I come from a family of nine. Before coming to Oklahoma, I lived in the same house in Mahomet, Illinois throughout my entire life. College was a big jump for me, particularly because I had some really great friendships that I had to leave behind to come here. I have made not only a lot of great friends here, but also a lot of really great people. I’ve run into a lot of different perspectives and ways of living, but I guess that’s another reason people say that college is where you learn the most.
Last semester, I took another big jump by studying abroad in Clermont-Ferrand, France. It was my first time leaving the country, and I was all alone. However, it proved to be a challenging and ultimately rewarding experience, as I got to travel to many different places and experience several cultures that were different from my own.
It may sound like I’m pretty sheltered, but I really do like trying new things. I hadn’t been able to eat spicy food before summer 2015, but now I’ve built up my tolerance and rather enjoy piquant flavor that comes with a nice pad thai dish or some Indian curry.
I have a really hard time thinking of “favorites.” I actually do have a favorite baseball team though - the Chicago Cubs. It’s one of the reasons I don’t really like introductions either. Talking about myself is weird.
It may sound like I’m pretty sheltered, but I really do like trying new things. I hadn’t been able to eat spicy food before summer 2015, but now I’ve built up my tolerance and rather enjoy piquant flavor that comes with a nice pad thai dish or some Indian curry.
I have a really hard time thinking of “favorites.” I actually do have a favorite baseball team though - the Chicago Cubs. It’s one of the reasons I don’t really like introductions either. Talking about myself is weird.
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| One of my few favorites. Image by the Chicago Cubs via Wikimedia Commons. |
Hello, Joe! Math and Computer Science are the coolest! Good choices. Also, that's quite a way to come for school. I have some really good friends living in Chicago, and that's entirely too far away from me to be acceptable.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm glad that you like pad thai and curry! Those may be two of my favorite dishes in the whole wide world. Once again, excellent choices.
It is awesome how you developed your tolerance for spicy food. I can handle some hotness, but I would need water. My dad likes to make a spicy dipping sauce (I’m not even sure if that is what it is called), but it is too spicy for me. He offers it to me every time, and I refuse. I feel somewhat bad for doing so.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to you about being in the same house. I have lived in the same house for all my life. It would be hard to move because of the many memories that are there. It was also the first house my parents bought in Oklahoma.
Oh, France AND spicy food: that sounds like a good combination, Joe! There are French stories coming up in the UnTextbook later on (and at Freebookapalooza: France), and food is a huge theme in folklore and mythology from around the world. Perhaps that is something you will want to explore for this class! If you have a favorite food item, you might be able to find stories about it since there are lots of stories that revolve around some type of food. Just to take one example, here is saffron: The Merchant and the Saffron in a story coming up in the Persian unit. If you keep an eye out for foodstuffs in the stories, I am sure you will find lots of them! :-)
ReplyDeletewow, your goal to write computer software is very cool. I envy you ability to succeed in math and computer science, neither of which are my strong suits. I also attend the University of Oklahoma. I am a political science major. I just applied to law school at OU Law. I am glad that you have made some good friendships here in Oklahoma and had the chance to study abroad. It can be difficult to be away from home and friends can be a great comfort. I have not had the opportunity to travel much, but I hope that my career will allow me that opportunity. I have always wanted to visit Paris, France. It was nice to read your introduction and I am looking forward to reading some of your stories. Feel free to visit my blog as well. I have several stories available to read.
ReplyDeleteHi Joe,
ReplyDeleteWow, that is awesome that you have an interest so many different things and that you're able to study them here at university. Its also great that you were able to study abroad in France, its such a big step but you learn so much about the world and yourself during the term. It also looks like we have a common interest in learning languages, What other languages do you like to learn besides French?
Belle
Oh man, math, computer science, and French? That seems like so much. For my major in microbiology, I have had to do some programming using python for viewing different proteins that viruses use to enter host cells and contribute to their parthenogenesis as well as R for creating models that predict the transmission of disease it is so frustrating always getting error messages, but oh so rewarding whenever the code actually works. I love spicy food, but I think that is because I had an intrinsic tolerance to it, I thank my hispanic genes for that.
