It's October, at UAG

It's already October and that means I am half way through my first semester of the M.A. in Translation and Interpretation. (And that also means I'm one more class to finish my M.A in Terminology!). 

Here are some pictures of the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (Mexico), where I study.

Library

Humanidades

First day of class, with Prof. Finks

Major updates

Ok, so here I am, updating this blog once again. It had been a very long time (more than a year), but I will summarize it in a few pictures. From my time working in Montemorelos, I don't have any pictures (maybe because it was all the same routine!).


First of all, a little bit of my second trip to Brazil, this time to the state of Sao Paulo for a month.

I went back to Brazil in January 2010. This was a short visit to UNASP.

With my TESL trainers from England/Australia.

One of the lectures at the Music Festival @ UNASP.

And I had a chance to visit the Jewish-Adventist church in Campinas, SP.
Great church!

And I could not miss it, the Livraria Cultura in Sao Paulo.
I wanted to stay there the whole day!!

Back in Mexico, I retook my French lessons, this time at the Alianza Francesa Monterrey. I had great lessons and great teachers. And I also got the chance to pass the first DELF test. I still have a long way to go in French, but I'm happy I'm on the right track!

I went to a lecture given by Jack C. Richards, from Cambridge University Press. I even got him to sign a book for me!

Now I'm following e-blahbla. Excellent blog!

Better presentations

Last week I was introduced to a great teaching tool > Prezi. If I had known this before, I could have used it for many of my school presentations :( But I also found out here that this tool is rather new (so I do not feel that bad and out of date on tech lol). So... it is never too late to start using it!

Why should you move beyond slides? on Prezi

A messy desktop

When my desktop is messy (look a the pic) it means I'm stressed out! Right now, there are like tooooons of things to finish, and I just realized that mostly I get stressed out because I usually try to do many things at the same time. So yeah, right now I'm on the trying-to-survive-the-last-few-weeks-of-school stage lol.

On a totally different topic, I have decided (again!) to start from scratch. I've tried it a couple of times but it seems like it hasn't worked yet. We will see if this time works out. I'm more willing to make it happen this time though. The first part is done > erase all evidence and be positive about it. The hardest parts are to come, but one step at a time will help me overcome this.

About my Thai Adventures... well, there are still many things adding to the list of adventures every week, but it's just that I haven't had (or made) time to write them down. But that does not mean I'm not enjoying my time here, and making an adventure out of everything and anything.

Uncomfortable situations

Yesterday I read Julie's post and it kinda made me think on what would I do on certain situations that could make me feel a lil unconfortable. Today I was in one of those 'uncomfortable situations'. What do you do when you are in an exam (as a student) and you notice that basically all your classmates are asking for questions or giving the answers to the rest of the class and the teacher does not seem to notice that at all? I hate when that happens! but oh well, I guess am not going to be the kind of student who tells the teacher that they are giving the answers.... so up to them! In the end, we all are going to get our 'rewards' if we do right, and our 'punishment' if we do wrong.

However, I still can't stand it!

Time flies!

April is almost gone and then it comes May along with final projects, final exams, and at the end of the month my bro and my mom’s graduation (Vico finishes his Bachelor’s Degree and my mom her PhD). Then it comes the summer with intensive courses and lots of preparation ;) I think I will teach one or two English classes at the language school or take some intensive courses. After summer… OMG! Sara’s is going to be here!!! (hope I get to see her in August). Then it comes my time to go abroad (if I would have written this a week ago, it would have been a completely different story which included Thailand, but God has amazing ways of changing plans).

*I will talk about this later, when everything is clear enough to say it out loud. CAN'T WAIT!!!

Ok… getting back to the fact that we are still not in summer break and that school hasn’t finished yet. We had Moody Awards at the beginning of April (I blogged about this earlier) and that was basically the last activity of the Student Council. I feel relieved but at the same time I kind of miss all the meetings we had and all the stress hehe.

Almost all the members of the Student Council.

On my "spring break" (more like a long weekend) I went to a Master Guide Camporee. I had lots of fun and learned quiet a lot because this time I was part of the staff.

I started teaching English at the High School and it’s been a learning experience. I don’t have a big classroom (started with 10 students but 2 of them were expelled 2 weeks ago), and having a small classroom helps a lot when it comes to discipline. There are still other things to take in consideration, like the fact that I’m supposed to be teaching an “advance” class but most of my students can’t even understand when I give them instructions in English (however, I won’t lower the school work, which is not that much anyway).
Teaching there gives me more reasons why I want to work in a language school and not in a secondary or high school. It’s not that I don’t like it, but I do enjoy a lot more teaching at the language school. However, it looks like I will take a break from teaching English for a little while and do something I did not expect but which I think I will enjoy and will be a completely different but great experience.

