visualkei

Ever since I was in middle school, I've wanted to teach English abroad for the experience. At the time, specifically Japan. Well, I've never wanted to be a teacher, but after going to college and changing my major a few times, I ended up studying to become a teacher-- which I'm quite satisfied with. Now I'm a college student, about to graduate with a teaching degree from a university in a year, and I'm still considering this option of teaching abroad for a year. I really want to go to any country in the far east: Vietnam, Korea, Japan, China, etc. I'll also be certified in teaching English Second Language, this is because I really want to teach minority students who aren't native English speakers. Hopefully, this will give me an upperhand as an applicant. I'm a little torn because I'm afraid. I'm afraid that my parents will think I'm being irresponsible and taking off right after I've graduated instead of settling down and helping them out. After all, they've supported me morally and financially in just about everything. I'm also afraid that I'd be stuck miserably in a foreign country for one year. I don't know what to do if I'm being cheated, mistreated, or maybe even sold into slavery or something crazy! :animedepr . But that's just looking at it pessimistically. So, I'd like to know if any of you know anything about this sort of business. Teaching abroad. I want to learn more about what I could be getting myself into. The interest has always been nagging me. And I think it'll be quite a learning experience, and something that will really help me grow. I'm in search of [B]legitimate information and experiences[/B] from people who've been there, done that. Or some contact information from exchange teachers, and schools that treat their exchange teachers well. I want to find the right place. Have you, or are you teaching abroad right now? Do you know anybody who has or is? Thankyou. :cool:

Hey. That's a pretty good poem. I like the beginning of each stanza. And the overally poem is not cheesy like most love poems. My advice, if you wanna change anything, is to take out a few words, and do some spellchecking. :cool:

[QUOTE]Originally Posted by [B]Baron Samedi[/B] But that second part of this paragraph is absolute rubbish. I've never even heard of those words, and I read a lot of material. I'd go so far as to suggest that whatever those are, the knowledge of their names is unimportant. You don't need to be taught about infinitives or gerunds to be able to speak 'proper' English. Grammar skills can't be formed by ROTE learning some ridiculous rules. You pick up the necessary abilities by reading. That's all you need to do. Read.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't say that the names of the parts of speech are unimportant, they're important in teaching/learning language, but I don't think they're necessary to be literate in one's first language. Maybe what I'm thinking about is both literacy and fluency... Some of you mention how important it is to know this when learning a second language. I totally agree, because it helps show you the patterns in the language you're trying to learn. As far as speaking [I]your first language[/I] goes, I just think it's more important to use it, speak it, write it, read it, than minding grammar rules and labels to be truly literate. I think so because you're already [I]fluent[/I], and naturally know the [B]basics[/B] of grammar rules. Your first language just comes out of your mouth without thinking. What's important is refining it by letting the person experience Reading and Writing.

Wow, thanks for your comments, guys. I'm glad you're out there listening. Perhaps instead of having the pop-up. There can just be a checkbox or something you can check on before sending the message. [B]Edit[/B]: Like James suggested. I don't create the page, so I don't know how difficult it is to change things... so I just hope you guys just do what's best and most efficient. :cool:

I know this is small, so please don't be annoyed with me. :animeswea When you send a message to someone and it asks for a receipt you can either select [I]Cancel[/I] or [I]OK[/I]. Instead of Cancel, can the choice say [I]No[/I], instead? When I was first using otakuboards pms, I thought that pressing cancel would cancel the message.

