My Pecha Kucha Experience...

Pecha Kucha Experience

My experiences with Pecha Kucha… Well, our topic was “European Day of Languages”. I learned a lot while researching for this topic:

·         how Europe promotes languages

·         how important minority languages are for Europe

·         and how desperately Europe tries to protect its culture

We have talked about all these at our presentation and, to be honest, all these information won’t be that useful in the future. But there is one thing, that I’ve learned during preparing this presentation and that I will always carry with me my whole life: team work with a stranger. My partner is not an easy person, I’ve told him that as well. And I know that I’m not an easy person. I mean, how can someone with an Aries zodiac sign be easy? Ce n’est pas possible, mon chéri. So, I want to talk about my experience in working with a stranger as a team.

My presentation partner chose our topic and I was not sure if it was the right one. I didn’t think that we could find enough sources for our presentation first but he was really enthusiastic about it and that was the first time I trusted someone’s gut feelings and I agreed.

After creating a shared Google-Doc, we started working on it. Somehow after two weeks, none of us had done anything. I knew that he was blaming on me that I hadn’t done anything, because I was doing the same. However, we agreed on meeting at my place and working on it. I think it was the day before the deadline. The night before, thanks to my guilt monster in me, I worked on our presentation. I found some useful sources, surveys etc. and finished up 13 slides.

When my presentation partner arrived, he had a really bitter face expression. I could see how mad he was that we still had not worked on anything. After I told him that I finished some slides, he started smiling. The real work was still ahead of us. He suggested something and I disagreed and I suggested something and he disagreed. I started getting frustrated first, but after calming down with cigarettes it all worked out – somehow. I realized that we had this language barrier between us. He could never explain it to me fully what he suggested and vice versa. So, we mostly illustrated our suggestions with examples and after that, it worked out pretty well.

During recording, there was this tension again. He always corrected my pronunciation and I did the same. Somehow, we finished it and we were also at the end of our nerves. Couple days later, I did the power point presentation without even asking him. After explaining our “chemistry” you know why.

When I look back now, it was a great experience working with someone like my partner. I learned how to work with people you don’t know and still achieve a satisfying result. 

Before/After Post on Summary

Comment

My first summary was a bad one. But, isn’t this the thing about firsts? They should be bad so that you can learn from your mistakes? Henry’s suggestion was to learn when to use the articles. It’s not easy for a Turkish girl to learn the articles. I’ve been told to use them in German – before every noun and the right article (as there are 100 articles, at least I feel like there are 100 articles in German)! To be honest, I had a bad feeling about summaries first but I feel like I’ve learned from my mistakes and I’m more confident when I write a summary now. 

First Version 

In his article in Telegraph from the 23rd October 2013 Ambrose Evans Pritchard analyses the deflation within Europe.

At the beginning he illustrates the European deflation by using a comparison to the Japanese deflation. Deflation means no economical growth which is be a positive case if the country is not be in debt but due to the European Debt Crisis, a deflation would cause a bigger problem than assumed for Europe. Not only national debts would be impossible to pay off but also private debts would be affected badly by this.

According to Ambrose Evans Pritched’s suggests an increase of inflation within Europe, but Germany resists against such a policy as their economy is in good condition in the short term. In the long run this unsolved problem will also affect Germany’s economy. To carry out this kind of an inflation policy Club Med partners should ally against Germany and force the country to accept inflation.

Another solution could be the attempt to cut spending, which is a highly unpopular process for the population.

In brief, Europe is hoping for a miracle to occur that solves the European deflation and saves them from falling into a deeper crisis.

Corrected Version

In his article in Telegraph from the 23rd October 2013 Ambrose Evans-Pritchard analyses the deflation within Europe.

In the beginning he illustrates European deflation by using a comparison to Japan. Deflation means no economical growth which is be a positive case if the country is not be in debt but due to European debt crisis, deflation would cause a bigger problem than assumed for Europe. Not only national debts would be impossible to pay off but also private debts would be affected badly by this.

Another solution could be the attempt to cut spending, which is a highly unpopular process for the population.

Evans-Pritchard suggests an increase of inflation within Europe, but Germany resists such a policy as their economy is in good condition in the short term. In the long run this unsolved problem will also affect Germany’s economy. To carry out this kind of an inflation policy Club Med partners should ally against Germany and force the country to accept inflation.

In brief, Europe is hoping for a miracle to occur that solves the European deflation and saves them from falling into a deeper crisis.

DAY 2 - 8 DAY CHALLENGE

Make a List of: things that make you angry

…my team losing to Real Madrid!!! The second half was horrible!

…doing dishes!

…friends who make you believe that they’ll be here for you but leave your side as soon as they can.

…Wednesday mornings because it is the start of my busiest day!

…friends, lovers who are million miles away from you! Either it is you in the wrong place or them, but one is definitely not there where he/she should be. And this leads to…

…time difference! What the heck God? I mean, ok, I get the space difference. The world is big and people are spread all over it and yada yada yada… But as if this isn’t enough, you decide that there should be a time difference as well? I know, you have scientifically recognized proof but you are the one doing miracles, aren’t ya? So, do something!

