Let me first begin by stating that the following is my personal opinion of myself. I have no doubt that I will exaggerate my personality in a sad attempt to make myself seem more decent. It is a concept known in psychology as, self presentation. The concept states that we do everything in our power, to present ourselves as competent individuals. So it might seem as if I am doing a bit of the self promoting, so don’t mind me.
I guess I should start with the positive nonverbal gestures. When I’m sitting I always in a position that I find very comfortable: the slouch. I know that people that slouch tend to be a bit more laid back and nonchalant, then their upright sitting counterparts and I feel that this effects my approachability. I think that since people see that I have a naturally laid back sitting style, that I must be a nice laid back person, which I truly am. I’m very, very laid back. I don’t like to stress about life (even though I really do at times) because my philosophy is that everything passes.
Also I never walk with, what I like to call, and arrogant air. I really dislike people that are arrogant; I can’t stand them. When I walk (which is almost everyday), I never walk with my head in the air. You know like those really pretentious people that believe that they are better than the whole world? I usually just cruise at a slow pace (except when I’m running to class) with a modest stride.
I think I can attribute my “cheerfulness” to my smile. I smile a lot. I’m told by my professors, and by all those around me, that I’m always smiling. This also goes hand in hand with my friendliness. I am an extremely friendly person. I love talking to all people and just having a good amount of friends, and I think that’s all my smile’s fault. When you see someone smiling, you can pretty much feel that said person is nice. At least in my book. I consider people that smile a lot to be friendly and I think most would agree with me. I also think that through the clothing I wear I affect people’s opinion of me without saying a word.
I dress in a very different manner. I believe that my clothes reflect who I am on the inside. I wear formal shirts, oxford shoes, wingtips, ties, blazers. I never, ever wear t-shirts, and almost all of my clothing is colorful. I think this sends across the message that I’m serious, and that I’m a no humbug guy. But then since I use colorful clothes, I think that is tells people that I can be bold as well. I do know for a fact that this is what people think when they see me, for I have been told so on many occasions. But then most people also get the wrong message and think that my use of stylish clothes means I’m pretentious, which I’m not.
Now for my abnormal habits. Going back to when I sit down; I may have a laid back style of sitting but I really don’t like getting close to people. I always sit a bit further away from people than normal people. I was talking with my friend, and she actually brought this to my attention. She thought I for a while that I didn’t like her, and that’s why I sat so far away from her. She is a really good friend, and I talk to her all the time, but I just can’t sit next to her, or anyone really. I also hate hugs and every time I’m offered one, I always do that awkward pat on the back hug. I think this creates distance between my friends. I have explained these problems to my closer friends and they have accepted them, but some people just don’t understand. Plus I have this habit, that my dad taught me.
My dad is not a very trusting guy. He does not trust people too often and I guess he rubbed his paranoia off on me. He taught me that I should always be in control of my environment. Okay, sure I can’t make people sit where I would like them to sit or be for that matter, but I can get a bit of control by at least knowing what is going on around me. So he always taught me that I should glance around my environment for any potential “threats” so to speak. That I should know who and what is around me, and what people are doing. He also taught me to sit with my back against walls and away from windows and places that offer cover and a good view of the area, but that’s a separate issue. I think this tells the people around me either that I’m not paying attention to them, that I’m a very nervous, paranoid individual, or just really rude. I have been called out on this several times and I know it’s bad but it has been hardwired into my brain, and there is nothing I can do about it.
So I guess I have a few (more like a lot) of non-verbal gestures that I project to people. I have a few that are normal, and I guess you can call some that are abnormal. I guess I can describe my “vibes” as warm, nonchalant, friendly, and just overall cheerful. But then again, I do have moments where I’m awkward, distant, and untrusting.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Have You Realized Yet.....
that we (the ones in English 103) are typing the word, "bullshit" a lot? I'm doing the Reader Discussion Forum right now (yeah I know, "Oh you're not going according to schedule ohhhhh.") and I just realized I have typed the word, "bullshit" more than I say it in a day. I mean, I generally don't really use the word, "bullshit" but now I that I have been typing it for the past hour I find it's just coming out. It's funny how by using a word in writing, you end up repeating it. How about you guys? Is it sticking?
