<p>We do not have set times to call each other, which is probably good, altho we do text all the time. At one point during midterms she yelled because I was texting “when she was busy working”. Told her I didn’t have a crystal ball and had no idea what she was doing, she had to tell me. So now if she says TTYL at the end of a text, I know now is not a good time to chat. I would never call her unless it was an absolutely neccessity because I never know where she is.</p>
<p>And since there is only me, my H and my mom, we are going out to dinner for Thanksgiving. Works for me, then I don’t HAVE to eat turkey - I’d much rather have ham!!</p>
<p>FAMMoM, having just returned from a week in Barcelona, I have to agree that the Spanish ham was fabulous (there were several sorts, too). They served it at breakfast every morning. The Spaniards tried to tell us that it was like prosciutto, but it was quite distinct, much smokier, to my mind anyway. Anyhow, it was very yummy, probably one of my favorite new eats that I tried while on my travels. The ****'s comb confit and black rice with squid ink didn’t quite make the grade.</p>
<p>I might have to investigate this country ham business someday.</p>
<p>All this food talk is getting me hungry. I laughed out loud at BandD’s glaze comment. Only an artist mind would link the pottery glaze…never thought of that. I forgot about Scout’s ham costume but figure it probably was a country ham. Has a big bone sticking out the top so perhap that was the saving grace.</p>
<p>Yes…trips to Barcelona and daily doses of jamon serrano sound like a great job. G-Mom, Do you have any time to go to fabulous museums, see the wonderful buildings or, even better, go to a soccer game? May lightning strike me on this forum but seeing Messi play live would be my favorite work of art in Barcelona. Unfortunately I am mystified by the *** in the last posting. Can you describe it without the censors striking it? …I am no good at wheel of fortune either.</p>
<p>Oh wait! Got it! Ha…male chicken…rooster…am I right? I remember in early days learning spanish in S America and for some reason unable to remember the word for bull and, as an agricultural econ student, discussing the weight of “male cows”…everyone tried to keep a straight face</p>
<p>So I innocently tried to write c o c k ’ s comb confit, but CC doesn’t like that. Who’d have thought that anybody would do anything with that particular part of a chicken’s anatomy?</p>
<p>As for what I do… I work for a pharmaceutical company in clinical research in oncology. I have two studies (one in lung cancer, one in liver cancer) that I’m working on – neither study has officially started yet. I was in the UK at the end of October for training on how to deliver training for the electronic data capture system used in the research studies. The studies involve a large number of hospitals all around the world – and the doctors from those hospitals that will work on these studies come to a meeting to learn about all the particulars of the protocol for the study. Usually they are accompanied by whatever staff they have that will be responsible for the data – sometimes a nurse, sometimes another doctor. So the week before last week I was at the ‘Investigator Meeting’ in San Francisco for North America/Asia investigators for the lung cancer study and last week I was in Barcelona for the ‘Investigator Meeting’ for doctors in Europe and North America who will be working on the liver cancer study. In January there will be another Investigator meeting in Hong Kong for the Asian doctors who will work on the liver cancer study (actually most of our sites will be in Asia for this study, liver cancer occurs in a higher percentage of people from Asia) and also around that time there will be a meeting in Europe (I think Germany, but it hasn’t been decided yet) for the European doctors who will work on the lung cancer study. Both studies are close to starting and will last about two years. Unfortunately for me, my little pharmaceutical company was swallowed up by a bigger fish and my job will end June 30, 2011. At least I have plenty of notice. The studies, though, will continue, just with somebody else doing my job.</p>
<p>So MICA girl has the next three semesters year ‘paid’ for. After that I don’t know what happens. Sometimes life is a crap shoot – do you know the game of craps, Bears? CC might take those words out, lol.</p>
<p>Well I only am very marginally aware of what happens in the soccer world (or any sports, for that matter, though Aspie girl keeps us up to date on the world of Thoroughbred racing, whether we care to know or not). I do know that the world cup was played in South Africa earlier this year. If I try really really hard, I might remember who won… but maybe not. I do know some of those soccer players are mighty fine to look at…</p>
<p>I did not have much time for sight-seeing. I did really really LOVE Barcelona, it is such a patchwork of old and new. Do you know about the graffiti only on the doors and shutters and never on the walls? It’s the most artistic graffiti I’ve ever seen. I had two hours before I had to catch my flight on Friday so I went to the Sagarda Familia, but the line to get in wrapped around three sides of the building, so there was no chance of that. The outside, though, was fantastic. I also walked around the old section of town and did go to Las Ramblas and the Cathedral. I could easily spend a week there. I guess I have to save it for another life. MICA girl would have loved it. Too bad these trips weren’t in the summer and I might have found a way to justify hauling her along in the name of education. As it is, Manga girl is constantly pestering me about being an exchange student in Japan. Good thing that the Investigator Meeting is in Hong Kong and not Tokyo, or I’d never hear the end of it.</p>
<p>how I wish I had decent family tie in Japan.
