Exams= no fun

Maybe it was because this was the first exam I've taken this year and I was nervous, or because I suck at taking tests, but I thought this past Listening test was... difficult. I studied the material too! I had a very efficient study sheet, with basically everything that was in my notebook- anything you could possibly want to know about listening, and I still felt unprepared when I got that test. I think the hardest for me was the fill in the blank's. Personally, I'm not a fan of them, because you need to know definitions completely word for word, rather than just the overall concept and idea. So they are overly confusing and not helpful to me. I think that was my worst section of the test. The multiple choice and T/F were very explicit and self explanatory which was great, and even the short answers were fine because you get to talk out your ideas on the paper and it doesn't need to be an exact text book answer. Honestly the only problem I had was with the fill in the blanks.
I probably could have studied a bit more, but now I know. I didn't study word for word definitions, but more like the general concepts and ideas. I'll work on that. Overall, the test was fine. I just really don't like tests to begin with, so my answer might be a bit bias.

Truth: I'm not the best listener

You know when people are watching TV and their eyes get glazed over? That's the way I look when I am listening to something that I am not interested in. That's one factor that greatly hinders my ability to listen. If a certain topic or a show doesn't interest me, I barely pay attention, which is not the best thing, especially in a classroom setting. If I tune out a bit, I really can't recall facts or the information discussed too well, and I won't be able to remember it when the time comes for an exam. That's probably my worst habit- if a certain topic doesn't keep my attention, I won't try to keep my attention focused on it, but I'll find something else to amuse me, which isn't a problem at all. I'd say this definitely interferes with my ability to listen, it's not a help at all. Another factor is that I get distracted way to easily...by anything really, whether its mental or physical interferences. Again, it definitely hinders my ability to listen and comprehend.
The only thing I can do to compensate for their influence, is to engross myself in the material, whether I find it interesting or not, and FOCUS. I bet that if I really tried, I could tune out everything else around me, and really concentrate on the topic. Write excessive notes, mentally repeat everything the professor says after she says it- sure that's a bit extreme but it will keep my mind on the material, no matter how badly I want to just tune it out. It all comes down to just focusing- sucking it up and actually listening. Go figure

G'day Mate- Dust Storm in Australia

I don't know if anyone has heard, but recently in Australia, there was this huge dust storm. I know what you're thinking: Australia is on the other side of the world- you either had no idea or don't care. Which is totally fine. BUT it is really interesting. I especially find it crazy because I was in Australia for three months last summer, and I lived in Sydney where they got hit pretty bad with this storm. So when my Aussie friend called me and told me what happened, I was shocked! He said how everyone woke up in the morning, and all you could see was orange dust being swirled around every where because of the intense wind. I was reading some articles about it online, and one lady being interviewed said, "When i first woke up, my curtains were drawn so i assumed there was some hectic large bushfire...." The dust was that bright! Everything was covered. The cars, the streets, the people walking outside... It wasn't advised that anyone went out of their house, because the ventilation was so bad. Many people, as a result were hospitalized. Not to mention, this was no small thing. The dust storm was 310 miles wide and 620 miles long that swept the East coast. It's really an unbelievable picture.

When my friend called me, the dust had settled down, but it still covered a lot of the cars and it was still in the air. People were walking around with scarves and masks to cover their noses. It's so hard for me to believe- that the place I lived for three months, basically turned orange. I thought it was fascinating and I found myself reading a lot about it! But for those of you who have never been to Australia and can't get the mental picture, here are some photos I found of the dust storm. It's really amazing.

Take a look at that! That's the dust cloud first coming in!

Before the Storm:

SydneyOpera house
After -->

This is the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Can you see it?? Barely? My point exactly.

Dancing Jitters

Dancing used to be my life- I started in first grade and stopped when I was a senior in high school. I loved it, and I still do really, but I wanted to try other things because dancing was all I knew. So for eleven years, my world revolved around dancing: classes, shows, practices, and competitions. I competed a lot, and honestly, I was pretty good- I made it to the highest level you could be at- eleven years worth of dancing helped me get to that level so it was no piece of cake. Even though I had been competing since I was about six years old, every time at a competition when I was about to go onstage, my insides would do back flips. I would get so nervous, and so jittery until I stepped foot on that stage and heard the music begin. It still amazes me that even after all that time, when I should have been used to the crowds and judges and the thrill of it all, my stomach never ceased to do insane back flips. I remember one particular time, I was in San Diego, California for my national competition- and I was as nervous as ever. I was meeting new people from all over the country, watching these girls dance and I got sooo anxious. Meanwhile, the stage hand was yelling out directions- where for us to go; we had to submit information over here, line up over there in the order she told us, and I was not coherent. All I could focus on were the thousand butterflies that were swirling around in my stomach. It was all mental- "I've done this a million times before, I'm a pro. There's no need for this" I just kept telling myself. Eventually I calmed myself down, and I was able to listen and follow directions. I never realized how much it blocks your ability to pay attention when you get nervous and all worked up.

Twilight.. Seriously?

Okay. I'm going to be honest- I've read the Twilight books...and enjoyed them. It was a quick read- the sappy love plot mixed in with danger and suspence was enough to keep me hooked for awhile, but now this whole Twilight frenzy is driving me up a wall! For those of you who don't know about the Twilight Saga, it's a four part series about teenage vampires. I know, it sounds ridiculous, and I'm ashamed to even admit that I even liked them, but I'm happy to report that my eyes were opened. Seriously... what is with everybody? If anyone reading this is a Twilight fan, take no offense- maybe you could even shed some light about why everyone is completely obsessed. I can understand how people would enjoy the books- I was one of them, but now it is at a whole new level.

