Mal: Inara, think you could stoop to being on my arm? Inara: Will you wash it first?

'Heart Of Gold'


Natter 78: I might need to watch some Buffy for inspiration

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


dcp - Oct 21, 2024 11:12:26 am PDT #3031 of 4159
The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.

You're a third culture kid -- do you identify with that?

Absolutely.

At the international schools in Pakistan the student body was made up of dip kids, mish kids, contractor kids, local upper-class kids, and local wealthy middle-class kids. Because my Dad worked for USAID, I was on the fringe of the dip kids, and the fringe of the contractor kids. One of the oddities there was that they offered French and Spanish language classes -- but not Urdu. So I learned Spanish in school, and Urdu at home. (I don't remember much of any of it. A few dozen words of vocabulary. Sigh.)

At the Woodstock School [link] in northern Uttar Pradesh (now Himachal Pradesh) in India, most of the students were foreign mish kids and/or Indian kids from wealthy families.

The curriculum was set up to prepare students for O-levels, A-levels, PSATs, ACTs, SATs, and a whole lot of AP exams. There were Hindi classes for all grades and all levels. The high school offered advanced math for all four years. Three years of German, French, Spanish, biology, chemistry, and physics were available. There were special arrangements for daytrips hiking in the foothills of the Himalayas, and once a semester you could sign up for long-weekend excursions deeper into the mountains.

The dorms were 500 feet lower down the hillside than the classrooms. Making that climb after breakfast was no fun, but it did build up the leg muscles.

The food was boarding-school terrible.

Ah, nostalgia.


-t - Oct 21, 2024 11:22:34 am PDT #3032 of 4159
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

How interesting!


DavidS - Oct 21, 2024 11:24:53 am PDT #3033 of 4159
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

Are "mish kids" missionary kids?

If so, my friend Greta and her brother were mish kids, growing up in Africa. Came back to the States with a posh British accent that did not go over well in Indiana.


DavidS - Oct 21, 2024 11:34:21 am PDT #3034 of 4159
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

TCG is still sick and is actually taking a sick day from work, which never ever happens.

Ooh, I hope he feels better.

I saw Chungking Express but I don't actually know if that refers to the same place

A great movie! And you are now turning the lightbulb on in my head and realizing, of course, I have heard of Chungking. Though I didn't know anything about it.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, y’all!

Belated Happy Birthday, Calli!

Today is a momentous day in my personal history as I'm about to go see a therapist for the first time. I've reached a level of bare functionality that I recognize as depression. I've never been prone to chronic depression, but I did go through depression after my mother's death. And I recognize it now.

Also, Matilda's therapist has been reaching out to me and doing sessions with me periodically (generally once every two or three months). Because both Matilda and I have been so stressed and depressed over the last few months, she's done sessions with me in both Sept and Oct, and I realized I really looked forward to them.

So it's time.


NoiseDesign - Oct 21, 2024 11:36:19 am PDT #3035 of 4159
Our wings are not tired

Chongqing - City in China.

I was familiar with it mainly because a few years back the Avengers STATION project we were involved with did an installation there so a few of my employees had to travel there. One of their takeaways was how unusual it was for non-Chinese to be in that city. Unlink other cities in China where we did projects, there really was nothing set up to deal with non-chinese.


Steph L. - Oct 21, 2024 11:39:57 am PDT #3036 of 4159
Unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe

Today is a momentous day in my personal history as I'm about to go see a therapist for the first time.

I'm sure it'll be helpful -- I'm glad you recognized the signs that therapy would be a good idea. (Welcome to the club.)


erikaj - Oct 21, 2024 12:02:27 pm PDT #3037 of 4159
Always Anti-fascist!

I've done it off and on. Support groups too.(It's been a long time since, actually, but it doesn't feel like it.) Hope it helps, Hec.


Laura - Oct 21, 2024 12:45:43 pm PDT #3038 of 4159
Our wings are not tired.

I now have several tabs open with various videos I need to watch. DH was privileged to live in multiple countries as a child, but I haven't traveled nearly enough. We both regret that we didn't give the boys a more international experience, but at least they lived in cities and went to school with various cultures. It was a badge of honor for Bobby's classmates to have the most bizarre combo of parent heritage.

Today is a momentous day in my personal history as I'm about to go see a therapist for the first time.

This is good to hear. Take care of yourself. This is just as important as diet and exercise, if not more so.

In hindsight, I know I should have done so after Stephen died, but a very negative experience while he was sick soured me on the notion. Of note is that I also had a very positive experience with another therapist during that time as well, but the bad one was super bad.


sj - Oct 21, 2024 1:18:44 pm PDT #3039 of 4159
"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

Good luck with the therapist, Hec.


erikaj - Oct 21, 2024 1:26:10 pm PDT #3040 of 4159
Always Anti-fascist!

chemistry is important at times like that, Laura.