The Scamp Abroad

A Scamp Reviews the Literature

Posted on June 18, 2013 by erranteditor

I’ve felt like a slacker since I have been home. The first two weeks I was home I did very little research and absolutely no writing. I was starting to feel like I was behind on my deadlines, and would really have to shut myself away in the next few weeks to even think about finishing the paper on time. My mom cleaned up her office and turned it over to me and has been really great about finding things for my dad that will keep him out of the house so I now have a quiet place to work. I have read and skimmed a lot of articles, and tracked down a lot of books that still need to be looked over, but I am making great strides in my research collection. I have started to organize all of it according to subject matter, and I am kicking myself now for not having taken notes on my computer to make that process easier. It is going to take me a long time to code and organize the 50+ books and articles that I currently have notes for.

I wish I had a research assistant to do this part of the work for me.

The outline for the chapter is coming together, and I have a good 2,000 words written, but since I have yet to hear from my supervisor regarding anything related to my dissertation, I have no idea if I am even headed in the right direction. I finally got an email after 2 weeks of no response to my emails, but all she said was that she wanted to schedule a time to meet with me since I have not been contacting her…..I’m so annoyed with her and her lack of communication skills. I really hope my grade doesn’t suffer because I am not getting any help. This was one of my worries before I came home. If I was in Scotland, I could camp out in front of her office until she agreed to help me, or at least wander into the office of the director for my program and get some help (and a good story) from him. Here, all I can do is cross my fingers and hope that she eventually emails me back.

On the bright side, Saturday is my last day of summer school for the doctoral program. The class this week went surprisingly well. I really like the people in my program, and this time we were a lot more comfortable with each other. There were lots of jokes and sarcasm, and even talk about how we were going to schedule our Saturday meetings. The downside of this program is that I will be on campus every Saturday from the end of August until 2016, and will have little to no social life outside of who brings the wine to the study group. I’m lucky that I don’t have small children and there is no one who is going to be mad at me if I am not home for dinner or can’t go to the movies on a Tuesday night, but I am still a little bit sad about the idea of losing my weekend to nothing but educational leadership lectures and readings. Soon I will be replacing my mystery novels with journals on writing instruction and community college policies, and instead of writing blog posts about getting on stage at a play about drag queens, I will be writing memos and small scale research papers about my underlying epidemiological assumptions and how best to work my viewpoint into my writings.

Last week’s class did bring about some good news. The director of the program is the one that has been running the workshops, and he asked me all about studying in Scotland and whether or not I would ever like to go abroad again. He mentioned that CSUF is working with a university in South Africa to run a program like the one I am in, and that I should meet some of the students who are going through the program (who just happen to be here right now visiting the campus) and see what they have to say about the program and living and working there. I’ve never been to South Africa, but it sounds like it might be a fun adventure. Who knows what will happen in the next three years, but I know I will be ready for another adventure.

and now…back to the outline. My research assistant is a cat, and besides the fact that he can’t type, or read, he is currently out and about enjoying the pleasant evening.

A Scamp on Stage

Posted on June 14, 2013 by erranteditor

I’m famous…and this time it is more than just in my own mind. Earlier in the week the mom, the seeester and I drove to Hollywood to see one of our favorite shows on stage.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is not only an awesome movie, but has been made into a more awesome play. The movie was a favorite of my grandma, and when we saw an ad for the play, my mom and I knew that we had to get tickets. For those of you who do not know the awesomeness that is Priscilla, watch this and then go rent the movie:

For those of you who have seen the movie, but have yet to see the play, here is a little taste of what you will see:

The show was amazing from start to finish. The music was great, the costumes were fun, and the seats were amazing. At intermission the show got even better. The production crew canvased the audience looking for people who wanted to go on stage during the show to dance with the actors. Of course, I immediately volunteered myself and Kelly for the job. We got to be backstage, see some of the actors, and then go onstage at the Pantages Theater and dance a crazy little country jig.

