Devan's World by Devan | English, baby! Blogs

My trip to LA

Devan — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:22:52 GMT

My trip to LA

My boyfriend and I have been thinking about moving to Los Angeles, so we decided to take a vacation and visit the southern California city. We had a great time! We went to Venice Beach, where we got ice cream and did some sightseeing. We visited my friend who lives in San Diego, just south of LA, and ate delicious Mexican food and drank margaritas. We checked out tourist hot spots like the walk of fame on Hollywood Boulevard, where stars are embedded in a sidewalk bearing the names of famous people from the entertainment industry such as Jennifer Aniston and Miles Davis.

We visited several different areas of Los Angeles to figure out where we would want to live if we moved there. After driving around downtown, Culver City, Koreatown, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Silverlake, and more, we ultimately decided that West Hollywood is the place for us. My favorite thing about it is a gigantic farmer's market that sells local produce, fresh meats, and imported goods from around the world. I would love to do my grocery shopping there!

Clearly there are many great things about LA, but there is one major downside--TRAFFIC! Have you ever been to LA? What is your impression of it?

Just graduated!

Devan — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:35:03 GMT

Just graduated!

Look at my proud dad. I did it! After four years of nonstop homework, essays, exams, group projects and lectures, I finally graduated from college. It was an incredibly trying but ultimately rewarding experience. I learned so much and made many amazing friends. As I left my last class last week with my favorite professor I've ever had, I have to say, I got a little emotional. I had taken 4 classes with this professor, and I suddenly realized that I would never be in a class with him or any of my other valued professors ever again. But I'm pretty excited to have a much needed vacation from all the work, work, work school entails!

My family and friends keep asking if I am going to go to grad school. Getting my undergraduate was so exhausting that I can't even begin to think about more college right now!

Are you in college or do you have a degree? What do you miss most about school?

Back to school

Devan — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:37:30 GMT

Back to school

I'm getting ready to go back to school next week. I have one term left, and then I graduate! Since I've already completed all my required classes, I can take electives for my final credits. All this freedom with my school schedule is making it hard for me to decide what classes to take. If I list some class options below, will you guys help me decide what to take by telling which courses sound the most interesting? I would love to get your feedback!

Here are some possible classes:

Screenwriting

French Films

Yoga

History of Rock n' Roll

American History

Pilates

Introduction to acting

Sociology

Astronomy

Do any of those classes sound like something you would want to take? Why?

Summer Bummer

Devan — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:55:16 GMT

Summer Bummer

I'm blogging from rainy Portland, Oregon, USA where it is SUPPOSED to be summertime, but the sun has refused to show its face for the majority of the season so far. In a month that is supposed to be filled with sun bathing, beach trips, barbeques and picnics, I've been stuck inside my apartment sporting a sweater instead of sandals. To make matters worse, I'm taking summer school, so instead of summer sleep-ins, I've been getting up early for class five days a week. Needless to say, it hasn't been much fun.

While this weather is giving me a bad case of of the summertime blues, I'm still trying to stay positive and plan ahead for warmer days. My goals for the summer include:

Surfing.

Camping.

Ride my bike.

Practice guitar.

Read at least 4 books.

Go to concerts.

Trip to the zoo.

Go to a different city, at least for a day or two.

I can't wait to get out and start accomplishing this goals, but until the rain stops, it looks like the only two I'll be able to cross off my list are reading and practicing guitar.

What's the weather like where you guys live? And what do you like to do when the weather is nice?

Traveling

Devan — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:10:06 GMT

Traveling

In a year, I will finally graduate from college. I'm very excited, and I think I want to use my new-found freedom to travel to all the places I've always dreamed of going. Paris is #1 on my list, but I also want to visit Brazil, Chile, Sweden, Italy, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Thailand, and many, many more places. However, I don't really have the money to go to that many places! So I'm forced to choose based on my finances which places are my top priorities. I think I will do the Euro-tour first, then maybe a year or two later I will save to hit up South America.

If time and money were not a factor, where would you most like to travel?

