A move
Hi friends,
Last month I moved my website to http://susirupines.lt . It might work slower, but I have much more freedom there and it has a shorter name. Otherwise, I keep all articles here too, as a back-up.
Social and academic adventures
I have recently participated in three ”Academic/Social trainings”(Akademiniai ir socialiniai mokymai) in my university, and I want to share a bit of (even though it’s still ongoing) of my experience.
There are quite a few important questions that every student has to face at one time or another of his university studies. (A few examples – how do you enroll to university, what is the study calendar, scholarships, academic holidays…). It is even more important for anyone who thinks of himself as a “student representative” or “memeber of student’s union” to have answers. How could one study, not knowing how to, and, more importantly, not knowing who to turn to for an answer?
How much is “too much”?
“Too much food”, “too much talking”, “too much time”, “too much money”…
I wonder, how much is “too much”, and where is the limit that separates “just a little too much” and “if it was only a bit more”. In our lives, we often face these quantities and tell the “too much” phrases, but what actually makes us say them? How do we choose? And is it possible that someone else will understand what a person saying “too much” actually means?
I want to discuss an imaginary situation. Let’s say we happen to be in a market. A man, called John, is trying to buy a chair for his lovely home. He asks a marketer: “is 10 Euro enough”. If the marketer is not greedy and a price is close to the cost of making and transporting the chair, he’ll most probably say “yes, it is enough”. Otherwise, he could say either “too little” or “too much”. In this example, it is easy for marketer to answer, because he has the needed information for it.
Moreover, if John does not understand the answer, it is reasonable for him to ask a question: “Why?”, and the marketer could easily answer.
However, in this situation the subject that is being valued is very well known, so it should be relatively easy compared to a situation where the subject is unknown.
If we consider talking – how can we draw a line between too much and too little? It is obvious when only a few words are said or if it never ends, but the question is what happens near the center. There are many criteria to consider – the topic, the speed of talking, the person that is talking and so on. Who can you compare to- yourself, your friends, famous politicians?…
Also, think about any other “subject” or “thing” that is not very well known or even “unknown” to you. Is it not misleading to say “too little” or “too much” to your friend or colleague, who might know just as little and be trusting on your opinion?
I think that the basis for saying “how much is “too much”" should be the facts that you really know. If you can not answer “Why?”, unlike the marketer, who can, why, then, say “too much?” and confuse yourself and everybody else?
Or, maybe, it could be benefitial to think “too much, because” in your head before actually opening your mouth?
When did you first meet a foreigner?
If today I heard a question “When did you meet a foreigner?”, it would be easy to answer. I had a foreigner staying at my home last week, I talked to a foreigner over the internet yesterday, I heard foreigner speak in a street today…
In our countries there are many many foreigners these days (maybe over 1/5 in Lithuania are not of Lithuanian ethnicity), tourists fly in and out every day with cheap Ryanair or ride in simply with “Simple Express” buses. However, even though we often meet foreigners and are used to it, there are many questions to answer – where does it start? How one can meet a foreigner for a first time? What effect does it have? Is “first” foreigner any more significant than any other?
Music within
It is very important for us not to forget disabled people in our every day lives.
Yesterday I was watching a little American film “Music Within” which reminded me the reasons why the preceding statement is true.
In early development of human societies those with disabilities would often be gotten rid of immediately after birth (remember Spartans, who, with their strict military trainings, would send a weak child to death – and weak just in a meaning of not strong enough). I believe that for disabled – no hand or no leg, no eyesight or hearing – it would have been difficult to survive on their own in ancient or pre-historic times. The food was not reachable by spending a few bucks from a credit card, the caring system was not developed, and the motivation of parents is unknown.
Today, in our world, we must remember, that when we just come into life( are born), we come as disabled (in a sense of not being able to take care on our own). We can not eat on our own, walk on our own, even think on our own.
I think that we should compare our childhood with the life of disabled. We can look at how the disabled cope with their issues and think – was it a similar struggle for me to begin talking? Did I enjoy going around in my little wheel-chair? Was it similar to “not hearing”, not being able to understand the “bablings” of mom or dad?
In the film “Music Within”, I observed a fight a person who got a constant noise in his ear after a war-bombing. I saw how he met friends like him – disabled in one way or another, and his fight towards ADA (American with disabilities act).
It was a serious “cry”(struggle) of what in our childhood would be real crying or screaming.
Also, not to forget, our friends might be disadvantaged. Our work colleagues might be disadvantaged. Our teachers, our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, any people close to us, and we can not, and should not, forget them.
If sometimes from a perspective they look or act like little children, it should be a reason to like or support, or communicate with them more.
Just never forget.
One for all, all for one
I find it very motivating to have my stories selected in contests or me chosen as a participant in events like wyc (world youth congress). I want to share my story and other stories of contest I participated in this year – “One for all, all for one” writing contest.
5th World Youth Congress in Turkey
Happy to write my first post from Istanbul, this year the heart of European culture and new home to some 1000 people from around 150 different countries all around the world!
Bucharest 1-2-3-…-8
Bucharest. Day 1. July 23 2010
Smiling near the world of fantasies. What if the painter, or painter who painted the wall, or builders who built it were smiling in front of it in just the same way? Imagine the imaginary photos..
Leaving your mark in history
I was walking in the rooms of a Geology museum when I started to think what does leaving your mark in history mean this day, and what did it mean for creatures living millions of years ago.
Today, in my opinion, humanity in general thinks of leaving their mark as having children, writing a book, doing a memorable thing which would get into history books, planting a tree that would outlive them, building a house..(else??). Read the rest of this entry »