ReplyDeleteWow, I am very impressed! Math has always been my least strong suit that I have, so that is so cool to me you're doing that and computer science! I actually took French my 4 years in high school and really enjoyed the class! Once I got to college I had to take a foreign language and wanted to try something other than French to see what I could do. Although it really made me miss taking French! Good luck with your endeavors in the future!
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of respect for you, computer science is no easy degree! I took one class along with the AP course in high school and that was enough for me. I am very impressed that your first experience out of the country was to study abroad for an entire semester! One of my best friends from high school studies abroad for a semester her sophomore year, then halfway through the semester decided she liked it so much that she was going to come back the next semester! And she did! She was in France, too!! I like baseball a lot, too. That and hockey are my favorite sports to watch. My team is the Toronto Blue Jays! I also love the Red Sox, but my loyalties lie with the Jays if it ever came down to the two of them :)
ReplyDeleteComputer Science, math, and french. I don't know how you do it. That is a great mixture of degrees! Living with roommates has got to be a lot different from living in a house with nine people! I think it is great that you got to study abroad! I wish I would have gotten the chance to study abroad! I agree with you though talking about yourself and your favorites is not something I like to do either. A hobby of speaking in different accents is fun though! What accents have you mastered or at least gotten close to getting mastered?
ReplyDeleteHi Joe!
ReplyDeleteI am also a fifth year but graduating in December. I always get excited when I meet people from a big family because I also come from a big family! There are eight of us and I am the youngest. People are always surprised when I tell them and they ask me how I handle it. I am so thankful I have a big family because some one can always be there for you. I have three sisters that live in different states so I always have an excuse to go visit them as well. Lastly, I love spicy Pad Thai! Don’t worry, at first, I couldn’t eat spicy food either.
Hey Joe, it is nice to meet you. I think it is cool that you were able to build up a tolerance to spicy food and then eventually came around to even liking it. I myself am a big fan of almost anything spicy. One of my favorites are jalapeno poppers. Good luck this year in your classes and I look forward to your posts.
ReplyDeleteHi, Joe!
ReplyDeleteI'm super impressed that you're studying so much. I think it's really cool that you're exploring different areas. Your family is huge! I bet going home is fun. You don't seem sheltered at all, but rather open to many things! I think it's cool that you have encountered many people with different perspectives- college is a cool place.
Great to meet you!
Emily
Hey Joe, let me just say that I can't help but be impressed of your choice of major. Not only that but that you are clearly passionate about it enough to want teach it to other people. I'm not patient enough to learn programming much less try to explain it and help other learn it. It was awesome meeting you!
ReplyDeleteHi Joe! It is so nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, you have quite the variety in your different fields of study. That being said, I am very impressed that you are so open in so many different areas! It is fun to see what majors and minors people pick because, depending on if they are left brained or right, they tend to pick science classes or more writing/art ones. You have a science and a language, which is both sides. I find that interesting!
Hi Joe!
ReplyDeleteI looove spicy foods as well. I have always loved them, they are my absolute favorite. Even if my mouth is burning and I look like I hate it, I probably still love it. My boyfriend likes video games as well and I find myself watching him play League among other games. It looks like fun! If I had money to spend on that kind of stuff I would. Nice to meet you!
Hi there Joe!
ReplyDeleteI am throughly impressed that studying Computer Science, Math, and French. I am sure I could learn a heck of a lot from you based of your fields of study. I went to France way back in high school and absolutely loved it, I would like to think that I will be able to return back there one day. As I'm sure you know it was an experience of a lifetime. I don't think you sound sheltered in the least bit, it sounds like you are attempting to live life to the fullest.
Nice to meet you!!
Hi Joe! Holy cow, I am sure you get this a lot, but three majors is intense! I am seriously impressed. Have you ever heard of Mt. Vernon, Illinois? That’s where I’m from! I have family in Mt. Vernon/Opdyke. It is southern Illnois though! I am sure you’re thrilled the Cubs are in the World Series! So exciting. ☺
ReplyDeleteSo nice to meet you, Joe! That a huge family! I am only child so I'm a little jealous of your abundance of siblings. I grew up very sheltered but have also expanded a lot over my college years. Traveling to France sounds amazing and I hope you had a really great time. I am fascinated that you like to learn to languages because I'm horrible at trying to learn them myself.
ReplyDelete