So one possibility that occurred to me was that of getting another degree while also volunteering with the Peace Corps. Exploring this possibility on the Peace Corps website, I clicked "anthropology" to see what options came up under that.
One option came up.
It's for either environmental anthropology or public health anthropology. So far so good.
Guess which school offers it?
Wazzu. I told myself I would be open to the possibility of going to school anywhere in the world. Pullman, WA, does NOT count! That's not anywhere in the world. It's the middle of nowhere! I can't go from London to Pullman. I'd go stir-crazy!
And how disloyal would I be if I crossed over to the dark side and became a Cougar? Not that I've made a very active or loyal Husky, but still.
Also, I'd have to take the GRE again, which I more or less failed last time.
Flippin' Pullman. It figures.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Need and want
It's amazing what two glasses of wine can do.
Carina invited me over for dinner tonight. I haven't seen her in a month, so it was good to catch up. We watched American Idol and then the new series of Skins. On the tube on the way home, I was too wine-y to read my book, so decided to write down my thoughts. I've been thinking lately that I need a strategy, an action plan.
Pops and Michele were telling me to really think and write about what I want, my goals and stuff. They said to write out a mission statement. I said, "yeah yeah yeah," made a resolution to spend 15 minutes a day writing in my journal about goals and dreams and shit, and then spent the next two weeks saying to myself, "I should really get started on that one of these days..." On the way to work today, I started thinking about what I believe makes me stand apart from other candidates when I apply for a job. As I stepped down from the Central line at Holborn, my answer was "nothing." Of course I'm not getting any interviews. Other people are smarter and more driven than me. They deserve the jobs I'm applying for. I thought about Tim and the fact that when he goes to an interview, he fully believes that he deserves the job he is applying for, and that he is the best candidate they will see. When I go to an interview, I'm just hoping to fool them long enough that they hire me. I chided myself for thinking this way, and by the time I had stepped onto a Picadilly line train, I had started a list of attributes that should make me stand out as a candidate. It's not a very strong list, but it's a start.
So on the way home from Carina's, I was adding more to this list, and reading my book about building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I had an apostrophe.
I think I should go back to school and get a degree in medical anthropology.
I need to go back to school and get a degree in medical anthropology.
But more than that, I WANT to go back to school a get a degree in medical anthropology. Even with a couple glasses of wine, though, I knew this idea was far-fetched and unrealistic. I'm $60,000 in debt for my first master's degree, which has so far done absolutely nothing for me. I can't go back to school.
But I think I might need to. I want to be a medical anthropologist. That is what I want. I wanted it four years ago but lacked the confidence to say it, or even think it. Yesterday, I wouldn't have said those words. Why does it always take me so long to figure out how much I want something? Why does it take me three or four years to gain the confidence to commit? I've wasted so much time, it makes tears come to my eyes just thinking about it! Twenty-eight years, ten months, 1 day, and $60,000 (not including interest) to come to this conclusion.
Now what? Now I have to find a way to make it happen. It's not a choice. I have a destiny out there somewhere and I can feel it slipping further and further away with each passing day. It is imperative that I fulfill it, before I drive myself insane with longing and an overwhelming feeling of wasted potential.
What sets other people apart from me is their focus and determination. But not anymore.
Carina invited me over for dinner tonight. I haven't seen her in a month, so it was good to catch up. We watched American Idol and then the new series of Skins. On the tube on the way home, I was too wine-y to read my book, so decided to write down my thoughts. I've been thinking lately that I need a strategy, an action plan.
Pops and Michele were telling me to really think and write about what I want, my goals and stuff. They said to write out a mission statement. I said, "yeah yeah yeah," made a resolution to spend 15 minutes a day writing in my journal about goals and dreams and shit, and then spent the next two weeks saying to myself, "I should really get started on that one of these days..." On the way to work today, I started thinking about what I believe makes me stand apart from other candidates when I apply for a job. As I stepped down from the Central line at Holborn, my answer was "nothing." Of course I'm not getting any interviews. Other people are smarter and more driven than me. They deserve the jobs I'm applying for. I thought about Tim and the fact that when he goes to an interview, he fully believes that he deserves the job he is applying for, and that he is the best candidate they will see. When I go to an interview, I'm just hoping to fool them long enough that they hire me. I chided myself for thinking this way, and by the time I had stepped onto a Picadilly line train, I had started a list of attributes that should make me stand out as a candidate. It's not a very strong list, but it's a start.
So on the way home from Carina's, I was adding more to this list, and reading my book about building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I had an apostrophe.
I think I should go back to school and get a degree in medical anthropology.
I need to go back to school and get a degree in medical anthropology.
But more than that, I WANT to go back to school a get a degree in medical anthropology. Even with a couple glasses of wine, though, I knew this idea was far-fetched and unrealistic. I'm $60,000 in debt for my first master's degree, which has so far done absolutely nothing for me. I can't go back to school.
