Geography Awareness Week is November 11 - 17, 2007. The theme this year is Asia.
National Geographic - Geography Action (Geography Awareness Week website)
The week spotlights the importance of a foundational geographic knowledge in this increasingly globalized world in which we live.
The following survey shows how Americans in general need a more thorough grounding in geographic literacy:
National Geographic-Roper Survey 2006
And here is a link to an article I wrote a couple of years ago:
Geographic Knowledge in America is Severely Lacking
Monday, November 12, 2007
It's Been A While
Well, it has been quite a while since I last wrote anything one here. So, what have I done between then and now?
-Moved stuff to Charlotte, North Carolina at the end of July.
-Finished my job at Bancography and my second masters degree in Educational Leadership at UAB in Birmingham during the first week of August.
-Moved more stuff to Charlotte and went to Blue Ridge mountains in western NC during the second week of August, then went back to Charlotte for start of my first semester in the geography Ph.D. program at UNC-Charlotte.
-Traveled to China August 30 - September 9 to visit one of my brothers. We (my brother, another friend, and I) went to Shanghai, Tunxi, Huangshan, Beijing, and the Great Wall at Jinshanling and Simatai. I will try to post some backdated entries of my travel journal of this trip at some point in the near future. It was a quick, but amazing trip -- my second trip to China, and third trip to Asia.
-Began visiting a church in Charlotte and started playing in their church orchestra: Hickory Grove Baptist Church
-Hiked in Stone Mountain State Park in northern North Carolina with some friends from the geography department.
-Went home to Birmingham during fall break in October 5-10, and had some nice visits with family and friends.
-Went to Columbia, SC for a conference on Latino Migration to the U.S. South, October 11-13.
-Went backpacking in the Shining Rock Wilderness of Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina, west of Asheville, one weekend later in October with some friends from the geography department.
-Other than that: keeping busy with four Ph.D. courses (so much reading and projects!!!), research assistantship work, making many great new friends in Charlotte, renting out two of my extra bedrooms in my 3-bedroom townhouse that I bought, playing in a church orchestra, UNCC intramural soccer, getting ready for conference presentations, hiking a few of the weekends, hanging out with friends, and lots of other fun activities!
Upcoming events:
-Conference in Charleston, SC
-Home to Birmingham for Thanksgiving
-Back to Charlotte
-Back to Birmingham for a cousin's wedding
-Back to Charlotte to finish the fall semester
-Home to Birmingham for Christmas and New Year!!
-Spring semester at UNCC begins January 8 or 9, 2008.
-Moved stuff to Charlotte, North Carolina at the end of July.
-Finished my job at Bancography and my second masters degree in Educational Leadership at UAB in Birmingham during the first week of August.
-Moved more stuff to Charlotte and went to Blue Ridge mountains in western NC during the second week of August, then went back to Charlotte for start of my first semester in the geography Ph.D. program at UNC-Charlotte.
-Traveled to China August 30 - September 9 to visit one of my brothers. We (my brother, another friend, and I) went to Shanghai, Tunxi, Huangshan, Beijing, and the Great Wall at Jinshanling and Simatai. I will try to post some backdated entries of my travel journal of this trip at some point in the near future. It was a quick, but amazing trip -- my second trip to China, and third trip to Asia.
-Began visiting a church in Charlotte and started playing in their church orchestra: Hickory Grove Baptist Church
-Hiked in Stone Mountain State Park in northern North Carolina with some friends from the geography department.
-Went home to Birmingham during fall break in October 5-10, and had some nice visits with family and friends.
-Went to Columbia, SC for a conference on Latino Migration to the U.S. South, October 11-13.
-Went backpacking in the Shining Rock Wilderness of Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina, west of Asheville, one weekend later in October with some friends from the geography department.
-Other than that: keeping busy with four Ph.D. courses (so much reading and projects!!!), research assistantship work, making many great new friends in Charlotte, renting out two of my extra bedrooms in my 3-bedroom townhouse that I bought, playing in a church orchestra, UNCC intramural soccer, getting ready for conference presentations, hiking a few of the weekends, hanging out with friends, and lots of other fun activities!
Upcoming events:
-Conference in Charleston, SC
-Home to Birmingham for Thanksgiving
-Back to Charlotte
-Back to Birmingham for a cousin's wedding
-Back to Charlotte to finish the fall semester
-Home to Birmingham for Christmas and New Year!!