[QUOTE=Touchstone][FONT=Georgia]It is fact that the words of our National Anthem are set to the tune of a British drinking song. Most people are shocked and horrified when I say this, but it's the truth. I don't see why it can't be sung in Spanish. English isn't our national language, it's just the most predominantly spoken. As long as the message is the same I don't care-every translation isn't an exact copy of the original. It can't be, because some ideas can't even be expressed in other languages. They were just taking pride in their heritage and their country at the same time. It's pretty cool. [/FONT][/QUOTE] I don't see a problem with it being in Spanish, either. What's important is the message. And if it's easier for Spanish-speakers to express their patriotism to USA through Spanish, then well, why not? Why sing a song you don't really understand the words to when you can sing one you really understand? You'll sing something better when you understand it, too. =D

[B]Miss Anonymous[/B], that's quite an interesting job, and something I'd probably apply for it was actually available. I can't believe you guys have a [I]state[/I] fair. We have small fairs in a nearby city that comes once a year. Each year it seems the fair is getting smaller and smaller, or perhaps I'm just getting bigger. I think the fair is really shrinking. We might have a state fair in my state... but I'm not sure. Do you mind me asking what state do you reside? [B]Raiyuu[/B], I'm surprised that you talked about your summer job at your local orchard so casually. It seems to me like it's tough work. Do bugs bite you big time out there? Do they pay you by the case/weight of fruit you pick? [B]Sandy[/B], sounds like you're going to be working at one heck of a place. I don't think I'd mind working at a place like that so much except for the hygiene thing. Is it just bathing and cloting them or even more? I kind of don't understand the concept of that center you're talking about. Do you make trips to the patients' homes and help them, or do they basically live at the center, and you take them out to run their errands?

Bloc Party is quite a talented band. And really, I don't know what genre I'd put them in either. I'd go with... Indie? It's quite unique, and thanks for saying it's kind of like a hybrid of punk and disco rock. I've always found it indescribable. I also like similar artists. Have you checked out Death Cab For Cutie or The Rakes? I've not really looked up the lyrics for Bloc Party before, I think I will now that you've made a deal of it. It also hasn't occurred to me that that band has any political... references. I've just simply enjoyed their music. Feel free to PM me to discuss anything further. :cool:

[B]Lunnox:[/B] [QUOTE]I mean... English/Lit class is my best subject, and I don't remember what gerunds are. If you named a bunch of grammar terms, I probably wouldn't be able to correctly explain them. They're just instinctively in my brain now. [/QUOTE] Yeah. Speaking English is different than understanding the grammar. I don't know crap about the systematics of English, and I've always gotten good grades in English/Rhetoric classes. Speaking language is instinctive and flows. Knowing gerunds, verbs, nouns, oxymorons, or whatever, is a different thing. It's knowing how to label what you speak. [B]Aaryanna:[/B] [QUOTE]Also, not being able to understand documents, bills and forms isn?t a good indication of literacy either. [/QUOTE] I think there are different kinds of literacy. You can write/speak the same language, but you use a different "kind" of language depending on the circumstances. You can be superb at your language in one kind of sense, and really suck at it in another. I read and write well when it comes to English literature whereas I am an idiot when it comes to reading legal documents. It's as if it's in a whole different language. Literacy can be understood in many different senses: language used in legal cases, poetic, literature, everyday talk, etc. Just because you aren't literate in every sense or perform standardized English doesn't mean you're not literate.

I'm not saying that President Bush is secretly a master of prose or anything, but the way people speak doesn't always reflect their knowledge of the language. ~Dagger~ Yeah, I agree. Just because someone speaks English a certain way doesn't mean they don't know what's the correct way. I think most people are aware of how they speak English, this includes grammar. It seems unfair to me that someone would take some quotes from someone else and base a whole thing against them regarding America's literacy. I think what's more important here is how much of an [B]effort[/B] our president and government has put into improving the literacy of the people. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with making a few grammar mistakes. Language should come naturally when speaking, and I think that nit-picking about people's grammar is getting in the way of them trying to convey their message and you understanding what they're trying to say. Take ebonics for example. Many people who speak ebonics are well aware that the way they speak isn't standardized. And many of them choose to speak the same way, though it will definately interfere with their future, because people will judge them for it. You mentioned the responsibility of the teachers. Well, the teachers, they can teach and teach and teach grammar in school, but how can they change the way someone speaks? The way someone speaks is mostly determined by their parents and people they're close to, and you just can't change that kind of important influence. I don't think teachers should enforce students to speak what's standardized, I just think teachers should teach it so that students can speak standardized English [B]if and when they want to.[/B] In the end it's up to whoever to speak however they want. I'm not trying to disregard your point, silver_blade, I just think that it's not sound blaming the president for our country's literacy using some grammar mistakes. :cool:

