Zoo Trip

During my trip to the zoo, I felt that there was a lot more smiling than laughing overall.  Many of the school busses had left, and I think a lot of the kids that were there we tired by the time I arrived at 2:00pm.  Also, it was a warm day and a lot of the animals were sleeping and were not nearly as active as I’m used to seeing them.

What made me laugh the most, unfortunately I didn’t get on video, was a conversation between a son and his parents.  As they were walking up to the elephant exhibit, the son asked, “Mom, elephants like peanuts right?”  The mom responded, “I think so.  Dad, isn’t that right?  I think that’s what I saw on Dumbo.”  And the dad said, “Well, that’s what Disney makes us believe.” What was so humorous about this conversation was that the child was oblivious to the sarcasm and jokes his parents were making.  I was overhearing their conversation, and it made me crack up.  Not necessary because laughter was contagious but because the parents were so sarcastic and sassy about a mundane question.

When I was by the duck pond where you can pay 25 cents to feed the ducks.  There was this cute family who had run out of change and I split my duck food with the two kids.  When the girl threw the food at one of the ducks it started quacking.  She got so excited that she yelled, “Mom, one talked back to me! It talked back to me!” (13 seconds into the video).  We all laughed because she got so excited by hearing the animal noises.

The other instance in which I saw people laughing was when a boy entered the “African Wind Tunnel” that simulates wind in the Sahara Desert.  From this video you can see that the boy was having a less than great experience but his aversion to the simulator made those around him laugh.  I definitely feel that this experience reflects the superiority theory and schadenfreude because the woman laughing was glad she didn’t have to experience the wind and was laughing at his obvious discontent.

I fully believe that laughter is contagious.  However, in my experiences at the zoo, one person’s laughter did not seem to always trigger another person’s laughter.  Yes, when someone laughed, the person with him/her may have chuckled.  But there were no instances of people being doubled over by laughter because of another person.

Those were the three instances in which laughter was most apparent to me at the zoo.  Below is what made me laugh the most.  As soon as I walked up to the flamingo exhibit, they all got agitated and started squawking.  Their fights made my mom and I laugh because they seemed so silly and cartoonish.  This was definitely the highlight of my zoo visit…

…until, while I was looking off at something else, my mom yells at me, “Come get this on video! The flamingos are doing it!”  Unfortunately they had concluded their romantic encounter by the time I got my phone on video to record.  But here is a picture of the moment right after it happened.

YouTube link for all of the videos (plus some awesome background music): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkLFhh5ZNeo

Learning - #3

Unfortunately this year, especially this semester, I severely overextended myself.  I felt that address stress and the difficulty of balancing nannying, schoolwork, and clubs.  I will run myself into the ground trying to get everything on my list accomplished.  I have the hardest time telling people “no” or slacking on my responsibilities.  I also over-compensate for other people’s negligence.

In regards to my job, I have nannied for the same family on a regular basis for two years and have babysat for them for four and a half years.  The times and days I work always changes each semester depending on my class schedule.  The mom I work for knew that I was stressed and was willing to let me cut back my hours depending on my class load.  However, by the time February hit, I was drowning in work and commitments.  I was afraid of quitting because I wanted to be able to work for her family as a summer job.  She was more than understanding when I told her that I couldn’t keep working during the school year and assured me that I would always have a job when I was out for the summer.

Regarding my schoolwork, my course load stays pretty much the same from semester to semester.  However, the difficulty of my classes and the time requirements changes drastically from semester to semester.  Spring 2015 has been especially gruesome.

And lastly, my involvement in clubs has put me over the edge this semester.  I hold an officer position in three clubs and am active in six organizations overall.  If I wasn’t doing homework, I was doing paperwork or planning events for the organizations I was involved in. 

Unfortunately, relationships with my family and my friends suffered.  I wasn’t good about keeping in touch with those that mattered most to me, I wasn’t taking care of myself by sleeping enough, eating right, and staying active, and, most of all, I was burnt out.  Instead of letting myself get overworked and extremely stressed, I need to quit over committing myself and accept the fact that I can’t do everything.