-Spring semester at UNCC begins January 8 or 9, 2008.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Getting Ready to Move
Well, its hard to believe the time has come to pack up and move again. I'm getting ready to move all my stuff this coming weekend to the townhouse I bought in Charlotte, NC. This year has gone by fast, but I am excited about this new adventure of beginning work on a Ph.D. Although I'm moving most of my stuff this weekend, which is when most people could help me move, I'll come back home to finish up working at my job. I'll probably start staying at my place in Charlotte sometime after August 10 I suppose. We're supposed to spend a few days in the Blue Ridge mountains in western NC at some point around that time. The semester at school starts August 20, with some new graduate student orientations a few days before then.
August 30 I'm flying over to China to visit my brother who is studying in Beijing for half a year, until December. I'll actually meet up with him in Shanghai, we'll look around there and then make our way up to Beijing, look around that area, and then I'll fly out of the capital on September 9. I'm getting really excited.
So, lots of activities coming up and lots to look forward to!
August 30 I'm flying over to China to visit my brother who is studying in Beijing for half a year, until December. I'll actually meet up with him in Shanghai, we'll look around there and then make our way up to Beijing, look around that area, and then I'll fly out of the capital on September 9. I'm getting really excited.
So, lots of activities coming up and lots to look forward to!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
New Homeowner
Well, I am now officially a new homeowner for the first time ever! It's quite an exciting feeling to know that I now own a home of my very own. I drove towards Charlotte, NC Sunday evening (June 17), spent the night in Greenville, SC, and arrived in Charlotte Monday mid-day. Then met with my realtor to do a walk-through of the 3-level, 3-bedroom townhouse. After that, we went to the lawyers office to do the official closing. I don't think I've ever signed my name so many times in one sitting before. But everything went quite smoothly. After that, I got the key, and we went back to the townhouse just to look around in it some more before driving back home. We just laid down on the carpet for a while soaking it all in! It is a very exciting feeling to officially be a first time homeowner.
I will actually move in sometime in early August before the fall semester begins at UNCC.
I will actually move in sometime in early August before the fall semester begins at UNCC.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
West Point, New York
Stay tuned for more information about my trip to West Point and New York City, New York, May 24-27, 2007. My cousin graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday, and that was the main reason for the trip. My mom, grandmother, cousin and his girlfriend, and I flew up there Thursday and returned Sunday. My Aunt and Uncle drove up there Tuesday so they could load up all his gear and drive it back Sunday. A few of us rode the train in to New York City Friday afternoon to walk and look around. I had a fun time hanging out with everyone!
Friday, May 18, 2007
Mount St. Helens
Today is the 27th anniversary of Mount St. Helens' May 18, 1980 eruption:
KOIN News
Oregonian
Below is a relatively live static image of Mount St. Helens, taken from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The Observatory and VolcanoCam are located at an elevation of approximately 4,500 feet, about five miles from the volcano. You are looking approximately south-southeast across the North Fork Toutle River Valley, in the State of Washington.
This image is courtesy of:
KOIN News
Oregonian
Below is a relatively live static image of Mount St. Helens, taken from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The Observatory and VolcanoCam are located at an elevation of approximately 4,500 feet, about five miles from the volcano. You are looking approximately south-southeast across the North Fork Toutle River Valley, in the State of Washington.
This image is courtesy of:Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Homeowner
As of last Friday, I am now a homeowner for the first time. I made an offer last Monday on a three bedroom, three level townhouse in Charlotte, NC, near the university where I will begin working on a Ph.D. in geography this fall. After I made the offer, I got into a bidding war with a couple of other people. The sellars finally accepted my offer on Friday morning. I'm really excited about this! My first home that I own! Anyway, this just made much more sense economically to me than simply renting an apartment. One bedroom apartments in and around the university area go for around an average of $700 per month (I was astonished to find that out). My monthly mortgage on this townhouse, however, will be much less. And it is three bedrooms, so I could possibly rent out the two bedrooms and bathroom I'm not using and supplement my monthly payments. I could perhaps even make a little profit each month! How's that for capitalism? At least I will be building up equity in owning a home rather than throwing money away on rent each month.
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