I like anime because it is not only geared towards children, but adults as well. It touches on many mature issues such as love (family, intimate), war, hate, sex, power, revenge, sacrifice, honor and death. Just because it's animated, doesn't make it any less appealing as a way to story-tell. By using animation, it's quite flexible in expressing these issues. Not only that but the humor kills me sometimes. Anime humor is hilarious, and crude sometimes. It's hard translating Japanese word play for English-speakers, so I give them props every time I get a good laugh. Some people see anime on the surface, and I don't blame them, seeing how there are selected EDITED anime on certain tv channels. Most of the time I don't think American tv anime does the original much justice. And it takes a personal initiative to seek out anime not shown on tv and manga comics, too. Some people are obsessed with anime. Oh, well. There are people everywhere who are obsessed with things, tv-related, cars, celebrities, etc. Anime obsessed people are quite harmless.

Alright so it's that time of the year again. For those of you who are unemployed, you're probably out seeking a job, or secured one already. As for me, I've been home from college for a little over a week, went to a few interviews, accepted two jobs, and quitted them both before even starting. I haven't worked in many different places, and I've not worked in Sales, either. But I think under these circumstances I probably will. All the places I'm applying to is slowly dwindling down now, and I was wondering if there are any spots you guys can think of that usually needs people for summer-- fast. Besides the mall. By the way, those stores like American Eagle, Fossil, Buckle, do they usually earn commission or just a wage? :animesigh

By the way, wolf, I was quite succint in my post. So I'd like to say that I feel bad for you. When I was in 4th grade I was an overachiever and the teacher's pet, and by mid school year, all the girls in the class (I'm a girl btw) decided to form an anti-visualkei alliance and not be my friend. Even girls that were my closest friends one day completely began ignoring me. Well, you'll make new friends, and I don't know what to say except that I think you'll learn from this, and probably become a better person and a better friend because of it.

NightmareVC spelled betrayal right, Charles... Well, to me betrayal is when you trust in someone, but they make you lose trust in them. Like NightmareVC said, once you felt it, you'll know it. Your friends were being honest with you when they told you they didn't like you around them. Now if they were being mean about it such as talking behind your back and such, it'll be somewhat betraying. What you could be feeling is abandonment. =(

I couldn't believe it when I heard they were cancelling Arrested Development! I've never laughed so much watching a television show. :animesmil I also wonder why they cancelled Futurama? I thought the ratings were pretty good. Don't they show episodes on Cartoon Network that weren't aired on Fox? Then there are some shows on television that I think are so annoying but they won't get cancelled!

I remember back in the day when we'd get so excited to receive those Viz catalogs in the mail. Videos were around 30-35 bucks. Ranma 1/2 was all over it, and Ranma was one of the first anime series I was hooked on.

Actually, news from a few months ago... someone accidentally broke a T-rex bone, and it revealed some remaining tissue and DNA that could be used for cloning. As far as human zoo and elves go... I seriously think you are being funny in those paragraphs... What do you mean by human zoo? Like a place where humans are caged up so other humans can watch them?

[QUOTE=Ziggy Stardust][COLOR=Sienna]The Legend of Dragoon. aocc-loca scialsc Hint: Considerably better than Pepsi.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] Coca-Cola Classic [B]ertbor stofr[/B] Hint: "And miles to go before I sleep."

barnes and nobles. next: usbg nybnu =D

The first one with the carrot. :animesmil I was laughing out loud the whole time. Your expressions were hysterical. I don't really understand your other ones. I mean, I don't understand any of your videos, they were just amusing to watch. I'm confused about the one with the two guys in it. Are they two different actors or is it one? Why do you call your videos art? I just want to know your reason. =]