Friday, September 24, 2010
On Not Speaking English In A Global Economy That Is Dominated by English!
English has dominated the global economy but not everyone speaks it. The main reason that English has become the head honcho of languages in the business world is because it is spoken by those that have the money to do business; Americans. Now I’m not saying that Americans are the richest people in the world, and that everyone is poor in comparison (well kind of), I’m just stating that America has the largest economy in the world, is the richest country in the world, and has the largest businesses in the world (Wal-Mart being a good example). In other words, I’m referring to the country more than to the individual. So I don’t want you to misinterpret what I am saying.
Okay, sure, I’ll admit that’s not the only reason why English has taken over the global economy (British colonization comes to mind), but I think it’s probably the biggest reason. The fact that English is the strongest language in the global economy has caused a bit of a problem for the non-English speaking nations of the world. I’m not just talking about counties like Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru. I’m talking about other nations like Germany, France, Russia, China, and Japan. Sure some some countries have it worse than others, but there is always a language barrier between nations. Some times the English speaking businesses don’t even take into account the native language of the country they are selling their products to. The English speakers of the world (again referring mainly to Americans) really don’t care about other languages but their own. For example here in America, there is no emphasis on learning a second language. We don’t have public schools teaching Mandarin, or Portuguese. Sure they teach Spanish and French a little, but it’s rare for a person to be bilingual here in America due to the material taught in public schools.
One example of this was when Vicks Vapor Rub was being sold in Germany. Now in German the letter “V” is pronounced as a “F” in English. “What’s the big deal?” you might say, well it just so happens that when Germans would say, “Vicks” they would pronounce it with a German accent, “Ficks”. Now ficks in German, is a four letter word we say here in America that starts with an “F” and ends with a “K”. The American company that sells Vicks, having no knowledge of the German language, started to sell the product. Needless to say that after a few months, the company decided to change the name to “Wicks” (the “W” in German is pronounced as a “V”) in order to quell any discontent customers. I feel like this a good example of a language barrier with English, and at the same time a criticism of how bad America is at foreign languages.
So what exactly are the nations that don’t speak English doing to keep up with the dominance of the English language? How can they compete when they don’t understand the language of the people across the table? Obviously it’s up to the nation dealing with the English speaking nations (America), because the English speakers don’t care much for foreign languages (again America). A lot of countries have adopted English into their schools in order to keep up with how English is dominating the world. Germany for example has a grand English program in their schools. The program makes almost all German children learn English, well enough to communicate with any native English speaker with little difficulty. Of course, they tend to teach a more British influenced English, than an American one, but I guess something is better than nothing. In Japan they have a program for teaching English in which they hire English speakers from English speaking nations, to come teach in their public schools.
The nations that are not as developed as Germany and Japan are having a bit more problems. Sometimes the only way to learn the English language is through higher education. Public schools can not afford to have an English professor, so many have to rely on going to college to learn English. Since you actually have to pay to attend a college many can’t learn English because they simply cannot afford it. In nations like these, not many learn English, and language barriers become even harder. Unfortunately only the rich can learn a language that is so useful for the survival of a business, so competition between companies can easily be won by, who has the better English speakers. This can cause many businesses to go down, and when a business goes down that means that many jobs will be lose, which in turn means a larger rate of poverty.
As you can see, English has changed the world so much. Countries have been making English more accessible so that they can compete with the English speakers of the world due, in large part, to the fact that English speaking nations don’t really care for learning foreign languages. So it’s up to them to learn. But again this really only applies to countries like Germany, which having there own strong economy, can afford to teach English. Countries like Mexico can’t afford to pay to have English teachers in grade schools, even though they would like to. I find it interesting that English has shaped the world so much, and at times am really grateful that it has taken over, because if, for example, Japanese were the strongest language in the business world, I would have a lot of trouble programing my DVD player. But I still have some worries for the future. Will eventually English influence the world so much that other languages will go extinct? I truly hope not because, it is horrible to think my great grandchildren will not share with me, a language that we can call unique and our own. I truly find myself at a loss of words when I think about this.