This semester has taught me that it is okay to say NO!

Learning - #2

One of the biggest learning experiences I encountered this semester was teaching and observing in an 8^th grade Spanish class.  I have taught many times in front of high school students, but this semester was entirely different.  My first day walking into the classroom, I had forgotten how small eight graders were.  There was such a difference between eighth and ninth graders that I wasn’t expecting.

Every time I taught a lesson or an activity, I was overcome with nervousness and anxiety.  My hands would get clammy, my heart would race, and I would start falling all over my words.  In other words, I was a nervous wreck.  I couldn’t figure out why I was struck with this intense uneasiness.  Then one day it hit me.  These students were much more dependent on me than the ninth graders were.  These students still needed their hands held.  They did not have as much autonomy nor had they learned the necessary skills to be responsible students.  Therefore, I felt this responsibility for them; I felt that their success was dependent upon me – and it was!

However, I need to take a step back and breathe.  I’ve taken Spanish for 16 years and have had so much exposure to the Spanish language.  I have the knowledge and the ability to teach thirteen and fourteen year olds, but the responsibility I felt for them was overwhelming.

This experience taught me that I need to trust myself and have confidence in my abilities.  I am perpetually stressed for a fear of failing.  But teaching is my future profession and I’m prepared to teach.  In 15 months, I will have a classroom all to myself, I will teach for about six hours a day.  I need to let the Spanish-speaking part of my brain take over and share what I know with the next generation.  I know that I need to have confidence in order to have a successful classroom, and I need to trust in my knowledge because I know that I can teach an exciting, productive Spanish I class.

Learning - #1

As I sit here writing this post, I feel my tired, sore shoulders from canoeing last night.  Canoeing last night was quite an experience.  Before arriving at the Trinity River, I didn’t know if I would be canoeing or kayaking.  I had previously kayaked twice before and those were both interesting experiences.  My first experience was with a guy from my high school, I was paired with a friend who had competitively kayaked, and he practically steered the boat himself; I may have just propelled it forward a bit.  My second experience was with my dad; we were in the Baltic Sea on choppy waters.  No matter what either of us did, the experience was difficult and hardly a success – but we did make it safely to shore!

For our Community Engagement Project, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to successfully paddle myself down the river.  Thankfully, I didn’t have to do it alone; I had great partners with whom I was able to make it down the river to Panther Island.

I definitely learned the most from the first half of the experience.  From carrying the canoe, which according to the Internet weights about 60-80lbs, down the ramp, I realized that this would be a difficult experience.  However, it was comforting to know I wasn’t going to have to do it alone.

When I got into the canoe, I was surprised at how shaky and unbalanced it was.  As my partner and I began to canoe, we realized as we glided on the water, the canoe would slowly steady itself.  Steering, on the other hand, was a daunting task.  As we gradually glided into one of the banks, I tried to redirect the canoe but ended up running into the bank and accidentally began to do donuts in the river.  I was frustrated with myself that I couldn’t make us go straight.  I was trying to do the fancy paddling movement that Cameron tried to teach us so that we wouldn’t waste time zigzagging on the River.  I felt that I was less capable than my peers and discouraged if I couldn’t make it down the river.  As we slowly progressed, I had the childish question repeating in my head, “Are we almost there?”

However, by the time one of the guides announced we were halfway through, I felt a since of satisfaction and confidence that I could finish canoeing down the river, even if my shoulders and arms were tired.

A constant struggle in my life is to not try to micromanage and plan everything.  This canoe trip definitely taught me that I need to go with the flow more often even when I am uncomfortable in a situation.

Final Presentation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YXbwDFUdWU

Conversation Partner Social

Conversation Partner Reflection - #6

As the semester is coming to a close, each week I talk with Cindy, she is getting more and more excited about returning to China.  How could she not be thrilled?  I would be extremely homesick after being away from my family for five months in a country that I had never visited nor was completely fluent in the main language.  She is so brave to have ventured so far away from home to receive a university education.