My English students at the language school.

Sewing classes

Today I started sewing classes. As part of the uni curriculum (don't ask me why) we need to take a class for a year (once a week). Girls can choose sweing classes, somethinig with haircuting or whatever that is hehe, or handicrafts; and guys can choose mechanics, plumbing and dunno what else hehe. 

Today we were supposed to make a baby skirt, but since we are like soooo slow (don't laugh, we are learning!) most of us only finish like half of it.

I'm gonna try to take my camera next Wednesday to take and upload some pics of my attempt of making a skirt LOL.

Italy in March? Nop, maybe next time :(

I just gave away an all-paid trip to Italy (or maybe Romania) for 2 weeks, and I don't know if I should be happy, sad or mad.

Last semester, the dean of the Education department told us that the one with the highest GPA that semester was going to get an all-paid trip to an Adventist college/school in Europe for 2 weeks to do the teaching practice. During my registration this semester (last Thursday) I found out that I was the one with the highest GPA (3.97).
All of a sudden I thought: OMG!!! I'm going to ITALY!!!!! And then the dean asked me right away if I could give it to another girl that got 3.96 and is graduating this May. Since I'm a Junior, she said I would have a chance to go next year if I keep my GPA that high... so my expression went from "OMG! I'm going to Italy!" to "WTH!!!".
After thinking a lot and being mad at the dean (I found out that the girl who's going instead of me is one of her fav students) I accepted her petition and just said "OK I'm not going to Italy" :( Many people have told me that what I did was great ► I gave another girl the chance to go, and I'm going next year anyway (or at least that was the deal). But I can't resign myself to not going!

When is it going to happen?

Every time I start a new semester I say, "This time I'm giving myself more free time" (as in I'm not going to be EXTREMELY busy as always). I never do it! and as usual, I've said it again this time... I need to see if I will be able to achieve that goal LOL, and seriously I need to slow down a bit. I NEED A BREAK!!! not as in no school, but as in a semester with less extra curricular activities that drive me crazy (and I love them all!!). Maybe that's the problem ► I enjoy doing lots of things, but I just don't have the time.

Anyway.... I do wanna slow down this time.

Oh, and my holiday fever.... it's all gone! I'm back to the uni, not actually in school (yet), but am back on campus and started with some english tutoring, so that officially puts me in a not-on-vacation status :(

FINAL EXAMS are on the way!!!

A bit of everything

Today I opened Google Reader and found that I had 59 unread posts. OMG!!! I hadn't had time to read blogs.... but I guess am just taking a bit of that time to update mine and read some blogs.

Last week there was an IT Symposium, or something l ike that LOL, organized by the senior students (including my brother) from the Engineering department. You may wonder why am I writing about this if I'm not part of that department anymore... Well, among the special guests/speakers, they invited Michael A. Comberiate (aka NASA Mike), who is a scientist that works at NASA.

with Mike, Vico and Cecy

And here are some pics taken during the past 2 weeks.

Practicing with the Brass Ensemble and the Chamber Choir (church)

Playing with the String Quintet (auditorium)

L-R: Erika, Rosy, Sendy, Mrs. Kelda, Yaniris and Rosalba (English Education major, junior year)

We like drinking "coffee" when it gets really cold ;)

In Room 110 you find the vegie coffee lovers

Just being silly... and that's our new uniform ;) so much better than the ugly green one.

I don't like Wednesdays at all!!!!

Wednesday is the day when I wake up like extremely early, comparing to the rest of the week, so I think that's the main reason why I don't like it. Usually I get up at 3 am or sometimes 4 (when I don't have a lot of homework). I don't even know how this whole waking-up-really-early thing started :( but anyway... that's how it is now.

The word Wednesday is equal to teaching practice (at least this semester), and that takes a lot of my time. Appart from my normal teaching job and my uni classes, I have to do teaching practice in a public secondary school in town. The first days I didn't like going there at all, but now that I've been going once a week for like 9 weeks, I think I'm kinda enjoying it, but I still preffer my job at the Language Institute.
Another reason why it is not my fav day of the week is because I start classes at 7:15 am (the other days I start at 8).

