Dear Cia Column

Dear Cia,

Do you know any good tips for learning a new language? [I have a German class that I'm not doing so well in. ;-;]

Haasman29 wrote:Dear Cia,

Do you know any good tips for learning a new language?

Dear Avocado,

Haha, probably dangerous to ask me since I've never been successful at learning a new language.  At least not fluently.  XD

First, bear in mind that nothing school-related is going to be easy, just for the simple fact that it may be presented in a way that's boring or unstimulating (depending on how well the class is).  I probably learned more French outside of school than in the 3 years stuck taking it in class, simply because I had more of an incentive to pay attention and remember what I learned (which is otherwise hard to do when I had to worry about 7 other courses and their homeworks). So regardless of what happens, it may not necessarily be your fault. >v<

But if you want to give it you're all, the next thing to keep in mind is that if you REALLY want to learn a new language, you have to be able to practice it.  Short of having a legendary memory and really good creativity (like John Travolta in 'Phenomenon' who learned Portugese in 30 minutes), all the book-studying in the world is going to be bunk if you don't practice what you learn with someone or something, and consistently on a near-daily basis.  Here's where the phrase "use it or lose it applies", and if you can't practice it with people, your mind won't prioritize it as much.  This is also why Star Trek nerds can learn fluent Klingon, because they get LOTS of opportunities to practice this fictional language amongst themselves.  

See if you can interact with other classmates taking this class or your teacher or members of a German community living near you, or maybe even a German penpal or something.  [sorry if I'm still using the old terminology of "penpal", when so many of you kids now Skype and such] XD

To supplement the above "practice", creating an immersive atmosphere of German-ness is also helpful.  Watch movies or Youtube videos in German, listen to their music, try and read some books (especially Children's books), and eat their food.  Learning to embrace the culture behind the language you're trying to assimilate has two purposes: 1), it creates an interest to learn the language beyond school, and 2) it lets you slowly but surely pick up common words that can gradually integrate themselves naturally into your daily lexicon.  It's the reason I can say Ohayou Gozaimasu! naturally and with the correct pronunciation, simply because I've heard the word so often, I know it like the back of my hand -- you'd want to do the same with a common core of German words.

And lastly, improve your memory.
On top of having study aids and a notepad to jot down things down, don't neglect proper nutrition as well as that can negativley impact your cognitive skills in more ways than you realize.  This is the part where I will sound like a broken record and people are going to wonder if I'll ever say anything different, but TOUGH because this is worth repeating....

Ultra-high glycemic foods that are both addictive and not naturally part of the human diet, like sugar and grains, make you lose focus and disrupt cognitive brain function -- the more bread, pasta, candy and pretzels you eat, the greater the chances of being forgetful (among many other problems).  On the flip side, your brain, being composed of mostly fat and cholesterol, NEEDS many essential fatty acids that are normally deficient on a well-meaning, but ill-advised low-fat diet.  So the more healthy saturated fat and monounsaturated fat food sources you consume, such as whole meats, whole chicken, fish, eggs, hard cultured cheese, olives, coconut, avocados and nuts you consume, the better your memory, focus, mood, sleeping patterns and reflexes will be (among many other benefits).

That the standard medical establishment recommends lots of grains and a hysterical fear of proper dietary fat seems like a decision done more to keep you sick (and needing lots of medicine) than keeping you happy and healthy.  Go against the grain (literally) of modern health advice, and your cognition may improve SO dramatically you may suddenly realize why kids from the 19th century were able to pass this exam in the 8th grade:

http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1895exam.asp

If you need more information on this, watch that darn video I sent you.  

Viel Erfolg!


--Cia

Dear cia,
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood

Dear A4,

*whacks you upside the head*
Piggy already asked that question. Nu pointz 4 u! XD

--Cia

Dear cia,
(Holds news reporter microphone up to you) How do you feel about the popularity if your forum thread "Dear cia"?

Dear Cia,

What is a question?

Dear A4,

*holds up hand to avoid blinding camera flashes*

Well we're only up to 13 pages currently, so popularity is a relative term. I believe the "BAN THE PERSON ABOVE YOU" thread is still the hot, goto forum game as of now. 

