Bob Geldof came into the shop today. I didn't even catch a glimpse of him cuz I'm useless. Apparently he told Elin, the sweetest girl in the world, that our walky-talkies make us look stupid. Yes, that's right, we wear walky-talkies around the shop.
But that's nothing. This weekend, I went to a pub in Chalk Farm with Holly, Tanya, Simon and James. I walked out onto the patio to find us a table in the sun, and as I was glancing around, I noticed a guy who looked kind of like Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl (except way more tan). I was like, "Nah, it can't be him. All these women on the patio are giving him a wide berth and acting completely normal. Must just be a look-alike."
But it did look a lot like him, so I kept stealing glances back at him (read: trying not to be obvious about the fact that I was staring at him.) It was him. No doubt in my mind. The same crooked teeth, lips, and eyebrows. The overwhelming cockiness in his posture. It was so him. Knowing that I had drinks at a pub that *Chuck Bass* (can't be bothered to look up his real name) goes to makes me feel like I could almost sort of a little bit be mistaken for a cool person. Almost.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Birthday presents!
From Simon: Vladimir, the coolest cane EVER! Check out the crazy eyes going in opposite directions!
From Holly: Cath Kidston sneakers! There's a reason I listed this girl as my significant other.
From Izzi and Tim: super cute purse and tea cups with too-short spoons
From Mel (flatmate): headband and jewelry
From Carina: words can not describe the wonderfulness of this necklace
From Alex: pretty swallow necklace
From Maya: weird but awesome coconut purse
From John and Becky: Vampire Weekend and The Power of Now
From James: The xx and Mos Def
From Ross and Sandra: heirloom quality pearl necklace (!!!!!) and bonus black pearl earrings
Thank you thank you thank you everyone for the wonderful and awesome birthday presents! Those of you who are nearly a month late in sending me my goodies are losers. Though to be fair, I'm greedy and selfish, so I guess I shouldn't sling too much mud your way.
From Holly: Cath Kidston sneakers! There's a reason I listed this girl as my significant other.
From Izzi and Tim: super cute purse and tea cups with too-short spoons
From Mel (flatmate): headband and jewelry
From Carina: words can not describe the wonderfulness of this necklace
From Alex: pretty swallow necklace
From Maya: weird but awesome coconut purse
From John and Becky: Vampire Weekend and The Power of Now
From James: The xx and Mos Def
From Ross and Sandra: heirloom quality pearl necklace (!!!!!) and bonus black pearl earrings
Thank you thank you thank you everyone for the wonderful and awesome birthday presents! Those of you who are nearly a month late in sending me my goodies are losers. Though to be fair, I'm greedy and selfish, so I guess I shouldn't sling too much mud your way.
Things that make me happy
Beautiful, beautiful day! Days, actually! Yesterday was warm and gorgeous, so I decided to run some errands and check out the steam fair that was going on in Hammersmith. It was a little tiny carnival with antique (but refurbished) rides all run by steam engines. They were really beautifully painted. There was a "Wall of Death" that totally took me back to Jinja, Uganda, where we attended a carnival and climbed high onto a very rickety structure to gaze down on an elderly Indian man riding a motorcycle horizontally around the circular wooden structure we were standing on. I was sure the whole thing was gonna collapse and we were all gonna die, motorcycles or not. The one in Hammersmith looked much safer. They also had a little arcade with antique penny-slot games that was so so cool! I paid £1 for 8 tokens and won more tokens a couple times, so got to play quite a few of them. I paid one token to learn about future events in my life, and another for a creepy fortune teller lady in a box to tell my fortune (which was not a fortune at all, but just a description of my personality...and not even really my personality.) It was awesome. Annoyingly, I forgot my camera so you'll just have to take my word for it.
Today was another beautiful day, and I got to spend it with Tanya and Carina! I wagered on it being warm (definitely hit 70 degrees!) so decided it was high time for my legs to reacquaint themselves with Mr. Sunshine. Skin really doesn't get much paler than this.
