Christmas Thanks

This Christmas, I am thankful for so many things.
First of all, I'm thankful to get the chance to celebrate it with my fiancee.
I'm so glad that I was both able to receive a package from my family and call them.
I have new clothes, chex mix, cookies, candy, and beer.
I'm thankful for the time I've been able to spend with others this week, celebrating, eating, worshiping, playing, and eating.
Also, that my work situation has allowed me to visit Xi'an for an extended period of time.
Jesus came to dwell among us, to experience our lives, and ultimately, to save us, and I'm thankful for that.

Mmm Hmm

Beyond words, so many things must be translated between cultures: body language, table manner, and even non-verbal noises. When I first arrived in China I remember being surprised to people often saying "nigga" in the way English speakers say "um".

A couple of weeks ago I was in a bakery buying bread. The cashier told me how much my bill was, and I understood, so I said, "mmm hmm" like I have countless times in other countries. She repeated the total and I repeated my "mmm hmm." By the third repetition of this I realized that non verbal must not mean the same thing here! (If any of you know what it means in China, please comment.)

Can you think of other noises that must be translated?

Sunday Ten: December 11, 2011

I'm thankful to God for:

1. great people to celebrate Thanksgiving with
2. fun games to play (like Risk and Uno)
3. people to play them with
4. having been wished a "travel mood" on the train
5. November snow
6. good books to read (River Town and The Pillars of the Earth)
7. cookies baked by my fiancee
8. Christmas music and the legitimacy now to listen to it
9. a great party with my students
10. His provision in my life

Is Mitt Romney Presidential?

It hasn't been clear to me who among the those running for president best deserves my support, is most likely to win the general election, or would make the best president (three separate considerations).

This article by Robert Draper of The New York Times Magazine on Mitt Romney and his campaign, and Scott Johnson's commentary on it, provide some insight that leave me unsure about all three.

I have a new found appreciation for Romeny's strengths. First of all, he comes across as a very intelligent man. He is well read, writes his own books, and seems to know quite a bit. Also, he seeks out divergent viewpoints. Not only does this speak to his humility that he thinks he's not always right, but it also helps him to craft better solutions, based upon more options.

However, this is also a weakness of his. How will he know what decisions to make after being presented with these many viewpoints? Doug Gross, Romney's former Iowa chairman says that Romney's flexibility is a good thing that helps him make pragmatic choices, however, "I don’t know if he's got the gut instinct to make the right call at the right time."

Another weakness is in his willingness to say whatever the voters want to hear. His conversation on ethanol this article presents is one example. Perhaps this is his pragmatism coming through, but he seems to shift his positions on issues in order to get elected.

I also wonder if he is likely to campaign well enough to win the election. Draper brings up some good points about his campaign's weaknesses, such as the opportunity for his opponents to frame his personal narrative. Also, if he doesn't do very well is simple interviews because he's been shielded, how will he fare in future interviews and debates with President Obama?

It is not clear to me what makes a good president. Ultimately, I like the idea of someone who listens to those divergent views, but also has solid enough judgement to choose well. I like the idea of someone who professes positions on issues not based on getting elected, but rather because he believes them and they make sense.

At this point, I will continue looking at Romney and hope I like enough of what I see. I really want to like him.

Thanksgiving Ten

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful to God for:

1. my student who gave me yogurt for Thanksgiving (because she knew I like it)
2. a chance to go out with coworkers for Thanksgiving goose (I've had better Chinese food)
3. a Korean style spa and a friend to go with me
4. a chance to celebrate my fiance's birthday
5. time with her parents in town
6. bubbles to blow for little kids (I felt like a street performer!)
7. good Indian food
8. a lovely date at an excellent Western restaurant
9. having my plane tickets for Spring Festival
10. His continued guidance for my life

Sunday Ten: November 13, 2011

This week I am so thankful to my Lord for:

1. a clean apartment
2. my discovery of my bedroom's air-conditioner's heating feature
3. students who help me understand how to read my air-conditioner/heater's remote
4. playing hearts on my iPod
5. new friends in my city
6. great weather which yielded
7. great ultimate frisbee in
8. a beautiful park with many wonderful kites (many flying just like birds)
9. opportunities to sing His praises
10. having dwelt among us

The Canary in the Mineshaft

I recently began reading Timothy Dalrymple's blog, and I find it full of insight. His post on abortion is challenging, and even difficult to bear (especially the photos he links to). But, from time to time it's good to go back to basics on this issue and start from the beginning, as he has done.

