k*spot: Hobbies

first softball game of the season

Wed, 04 May 2005 01:09:22 GMT

Now, I know all of you have been anxiously awaiting for the summer to find out what's happening with my super talented softball team! (or not, but most people get a kick out of hearing how often we lose.)

Well, first off, a couple changes from last year:

We aim to DOUBLE our wins this year!!! (you know, from one win to two!)
I am no longer the tallest girl on the team at 5'4! (Check out last year's team pic) Though the other team's girls still seem to be bigger, taller, stronger than the girls on our team. And the boys on our team too.
We changed our name. Apparently having the word "bomb" in your name predisposes you to losing. Or at least that's what we tell ourselves.
We switched leagues - though I think if you stink in one league, chances are you'll stink in another league.

Well, we played our first game this past sunday and....we lost! (some things never change), but as usual we had a great time. The best thing about my team is how good natured everyone is about playing - we're all there to have fun (and look cute in hopes of distracting the other team into dropping the ball) and winning is secondary. I think this season is going to be a good one, even if we don't win (again).

6th mandarin class: the dating game

Thu, 21 Apr 2005 05:35:10 GMT

Well, it's official. I am the only girl left in my chinese class. One woman sporadically shows up (2 of 6 classes) and the other woman transferred to 102.

In tonight's class, the teacher decided that the best way for us to practice our question and answering skills using the words and phrases we have learned so far, was to play the dating game. So she sent me off to one side of the room, and asked all the guys to stand against the chalk board at the other side of the room. Because of the imbalance of males to female, the teacher asked someone to pretend that he was my dad so we could tag team asking the other guys questions. How embarassing.

I definitely have to give my teacher props for her alternative methods of teaching, but it was extremely uncomfortable having to question my 7 potential dates. Thankfully I didn't have to choose one at the end (slim pickings!)

Are you talking to me? (my first mandarin class)

Tue, 05 Apr 2005 05:33:18 GMT

Well, i had my first mandarin class at the Seattle Language Acadamy. I'm taking Mandarin 101 since I have zero recollection of the chinese characters I learned as a child AND I've never actually spoken Mandarin (my family speaks Cantonese) even though I've been peripherally exposed to it.

The class started off pretty well - I had gotten there early and taken a quick peak through the materials I recognized a bunch of characters already. When the class started, I noticed I was the only chinese person in the class (of 10 people, 7 were males, 3 females) and the only person with a chinese name. The class thought I was hot stuff when I was able to write my chinese name on the board - that I'd have an easier time learning to speak mandarin. Little did everyone know, that I have never actually HEARD my name being called out in Mandarin, and for the 4 times the teacher called on me to read something our or answer a question, I had no idea she was talking to me. ha ha. I struggled my way through the class like everyone else, though I do actually understand what she's saying, I just can't seem to speak back and pronounce things properly.

Oh well, first class :) Hopefully things will go a little smoother next class (wed) and I'll actually know when the teacher is talking to me.