Highlights: I found my final project for this quarter incorporating both classes, I will be submitting an abstract to a conference based on one of my course papers from last quarter, I will be networking with students in Norway, I finished the editing for the DC project and I leave for DC Jan 31st, I caught up with an old friend and former teacher, and I spent some time with Blake.
Current Mood: Cloud 9
Current Book: Snow Crash
Details:
Final project: I am taking a class on phonology and another on research methods, so my final project for both classes will be a research design for a project on categorical perception in neutral space in ASL. Basically, the study will use different signs occurring in the neutral space (area in front of the signer's torso) and I will film them at different heights in that space to see when signers perceive the signs as real and when they perceive them as non-signs. I also will see what adding a non-dominant hand as an anchor does to the perception of signs. It should be an interesting design, and if I can get Dave's approval to work on it as an actual study, I may begin working on a study of my own as early as next quarter!!
Abstract/Networking: I received an e-mail from my syntax professor from last quarter and he encouraged me to submit an abstract from my term paper on ASL and LFG from his class to the LFG conference. I haven't yet looked into this in depth, but the abstracts are due February 15 and I will be working on one with his feedback and guidance. He was also contacted by a professor at a university in Norway where a colleague of his has a student interested in studying LFG and ASL, and so he is connecting me with them so we can collaborate on this project. I was not expecting to do anything with syntax ever, but I have this opportunity pounding on my door and can therefore not ignore it. I have never been one to turn down opportunities. Stay tuned to see what comes of it...
DC: On Friday, we finally finished editing the stimuli footage for Eva's study, and not a minute too soon. She left for DC yesterday. I will be flying out to join the team on Jan 31st. I am excited about collecting the data for this study, because, well, the actual collecting of the data is the most fun part of the work! I will likely be managing paperwork and scheduling when I am there, as these are my forte. Incidentally, I have Monday, Wednesday and most of Friday off from the lab this week since I have been working so much overtime to complete the project for Eva to bring to DC!
Old Friends: My friend Alexis from Jr. High and High School sent me an add request on Facebook and I found out that she is still in Washington DC, so we will be hanging out when I go next week!! I am very, very excited about this. Another Triber, Jim, moved to DC a couple years ago to pursue his PhD, so he and I will likely get together for dinner at some point as well. I also started thinking about one of my former English teachers- Mrs. Kaman- and so I googled her and found her e-mail address!! I sent her an e-mail and am eagerly awaiting a response, as she was one of my favourite teachers.
Time with Blake: I had date night with Blake on Thursday, and he took me out to dinner. We spent yesterday cleaning and sorting some of his stuff so that he can continue with the Great Comic Book Organization Project and can also set up an area to work and write. His mom is having surgery on Thursday morning so I will be going out there this Thursday instead of his coming out to Davis. We will be having lunch on Feb 7th with my parents, brother and sister-in-law when they are on their way down from Seattle, the day after I get back from DC.
And now I am off to measure the average vowel length of the diphthong /ai/ in words such as "high" for my phonology class. Don't be jealous. You know you want to spend your time off work looking at spectrographs too.
