The Last

The first day will arrive soon when I start to remember those days ago, when I used to walk to UW, remember the streets, my neighborhood, downtown, home works, well … home works not at all. Well, in fact, the homework it was our life, the kernel of our learning in UW joined with our fabulous teachers.

Speaking about the teachers, they were the core of our learning, because they guided us not only in the pronunciation or grammar, but also with the spark to enjoy a class that become into a party, the learning party. Our friends, that we already knew here was another important part of the party.

The last day, the first day, depending of the point of view, as we talked in classroom. This is the end of the course and the beginning of our commitment with our students and our colleagues.

Each one of my partners in my class have been part of my life. It is amazing for me to see how they enjoy the whole course. Was a soft group, talking about the environment in class. There were not that kind of hard people. Of course, there were one or two, but it did not affect at all our smile in the group. I do not say that was a perfect group and we are great friends. No, but I can say that I met very good professionals in education, well educated. I learned from them, a lot, and as I use to do when I go congress or courses in my university, I am going to apply something that I got from them.

Thank you my partners for your experience. Thank you my teacher for her wisdom. Thank you to the staff of UW, for your facilities, your support and help. Above all, for the smile they use to have. Perhaps someday was not good, or one person was not good, but they continued until the last, with us. Thank you all of the people are reading this words, because you gave me an important lesson in my life and for my life. As I heard in one lecture: freedom for life, and your experience give me more tools to continue walking free.

This is the last post in my course. It will come the first post of my first day after this big party in my first English course. This is the last and the beginning of the next one.

3rd Conversation and Vocabulary Journal

This Sunday I did not go to the church, located in 8th Av W. It was so delicious morning, raining, cold and I fell asleep too late. So, I said to myself: not today.

After the breakfast, I decide to walk around my neighborhood and I found a church. Something like Unitarian Church. I did not know what kind of it was, but I decided to get in. The speech was very instructive.

At the end of the meeting, coffee and tea were expecting the people and, of course, I took a cup of tea and some cookies.  I met a writer and a computer engineer. It was interesting what they told me. The woman writer told me that much kind of believers go to that church: Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Christians, atheist as her, etc. By the way, now, agnostics like me. That was very interesting because in my country I do not know a place where are joined a variety of churches.

The second person that I met told me he works in an enterprise that manufacture hard disks. The amazing thing is the amount of data that can be saved. They work in the Cloud and can build a cluster with 144 nodes, with 64 hard disks each, with five terabytes each hard disk. Come on! That makes 46080 terabytes or 46 petabytes! Just a little bit of bits.

Fremont/ Ballard Locks

Fremont is place located in the west of Seattle. Is an intercultural place that congregate painting, music, dncing, that form the art of this neighborhood. Something attractive to see is a concrete sculpture of a troll. It is enormous and is located in a street under a bridge. It’s look like a big lion or a big cartoon.

Now, I want to speak about a place that I liked a little bit more and that is Ballard Locks. I say a little bit more, because I prefer natural places. The Ballard Locks are look like Panama Locks but much smaller. Well, the fact is that when I saw the big Locks it was amazing, the high wall and the enormous “doors” that open and close to permit crossing ships. They were closed because were in maintenance. Some workers were at the bottom of the canal and I could see some birds, I do not know what kind, but they were eating something like fishes.

The next stop was to watch some salmons and at last, only one was swimming nearby. I think it was enough.  So, I still walking and I realized that the water has two different levels. The lake is above 4 or 5 meters than seawater. Is surprising to observe this difference and make questions like: what would happen if the locks do not close sometime or accident occurs with the locks. But is better do not have that kind of imagination.

I forgot to say that, there are another two locks that were working and I have the opportunity to see how a little ship crossed from the lake to the sea. Very interesting the engineering view.

Finally, we went back to the UW, but, before that, I ate a delicious hamburger, very delicious hamburger, so, I have arrived happy to UW to next conference.

The Burke Museum and Bainbridge

This is a museum but with comfortable rooms, nice exposition, but something that I liked very much, was the talk to children. There were a woman talking to a group of 8 – 10 kids about history of Seattle. The point is that the kids were making questions to the speaker, listening and questioning again. The woman was so funny, that I stayed there listening.

It is always interesting to know how it was the development of the human been. The tools they manufactured to hunting, the clothes and some cooking artefacts is the trace of our intelligence, the point of difference between human race and the other animals on earth.