We had breakfast behind Borough Market, then headed over to Shakespeare's Globe for the Bard's birthday celebrations. It was mostly activities for children, but don't you think that would stop we three grown-up ladies, no sirree! Carina took a crack at Anne Bowling (ha ha! Get it? Anne Boleyn?) which she did horribly at, so I'm curious how any child was expected to win. Then we took a picture with a bear and tried to guess its name (no, it was not Lady Macbear). Then we added our ingredients to a witch's brew, which involved writing nasty-sounding things on post-it notes and sticking it to a wall. I put "ogre's earwax." Carina, ignoring my vehement protests, put "syphilitic pus." She was supported in this decision by Tanya, who is usually the prudish, responsible, innocent one in the group (yes, even compared to me!) She supported it on the grounds that it would be educational for the young kiddies to learn about STDs. Usually, I love that all my friends are crazy about infectious diseases and we can have ridiculous conversations about pertussis and herpes in public places, but there has to be a line somewhere.
Anyhoo, we watched some volunteers of all ages makes fools of themselves acting out lines from the Scottish play on stage. We tapped our fingers against our palms to simulate rain and cackled like witches when directed to do so. When we left, we dropped pennies into the Globe support bucket and were offered cheery red flags. Carina, possibly because she'd spent too much time around small children, decided to act like a petulant child and refused the flag, instead demanding a poster and a gold star. Luckily, the man handing them out was a good sport and unpeeled the large gold star sticker, asking, "And where would you like it?" As it was quite big, the only practical place for it to go was her chest, so this was a bit of a PG-13 question. Then we sat out in the sun for ages drinking Pimms (first Pimms of the year! woot woot!) and pear cider. A friend of Carina's, named James joined us (Tanya: "What is with all the Jameses? I feel like people should know there are other names out there!") and we pretty much spent the entire day drinking and sunning, with a bit of pie eating and book browsing thrown in for good measure. Tanya gave me a pink and blue rhino from Tanzania, and we all decided he should be named Winston.
It was pretty much the best day ever.
Today was another beautiful day, and I got to spend it with Tanya and Carina! I wagered on it being warm (definitely hit 70 degrees!) so decided it was high time for my legs to reacquaint themselves with Mr. Sunshine. Skin really doesn't get much paler than this.
We had breakfast behind Borough Market, then headed over to Shakespeare's Globe for the Bard's birthday celebrations. It was mostly activities for children, but don't you think that would stop we three grown-up ladies, no sirree! Carina took a crack at Anne Bowling (ha ha! Get it? Anne Boleyn?) which she did horribly at, so I'm curious how any child was expected to win. Then we took a picture with a bear and tried to guess its name (no, it was not Lady Macbear). Then we added our ingredients to a witch's brew, which involved writing nasty-sounding things on post-it notes and sticking it to a wall. I put "ogre's earwax." Carina, ignoring my vehement protests, put "syphilitic pus." She was supported in this decision by Tanya, who is usually the prudish, responsible, innocent one in the group (yes, even compared to me!) She supported it on the grounds that it would be educational for the young kiddies to learn about STDs. Usually, I love that all my friends are crazy about infectious diseases and we can have ridiculous conversations about pertussis and herpes in public places, but there has to be a line somewhere.
Anyhoo, we watched some volunteers of all ages makes fools of themselves acting out lines from the Scottish play on stage. We tapped our fingers against our palms to simulate rain and cackled like witches when directed to do so. When we left, we dropped pennies into the Globe support bucket and were offered cheery red flags. Carina, possibly because she'd spent too much time around small children, decided to act like a petulant child and refused the flag, instead demanding a poster and a gold star. Luckily, the man handing them out was a good sport and unpeeled the large gold star sticker, asking, "And where would you like it?" As it was quite big, the only practical place for it to go was her chest, so this was a bit of a PG-13 question. Then we sat out in the sun for ages drinking Pimms (first Pimms of the year! woot woot!) and pear cider. A friend of Carina's, named James joined us (Tanya: "What is with all the Jameses? I feel like people should know there are other names out there!") and we pretty much spent the entire day drinking and sunning, with a bit of pie eating and book browsing thrown in for good measure. Tanya gave me a pink and blue rhino from Tanzania, and we all decided he should be named Winston.
It was pretty much the best day ever.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Perspective
Thanks for all the words of encouragement, guys. I'm feeling much better this evening. I don't know why some days it is impossible to think positive thoughts, and other days it's easy. Today, it's easy.
