Wednesday, May 23, 2012

TCC team runs in OKC Bombing Memorial Marathon

TCC team members hung their medal on the chair that bears Rigney's name at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, along with their team number tags.


Even after all these years, thinking about April 19, 1995 gives me chills. I recently heard that a group of TCC faculty and staff have been running in the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Marathon for the past three years to honor a TCC graduate who died in the tragedy: Trudy Rigney. To read more about this story, click here.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

TCC grads going on to do great things

It is so much fun to see the great careers that people have after graduating from TCC. I have been out and about yesterday and today taking pictures to present in the upcoming Best of TCC event on May 31. It is one of my favorite things that I get to do! Meeting the people who have graduated, learning about their particular companies and professions and simply seeing the successes that people have because of their hard work in pursuing their degrees--it's inspiring.

This year, Best of TCC honorees include a police chief, case manager, architect, firefighter, minister, nurse, professor, biomedical engineer, web designer and more. In fact, today I met one of the architects who worked on the TCC Center for Creativity on the TCC Metro Campus. Very cool! After the Best of TCC event, I'll post their names, companies and photos. I hope that these successful graduates inspire and encourage you in the same way they have inspired me.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Minding your manners around the world


Guest blogger Steve Aston, of the TCC International Language Center, tells us the dos and don'ts of table manners overseas by sharing information he found on various travel websites.

Traveling to another country is exciting, adventuresome, and sometimes rude - if you are not familiar with the culture, that is. These are some etiquette tips to help travelers prepare for overseas trips. Below are some lesser-known formalities in various countries.

In Thailand, don’t put your food in your mouth with a fork!
In Japan, never stick your chopsticks upright in your rice!
In the Middle East, India and parts of Africa, don’t eat with your left hand.
At a traditional feast in Georgia, it’s rude to sip your wine during a toast.
In Mexico, never eat your tacos with a fork and knife.
In Italy, drink cappuccino only before noon!
In Britain, always pass the port to the left!
In France, don’t eat your bread as an appetizer before the meal!
In China, don’t flip your cooked whole fish!
In Italy, don’t ask for Parmesan for your pizza-or any time it’s not explicitly offered!
In Chile, don’t eat anything, even fries, with your fingers at a meal!
In Korea, if an older person offers you a drink, lift your glass to receive it with both hands!
In Russia, never mix, or add ice or turn down vodka!
When drinking coffee with Bedouins in the Middle East, shake the cup at the end.
In Brazil, lay your table token down wisely, green side—get more meat, red side—no more!
In Afghanistan, guests who accidentally drop their bread should pick it up, kiss it, and raise it to their foreheads before setting back down.
In Korea, it’s OK to spit your fish bones on the table or ground during dinner.
In rural Zambia, when eating dried mouse, start with the head, but do not eat the tail, that would be bad manners!
In Mongolia, manners dictate that the woman of the family gives the first bite, to the head of the family.
In Switzerland, Luxembourg & France gum-chewing in public is considered very vulgar.