I defended my this on June 3 and it went well. I am currently in a state of exhaustion and subdued elation. It feels good to be done even though I have some corrections and improvements that need to be completed before I can hand in the final draft to be printed and bound. So glad to be done. A three year and nine month journey that I did not think would take that long. At least I loved my topic and really enjoyed the travel bloggers who participated. I need to send them thank you emails as well as an official copy of the thesis when it is published online. Now I am going to enjoy my summer then return to blogging myself. But an enjoyment of summer comes first, including a trip to Europe starting next week. A well done pat on the back from me to me. Going with my mother and I am excited! Congratulations to everyone graduating during this spring season. Well done to all of us who pushed through the difficult times and joyous moments to experience the end. Yippeeeee!
Showing posts with label Academia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Academia. Show all posts
Saturday, June 7
Monday, October 7
Dad's Support
My dad needs to replicate himself so more people can have a dad like him. All these thoughtful comments while he is on a cruise ship and should be having tons of fun rather than reading my thesis.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit A:
Hi Tonia,
I’ve read your thesis over more than once and I find it fascinating.
Knowing that you have given all that you have to writing the thesis and yet have it still not considered finished is more than discouraging. After all the sweat, blood and tears you have put in, you are right to ask, “What else do I have to do?”
It is tough to meld academic rigour with heartfelt comments that bubble up from a subject in response to one of your questions. Cold hard dispassionate quantifiable logic is hard to apply to human actions regardless what a researcher is trying to uncover much less the motivation of people who write selflessly about their own travel experiences to help others.
The summary of all that has been done to add to our knowledge about the topic (your thesis) needs to reflect the amount of work it took to gain that knowledge, which it does, but written in a way that meets the precision and clarity of thought demanded of the academic environment, while at the same time retaining the human touch. A bit of creative tension, to say the least.
It may be one of those times when you have to scream, “I’m tough and I am going to nail this thing!” After all, you are not going through all this to satisfy someone’s notion of scholarly prose, but to communicate to fellow researchers, the subjects you studied, and the wider community of the intellectually curious how the paradigm shift brought on by new technologies has affected a global industry, travel and tourism.
I’m reviewing the thesis starting with Chapter IV and will pass on my comments in the next e-mail. Stay tuned.
Love,
Dad
Saturday, June 29
Another Voyage
So my life is set up into different chunks of time and focus. While I was traveling, this blog was about travel. While in grad school, I focused on it (but I have not caught up with all that I want to say so more to come). Now that I am a leader or boss of a small organization (I prefer leader), this blog may get a bit theoretical as I attempt to learn how to become a good leader rather than devolve into a horrible one. This will take active practice and work and I am already staring at six book on leadership from the library taunting me from my kitchen table. The topic? LEADERSHIP. This may mean I lose a few of my eleven or so readers but hey, I write for myself and the process as much as for you (but I really like you a lot so please stay!).
While attempting to finish the thesis that will never end, I read the following quote from an article about economic or extrinsic rewards in business, versus social or intrinsic rewards in business. Essentially, should organizations create elaborate reward programs to light a fire underneath their employees butts to encourage them to share their knowledge (which apparently people don't do naturally, as we hoard knowledge, much like the show...I wonder if my brian on the inside looks like some of those living rooms...). Well, as it turns out, people are more apt to share knowledge if they are able to identify intrinsic reasons to do so:
"Employees who think knowledge sharing would increase the scope and depth of associations among organizational members tend to have a positive attitude toward knowledge sharing. Their positive attitudes toward knowledge sharing are formed by the expectations of reciprocation on knowledge sharing. Moreover, employees who believe in their ability to contribute to improvements of organizational performance have a positive attitude toward knowledge sharing. Therefore, we should pay more attention to enhancing the positive mood state for social associations which precedes knowledge sharing behaviours and should provide useful feedback to improve the individual's self-efficacy instead of designing an elaborate evaluation and incentive system."
- Bock. G. W., & Kim, Y-G. (2002). Breaking the Myths of Rewards: An exploratory study of attitudes about knowledge sharing. In Information Resources Management Journal, 15(2), 14-21.
Self-efficacy in this study is defined as "people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances", a definition which wasstole borrowed from Bandura (1996).
Essentially what this says is that my decision to provide an employee this week, who has been invited to participant in...let's say...'turf management', was a good choice. This may foster a greater desire to contribute to our small but impressive organization, because he will have developed social associations that will motivate him to contribute for intrinsic reasons, which always last longer than extrinsic motivations. This is why when I was at that crazy school and the administration pretended to listen to the teachers' ideas but really didn't, they did not get feedback when they asked us questions during staff meetings because we had no intrinsic reasons to share our knowledge with them, the leaders of a school, as we knew our organization would not improve without a change in management. Sharing would have been a waste of our marvellous contributions. This makes sense now.
I hope 'turf management' does not make anyone lazy. :)
While attempting to finish the thesis that will never end, I read the following quote from an article about economic or extrinsic rewards in business, versus social or intrinsic rewards in business. Essentially, should organizations create elaborate reward programs to light a fire underneath their employees butts to encourage them to share their knowledge (which apparently people don't do naturally, as we hoard knowledge, much like the show...I wonder if my brian on the inside looks like some of those living rooms...). Well, as it turns out, people are more apt to share knowledge if they are able to identify intrinsic reasons to do so:
"Employees who think knowledge sharing would increase the scope and depth of associations among organizational members tend to have a positive attitude toward knowledge sharing. Their positive attitudes toward knowledge sharing are formed by the expectations of reciprocation on knowledge sharing. Moreover, employees who believe in their ability to contribute to improvements of organizational performance have a positive attitude toward knowledge sharing. Therefore, we should pay more attention to enhancing the positive mood state for social associations which precedes knowledge sharing behaviours and should provide useful feedback to improve the individual's self-efficacy instead of designing an elaborate evaluation and incentive system."
