Busy week, and Midterms are coming up. I would say that this quarter is really my first quarter. Last summer and last fall were just a warm up, really. I don’t want to burden you with my woes (of which I have very few I’ll have you know, one of the few being sleep), but hopefully you’d like to hear about some more cheerful things.
This Tuesday I had to hand in my first draft of my report on Hu Jintao, the chairman of China. He is actually NOT president since that office does not exist in China. He is chairman of the three “branches” of the government: the political party chair, the military chair, and the legislative chair. It amounts up to about the same thing as president, but as I was very pointedly lectured by my illustrious Chinese professor “presidents are a western thing, it is not Chinese and China has no president so don’t call him that.” Of course I find it very amusing that everyone who speaks the English language calls him president, and the Chinese government is officially OK with that. But since my Chinese professor is the one grading my report, not the Chinese government, I think you know which one I will humor.
Thursday and Friday the Arabic Language and Culture Club (ALCC) had its weekly Arabic conversation tables. They were so much fun because about 15 people showed up each time. It was really cool, especially since I organized it. It is very satisfying to see the fruits of your labor. We also had a productive ALCC council meeting on Thursday (I’m the secretary), and I think we are finally getting off our feet and getting better at being a club. It is a lot of fun, even if it does take up way too much of my time. Plus I think it is very important leadership practice and Arabic language practice.
Friday night, another wonderful IFI potluck, and afterwards we went ice skating. I actually talked to a new visitor Friday night, a Chinese man, who was very shocked when I started talking to him in Chinese because he said it was so weird to have an American looking person sounding like they were Chinese. Well, I don’t really think I’m that good, but I am glad that I’m getting the hang of the language and that I can communicate with people. Praise the Lord for the gift he has given me and the strength he has bestowed so I can exercise his gift.
Saturday I went to a very very interesting and helpful leadership seminar for LOS members. Leadership at Ohio State is a club for freshmen and it helps them build leadership skills and really get involved in leadership at OSU. I, as you might have guessed, am a member, and I got to eat lunch with the Vice-President and Provost of the Ohio State University, Joe Alutto. I and three other students ate with him, and the other members were divided up with various other important OSU people. Mr. Alutto is a very interesting, funny, and intelligent man. We all had a great time talking about his travels and career, and our experiences at OSU. I praise God for leading me to apply to the LOS club. It was really a very spur of the moment random thing when I applied, I just thought it might be good to get involved in leadership, and it has turned out to be very helpful and interesting.
Next week I have a Chinese oral presentation due (Tuesday) and my first of two Math midterms (also Tuesday). Feb 4th I have my Arabic midterm and skit, and one of my Chinese midterms (the other one is Feb 11). So, those are prayer requests, especially the Math. I’ll be fine with all the other midterms, languages are very much my thing. But math is most definitely not.
Love you all, God bless and stay safe for another week until I can check up on you again ;)>
In Christ
Lydia