For those of you who say, “Pics or it didn’t happen”

My new dress made a great debut, and Kelly’s butt has never looked better. We had fun, and despite my Jewish White Girl Rhythm, I didn’t fall on my face or embarrass myself. I even got to dance with a very lovely drag queen.

It was just the boost I needed from my little funk. I had a good time with my mom and sister, got to enjoy some great drag queens, and got a little break from my routine of procrastination.

Today I spent the day amerced in the fine world of professional development for reading teachers and literacy experts. Many of the articles that I read were filled with points and suggestions that made me say, “duh!”, but that thought was comforting to me because it means that I might actually be able to make a reasonable contribution to the field of education.

Of course that could be leftover excitement from being on stage, or the massive amounts of sun that I have been getting, but I am going to hope that my more productive feelings might actually help me get some words on paper (or words on to computer screen) for my project.

I only need 15,000 more words….no big deal, right?

A Scamp and Domestication vs Foreignization

Posted on June 11, 2013 by erranteditor

I actually did some research today. I sat down with my laptop and my dissertation notebook, and read articles and op ed pieces that relate to the work I am doing for my thesis. It is the first time that I have looked at anything related to my dissertation in almost 2 weeks. I would be patting myself on the back for this, but I lost valuable time, and I am in a mini panic mode about the number of words that I have to have written by August 16th versus the number of words that I actually have written (that number would be 600 out of the needed 15,000). I let my focus be pulled by friends, family and cute boys, but now I am starting to see that I am going to need to be a hermit for the next three years if I am going to get anything done.

Today I spent a lot of time reading articles about two very important concepts in translation studies: domestication and foreignization. I’m going to break my rule about using Wikipedia for a second because it actually does a really good job of defining the two terms. The definitions read as follows:

Domestication is the strategy of making text closely conform to the culture of the language being translated to, which may involve the loss of information from the source text. Foreignization is the strategy of retaining information from the source text, and involves deliberately breaking the conventions of the target language to preserve its meaning.^[1] These strategies have been debated for hundreds of years, but the first person to formulate them in their modern sense was Lawrence Venuti, who introduced them to the field of translation studiesin 1995 with his book The Translator’s Invisibility: A History of Translation.^[1]^[2] Venuti’s innovation to the field was his view that the dichotomy between domestication and foreignization was an ideological one; he views foreignization as the ethical choice for translators to make.^[1]

He estimates that the theory and practice of English-language translation has been dominated by submission, by fluent domestication. He strictly criticized the translators who in order to minimize the foreignness of the target text reduce the foreign cultural norms to target-language cultural values. According to Venuti, the domesticating strategy “violently” erases the cultural values and thus creates a text which as if had been written in the target language and which follows the cultural norms of the target reader. He strongly advocates the foreignization strategy, considering it to be “an ethnodeviant pressure on [target-language cultural] values to register the linguistic and cultural difference of the foreign text, sending the reader abroad.” Thus an adequate translation would be the one that would highlight the foreignness of the source text and instead of allowing the dominant target culture to assimilate the differences of the source culture, it should rather signal these differences.^[3]

These terms are very important to my project in terms of the language choices used in the picture books I am studying, but they also got me thinking about my return home. I am not thinking of the terms in the way they are used in translation, and translation studies, but I was thinking about the roles they play in culture and identity. My transition back to life at home has not been an easy one. I feel like I need to slide back into the role that is accepted by the people here, but I am not sure how to do that. I am a lot different than I was 9 months ago, and that new person is being lost in translation here. It was said a week or so ago that I was maladjusted and socially awkward since my return to California. While that comment made me laugh (I mean, come on, I’ve always been socially awkward, and I have not been home long enough to adjust), it did make me think about how I am being translated now that I am home. The problem with some of the people here is that they are trying to domesticate me and make me fit into the culture of living here. They are trying to stick me into a mold that I don’t fit into. The hardest part of this is that while I struggle to maintain the culture and identity I developed living abroad, they are trying to stifle me back into a little box. I no longer want to be caught up in petty drama, or stuck in rut with my career and life goals. Now that I know this, my first inclination is to just withdraw and not see anyone. I have friends and a cousin in San Diego that just had babies that I have yet to meet, friends in Orange County that I want to see and catch-up with, but I am not sure that I am ready to share how great it was to be in Scotland, and how much I miss it. Everyone expects me to be super happy that I am home, and while I am happy to be with my family, I miss Scotland terribly. I miss my little bubble there.