- Bock. G. W., & Kim, Y-G. (2002). Breaking the Myths of Rewards: An exploratory study of attitudes about knowledge sharing. In Information Resources Management Journal, 15(2), 14-21.
Self-efficacy in this study is defined as "people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances", a definition which was
Essentially what this says is that my decision to provide an employee this week, who has been invited to participant in...let's say...'turf management', was a good choice. This may foster a greater desire to contribute to our small but impressive organization, because he will have developed social associations that will motivate him to contribute for intrinsic reasons, which always last longer than extrinsic motivations. This is why when I was at that crazy school and the administration pretended to listen to the teachers' ideas but really didn't, they did not get feedback when they asked us questions during staff meetings because we had no intrinsic reasons to share our knowledge with them, the leaders of a school, as we knew our organization would not improve without a change in management. Sharing would have been a waste of our marvellous contributions. This makes sense now.
I hope 'turf management' does not make anyone lazy. :)
Thursday, May 30
Life Update
I can't believe where the past few months have gone. Crazy busy plus I just got back from a trip to visit family and friends in Calgary. The purpose of the trip was to begin taking my belongings back to Calgary as I am near graduation, only having had two work related interviews, and no job offers. My winter gear and all other assorted accoutrements were pack to drive back to Calgary and I received a phone call asking me to come to a job offer meeting. Yep. A job offer and I am not finished my degree yet. This has never happened to me before. All those hours of volunteering, spent typing at my computer, meeting and greeting people in a new province paid off and I was being offered a job.
When I went to the interview I was ready to negotiate but the organization that wanted to hire me was not. They had pulled out of their budget what they could and it was a take it or leave it option. The pay is not great, in fact at my yearly review next summer I will be asking for a big raise, but the opportunity to lead this recreation organization in Manitoba will be phenomenal. I am excited and surprised, intimidated and in awe of full-time employment. For the record, this will be the first time in ten years I have to work over the summer. (No sympathy from you nine readers eh?)
Wish me luck and skill and I venture forward and finish my thesis at the same time!
Cheers!
When I went to the interview I was ready to negotiate but the organization that wanted to hire me was not. They had pulled out of their budget what they could and it was a take it or leave it option. The pay is not great, in fact at my yearly review next summer I will be asking for a big raise, but the opportunity to lead this recreation organization in Manitoba will be phenomenal. I am excited and surprised, intimidated and in awe of full-time employment. For the record, this will be the first time in ten years I have to work over the summer. (No sympathy from you nine readers eh?)
Wish me luck and skill and I venture forward and finish my thesis at the same time!
Cheers!
Sunday, April 28
Crunch Time 4
My body crashed and burned this weekend. It appears that both my brain and my body realized that major parts of my life are ending and both decided to just stop and rest. I am very lucky that I get to take the time to relax and recuperate as most of the weekend was spent cleaning my apartment and being exhausted. I am hoping I get my energy back early this week. My exhaustion level has been ridiculous. So tired. 3.5 hour nap today and I may even go to bed on time. To all you people thinking of grad school, do it but know that, like with other large projects, utter exhaustion is inevitable multiple times throughout the process, especially at the (almost) end. Something productive will happen tomorrow.....
Saturday, April 27
Crunch Time 3
So I did it. I handed in my thesis to my professor earlier this week. Now begins several months of re-writes. I wonder how sick I will be of my thesis before it even goes to my committee? While I await the first set of re-writes I am hearing horror stories of both the length of time other grads have experienced for re-writes and how many people cry either during or after their thesis defence. Despite some harsh criticism of two parts of my thesis, I did not cry during or after the proposal, but I was in shock for about a week. Walking around thinking about how I could have made the proposal better to have avoided the criticism, as well, wondering where a university's responsibility begins in teaching about their students how to complete research, and where the individual grad student's responsibility begins. Besides, open verbal group feedback is a very difficult experience and chilled me a bit to the bone. Then again, that is the whole point of a thesis committee, the group that gives you ideas about how to improve your work, your abilities as a researcher, and your writing. A bit of a double-edged sword, pointing out the weaknesses while at the same time helping the individual to improve through little tiny repetitive cuts to the top layer of skin. Hopefully I can handle what comes. The end is near, I just have to sustain my level of progress until the very end.
Towards the end I looked like every other crazy student's space: papers everywhere, books piled in each other, pens, pencils and highlighters all over the place, cups of leftover beverages strewn about, piles of dishes in the sink, semi-rotten food in the fridge, running out of clothes to wear, few clean towels left, and a dirty apartment that scared me. The picture below is the cleaned up version of my study space (you will not be seeing the rest of the apartment). Should have taken a shot before I organized. It was a hilarious, academic mess.
Worry, not, I was not bored after I handed in my thesis as my student political career winds down at the end of this month as well. What a strange and eclectic ride that has been. Full of the interesting, bizarre, and overwhelming experiences that can crush one's soul or bend you in ways you thought you were not flexible. I had to have a long conversation around January with a colleague about the sacrifices I was making to complete this political work and the tole it was taking on my academic progress. At the time I was being steam rolled by a colleague and it was exhausting and disappointing, but not worth delaying my academic progress. From this and other experiences I have learned that democracy is illusive and hard to work through as a process. I am willing to interpret rules in order to serve people and ensure their needs are met, but there are multiple interpretations of rules and critical thinking is always necessary. We serve people, not words on a piece of paper, but the ideas attached to those words are important and subject to interpretation. This makes democracy challenging and formidable. It has been an interesting few years.