Levi "Der Schriftsteller" Ayala
Okay, sure, I’ll admit that’s not the only reason why English has taken over the global economy (British colonization comes to mind), but I think it’s probably the biggest reason. The fact that English is the strongest language in the global economy has caused a bit of a problem for the non-English speaking nations of the world. I’m not just talking about counties like Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru. I’m talking about other nations like Germany, France, Russia, China, and Japan. Sure some some countries have it worse than others, but there is always a language barrier between nations. Some times the English speaking businesses don’t even take into account the native language of the country they are selling their products to. The English speakers of the world (again referring mainly to Americans) really don’t care about other languages but their own. For example here in America, there is no emphasis on learning a second language. We don’t have public schools teaching Mandarin, or Portuguese. Sure they teach Spanish and French a little, but it’s rare for a person to be bilingual here in America due to the material taught in public schools.
One example of this was when Vicks Vapor Rub was being sold in Germany. Now in German the letter “V” is pronounced as a “F” in English. “What’s the big deal?” you might say, well it just so happens that when Germans would say, “Vicks” they would pronounce it with a German accent, “Ficks”. Now ficks in German, is a four letter word we say here in America that starts with an “F” and ends with a “K”. The American company that sells Vicks, having no knowledge of the German language, started to sell the product. Needless to say that after a few months, the company decided to change the name to “Wicks” (the “W” in German is pronounced as a “V”) in order to quell any discontent customers. I feel like this a good example of a language barrier with English, and at the same time a criticism of how bad America is at foreign languages.
So what exactly are the nations that don’t speak English doing to keep up with the dominance of the English language? How can they compete when they don’t understand the language of the people across the table? Obviously it’s up to the nation dealing with the English speaking nations (America), because the English speakers don’t care much for foreign languages (again America). A lot of countries have adopted English into their schools in order to keep up with how English is dominating the world. Germany for example has a grand English program in their schools. The program makes almost all German children learn English, well enough to communicate with any native English speaker with little difficulty. Of course, they tend to teach a more British influenced English, than an American one, but I guess something is better than nothing. In Japan they have a program for teaching English in which they hire English speakers from English speaking nations, to come teach in their public schools.
The nations that are not as developed as Germany and Japan are having a bit more problems. Sometimes the only way to learn the English language is through higher education. Public schools can not afford to have an English professor, so many have to rely on going to college to learn English. Since you actually have to pay to attend a college many can’t learn English because they simply cannot afford it. In nations like these, not many learn English, and language barriers become even harder. Unfortunately only the rich can learn a language that is so useful for the survival of a business, so competition between companies can easily be won by, who has the better English speakers. This can cause many businesses to go down, and when a business goes down that means that many jobs will be lose, which in turn means a larger rate of poverty.
As you can see, English has changed the world so much. Countries have been making English more accessible so that they can compete with the English speakers of the world due, in large part, to the fact that English speaking nations don’t really care for learning foreign languages. So it’s up to them to learn. But again this really only applies to countries like Germany, which having there own strong economy, can afford to teach English. Countries like Mexico can’t afford to pay to have English teachers in grade schools, even though they would like to. I find it interesting that English has shaped the world so much, and at times am really grateful that it has taken over, because if, for example, Japanese were the strongest language in the business world, I would have a lot of trouble programing my DVD player. But I still have some worries for the future. Will eventually English influence the world so much that other languages will go extinct? I truly hope not because, it is horrible to think my great grandchildren will not share with me, a language that we can call unique and our own. I truly find myself at a loss of words when I think about this.
Levi "Der Schriftsteller" Ayala
Friday, September 3, 2010
On Being Illiterate
Being illiterate would destroy me. It would kill me beyond all recognition, because I am a reader, and sometimes a writer; taking away such a marvelous privilege would be devastating. It is horrible for me to envision myself not being able to read, “The Great Gatsby”. If I were to lose the ability to read now at this very moment, I think I might go mad. I honestly think I would go off my rocker. How would I know what happens next in, “The Road” if I couldn’t read? I wouldn’t be able to see what my friends are up to on Facebook, and worse I wouldn’t be able to write this blog! Heartbreaking right? It would be too much for me to bare. But if I were to put that aside, and imagine myself in a state of illiteracy without ever knowing what I now know, I can see a situation that is bad, but I must say not as bad.
