Have you ever noticed that sometimes the only way to make a decision in life is to first decide what you DON'T want to do?
That's really how I decided to be a Russian major...I took a bunch of classes in almost every department and discovered that:
No way in Hell would I become an:
Economist
I really really really don't want to be a:
Historian
English major
Mathematician
It wouldn't kill me to be a:
Geologist
Computer Programmer
German major
Some days I might even like being a(n):
Anthropologist
Religion major
I love:
Russian
So really the choice was easy. There was only 1 subject that I liked, so I made it my major and skipped any of that minor business. Now I just have to figure out what I'd like to (note: what I can get paid to) do with a Russian major. My biggest plan was to try to join the foreign service, but now I'm taking a class called "The Art of Diplomacy" that is starting to make me second-guess that plan. I like the class alright, and the teacher is really cool.....I just don't know that I'd be any good at diplomacy or if I would even like it. I'm also *be prepared to be shocked* thinking that it might not be so bad to be a teacher. The most fun would be to teach English abroad (what with me being a native speaker and all). However, for those times that I want to live in the US I could be a Russian teacher. The pluses with this plan are that you have a lot more freedom than you would have strictly working for the government (for example: you can have your own opinions about what the US is up to). Also, everyone wants to learn English..you could get a job pretty much everywhere. However, I don't think I'd be satisfied being just a regular ol' teacher either. It's the only child thing where I have this unending desire to be unique in everything that I do. If anyone out there has any connections to the Russian world with fun job opportunities, let me know..I always take suggestions. I would even settle for Ukraine or Belarus. Or the Czech Republic or Slovakia or Switzerland or anywhere really.
Saturday morning at 10 am I have a phone interview in Russian for the Fulbright ETA. I hate phones in English, but phone+interview+Russian = panic. Hopefully it won't be too bad though. I think the point is just to make sure that I can communicate in Russian in some form or another. Sunday I'm supposed to find out if I make it to round 2 of the application process. I will find out for sure if I did NOT get the assistantship, but I'll have to wait another month or 2 to know if I did. It could go either way really. Wish me luck on the interview!
I haven't been speaking Russian very much, but I've been reading and writing it a TON lately. A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across this website (interpals.net) where you can get international pen pals. I've tried these things before in my ongoing quest to master the Russian language, but most of them haven't been very efficient. This one, however, works. Maybe too well? I've been spending at least 2 hours every day responding to messages (in Russian). If nothing else it's helping my typing speed.
Apparently my biggest problem in Russian is comma placement....that and the fact that I stay up too late at night responding in Russian and make stupid grammatical mistakes.
The first 2 weeks of school have been alright. Nothing really to write about. I'm ready to graduate.
Friday is my birthday, and the suite mates and I are going to have a collective birthday party in Chattanooga at a musical theater (food and perhaps birthday embarrassment included). I'm not sure that I'll have a separate party for myself, I'm really quite lazy when it comes to planning these things.
We had a tornado nearby last week...disproving the myth that tornadoes can't climb mountains. It also instilled in me great confidence in our warning system....since my suitemates and I sat placidly throughout the storm in our common room complaining about how the internet was being sketchy, completely ignorant of the fact that there was a tornado. However, our dorm is pretty much a fortress....the walls are so thick that I don't get cell service.
We're playing Star Wars in orchestra. The 2nd piece in 4 years that I've actually thought was fun (the first being from either freshman or sophomore year -- Night on Bald Mountain, which has an awesome french horn part). Dumb violins...90% of the time they get all the cool parts.
As usual, I need to do laundry. I also need to go to Wal-mart and get printer cartridges, toothpaste, and snacks. And do my homework.
On Saturday we all watched the movie Up, and my suite mates have been quoting it for days...
SQUIRREL!!!
2 comments:
AHH! Good luck with your interview!! I know you'll be great, have confidence in yourself and your speaking ability and you'll be just fine. :)
I like your "process of elimination" description of how you became a Russian major... definitely reminds me of our conversations freshman and sophomore years of college.
I think you would be a fascinating (and very amusing) teacher to learn English from... I could see that. I like the fact you're keeping your options open with regards to diplomacy and teaching; sometimes the prospects you least expect are the ones you end up enjoying the most! It certainly never hurts to try - and you'll never know unless you do.
Annyyywaaays... I just texted you and facebooked you "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" messages - although I'm not 100% sure it's midnight in Tennessee yet. If not I'll be sadly mistaken... haha. We surely need to catch up soon... Right when my week of application/school madness has finished :D
Happy birthday and hope you have fun in Chattanooga!
Haha, well, curiously the interview has been moved to next week due to some scheduling conflicts. This is curious because I'm supposed to find out Sunday if I've made it to step 2 of the application process. I suppose it's a good sign?
:) I'll have to go check my phone now!
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