initial research on Dalhousie University's English Department graduate programmes

1.) Basic Requirements for Masters Degree in English

a) Graduate Seminars
    -- must complete 6 half-year seminars (3 in Fall + 2 in Winter + Thesis Prospectus Class in Winter)
    -- at least 1 half-semester seminar must be related to chosen thesis area and at least 1 half-semester seminary must be unrelated to chosen thesis area
    -- 1 half-semester or full-semester seminar may be taken outside the Department of English (per approval of Graduate Ctee.)

b) Second Language Requirement
    -- MA students must be proficient in at least one other language (French is accepted)

c) Research Workshops

d) Thesis
    -- roughly 25,000 words (100 pages) in length, a 500-word prospectus for which is due Feb 15th, with the final copy being due in August

2.) List of Graduate Faculty (a selected list reflecting my areas of interest follows)

-- Carrie Dawson: Cdn & contemp. fiction, ecocriticism
-- Leonard Diepeveen: contemp. Am. lit., poetics, lit. and visual art
-- Ivana Djordjevic: theory & history of fiction, textual and editorial theory
-- David Evans: 19th/20th-c. lit., philosophy & lit., ecocriticism, pragmatism, Faulkner
-- Jason Haslam: 19th/20th-c. Am. lit., prison lit., science fiction, critical race/gender studies, Am. film
-- Dean Irvine: 19th/20th-c. Cdn. lit., modernism, cultural materialism, textual criticism, editing and editorial theory
-- Christina Luckyj: renaiss. drama, women's writing, feminism and performance criticism
-- David McNeil: novel, satire, interdisciplinary studies and popular culture
-- Ken Paradis: 20th-c. Am. culture, cultural theory

3.) 2006-2007 Graduate Seminars (a partial list focused on my interests is below)

-- John Thelwall and Romantic Print Culture on the Web (Judith Thompson)
-- Race, Religion, Gender and Nation in 19th Century Literature (Marjorie Stone)
-- Critical Theory: The Ethical Turn (Alice Brittan)
-- Traveling East (Teresa Heffernan)
-- The Postmodern Moment (Ken Paradis)
-- Editing Canadian Modernism (Dean Irvine)
-- Globalization and Contemporary Canadian Literature (Carrie Dawson)
-- Aesthetic Scandals of the 20th Century (Len Diepeveen)
-- Literary Labours (Dean Irvine)

4.) Admissions Requirements and Financial Aid Opportunities

-- application form, fee, undergrad transcripts, 2 letters of recommendation, 500-word statement of intent, writing samples upon request
-- equivalent of a BA with Honours in English from Dal (Honours must have been taken if offered at the undergrad level) (a qualifying year for non-English majors is theoretically possible but rarely put in practice other than in the format of a 2-year MA which includes a qualifying year, and this is generally only offered to overseas students)
-- All grad students are entitled to some form of financial aid, and all Canadian applicants are also encouraged to apply for SSHRC grants

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Department Contacts:
Graduate Program Coordinator: Trevor Ross, 494-6912, tross@dal.ca
Graduate Program Enquiries: Mary Beth MacIsaac, 494-6924, gradengl@dal.ca

Spinach salad topped with mixed greens and Asian-marinated chicken breast

I threw this together this afternoon for our dinner tonight and it was fantastic. Very healthy too, and not at all difficult to prepare. If you don't have a grill or BBQ, the chicken could be also baked on a greased baking sheet @ 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until done (turned once halfway through) or pan-fried until cooked through (i.e. until the largest pieces are no longer pink in the centre, roughly 10-12 minutes over med-high heat). Tofu could probably also be substituted for the chicken if you were sure to marinate it for a long time.

Yield: 2-4 servings
Marinade prep: 10-15 minutes
Grilling: 10-12 minutes
Salad prep: 5-10 minutes (this can be done while the chicken is grilling if you're a good multi-tasker)

1.) In a glass bowl, combine:

-- juice and pulp of 1 squashed orange (and/or 1-2 limes)
-- 2 tbsp sesame oil (I use toasted sesame oil and the flavour is GREAT)
-- ¼-c (a.k.a. 4 tbsp) mirin (i.e. sweetened sake -- could substitute rice or cider vinegar in a pinch)
-- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger (a roughly thumb-sized gingerroot piece before mincing)
-- 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek or hot pepper paste or fresh hot peppers + minced garlic
-- ¼-c minced red onion
-- 2-4 tbsp minced fresh herbs (I used fresh thyme, but basil or cilantro would also work)
-- freshly ground pepper to taste + a large pinch (~½ tsp?) of kosher salt
-- 2-4 tbsp soya sauce

2.) Add to this mixture 2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into pieces the size of your little finger (trippy) and marinate covered in the fridge for 2-12 hours.

3.) While chicken is marinating or while grill is preheating, assemble a large salad of baby spinach and your favourite mixed greens or salad toppings. I used broccoli florets chopped small, alfalfa sprouts, sliced mushrooms, and halved grape tomatoes. Do not dress the salad until the chicken is cooked and ready to serve.

4.) Grill marinated chicken pieces over direct medium heat on an unheated vegetable grilling tray sprayed with cooking spray for 5-6 minutes on each side (turn the chicken pieces only once or twice). The objective is to obtain lightly-browned chicken pieces that are still tender and juicy, not overcooked.

5.) Dress the spinach salad with a light, sweet vinaigrette of your choosing, lay a large serving of salad on each plate, and arrange a serving of chicken pieces over each salad. Goes well with fresh water, a fruity cocktail, or white wine to drink.

Note: This chicken also makes a great wrap filling: spread a whole-wheat tortilla with nonfat sour cream and low-fat mayo along with some shredded cheddar or other cheese and fresh baby spinach leaves. Top with a serving of the cooked chicken and roll into a burrito shape or fold into a closed quesadilla wrap. The wrap can be grilled for good measure or served cold. If served cold, wrap once in wax paper then tin foil and it'll keep for a lunch the next day, too.

Gmail Webclip: Are there more ants than fish?

From the linked article, a potential answer to a very pressing question:

As we've been informed many times, "Don't worry, there are plenty of fish in the sea." Likewise, we've noted oodles of ants in the collective pants. But just how many?

Vienna box office

Just called the box office for the Vienna Symphony Orchestra to book our tickets for this show on June 10th. We'll be in town for a conference and we wanted to see some legit classical music while we're there. The programme features a Mendelssohn violin concerto and Mahler's 5th Symphony. The latter is a brash, exciting work I've never heard performed live.

Speaking with that German call centre rep reminded me of this commercial I saw recently for Berlitz language training. I presume the ad was staged, but I've not seen confirmation one way or the other. It's good for a laugh, though.