Happy New (Academic) Year!

Top 10 things that make me grumpy at back-to-school time:

1. The town and university have an uncanny knack for starting construction approximately 3 weeks before the town quadruples in size.

2. The impending doom of listening to lame excuses.  Do students think I'm that naive? Do they believe themselves? Tip: Before you give me an excuse, try it out on your roommates/siblings/dog.  If any of them burst out laughing, don't try it with me.

3. Most of the drivers on the road have had their license for 5 years or less, turning the town into, more or less, a student-driving closed course.

4. To quote a colleague, "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

5. Weighing the cost/benefit of going to a bar that is fun and plays good music, yet is crowded by sweaty, wasted college students who scream your name from across the bar. Yes, I can hear you and yes, I am ignoring you.

6. Gross public bathrooms. On campus, in restaurants, and especially in bars.  Seriously - who potty trained you? And how long ago?

7. I am your advisor, not your mother.  I will not do your work, look things up or make phone calls on your behalf...and neither should you mother, by the way.

8. Pedestrian traffic jams.

9. This. question. "So, do you work in the summer?"

10. Bouncers that give you a hard time even though you're (technically) old enough to be their mother. Yes, that is my real ID. You should not question it for the mere reason that no one under 21 would really have the cajones to use a fake ID that says that they're 37.

So. Not. Ready. For. This.

Top 10 things that make me happy at back to school time! :)


1. Liveliness!! Nothing beats the energy of students coming back from summer break. This is the only time they're excited about doing work.

2. On campus eateries are actually open, which pretty much triples the number of places to eat in the 'burg.

3. More people to talk to. Followed up closely by...

4. More people that listen to, and with any luck, care about what I say.

5. A new TA to harass! Teaching assistant, personal assistant...same difference, right?

6. The return of college sports and rivalries...and tailgating. :)

7. Seeing what kind of fun new outfits and hair styles the students are trying to pull off this year.

8. Being thankful that I don't have to study or do homework on Sundays anymore.

9. Music, frisbee and sports on the Drillfield.

10. VISITORS!!

Heeerree we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Swiss Miss

2 blogs at once! Craziness!

I'll be making my first trips to Switzerland and Italy and I am excited, but as it is a "work trip" and not a vacation, I am on someone else's schedule.  If you know me, you know how difficult it is for me to give up the reins so this is a major accomplishment for me.  Nevertheless, I am looking forward to playing tourist and checking out some historical structures and just seeing some new countries. 

I hope to get a chance to blog while I'm abroad but if not, don't miss me too much! :)  In the meantime, here is my wish list for things to happen in the U.S. while I'm not here:

• For no natural disasters or major domestic crises. (Gotta start with the serious one.)
• For Marlon and Eli to not (a) injure themselves or (b) cause too much trouble at Flying Fur! - the dog spa
• For "King James" to lose in the NBA Finals.  (Oops! Already got that one.)
• For UVA to win the College World Series!!
• For that cute girl with the short pixie haircut and round face and that dude named Wadi to NOT be eliminated on So You Think You Can Dance.  I want to see them when I get back!
  
• For Christina Aguilera to pull herself together, for goodness sake (hair brush, properly fitting clothing, easy on the spray tan.  It's not hard.) and...
• For Britney Spears to not get injured or go crazy so I can see her, as scheduled, in July!

Well, that's all I've got for tonight.  Ciao!

The villa in Riva San Vitale where we'll be!

My father's daughter

On April 26, 2009 a goofy, smart, driven, stubborn and charismatic man left this earth too soon: my dad.  Below are some excerpts from the eulogy that I gave at his U.S. memorial service. He'd probably love the attention of being featured on my blog and he would probably say that I should have included the whole eulogy, but I think what's included below will give everyone a great idea of what I miss most about him. As always, thanks for reading. :)

He was a huge ham who loved the camera, a trait I have apparently inherited.  His huge smile, crazy laugh and mugging for the camera…ANY camera…are some of the top memories that I hear about again and again.  When my husband sees me jump in front of the camera and give a cheesy smile or do one of my silly impressions he just shakes his head and notes, “You’re more like your dad than you think you are.” 

Big smiles throughout the years

He loved singing and dancing – The skits and line dances at filipino parties, the family recordings in the late 70’s, the multiple karaoke sessions...  To think of my dad is to remember his huge love for a good tune that he could dance or sing to…or better yet, both!  I have no doubt of where my love of show choir, karaoke bars, and dance clubs comes from.