Early November Ten

This week I've been thankful for

1. a new iPod to replace my very old and failing one
2. Henan teddy grahams
3. the Ricochet podcast which I just discovered
4. a mirror in my apartment (I'd gone two months without one)
5. great students to get to know
6. great hospitality
7. The Village coffee shop in Xi'an
8. the Xi'an Metro which is so much cheaper than taking a cab
9. a great 5k around the Xi'an Wall with my fiance (I got to run even though my registration had fallen through)
10. two good months of life here in China

October 31, 2011 Ten

This week I am so thankful to my God for

1. not being subjected to the commercialization that comes with Halloween
2. great students to get to know
3. getting to know my coworkers better
4. pay day
5. my new warm sweat pants from Decathlon
6. Castle
7. the employee at the train station who refunded my ticket after I missed my train
8. a fun engagement party with great food thanks to a friend
9. the joy of friends getting engaged
10. one month of engagement to my fiance

Sunday Ten October 23, 2011

I'm thankful to my God for:

1. repair workers who Spackled holes in my walls
2. getting teaching materials and then being reimbursed for them
3. now having a white board in my classroom (I'd had nothing to write on)
4. an academic calendar to know when the semester ends (just got it)
5. The Beekeeper's Apprentice
6. Uncommon Knowledge
7. the import section of Dennis (with chocolate from Germany!)
8. my brother's soccer team's success
9. being given a drawing of Winnie the Pooh by my new seven-year-old friend
10. meeting new people here

"Prayer does not equip us for greater works—prayer is the greater work."

I've recently been using Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest for my daily devotions and am continually drawn into his provoking reflections.

His devotion from October 17th says that prayer itself is the greater work, not a means to something else. We are to labor for God, and this is done through prayer.

It is easy for us to misunderstand prayer. But it is labor, not something we always enjoy, so "we refuse to pray unless it thrills or excites us, which is the most intense form of spiritual selfishness." Of course we can enjoy prayer, but whether we enjoy it or not, it is something we must do.

And prayer is not just a vehicle to other ends (perhaps things we want); prayer itself should be our focus. And "when you labor at prayer, from God’s perspective there are always results" because "prayer is the working of the miracle of redemption in me, which produces the miracle of redemption in others, through the power of God."

What does it mean to labor for God? Does it mean praying for people's hearts? Is it the labor of keeping a relationship with Him? Is that what Chambers means by a "miracle of redemption" in ourselves and others?

Celebrity within the Church

I really appreciate the depth Dalrymple goes into as he writes about celebrity and how it could be affecting the Church. A couple excerpts:

What is the temptation that corresponds to Christian celebrity? Spiritual pride. The temptation to believe that you’re so attuned to God, so much in line with God’s vision and purpose and work in the world, that your word is gospel and your heart is pure and you’ve no need for accountability or rebuke or correction.

and

When I ... see towering images of Christian celebrities in thoughtful, spiritually serious poses, promoting their books or endorsing a new Bible translations, I think we have cause for concern.

This companion piece on the difference between admiration and imitation is also thought provoking. Let us all seek to imitate rather than admire.

Spackle

When typing the word "spackle", the spell checker corrected it to "Spackle". After looking it up in the dictionary, I discovered that it would be capitalized because it's a brand name, like Kleenex or Xerox.

This begs the question, how would one talk about "Spackling" without using a brand name? What do other makers of Spackle call their products?

Wikipedia actually has a very interesting article on genericide (what an evocative term!). Especially interesting is that while every company wants its brand names to be well known to the public, if they become the generic terms for that product (e.g. Aspirin, Zipper), then the company can lose control of the brand and trademark.

In everyday language, is it important to avoid trademarks such as Kleenex, Xerox, and "Google-ing"? Does one have a responsibility to not show preference toward any one corporation? When teaching English learners, how should one approach language regarding tissues/Kleenex?

Almost forgot: Sunday Ten

This week, I am thankful to my God for:

1. a boss who lets me into my apartment when I lock myself out
2. an HDMI cable to hook my laptop up to my tv
3. great weather for running
4. yummy cookies made by my fiance
5. helpful people to give me advice about tutoring in China
6. what my students write to me and the opportunity to get to know them
7. good friends to keep in touch with
8. my prayer journal
9. other people to worship with
10. the lessons He is teaching me about my pride

Harding for President?

I've forgotten most of what I ever knew about Warren Harding. It is interesting to see the kinds of problems the country faced when he became president and what he did about them. Definite parallels to today. Great reading here and here. These articles make him sound like a great leader, yet he is often regarded as one of the worst presidents. How bad was the corruption in his administration?

I have it so good (Sunday Ten)

There is so much to be thankful for this week:

1. wonderful friends to host us in sunny Xiamen
2. a bookstore with books in English
3. great bumper cars (which you can steer a full 360 degrees!)
4. excellent restaurants in Xiamen
5. the opportunity to gain a sunburn at the biggest Starbucks in China
6. an internet connection that works more than often enough
7. adequate time to prepare for my classes
8. St. Olaf Choir albums on my computer
9. God's desire to be relational to us in addition to His greatness
10. that my identity comes from Him

It's so easy to get grumpy when I don't get what I want or expect. And I've been spoiled in other periods of my life. But my situation is so good that complaining would be ridiculous.

