Mein Liebling Oktober

I have always loved October, for various reasons.  I love the fall.  The smell of the air, the crunch of dead leaves, the soups... and I consider it the start of the 'holiday season' for me.  October means back to school, my birthday, Halloween, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and into the New Year.  October is when the year slows down just a bit for you to breathe before the rest of the year whips past you.

October is quite special in Germany, with Oktoberfest (which actually begins in September), Reunification Day (on the 3rd... not widely celebrated, actually), and pumpkins.  Oh the pumpkins!  Pumpkin everything: bread, soup, casserole, cookies...

Well, I don't have a recent pumpkin photo for you, but I do have a Brezeln photo to share, from Oktoberfest.  More on pumpkins later.

How far we've come...

This is a youtube video with some of the earliest color motion from a 1922 Kodachrome test.

And this is an excellent short, entitled "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On".

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Summer is for lovers

This summer I went home for a little over two weeks for a bit of a vacation, and to see one of my best friends get married.

The Best Snowman I've Ever Seen

Enough said. Excellent snow sculpting, whoever you are!

Idealist.org

I think Idealist.org is an excellent resource for any one looking for volunteer, internship, or jobs within the nonprofit and governmental sectors. It's a great place to go to if you want to do something that will help make a difference in this great big world.


Recently, the Executive Director of Idealist has called out to his members, users, and supports, asking for some help where possible to get through the tough financial bind they have found themselves in.


To learn more and/or donate, please visit http://www.idealist.org/donate


Thanks!

And so it is...

This is a photo from the Roman Baths in Bath, my last excursion while studying in Canterbury. We also went to Stonehenge.

sloppy, but tasty

My first attempt at a Black Forest cake. Not too bad, and it tasted even better! I'm on the hunt for jobs now, with not much to report, sadly. One month to complete my dissertation, one month (same month) to sort things out for where I'll be when I'm done here. And I haven't baked anything in 2 weeks. But a degree in Anthropology won't get me a job as a baker. Oh well, chin up and eyes open for an opportunity.

walk around in circles

This is a photo from the Norman Castle in Canterbury (what's left of it). If you walk the Canterbury wall, you'll run into it at some point.


Spring term is over, but the struggle with my dissertation continues. Currently, my topic is self-expression, music, and the d/Deaf community. If you know anyone who is d/Deaf, hard of hearing, or a sign language interpreter, please drop me a note!

such a beautiful feeling

Today I've decided to change my dissertation topic from German sign language/the German deaf community to philanthropy in the UK. I've been pushed and pushed to keep my study within the UK and so there you have it. An anthropological look into the philanthropists of the UK. I'm not nearly as passionate about this topic, but I'm hoping to either learn something endearing about the place I've begun to abhor or to be able to slightly uncover something superficial. As with all things, we'll see how it goes.


As an aside, I plan to update more often. This photo is not mine, but I've edited it.

Crab and Winkle Link

As promised, another post.


I seem to be lacking motivation. I've been struggling with my MA program because it is nothing like I was expecting or wanted. It's frustrating, but I have hope that my dissertation will give me something I've been needing. If in fact it is approved. Please excuse my poor outlook right now, UK academia (at least from my experience at Kent) has been quite discouraging. I was once considering moving on to a PhD, but I think right now I want to be away from University.


In other, more exciting news, I'm learning German and reading up on German sign language.