I'm going to jump around topics today a bit because I can never make up my mind what to write about.
First, the weather. I've been wanting to write about this for a while but kept putting it off. Today it rained and it felt wonderful! It is always amazing to me what effect weather can have on one's mood. Rainy days seem to be generally productive, and indeed today was.
One of my favorite parts of the day is walking from the MOA to my 8 o'clock class. I have nothing better to do on that daily walk except observe, and I get to observe the most wonderful things. I can see how the sun hits the mountain peaks. I can see how the clouds hug the mountain. I can see how the leaves fall or when they change colors. I can breath in fresh air and enjoy my surroundings. I'm not saying we have the most beautiful campus in the world, but I sure love my view each morning.
Ok part two, encouragement. We all love it, and when properly placed it can be duly sincere and reassuring. I don't know if I've expressed my gratitude for this individual before or not, but I have an awesome Chinese TA. He's really good at what he does and is super encouraging to all his students. He'll never criticize without noting something good first. Today for instance I went to get help for the oral test that is coming up that I was feeling completely not confident for. I hate any form of performance in front of small groups (especially for a grade) and I haven't had a ton of practice of simply conversing for a good length of time. The TA didn't dismiss my concerns as silly, he simply tried his best to help me practice conversation until I felt more confident. It is amazing how well placed encouragement can increase confidence. I'm thankful for people that have this gift. Suffice it to say that I am now feeling a lot better about my midterm this week.
Thing to work on: learn how to sincerely encourage others.
-M
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