But I think I might need to. I want to be a medical anthropologist. That is what I want. I wanted it four years ago but lacked the confidence to say it, or even think it. Yesterday, I wouldn't have said those words. Why does it always take me so long to figure out how much I want something? Why does it take me three or four years to gain the confidence to commit? I've wasted so much time, it makes tears come to my eyes just thinking about it! Twenty-eight years, ten months, 1 day, and $60,000 (not including interest) to come to this conclusion.
Now what? Now I have to find a way to make it happen. It's not a choice. I have a destiny out there somewhere and I can feel it slipping further and further away with each passing day. It is imperative that I fulfill it, before I drive myself insane with longing and an overwhelming feeling of wasted potential.
What sets other people apart from me is their focus and determination. But not anymore.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Visiting the UK Jan: Epping Forest
Tim said last night, "Now, I don't want to nag...but when are you gonna update your blog again?" Well Tim, stick with your gut instinct and don't be a nag! J/K. I love you!
Yesterday was my day to make good on my New Year's resolution of visiting a new place in the UK each month. I kind of failed. The plan was to go to Richmond Park and Kew Gardens. But it costs £14 to get into Kew Gardens and there isn't much there in January. So Aparna and I were just gonna go to Richmond Park instead in the hopes of seeing deer. But I had to bake cookies first and we just got a bit lazy and then decided it made much more sense to go to Epping Forest, which is a 20 minute walk from home. As I haven't been to Epping Forest before, it kind of counts, but not really. It isn't much of a forest anymore, but Henry the something-or-other used to hunt there back in the day. I think it's about half the size of Marymoor Park, and much less forested. Pretty, though! Then we went to IKEA on a whim, as you do. We got a full-length mirror! It's the best thing ever! Now I can see whether I look ridiculous before I get to work. How convenient!
In the evening, it was Tim's friend, Steve's, birthday party. It was fun, mostly because I got to spend the whole evening with Izzi and Tim. I even spent the night at their flat and they gave me BACON this morning! And maple syrup! I like them.
I think I'm going to have to move again, because I will never make enough money at my current job to pay for my current rent, travel card, and food. One of these things must be cut out. Like, NOW. It's stressful. I had Aparna look at my finances with me last week, and ended up on the verge of a panic attack. I'm trying not to think too much about it. Tuesday night is dinner with Tisobel and their friend, Oliver, and Thursday is dinner with Carina, so I will look forward to those things and try not to stress. Breathing deeply...
Yesterday was my day to make good on my New Year's resolution of visiting a new place in the UK each month. I kind of failed. The plan was to go to Richmond Park and Kew Gardens. But it costs £14 to get into Kew Gardens and there isn't much there in January. So Aparna and I were just gonna go to Richmond Park instead in the hopes of seeing deer. But I had to bake cookies first and we just got a bit lazy and then decided it made much more sense to go to Epping Forest, which is a 20 minute walk from home. As I haven't been to Epping Forest before, it kind of counts, but not really. It isn't much of a forest anymore, but Henry the something-or-other used to hunt there back in the day. I think it's about half the size of Marymoor Park, and much less forested. Pretty, though! Then we went to IKEA on a whim, as you do. We got a full-length mirror! It's the best thing ever! Now I can see whether I look ridiculous before I get to work. How convenient!
In the evening, it was Tim's friend, Steve's, birthday party. It was fun, mostly because I got to spend the whole evening with Izzi and Tim. I even spent the night at their flat and they gave me BACON this morning! And maple syrup! I like them.
I think I'm going to have to move again, because I will never make enough money at my current job to pay for my current rent, travel card, and food. One of these things must be cut out. Like, NOW. It's stressful. I had Aparna look at my finances with me last week, and ended up on the verge of a panic attack. I'm trying not to think too much about it. Tuesday night is dinner with Tisobel and their friend, Oliver, and Thursday is dinner with Carina, so I will look forward to those things and try not to stress. Breathing deeply...
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Latest whim
I haven't blogged in a while because I'm frustrated with life (work, money, London) and I'm sick of always blogging when I'm cranky.
Work is stressing me out. I asked for a raise for a second time, and again my manager came up with BS excuses why I wasn't good enough to warrant a raise, while also giving me even more responsibility and work to do. I've started having stressful dreams about work. Twenty-nine years of learning to be conscientious and hard-working and respect authority, undone by ten months working in this job. I now know that if I work hard and do a good job, I'll get taken advantage of. So it's time to stop working hard. It's time to care less.
In my Christmas stocking (Christmas with the Coley's was wonderful, by the way!), Tim's mom gave me a lavender sachet. I've taken to sniffing it lately to release stress. I took a long sniff of it this morning and was transported back to San Juan Island in May, 2004. Memories of playing at the lavender farm with my sisters, and of almost dying trying to follow my dad up a steep hill on my bike. Forget London. That's where I want to be right now. So I got to thinking, "I wonder what Jersey is like?" I pulled out my list of places to go in England before my visa runs out and added the Channel Islands to it. But why stop there? I'm frustrated with my job and have no other job prospects. Izzi and Tim might be leaving London soon for Tim's work. Why not work in the Channel Islands for a summer season? So this is my latest whim. To spend the summer working in a resort or something on a nice, warmer-than-London island.
