learn a second or third language is skill that all people have the ability to do! By naturally speaking one language one already has the building blocks to learn another. Take it from me...you don't have to be a genius to learn. This is not to say learning another language is easy, but it is a joy that most people miss out on. The joy in expressing oneself more fully through articulation.
This Thursday I have my Spanish final which the professor so happily told us was going to be cumulative! That was just before he informed us that we were going to have another test a couple days before the final as well! Now as I frantically search for class notes, previous tests, and begin to feel the weight of the up coming final, I'll try to remember that I am doing this for the joy of expressing myself more accurately (no telling what that will sound like)!
Learning another language is an experience not easily found anywhere else. Through it, I think I have learned more about my own language than of Spanish. Its fascinating to learn why we put words in certain orders, and how a minor slip could affect the entire sentence. Making it either unintelligible or say the exact opposite of what was intended. This is especially obvious when translating. Often Spanish does not follow the English rule regarding adjectives and nouns (but then again, neither does English at times!!). When one is translating a sentence, they have to reorganize all that they are reading and then try to make the translation sound like the original.
A group of friends and I are in the middle of reading through Dante's Purgatorio together. One of my friends has the original Italian text written next to the English translation. Because the Spanish and Italian language are very similar, we often try to read it in the Italian and compare it to the English. We have noted a couple of times where the English translation does not read quite the same as the Italian. Thereby giving us a different perspective of what Dante is trying to relay. It has occurred to me, through these readings, that there is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of a translator. Not only do they have to understand the other language, but they have to be careful that they do not misrepresent or inaccurately convey what the author is relaying. Not to mention that the work is extremely tedious and requires an enormous amount of patience.
However, what makes this art of language so amazing is it is a talent that everyone is born with. Everyone can speak at least one language. To learn a second or third language is skill that all people have the ability to do! By naturally speaking one language one already has the building blocks to learn another. Take it from me...you don't have to be a genius to learn. This is not to say learning another language is easy, but it is a joy that most people miss out on. The joy in expressing oneself more fully through articulation.
This Thursday I have my Spanish final which the professor so happily told us was going to be cumulative! That was just before he informed us that we were going to have another test a couple days before the final as well! Now as I frantically search for class notes, previous tests, and begin to feel the weight of the up coming final, I'll try to remember that I am doing this for the joy of expressing myself more accurately (no telling what that will sound like)!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Dr. Kent Hovind
This is a sad story for any who new of Dr. Hovind. During my elementary years of schooling, I used to watch his videos as a part of my science curriculum and was a huge fan. As a kid, dinosaurs were extremely fascinating. Not to mention my mom enjoyed the videos because they were not only educating but a great way to occupy my brothers and I! :~) He has been convicted of tax fraud and found guilty for 58 various tax related laws. Currently he is being held by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office until his final sentencing. Apparently he could serve a max of 288 years in federal prison. His wife was also found convicted for not reporting to the bank certain payments. However, she is free pending on what the final sentencing outcome is.
All of the evolutionists are probably having a field day with this news. I can only hope the media will keep this on the down low...so far so good.
Personally I'm not sure how I feel about the sentencing. Especially when I hear stories about how a 19 year old kid faces a mere 10-14 years in prison for killing a 12 year old girl while driving drunk. His blood alcohol was .10, the legal limit being .08! Not to mention he isn't even legal to be drinking alcohol! When I compare this with the sentencing of Dr. Hovind, I can't help but feel a slight unfairness. Maybe I'm missing something.....
Anyway, check out the story and let me know what ya think!http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061103/NEWS01/611030338/1006
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