This morning I was thinking that I should do something so that I don't have to wake up that early to prepare my class and do some homework, but what to do?! Once I tried to do the class planning like 2 days in advance and guess what..... no ideas at all came to my mind. I've descovered that my mind works better when I'm stressed out or when I know I have short time to do things. I guess that's normal for me, so unless something really big happens to make me change, I think I will have to wake up early and hate Wednesdays for the rest of the semester LOL.

books, classes, rushing, etc.

Today I started school again (Junior year!) and with that, the waking-up-early part > General assembly at 7:15 am!!! But oh well, that's life here I guess hehe *all about waking up early.

Things happening this semester (appart from the normal things):
- Taking a class with my mom as the teacher (psychology) *I've taken classes with my dad but first time with mom hehe
- Playing in the orchestra again!!! *After 3 semesters of not playing at all!
- Sad 'cause I couldn't make it to Thailand this year :(

But you know what:

HAKUNA MATATA!!!!

Teaching Practice

From March 3 to 14, I went to Culiacan (western Mexico) for 2 weeks of teaching practice in an Adventist School - middle school and high school. It was fun and kinda lots of work to do as well, especially having to deal with big groups (not less than 35 students per class).

Back to classes!!!!!!!
I don't know how to feel... happy or to expect more free days lol
anyway, busy days start tomorrow again
byebye

few more weeks!

yeah!! school is almost over!!! and that makes me HAPPY! 20 more days and I will be out of school for this year!!!
Actually that's good and bad... cause I've been procrastinating a lot (like most of the college students around the world lol) and so now I'm so stressed out with all the assignments that I need to finish. Adding to that, the English classes I'm teaching (thank God everything is going great with those classes).

Talking about other things that are not school.... last weekend was great!!! I went to Houston with my family to visit an uncle. It was sooooo relaxing and it was like the mid semester vacation I was looking for and couldn't see coming at all. I have some pictures but they are kinda bad cause we don't have a camera, so we took it with my brother's phone.
And this next weekend... I'm going camping!!

ok that's it for today... now pics from the day we went to the NASA-->

my dad and Vico at the back, then my mom (pink), me and claudia (my uncle's gf)

Updates

Hello beautiful people!

It's been a while and school has started already on this side. It's the second week -I think- and already feeling like it's been sooooo long!! 'cause I have so many things to do. Also want to tell you that I got a new job (I know I've been saying this to some of you) as an English teacher. I have two classes per day -Basic English-. In one I have five students around the 12 years old, and in the other one I have 7 students, all adults. So there is a biiiiiiiiiig difference in both classes, cause the "kids" take all my energy and with the adults, they just pay attention and is sooooo easy to give the class. The only bad thing about teaching this semester is that I can't take French classes 'cause one of my classes and the French class are at the same time :(

Changing the topic, I still can't upload the pics we took when Sara came, cause she hasn't sent them to me!!!!! :( so will have to wait. Or maybe you can check her blog to see if there's any updates on her side.

Aujourd'hui Je commençai mon classe de français. J'aime beaucoup mon class parce que mon professeur ne parle pas espagnol dans la classe.

ok... this is all I can do for now in French lol.....
Mabe I will try again later hehe

Today, after all was a good day. Started my job and it's great! I'm going to be designing some online courses to put them on the school website. My classes... well... nothing much until now.

bye ;)

Que dia...

Chequen mi forma de empezar el dia, y peor aun, primer dia de clases jejeje

7:00 am Me levanto y veo la hora en mi celular. Oh noooo!! 15 mins. y debo estar en clases!!!
7:35 am Llego a la escuela. Voy al salon donde segun yo tenia clase. Lo peor ► Estaba CERRADO!
7:38 am Veo el horario en el tablero y resulta que mi clase era hasta las 9:50 am.
7:40 am Me subo de nuevo al carro y me regreso a mi casa para desayunar.
Que desperdicio!!! me pude haber levantado un poco mas tarde..... ok, nimodo, asi son las cosas jeje Eso me pasa por haber perdido mi horario ayer...

aaaaa ese es otro punto ►Perder cosas! Acabo de comprar un bote de agua (solo vean una entrada mas abajo que dice 'A new Nalgene') y resulta que ya no lo encuentro!! Realmente soy un desastre con esto jejeje y yo que crei que ya me habia compuesto un poco.... pero por lo visto no tengo remedio alguno para este mal :(

ok... ya me voy porque me falta una clase mas ;)

aios