School is out!!! Woot woot!!! Such a nice feeling to not have to go to school and sit through boring classes anymore (well at least until June). I think it was the practicum stress that just made this last semester so much more stressful than the other semester. But, it is done, that is all that matters. Annnnnnnnnd, drumroll please, I have managed to keep my 4.0 GPA so lets knock on wood as I would love to keep that up. This past semester was pretty funny in a way for the way things happened. For example, this was the evolution of our research question for research methods (our topic was Exploring the Psychological Experience of Mass Killings on Communities: A Phenomenological Research):
Within the past 15 years, how have perceptions about mental health changed in communities directly affected by mass killings and how does it vary amongst different countries?
What are the perceptions of mental health policies in communities affected by mass killings?
What are the cultural perceptions of the causality between mental illness and gun
violence in communities affected by mass killings?
What are the perceptions of mass killings in communities affected by them?
What are the perceptions in communities affected by mass killings?
In our objective methods class, we got to administer the MMPI-2 and the MCMI-III assessments on ourselves to understand how the assessment works and if it correct, things like that. According to the MMPI-2, my two highest clinical scales were Psychopathic Deviate and Schizophrenic, with elevations on Psychasthenia, Depression, Hysteria and Mania. According to the MCMI-III, I have the presence of the following personality traits: Dependent, Major Depression, Bipolar and Thought Disorder. I have the persistence of the following personality traits: Avoidant, Depressive, Antisocial, Anxiety and Dysthymia. What both assessments also indicated was that I tend to think negatively of myself and paint myself in a worse light than is actually happening (but not to the extent that I am trying to come across as "abnormal").
Once school was done, people started dispersing - Riya, Steph and Brittni all went home, leaving me, Christina, Meg, Colleen and Kalyn kicking around. I did not want people to just be sitting at home, bored out of their mind, being on summer break and all, so I had planned a "week" of festivities for us; it worked out for the most part, but the weather threw a wrench into things when it said it was going to be something but then it didn't do what it was supposed to do *shakes fist at weather*. First up on our list was the Museum of Natural History as I (nor Meg I think) haven't been there. I tell you what - now I remember why I do not go to the museums on the week days - kids everywhere!! They were crawling around like ants everywhere - I disliked it hahaha.
But we plodded on and saw everything. The dinosaurs were pretty cool, the sciency stuff was really boring. We went to see the butterflies and I made a little child cry with my panickness of the butterflies hahaha. One of my finer moments. The museum was pretty interesting but I do not think it is one of my favorites as it is almost information overload and a lot of science-based information. Here are some fun facts though that I think I remembered - the collarbone is the last bone to grow (usually stops around 25 years old) and Kalyn is shorter than a back leg bone of an elephant hahaha.
Our second outing was supposed to be a picnic down by the Capitol Reflecting Pool, hit the Botanical Gardens and then go for supper. Well the weather had said that it was supposed to be cool and rainy all day so we nixed the picnic and adjusted the plans accordingly. We were wrong to believe the weather - it was sunny and gorgeous and hot. I was not a happy camper, but we made do. We went to the Library of Congress and got people their library cards and then went into the actual library - holy smokes those rooms are gorgeous. The European Reading Room is absolutely amazing - the colors and the roof and the theme of the elements are just amazing. Then the actual Reading Room, the one you see in movies, is so astounding, but very, very quiet. One time I will want to go there and study and work on papers, but I think it is too quiet for me. And it is so serious. So unlike me hahaha. From there we went to the Botanical Gardens and those are quite beautiful. When we went to the rose garden, all I could think of was Painting the Roses Red from Alice in Wonderful (what can I say - I am a classy lady hahaha). For supper we went to Ben's Chili Bowl and it was scrumptious - one of those spots that is known around the city so we had to check it off the food list.
I had signed up for a Scary DC Ghost Tour where it walks about the Capitol and you hear about all the stories of sightings of dead presidents and all that fun jazz but due to metro complications, I had completely missed it. But, silver lining in most things, I took the time to walk around the Capitol at night and see what is all there and I found my little slice of heaven at the Bartholdi Park near the Botanical Gardens. There was also this little building that had seats and water fountains in it but it also had kind of a natural bird bath - I stood there for at least 10 minutes just watching all the birds fly to and from this area, playing in the water and singing away. It was my own little Secret Garden moment. The night was so clear and peaceful that it was the perfect time to just walk around and see Washington in the dusky sky. Was I sad to miss the tour - of course - but I was also happy that I was able to take that moment and just find some peace and quietness and find myself.