...people who make others sad on purpose! People, why? Is it revenge, or your god damn ego that needs such actions? What is it that you gain when you make other people sad/angry/mad? Is it worth it? Can’t you please try to be nice? I may sound like Lennon but you how beautiful this world might be if everyone could be a bit nicer?

…betrayal, lies, hangovers, stomach aches!

DAY 1 - 8 Day Challenge

Make a List of: things you know to be true

Make a List of: things that make you angry

Make a List of: the most unusual things you do every day

Make a List of: things you no longer believe

Make a List of: things you should have learned by now

Write Poetry: with “I remember sentences

Write Poetry: about your heart—not what it does or who it loves, but the odd and weird stuff it is made of

Write: a love poem … for a non traditional item or person

I found this list on one of Sarah Kay’s blog – this wonderful poet I’ve already written a post about! It looks like a fun list and I think that it’ll give me an opportunity to write about other topics than the EU and languages and money (even though it’s not about the money, money, money!! J) and EU and languages… Let’s bring it on!

Make a list of “things you know to be true!”

I could start off with the desk, the chair, the printer, that cigarette pack on the floor… but I think that would be pretty boring. So, let me just dive deeper in my thoughts…

I know that family value is true. I hadn’t known what family values were until I was apart from my family for six months. I went through horrible days and all I wanted to do at the end was being in the arms of my dad and mom. I thought of funny stuff and all I wanted to tell it to was my brother. I met wonderful people and I wanted my family to meet them too. My family is my everything. It took me 22 years to find that out but today, I’m happy to be around them.

I know that being all positive and smiley can make other people (even if it’s for a couple of seconds) happy! If you go across the campus on a cold winter day, I bet you won’t find more than 2 or 3 people smiling. Why being all grimly if you can warm up with a smile? That sounds cheesy, right? Whatever, I’m also known for being cheesy!

I know that deadlines are not a reason to be dead! Education is important and graduating with a good mark is always a plus for the start of your career. But should one be all stressed out and on the verge of a burn-out and not having fun with what one studies? I love languages and I love writing and I love talking, I love everything about languages and cultures and I love it so much that I will not let any deadline and any homework destroy this! So, keep your heads up and take it slow. I know it is hard but I started and it works pretty well so far.

There’s one true thing everyone will agree, I guess. Everything has an end: childhood, school, university, friendship, love, good times, bad times, songs, movies… It is the sad truth of life but there is one thing you should start learning if you are still falling into pieces after every end. Accepting and concentrating on things still going on in your life. This might be a distraction somehow but keep yourself distracted until you know the pain isn’t here anymore and you’ll be left with memories that make you smile…

I could go on writing but I think these are my bullet points about things I know to be true!

Have a great week! 

Spoken Word Poetry

“…is poetry that is written on a page but performed for an audience. Because it is performed, this poetry tends to demonstrate a heavy use of rhythm, improvisation, free association, rhymes, rich poetic phrases, word play and slang. It is more aggressive and “in your face” than more traditional forms of poetry”, is the definition of Nelson-Atkins museum of Arts.

While I was browsing through some TED lectures couple of weeks ago, I bumped into a video from Sarah Kay. A very talented young poet! After 4 minutes I had pause the video and breathe. Her poem “B” was breathtakingly beautiful. I watched every video I could find of her poems. Each and everyone had a different story to tell, starting from the destiny of a woman through to a love story between a toothbrush and a bicycle tire.

You know, everyone has an idol. Everyone has someone in their lives at whom they point to and say, “I want to be just as she/he is, when I grow up!” And well, Sarah Kay is that one person for me. I want to express myself just as beautifully as she does. If you scroll down a bit, you can find two of my favorite poems from that very special poet.

 

...and there are so many more! Hope you like it!

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.

We are all going through one hell of a time dealing with the University, work and personal issues. I have realized that it’s not only me suffering that much from all this stress. Today, I listened to myself and dashed off my thoughts. ‘I sat down at a typewriter and bled’, in Ernest Hemingway’s words. Hope you like it! Oh, and please, go easy on yourself! 

Istanbul '13

I am tired. I feel my soul shut every time when I close my heavy eyes. I feel like drawing in a deep sea. There was light first. I knew I could swim out but it gets darker and darker now. My heavy breathing makes it harder to feel anything but pain. The responsibilities on my shoulder make me sink to the bottom of that sea, a sea with a vivacious surface and a dead bottom. I have to open my eyes, pant for breath, try to feel and start to swim. Now, is the time to show my strength. I have to leave all this behind and swim for great achievement of the future. I have to believe in myself, have to see the light. I have to make myself believe in that and promise not to relapse with every bit of pressure. I just have to be true to the best that is in me. 

Lots of Love, 

Güliz

“People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise.”

I am not going to praise this summary. Maybe I will praise it a little or even a lot. Let’s get the critique started:

In my opinion, all the important details of Ambrose Evans-P.’s article are mentioned in this summary. It is very coherent but even thought I found it a little confusing because I am not familiar with words such as “monetary stimulus”. I know, we had discussed it in class but as an ‘economic dummy’ it is really difficult for me to deal with such terms but by using these the composer of this summary shows that he/she knows what he/she is talking about.

The use of a higher register and the coherency make the summary look very professional but, as mentioned before, I had difficulties in understanding some parts and had to re-read some sentences.

All in all, I would say that the composer of this summary has accomplished this task.