As these two main pieces of my life come to a close, work that has occupied my life for three years, I wonder about the next steps. I am lucky as I have already had several job interviews for work in both the tourism and recreation fields. This weekend I am spending time thinking about what I want from life, and I wonder what the future holds for me and what choices I will be asked to make. All unfolding uncertainties. Exciting and a bit scary at the same time.
Off to create a poster and re-read my thesis just for improvement sake...again.
I'll keep you posted.
Towards the end I looked like every other crazy student's space: papers everywhere, books piled in each other, pens, pencils and highlighters all over the place, cups of leftover beverages strewn about, piles of dishes in the sink, semi-rotten food in the fridge, running out of clothes to wear, few clean towels left, and a dirty apartment that scared me. The picture below is the cleaned up version of my study space (you will not be seeing the rest of the apartment). Should have taken a shot before I organized. It was a hilarious, academic mess.
Worry, not, I was not bored after I handed in my thesis as my student political career winds down at the end of this month as well. What a strange and eclectic ride that has been. Full of the interesting, bizarre, and overwhelming experiences that can crush one's soul or bend you in ways you thought you were not flexible. I had to have a long conversation around January with a colleague about the sacrifices I was making to complete this political work and the tole it was taking on my academic progress. At the time I was being steam rolled by a colleague and it was exhausting and disappointing, but not worth delaying my academic progress. From this and other experiences I have learned that democracy is illusive and hard to work through as a process. I am willing to interpret rules in order to serve people and ensure their needs are met, but there are multiple interpretations of rules and critical thinking is always necessary. We serve people, not words on a piece of paper, but the ideas attached to those words are important and subject to interpretation. This makes democracy challenging and formidable. It has been an interesting few years.
As these two main pieces of my life come to a close, work that has occupied my life for three years, I wonder about the next steps. I am lucky as I have already had several job interviews for work in both the tourism and recreation fields. This weekend I am spending time thinking about what I want from life, and I wonder what the future holds for me and what choices I will be asked to make. All unfolding uncertainties. Exciting and a bit scary at the same time.
Off to create a poster and re-read my thesis just for improvement sake...again.
I'll keep you posted.
Friday, March 15
Crunch Time 2
Update on how thesis is going.
Well. Quite well.
Then I had a colleague that came to the grad student office sick.
Sick people should stay home.
Then I got sick. For a whole week.
I stayed home. Still recovering.
Still managed to get some work done in front of my computer. Productivity down however.
Will persevere.
A few years ago a good friend introduced me to this blog:
She is a hilarious blogger who is living a different sort of life than she had planned. I read her blog in early January and she had decided not to make any New Year's resolutions. Instead she was creating monthly goals that she wanted to try to achieve. Well, some were daily, some weekly, and some monthly. Purl even made herself a beautiful (and tacky in a fun way) Kindergarten version of a star chart on a piece of large clipboard paper. Turns out it worked for her and she remembered her goals all month, plus she now has an almost fully decorated chart full of shiny, red, happy stars.
I am in.
I made my list.
I made it twice.
Here it is:
Well. Quite well.
Then I had a colleague that came to the grad student office sick.
Sick people should stay home.
Then I got sick. For a whole week.
I stayed home. Still recovering.
Still managed to get some work done in front of my computer. Productivity down however.
Will persevere.
A few years ago a good friend introduced me to this blog:
She is a hilarious blogger who is living a different sort of life than she had planned. I read her blog in early January and she had decided not to make any New Year's resolutions. Instead she was creating monthly goals that she wanted to try to achieve. Well, some were daily, some weekly, and some monthly. Purl even made herself a beautiful (and tacky in a fun way) Kindergarten version of a star chart on a piece of large clipboard paper. Turns out it worked for her and she remembered her goals all month, plus she now has an almost fully decorated chart full of shiny, red, happy stars.
I am in.
I made my list.
I made it twice.
Here it is:
Daily Goals:
1.) 1 hour of exercise
2.) 5 servings of veg & fruit
(called 5 A Day in the UK; picked this up while traveling)
3.) 3-4 hours of work on thesis
4.) to bed before 11 PM
Weekly Goals:
6.) 1 shopping/grocery trip
7.) 2 healthy dishes made
8.) do 1 large cleaning job
9.) 1 fun night out planned
One of my awesome sisters (I have a few) made family calendars and every day I write down the number of the goals I achieved in the day's respective calendar box.
You might wonder about the simplicity of some of these goals. I am in grad school and basic self cleaning, eating and care takes a back seat to many other projects. You've been there. You know what it's like to wonder if you neeeeeed to shower one day, or if you haaaave to buy healthy food this week, because it takes time and that time could be used on one of those projects. You've been there. This is to keep me clean, healthy, happier, and keep my energy hustle level up to get my thesis done. February went well. Very well. March has slowed down because I am sick. Once I am over this, I am back. Full force.
If this is your thing, give it a try and let me know how it goes.
Thank you Purl!
Saturday, March 2
Nutty Professor
This week has been strange. Many things occurred but in all I am concerned I will never, ever, ever get a job. Ever. Let alone one I enjoy. I expressed my concerns to a full-time instructor from my university, when I saw her at a conference, and she gave me some advice:
"Tonia, quit trying to look into the future and do what you need to do now. Focus on finishing your thesis. Become the typical nutty professor who has documents, papers, and pens all around, writing, reading, sleeping and writing more. Give into this time period and really experience it for the next few months, then worry about the rest of it later. Be in the moment, this moment."