In January, she arrived at the DFW international airport, unable to communicate with an airline employee.  Now, Cindy will talk to me for over two hours.  In our most recent conversation, she shared with me one of the perks of being in the United States.  Shockingly, she shared how cheap items are in this country.  In fact, her parents have made a list of items that they want her to bring back to China, including: an iPhone 6 Plus, shampoo, clothes, and more.  It surprised me that a lot of items are cheaper in the US than in China.  We hear so much through the media about how cheap labor is in Asia; I assumed that the price of goods in Asian countries would be low since it is where many were produced. 

On top of midterms, packing up her room, and getting ready to fly home in a couple of weeks, Cindy has to go to different stores around town to get stuff to bring back for her family…without a car!  I feel like it would be quite difficult to live in a city but be unable to get around with transportation.  However, she happily runs errands for her family since they have so graciously made it possible for her to study internationally.

Talking to Cindy about returning to China, I learned that she is most excited to be reunited with her parents, her fluffy dog, and her beloved, authentic Chinese food.  But before she can head home, she has to figure out how to pack all of her things – and everything she has acquired in the last five months – into two suitcases!

As I prepare to study abroad in Spain for six weeks this summer, I am trying to approach my imminent departure with as much courage and joy as Cindy has shown me this semester.  No matter the difficulties she has faced being in a foreign country, she remains unshaken and grateful for the opportunity to receive her education in another country.  Every time I see Cindy, she has a huge smile across her face no matter what is going on in her life.  I can tell that she is truly enjoying the life she lives.  I hope that her optimism and cheerfulness will carry with me to Spain as her optimism and cheerfulness has carried with her from China to the United States.

Conversation Partner Reflection - #5

The day before Cindy and I met, my dad called me and wanted me to ask Cindy about a Chinese wine he had received from a client.  He texted me a picture, and I told him I would ask Cindy about it.

Cindy and I met, and I proceeded to show her a picture of the bottle, the accompanying glasses and the box.  She indicated to me that it was not wine but rather one of the strongest liquors in China.  She told me that it is to be drunk by men at a meal and that the glasses are small for a reason…

This quick discussion prompted me to ask about the drinking customs in her culture.  I wrongly assumed that their rules and customs would be similar to ours.  I thought that the drinking age would be 21 considering their rules on pregnancy.  Cindy shared with me that their drinking age was similar to the rest of the world and was set at 18.

She said that there is a lot of peer pressure around drinking.  I found that peer pressure was one of the biggest similarities between our drinking customs.  She said that within her friend group she was encouraged to drink even if she didn’t want to.  I found her situation to be similar to college parties – where it can seem unacceptable to be sober.

She talked about the differences between genders when it comes to drinking.  I learned that it is more acceptable for men to drink than for women in most social situations.  It surprised me when she said that she would never drink in front over her parents.  She told me that only her dad would drink when company was over, her mother would never drink.  The concept of having a beer or a glass of wine in front over her parents seemed unfathomable, unlike many families in the States.

While I originally thought that our drinking customs would be fairly similar, I realized that their drinking customs were bound to be different if their eating habits and their treatment of elders differs from ours.  Reflecting on our past conversations, it makes sense that drinking is typically done in communal settings since their eating habits are communal as well.  Since the Chinese seem to have a more formal respect towards their elders, I see that it may be culturally inappropriate to consume alcohol in their presence.

While I expected Cindy to have some sort of experience similar to our tailgates, in relation to alcohol consumption, reflecting on the Chinese cultural practices and traditions has helped me understand why their drinking customs differ so widely from ours.

Conversation Partner Reflection - #4

Cindy came over to my apartment one evening, and I cooked dinner for her.  As you may recall, I was debating about what to cook for her.  I wanted to make something “authentically American;” however, I ran out of time and ended up throwing together a quick pot of soup.  Thankfully, Cindy is not a picky eater and ended up loving the meal.

