http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog Whatever's on my mind Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:24:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I decided to get that pesky statistics class out of the way by taking it in the summer session. I did it last summer with history, and it worked out quite well. But this was different. For one thing, it's a four-unit class, three and a half hours a day, ... http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=148 This looks absolutely wonderful: http://www.piccolauniversitaitaliana.com/index.html http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=147 It may not be too late to enroll in "Italian Verborama" at UCLA extension, www.uclaextension.edu. This is a two-Saturday course that reviews all the verb tenses. I took it a couple of years ago and found it quite helpful. At the time, I knew only about half the tenses; the ... http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=146 Technically, I graduated in December, when I officially received my Associate's degree in Italian. It took the school another four months to produce my diploma. I was cordially invited to attend today's graduation ceremony, but I stayed home. http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=145 For those who live in the Los Angeles area, UCLA Extension is offering a few Italian courses in the spring quarter. The “Weekend Immersion Workshop” is one I have taken. At $295 it’s not really worth the money, unless you don’t have access to anything else. In any case, it’s ... http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=43 The more I learn Italian, the more it seems to me I will never really learn Italian. There is something about language, the way one’s native language interacts with the way one thinks, the ways in which the language and world view interact, that is deeply imbedded in the brain. ... http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=44 Yesterday was the first day of the new semester, and a difficult day it was. I called my doctor’s office for an appointment and was told he couldn’t see me until 5pm, Feb 13 (an impossible time for me, since I have class on Wednesday nights). I explained to the receptionist, ... http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=45 Recently I attended a large party where I knew absolutely no one except the host. So I came up with a way to socialize with my fellow guests. I would simply introduce myself to people, tell them that I didn’t know anyone at the party but that I hoped to ... http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=46 Kindle: I haven’t seen one of these. I’ve read one or two reviews that were mostly favorable. Is this the book — or the library — of the future? I’d be interested in hearing from people who have tried them. http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=109 A lot of people say that you know you are really learning a language when you dream in it. Last night I dreamed I had to take my algebra test in Italian. I’m not sure that’s quite what I’m looking for. http://www.rkwest.com/personal/newblog/?p=47