Tough advice for someone who is always looking into the future, who has student debt, and is anxious about the next few steps of life. The more I think about her words, the more they are sinking in. Listen to the people that have come before you and do what they say. They know more than I and this is actually advice I have heard from several people on campus. So I let go. I focus. I trust in those who know more than I, immersing myself in this experience. The only way to enjoy the road and the destination.
What will that destination be? Dang, still looking forward. Need to go back to writing but I will be updating my Nutty Professor posts once in a while. Bring on not showering for four days, wearing the same clothes day in day out, and ordering in food keeping my brain and body in top processing shape (maybe a little cooking would be better for the last one).
Nutty professor. Here I come. In costume?!?
"Tonia, quit trying to look into the future and do what you need to do now. Focus on finishing your thesis. Become the typical nutty professor who has documents, papers, and pens all around, writing, reading, sleeping and writing more. Give into this time period and really experience it for the next few months, then worry about the rest of it later. Be in the moment, this moment."
Tough advice for someone who is always looking into the future, who has student debt, and is anxious about the next few steps of life. The more I think about her words, the more they are sinking in. Listen to the people that have come before you and do what they say. They know more than I and this is actually advice I have heard from several people on campus. So I let go. I focus. I trust in those who know more than I, immersing myself in this experience. The only way to enjoy the road and the destination.
What will that destination be? Dang, still looking forward. Need to go back to writing but I will be updating my Nutty Professor posts once in a while. Bring on not showering for four days, wearing the same clothes day in day out, and ordering in food keeping my brain and body in top processing shape (maybe a little cooking would be better for the last one).
Nutty professor. Here I come. In costume?!?
Saturday, February 9
Canadian Geographic Nod
We take a break during this regularly scheduled thesis writing time to make an important announcement. About one month ago I was re-introduced to Instagram, one of the big 2012 website explosions. This website is a photo sharing site on which those who post retain the rights to their own photos (unlike Facebook and others sites), can use quick filters to alter shots, and look at other people's creative talents. I only have about 52 pictures up so far but I am finding a great place to post current pictures and past travel pictures that are sitting on my hard drive but deserve to be seen. Here is my Instagram feed: toniavoyage (pics also on the right hand side of this blog).
Like all social media there are tricks and tips on how to increase traffic to your pictures and connect with other photographers. By photographers, I mean people who actually take interesting shots with creative perspectives and interesting compositions, not people who take selfies (pictures of themselves) or food pics (just eat it, don't capture it every single day). So I have been connecting with people, making comments, learning what hashtags connect with the type of people I am trying to connect with, etc.
This week I received a nod from a magazine that I look at on a regular basis and have a goal to be published in some day, Canadian Geographic, one of the premier photo magazines in Canada. They liked the following picture that I took back in early December:
The photo is a combination of a new art installation on campus near the University Centre, winter and architecture. In the foreground on the left, the art installation includes old brown and black books encased in decorative plexiglass or plastic, suspended in a larger decorative rectangular prism also made from plexiglass. The gold, dark yellow and brown leafing and designs set around the books and prism enhance the artwork's details and compliment the colours of the books. The middle ground leads the eye down a lightly snowed on path, lined with planter boxes and trees, until the eye extends into the background, the Administration building enveloped in a sunset, the most iconic structure on campus.
This small but significant nod made my week. Approximately 80 million photos are uploaded onto Instagram on a regular basis, and I was LIKED by Canadian Geographic. Go me!
Back to thesis work I go. More photography later!
Like all social media there are tricks and tips on how to increase traffic to your pictures and connect with other photographers. By photographers, I mean people who actually take interesting shots with creative perspectives and interesting compositions, not people who take selfies (pictures of themselves) or food pics (just eat it, don't capture it every single day). So I have been connecting with people, making comments, learning what hashtags connect with the type of people I am trying to connect with, etc.
This week I received a nod from a magazine that I look at on a regular basis and have a goal to be published in some day, Canadian Geographic, one of the premier photo magazines in Canada. They liked the following picture that I took back in early December:
 |
| Art Books Architecture |
This small but significant nod made my week. Approximately 80 million photos are uploaded onto Instagram on a regular basis, and I was LIKED by Canadian Geographic. Go me!
Back to thesis work I go. More photography later!
Thursday, January 24
Crunch Time
So it is crunch time for me and my thesis. I have nine weeks to complete the document and can't afford to take any longer, not professionally, not financially, and not personally. The number of participants I have is great, if I get a few more, then fantastic. The data has been organized and now I will sit at a computer for nine weeks and try to find themes, relationships, patterns and create categories to organize all the information. I hope this part goes well and I complete a thesis of which I am very proud.
Since I take on too much and stretch myself a bit thin, mostly because life is worth experiencing and living, I have had to remove everything from life that would be a distraction. No work for my faculty, no favours available for friends, and some time away from other responsibilities so I can get this done. It is interesting to me the number of people I have met in the past three years who have said they started a Master's degree but never finished. Now I know why. It is all on the individual in the end. No one can make you do this work. There are no due dates, they are self imposed. You forgo an existence of participating in the world around you. No one really cares as much as you about finishing. It is not relevant to others if you have money or not to finish. And in the end, you have to want to finish this document and move forward with your life.