Music Festivals

Devan — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:10:24 GMT

Music Festivals

So, I just spent the last five days running around at a huge music festival in my hometown. It was a blast, but I have to say, I am so exhausted! Between standing on my feet all day for all these shows, dealing with large crowds, and dancing and rocking out to a bunch of bands, I have used up all my energy.

But this festival was a treat because the performers included some of my new favorite acts, as well as some bands I really loved growing up like The Smashing Pumpkins, my favorite group in middle school. Even though the only original member is Billy Corgan, they were still fantastic. I got so close to the stage I took some cool pictures of him!

In all, over 200 bands played at this five day festival.

Are there large music festivals in your country? Which ones? Do you go?

Vacations-- Family vs. Fun?

Devan — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:12:08 GMT

Vacations-- Family vs. Fun?

Right now I am visiting my family in Arizona, one of the hottest states in the USA. By hottest I literally mean hot, as in temperature. It is currently 110 degrees (fahrenheit) here. Where I live in Portland, Oregon, the temperature is much cooler, which has led my friends to ask, "Why, oh why, would you go to the desert in the middle of summer?" The reason is because my family lives here, and since I am in school during the rest of the year, this is one of my only opportunities to come see them. Between work and a full school schedule, I don't get much time throughout the year to take vacations. So the one or two times a year I am actually able to take time off from both work and school, my family generally pressures me to see them.

As much as I love my family, this is difficult for me, because once in a while I would like to save my money and vacation time to go somewhere I've never been, like Europe or Hawaii. Yet, it seems like I am guilt-tripped into coming to my home town that I've already seen hundreds of times over and over again.

Do any of you guys have this problem? Have you ever skipped out on coming home for the holidays or summer vacation in favor of vacationing with your friends? Were your parents offended that you chose to use your free time NOT seeing them?

Summer Music

Devan — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:32:46 GMT

Summer Music

The weather is starting to get warm. I'm about to finish up school for the year, and I'm all ready to start my summer vacation. There's just one thing missing: I haven't found the "song of the summer." It seems like every year there's some hit song that becomes my "jam," that song that perfectly embodies the carefree feeling of a long summer day or a crazy summer night. But so far this year I'm still listening to leftovers from 2009. What do you guys think is going to be the jam of summer 2010? Have you heard any songs yet that are getting you in the spirit for beach getaways and pool parties?

If you have any suggestions, throw them my way. I'm always looking for new music!

Record Store Day

Devan — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:20:17 GMT

Record Store Day

Today is Record Store Day in the United States. This is a special day that was created to help the failing record industry. Thousands of artists are putting out special releases that will only be available through independent record stores in hopes of boosting these stores' sales.

I worked at a record store a couple years ago until it went out of business. It seems the iPod and the internet are killing CD's and records. I think a lot of good comes from technological innovations, but I think there's a lot of negative aspects to this as well. I spent so much time hanging out in record stores when I was a kid that I simply cannot imagine raising kids in a world where record stores don't exist. For me, scanning websites is nowhere near comparable to scanning record bins. I like to own the physical item, look at the pictures, read the lyrics, engage in the act of putting on a record.

What about you guys? Do you still buy CD's/Records? Why or why not?

Being Sick

Devan — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:58:54 GMT

Being Sick

I get sick a lot. It seems every winter I a have a cold for at least a week or two out of every month. I have a really poor immune system. I don't know about you guys, but I personally hate having to go to the doctor. It seems like every time I go I sit and wait in the waiting area for hours only to finally see the doctor and have him tell me to drink some tea and get some sleep.

Do you guys get sick a lot? What are you cold and flu remedies? Do you have any tricks to share that work really well for you? So far the most effective thing I've found is gargling salt water, but I'd love to hear some new tricks to keep my immune system in shape!

Halloween

Devan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:03:17 GMT

Halloween

So Halloween was last weekend and it was so exciting. Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday, purely for the absurdity of it. I love dressing up and i always put a lot of effort into making my costumes. I've even won a few costume contests in the past. Do you guys like to dress up? What's your all time favorite Halloween costume? What did you wear this year? My roommate was a cat and I was a 70's dicso queen...on roller skates! I don't know how to skate at all, but I managed not to hurt myself.

