- I love my house.
- I have a great view from my porch and from my bed.
- Family close by.
- Good friends.
- The annual Shakespeare Festival.
- Nearby national parks (which sadly got ignored by me last year).
Mostly. There are several disadvantages, but for the most part, I can deal with them. However, one thing that I wish we had here that I can't seem to find is Community Classes. (Oh, and the diversity of eating establishments is seriously lacking, but that's a subject for another post.)
I've looked around and I can't find what I want, even though we have an Applied Technology College and a full-scale (ish) University. The Applied Tech school actually has a couple classes I'm considering (Marketing, Web Design), but the University doesn't. And, if it did, it'd cost an arm and a leg to take one 3-credit class.
No, what I'm talking about is the community classes you hear about in big cities. Classes like Acting for the Untalented, Painting for the Non-Creative, How to Buy/Sell on eBay - all classes, by the way, that I'd love to take! Classes held in the evening to accommodate people like me who work full-time during the day. Classes that don't cost so much you have to promise away your first born child (though that may be a bargain for me - no kids and no immediate prospects of getting any!).
In addition to the classes I already mentioned, here are some classes I'd like to take:
- French. Yes, I already know it, but I'd love to practice. The two people I talk to regularly and who speak French refuse to practice with me. Meanies.
- Cooking. How fun would it be to try new recipes and learn new cooking techniques!?!? I'd be in h-e-a-v-e-n!
- Pottery. I think I'd fare better with pottery than painting (though I'd still like to try the latter someday). Plus, I would like to have a collection of vases, bowls, mugs, etc. that I made myself.
- Automotive Repair. This should probably be the first class I sign up for, since I know next to nothing about vehicles and yet I drive a big truck and trailer (that likes to blow tires). It probably wouldn't be the first, though. Maybe the second.
- Guitar for the chubby-fingered. Okay, they wouldn't have to call it that, but the teacher would have to be patient with my awkward appendages. Heck, I already have the instrument - why not learn how to play it?
- Creative Writing. For two reasons: 1) so I could learn how to write better and maybe bring out some of my dormant creativity and 2) to hear other people's stories.
- Sewing. My mom tried to teach me when I was younger but it bored me and I was horrible. Couldn't sew a straight hem to save my life. I'm not saying I'd be any better now, but it would be fun to try.
In the meantime, maybe I'll have Cassie teach me how to sew, ask Warnser or Tearese for drawing lessons, take guitar lessons from Adam, read French novels (alone), start a cooking "class" with friends, and have Dad show me (again) how to change a tire.
10 comments:
Ditto on the classes. Especially the cooking one. The university appears to stink at the night classes lately. I wonder if people just stopped going to them? They used to have some good ones.
I took an automotive one once. It was at MCO and free. I wonder if they post it in the paper sometimes?
And remember how we never made it to that place to paint pottery before it closed? Yeah. That was cool of us.
When my kids are older, I want to live somewhere I can take classes too. It'd be fun to take ceramics (pottery) again, when I could devote more time to being good.
Also, I have never been able to take a watercolor class; in both college and highschool they conflicted with other classes I needed. I really want to do that sometime.
I couldn't live anywhere without a college or something. Hmm. I'll include that on my list of requirements for when we move.
I'd say I know what you mean, but now that I'm in the throws of this semester, I'd be happy with a little less learning. I didn't know you had a guitar. I have a good friend who plays and is always happy to show someone the basics. She is great and really fun. Let me know and I'll give you her name.
Cardine, I noticed that the university had a night class for French that got canceled due to lack of students. If only I would have known about it sooner! Yeah, I'm bummed that we never made it to that pottery place.
Tearese, I would love to learn how to water color, too! My mom once gave me a kit that supposedly teaches how to water color, but I couldn't figure it out. I need professional help.
Missy, yeah, I didn't really have the desire to take extra classes when I was in school, either. Now that I've been out for awhile, I miss learning, and that's why I'm looking for fun classes to take. Thanks for telling me about the person you know who could show me some guitar basics. Good to know!
I hear your lament loud and clear. When I was younger I looked for the same type of classes in my area. No go. They do offer some now that I need to check out. Web design would be fun. I'd love to learn HTML. Speaking of languages, I've always wanted to learn French and Latin. The other day I actually order a book for a Latin course. I thought since it was not longer a spoken language, I didn't need to worry about my pronunciation.
I know you don't read book blogs, but I just finished a book set just outside Montreal. It's not written in French but it does have an occasional Quebecois word. Very good mystery with wonderful writing.
I need to learn Spanish and they even may have a class for that in Vernal, but it would tak some effort on my part. I'm about out of effort. I think a HTML class woudl be wonderful.
Book, I think it's awesome that you're going to learn Latin! Maybe once you've mastered it, you can learn French and converse with me! Wouldn't that be awesome?? Thanks for the heads-up about the book you just read. I'll check out your book blog and look into getting my hands on a copy of the book. I love Montreal and I love a good mystery!
Framed, I once tried to learn Spanish. I figured since there are so many Spanish speakers in our neck of the woods, it'd be a good language to know. I didn't stick with it long enough. Now, when I try to speak the few words I think I remember, it comes out as French instead. Maybe you can learn French too! Then you, Book, my mom, and I could talk and the rest of the family won't know what we're saying. Oh, except Greg. He can join us. :)
You know... at the risk of sounding, well, churchy... Relief Society Enrichment is the very thing that "should be" able to meet your desires for learning. I'm serious.
I think it doesn't function as well as it ought to. There are lots of socials and dinners, which are good, but not so much... learning and enriching going on these days.
Well, maybe in family wards... and maybe in some areas of the world.
I mean... the sewing thing... at the very least!
I'd be happy to help.
Actually as I read I thought "I could teach that class." and as I read I said it a lot, I may be wrong, but I think that I could.
Except the ebay class, I tried that one, and it was harder than I thought.
I mean I can do it, but like I say teaching it is a bit harder than I thought, though it may have been my student. Old man and a computer... not always a mix.
but yeah learning is fun.
well it's fun when you want it.
And I want it.
Sarah, that's funny.
Thought I let you know about another option. When Wayne was visiting in Jan. he told us about The Teaching Company. I ordered a DV series about the history of the Tudor and Stuart England. I've watched the first two lectures and I think I'm going to really enjoy it.
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