Hence, I will not be blogging as much in next few months. I have to save all my good thoughts, words and ideas for my thesis, as there are only so many that go around ;), so all 10 readers, bear with me. And if you are travel blogger who has participated in this research, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Since I take on too much and stretch myself a bit thin, mostly because life is worth experiencing and living, I have had to remove everything from life that would be a distraction. No work for my faculty, no favours available for friends, and some time away from other responsibilities so I can get this done. It is interesting to me the number of people I have met in the past three years who have said they started a Master's degree but never finished. Now I know why. It is all on the individual in the end. No one can make you do this work. There are no due dates, they are self imposed. You forgo an existence of participating in the world around you. No one really cares as much as you about finishing. It is not relevant to others if you have money or not to finish. And in the end, you have to want to finish this document and move forward with your life.
Hence, I will not be blogging as much in next few months. I have to save all my good thoughts, words and ideas for my thesis, as there are only so many that go around ;), so all 10 readers, bear with me. And if you are travel blogger who has participated in this research, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Sunday, January 13
Marco Polo Didn't Go There
Marco Polo Didn't Go There: Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer by Rolf PottsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Within the context of being a post-modern traveller and writer, Potts takes the reader through chapters of stories, each dedicated to an individual experience he has had after having vagabonded about the globe for a decade. This book provides an interesting and didactic structure through which Potts uses current academic research to affirm his narrative choices, as he shares his experiences about travel. Most of this writing has been published elsewhere and this book is a collection of assorted stories that offers Potts to teach the reader about travel writing within the context of vagabonding, academic research, and individualized learning through experience. A great read and one that is worth looking at again if you are a travel writer.
View all my reviews
Tuesday, January 8
Grad School Lazy = RUN
It is time to get in shape using my shapely form. Going from teaching all day and moving around for 6 hours organizing children, teaching lectures, providing supplies, starting projects and the general mayhem of teaching elementary school, grad school has left me lazy. Yes, I blame grad school. Other than the research I completed this summer at festivals and interpretive centres, grad school required my brain, fingers and wrists to function on overload, but not my other body parts. Hence I am less healthy and fit than I have ever been in my life. A once former athlete, I have been a casual participant in sports and other activities over many years, and several years ago was so frustrated in a crazy job that I began working out 1.5 hours a day, just to deal with the daily stress and bur-ha-ha. I was tighter after that job but the insanity lead me to other paths in my life. I moved to London and started to travel, during which I walked and moved for hours every day, and tried every delicious looking European snack possible (have you been to an authentic patisserie lately?). Then I transitioned to grad school and lost it all, my sleek calves, my Carnival shaped butt, my tighter abs, and my single chin. I want these back and in order for this to happen, and under the pressure of great friends, I joined a running club.
This means I have joined the Running Room for a 10 week Learn How To Run clinic. Now those who know me know I am an athletic person and many of the sports I participate in include running. My shins have always cried out in pain after a long workout, so I am learning how to run properly and will ease into running with this clinic. Perhaps I will share interesting wipe-outs and other such nonsense on this blog. Be prepared for shenanigans!
So far one of the runners this evening told me that there is a new basketball team starting up in Manitoba for women aged 40-49. I have not found the link yet. I will keep looking and share because I would really like to get back into basketball.
That would be awesome....must finish thesis first!
My new New Balance shoes:
My new ICEtrekkers:
My new underoos care of Costco and Paradox:
This means I have joined the Running Room for a 10 week Learn How To Run clinic. Now those who know me know I am an athletic person and many of the sports I participate in include running. My shins have always cried out in pain after a long workout, so I am learning how to run properly and will ease into running with this clinic. Perhaps I will share interesting wipe-outs and other such nonsense on this blog. Be prepared for shenanigans!
So far one of the runners this evening told me that there is a new basketball team starting up in Manitoba for women aged 40-49. I have not found the link yet. I will keep looking and share because I would really like to get back into basketball.
That would be awesome....must finish thesis first!
My new New Balance shoes:
 |
| Love New Balance, always have. |
My new ICEtrekkers:
 |
| So I don't fall down and go boom! |
My new underoos care of Costco and Paradox:
 |
| Note: my legs are far more luscious and curvy :) |
Monday, January 7
Bare: The Naked Truth About Stripping
Bare: The Naked Truth About Stripping by Elisabeth EavesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
"Somewhere behind my desire to be both a reporter and a stripper lay an impulse to conceal. Stripping - in competition with acting and espionage - is the ultimate job for someone who's instinct is to present different facades of who she might be. There is nothing more illusory than a woman pretending to be a sexual fantasy for money." - p. 5
This book was on the wrong shelf when I entered a university library about a year ago. It has been reminding me it is there waiting to be read for many months and I decided to pick it up over the holiday season. It was on the apartment shelf as a classmate, during my first year of my Master's degree, announced in class one day that she was completing a PhD about women, their bodies and stripping because she stripped to pay her way through her bachelor's degree several years earlier. I work hard to be an open person and I easily delight in meeting people whose lives are vastly different than mine and who are willing to share their stories of their life experience. This book was perfect after I had spent several hours talking with my classmate to begin to build a healthier and more realistic perspective of stripping, the why, who, for what reasons, etc.
"I learned that no one is neutral about female bodies. If they aren't sex objects used to sell every conceivable good, they are political objects, causing bitter debate on how to manage their fecundity. And where not sexual or political, they are imbued with society's ideals with fears, turned into Miss Liberties, Virgin Mary's, and Wicked Witches. Everyone had an opinion on what to do about female bodies, and sometimes it feels as if the only people who get in trouble for holding such opinions are young women themselves. Some of us, though, have to live in them, and we each get by in our own way." - p. 6-7
Eaves explains how she first became involved in stripping and we meet several of her colleagues, who become friends, and their work as strippers, what purpose is serves in various lives, for some the cycle of dependence that is created in this industry, and the rules of safety that are continuously broken by purchasers and strippers alike. Eaves teaches the reader that every woman had a line that she has drawn about the sexual work she is willing to perform, and sees many women move and bend this line under pressure from others and due to economic circumstances.