Since our meeting revolved around food, it was only natural for our conversation to revolve around food as well.  We each talked about our customs revolving around having dinner with one’s family.  In my family, for big meals, everyone typically is in the kitchen, and each person is in charge of one dish.  When it comes time for dinner, we all grab our plates from the table, get our food buffet-style in the kitchen, and return to the dining room to eat.  This is the tradition that I grew up with because no one wanted to use the serving platters and have to wash twice as many dishes.

On the other hand, Cindy said that typically her mother and grandmother cook for big family meals.  When it comes time to eat, all of the dishes are put into the middle of the table, everyone takes their seat, and everyone begins to grab what food they want from the options on the table.  I originally understood this description as passing each dish around the table, each person taking what he/she wants.  However, Cindy meant that each person takes his/her utensils and grabs food from the center of the table. 

Maybe there is an order of who gets to put food on their plate first, but this seems chaotic to me.  However, I could tell that when I told Cindy about my traditions, she seemed confused as to why we walked around the house with our plates in our hands. 

I consider myself a fairly culturally aware person, yet it continues to amaze me how different our traditions are from one another in ways that I couldn’t have imagined.  From something so simple as eating, a human act that is required to survive, I can see how our values can differ.  Since my entire family helps cook the meal, it is unnecessary for us to present it in the middle of the table.  However, for her family, sharing out of a large dish enhances the sense of community amongst those at the table.

Negative Humor

This past weekend, my parents and I went and saw The Book of Mormon in Dallas.  Going into the theater, I had no idea of what to expect.  All I knew was that it was a musical comedy created by the creator of South Park and it was about Mormon missionaries.  What I did not know before watching the musical was how crude and negative the humor would be.

For those of you who do not know what the musical is about, you can read a synopsis here (warning: there are spoilers).

While the entire musical is riddled with negative humor, I am going to focus on one scene.  As the Mormon missionaries arrive in Uganda and begin speaking with the Ugandans, the villagers tell the missionaries that they sing a song to cheer them up when they are distressed about their daily hardships.  This song is in their native tongue and essentially means “F*** You, God!”

For many in the audience, they were prepared for obscene and degrading language.  For me, I knew that the musical was a religious satire, but I was not prepared for the berating and assailing language used.  I looked over to see my mother’s reaction, knowing she is a deeply religious person, and saw that she was appalled.  She was shocked at the concept while I was shocked at the fact that the musical has had so much success despite its demeaning messages.

My speculation is that the majority of the audience felt superior to the developing country of Uganda.  There is a certain sense of disengagement from the situation considering that the audience is predominantly American and that the musical is performed in the United States by mainly American actors.  While the audience may be disengaged, the situation, in particular, was still offensive because it insulted the majority religion of the United States; according to a Gallup poll, 77 percent of Americans identify as Christian.

While the strong negative humor shocked me, I understand that the musical was a “somewhat innocuous” medium to ridicule certain groups of people since the majority of the audience seemed to be prepared for the musical …unless they were like me.

Breaking Out Into Laugher - #2

Since my llama story got such a great response from my peers, I thought I would share another humorous experience from the Fort Worth Stock Show.  This time, I attended the sheep dog show.  I went once when I was little but didn’t remember much about it.

For those who aren’t familiar with the sheep dog show.  A sheep dog and its handler enter into the arena at one end and three sheep enter at the other end.  The dog is required to follow a certain course before herding the three sheep into a pen.  The handler commands the dog by verbal commands and/or whistling.  If the dog doesn’t complete this task in the allotted time (5 minutes), it is disqualified.

http://www.texassheepdogassoc.org/images/fort-worth-course.jpg

On to the story.  I went with a group of about 20 (ranging in age from about 3-70+ years old) and had a blast.  However, we do more than just watch the dogs.  We have a “dog draft.”  For each round, we get the list of the dogs, and we all pick a dog and bet a dollar on our dog.  If you win the round you end up making about $15.  However, if your dog bites one of the sheep, your dog is disqualified and you get your dollar back.