He was detail oriented and knew how to backup an argument.  When I was accepted for admissions to Duke as a high school senior, I wanted nothing more than to go there, no matter what the cost.  Like most teenage girls, I didn’t really have a concept of how expensive it really would be, nor did I really have a concept of how much money my parents did or did not have.  My dad knew this, so before he let me make a decision, he illustrated what the cost of Duke would REALLY be.   

He did this by sitting me down on the couch and pulling out an easel and a flip chart and giving me a 20-minute presentation with graphs, statistics, and comparisons to show just how expensive Duke would be for them.  But being the strong-headed teenager I was, I didn’t budge.   

Exasperated, he said that if I went to Tech or UVA, they would buy me a new car.   

I still chose Duke.  And as my sister likes to point out, I still got a car. :)

He loved to teach.  In my freshman year, I was not doing too well in physics.  My dad wanted me to succeed, of course, and wanted to help me the best way he knew how.  One day, I went to my campus mailbox and pulled out a large letter-sized package from home.  I excitedly tore into it thinking it looked like something fun, but instead I pulled out 4 sheets of graph paper with 6 hand-written physics problems that my dad had made up.  Included were instructions for me to do the problems and mail them back to him for him to grade.  And he wasn’t kidding.  

Graduation day from Duke!

He LOVED to watch sports and especially NCAA Basketball.  I think this is why he was secretly happy that I chose to go to Duke.  When I was little, we would stay up late together to watch UVA basketball (in what would come to be the heyday of UVA basketball).  He would also never miss a chance to watch his alma mater Louisville.  Even when he was in the Philippines in the spring, he’d always manage to stay on top of March Madness and taunt me when his Cardinals went farther than my Blue Devils in the tournament.

Dad and I at the Thinker statue in Louisville, 44 years apart!

He was persistent and stubborn.  While this may seem like a negative, it was truly one of his best traits.  His persistence got him from his humble working-class beginnings in the Philippines to a scholarship to graduate school in Thailand where he met my mom.  So smitten was he the instant that he met her, that he pursued her tirelessly.  My mom says she tried to avoid and ignore him but he “wore her down.”  When my sister and I would ask how he proposed she would say, “I don’t know, he asked me to marry him SO many times!” His persistence paid off again when she finally said yes, married him, and moved to the US with him in 1966.   

They didn’t have much, but they had love and determination.  Dad always had a single-minded goal to be successful and make his mark on the world, and that he clearly has.

Mom & Dad when he was just a thorn in her side. :)

Dad & Mom in front of Burruss Hall in 1976 - his 3rd MS degree!
32 years later, ProMo and I starting working right next door.

After 3 master's and a PhD, Dad finally fulfilled his dream to teach.
Photo taken at De La Salle University commencement (Manila, Philippines), where he was a professor.

Some family pictures:

First family photo.  Yes, I am a potato.

Outside of Patton Hall for sister's graduation reception!

Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in NYC, 2001

40th Anniversary Celebration

The last family photo, Christmas 2008

While I may not have seen eye to eye with him on all his decisions, I can say without a doubt that he made every decision out of love.   He wanted nothing more than to see his family and loved ones succeed in life and love.  I can only hope I did him proud during his time on earth, and that I will continue to do him proud as I continue on my own journey.

 

We miss and love you, DAD!!

Spring Fever

Spring is here! And with it, I have a LOT of observations that have been dying for a blog post.

Where to begin?  Well let's start with a little positivity...

March Madness!

I love love love NCAA tournament time!  Even though I cheer for a team that everyone loves to hate (Go Duke!), I really do cheer for the underdog in every other game! :)  There is something that has always made me happy about watching the tournament and college basketball in general. I guess it's the heart and passion of the players, which is something that I think is lacking in the NBA.  Each game is relatively short and sweet and it doesn't matter if you love, hate or are indifferent to the teams who are playing.  An exciting game is an exciting game no matter what!

You can't beat the Crazies!!

Now, when I haven't been watching basketball, I've been observing the people around me.  What does this include? How about...

Wardrobe Choices - female edition
Well, you don't need to be in a college town to know that when the weather gets warmer, the clothes get smaller.  And ladies, I get it.  Especially here in "Bleaksburg" where we are all just DYING to shed the sweaters, boots, parkas, mittens, etc.  I love a good sundress just as much as the next girl.  But I urge you all to please please look in a mirror before leaving the apartment. Oh, and turn on the lights.  Transparency is an issue.