"And I was tempted to see sex work as more of a symptom of social illness than a cause. The sex biz was nothing more that a sophisticated arbitrage operation, dealing in morals rather than financial instruments...At some point women had become artificially divided into two types - the good and the childbearing ones, carefully trained to disdain sex so that they wouldn't stray, and a separate, pro-sex class. The second group were despised and disparaged so that the good women wouldn't want to join them. One group of women ended up with respect but no freedom, and the other with freedom but no respect. But economics abhors a vacuum, and the whore class...rushed in to fill the chasm between men's actual desires and the social structure that they, with women, had built. I don't think the divide between the two types of women would go away until all the girls were raised to be free, responsible and unashamed of sex. And until society had bridged the sex-ed gap - porn for boys and religion and romance for girls - there would always be Lusty Ladies [the stripper club Eaves worked at]." -. p. 138-139
A book that was telling and a strong mixture of social and political commentary shaken together with the lives of women and how their work infiltrates all aspects of their lives. Give it a read!
View all my reviews
Sunday, December 23
New Places to Get Lost
Here are a few blogs and websites I have recently discovered as enjoyable or awesome. Totally distracting myself from my actual work. Yay for holidays!
For all you design lovers and home project do-ers out there:
Design Salon
A funny look at life, work, family and sarcasm:
I Am Prepared to Give Up At Any Time
Need a t-shirt? I have not ordered any and I am unsure of their quality but a quick gaze through these is an historical walk through modern times:
6 Dollar Shirts
Since I am in grad school, here is a person who is on her way to a tenured track professor position. Funny and honest:
Fumbling Toward Tenure
Enjoy!
For all you design lovers and home project do-ers out there:
Design Salon
A funny look at life, work, family and sarcasm:
I Am Prepared to Give Up At Any Time
Need a t-shirt? I have not ordered any and I am unsure of their quality but a quick gaze through these is an historical walk through modern times:
6 Dollar Shirts
Since I am in grad school, here is a person who is on her way to a tenured track professor position. Funny and honest:
Fumbling Toward Tenure
Enjoy!
Monday, November 19
Holiday Greeting Card
The president's office at the University of Manitoba sent out an email notifying all campus members that he/they were looking for a photograph of any of the University's campuses that display a winter scene that can be used for the University's holiday card. Well, as you can tell from my blog, I really enjoy taking photographs and sharing them with others. I took the challenge and lucky for me over the past week, 42 centimetres of snow fell, which made for better snowy scenes.
On Tuesday of last week I went out at the golden hour of which there are two, sunrise and sunset. My night owl status definitely encourages me to lean towards the sunset side of the golden hour. Having scoped out the campus and noticing the sun set on the opposite side of the campus from where all the historic building are found, I ran about taking about 100 shots, only one set that I really liked. It is kind of spooky and holiday-ish as the same time.
I cropped it a little, I altered the colour as the sun had set by then and the shot was a glowing blue, but I decided to leave the balls of snow in the bottom right hand corner so that the observer who sees the details would notice that the background of the photograph is snow. A hint as to what I shot.
The second shot I was not really happy with and would have rather have sent in a picture I took last year at Assiniboine Park, but the request for photos was specific about campus shots. It is of a piece of artwork near the music building. The piece include holiday red and I do like the snow resting on the top of the graded coloured pillars but not stunning in any way in my opinion.
The last pictures is why the golden hour is so important to exploit, or use, or take advantage of. The University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus is nestled in a curve of the Red River, at which this picture was taken.
While I was taking this shot and several dozen others, I noticed that I am far more physically adventurous with a camera in my hand. I was meeting a friend of dinner on campus after I finished taking the shots so I was in jeans and healed winter boots. The shots were down a green, snowy stretch of land, then down a slope covered with forest floor dead branches, stumps and other debris. No matter. I had to get down there to see what kind of picture I could get from that perspective. Having taken many shots, I liked this one and enjoyed altering it a little, enhancing the colour, lightening some shadows, and cropping the tree stump out a bit. I am hoping this one, although a classic shot rather than a push the envelope shot, is definitely studied by the panel as they make the final selection.
I am not holding my breath. There is little on this campus that I have ever won, money, awards, or recognition even though I have poured my time, intelligence, heart and soul into my graduate work, but I shan't give up. Especially when photography is involved.
Good luck to all entrants and especially to me!
On Tuesday of last week I went out at the golden hour of which there are two, sunrise and sunset. My night owl status definitely encourages me to lean towards the sunset side of the golden hour. Having scoped out the campus and noticing the sun set on the opposite side of the campus from where all the historic building are found, I ran about taking about 100 shots, only one set that I really liked. It is kind of spooky and holiday-ish as the same time.
I cropped it a little, I altered the colour as the sun had set by then and the shot was a glowing blue, but I decided to leave the balls of snow in the bottom right hand corner so that the observer who sees the details would notice that the background of the photograph is snow. A hint as to what I shot.
The second shot I was not really happy with and would have rather have sent in a picture I took last year at Assiniboine Park, but the request for photos was specific about campus shots. It is of a piece of artwork near the music building. The piece include holiday red and I do like the snow resting on the top of the graded coloured pillars but not stunning in any way in my opinion.
The last pictures is why the golden hour is so important to exploit, or use, or take advantage of. The University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus is nestled in a curve of the Red River, at which this picture was taken.