The ethics of advertisement

For some time now, I've been a user of an add-on to my internet browser that blocks most internet advertisements, leading to a significantly more pleasant browsing experience, even blocking advertisements in videos from sites such as Hulu.

For most websites, their only source of revenue comes from their advertisements. They provide a service, and get paid for it from advertisers. If someone uses these websites and doesn't "pay" them by viewing the advertisements, is he stealing from them?

My question is: to what extent is it ethical to use ad blocking software?

Thursday's Sunday Ten

I was in beautiful Xiamen on Sunday, so last Sunday's Sunday Ten is coming out now.
I thank my God for:

1. affordable plane tickets
2. my first payday here
3. meeting more people who work at my school
4. discovering a nearby vegetable shop
5. figuring out how to order at a nearby restaurant
6. ways to communicate with people all over the world
7. a good first week of lessons
8. Pizza Hut's fine dining experience
9. a beautiful ring
10. a beautiful woman to wear it
    

Sunday Ten time

Can you believe I've been in China for almost a month? So many things to be thankful for this week.
Thank you God for

1. Cafe Alayna and the persons who run it
2. a place to go running (school's dirt track)
3. my new running shoes
4. the new counter and shelves in my kitchen
5. a class of only seven students
6. further information about my job
7. the new Xi'an Metro line (not that Metro, though it's good too)
8. photos from my girlfriend and father to decorate my apartment with
9. my dog back home for providing poop stories that are hilarious from afar
10. My Utmost for His Highest

How can I keep from singing?

I was listening to the St. Olaf Choir singing two arrangements of this hymn. These lines especially stood out to me:

No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I'm clinging.
Since love commands both heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?

The full text:

My life flows on in endless song:
     Above earth's lamentation,
I catch the sweet, tho' far-off hymn
     That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
     I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul--
     How can I keep from singing?
What tho' my joys and comfort die?
     The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho' the darkness gather round?
     Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
     While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
     How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
     I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
     Since first I learned to love it.
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
     A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his--
     How can I keep from singing?

Computer Technician

While I was out with a friend for lunch yesterday, I got a call from my school asking where I was and why I wasn't home because the computer technician needed to look at my (their) computer and they couldn't get their keys to work in my door. This was the first I had heard about it. I was told that the technician had come from far away and that this was important, so I got home from lunch sooner than I would have. When the technician came, he seemed younger than I. He went to my office, took out a sheet of paper, and wrote down the serial numbers of my computer, printer and air conditioner and left.

Sunday Ten, belated

Well, it looks like I'm already behind on my new tradition. Here's my Sunday Ten, written on Tuesday:
I'm thankful for

1. new friends
2. cheap buses (1 RMB)
3. the apple seller who talked on my phone and gave my friend directions
4. blue skies
5. good novels
6. interesting blogs to read
7. easy, yet tasty, stir frys
8. technology to communicate with the important people in my life
9. Rosetta Stone
10. the humor God gives me in my daily life here

Both the seen and the unseen

Althouse writes a great series of posts on how we as humans often deal with what is seen, but neglect what is unseen.

• Things seen and unseen
• How Dan Quayle got into law school
• Rick Perry's admirable eschewal of anecdotal argument of the HPV vaccine
• "We've got better vision. We've got better ideas. We've got real plans. And we've got better hair."

Sunday Ten

I'm gonna try and start a new tradition as part of my sabbath and each week post ten things that I am thankful to God for. (Thanks for the inspiration, here and here.)

1. my brother (Happy Birthday!)
2. a working washing machine
3. getting a microwave (new) as a surprise on Teacher's Day
4. a good internet connection
5. a nearby Century Mart and McDonald's (American fast food is suddenly more desirable!)
6. time to transition before I begin teaching
7. high speed rail to Xi'an
8. wonderful people to spend last week with
9. a loving girlfriend
10. His daily grace

"Ourewällisch" mit US-Akzent

Last post to the Guest Teachers' blog on Virginia's wonderful speech and my farewell.

last post on the MLSGT blog

here

Texan German

post about Texan German

Megatron, come!

Wouldn't 'Megatron' be a fun name for a dog? Think of the power in saying, "Megatron, come!" "Megatron, sit!"

Don't use a racist dog

Another reason why Althouse is so funny.

Sobering view on politics vs. reality

I've always been impressed by Thomas Sowell's writings. Here he writes about the divergence of politics from reality and how so many people today focus on what the voters believe, rather than what is the best course of action.