In order to adjust and try to snap myself out of the funk I let myself fall into I did what any good girl would do: I bought three pair of shoes and a dress that can really only work in a place like California.

A Scamp and Summer School

Posted on June 8, 2013 by erranteditor

Today was the first day of my Ed.D program….I know, who wants to start school on a Saturday? I dragged my tired butt to CSUF at 8:30 this morning and got to spend the day learning how to write. I learned what a topic sentence was, how to properly use examples and evidence in my work, and what it means to write a “scholarly” piece of work. I got a lecture on how to pick the appropriate loan, and why it is important to use APA citations in my work to demonstrate my brilliance. I will now be reevaluating my teaching style and classroom activities…..since many of my lectures and activities are similar to the ones I did today, and since I wanted to gnaw my own leg off during some of the lectures, I am sure my kids want to do the same when I am in the front of the room.

As long as the day was though, it was nice to have this as a trial run for getting back into the swing of being in the classroom. While it has only been a few months since I was in the classroom, the last couple of weeks have really pulled my focus from my research and from the academic mindset. I also got some very useful tips on writing a literature review, and since that is what I am about to start making an outline for, I feel that I will be better equipped for writing that section. I have a homework assignment to do that will force me to write in a scholarly manner, and I am hoping that that little bit of writing will help me get back into the swing of my dissertation. The children’s literature has been sorely neglected for the last few days.

There is another reason that I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of school though. Lately with all of the late nights, and constant socializing with family and friends I have found myself slipping back into my old negative ways. I’m stressed, and with that has come a hostile attitude that is causing me to flip a shit in public. In the last two weeks I have been in two altercations, one of which I shoved a woman into a chair at a baseball game because she was being bitchy and wouldn’t get out of my way. I haven’t gotten arrested yet, but I do feel like I should not be allowed in public (or at least around drunk people) for a little while if I want that record to stay untarnished. I have been home long enough now that I can no longer use the “I just got back to the US” excuse to justify why I haven’t gotten anything done, or why I would rather sleep in the sun instead of sit at my desk and read articles.

Seeing as I sat in a classroom and had a lot of info thrown at me today, I think I will start the “good student” routine tomorrow.

A Scamp and A Mini Vacation

Posted on June 4, 2013 by erranteditor

I need a vacation to recuperate from my vacation. The beautiful thing about California is that it is ridiculously easy to drive through, so visiting two of my best friends in Northern California was the perfect little mini vacay for my second week back in the US. It was the first time that I had driven my car for more than a quick trip around the city. I forgot how much I loved to drive. I was able to drive up the coast, so I had wonderful beach views, no traffic, and some great cruising tunes for maximum enjoyment of the 3 and 1/2 hour drive. I hadn’t seen my friends since Christmas, and we all survived some pretty horrendous break-ups, did big things with our careers, and generally tried to survive without each other while we were spread out over the globe. Although 5 days of partying and late nights has left me really tired, the trip was totally worth it and just what I needed. I don’t think I realized how much I missed these two until I got to spend a lot of time with them.

We got plenty of time to watch the sunset by the ocean, lay by the beach and tan (and I needed that tan) and generally enjoy each other’s company. I didn’t get to see a lot of sunsets in Scotland, and I really missed them. I also got to enjoy E’s friends. Everyone I met this weekend was funny, friendly, and just a plain old good time.