In this case, the sheep attacked the dog, and the dog continued to fight back.  What is unusual about this situation is that the sheep first attacked the dog.  Usually, the dogs are so excited to round up the sheep that they run, catch up to them, and bite one of their legs.  Sheep are followers and tend to stick together at all times.  However, in this instance, one sheep removed itself from the flock, faced the dog face-to-face, and pounced.

We all broke out into laughter because of the unexpected nature of the situation.  We all hope that some of the dogs disregard their handlers and go after one of the sheep, but none of us expected any of the sheep to go after the dogs.  The incongruity of this situation made us all burst with laughter.  What was particularly amusing was the handler’s reaction to this situation.  He thought he would be able to control the dog and got visibly upset.  Another reason that this situation was so funny was how long it lasted.  The dog and the sheep kept going back and forth at one other.  The handler couldn’t control the situation and the animals were determined to be defiant.  We felt sympathy for the handler because he had worked to hard to train his dog, but we were more excited to watch what “wasn’t supposed to happen.”

And as we all laughed at the situation, I looked over to my friend whose dog was involved in this incident, and I was thankful that this wasn’t “my dog.”  However, the dog I did pick – Dell – did go on the win his round, and I walked away with $16…just enough to cover the price of parking and a coke.

Luckily, I was able to capture the end of this moment on video, and now it can bring laughter to others…

http://youtu.be/KExLFg8MLBo

Conversation Partner Reflection - #3

Cindy and I met again at Fruitealicious.  I was really eager to meet with her because it was Mardi Gras and the week of the Chinese New Year.  When I think of the Chinese New Year, I think of the dancing dragon and the fact that each year is designated by one of twelve animals.  I was excited for her to share the tradition of the Chinese New Year with me and I to share the tradition of Mardi Gras with her.

When she arrived, she immediately started talking about her day of class with the IEP.  She told me that they had learned about Mardi Gras and ate King’s Cake…and didn’t get the baby!  I was a little bummed that she had already learned of one the biggest southern celebrations.  On the other hand, I learned more than I ever could have imagined about Chinese New Year.

One of the most interesting things I learned was how the Chinese New Year has been influenced by the many dynasties over the years.  Kids receive red pockets with money from their parents and grandparents, spend Chinese New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year with their family, and eat traditional food.  The celebration sounded a lot like my Christmas.  Through the IEP they were going to have a celebration over the weekend that she invited me to, but, unfortunately, I had a prior commitment and couldn’t attend.

One of the things that I wondered about throughout our conversation is her religion.  Maybe it’s the way I was raised, but asking someone about his/her religion can be a bit taboo if you don’t know how he/she will react.  I know that Chinese New Year is based on the phases of the moon but didn’t know if it had any religious background.  She also told me that her mom knows a lot of astrology and horoscopes.  Thinking about this, I know that Cindy wants to share her way of life with me and would be more than willing to talk about her religion, but a part of me feels that it may be intrusive, as many people are private about their faith.

On another note, throughout our discussion, she was telling me about how the animals that are designated for each year represent something, such as: fortune, wisdom, loyalty, and so forth.  She proceeded to show me a necklace given to her by her mom that meant safety and a coral bracelet given to her by her dad that meant something else.  I began thinking about the English language and American traditions, and I feel like we don’t focus on what certain animals and items represent.  Yes, many Americans read and follow their horoscopes, but I don’t feel that my parents would give me a piece of jewelry because the material was supposed to mean something specific and apply to my life.

Talking with Cindy always makes me reflect on my life and the traditions that I grew up with.  Her traditions are nationalistic and pervasive throughout those in her life.  Sometimes I feel that my traditions are unsubstantial considering that China has been around for over three thousand years and America had only been around 300 years.  It’s awe-inspiring to me to see Cindy’s joy for her traditions and her family, but it’s also heartbreaking to see that this is her first time experiencing these traditions away from her family and away from her country.

Conversation Partner Reflection - #2

Cindy and I met at Fruitealicious one afternoon so she could share one of her favorite drinks – milk tea – with me.  When I arrived, Cindy had already gotten there and ordered.  Since I was unfamiliar with milk tea and how to order it, I got something else but am hoping to have the guts to try it the next time we meet!