there is serious business opportunities here. Manga tutorial, home stay, Akihabara to Harajuku tour, ancient temples and shrine plus hot spring bathing with snow monkey.</p>
<p>Today’s word
“mush” is from the “Goodnight moon” rhymes with old lady whispering hush
potatoes are to be mashed, then become sort of mush, but never called mushed potato.
mash mush mash mush</p>
<p>My mother, who was from Germany, always had trouble with these… why ‘brush’ and not ‘broosh’ if it’s bush and it’s push? I wonder, Bears, if you ever inadvertently use Japanese idioms (I think) translated into English? My Mom would literally translate German expressions… “What crawled over your liver?” she would say if we were in a bad mood… or “Who put that flea in your ear?” It was endless entertainment when we were growing up. One of the funniest ones was when she wanted to express sympathy to us and called us “poor black cats”. Go figure.</p>
<p>You may can check out this. I know a girl from my D’s high school went to China for free to stay in a host family and the high school credit counted for her graduation … Japen is in the list</p>
<p>Gmom
I can totally relate to Ggrandma.
my kid was amused but also used lines himself along with sometimes reversed “R” and “L”- I was told by other folks since I did not know he was reversing them.
stye in the eye is roughly translated " gift from a stranger"
compete over stupid thing is “sand man gunk laughs at nose booger”
pick your battle wiser would be " loser is really a winner"
pie in the sky is " rice cake painted on the paper"</p>
<p>loveblue
when kids are deeeeep in manga in Japan, last thing they’d think about is “selective colleges entrance”
all my manga friends were used to be rather goody goody students. found manga for real around 7th grade and that was it.
It is funny how we all ended up in artschools and eventually came here, them met thru our kids first time in our lives.
we were in Tokyo somewhere, dreaming about the same thing, buying all those pen nibs or bristol boards at the same art supply stores but never ever gotten to know each other.
awww life.</p>
<p>So new post-launch topic…registration for the next semester. I received a call from my son (gasp!) apparently to discuss his choices for next semester (double extra gasp!). It seems that he has quite a lot of discretion next semester…is that true for your foundation year student? It sounded like a lot but he said he was actually taking a light load and what did I think…I suggested a PE class to take a full load and take full advantage of fixed tuition…this healthy suggestion was met with horrified silence
…he will be taking the first computer science class required for the robotics minor. The art classes sounded like enough by themselves–5 art classes-- a 2d, an electronics media, kinetic sculpture, an art history, some kind of mixed media thing, and the last general studies English requirement. </p>
<p>I was surprised he had so much freedom to choose classes…he doesn’t sound like he will ever take a painting class, for example. I wonder if this is good? BFA without ever painting? Is that like saying you’re a plumber but you never learned to fix toilets? </p>
<p>So I would be interested to hear about what other kids are planning to do next term to get a sense of how the programs are different.</p>
<p>Sorry, still not being around much. I have papers and I’m stressing about applications, though I got my GRE scores back, and they were good We can’t go up to see the children, because we have to be back down for our flight out Friday AM. Logistically, it’s still a nightmare! I usually host a large T-Day with 12-18 people, friends who do not have other families to be with. If I don’t cook, they don’t have any place to be, which makes me feel bad. On the other hand, my daughter says that two of her apartment-mates are staying for the holidays and are going to cook, so if she and her brother can’t come down, they will have something up there, at least.</p>
<p>famm- my D has already had to choose her classes too, not sure what they are, but I do know she had to meet with an advisor first. She wanted a particular illustration teacher, so she had to arrange her other classes around it and didn’t get the day off a week like she has now, but says its worth it. I would think all kids needed advisor approval and they should be steering kids in the right directions. And don’t panic about painting, in 2-D, D had to do a value study in acrylic, so they do get to use the business end of a brush.</p>
<p>Trinsf…congrats on the GREs…it isn’t easy doing those tests after living in the real world. I had a multiple choice exam for a professional certification program a few years ago and I did fine but I felt silly scribbling in the little dots. How nice your kids will try doing their own T-day…please remind them to clean out the Turkey well…my first turkey I left the plastic bag of giblets inside…yuck!</p>
<p>Famm- WOW - you call that a light load? 5 art classes, and English and a computer class. If you look at it like a traditional 3 cr hrs per course, a full load at a regular college is usually 15 credits. Add in a PE, and it looks like 3 x 7 = 21, and then whatever the PE is (at my college in the dark ages they were 2 cr. hrs.</p>
<p>D is taking 5 classes, same number as this semester, 3-D, Intro to Illustration, the 2nd required English class, the 2nd required art history class, and Drawing 2. I couldn’t imagine anyone taking more than that, these kids are working 24/7 (at least she is!)</p>
<p>MICA girl has been very incommunicado these days. She sort of fell off the ‘call home’ bandwagon when I went off on my business trips and hasn’t crawled out from whatever rock she’s hiding under. Okay. To give her proper credit, she did remember to call Manga girl and wish her a happy birthday. Anyway, I’ve been bugging her to call home and she hasn’t (everyday I text her to phone home at night, and she texts back that she will… and then I fall asleep on the couch waiting for her to call – stupid jet lag). One of the things I’ve been wanting to remind her about is to NOT wait too long to get the Bolt Bus ticket to NY. We are happy to drive her one way, even on if it’s a holiday, but she can take the bus to get here. The plan was we’d drive her back on Sunday with some gluten free food.</p>
<p>So I texted her again today – two or three times-- trying to get a response. She finally replied. Of course she hadn’t bought the Bolt bus ticket. So I went on line and looked, and sure enough, they’re all sold out for Tues, Wed, and Thurs morning. I bit my tongue or put sticky stuff on my texting fingers and did not scrream “I TOLD YOU SO”. Now we have to figure out how to get down there on Wednesday to pick her up and bring her home – and then how is the cooking for Thursday going to get done??? I’m so irritated with her right now, but I am trying to act nice and encouraging, even though I want to scream. I could just let her rot down at MICA… maybe she has some gf donuts left… I doubt her roomies are going to stick around…</p>
<p>I was nosy and looked up
Amtrak is going fast and price is highway robbery, don’t get it if more people travel, why cost more not less?