Can you tell that I am fanatical about keeping my tattoos covered in sunscreen? I got a little burned, but it was totally worth it. I was totally relaxed on the beach and didn’t mind all of the sand in places that it shouldn’t be.

This shirt pretty much sums up my life right now. This weekend was very good for my ego. I enjoyed flirting with boys, and even met one that is way worth a second look. I’m still waiting for a word on teaching gigs, and I start school again in a week, but for the moment, I am still rocking it.

Part of the weekend was enjoying a little wine tasting action. I didn’t really partake in that, but I loved the views and it was a beautiful day to be outside.

Basically these two are my favorites. We have crazy adventures, get into a little trouble, and support and love each other in the best way possible. I am trying to convince them to travel the world with me when I am done with my degree, and I figure I have three years to talk them into it. For now though, I will settle for weekend trips and Skype dates.

A Scamp and the Brain Tumor

Posted on May 29, 2013 by erranteditor

Five years ago my mom was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a pesky little tumor that really messes up balance and tries to eat its way into your brain.

diagram courtesy of the Mafield Clinic

We called the tumor Wally. He was removed, and all was mostly right in my mom’s world again. She lost the hearing in her right ear, and had to deal with a little facial paralysis for awhile, but now if you looked at her you would never know she had surgery. A couple of years ago (I think) a new tumor started to grow. This one, Wally Jr. is smaller and lot more slow growing, so for the meantime, he is going to get to keep his room in my mom’s auditory canal.

Last year my mom started participating in the National Brain Tumor Society’s annual 5K walk at Angle’s Stadium to raise money for brain tumor research.

The Parental Units at the 2012 Brain Tumor Walk

Last year she found out about the walk a mere 3 weeks before it took place. Her team consisted of just her and my dad. They raised $350. This year she has more notice. She already has a team of 4, and hopes to raise at least $1,000. This is where my lovely readers come in. As a loyal team member, I am committed to helping her raise the money. My goal is to raise at least $100 for her. I am hoping that some of my loyal readers (although most of them are family and will have heard about this already) will help by making a small donation to the team. For anyone who is in the Orange County area and like to walk through the baseball stadium, you can even be part of her team! She is having shirts made, and there is a Hooters near the stadium that serves fantastic wings (or so I’ve been told). It promises to be a fun day for a good cause.

To donate to her team all you need to do is:

log onto:
www.braintumor.org
click on “events” on the top bar
scroll down to Orange County
click on “donate to a participant”
Type in “Michelle Davis” or team “Michelle’s Angels

I thank you for any help you may be able to give her, even if it is just spreading the word to your friends and family to see if they could help. I wouldn’t wish a brain tumor on anyone (okay, there is someone, but that’s besides the point), and any help that can be done to fund research in the field could go a long ways in making life easier for those dealing with these pesky little buggers. I’d like my mom to be able to keep her brain for a little while longer.

A Scamp and Family Time

Posted on May 27, 2013 by erranteditor

Nothing says, “good quality time” like telling your family about your first gang bang….well, the first gang bang that you got to hear going on in the room below you.

Today could have been a crappy day. Today was supposed to be my original coming home date, and today would have been my anniversary with David. Instead I got to spend the day laying by the pool with my mom and then having a BBQ with my aunt, uncle and cousins. My cousin just completed her first year of college, and now she is back to spend the summer giving her parents grey hair while she demonstrates all of the colorful things that she learned in college (and by that I mean all of the colorful language, the other stuff doesn’t need to be shared). It was nice to be with my sister and brother-in-law and cousins, have some grilled chicken and potato salad, and laugh at all of the ridiculous things that my family says.

I also got to see most of my Scotland friends today. Thanks to technology, I was able to say hello and see them all gussied up for a tea party, and they were able to see sunshine. I’d like to think I was doing them just as much a favor as they were doing me.

Best part of today? Watching these two romp and play in the grass.

Tomorrow I will have to get back to the research. I’ve found some books that will be helpful, so now all I have to do is track them down in ebook form and the research and reading can continue.