While I was taking this shot and several dozen others, I noticed that I am far more physically adventurous with a camera in my hand. I was meeting a friend of dinner on campus after I finished taking the shots so I was in jeans and healed winter boots. The shots were down a green, snowy stretch of land, then down a slope covered with forest floor dead branches, stumps and other debris. No matter. I had to get down there to see what kind of picture I could get from that perspective. Having taken many shots, I liked this one and enjoyed altering it a little, enhancing the colour, lightening some shadows, and cropping the tree stump out a bit. I am hoping this one, although a classic shot rather than a push the envelope shot, is definitely studied by the panel as they make the final selection.
I am not holding my breath. There is little on this campus that I have ever won, money, awards, or recognition even though I have poured my time, intelligence, heart and soul into my graduate work, but I shan't give up. Especially when photography is involved.
Good luck to all entrants and especially to me!
Wednesday, November 14
Summer 2012: Chinese Brush Painting
My mother is talented.
Yes. This talented.
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| My father Greg bragging to us about my mother Wyona's painting skills. |
This summer it was decided that we were all going to sit down and try our hands at Chinese Brush Painting. Now you may wonder where in the world a caucasian Canadian family would learn the skills of an ancient art form from a country on the other side of the world. This is a good question. My mother. When my father obtained his job as Canadian Trade Commissioner with the Foreign Service we began traveling. First to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then on to Manila, Philippines. While we were abroad we had hired house help which left my stay-at-home mother with some time to pursue other pursuits. One she chose was Chinese Brush Painting whose art influence obviously extended beyond the borders of China, and at which my mother excelled. While she was a teacher, and while I taught, she would show her and my students the basics.
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| Wyona demonstrating the fine art of bamboo painting |
One always starts with bamboo and after several months the new learner is allowed to progress to roses. Since time was limited (the summer was coming to a close), we had a 15 minute bamboo lesson, followed by a 15 minute rose lesson. We practiced for several hours and some of us faired pretty well, creating almost realistic foliage.
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| Zach doing very well with bamboo stalks |
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| Needed: water, paint, a place to dilute colours |
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| Sabrina showing us the seriousness of art and bamboo |
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| Alicia focusing on her roses |
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| Chinese-Canadian-American rainbow? |
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| The serious faces of each mini-artist is so perfect |
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| The group is deep concentration with their roses |
We did have a great time and learned that you throw away the first 3-45 sketches, even though they may look anywhere from pretty crappy to not too bad. It is tough to let go of ones art when it has just been completed and a part of ones heart is in it. Another summer, after more practice, we shall save and frame several pieces. Only 41 more practices to go. Until then, we have a semi-professional in our midst guiding our learning and visuals of her work to motivate us.
Tuesday, September 4
The Right Words
Life is good.
Working on a few academic things: methods section, uploading summer data onto computer, planning the graduate student orientation, and even applying for jobs.
May the gods of employment smile down upon me in great measure.
Enjoying friends and meeting some interesting new people.
Still learning both professionally and personally.
In this midst of all this I listen to music.
This song popped up during this evening in a mix/shuffle.
It is a demure and calming song.
Putting the vision of one's life into perspective.
Thought you might enjoy it too thanks to CBC Radio 2
I had a friend tell me recently that she is really enjoying watching me walk through my life right now, seeing me move through the process of re-creation, deciding what do include in it, and observing the choices I am making. She made me envious of myself. Perhaps this is why I keep listening to this song, not because I am in a tearful, sorrowful place, but because I feel content and peaceful, throwing my heart and life out into the ocean and wondering what will be sent back anew and what will simply be new.
Remember:
The paradise you long for it's underneath your feet.
What you runnin' for?
Where've you been?
Working on a few academic things: methods section, uploading summer data onto computer, planning the graduate student orientation, and even applying for jobs.
May the gods of employment smile down upon me in great measure.
Enjoying friends and meeting some interesting new people.
Still learning both professionally and personally.
In this midst of all this I listen to music.
This song popped up during this evening in a mix/shuffle.
It is a demure and calming song.
Putting the vision of one's life into perspective.
Thought you might enjoy it too thanks to CBC Radio 2
I had a friend tell me recently that she is really enjoying watching me walk through my life right now, seeing me move through the process of re-creation, deciding what do include in it, and observing the choices I am making. She made me envious of myself. Perhaps this is why I keep listening to this song, not because I am in a tearful, sorrowful place, but because I feel content and peaceful, throwing my heart and life out into the ocean and wondering what will be sent back anew and what will simply be new.
Remember:
The paradise you long for it's underneath your feet.
What you runnin' for?
Where've you been?
Thursday, August 9
Thesis Proposal
After two years of grad school I am finally ready to propose my thesis. I was ready at the end of June but with some missed paperwork the actual presentation will be taking place at the end of this week, August 10 at 10 AM in IGAC on the second floor. Come if you are interested in Travel Bloggers and Serious Leisure. Come if you are going to ask me simple questions that make me look intelligent and highly prepared. Come if you can spare the time. Don't come if you are going to be an academic snob and try to make me look bad. Go bug someone else.
Good practice and good luck to me!
Good practice and good luck to me!
Wednesday, June 27
Travel As A Political Act: Part 2
As I really did enjoy this book, I was even more impressed that a travel novel, written by an approachable individual with accessible language, finally presented many of the difficult topics that have been debated within the academic and practical spaces of tourism for decades. One of the first papers I wrote for an basic introduction to travel class concerned the sex trade and the use of young girls in countries as captured sex slaves for the purposes of pleasing middle and upper class Canadian, American and European travelers in order to draw and increase tourism. I believe my professor handed me back my paper and said, 'interesting topic'. That was it. I think he was surprised about the topic and the criticisms that were evident in the paper. I wish I still had it, I would give it another read, redo and update as sixteen years later, these countries continue to enslave young girls, boys, women and sometimes men as sex slaves but now have begun to reward them and provide them with an understanding that they are contributing greatly to their country's economy in the best way they possibly could (even scarier really). Well, in my opinion this is crap and the institutionalization of the poor and down-trodded through ideologies of slavery, misogyny and seeing women/people as sex objects, but I digress...again...
