The Importance of Small Cars

Whenever people see my car, one of the first things they notice is how small it is (the word they use is "cute"). It's not tiny like a mini cooper, but yeah, it's small.

And I bought it precisely because it's small! This is my first car, and when I first got it, I didn't feel confident enough to be able to squeeze into a small parking space or make tight turns. Plus, I was looking for something cheap. Hence, small car. I might be up for a slightly bigger car the next time, but my current car is great and I'm not in a hurry to trade her in.

In fact, for a 14 year old car, she is looking dang fine! She's still very fuel efficient, parks easily, and runs smoothly. I have had to take in her for some repairs, but hey, what do you expect from a 14 year old car? I've become a fan of Toyota.

And like a proud mama, I have to brag about the good deed she did last week. Last Wednesday, after institute, as I got into my car, a young guy came up and asked if I had jumper cables. Unfortunately, I did not, and he left dejected. As I pulled away from the parking lot, I noticed a car with the hood up, and the guy fiddling with it. Apparently he lived in the apartment building behind the institute, and was having car trouble. I pulled up somewhat close, and asked him to go to the institute since I was sure someone there had jumper cables. He explained that he already had jumper cables, but his were too short, and so couldn't connect them to the cars nearby. Plus, no one else was around so he couldn't ask for help from anyone else.

Then he looked at my car, noticed its size, and said something along the lines of, "I wonder if your car can fit into that narrow gap...Would you mind trying?" I had no idea what he was talking about, until I saw I saw the "gap" that he was referring to.

My oh my.

Diagram not to size, but close enough

It wasn't impossible, but I was terrified that I was going to hit the tree on my left or some random stranger's car on the right. My car literally inched forward, and I swear both my side mirrors barely missed the tree and stranger's car. Little by little I crept forward until it was near enough for him to connect his jumper cables to my car. And it worked! His car restarted soon after. 

So, the next time you want to buy a big car, sure, go ahead. But don't dismiss the small, "cute" cars because guess what-- these small cars might just one day save your hide!

[Or go buy longer jumper cables- that works too I guess.] 

The First Year

Yesterday, I sat on a panel given to first year students in my program titled "Reflections of the First Year."

The First Year.

Such scary words, very scary memories.

My first year was an absolutely mess, and I felt dreadfully lost and overwhelmed. I think I suffered from very mild PTSD, and in no way am I saying this to demean the sacrifice of our soldiers and troops, but believe me, something broke inside, and it took me awhile to recover. I felt like I was thrown into this war zone called "Grad School- Good Luck," and everyday was a battle to get up and go on, instead of defecting and giving up. I sincerely hope no one has to go through the same experience I did.

As I sat on that panel and reflected back my journey so far (I'm in my 3rd year- oh my word!), I couldn't help but think how far I've come. Here are some things I've learned:

1) God is Good. I don't know why this is the path I'm supposed to take (definitely not because of dating/ marriage reasons), but I'm on it and I've learned and grown so much. 

2)  It gets better. I thought I would never say this, but it miraculously does! 

3) Take it one day at a time. Sometimes, the mundane routine (wake-up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc.) is the only thing getting me through, but by golly, at least I'm moving. 

4) Be genuinely nice, and things will work out. The academic world of the humanities is very liberal, and it's hard to balance between standing up for your convictions while sympathizing with their point of view. However, as long as you are genuinely nice, most people will respect you and want to make friends with you. 

5) Surround yourself with good friends, both in and out of the department. My friends kept me sane. It was my office mates (a few who have since graduated) that told me to hang in there and that it will get better. It was my fellow grad students that patiently explained who Foucault was and why he mattered (or not), and the idiosyncrasies of the professors in the department. It was my church  friends who made me laugh in times of academic-sorrow and disappointments. Most importantly, going through these experiences with friends has taught me that school, and life, is NOT a competition, but a journey that we need to help each other pass through. 

6) Find at least one outlet that is non-academic related. For me, it was church. Not only did it provide emotional comfort and spiritual feeding, but my church assignments also forced me to serve others and look outside of myself. I realized that there were many others who carried equally heavy burdens, just of a different nature. See #5 again. 

7) Make sure you cultivate a good relationship with your adviser (and other faculty members). It was my adviser who taught me how to write a book review, a historiography paper, and to chill out even though my CV in my first year was horrifyingly bare. Other faculty members have also been very supportive and encouraging in my work. [I'm very fortunate to be in this department.]

8) It's gets better. I can't stress this enough, and that's why I'm repeating this. I honestly didn't know how it could ever get better when I was going through my first year nightmare, and yet, it did. I survived. 

I'm still overwhelmed and lost. I still don't know what my fellow grad students are talking about/ referring to sometimes. I still have a long while to go before I can even think about taking my candidacy exam. I still struggle to defend my views and moral standpoint in an environment that is hostile to my beliefs. But I survived my first, and second, year of graduate school (with a Masters diploma to show for it!), and it has truly been a rich and educating journey.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

I'm not a huge fan of American football (I still don't really understand what Bowl games are except that they are the last game of the season and a big deal. Right?), but I LOVE SCHOOL SPIRIT. Which means while I don't care that much about watching football, I absolutely LOVE cheering on my schools.