I will get a job, and it'll be a good one. And I'm not gonna worry too much about money at the moment. Stressing about whether I'll have money in the future when I have money right now is kinda silly. Obviously, I should be wise about my spending, but I should enjoy life while I can! Tanya came back from Tanzania today (YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!) and I went to meet her at Paddington station. They almost didn't let her back into the country! She's Canadian and her visa expired in January, but she was in Tanzania already so couldn't renew it. Since she has been working for the school and earning pounds during this time, this puts her in a bit of a gray zone. Border control took her passport and said, "I have to check this with my boss." In the end, they decided to let her back in (she's only staying for six weeks anyway) because the work she was doing was noble and helping Africa. Anyway, we sat in the train station eating Burger King and talking about boys (yes, we haven't seen each other in three months and that's all we could think to talk about). Then she asked if I wanted to go to Italy for a weekend. I've never been to Italy. I've wanted to go for a while. Tanya speaks Italian (in addition to English and French). But when she asked, I got really sad and stressed and was like, "Uuuuhhhhh, I don't know..." I don't know? I DON'T KNOW??? When will I get another chance to go to Italy? With a good friend, who speaks Italian? I've been fantasizing about the south of France for weeks! Of course I'll go to Italy with you, Tantan! Let's go tomorrow!
I will get a job, and it'll be a good one. And I'm not gonna worry too much about money at the moment. Stressing about whether I'll have money in the future when I have money right now is kinda silly. Obviously, I should be wise about my spending, but I should enjoy life while I can! Tanya came back from Tanzania today (YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!) and I went to meet her at Paddington station. They almost didn't let her back into the country! She's Canadian and her visa expired in January, but she was in Tanzania already so couldn't renew it. Since she has been working for the school and earning pounds during this time, this puts her in a bit of a gray zone. Border control took her passport and said, "I have to check this with my boss." In the end, they decided to let her back in (she's only staying for six weeks anyway) because the work she was doing was noble and helping Africa. Anyway, we sat in the train station eating Burger King and talking about boys (yes, we haven't seen each other in three months and that's all we could think to talk about). Then she asked if I wanted to go to Italy for a weekend. I've never been to Italy. I've wanted to go for a while. Tanya speaks Italian (in addition to English and French). But when she asked, I got really sad and stressed and was like, "Uuuuhhhhh, I don't know..." I don't know? I DON'T KNOW??? When will I get another chance to go to Italy? With a good friend, who speaks Italian? I've been fantasizing about the south of France for weeks! Of course I'll go to Italy with you, Tantan! Let's go tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Disappointment
My quest for positivity has been put on indefinite hold. I came home to an email from the job I really wanted in Glasgow. After careful consideration, my application has not been successful. Actually, the exact wording is that I have not been successful.
I've received this email so many times and worded so many ways, I feel useless and unwanted. The world has no place for me. It doesn't need me. Goodness knows Brand A will continue makings oodles of money without me.
I don't understand what I have to do to get a flipping interview! I'm so angry and frustrated.
I really really feel like giving up, but of course, that's impossible. Or rather, it would require going into default on my student loans and eventually starving to death. Which, I'll be honest, sounds sort of appealing, at least in a romantic bohemian sort of way. I could contract tuberculosis and die a slow, painful, and poverty-ridden death like the chick in La Boheme, probably minus the charming young lad writing poetry to my beauty.
My first student loan payment was due yesterday. $747.41. And it's past due, because I made the payment yesterday but it takes two days to process. My first payment and I'm already delinquent.
I just have no hope left. I told Holly on Sunday that I wanted this job, but had no hope of getting it. I have no hope of getting any relevant or interesting or even remotely lucrative job. For the past few months, I've become convinced that something's gotta give, but I don't even believe that anymore.
Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow. The plan was to go buy much-needed Clinique concealer, but now I feel like I can't justify any expenditure. Employee appreciation starts Thursday and there's a pile of things I need/want to buy...Ok, I have to stop thinking about this.