The Scamp Negotiates Critical Literacy

Posted on May 25, 2013 by erranteditor

I feel like I am now an expert on critical literacy. I’ve read countless books and articles in the last month on the subject, and have pages and pages of notes in my handy dandy notebook that will help me in my paper. The problem is, I am not 100% sure that I am looking at the right sources. I have a lot of the big name theorists in the field, but a lot of their work was written more than 3 years ago. I also have the added challenge of trying to find the people that write about critical literacy as it relates to tiny humans rather than the mid sized and full sized humans that feature predominately in the research. I’ve found one book that I can access completely online (thank-you Google Books!) and I am hoping that the author of that book will be able to point me in the right direction of some other work to check out.

I’m hoping that in the next few days I can find what I need since the next deadline with my supervisor is a write-up of the research already done in the field. I don’t want to turn in a vague paper on the research that had been done in the 70s, 80s, and even early 90s. While this isn’t my first time writing a major research paper or negotiating research databases, I always worry that I am missing something or someone. The added bonus here is that the university prefers the use of British theorists, while I am much more well versed in the American ones. Because of this, I feel like I am spending a lot of extra time researching the British theorists and their work before I even start reading the book or article to make sure that I am using something substantial. While I know the second reader on my paper will not think twice about the use of Americans in my paper, I am not sure how my first reader, or the external examiner will feel. All of these little caveats to consider have really made the research part of this project a lot more stressful than my last thesis. I would talk to my supervisor about it, but she seems to be ignoring the two emails I’ve sent her. I’m just glad that one of my besties in Scotland is in on the meetings and can fill me in on anything that I may be missing.

In the meantime, I will continue to scour the interwebs for anything that I think may help me in my pursuit of convincing the world that critical literacy is an important part of book selection for primary school children, and hope that people who are actual experts in the field may be able to point me in the right direction.

As an aside, today is the two year anniversary of my first thesis being published for all the world to see. I’m not as proud of that work as I would like to be, but sometimes I still search my name in the library catalog so that I can pretend that I am a badass.

A Scamp Distracted

Posted on May 23, 2013 by erranteditor

This is pretty much the last few days here.

A Scamp Gets Welcomed Home

Posted on May 20, 2013 by erranteditor

Nothing says “I love you” like a sign that says WELCOME HOME SHITHEAD in Scots Gaelic. The sign is currently holding a place of honor in my bedroom. It speaks to my family as a whole, but more importantly it was made by my mom and my sister, both of whom came to get me at the airport. It was a really long day of travel. Really long. I have never been more happy to get off a plane. Never so happy to see my family.

I had a horrible headache when I landed, but that didn’t really dampen my excitement for being home. I slept in my own bed with real pillows, ate warm food that was properly cooked, and am back in texting range with the people here. It was very surreal. Even after being here for almost two days, I still haven’t processed the fact that I am not going back to Scotland. It doesn’t feel real yet that I am now living here again. I feel bad because I blew off everything yesterday, including a chance to see my OMGBFF. I got a new American phone, got some unpacking done, and drove my car around a little. The sun was out, I was wearing a dress, and the small breeze moved the air around just enough to make the day extremely pleasant. Despite all of that, all I really wanted to do was curl up in my bed and hide from the world. Even now, I am putting off reading and work in favor of sitting by the pool in the sun and surfing the internet.

I keep thinking about my friends in Scotland. I wonder what they are doing, I miss eating breakfast and dinner with them, having random movie nights or dinner parties with them, and I feel much the same way that I did when I first left here in September, I am now out of sight and out of mind. Their worlds will continue on like I was never there. While it feels good to be home, I feel really out of place. On the one hand, I am very comfortable here, everything feels familiar and inviting, but on the other, I feel like I don’t belong here yet. It still feels a bit like a vacation. I’m hoping that feeling goes away so that I can settle into a work schedule and start to get things back on track.

For right now though, a nap in the sun is just what I need.