Rick Steves within the last chapter of his book Travel As A Political Act shares with following idea with the reader then proceeds to share a list of books he has read that has influence his opinions about the economics of poverty and the politics of power and corporations. I am sure he would be OK with me sharing this quote and list (even though I don't know him at all personally) and I have added to each book title a link to the book, a related website, or the authors webpage. Voila!:
"Read books that explain the economic and political basis of issues you've stubbled onto in your travels. A basic understanding of the economics of poverty, the politics of the empire, and the power of corporations are life skills that give you a foundation to better understand what you experience in your travels. Information that mainstream media considers "subversive" won't come to you. You need to reach out for it. The following are a few of the books that have shaped and inspired my thinking over the years" (p. 203):
Several of these shall be added to my reading list as I have only read the last one while I was living in London. Off I go...
Rick Steves within the last chapter of his book Travel As A Political Act shares with following idea with the reader then proceeds to share a list of books he has read that has influence his opinions about the economics of poverty and the politics of power and corporations. I am sure he would be OK with me sharing this quote and list (even though I don't know him at all personally) and I have added to each book title a link to the book, a related website, or the authors webpage. Voila!:
"Read books that explain the economic and political basis of issues you've stubbled onto in your travels. A basic understanding of the economics of poverty, the politics of the empire, and the power of corporations are life skills that give you a foundation to better understand what you experience in your travels. Information that mainstream media considers "subversive" won't come to you. You need to reach out for it. The following are a few of the books that have shaped and inspired my thinking over the years" (p. 203):
Arthur Simon
Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity
The Origins of Totalitarianism
Future in Our Hands
Manufacturing Consent
War Against the Poor: Low-Intensity Conflict and Christian Faith
Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes
The United States of Europe
The European Dream
The End of Poverty
Wednesday, June 20
Winnipeg Jazz Festival
This is my second year volunteering at Jazz Festival in Winnipeg. Four shifts of four hours then I can go to as many shows that I want for free at 6 different venues over 8 days. Not too bad of an exchange in my opinion.
Too be honest, like modern art, jazz, blues, and R&B have taken me years to learn how to appreciate. I was trained as a musician through regimented classical music so the free flowing forms of these genres of music have been more work for me to appreciate. Since I have 2 siblings and 1 in-law who play trombone jazz and blues trios, I have learned to enjoy this music even more. I still don't know how to jam on my flute but rumour has it there are a few open music jam nights in this artsy city and I may head to one of those one of these days.
There is a definite music, art, creative vibe to Winnipeg that I have not experienced as intimately in other cities, probably because I am more involved at this location. As well, I have noticed that the audience not only sees people performing by then often gets to meet, mix and mingle with the artists post-performance in a relaxed setting like a lobby or in the audience. More often than not, I meet the artists before the performance and exchange a few words or see what they may need (I am that friendly volunteer). :)
Sunday night I enjoyed a Winnipeg classic electronics band Moses Mayes. I saw them for the first time last year and they are adored here in Le Peg. I know now why, they improvise most of their dance worthy tunes, are each incredibly talented and together just smile, laugh and have a great time while performing. This joy in the creation of music floats out into the crowd and the audience is in rapture of their work.
This year when Moses Mayes was on stage, I was inside the art space called The Cube in which the stage is held. I was backstage watching, helping as dancing. What a show! Incredible opportunity! Not sure that would have happened in another city.
Tonight I am a at club to which I have never been, Juss Jazz, on Portage Avenue. It has just been refurbished and the Steve Kirby Quartet is on stage, member of the Faculty of Music from the University of Manitoba and special guests. So far a traditional jazz show and the club is full. Enjoying free talent. Just a perfect evening.
Too be honest, like modern art, jazz, blues, and R&B have taken me years to learn how to appreciate. I was trained as a musician through regimented classical music so the free flowing forms of these genres of music have been more work for me to appreciate. Since I have 2 siblings and 1 in-law who play trombone jazz and blues trios, I have learned to enjoy this music even more. I still don't know how to jam on my flute but rumour has it there are a few open music jam nights in this artsy city and I may head to one of those one of these days.
There is a definite music, art, creative vibe to Winnipeg that I have not experienced as intimately in other cities, probably because I am more involved at this location. As well, I have noticed that the audience not only sees people performing by then often gets to meet, mix and mingle with the artists post-performance in a relaxed setting like a lobby or in the audience. More often than not, I meet the artists before the performance and exchange a few words or see what they may need (I am that friendly volunteer). :)
Sunday night I enjoyed a Winnipeg classic electronics band Moses Mayes. I saw them for the first time last year and they are adored here in Le Peg. I know now why, they improvise most of their dance worthy tunes, are each incredibly talented and together just smile, laugh and have a great time while performing. This joy in the creation of music floats out into the crowd and the audience is in rapture of their work.
This year when Moses Mayes was on stage, I was inside the art space called The Cube in which the stage is held. I was backstage watching, helping as dancing. What a show! Incredible opportunity! Not sure that would have happened in another city.
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| Behind the group Moses Mayes and I am backstage 'helping' |
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| The front of The Cube located in Old Market Square |
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| Juss Jazz, a new jazz club in Winnipeg |
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