Alright, I have reached phase two of disappointment: determination. Phase one involves pathetically feeling sorry for myself and crying a lot. Phase two is where I get down to business and try to fix what I can. Phase two was kickstarted by an email from an international development job website listing recently added jobs. I have no recollection of signing up for this service, and yet here it is in my inbox, at exactly the moment when I'm feeling hopeless. Divine intervention? Sure, why not?
I've received this email so many times and worded so many ways, I feel useless and unwanted. The world has no place for me. It doesn't need me. Goodness knows Brand A will continue makings oodles of money without me.
I don't understand what I have to do to get a flipping interview! I'm so angry and frustrated.
I really really feel like giving up, but of course, that's impossible. Or rather, it would require going into default on my student loans and eventually starving to death. Which, I'll be honest, sounds sort of appealing, at least in a romantic bohemian sort of way. I could contract tuberculosis and die a slow, painful, and poverty-ridden death like the chick in La Boheme, probably minus the charming young lad writing poetry to my beauty.
My first student loan payment was due yesterday. $747.41. And it's past due, because I made the payment yesterday but it takes two days to process. My first payment and I'm already delinquent.
I just have no hope left. I told Holly on Sunday that I wanted this job, but had no hope of getting it. I have no hope of getting any relevant or interesting or even remotely lucrative job. For the past few months, I've become convinced that something's gotta give, but I don't even believe that anymore.
Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow. The plan was to go buy much-needed Clinique concealer, but now I feel like I can't justify any expenditure. Employee appreciation starts Thursday and there's a pile of things I need/want to buy...Ok, I have to stop thinking about this.
Alright, I have reached phase two of disappointment: determination. Phase one involves pathetically feeling sorry for myself and crying a lot. Phase two is where I get down to business and try to fix what I can. Phase two was kickstarted by an email from an international development job website listing recently added jobs. I have no recollection of signing up for this service, and yet here it is in my inbox, at exactly the moment when I'm feeling hopeless. Divine intervention? Sure, why not?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Weekend
I haven't updated since my birthday, which was fun! I had a lovely dinner with my nearest and dearest on the Thursday. On the Saturday, Carina and her flatmates threw one of their mental house parties. It was...eventful. Everyone kissing everyone else, people vomitting on other people's beds, etc. Good clean fun. Pictures of my wonderful birthday presents to follow!
Last weekend was sort of odd. Good Friday was a bank holiday in the UK. I had to work, of course, but they offered to let me go home early and I jumped at the opportunity. I only found out later that they were paying us time and a half. D'oh! Anyway, one of the guys I went on a date with, the one who was too chicken to ask me for my number, he was having a pub day to celebrate the day off (the best way the English can think of to spend their free time.) So I went over to that, since James and his new girlfriend were there as well. Weirdness number one: I got asked out to dinner by a 40-year-old, overweight, self-proclaimed bipolar lesbian. I was flattered when she called me hot, but really did not know how to handle that. As for the date guy, by the end of the night, I had decided he was actually quite sweet and I should give him a proper chance, despite not really being attracted to him. I went to get late night curry with him and some of his friends, and eventually conversation turned to his sex life. Apparently, he's currently sleeping with a coworker four nights a week. They also discussed his top five list of objects he likes to use during sex, to insert...places. I left dinner feeling confused, annoyed, and like I'd dodged a bullet. We clearly misjudged each other, if I thought he was sweet and he thought I was...that kind of girl. Blech!
So nothing going anywhere with any boys, but I'm okay with that. I can wait for someone who suits me better. Besides, at the moment, I'm far more concerned about finding a job. Uuuuuuuggghhh.
Easter was nice. I hung out with James and we went for a walk along the canal in beautiful weather! Everytime I pass see canal boats in London, I think of Grandma and Grandpa telling me on at least three different occasions about the PBS special they watched on canal boats in England. "Did you know there are over 800 miles of canal in England?" "Yes, Grandpa..."
I got new contact lenses today, as I dropped my last one down the sink hole last week. I like the way I look in my glasses, but they aren't quite right and I haven't really grown accustomed to them. The optician today said they weren't correcting my astygmatism. Why the eye doctor in Bothell gave me a pair of glasses with the wrong prescription that didn't correct my astygmatism, I'll never understand. Moron.