During our conversation, we compared our cultural differences.  One of the most interesting things we discussed was the role of education in our upbringings.  I went to a private school that was extremely academically strenuous that left me with little free time if any.  I thought her experience would be similar or maybe even less difficult.  I quickly found out that her experience was quite the contrary.  There is even more importance placed on education in China because universities and jobs are so competitive.  She mentioned how she only slept 5-6 hours a night because of how much school and homework she had to complete.  School was so serious that the teachers would make students of the same sex sit next to each other because relationship were significantly frowned upon until the college years.  This conversation opened my eyes because, in my experience, high school was competitive and demanding, but my experience was not nearly as taxing as hers.

We also talked a lot about food.  She pulled up a lot of pictures on her phone of traditional Chinese dishes.  What she considers Chinese food is significantly different from American-Chinese food.  She said how much she missed it because she can’t find anything authentic in Fort Worth.  While she was showing me the pictures, it dawned on me how different our palates must be.  She says that she loves spicy food and that it is a staple in Chinese gastronomy.  However, if I eat anything spicy, I need a gallon of milk to wash it down, and I will have a stomachache for the rest of the day.  Also, talking about desserts, I am an ice-cream-loving, tiramisu-loving chocoholic.  When she showed me pictures of Chinese desserts, they seemed to typically be fruitier and healthier than American desserts.

While we were talking about food, I asked if something was crunchy, and she did not know what it meant.  To me, crunchy is an inherent term, and I honestly had no clue how to describe it.  I thought that it would be easy for me to explain English terms to someone else since I am studying to be a Spanish teacher and have taken courses on how to teach ESL (English as a second language).  However, I am used to translating between two languages – finding the direct translation.  In this case, the only way I could describe it was the texture of a potato chip in the sense that when you bite into it, it makes a distinct sound.  I sounded crazy in the middle of the restaurant mimicking the sound it makes.  However, this was a really important lesson for me because it reminded be how important it is to have someone who is non-judgmental and willing to help when learning a second language.  I got really frustrated myself because I couldn’t explain an English word, but it reminded me to have patience because I’m sure Cindy was struggling much more than me.

As we continued to talk about food, she told me that she wanted to cook me something authentically Chinese.  That got me thinking; I would love to cook Cindy something authentically American.  But what exactly is that? A hamburger? Thanksgiving dinner? Pot roast?  Meatloaf?  The list goes on and on...or should I take her to get good Texas BBQ since “Texas is the best country in the world?”

Conversation Partner Reflection - #1

My conversation partner for the semester is Cindy.  As soon as I got her contact information, I emailed her, and she replied immediately.  We set up a time to meet at Union Grounds, and I began anticipating our meeting.

I was apprehensive about how well we would be able to communicate.  Britt has told us that she would try to match us with an intermediate to advanced English speaker.  I was hoping that we would be able to converse with ease but was scared if we were unable to.  Cindy is from China, and I know none of her native language.  However, I knew somehow we would make it work.

The day came for Cindy and I to meet.  I sat at table at Union Grounds and looked for someone who might be Cindy.  I saw a girl, on her iPhone, standing in line for coffee, and I thought she must be Cindy since she was the only Asian girl in Union Grounds.  I was terrified to walk up to her merely assuming that she was Cindy based on her physical appearance.  I proceeded to take out my phone and text her.  As soon as I started writing the message, I realized that it wasn’t an iMessage but a regular SMS.  Therefore, I concluded the girl in line couldn’t be Cindy.  I finished my text saying where I was sitting and what I was wearing, and I pressed “send.”  She easily found me and, lo and behold, it was the girl I first suspected could be Cindy standing at the counter.  While that first assumption turned out to be true, our conversation included many assumptions, on my part, that were culturally inappropriate and ignorant.

