Comments | frostfire

frostfire_17

ZOMG

Feb 02, 2012 16:11

As ever, it has been forever since I posted, but omg I HAVE to share this. Even if it is a little self-...something. But who else to tell how great you are than THE ENTIRE INTERNET?

Anyway, I've been teaching this year, for the first time--in the fall I taught intro Hittite, and this quarter it's been Hittite lit in translation, to 13 undergrads who ( Read more... )

Comments 20

butterfly February 3 2012, 01:09:26 UTC

That is pretty damn awesome!

Also: I'm totally not surprised. The best classes that I take are the ones where the teachers are passionate about their subject and you have that in spades.

Re: the words, did anybody know that 'Pegasus' comes from a Luwian word 'pihassassi' meaning 'of lightning'?

I didn't! That's neat!

frostfire_17 February 3 2012, 01:30:27 UTC

Awww, thanks! I cannot help being passionate, though; the Hittites are JUST THAT AWESOME. Mostly I am just confused about why everybody else isn't studying them too!

And yeah, the Pegasus thing is totally neat! There's quite a few things in classical mythology that have a clear Anatolian origin--Theogony has parallels in the waaaaay more interesting Hurro-Hittite Kumarbi Cycle, the female Fate-goddesses are super Anatolian, Troy is city that spent several hundred years under Hittite rule. Nobody knows about any of that, though! It is tragic. Classicists don't care about Anatolia at all, which is silly because it is AWESOME. \o/

butterfly February 3 2012, 01:43:45 UTC

Silly classicists!

Mostly I am just confused about why everybody else isn't studying them too!

I went to go look at the website for Multnomah County Library and they only have five books about the Hittites. And one of them can't even be checked out!

frostfire_17 February 3 2012, 01:58:00 UTC

LAME. I looked, too--the Hittites and Their World is decent, if not perfect by any means, and same for Life and Society in the Hittite World. Kingdom of the Hittites is the standard history, BUT all they have is the older edition, which is severely out of date. :( GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT, MULTNOMAH COUNTY ACQUISITIONS.

strobelighted February 3 2012, 02:15:27 UTC

That's awesome! Congrats on being a great teacher, dude. I have been in classes where people barely participates and it really sucks, so your prof is right: being able to get students to talk and holding their attention is a big deal. \o/

Also, I firmly believe that everyone should see the Star Trek Tik Tok vid, regardless of their level of fannishness.

frostfire_17 February 3 2012, 02:52:55 UTC

Thanks! I do think some of it's the class--there are a couple of serious nerds in this class, it's great--but, well, I get excited about how awesome everything is! And people like that! So that's good. YAY HITTITES.

I firmly believe that everyone should see the Star Trek Tik Tok vid

YOUR POINT IS VALID.

_minxy_ February 3 2012, 04:06:24 UTC

Listen, I think I speak for a lot of people when I say: I know precisely nothing about Hittites, and yet, I am *riveted* when you start talking about them. You have a great way of sharing enthusiasm, which is even better than just having it.

Seriously, good luck with teaching. I am totally pumped about my biochem II class this semester, and for me it's really freeing that I can teach anything I find even remotely interesting, as this class is not a prereq for anything, and the American Chemical Society doesn't have strict content requirements (or any, really) in place, so it's *awesome*.

frostfire_17 February 3 2012, 06:04:03 UTC

Awwww, thanks! YAY SHARING ENTHUSIASM. I totally get you being excited about your class, too, because this class is kiiiind of the same--I mean, it's "thought and literature," which basically means: whatever texts you want to read! 'Thought' covers a lot of stuff! I cribbed a lot from my professor's syllabus from when he taught it, but I was free to revise whatever I wanted, too. Yay, teaching! Yay Hittites, and also biochem! NERDS FTW.

tingler February 3 2012, 04:32:36 UTC

Oh, please, oh please, come be my Computer Architecture and Organization teacher! Please oh please oh please! I will love you forever! I will write you a Hittitian prayer, even.

O rescue me from the dark despair that covers me on Tuesday afternoons. O raiseth me up from the sucking depths of incomprehensibility and stultification that surround me. I lift up my pen, prepared to take copious notes, if you would just *say* something!!!

In all seriousness, though, you do us proud. Good work!

frostfire_17 February 3 2012, 06:05:40 UTC

If I knew anything about Computer Architecture and Organization, I would--well, I would be a lot more employable than I am now, for one thing. But I would be delighted to come teach, also; alas, my knowledge, it is zero. Lovely prayer, though; I am moved by your plight!

Also: thank you! :D I am so happy right now.

cinaea February 3 2012, 04:51:32 UTC

I love those prayer quotes! Just lovely. MURSILI! D:

I have some vid recs for your friend:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Baby, Cool Your Jets - Charmax
The Watchmen - I'm Afraid of Americans - bionic (meixia)
Psych - Moneymaker - talitha78
House - Bukowski - shalott
Fight Club - Cells - nicky (obsessive 24)
Die Hard 1-4 - Shooter - Cappy (feat. sisabet)
Multiple Fandoms - Destiny Calling - Charmax
Multiple Fandoms - Zombie Jamboree - Gianduja Kiss
Supernatural (seasons 1-2) - Women's Work - Luminosity & Sisabet

frostfire_17 February 3 2012, 06:07:45 UTC

D: is, in fact, an accurate summary of Mursili's character. POOR MURSILI, I FEEL SO BAD FOR HIM. And he tries so hard! and he feels so much! He is basically a woobie. :(

Also, vids, yay! I was totally thinking about Bukowski and Moneymaker (and/or "White" and Nerdy) but I hadn't considered the others! Thank you lots for the recs!