Some part of the development of Seattle were the mountains and the ice above them. The thaw of the icebergs come into the formation of the lakes. One of the fishes more abundant is salmon. In fact, this is one of the motors of the economy of Seattle or at least, is one of the products that is recognized from Seattle. In the Pike Place Market I had the opportunity to taste it.

The second place that I want to talk is Bainbridge. It is an island and it is necessary to take a Ferry. This is was the more exciting experience ever! To feel the cold air, see the waves, stay on the deck of the ship, walk inside the ship, all of these things were a new experience.

We walked through the town and we arrived to an ice cream store. I asked for an ice cream yogurt and wow! It was delicious. My partners have bought another flavor that they have shared me but it was so sweet that I preferred my own. Although it was so sweet flavor, I recommend this place and to walk across the town, visit the museum, the restaurants and the streets that have a beautiful view.

Finally, when we came back to the city at 17:30 was awesome. Now, the cold was more intense, but fun. To close the day, the pictures that we already took were for postal: see all the lights of Seattle City was a magic spectacle.

6th Blog Entry Cultural Activity on the week-end of 11/14

This weekend, my partners and me, went some places to downtown. The first place is somewhere close to a lake. It has no name, but is the way to Bainbridge Island. We arrived there in bus route number one. It is amazing to see big ships anchored in some point on the lake. So quiet, so enormous. Well, there were others little ships too. Those ships where anchored in the bay. My friends and I keep walking and decided take the same bus number route. The next stop was Space Needle.

When we arrived and walk under the big structure, it was look like an UFO. We already have seen this building when we travel to another place, but no so close. We found many tourist that were going down and other going up to de Space Needle. It is always, an impressive vision on the sky. To observe the other buildings and see theirs roofs is a space emotion. Below the Space, there are some places to by souvenirs and I got some clothes and cups. Later we decided to enter in a food area. There were not only food, but some trimmings a one-rail station and a stand for tourists.

We bought a one-way ticket and arrived to Westlake Station. A whole world inside. Food, clothes, logic toys, souvenirs and so much food, but I only remember Chinese food. We bought more clothes in a store that have offers. Later, we found a Japanese store at 1.5 dollars. It is a big store with many small products. We bought something too. We have made many buying’s this weekend.

Finally, we were hungry, so, we went back to UW to eat in the MacMahon Hall. It was a delicious fish with potatoes and water. When we finished our meal, we went back to home. It was a great day!

Second conversation and Vocabulary Journal

In this week, I met a student of the University of Washington, on one corner of the streets of the Settle city. I have learned some affairs about how student get a bachelor. That was something I could not understand but now I got it.

The student told me about the first two years in the college. They can study the signatures they want, focuses of course, in the career they have been thinking of.  In the last two years, they have to take the specific subjects of the career, they had chosen.  In México we call that “common core” but they had to choose a career. In the first year the student share foundation subjects. But since the second year, they according their own career, they take specific subjects. For example in engineering careers, all of them study calculus, trigonometry, algebra, etc.

The surprised thing for me is that they can take different kind of subjects. The point is get certain amount of the credits. So when they decide for one, they will complete them and will get a bachelor in arts or in since Ba or Bs. But if they pretend to be a doctor in medicine or a layer I have to study more years

Class interviews with native speakers

            It was so interesting to hear various kind of tones. Men, women, old, young, teachers, etc. I remember that my team and I went with an engineer that works in electronics. His voice was clear but not too louder as I use to listen people on streets.

The second one was a speaker as loud as I usually hear. In fact, he was the louder speaker, he have spoken as hard that I understood that that was his passion in life: talk. Each question that we made him, got an answer strong and it was very good and so exciting that I make the interview almost with the same emotion. Of course, not too loud as he use to do.

The third one was a businessman that has nor so loud nor so soft voice. It was a clear voice so, that I was able to understand him mostly of he answered, about our questions.

Something in common of all of them was that they used to drink milk with cereal. One of them, a Caucasian people, liked to eat a lot of hamburgers and another one that has Mexican roots, use to eat rice, beans, the usual that we eat at home.

Nowadays, they usually prepare their own food or his wives cook and they bring it at job. Something fun is that many of them to like the Asian food and no many have eaten real Mexican food.