Anyhoo, gotta run to eat and get to work. And try to apply for a job somewhere in between!
Last weekend was sort of odd. Good Friday was a bank holiday in the UK. I had to work, of course, but they offered to let me go home early and I jumped at the opportunity. I only found out later that they were paying us time and a half. D'oh! Anyway, one of the guys I went on a date with, the one who was too chicken to ask me for my number, he was having a pub day to celebrate the day off (the best way the English can think of to spend their free time.) So I went over to that, since James and his new girlfriend were there as well. Weirdness number one: I got asked out to dinner by a 40-year-old, overweight, self-proclaimed bipolar lesbian. I was flattered when she called me hot, but really did not know how to handle that. As for the date guy, by the end of the night, I had decided he was actually quite sweet and I should give him a proper chance, despite not really being attracted to him. I went to get late night curry with him and some of his friends, and eventually conversation turned to his sex life. Apparently, he's currently sleeping with a coworker four nights a week. They also discussed his top five list of objects he likes to use during sex, to insert...places. I left dinner feeling confused, annoyed, and like I'd dodged a bullet. We clearly misjudged each other, if I thought he was sweet and he thought I was...that kind of girl. Blech!
So nothing going anywhere with any boys, but I'm okay with that. I can wait for someone who suits me better. Besides, at the moment, I'm far more concerned about finding a job. Uuuuuuuggghhh.
Easter was nice. I hung out with James and we went for a walk along the canal in beautiful weather! Everytime I pass see canal boats in London, I think of Grandma and Grandpa telling me on at least three different occasions about the PBS special they watched on canal boats in England. "Did you know there are over 800 miles of canal in England?" "Yes, Grandpa..."
I got new contact lenses today, as I dropped my last one down the sink hole last week. I like the way I look in my glasses, but they aren't quite right and I haven't really grown accustomed to them. The optician today said they weren't correcting my astygmatism. Why the eye doctor in Bothell gave me a pair of glasses with the wrong prescription that didn't correct my astygmatism, I'll never understand. Moron.
Anyhoo, gotta run to eat and get to work. And try to apply for a job somewhere in between!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Gentlemen prefer...me!
New goal: apply for at least one job per day on my days off. So far, so good. Applied for a job yesterday in Washington, D.C. I'm not that keen on moving to D.C., but I should put myself out there and see what happens. It would be a TB advocacy job; in fact, the same job I applied for back in November in London (which my friend, Aparna, got). It's for the same organization and everything, just in a different country. Then today, I was looking at jobs in Scotland and found an entry-level job that would train me to do exactly what I want to do (social science research)! Everybody cross your fingers for that one!
You may now call me Diplomat Kusems. Graduation was Saturday and it was good, but I was sad that I actually didn't get to spend much time with anyone other than Carina (though I adore Carina, so I was happy to be with her). Her mom and brother came and adopted me for the day, so we went for champagne near school, then a really fancy steak dinner in Fitzrovia. By dessert (cheese board!), I was three sheets to the wind. Then we went to the pub that had been designated as our class meet-up point for the evening, and no one was there! So instead, we went to Carina's friend's birthday drinks in Holborn.
So I mentioned the guy who was too chicken to ask for my number. Well, I agreed to go on a date with him, to give him a chance since I had no other romantic prospects. That date is tonight. But after graduation on Saturday, I met a very cute boy from Boston. We went out last night to see "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (so funny!) and I had a really good time. I quite like this boy. I feel a bit bad for the guy tonight, because I'm going to have to let him down. I just think it's funny that I haven't been on a date in...longer than I want to admit, and now I have two in one week. Life is funny sometimes. Funny, but good.
BTW, I highly recommend Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, although I don't understand why they called it that. The brunette in the film gets just as much attention as Marilyn Monroe's character and they both do very well for themselves. Anyway, see it. It's cute!
You may now call me Diplomat Kusems. Graduation was Saturday and it was good, but I was sad that I actually didn't get to spend much time with anyone other than Carina (though I adore Carina, so I was happy to be with her). Her mom and brother came and adopted me for the day, so we went for champagne near school, then a really fancy steak dinner in Fitzrovia. By dessert (cheese board!), I was three sheets to the wind. Then we went to the pub that had been designated as our class meet-up point for the evening, and no one was there! So instead, we went to Carina's friend's birthday drinks in Holborn.