Since it is playoff hockey right now, and Washington was in the first round, a couple of us decided to head downtown to go watch Game 7 at a pub near the Verizon Center. Washington lost - got killed actually but Boston won - woohoo!!! What was really memorable though that night was we decided we wanted some potato quesadillas from Fado so we went there after the game and it was packed. I guess it was Police Week and that place was full of very very good looking police men hahaha. What was awesome though was the fact that the Chicago Police Department Piping Band was there and was playing some songs. It was just good timing and wonderful to hear. A very good way to end the night. Who doesn't like a little Amazing Grace bagpipes style??!!
Hauntingly beautiful
Well, as I right this, my sister and mother are packing up their stuff to head home. They flew in last Thursday and flying out today and it was such a wonderful, awesome, amazing, lovely time with them. I think I overdosed them on Washington sightseeing but not comatose style. That all being said, my family blog will be going up soon. On Thursday, I am actually heading to Calgary to get some visiting in so this month has been pretty busy for me. Love and miss you all!!
School is out!!! Woot woot!!! Such a nice feeling to not have to go to school and sit through boring classes anymore (well at least until June). I think it was the practicum stress that just made this last semester so much more stressful than the other semester. But, it is done, that is all that matters. Annnnnnnnnd, drumroll please, I have managed to keep my 4.0 GPA so lets knock on wood as I would love to keep that up. This past semester was pretty funny in a way for the way things happened. For example, this was the evolution of our research question for research methods (our topic was Exploring the Psychological Experience of Mass Killings on Communities: A Phenomenological Research):
In our objective methods class, we got to administer the MMPI-2 and the MCMI-III assessments on ourselves to understand how the assessment works and if it correct, things like that. According to the MMPI-2, my two highest clinical scales were Psychopathic Deviate and Schizophrenic, with elevations on Psychasthenia, Depression, Hysteria and Mania. According to the MCMI-III, I have the presence of the following personality traits: Dependent, Major Depression, Bipolar and Thought Disorder. I have the persistence of the following personality traits: Avoidant, Depressive, Antisocial, Anxiety and Dysthymia. What both assessments also indicated was that I tend to think negatively of myself and paint myself in a worse light than is actually happening (but not to the extent that I am trying to come across as "abnormal"). 
But we plodded on and saw everything. The dinosaurs were pretty cool, the sciency stuff was really boring. We went to see the butterflies and I made a little child cry with my panickness of the butterflies hahaha. One of my finer moments. The museum was pretty interesting but I do not think it is one of my favorites as it is almost information overload and a lot of science-based information. Here are some fun facts though that I think I remembered - the collarbone is the last bone to grow (usually stops around 25 years old) and Kalyn is shorter than a back leg bone of an elephant hahaha. 
Our second outing was supposed to be a picnic down by the Capitol Reflecting Pool, hit the Botanical Gardens and then go for supper. Well the weather had said that it was supposed to be cool and rainy all day so we nixed the picnic and adjusted the plans accordingly. We were wrong to believe the weather - it was sunny and gorgeous and hot. I was not a happy camper, but we made do. We went to the Library of Congress and got people their library cards and then went into the actual library - holy smokes those rooms are gorgeous. The European Reading Room is absolutely amazing - the colors and the roof and the theme of the elements are just amazing. Then the actual Reading Room, the one you see in movies, is so astounding, but very, very quiet. One time I will want to go there and study and work on papers, but I think it is too quiet for me. And it is so serious. So unlike me hahaha. From there we went to the Botanical Gardens and those are quite beautiful. When we went to the rose garden, all I could think of was Painting the Roses Red from Alice in Wonderful (what can I say - I am a classy lady hahaha). For supper we went to Ben's Chili Bowl and it was scrumptious - one of those spots that is known around the city so we had to check it off the food list. 
Since it is playoff hockey right now, and Washington was in the first round, a couple of us decided to head downtown to go watch Game 7 at a pub near the Verizon Center. Washington lost - got killed actually but Boston won - woohoo!!! What was really memorable though that night was we decided we wanted some potato quesadillas from Fado so we went there after the game and it was packed. I guess it was Police Week and that place was full of very very good looking police men hahaha. What was awesome though was the fact that the Chicago Police Department Piping Band was there and was playing some songs. It was just good timing and wonderful to hear. A very good way to end the night. Who doesn't like a little Amazing Grace bagpipes style??!! Hauntingly beautiful
Congrats on the successful completion of another semester! So proud of you!!! :))))))
ReplyDeleteSo neat to read this now having seen some of those sights and tasted the famous Fado potato quesadillas! One question though - did we go to Bartholdi Park? Was that the outside part to the Botanical Gardens?
ReplyDelete