I can see that if I were to have never gotten the chance to learn how to read life would be very difficult. I would need people to read me my letters, someone to tell me what the newspaper is saying, and I wouldn’t be able to drive because I would never be able to pass the written part of the driving exam. I would have to find a job that didn’t require being able to read. The only jobs I know that don’t really need that are landscaping, construction, and plumbing. All of which I have actually done, and I’ll tell you something; it’s hard! These are not fun jobs; they are very hard; and require a great deal of physical strength. This is about all I would be able to do. Job at a library? Out of the question. How about a job working in an office? Nope. Well maybe unloading office supplies, but then I would need someone to tell me what each box has because I wouldn’t be able to read what the box says. Honestly, being illiterate would be very depressing. But then again maybe not.
Let me start of with a quote, “Ignorance is bliss”. I know some say that this is not true but perhaps, just maybe, it is. Let’s assume it is, just for the sake of argument. Now lets imagine I work at an office. What do people do in an office? Well they file papers, write reports, and on occasion, write reports. Now if I were illiterate, first I wouldn’t have this job. I would not have to read anything, spend my time writing reports, or risk paper cuts filing papers. That last one kind of seals the deal for me. This illiterate business sounds pretty good, at the moment. I would never get depressed by an email from a girlfriend saying that she wants to break up with me because first I can’t read, and second I wouldn’t have an email address. Can you say, “No more spam”?
Now I just want to be clear, I’m not advocating illiteracy. It may look like that, but I’m not. I, simply put, just have a weird sense of humor, and I just felt like ranting for a bit. I do, honestly, wish everyone could read and write. Being literate frees your mind, and your spirit. They may throw you in the “can” for a million years, and throw away the key, and beat you unmercifully, but they can’t take away your knowledge. And not being able to do that, you will always be free. I would never give up my literacy for anything in the world. Not for all the riches in the world, or for a place among kings. My education is so valuable to me, that I find that I am not a good enough writer to convey my feelings towards education, so I will say it in words that I feel are universal and that most people will understand. I love, and adore my education. My literacy is more precious than gold.
I can see that if I were to have never gotten the chance to learn how to read life would be very difficult. I would need people to read me my letters, someone to tell me what the newspaper is saying, and I wouldn’t be able to drive because I would never be able to pass the written part of the driving exam. I would have to find a job that didn’t require being able to read. The only jobs I know that don’t really need that are landscaping, construction, and plumbing. All of which I have actually done, and I’ll tell you something; it’s hard! These are not fun jobs; they are very hard; and require a great deal of physical strength. This is about all I would be able to do. Job at a library? Out of the question. How about a job working in an office? Nope. Well maybe unloading office supplies, but then I would need someone to tell me what each box has because I wouldn’t be able to read what the box says. Honestly, being illiterate would be very depressing. But then again maybe not.
Let me start of with a quote, “Ignorance is bliss”. I know some say that this is not true but perhaps, just maybe, it is. Let’s assume it is, just for the sake of argument. Now lets imagine I work at an office. What do people do in an office? Well they file papers, write reports, and on occasion, write reports. Now if I were illiterate, first I wouldn’t have this job. I would not have to read anything, spend my time writing reports, or risk paper cuts filing papers. That last one kind of seals the deal for me. This illiterate business sounds pretty good, at the moment. I would never get depressed by an email from a girlfriend saying that she wants to break up with me because first I can’t read, and second I wouldn’t have an email address. Can you say, “No more spam”?
Now I just want to be clear, I’m not advocating illiteracy. It may look like that, but I’m not. I, simply put, just have a weird sense of humor, and I just felt like ranting for a bit. I do, honestly, wish everyone could read and write. Being literate frees your mind, and your spirit. They may throw you in the “can” for a million years, and throw away the key, and beat you unmercifully, but they can’t take away your knowledge. And not being able to do that, you will always be free. I would never give up my literacy for anything in the world. Not for all the riches in the world, or for a place among kings. My education is so valuable to me, that I find that I am not a good enough writer to convey my feelings towards education, so I will say it in words that I feel are universal and that most people will understand. I love, and adore my education. My literacy is more precious than gold.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Awesome Video For The Closeted Nerd And The Declared Nerd.
