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15 Cheshvan/2 November, 2009
Nov. 2nd, 2009 09:55 pmThis morning it was a nice sunny day that had a bit of rain. The end result a really clear and beautiful rainbow. I don’t even remember the last time I saw a rainbow. It was really pretty. I still remember my cousin Katya teaching me a Russian acronym for rainbow colors when I was little.
I still woke up at 6:30 today but we left the house after 8 because Mama wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to be by herself. So I worked for an hour at home which was quite nice. I think I like working in early morning the best, I always get tired in the afternoon. Mondays I always end up operating on little sleep since I just can’t shut my brain off the night before. I had a couple of dreams too from which I woke up couple of times in the middle of the night. I can’t ever remember them for long, but it didn’t help with getting enough good sleep part. One of my students noticed that I looked tired. I don’t like it when others notice that much.
The discussion classes went well today, the first class again better at it. “The He Hormone” was a hit, most people liked it, especially the guys. I did have one girl actually show up at office hours in the morning to talk about the reading, but most seem to have no trouble with it. They did have trouble thinking of ways to connect it with the previous reading; I tried to give them some clues of where to read. Sometimes their lack of knowledge really surprises me. In my second class one guy had to look up what a “white-collar worker” and “blue collar worker” means. How did he never pick that up? Overall, good classes. Second did drag a bit, but that is the nature of the class.
Deuteronomy WTF moment of the day: I’m finally making myself read it. It is the last book of the Torah and we will actually get to the promised land soon. (a bit of a bad pun there, ah well). The first five chapters deal with appointment of leaders of Israel, recap of part events including some battle losses and more wanderings and some battle victories and more decrees and laws including the 10 Commandments again. What is different about this book is that it seems like a more a direct speech from Moses since much is written in first person. It gives a whole different feel to the book and the bible in general. It feels more personal like a journal account or a blog. Moses blames not being able to enter the promised land on the grumbling of the people, he sort of forgets that he did not follow God’s instruction at the water from the rock thing, and God got mad at him for that. He certainly shifts blame there. He is just allowed to look at the land but not enter it, no matter how much he asks. He does not, however, blame God for any defeats in battle. He claims that God warned people to wait but they just didn’t listen. It sounds like in battle, like in any sport event, God just either grants you victory or punishes you for his sins. (which reminds me Go, Yankees). It is also fun to send peace offering to kings when you kind of know that God deliberately hardened the hearts of those kings to instigate war for you to wipe them out. It is nice of God to do. In some wars, Israelites leave no survivors – men, women and children are all killed. They just kept the livestock and the plunder. Chapter 4 also talks about that even if the people would be dispersed from the land because of sin, they can always remember God and follow him again. Very appropriate when we are all scattered today.
I still woke up at 6:30 today but we left the house after 8 because Mama wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to be by herself. So I worked for an hour at home which was quite nice. I think I like working in early morning the best, I always get tired in the afternoon. Mondays I always end up operating on little sleep since I just can’t shut my brain off the night before. I had a couple of dreams too from which I woke up couple of times in the middle of the night. I can’t ever remember them for long, but it didn’t help with getting enough good sleep part. One of my students noticed that I looked tired. I don’t like it when others notice that much.
The discussion classes went well today, the first class again better at it. “The He Hormone” was a hit, most people liked it, especially the guys. I did have one girl actually show up at office hours in the morning to talk about the reading, but most seem to have no trouble with it. They did have trouble thinking of ways to connect it with the previous reading; I tried to give them some clues of where to read. Sometimes their lack of knowledge really surprises me. In my second class one guy had to look up what a “white-collar worker” and “blue collar worker” means. How did he never pick that up? Overall, good classes. Second did drag a bit, but that is the nature of the class.
Deuteronomy WTF moment of the day: I’m finally making myself read it. It is the last book of the Torah and we will actually get to the promised land soon. (a bit of a bad pun there, ah well). The first five chapters deal with appointment of leaders of Israel, recap of part events including some battle losses and more wanderings and some battle victories and more decrees and laws including the 10 Commandments again. What is different about this book is that it seems like a more a direct speech from Moses since much is written in first person. It gives a whole different feel to the book and the bible in general. It feels more personal like a journal account or a blog. Moses blames not being able to enter the promised land on the grumbling of the people, he sort of forgets that he did not follow God’s instruction at the water from the rock thing, and God got mad at him for that. He certainly shifts blame there. He is just allowed to look at the land but not enter it, no matter how much he asks. He does not, however, blame God for any defeats in battle. He claims that God warned people to wait but they just didn’t listen. It sounds like in battle, like in any sport event, God just either grants you victory or punishes you for his sins. (which reminds me Go, Yankees). It is also fun to send peace offering to kings when you kind of know that God deliberately hardened the hearts of those kings to instigate war for you to wipe them out. It is nice of God to do. In some wars, Israelites leave no survivors – men, women and children are all killed. They just kept the livestock and the plunder. Chapter 4 also talks about that even if the people would be dispersed from the land because of sin, they can always remember God and follow him again. Very appropriate when we are all scattered today.