So imagine my disappointment when OSU lost on Saturday to Virginia Tech by... URGH!!! It was disgraceful (35-21). Last week, we trailed Navy for quite a while before finally breaking free to gain a 34-17 victory. *Phew* This week though...

It's such a disappointment because in 2012 had a 12-0 winning streak. 12-0!!! And in 2013, a 11-1 winning streak.
And now, it's 1-1 already. *Groan* C'mon Buckeyes, I have faith in you!

On a much much much more happier note, THE COUGARS THRASHED THE TEXAS LONGHORNS!!! I AM SO HAPPY!!! Final Score 41-7, giving BYU the second victory in a row (and both away games!). Even Yahoo admitted that BYU did good.

My heart melts at knowing my alma mater did good :)

Now praying that OSU's loss was a fluke, and that BYU's victory was not!

I Don't Care About Your Politics, Mormons

My friend shared THIS ARTICLE, titled "Just How Big is the 'Mormon Left,'" on Facebook a few days ago, and it caught my eye because, well, it's no secret that I'm not a conservative Mormon.

On the other hand, after I read the article, my feelings were, "Oh great, here we go again. Another one of those 'statistic' reports that focus only on North America- as if North America represents the rest of the world- and
WHY DO YOU/ I HAVE TO POLITICIZE MY RELIGION? WHO THE HECK CARES???!!!"  

I'm sorry, I don't care if you are a liberal/ Democrat Mormon, or a conservative/ Republican Mormon or (insert your own political leaning combination here) Mormon. I don't care.

You know what I care about? I care about how your religion changes your life, and how you use your religious teachings as a guide to treating those around you. That's what I care about. 

Perhaps, that is why I've never really been attracted to the Ordain Women (OW) movement. As moderately progressive and liberal as I think I am, OW has not had my support because they've not given me the impression that they want female ordination for genuine service and altruistic purposes. I could be wrong, but I've not heard about their "game plan" after women are ordained, like how priesthood ordination of women will give women more opportunities for service and change the lives of those around them for the better. Their platform seems to be more along the lines of "individual rights" and "gender equality" -- and once again, we are back to politicizing religion, and where definitions of "equality" and what constitutes "rights" are still heavily-contested terms.

I understand that religion can (and should) influence the decisions you make in your life, such as what causes you contribute to, etc. But please don't make it into this
"I am a liberal and more progressive and righteous compared to your provincial conservatives, so we need to make our voices heard to help bring change to the church"
vs.
"I am more conservative and more righteous than you liberals who are trying to introduce heresy into the church, so shut up liberals"
contest.

I don't care if you are in the 90%-non-Mormon Left/ 10%-Mormon Left. I don't care which political party you associate with.  I don't care if you voted for Romney or not. I'm more concerned about how your religion and politics makes you and the world around you a better place. After all, Christ said that it is through their "fruits" (Matthew 7:16) that we can identify his prophets and disciples, NOT their professed empty religiosity or political leanings.

My 0.05 Seconds of Fame

So remember THIS POST when I (unashamedly) boasted about my 0.2 seconds of fame?
Well, my dear long-suffering and loyal readers who have to put up with my bragging, I have to boast again.

Sorry. You can stop reading here.

But if you are still reading, thank you for putting up with my massive ego.

And right now, for my awesome news (*drumroll*): I'm featured on a podcast for my department's monthly public online magazine Origins*!!!  Two fellow graduate students and I were interviewed separately about three countries -- Bosnia (Sarajevo), Serbia (Belgrade), and Singapore -- and how these countries are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One (1914-1918). Titled "Memories of the Great War," the entire podcast can be listened to/ downloaded HERE. It lasts about 30 minutes, although my segment only takes the last one-third. If I say so myself, I was intrigued by how different and contrasting our accounts were.

To further entice you to listen to the podcast, here are pictures of the memorials I refer to in it:

Anti-clockwise from the top: 

The Cenotaph, the surface that was vandalized on the Cenotaph, 

St. Andrew's Cathedral, and a memorial plaque in the cathedral

So that is my 0.05 seconds of fame. Short but well, I can't be too brag-gy right? :)

Also, if anyone is looking at making picture collages like the one above on their computers, I recommend using Pizap. No, I'm wasn't paid or approached by the staff to promote their product (I'm not that famous). This is just an easy website I found. I got tired of uploading my pictures one by one, and this was a fun way of grouping them better too. 

*Origins is a monthly ad-free magazine that features top scholars on today's most pressing topics published by the Ohio State History Department, and an e-resource for anyone interested in understanding the historical origins of current day issues and events. Past Origins articles and content, available for free online, have been utilized by PBS documentaries and NPR stations, while its authors include National Book Award winners and world-renowned scholars. For more information, please visit http://origins.osu.edu/.