Learning new languages

Devan — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:39:03 GMT

Learning new languages

So yesterday was my first day of school. I am a sophomore in college, and I am taking my second year of French. I can't help but feel like French is a very complicated language! I wonder if I think this because I am biased since English simply comes easier to me since it's my first language, or if French is indeed more difficult. What do you guys think? Do your native languages seem like the easiest, or when you look at them objectively do other languages actually seem easier than your own?

I also was talking to my friend Scott today who is starting his first year as a French teacher in high school. He was telling me about how his lesson plans include songs, art projects, and games to help the students learn French easier. We laughed at the realization that learning a foreign language is kind of like going back to kindergarten again: learning your ABC's, playing games to help with memorization, learning basic spelling, etc. I guess that's one perk to learning new languages: you get to be a kid again!

Back to school

Devan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:37:40 GMT

Back to school

So I have been having an amazing summer, but it's almost time to go back to school. It's funny how even though college is a far different experience than grade school and high school, I still get those same butterflies in my stomach at the start of every school year. The anticipation of not knowing what the school year will bring is always there. I also continue to get the same pleasure from going back to school shopping for clothing and supplies. I only wish my mom was still paying for it!

I'm going to register for classes this week, but I'm not sure what I want to take. What classes are you guys taking in school?

If I really had 200 G's

Devan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:30:14 GMT

If I really had 200 G's

G's stands for Grand, which is slang for a thousand dollars in English. Today we filmed a soap opera episode where I find out I have been left an inheritance from my great Aunt for 200 G's, or $200,000. Pretty exciting.

This makes me wonder what I would do if I was left that much money in real life. Would I be responsible, buy a home or invest it in the stock market? Hmm.... probably not. I don't think I'd go crazy and blow it all either. I'd definitely go on a mini shopping spree, get some new clothes, and make-up, maybe even an expensive haircut, but I'd try to continue to use most the money for my true dream- to travel the world.

What would you do with 200 grand?

no doubt reunited

Devan — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:55:42 GMT

no doubt reunited

Today I did a lesson about No Doubt's reunion. I was obsessed with No Doubt for 10 years. Gwen Stefani was my hero growing up, she inspired me to want to be a female musician, and had a big influence on me bleaching my hair. I'm curious- what bands did you guys idolize growing up? It would be interesting to know what people grew up listening to all around the world. Was there a musician or actor that was your hero when you were young?

I really want to see No Doubt on their reunion tour but tickets are $80! Pretty outrageous.

What Makes a Good Teacher?

Devan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:19:08 GMT

What Makes a Good Teacher?

Today we did a lesson on good and bad teachers, which has really got me thinking, "what makes a good teacher?" everyone seems to have different opinions on this. I have professors at my university that I love, meanwhile I have friends who hate them, and vice versa.

I like to use "Rate My Professor" on Myspace before I sign up for classes so I can see what other students say about the professor. It has different categories to grade the professor, such as grading, lectures, fairness, etc. It's always nice to have an easy professor, but even if they grade tough I'm OK with it as long as they seem passionate about the subject matter. You can tell when a teacher is emotionally invested in their work.

What qualities do you guys look for in a teacher?

I Get to Have Hair Again!

Devan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:01:17 GMT

I Get to Have Hair Again!

I'm so relieved I get to have hair on the show again! Every time I show up to work at English, baby!, I never know what to expect. I seem to be the favorite character to pick on. First it was, "Devan, you have a drug addiction !" then, "Devan, you love Mason but he doesn't like you ," and finally, "Devan, you have cancer." Why can't anything ever go right for Devan on the show? It was starting to bum me out! But finally, my character is cured , and I am relieved! Maybe this will be the start of a streak of good luck for Devan. Maybe Jason will propose, I'll win the lottery, I'll get to meet my hero Barack Obama (English, baby! cameo?), and I will get my dream job (become a rock star) and can quit my day job waiting tables!

What do you think? Is this a new era of good things for Devan on English, baby!? Or will I continue to be plagued by back luck? Will I get fired? Will a crocodile eat my arm off? I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.

Love,
Devan