Greyhound never fails. if one bus is full, just wait for next one or they’d fix up extra.
twenty some bucks one way.
I never did Baltimore downtown, but can’t be worse than Chicago or Philly let alone Port Authority. but Gmom, would you force your precious princess on that thing?
It looks like you are gonna drive down to get her. bet gas and tall would be cheaper than the train fare.
One thought, we gotten to hitch ride with total stranger to MICA from the city for pre college.
There might be someone driving down she can find in students’ board of sort?
Harry met Sally!!
NOOOO you won’t let her do that either, sorry
go get her.</p>
<p>Bears, I got a chuckle out of your post. MICA girl is quite the princess. I looked at the greyhound bus – but then I figured she is too clueless to get herself downtown to the bus station. She really has no ‘street smarts’ whatsoever. The train is highway robbery. DH suggested she take the train on Thursday to Connecticut, but I secretly want to see what’s up with her dorm room – how much food is ‘really’ left there and what art has she created that I haven’t gotten a chance to see – has she really been refilling her meds. We had intended to drive her one way all along, so I guess while it is somewhat inconvenient to have to drive down to get her on Wednesday vs. driving her back to Baltimore on Sunday – it’s kind of six or one half dozen or the other. Hmmm, that doesn’t look quite right.</p>
<p>Anyway, I can take the day off work, since they owe me a few days from all the extra travel I did in the last month. </p>
<p>I wish she would look at a ride board and get herself a ride somewhere… that’d be a first! I’m fairly certain that she hasn’t strayed very far from the MICA campus, and certainly not by herself. We’ve offered her bribes, in the past, to find her way to the local mall and back on the bus (DH offered her $100 if she would do it and she turned him down) or to go to Manhattan and visit a museum or take a class or something… and she just wouldn’t do it on her own. Independence isn’t her strong suit, I guess. Though she is pretty stubborn (as in 98 meals remaining out of her 100 meal plan at the MICA dining hall).</p>
<p>I see that Bolt bus has $1 fares for December when the semester ends and she’ll need to come back to NY for the holidays. I warned her not to wait again and to get the ticket. I could do it myself, but I’m trying to prod her into doing these things herself. But then we end up with these lapses…all part of growing up, I guess. Manga girl, though, would have bought the ticket for the Turkey day trip without any reminding or prodding from me. It’s funny how different kids in the same family can be.</p>
<p>I tried to get my D to book her own plane ticket for Christmas, taking into account the end of this semester and the beginning of next, leaving a couple of days wiggle room for bad weather. One problem is that I waited too long (was real close to the 30-day in advance rule of thumb), and by the time I told her, she asked could I do it, that she didn’t have time. So since it was going to hit me in the wallet, I went ahead and did it. On the other hand, she has walked around half of Minneapolis alone, but hasn’t tried the bus yet. She did say she was going to walk to the light rail and then take that to the airport, but she’s done that before when we were there. Told her it would be easier to take a cab to the airport, but protested it was too expensive (like who is paying for this whole thing anyway???), and she’d walk to the light rail, it’s only a mile and a half. Hmmm, cold, snow, dragging suitcase, probably both laptops… Told her to check with housing, maybe they’ll have a van or someething similar since there will be a lot of kids going to the airport/bus stations, but she probably “won’t have time”. Guess I’ll be looking at the cost of a taxi.</p>
We can’t go up to see the children, because we have to be back down for our flight out Friday AM. Logistically, it’s still a nightmare! I usually host a large T-Day with 12-18 people, friends who do not have other families to be with. If I don’t cook, they don’t have any place to be, which makes me feel bad. On the other hand, my daughter says that two of her apartment-mates are staying for the holidays and are going to cook, so if she and her brother can’t come down, they will have something up there, at least.</p>