Warren Buffet's ingenious solution to the debt crises is revealing. How do you motivate Congress? By threatening their chances for re-election. This just proves how easy it is for them to get wrapped up in pleasing the voters (who don't always know what is best) rather than finding solutions.

Therefore I wonder if the 17th Amendment, requiring Senators to be elected directly, was a bad idea. The whole idea of the Senate was to have a second chamber of Congress to balance the other. Currently there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two, other than term length. Were the Senate to be elected by state legislatures, it would create a different body to balance the House of Representatives, much less reliant on popular opinion and getting re-elected.

The whole system of government of the United States of America is built upon checks and balances, and the 17th Amendment removed one of those balances.

I don't wish to sound as if "the people" are wholly unreliable and shouldn't be allowed to govern themselves. Indeed, were the circumstances different, I would be championing the importance that the House of Representatives be elected directly. However, we have gone too far in that direction and must again seek a balance.

Celebrating Independence Day

Dennis Prager writes an excellent piece about a new tradition of a Fourth of July Seder.

Too often we have holidays without acknowledging their meaning. We take a day off for Martin Luther King's birthday, but do we ever sit down and think about who he was and what he did? When Columbus Day comes around, most people similarly do nothing (we should be learning our history on this day). What about President's Day? I think we should find ways of using these holidays for more than just time off.

We should reflect on why it is a holiday and why it is important and what sets the United States of America apart from other nations.

Happy Fourth, from Germany.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

It's interesting to think about how construed our notion of time really is. It is artificial and humanity did not always live like this.

And shouldn't noon be different in Chicago than Minneapolis? But they're the same. Certainly it would be complicated if each city was in a different time zone. China's pretty big and it's only in one time zone. Nor does it practice daylight savings time. What would the U.S. be like if we had one time zone and no DST? Would we then have different schedules in different parts of the year? Would schools in New York begin at 6:30 while schools in California begin at  9:30?

I think we need to have days where we don't worry about what time it is, though that is really hard to do in today's world.

CIA's Facebook Program

This proves that The Onion is good at what they do.

AmE and BrE blog

I've encountered a lot of British English here in Germany, including among my students, and I am sometimes not sure whether something is correct due to my lack of familiarity with BrE. I am excited to read this blog and learn more about it!

"How to avoid getting hit by a train"

Really well done.
If Althouse posts it, it must be interesting.

The Annals of Teaching English

What makes my job fun.

Verabschiedung und Geschichte

Farewell to the MLS.

The importance of punctuation and word order

Writers take note: great is the power of a well placed semi-colon.

The graduation speech I needed to hear

Why couldn't I have heard this when I graduated from high school?

Sacramento?

Learning about California in class.

Private grades?

Check out my latest post on whether a student's grades should be private:

http://mlsgt.blogspot.com/2011/05/private-grades.html

What are we sick of?

A column in the New York Post

A medical degree is supposed to ensure everyone that those who hold it are trustworthy of its rights and responsibilities. These people have weakened that notion.

Spring of Cynicism

Why is it that politicians have a stereotype as being dishonest?

Check out this report on Robert Gibbs answering the press' questions on the administration's comfort with the Muslim Brotherhood's potential power in Egypt.

What I notice is the way Gibbs refuses to answer the questions and tries to answer a different question instead.  He doesn't come out and say he won't answer the question; he pretends he is answering the question while knowing he is not.  Does that mean he's trying to fool us?  Does that amount to dishonesty?  It's like you ask me if I'm comfortable with the Packers winning the Super Bowl and my answer is that I'm not the one who picks the winner.  I'm not exactly lovingly serving you, am I?

I admit that there is a very real issue about not saying anything that could potentially hurt the United States diplomatically in the future.  That is certainly an important consideration, and for all I know, the administration has discomfort with the Muslim Brotherhood, but doesn't want to harm possible future relations should that group rise to power.

However, I mean to pick on Gibbs, and these question and answer games happen all the time in politics.  Am I wrong to think there is virtue in acknowledging a question for what it is and either answering it or not?  I would not be bothered if Gibbs had said he won't answer the question.

But politicians rarely care about honesty.  You have to worry about polling, so you have to dishonestly rename things to make them sound less threatening.  You attach unrelated amendments into bills in order to get them passed.  You gerrymander.  You hoard as money for your district as you can.

Wouldn't it be a breath of fresh air if someone refused to do these things?

February Update from Guest Teacher blog

Here are some of my recent posts on the Guest Teacher blog.

http://mlsgt.blogspot.com/2011/02/trip-to-nuremberg.html
http://mlsgt.blogspot.com/2011/01/celebrating-holidays.html
http://mlsgt.blogspot.com/2011/01/center-stage-performances.html