But I greatly appreciate that unlike the Food 101 thread, people have been regularly visiting and contributing to Dear Cia, and it creates a positive community atmosphere rich in communication and diversity of opinion.  Although ideally I would like to hear followup posts for some of my food advice, just the fact that I can get the word out and possibly change a few lives for the better is a wonderful feeling, aside from also honing my skills for when I do pursue a side-career in this field. ^^

Certainly a [proper] Dear Cia question, especially a food-related one, is an opportunity for me to sit down and do something calming, stress-relieving and rewarding, and can be one of the best gifts one could possibly give me. ^__^

--Cia

Dear Piggy,

ques·tion
ˈkwesCH(ə)n/

noun

1. a sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information.
   "we hope this leaflet has been helpful in answering your questions"
   
   synonyms: inquiry, query; interrogation
   
   

--Cia

Dear cia,
you don't need to reply to this one. I just wanted to say good job on putting a definition of question.

Dear cia,
Because of my braces, I need to eat soft or small things so do you know of many small/soft and healthy things I could eat easily?

Dear Cia,

What is your least favorite variety of bread?
Actually, what is your most hated variety of bread?  That seems like a more accurate question.

Dear A4,
Oh, you poor thing, wearing braces for the first few weeks can be killer. XD

Well, because your teeth are super sensitive, almost everything you can eat now should be converted to a soup or shake, something that can be consumed quickly without much chewing action. For the next two weeks at least, a blendee will be your friend. ^^

As for what to blend, refer back to all my healthy eating posts in the last two pages for ideas, as I don't want to sound like a broken record (but in short, dramatically reduce grain and sugar consumption, while increasing good healthy dietary fat consumption, especially in soups).


--Cia

Dear Rad,

Good catch! I was just about to accuse you of ignoring 13 pages worth of thread history.

Well back when I was a standard bread eater, health-wise I didn't like you average white sandwich bread since it's one of the most processed junk foods out there. "It's a wonder what the put into Wonder bread", a friend always said. XD

But taste-wise, I never was a fan of sourdough bread and almost never ate the stuff, although ironically it is probably one of the healthiest breads out there since the fermentation process neutralizes some (but not all) anti-nutrients found in wheat. ^^

And although not a standard bread, most commercial variants of gluten-free bread taste worse than cardboard AND are very unhealthy due to the skyrocketing glycemic value of its most common ingredients (such as rice starch and potato flour), as well as the boatload of GMO bacteria poo (aka, xantham gum) they usually cram into it. That's why anti-wheat should not be misinterpreted as "gluten-free", since otherwise one will be tempted to jump from the frying pan into the fire. XD

For the best non-wheat bread, you'll have to make your own.


--Cia

Dear cia,
Riddle me this, I am an equilateral quadrillateral but I am not a square. I am not tilted, but I am rotated. What am I?

Dear A4,

You sound completely out of whack (or at least a diamond). XD

*whacks you upside the head with her slipper*


--Cia

Dear Cia

I know you've only seen like two things I've drawn, but what do you think of my drawing style? Do you think there is anything I could improve on?

Just in case you can't remember
https://bigsister.forumotion.com/t111p390-show-off-your-drawing-skills#6491
https://bigsister.forumotion.com/t411p15-halloween-artwork-competition-7th-to-31st#6990

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving ^^

-Tex

Dear Tex,

Happy Thanksgiving, and aren't you supposed to be on vacation?!  Ovo

Well I'm not particularly fond of you putting me on the spot just for a purely subjective opinion, so don't blame me if I say something you won't like -- you literally asked for it.  ;D

Now I'm not an artist (although both my best friends, including Cay, are), but from what I've absorbed over the years, if you're asking if there is anything you can improve upon, you've already failed.  The correct mindset is that EVERYTHING can always be improved upon, even if you're some grand master artist.  Art, like life, is a learning experience, and if you don't continuously grow upon your artistic skills despite WANTING to be an artist, then it will simply stagnate.

What makes good artwork?  

Well beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so visual impressiveness plays some part, but certainly not the whole part of a good art piece.  Picasso is revered as a legendary artist despite having, what I consider, a very grotesque visual style.  The quality of the art style is simply the first thing to grab the attention of the general audience.... the "hook", if you will.

Effort may seem like a big factor too, and indeed some of the most marvelous oil paintings that take months and years to complete (say, like a Monet or a Seurat) can definitely impress with its exquisite detail and maturity, like an aged fine wine or cheese.  But even this only accounts for a small fraction of success, as history is replete with examples of hideous cocktail-napkin art or insultingly-simple modern art (like say a canvas painted a flat shade of blue) that nevertheless become iconic anyway.  In art, just as in life, sometimes it pays to work long and hard, other times it pays to work smarter not harder.  Call this the "line", if you will.

