New year resolutions
Have you ever noticed how most people's new year resolutions are rather unpleasant? Oh, the ultimate goal is always noble. Lose weight, quit smoking, go to the gym. All that is good for you but everyone hates the process. That's why all the gyms are empty by March, you've put all the weight back on by Valentine's day and you're lucky if you managed to quit smoking for a week.
This inspiring revelation dawned on me with the new year, as I was pondering which torture I would inflict upon myself in 2006. Then I thought, no way. Let's be wild and rebellious this year. Let's choose a resolution that is as enjoyable in journey as the end goal is good for me. I should go and give motivational conferences on this revolutionary concept. Maybe even write a book!
So what's my resolution for 2006? Attend one cultural event per month, with pre-research to enhance the impact of the experience. My program looks like this for the next few months:
January: Uncle's dream (theatrical adaptation of a story by Dostoïevsky)
February: The imaginary Invalid (play by Molière)
March: La clemenza di Tito (one of Mozart's operas, in Italian, with subtitles)
April: Giselle (famous classical ballet on pointes)
May: Aïda (Verdi's most famous opera, in Italian with subtitles)
Pretty cool huh? It's been ages since I've seen an opera. For a long time I couldn't afford to go. When I finally could, I lived in a small town with about 9k of population, on the distant island of Newfoundland with a total population of 250k (ok maybe 500k but the point is, there's definitely no opera house). I would have had to fly out to go see an opera, which, as you can imagine, once more pushed this cultural delicacy out of my wallet's reach. Well! Now I'm back in my beloved Montreal and nothing will stand between Mozart and me!
Furthermore, my renascent desires to expand the limit of my culture and to attempt one more grasp at philosophy's quiddity have pushed me to start learning Latin. Despite being a polyglot and quondam straight A student, I still at times feel as though I would need an exegete to explain some of the recondite syntax found in the classical texts used in the books. Dubiety still plagues me as far as my capacity to master this new language, but I do believe that the esuriency with which I tackle the task more than makes up for it. Hopefully, Latin and I can eventually reach some sort of comity that, if not plenary, can still satisfy me and my university teachers!
The previous paragraph includes the January 2006 'words of the day' that were new to me (+1 from December which I just had to include because I love it so much!). That's a 4 year old resolution of mine. I check out the word of the day every day, and try to use it in a sentence as soon as possible to better memorize it. I had been slacking so far this month but I'm all caught up now thanks to this previous paragraph.
That's it for today!
P.S. I really am learning Latin. Well ok, not exactly yet. I do have a grammar and a self-study book though. I plan to start once I'm certified and all settled in.
This inspiring revelation dawned on me with the new year, as I was pondering which torture I would inflict upon myself in 2006. Then I thought, no way. Let's be wild and rebellious this year. Let's choose a resolution that is as enjoyable in journey as the end goal is good for me. I should go and give motivational conferences on this revolutionary concept. Maybe even write a book!
So what's my resolution for 2006? Attend one cultural event per month, with pre-research to enhance the impact of the experience. My program looks like this for the next few months:
January: Uncle's dream (theatrical adaptation of a story by Dostoïevsky)
February: The imaginary Invalid (play by Molière)
March: La clemenza di Tito (one of Mozart's operas, in Italian, with subtitles)
April: Giselle (famous classical ballet on pointes)
May: Aïda (Verdi's most famous opera, in Italian with subtitles)
Pretty cool huh? It's been ages since I've seen an opera. For a long time I couldn't afford to go. When I finally could, I lived in a small town with about 9k of population, on the distant island of Newfoundland with a total population of 250k (ok maybe 500k but the point is, there's definitely no opera house). I would have had to fly out to go see an opera, which, as you can imagine, once more pushed this cultural delicacy out of my wallet's reach. Well! Now I'm back in my beloved Montreal and nothing will stand between Mozart and me!
Furthermore, my renascent desires to expand the limit of my culture and to attempt one more grasp at philosophy's quiddity have pushed me to start learning Latin. Despite being a polyglot and quondam straight A student, I still at times feel as though I would need an exegete to explain some of the recondite syntax found in the classical texts used in the books. Dubiety still plagues me as far as my capacity to master this new language, but I do believe that the esuriency with which I tackle the task more than makes up for it. Hopefully, Latin and I can eventually reach some sort of comity that, if not plenary, can still satisfy me and my university teachers!
The previous paragraph includes the January 2006 'words of the day' that were new to me (+1 from December which I just had to include because I love it so much!). That's a 4 year old resolution of mine. I check out the word of the day every day, and try to use it in a sentence as soon as possible to better memorize it. I had been slacking so far this month but I'm all caught up now thanks to this previous paragraph.
That's it for today!
P.S. I really am learning Latin. Well ok, not exactly yet. I do have a grammar and a self-study book though. I plan to start once I'm certified and all settled in.
posted by Nathalie at 5:31 PM
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