BTW, I highly recommend Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, although I don't understand why they called it that. The brunette in the film gets just as much attention as Marilyn Monroe's character and they both do very well for themselves. Anyway, see it. It's cute!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
News!!!
So much to say! First off:
I HAVE BEEN GRANTED LEAVE TO REMAIN IN THE UK UNTIL 5 MARCH 2012!!!! Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy!!! (Also, the Royal Mail didn't lose my passport! Good work, guys!)
To celebrate, I stopped into T.K. Maxx to look for a belt (yes, that's a K and not a J; not entirely sure why they felt T.J. wasn't appropriate for the UK, or that T.K. wasn't appropriate for the US). Working at Brand A has made me obsessed with shopping, partly because I'm surrounded by gorgeous things that I can't have, and partly because I actually have to look nice and fashionable all the time, something my wardrobe has never had to contend with before. It needs just a touch of updating. So I bought a puka shell necklace, two shirts, and a weird but awesome knit belt from some charity shops yesterday.
£3.50 necklace£6 top
£4.50 top
£1.99 beltThen, at T.K. Maxx, I fell hopelessly, head over heels in love with a pair of shoes. Luckily, since they were in T.K. Maxx, they were not nearly as expensive as they would have been originally. Still, I did essentially spend the rest of my budget for the week on them (meant to last through Sunday). It's worth it, though. My love for these shoes is whole and complete, undeniable and unconditional. I can only hope I'll one day find a man about whom I feel the same way, but for now, I will concentrate my adoration on these shoes.
£24.99 shoesAlso, bought a purple belt to go with my newish £10 Urban Outfitters dress.
£7.99 belt (more than I wanted to spend, but I likedit more than anything else I've seen, so oh well)
Photos from Decades party
Finally posting photos from the Decades party that took place weeks ago.
Maya in James's tweed jacket
James, looking a bit like Mark Twain
Someone borrows my camera to take pictures of people I don't really know...
And at the end of the night, I take a picture of my outfit because I realize that I forgot to do it before or during the party. This photo is minus one string of fake pearls, purchased for a pound at Primark, which broke during the party (the boy who is the love of my life, except that he's not interested in me and is dating someone else, helped me collect all the pearls off the floor; sigh...) I think the 20s suit me quite well. This party was the first time in my life that I felt like I was one of the prettiest girls in the room. I *heart* this dress ever so much. (Thanks for buying it for me, Ross and Sandra!!!)
I mean, really, how could he resist this???
Maya in James's tweed jacket
James, looking a bit like Mark Twain
Someone borrows my camera to take pictures of people I don't really know...
And at the end of the night, I take a picture of my outfit because I realize that I forgot to do it before or during the party. This photo is minus one string of fake pearls, purchased for a pound at Primark, which broke during the party (the boy who is the love of my life, except that he's not interested in me and is dating someone else, helped me collect all the pearls off the floor; sigh...) I think the 20s suit me quite well. This party was the first time in my life that I felt like I was one of the prettiest girls in the room. I *heart* this dress ever so much. (Thanks for buying it for me, Ross and Sandra!!!)
I mean, really, how could he resist this???
Nerve-wracking!
My passport and potentially new, two-year visa (or rejection letter, but I'm thinking positive) arrived yesterday, but there was no one home to sign for it, so it got taken back to the mail distribution center. Rather than try to deliver it again today, which would have been awesome because I'm actually home today, they have reabsorbed it into the mysterious abyss that is the Royal Mail. This terrifies me because Alex has had numerous packages lost because of this very same scenario (though Alex is followed around by a vortex of bad luck, so maybe this won't happen to me?) I have to wait 48 hours before I can go to the distribution center and pick it up. This makes me very, very nervous. Uuuuuuggggghhhhhh.
Everybody cross your fingers and pray that my passport (and potentially, visa) don't disappear into nothingness but are returned into my loving hands within 48 hours.
Everybody cross your fingers and pray that my passport (and potentially, visa) don't disappear into nothingness but are returned into my loving hands within 48 hours.
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