And lastly, there's narrative.  Does the art piece in question convey a message or story?  Is it simply a stool, or is there symbolism behind the texture of its grain or the unusualness of its shadow?  Or maybe the smirk on the ladies portrait?  Or the weird surrealism of droopy stopwatches?  Maybe the artwork is so replete with symbolism and double-meaning, or simply the affection or emotion of the artist infused into it, that you can't help but stare at it, love it, laugh with it, cry for it, or gasp in awe at the sheer weight of its inspiration. Maybe it tugs at your heart strings enough that you too want to make your own artwork, or make you plunk done millions of dollars for it, and possibly pass it down to your heirs or a museum as a valued possession.  Bear in mind that narrative also involves the artist himself/herself, hence why famous artists generally stay famous throughout their lives, as so many people can be front-row guests to the artist's soul. In art, as in life, it matters who you know, not just what you know, and the more people who know you, the more they'll be captivated by the "voice" in your art.  This crucial human element is what I call the "sinker", if you will.

Beauty, Effort, and Narrative...

Hook, Line, and Sinker...

You see it, you admire it, and you remember it for the rest of your life.

A good rule of thumb to remember, but another equally-important thing to remember is that we're all different, and certain things are going to appeal to us differently.  The rule of thumb simply increases your chances of attracting a wider audience.

So... rather than try to paint me into a corner, I want you to ask yourself some questions, trying hard to put yourself in my shoes.  Knowing me, and the things that I value and love both ingame or on the forums, do you believe your drawings are going to capitvate me visually?  Knowing that I'm a fan of both effort and efficiency, do you feel I will be able to appreciate the time it took you to draw these?  And lastly, given I don't know much about Ninja Turtles or Friday at Freddie's, can the narrative of the art alone carry its own weight in my mind?

You don't have to reply here, just ask those questions to yourself and see if maybe you can decide on your own that you need improvement.  I can't tell you "how" to improve as art is a very subjective medium, as I can only simply show you what I personally like -- if you want to be a true artist, this is something you'll have to discover on your own through a lot of practice, experience, creativity, self-discipline,  and thoughtful introspection.



--Cia

Dear Cia,

Which do you prefer:
Snow or rain?

Dear Cykrion,

Definitely snow, rain is so wet and soggy.  (and snow melts to water anyway, so...) XD

The only exception if when it snows A LOT, but I feel that when it rains A LOT, it can actually be worse. >.<

--Cia

Dear cia,
does anybody have a nickname for you (other than cia, ciabatta or ciabatta1)? Also, what are the most creative/funny nicknames that you (or somebody else) have come up with for somebody?

Dear A4,

Actually, aside from expletive nicknames from people who hate me, I don't really have many nicknames besides just "Cia" (which many people believe is pronounced "cya", when in fact, based on the bread pronounciation, is more like "cha"). You may be able to count "Bread Goddess" or "Spirit of Gluten-Free Bread and Cheese", but those are more like silly exaggerations than nicknames really. XD

In contrast, I've come up with tons of nicknames for people. ^^
Branram would be "Bran Muffin" (though i hear KC call Brandtonbui that), ShadowScale would be the "Wittle Dwagon Thingie", Minnow would be "Fish", Darkfrost would be "Dr. Frost" (a la "Dr. Tran", which no one got the reference to), MamaLuigi would be "Piggy", NightLord would be "Tex" (and his brother, "Tex Jr."), Kidbat would be "Ewok", and so on.

I wish I had a better nickname for Cayfie, but she is simply "Cay Cay", but at least she gets a long title. XD


--Cia

Dear Cia,
How many of these have you seen/can relate to?

Dear Cykrion,

Of the ones noted, I have personally encountered:

ambitious refiller
Gawd, they wanted to intoxicate me with water.  >.<

rage monster
During a very scary scene at an Applebee's once, geez.  >__<

phone addicts
Guilty as charged.  XD

big price, small portion
Oh Outback Steakhouse, how the mighty have fallen. >XD

obnoxious birthday celebration
I pity the poor employees that are ordered to do some of these.


--Cia

Dear Cia,

What was that thing ya wanted me to do again?

Dear Piggy,

Lol, clever.  XD
I wanted you to send me via PM a list of carbohydrates you eat regularly.   Since you're an athlete, I imagine you eat plenty, but the goal is to see if we can identify the bad carbs and replace them with safe carbs that can still supply you with energy, but without the nasty phytotoxins.

It's purely voluntary of course, but yesterday you seemed interested.  


--Cia