http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/29/1011562/-Most-of-you-have-no-idea-what-Martin-Luther-King-actually-did
African Americans have accomplished a lot, but they have to move forward.
A man who won't die for something is not fit to live.
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; It must be demanded by the oppressed.
Thai food at Madam Mam's is not as tasty as the one in LA or Boston. It's maybe because there're more tourists there.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, Campus tour
I didn't know anything about this great president. He launched the Great Society whose main goal was to eliminate poverty and build social justice. LBJ once was a school teacher who was very sympathetic to poor Mexican American kids who came to school without eating breakfast.
He worked very hard on various sectors, especially war on poverty, voting rights, and education. He obsessively had his phone calls recorded. Sadly his ambitions for a Great Society were bogged down with Vietnam war.
01/20 Mini teaching
Tongue twisters on Prezi, new vocabulary on Quizlet, and mad libs.
01/22 O Henry Middle School
Students from 6th to 8th grade carry their backpacks and have to move to another classroom just for 4 minutes. School starts at 8:10 and there're 8 periods of 45 min. Monday, Tuesday, and Friday follow regular bell schedule while Wednesday and Thursday block bell schedule.
What I like about this school is curriculum. Morning classes are core (language arts, math, science, and social studies) and afternoon elective (enrichment, intervention, etc.). The options for enrichment are recycling, keyboarding, lyrics, conspiracy theory, gardening, etc. Students choose 4 different ones a year. Social emotional learning is for everybody on Tuesdays since it's middle school.
Teachers have 5 or 6 classes a day. They don't have as much paperwork as we do. There's even a daycare center and teachers have their toddlers taken care of. We had free lunch ($2.40 for kids and almost the double for teachers). Korean school meal is as expensive but better.
Teachers don't give their cell numbers to parents and students. They won't be any late night calls or messages. Instead, they use emails to communicate with both parents and colleagues. It's not that they have to handle matters as fast as we do. The principal uses a walkie talkie on campus.
01/23 Square dance & Broken Spoke
I'm not good at dancing, but I think I'm in love with dancing. I feel happy to move around though I'm awkward. Square dance is such a good group activity with a lot of laughter and movements involved. Two steps are pretty simple to learn, but it's enough to get together with people. It's an unforgettable momory to dance and shout "bull shit" to some kind of country music at an old Texan bar.
Which Wich
The sandwiches this fastfood restaurant serve are basically similar to those of Subway. But here it's more fun. There're brown envelops/options to choose from. You tick My first choice was vegetarian. Next will be Italian.
01/24 Trip to Houston & Galveston
One of the most impressive things in Houston is raised cross-cross freeways. I've never seen this kind roads in other American cities. It's a rare scene in a country as vast as America.
At the Johnson Space Center, I learned a lot about human exploration of space, one of my weakest parts. Watching a documentary here at NASA I feel how phenomenal and sublime humankind has been. I'm grateful for pioneers' endless quest for space exploration, remembering the accidents of space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. A yucky thing: astronauts drink their urine.
Time at the Museum of Fine Arts was not enough, but I'm happy to be able to appreciate more Monet paintings. I'm blind and quick when it comes to this impressionist. I've been to Boston MFA, NY Met, Musee d'Orsay, Musee de l'Orangerie, and his home in Giverny, but all the artworks here are what I haven't seen so far. How prolific he was! Some of them here depict winter scenes at Seine. How cold Monet was, rendering the wintry landscape.
The park and trees at the museum district looks so beautiful that I want to go there again. I'm sorry that I couldn't make it to Rice University though it's near the museum. Maybe some day...
It's good to finally come and see Galveston which I only listened to through CNN news. This island was devastated in 1900 by a huge hurricane and a few more afterwards, but still exists. Galveston has many restored Victorian homes. I wonder how people live in such a picturesque house.
01/25 Rudy's & Central Market
I enjoyed delicious rib and sausage on such a lovely day like today. It was very pleasant to talk to friendly, open-minded locals. The atmosphere and live music at the patio of the high end market was exceptional. I was the most talkative today after I had come to Austin. I'm grateful to Jon, Jennifer, Leslie, and others for their patience and understanding. What a nice experience!
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I shouted "Eureka!" the moment I saw Basara comic books at Recycled Reads. It's 50 cents apiece. Unbelievable. The following are the books I bought:
- My Name is Red
- Geektastic
- Across Five Aprils
- Star Trek
- Edith Hamilton Mythology
- My Heart Is on the Ground
- The Last Battle
Americans are basically frugal. They set up Goodwill and garage sales. They don't put down used goods and are charitable, which I want to emulate.
Sandy's
I had root beer floats after waiting in a long line. Root beer is soda, not a type of alcohol. Its taste is weird, more like a kid's cold syrup.
WEEK 3
I think it's the culminating week. The past one week was the most dramatic after I had come to Austin. My encounters and experiences have deepened and I want to thank people who organized all the good things for me. Though Americans are well off, they live a frugal life and never belittle used stuff. These are good qualities I want to follow.
Now I know how narrow my knowledge about America and the world was. I'm happy to know that there are lots of new things that interest me.
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