[QUOTE=The13thMan][FONT=Century Gothic] [COLOR=DarkOrange]Drop the whole go out with me crap for now. You like her, i understand, but she obviously doesn't like you back. Or maybe she does like you back but she can't date for whatever reason. The bottom line is she said no....5 times, and you should respect that. Either respect that or risk losing your friendship with her. She knows how you feel now, so if she ever starts to feel that way you can at least know that she wouldn't be embarrassed about asking you out. I wish you the best of luck. But don't stress over it too much, you're young and you've got plenty of time to figure things out. ^L^ [/COLOR] [/FONT][/QUOTE] I agree with The13thMan. You should [B]respect[/B] her decision. I think that after the second time, you're kind of pushing it. Maybe if you did the opposite and act like you don't like her, who knows that might work. =P. Anywayz, I think it's best to leave that part of your relationship alone. Good luck.

If you feel like you've done the best you can, then perhaps you should simply leave your friend alone. If they don't want to help themselves, how are you supposed to help them? In the future you friend might end up in a horrible rut, or she might come to her senses. I don't know. I'd say the most you can do now is inform the parents. But if she isn't willing to give it up, and you guys aren't really friends, then I think you should back off. I have a very close childhood friend who had serious drug issues and addiction problems since she was a kid. Ofcourse there were a lot of things that came into play, but basically, she was addicted. She knew I was against it. I didn't consult her parents or anything. What I did was basically left her alone. Now, it might not seem like the best thing to do, but I think it was for me and her. She never got any real counseling. She also tried to hide this part of her life from me, but I knew what was going on. Throughout this, we were always friends. Once in a while it'll come up, and I'll nag or shame her a bit, but that was it. I admit our friendship also grew apart. Eventually, I'd say a good 5-7 years of this, she decided she was tired of the way her life was, the crazy "friends" she had, and after trying many times, she quit. She told me it was because she wanted to know that she had my respect and love. Not everyone is like this, but some just need to decide for themselves when they're ready to change.

I read someone's post about getting rid of warts by washing yourself with the bath water used to bathe a dead person... Interesting. [B]What are some strange remedies you've heard of or used?[/B] I remember my mom got a fish bone caught in her throat before, which caused her to spit blood. I think it's a Vietnamese remedy to find a child who was born feet first to cure this. Well, my mom asked her friends about a child who was born that way. She found one, and had the child stroke her neck where it hurted. The bone went away, and her throat was well again the next day. :cool:

[QUOTE=Touchstone][FONT=Georgia]Oh, I love Ayn Rand. Have you also read The Fountain Head? Even though it was about six hundreds pages I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in two weeks. Her characters and ideas are fascinating. I personally don't think the government should regulate people to do things unless it's for their benefit. Forcing an alcoholic to go to rehab is a good thing, to wear our seat belts, to not speed, to educate our kids, all these are good. It's things like forcing librarians to give up records of books checked out that make me mad. We should have the freedom to believe what we want and to fill our heads with what we want. It should only be stopped if we hurt people. That's what it comes down to for me. Yet seems to be a precarious thing to protect our privacy and civil liberties (the wiretapping scandal, the patriot act). I wonder why that is. [/FONT][/QUOTE] I agree, I think "forcing" us to do [I]some[/I] things is good. For example, speed limits and going to school. These things aren't forced just because it's for your own good, it's for the sake and safety of those around you. If your actions risk the safety of those around you, then there should be some [I]regulation[/I]. I think regulation is the key word here. I think we all have an idea of when boundaries are crossed, and there's a violation of privacy. Anthem's a good book. The end kind of dissatisfied me, though, because it just all came together too perfectly.

I'll have to agree with what everyone's saying so far. I have no idea what a dry ice bomb is-- but if it can shatter like glass... sounds kind of dangerous to me. I mean, the thought of something that can scratch or pierce you flying in all directions, not funny. Speaking of the potential of bomb pranks gone wrong, I'm reminded of that horrible scene from The Butterfly Effect where those kids put a bomb inside a lady's mailbox, and she went to open the mailbox with a baby in her arms. That movie really disturbed me. =/