Monday
Oct042010
Settling an argument for "our Nicole"
Monday, October 4, 2010 at 6:03AM
I love that phrase "Our Nicole". Putting "our" in front of someone's name, to make them part of the family. Such a great Northern England saying. Anyway, I promised by beautiful girlfriend I would write a little blog post about how incredibly beautiful she is, because she doesn't think she is. We, of course, all know how pretty she is. She made delicious cookies today, as tasty and yummy as she is radiant and beautiful.
But, we have been having an argument. Nicole thinks that I "beat up on America" too much. That is to say I am always negative about the US, and never say good things about it. She isn't saying this because she is American, she just thinks I am being very one-sided. I on the other hand, think that I am merely offering constructive criticism, and feel that it is evident in my posts how much I love this country and how much I am enjoying my time here. I think I do write about some of the good things about America; an example- the SAT tests all US students take, aptitude tests which improve student vocabulary and reasoning. We don't have anything like that in the UK, and we should. It's making my revision for the GRE hard, as I have never done anything like it before.
So, I've decided to try another new piece of technology; a poll. My readers get to decide.
[polldaddy poll=3865944]
I hope this works. Its a great way to encourage participation on my blog! I know lots of you read it... at least, I had 83 hits on friday, and while a number of them may have been my Gran reloading multiple times, I am sure not all of them were. So I want to encourage engagement. Comment more! Tell me what you like and don't like. Argue with me, challenge me, criticise me, agree with me! Try it, it's fun! And don't forget to subscribe either, so you don't miss out. If you like the blog, pass it on to your friends. I always welcome new readers. October promises to be a month of posts on the changing weather, the cost of elections, harvest time, Halloween, and much more on life in America. Again, thanks for your time and support.
But, we have been having an argument. Nicole thinks that I "beat up on America" too much. That is to say I am always negative about the US, and never say good things about it. She isn't saying this because she is American, she just thinks I am being very one-sided. I on the other hand, think that I am merely offering constructive criticism, and feel that it is evident in my posts how much I love this country and how much I am enjoying my time here. I think I do write about some of the good things about America; an example- the SAT tests all US students take, aptitude tests which improve student vocabulary and reasoning. We don't have anything like that in the UK, and we should. It's making my revision for the GRE hard, as I have never done anything like it before.
So, I've decided to try another new piece of technology; a poll. My readers get to decide.
[polldaddy poll=3865944]
I hope this works. Its a great way to encourage participation on my blog! I know lots of you read it... at least, I had 83 hits on friday, and while a number of them may have been my Gran reloading multiple times, I am sure not all of them were. So I want to encourage engagement. Comment more! Tell me what you like and don't like. Argue with me, challenge me, criticise me, agree with me! Try it, it's fun! And don't forget to subscribe either, so you don't miss out. If you like the blog, pass it on to your friends. I always welcome new readers. October promises to be a month of posts on the changing weather, the cost of elections, harvest time, Halloween, and much more on life in America. Again, thanks for your time and support.
Reader Comments (3)
Ben, You seem to have forgotton about SAT's in this country ! Teachers here have been campaigning to get rid of them because they don't think that they are useful and that we do far too much teaching for tests. I am sure that you remember that I didn't care what your SAT's results were.
Mum
x
Think you are exactly the same as any other "thinking" english person living in the states. It always makes me smile that you pick up on the same things as I did. I do however think your style is becoming very Bill Bryson! Did u get your red cross parcel?
The standardised (standarized) testing here is completely different. They test vocabularly, with sections on antonyms and sentence completion, as well as logic, how you think, and your basic math skills. I actually think the SATs in the UK were good, in the sense that they ensured everyone had a basic knowledge which was then built upon. It taught me literacy and numeracy which I now need to go back to and revise!
Diane, I think I will take the Bill Bryson comment as a compliment! Haven't got the package yet, but the USPS here in Madison tends to be a little slow. Occasionally they are fast, but more often than not, slow. Will let you know when we get it, thank you so much!