Winter wonders

This is my first winter experience and three things stand out cool. So cool, in fact.

The snow is awesome! I love catching the snow fall. Previously, I have seen a flash animation of snow falling and now, I realize it was an accurate rendering of reality. It's like a gentle sprinkle of blessings. Snow particles glide like a feather in its slow motion descent. Walking in the snow is also somewhat similar to strolling in the white beaches of the Philippines. The texture of the snow, being similar to sand, allows easy formation of snow balls and building of castles and other sculptures.

It is interesting to note that the snow doesn't melt quickly even on sunny days. Likewise, the coldest day is actually before, not during or after the snow fall.

This is the first wonder of winter for me: the snow fall itself.

One day after class, I passed by Mirror Lake and I was reminded by Matthew's account (Matthew 14:22-34) of Jesus walking on the water.

Mirror Lake is a confined body of water here at the main campus of Ohio State University where football fans jump into the icy cold pool every Mid-November. The annual tradition is part of the Michigan Week when the Buckeyes (the term for OSU team and community members) prepare to face Michigan, its fiercest, long-time rival. I didn't join the jump recently because the temperature was too much for me but at the back of my mind, I resolved to conquer my fear and the Lake in some ways.

And so, on one Winter day, as if I was with the disciples on the boat (and Jesus was walking on the lake), I look at Peter who says in fear: “Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water.”

I was quick to interrupt this time. “Lord, Peter had his chance already in the Bible. Can I walk towards you on the water this time? Or, at least, can I walk with Peter this time?”

He replied: “Come.”

Well, there must be a reply and it must be affirmative because Matthew says so in his script.

I dug into the deepest reserves of my inner strength and walked on the water! My first step on Mirror Lake was tentative but I had to go on and shut out doubt and fear or else I might sink like Peter. Although I am confident in my swimming skills, it is a different story when it is chilling cold.

Midway into the pond, I looked back and savored for a moment my conquest of the Lake. Then, I crossed triumphantly to the other end.

“Good enough,” St. Peter must have said, “but in my time, I walked on liquid water. You've just walked on ice. Mirror Lake is frozen!”

Well, I walked over Mirror Lake just the same. Walking over it may be easier but sinking on ice is infinitely more fatal than plunging into a flowing water. St. Peter had Jesus in sight to pull him up. In my case, there was no life guard on duty to at least call 911.

The third one is about academics. Well, there must be something about academics because this piece is also a Fulbright report. I still remember Ma'am EC's words during my predeparture: "Make us proud, James!" For some reasons, this keeps ringing in my ears quite often. I wonder if she practices a mantra (or hypnotism?) and if she tells that to everyone.

I started this Winter quarter on the wrong foot. I enrolled the wrong subjects and it took me three weeks to figure out the right classes. (And classrooms, too. At one point, I spent one hour looking for EA building and when I found it, it was not our classroom!)

When I finally settled down in my Calculus class, I was so shocked to know how rigorous mathematics is being taught here. In my previous mathematics and engineering courses, the focus was on applications of principles on worded problems. Here, wide-ranging theoretical foundations are extensively covered at a dizzying pace. Before, it was like learning how to use a computer and its programs. Now, it is like learning the circuits of the computer.

Classes are held daily and there are quizzes and exams weekly. Assignments, both webwork and paper homeworks, are to be accomplished on a weekly basis also. Add to this the frightening factor that my classmates, who are supposed to be first-timers in Calculus (unlike me who took a similar, though not exactly the same course 14 years ago), are just taking things in stride. In fact, many get perfect scores in assignments and exams. Here, if you score 90% you are most likely on the average and may even be the lowest. In college, our typical quiz was 4 problems in 1 hour. Here, quizzes can be as many as 20 problems and must be solved in 20 minutes! At times, the answer in the previous question is required for the next questions. There is so little room for error. A very high degree of mastery is required because to be able to thrive in these conditions, one must be able to solve a problem at a glance!

We had our midterm exam the other day and I scored only 91. When the result was released, our teaching assistant (who checks the papers, among others) told me “You're the topnotcher in this class for (that) midterm.” The average score was 64.83% among 217 students.

This is the third joyful mystery this winter. And hopefully, not the last.