My friend sent me this video a really long time ago, (some time in Febuary I think) and I truly loved it. But as you all know, we all tend to forget somethings and so I forgot about this video. Now I was going through my emails and I rediscovered this little treasure.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
On Being A Critical Thinker
Critical thinking is somewhat new to me. I have heard of it for a while now, but I had never really gotten into it until last semester. I have always been the type of person who never really looks at what is behind the scenes. I decided to take the easy way in life, and never thought twice of what I was being told. I would swallow everything up, almost like a fish. A fish does not see the hook behind the worm, and ultimately proceeds to his death. This is how I used to think, just like the fish. I would be easily tricked by any fancy sounding news anchor, or car salesman. But then I took a class, an English 101 class. Okay you might think, “What’s the big deal? You just learn to write in an English class.” Well now you’re wrong, because that’s not all you learn. At least in my class, not sure about the rest. My teacher wanted us to specialize in critical thinking, so that we would not be fooled by so many false advertisements, claims, and things like Bigfoot or Jesus appearing on people’s tortillas. Which, in all honesty, is just ridiculous.
I order to think critically, my professor taught me that I must break what is being sold to me or said, into pieces. I must verify each part of the statement in order to check for validity, before I make my decision, but I must admit I do not do this all the time. I try my hardest to analyze things, but I usually forget and just go with whatever sounds good to me at the moment. I really need to work on that, because when I have used my critical thinking skills, every has turned out much better than when I don’t. What I do tend to think critically about is books, movies, and on occasion, late night infomercials. I usually like to keep my distance from politics, because I feel it can cause a lot of strife if I get too involved. I have very liberal friends and very conservative friends, so if I were to think critically about their favorite politicians I’m more than certain I could find some fault in their policy, but at what cost? I wouldn’t like to lose the friends I’ve made over some policy that could or could not help the country. I value my friendships way too much to ever let a thing like that tear us apart. Now when it comes to books, movies, and art I love to analyze. When I see a painting, I try my best to think about that work of art. I take into consideration the time period, the medium that the artist used, if possible where the painter was, and try to make sense of what is in front of me. I try to know what this person is telling me with this work of art through the use of my critical thinking skills.
Now this semester I am taking a English 103 class, which will further hone my critical thinking skills. I really hope that I will learn new techniques and tricks when it comes to thinking. I only know a few, so if I were to learn some new techniques that would be amazing. Plus if I am constantly being asked to think critically about things it might become habitual. I tend to forget to think critically, so if I were to practice it I think I might remember to apply it to everything. As the saying goes “practice makes perfect”. These are my goals in taking this class, oh and getting 3 units towards getting my AA and being able transfer, but that’s besides the point.
-Absalom "Der Schriftsteller" Ayala
I order to think critically, my professor taught me that I must break what is being sold to me or said, into pieces. I must verify each part of the statement in order to check for validity, before I make my decision, but I must admit I do not do this all the time. I try my hardest to analyze things, but I usually forget and just go with whatever sounds good to me at the moment. I really need to work on that, because when I have used my critical thinking skills, every has turned out much better than when I don’t. What I do tend to think critically about is books, movies, and on occasion, late night infomercials. I usually like to keep my distance from politics, because I feel it can cause a lot of strife if I get too involved. I have very liberal friends and very conservative friends, so if I were to think critically about their favorite politicians I’m more than certain I could find some fault in their policy, but at what cost? I wouldn’t like to lose the friends I’ve made over some policy that could or could not help the country. I value my friendships way too much to ever let a thing like that tear us apart. Now when it comes to books, movies, and art I love to analyze. When I see a painting, I try my best to think about that work of art. I take into consideration the time period, the medium that the artist used, if possible where the painter was, and try to make sense of what is in front of me. I try to know what this person is telling me with this work of art through the use of my critical thinking skills.
Now this semester I am taking a English 103 class, which will further hone my critical thinking skills. I really hope that I will learn new techniques and tricks when it comes to thinking. I only know a few, so if I were to learn some new techniques that would be amazing. Plus if I am constantly being asked to think critically about things it might become habitual. I tend to forget to think critically, so if I were to practice it I think I might remember to apply it to everything. As the saying goes “practice makes perfect”. These are my goals in taking this class, oh and getting 3 units towards getting my AA and being able transfer, but that’s besides the point.
-Absalom "Der Schriftsteller" Ayala
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