Ack! Fashion don't!!!
I almost killed Ravs for taking this but I appreciate its comedic value now!

And here's why you should care. You are dealing with a campus of approximately 15,000 males between the approximate ages of 18-22.

Let that sink in for a hot sec.

Whether they want to look or not, they will. They can't help it.  And sometimes, even though you think you want that attention, you don't. Trust.

Wardrobe choices - male edition

Fellas, I know you are just as desperate as the ladies to bid adieu to winter, but the belief that a sunny 50 degrees = shorts and t-shirt weather is sadly misguided. I know you can get away with more than the ladies in terms of fashion ignorance, but try not to take advantage of that too much.

Speaking of male appearances, this may be a good opportunity to talk about the male student haircut.  As far as I can tell, it falls under two categories: buzz cut (or the "#3 all over" as my hair stylist calls it) or the shaggy "I haven't been home for months and I can't possibly bring myself to go for a haircut here" look.  Personally, I happen to be slightly partial to this second look, but sometimes boys take it a little too far.

[This would be a great time to insert pics of some of my students, but to do so would probably blur the boundaries of legality.  And since I teach a class in Professional & Legal Issues, that would be inappropriate. But come visit me in the 'burg and see for yourself!]
 
All that said, I can't help but find the whole overall lack of concern endearing.  Why not? You're only in college once.

Young love - oh the drama!

With spring fever comes a time for love...or something like it.  For example, take this conversation that I overheard in a girls' bathroom downtown:

Girl #1: So if I text him, "Hey, come meet me downtown," am I being too subtle?
Girl #2: Yes, DEFINITELY.  If you want him, you should text "I want to _____ your _____" [...and she actually said, "blank your blank"]

...[That's the sound of me acting invisible while they continue this conversation which quickly goes in a direction I most certainly do not want to go with them.]

Ah, youth.  Going downtown is always a study in the collegiate mating rituals, but something EXTRA comes over them in the spring.  The natives get restless. I've seen a number of teary arguments and a couple of actual fights, all in the name of love. Or lust. Or whatever.

OK - one more...

The post-Spring Break letdown

It's almost as if Mother Nature knows that she's teasing students as they return from their break in Florida or the Caribbean.  While our weather here in the 'burg was actually quite pleasant and in the 60's while they were gone, students were hit with a slug of wind, rain and cold upon their return from their tropical locales.  And if the weather wasn't enough, they were bombarded with projects, papers and exams (I'm guilty of contributing to this) when they got back.  This is one of the things I decidedly do NOT miss about college!

But they (and I) just need to be patient because the consistently beautiful weather is just around the corner.  And as much as I complain, Blacksburg really IS beautiful in the spring! :)  And while the below photo is NOT from the 'burg, it is from my recent trip to Asheville with my sis and I figured Asheville is a pretty mountain town so it's close enough, right?  Happy Spring!

Brawlin'

OK, so I love sports.  Specifically football and basketball, but really, I'll have SportCenter as my "white noise" as easily as I'll have E! News or the Sirius "90's on 9" channel.

Anyway, ProMo and I were at our Thursday night happy hour enjoying our beer, wing tidbits and pizza, and watching sports on approximately 10 different televisions.  One of the big stories of the day that we kept seeing on the Highlights was the fight between the goalies for the Pittsburgh Penguins and whoever they were playing.  [Since I don't follow hockey, I don't know what their names are nor who the opponent was, but that's fairly irrelevant.]

Let me set the scene for you: there's a standard hockey fight going on.  It starts with a couple of guys then maybe a couple more get in on it.  Refs are hanging out, doing whatever it is that hockey refs do when a fight is started...which is pretty much stand there and watch the fight happen and wait for it to run its course.  Then, the Penguins' goalie somewhat casually skates over the the other goalie.  Ref tries to stop him, Penguins' goalie pushes ref out of the way, brawl ensues.  Apparently, goalie fights are so rare that ESPN felt the need to put together a video montage of the best goalie fights of all time. Fine.

My question is, why is it not only OK but really, EXPECTED, that there will be a fight in hockey but it is so completely unacceptable in every other sport (except those based in fighting like boxing, of course).  Football and basketball players who get in fights get fined, suspended, or both.  What do they get in hockey?  A 10 minute penalty? Seriously?

I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong, but where did that disparity come in and why?