We introduced ourselves and sat down and conversation flowed naturally.  I quickly learned that she has wonderful English and language would not be a barrier between us.  In fact, she is one of the chattiest people I have ever met.  I found it hard to get a word in!  We talked about our families, our homes, our favorite foods, our pets, our schools, our hobbies, our taste in movies, and so forth.  Since it was our first day to meet, our conversation felt somewhat superficial.  There was one moment when I felt extremely culturally unaware.  We were talking about our parents and their jobs, and I asked if she had any siblings.  She quickly responded, “Of course I don’t…because of the law.”  It was a common, American question to ask, but it was ignorant of me to have forgotten that that was the custom.

She shared how excited she was to be able to share the Chinese culture with me.  I assumed that she would want to know more about the US since she had only been in the country for three weeks.  However, she wanted to tell me about their customs, their traditions, their way of life, and their language.  She started out teaching my how to pronounce her name, Xuejun.  Even in the five minutes it took for her to teach me her name, I learned how different the Chinese alphabet is from the English alphabet and how Chinese people introduce themselves by their family name (last name) first.

The time flew by and when we decided to end out conversation for the day, we had been talking for nearly two hours!  We planned to meet at Fruitealicious the next week so she could share a typical Chinese drink with me – milk tea.

Breaking Out Into Laughter - #1

Growing up in Fort Worth, the stock show and rodeo is a tradition.  To some, it’s a religion.  Every year Santa (i.e. my mom) gives everyone in the family a rodeo ticket in his/her stocking.  We typically go that one evening to the rodeo and that’s it.  However, this year has been a bit different.  A family friend of ours always invites us to random stock show events over the course of the three weeks, and this year I went to the llama show for the first time.

I have never attended the llama show because it always starts at 8:00 am.  Needless to say, I am not a morning person.  However, I have always had a thing for llamas and alpacas (I send lots of these pictures on a regular basis to my friends).  I had no idea what to expect upon entering the arena.  In the dirt there were stakes, logs, a ball pit, hula-hoops, buckets, and more.  I quickly realized that the llama show was, in fact, llamas attempting to complete an obstacle course.

As the judges announce the categories, that confuse me more than anything, a little girl comes out and leads her llama (which is easily twice her size) through the obstacle course.  I soon realize that llamas are extremely temperamental animals.  They refuse to cooperate and will stand still no matter how hard their handlers pull on their reins.  We are all giggling and amused by the defiant llamas and their visibly frustrated handlers.

However, we all broke out into laughter when this one stubborn llama was completing his course and one of the props malfunctioned.  After begrudgingly walking through a hula-hoop, the llama was required to put its two front feet on a bucket and stand on it.  While attempting this feat, the galvanized bucket broke below his feet and everyone was unsure of what to do.  As the handlers and the judges convened to figure out what to do, the llama entered in to their circle, as if to take part in their conversation.

We were all overcome with laughter.  I think what made this situation so entertaining and laughter-provoking was the fact that it was unexpected and no one knew how to handle the situation.  The show had already been amusing as the llamas would not cooperate with the handlers nor would they complete the obstacles willingly.  However, the bucket incident pushed us over the edge, as there was confusion and a little chaos.  And when the llama took on a more human-like role by entering into the conversation, the shift from what was expected to the unexpected was even more apparent and the incongruity caused us to burst out into laughter.

…or maybe we found this moment funnier than it really was since we had all consumed an adult beverage by the time this occurred (and don’t worry, we are all 21 and over)…

Luckily, I was able to capture this moment on video, and now it can bring laughter to others…

http://youtu.be/K54kGRtpLZY

Defining Humor

What is humor?

What is laughter?

Why do people laugh?

What makes people laugh?

What is positive humor?

What is negative humor?

What types of humor are we exposed to?

and more...

http://youtu.be/F6bzKAHUuXc

http://youtu.be/znWIFsgIGx8

http://youtu.be/p_11jEsIaVw

Partners: Johnny Barfield and Kit Snyder

Defining Literature and Civilization

What is literature?

What is civilization?

What should we be learning in a class entitled Literature & Civilization?

http://youtu.be/jyzIK2g578Y

http://youtu.be/wRMVvQ3hQWE

http://youtu.be/okrpbadgNwE

Partner: Johnny Barfield