For example, I went to see the first movie when it came out in theatres last year. First of all, the place was a mad house. I've never seen so many screaming girls with fanatic Twilight tshirts and posters. (seriously- posters that said "We love Edward Cullen." really girls? He's not here. He can't see this. And good thing too because I think he'd be as scared as I was) During the movie, whenever the male lead, Edward Cullen, played by Rob Pattinson got on screen, the theatre errupted with high obnoxious screams- and didn't die down, so I had to go see the movie again so I could actually hear the dialogue. And now the second movie is coming out on November 20. I can't turn on the TV without seeing a preview, or a magazine without one of the actors on the cover- even the adds on the side of my facebook page is about the new movie, or the stars.

Which brings me to my next point- The actors. What's with Rob Pattinson? Do people actually find him good looking? He legitimately looks like a vampire. Can we please take a look at this. Yes, okay he could be under the category "attractive" but not to the point where girls feel the need to uncontrollably scream. he has an accent, which is cool, but HE is what all the fuss is about- it's not about the books anymore, it's all about him, which annoys me. All the hype is driving me crazy- if I have to see one more movie trailer for the new movie coming out in November, I'm going to scream just like those millions of girls, but for an entirely different reason.

I guess it all comes down to this- I was a fan a Twilight, I admit it. Before the craziness, before the fanatics, before the movie. But all the drama, the obsession, the fuss over the actors, and now even the movie itself, has put me over the edge. I don't see why everyone has to be all crazy. I don't see the big deal, because it's not. I think everyone should just chill. It's just a movie. We've all seen one of those before. Rob Pattinson is a cute boy, no need to completely lose ourselves.

So what's everyone else doing on November 20? I'll tell you what I'm doing: not going to see the sequel.

I should have gotten a GPS

If I had to make a list of things that I hate, getting lost would would definitely be high up there- especially because I have no GPS, no navigation system on my phone, and absolutely no sense of direction. Triple threat. Last week, I found myself in a crazy situation. I was attempting to make my way back to Montclair State from Seton Hall University in South Orange. It was 11:00 pm, driving down South Orange Ave looking for the Garden State Parkway when I realized I was headed into the heart of Newark. Yikes. I'm not knockin Newark, but it's not the safest place to drive by yourself at night- like any city, it can be a little scary. And not gonna lie, I was getting a little nervous. I needed to find the parkway, I needed to get off this dark street, I needed directions. So I called my dad :)

My phone was glued to my ear; the sound of my dad's worried voice ringing through my ears as he was repeatedly asking me why on earth I was on that street at this time of night. I have NEVER listened so intently to the directions my dad started telling me, turn by turn. The situation I was in really intensified my listening-and I tried tuning out all the "noise" or anything that distracted me, which was a struggle. I was stopped at a red light, and a man was walking a little too close to my car for my liking, sirens were wailing in the background, people were shadily standing on street corners or jumping across the street with no regard to cars coming toward them. So many things were grabbing my attention, causing me to lose focus on my dad's directions, and I had to ask him to repeat what he had said many times. But bottom line is that when it came down to it, I held on to my Dad's words like they were the last words I would ever hear. I didn't interrupt. I wasn't fumbling with the radio or thinking about my plans for the next day. I listened. And because I listened, I found my way back to Montclair safe and sound.
The situation I was in greatly influenced my participation in the communication process.
If I was in the comfort of my own house asking my dad for directions, and not under the strain of being in an unfamiliar city, not knowing where I was, I can't honestly say that I would have paid as close attention as I did. It changed everything, and made all the difference.

If I learned from this experience: a GPS is definitely worth the investment.

The First of Many

Since this is my first post to this blog, I feel like I need to make a good first impression. Hence I've been sitting at my computer for a little over a half hour, wondering exactly what I wanted to say, what I wanted you readers to know about me and my life, in a nutshell. First, let's start with my name, shall we? I'm Mary, and welcome to my first blog ever. Not going to lie, I'm pretty excited- I've always wanted a blog. However, before reading future posts about my thoughts or life's revelations, it's probably best that you learn a little bit about me.
While I was thinking of what to write in the "About Me" section of this profile blog, I was suprised that I was having such difficulty to put together a few sentences describing who I am. And I realized, that just a few sentences really isn't going to cut it. I'm a very complex person. I could go on and on, about my faith, my family and background, and my friends- all of which made me into the person that I am today; there are so many factors.

I am not going to ramble and turn this post into a thesis about my personal identity. I am, however, going to be honest and completely myself with what I write, and you'll be able to see the real me. That's why I am pretty excited to start this blog. I have always been better at expressing myself through writing- I wrote my first poem when I was eight years old, and I just kept going from there. There's this quote that I love, said by Eugene Delacroix, that is going to sum up my blog for you: " “What moves those of genius, what inspires their work is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.”

I love that quote, and it's basically a good intro for my blog. I usually have a lot to say... I almost always have some sort of thought about SOMETHING, and I'm better with writing my words and thoughts down on paper, or in this case, in a blog, rather than speaking them. That's just the way I am- it might be different for you.
So in my future posts, I plan to write about things that I care for, what amuses or interests me, what's bothering me,what caught my eye earlier, my random thoughts or questions that crossed my mind; all will be yours to read. My one hope, is that in everything I write, you learn a little more about me. That's my goal.