New Year's Eve

With less than an hour to go 'til the end of 2008, how am I spending my time? Am I at the main party hosted by my 2nd-degree friend, and attended by the majority of my primary friends? Am I with another set of not-so-close-but-generally-friendly friends to herald the new year? "No" to both.

Instead, I'm holed up in my room, with a "steady" supply of Fucithalmic viscous eye drops ($22.80 for 10 mg!! Meds are expensive...), and apple juice, to combat my eye infection and cough. 40 minutes now, and how have I spent the last few hours? Reading up on Mandarin-English issues in SLA (ie, how English speakers learn Mandarin, and vice versa), general linguistics, recent news for linux, and attempting to familiarize myself with the proof for Fermat's Last Theorem. Am I a geek or what. Please, don't answer that. ...Especially not in my comment box. :P

Oh yeah, I was also supposedly working on a translation job for a friend of mine. Dunno how much of it can be considered sensitive information, since it's a company form letter to the public, but I think I'll err on the safe side and just say that it's a Japanese-to-English translation, and the Japanese is very high-flown. Ie, super polite language. Its the kind of things I'd write if I were caught in the moment of having been granted some mercy or grace. Things like "We can only hope to reciprocate the benevolance bestowed upon our humble company by you honoured patrons, and shall endevour with our hearts and souls to even approach your exquisite expectations". While I'm only supposed to be translating some of this stuff, I kinda wonder how much I'm supposed to edit for audience. I.e., in standard North American business practices, we don't usually refer to our rival companies as "bestowing us with their sagacious knowledge and experience". Isn't this borderline linguistics-stuff? I suppose. I could even make a post for it in my other blog. But anywhoo...

So, it's the new year in 30 minutes, and I'm ill. The coughs are starting to make my throat and chest feel sore, and my right eye is irritated. With the power of the internet to both inform and distract, I've been able to read up on some interesting topics, but also fail to complete my translation. I wonder how that bodes for me in the new year.

In a less self-pitying note, I hope that all you readers (all ... five of you) enjoy[ed] (depending on your time zone) a happy new year! With the tempestuous hibernal Boreas blowing in Toronto, I hope that those in the city have safe travels on the street, and that those in ski resorts enjoy the snow. Whee! 2009!

Essays and Evil

Two essays out of the way, and another 1.5 to go! Strangely enough, the longest essay (which was also the first one due) also has the longest extension (this would be the .5 essay remaining). It's also my favourite subject of the four courses (ie, a term paper per course), which are basically two core English courses (Lit. Crit. I & Survey of Brit. Lit. I), Amer. Lit. I, and Second Language Acquisition. Guess which one's my favourite (especially given that I have a parallel blog devoted exclusively to linguistics).

I should really reduce the amount of parenthetical remarks. Anywhoo. Another essay to churn out for tomorrow, to be marked by a passionate prof who unfortunately lets his passion override his rationale. I don't want to get into details, but basically, he seems to have the following hierarchy:

1. Do I agree with the thesis of this essay?
   Yes: go to 2
   No: give a bad mark
   
2. Did I enjoy the prose?
   Yes: go to 3
   No: give a bad mark
3. Does the essay have supporting evidence for its claim?
   Yes: give a good mark
   No: give a bad mark

Clearly, there's a problem with this order. In fact, 1 shouldn't even be on the list. Technically, 1 is closer to the statement "Does this thesis resonate with the literature I've read so far on the topic?" which, as a prof, should be considerable. But if, say, there are two sides to a debate in the literature, this prof has definitely taken one stance, and refuses to entertain a thesis that adopts an opposing view.

The two good things that've come from this experience are my raised awareness of "those" kind of people in the world, and also an acquired list of things NOT to do when I come to be in a similar position of power (ie, an instructor or some other position of authority).

I just want this term to be over.