Egg Planning Activity

Although our egg "Crackhead" didn't survive the drop, the group I was assigned to worked very well together!  We were able to discuss our ideas openly and built upon them as a team.  At the beginning we tried to follow all of the Steps of the Planning Process but everyone was so excited we jumped right into the middle.  I feel we did not work through the first two steps good enough.  I think if we would have initially talked about our strengths and weaknesses, we would have came up with a solid plan faster.  We for sure could have been more organized if we started with Step 1.

Everyone had so many great ideas that in the middle of planning and building one idea another one would pop into someones head.  We would discuss the new idea and then decide it would work better.  I feel a better strategy for us would have been to stick with one of the first ideas and make it work.  They were all great ideas but we wasted too much building time bouncing around different plans.  So in that case I think we did great with Steps 3 and 4!

Since the activity was timed, I think it made Step 5 very difficult.  If the plan was going wrong it was hard to take time and revise what the problem was.  Overall, I think we all got along really well.  We all felt comfortable giving input and saying our opinions.  We tried out best, but it was VERY nerve wrecking with 10 bonus points at stake! 

Had so much fun with this activity, really made class enjoyable :)

Nubian Villiage Experience (Topic 1 Culture Shock)

This summer I was able to be in a culture unlike one I have ever experienced.  I spent a week and a half traveling down the Nile river in Egypt.  One of the most interesting stops we made during the tour was at a Nubian village near Aswan. 

We were invited into a traditional Nubian home.  As per tradition in the Egyptian Culture, we were each given a cup of Hibiscus tea to enjoy.  A traditional Nubian home comprises of an average of three families that live together.  They share one common space and about two bedrooms.  The floors throughout the house were made of sand.  In this Nubian society it is normal to share a house with more than one family.  I found this to be very different from the American culture.  Here, it is uncommon to find families sharing homes.

Another difference I noticed are the rules they follow in the village.  This Nubian village does not abide by the laws of Egypt.  The eldest men in the village are the ones who are in charge.  They give wisdom when there is fighting amongst families and decide punishments when situations happen.  The general basis for the "laws" of the village is "an eye for an eye".  We were told a story about two families that did not get along.  A member of one family killed a member of the other family.  To seek justice, they were told to kill one member of the other family.  This "eye for an eye" tactic is a common practice in the village and the members truly believe that it is the right way to solve these disputes.  In our culture, there would be zero tolerance for this.  The police and legal system would be involved immediately.

I was shocked to see that in this day and age there are still cultures that function this way.  I really hope that what Egypt is currently going through will eventually help to bring peace to their country.

Intro

Hello!  I'm Stephanie.  I am a full-time student with a major in accounting and minor in psych.  I work part time as a freelance makeup artist for Bobbi Brown Comestics and for myself.  With the line, I do makeup at different counters,  fashion shows, and events.  For myself, I do makeup for weddings and special events.  In my spare time I LOVE to travel.  Over the winter break I was lucky enough to travel to California and miss all the crazy snow last week.  This past summer I spent a few weeks traveling Egypt and Greece.  It was incredible to see so much history!

I'm excited for this class and a great semester.