Work is stressing me out. I asked for a raise for a second time, and again my manager came up with BS excuses why I wasn't good enough to warrant a raise, while also giving me even more responsibility and work to do. I've started having stressful dreams about work. Twenty-nine years of learning to be conscientious and hard-working and respect authority, undone by ten months working in this job. I now know that if I work hard and do a good job, I'll get taken advantage of. So it's time to stop working hard. It's time to care less.
In my Christmas stocking (Christmas with the Coley's was wonderful, by the way!), Tim's mom gave me a lavender sachet. I've taken to sniffing it lately to release stress. I took a long sniff of it this morning and was transported back to San Juan Island in May, 2004. Memories of playing at the lavender farm with my sisters, and of almost dying trying to follow my dad up a steep hill on my bike. Forget London. That's where I want to be right now. So I got to thinking, "I wonder what Jersey is like?" I pulled out my list of places to go in England before my visa runs out and added the Channel Islands to it. But why stop there? I'm frustrated with my job and have no other job prospects. Izzi and Tim might be leaving London soon for Tim's work. Why not work in the Channel Islands for a summer season? So this is my latest whim. To spend the summer working in a resort or something on a nice, warmer-than-London island.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Too much good stuff
Hour three of my 7-hour layover in Vancouver and my eyelids are droooooping. It sucks having such a long layover so close to home when I could be spending time with the family. Oh well, at least Vancouver airport is gorgeous! It's nicer than most shopping malls here and there are (mildly creepy) Native American sculptures all over. I'm currently positioned in a comfy chair next to a burbling stream using free wifi. Eat that, Sea-Tac!
Okay, i was gonna do a blog post about visiting home, but I just feel like finding a place to stretch out and take a nap. So so tired. I managed to do all the things I was hoping to do this week, but it meant not getting very much sleep. Woops! Jet-lag is gonna be a bitch...Good thing I don't have to work the four days following my return! Oh wait, I got that backwards. I'm working full 8-hour shifts for the four days following my return...
Saying goodbye was much harder this time around. Yep, I cried. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I was only home for six days, so I don't feel like I got to see enough of anybody. It's like when you're hungry, and someone gives you a tiny appetizer to take the edge off your hunger, but it only whets your appetite and makes you want more. I should have gone for two weeks to get satiated without feeling overstuffed. But everyone is back to work today anyway, so there wouldn't really be anyway to hang out with.
Here's what all I did:
Monday night: flight from Vancouver to Seattle canceled; spent night in nice hotel room; took lovely hot bath.
Tuesday: arrived in snowy Seattle late morning; took bus home where Michele made me yummy lunch; caught bus to Redmond to see Jocky briefly; had dinner with Mama, Jody, Amy, and Diana; got slightly tipsy and watched Harry Potter; spent the night at Amy's, even though she wasn't there.
Wednesday: drove three hours south to Portland with Jocky and Amy, lunch with Gma, Gpa, Aunt Leslie and Uncle Steve; shopped in downtown Portland (I like it there!); dinner with Aunt Chris; three hour drive home.
Thursday: Turkey Day at Ward and Dixie's; Secret Santa name draw (I'm not telling you whose name I drew!).
Black Friday: Woke at 2:15am to go shopping with Katy and Michele (clearly, I lost my mind at some point on Thursday). Shopped until 8am, then took a nap; went shopping again at 11am; met up briefly with Jocky at Banana Republic; lunch and nice catch-up time with Ross and Sandra; watched Mama and Jody play soccer (OMG! Mama playing soccer?! Awesome!); fell asleep in my Red Robin burger; spent the night at Amy's, in her roommate's room; woken up by Amy sometime around midnight because roommate was on her way home and I had to get out of her bed.
Saturday: breakfast and Target shopping with Jody (oh Target, how I do love thee; please move to London!); brief hanging out with Mama (mostly just me playing Kinectimals); high tea with Michele, Katy, Jody, and Becky at the Queen Mary teahouse; dinner date with Pops; briefly lose my wallet, then discover it at home. Phew!
Sunday: Watch Miracle on 34th Street while Michele puts up and decorates Christmas tree; lunch with Sara and Emily in U District; snacks and bubbly at Ross and Sandra's with their newly adopted daughter and Jocky, Amy, and Diana; watch cheesy Hallmark film with Pops and Michele; cry into Pops' shoulder at the thought of leaving.
Monday: Leave it all behind once again.
I have a feeling that might have been really boring to read. Anyway, I'm amazed I got so much done. It's no surprise I feel dead tired. Sadly, I don't have many photos to show for all the hijinks, except lots of photos of Mama playing soccer. I feel an evil laugh coming on. Mwah hahaha-ha!
Okay, i was gonna do a blog post about visiting home, but I just feel like finding a place to stretch out and take a nap. So so tired. I managed to do all the things I was hoping to do this week, but it meant not getting very much sleep. Woops! Jet-lag is gonna be a bitch...Good thing I don't have to work the four days following my return! Oh wait, I got that backwards. I'm working full 8-hour shifts for the four days following my return...
Saying goodbye was much harder this time around. Yep, I cried. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I was only home for six days, so I don't feel like I got to see enough of anybody. It's like when you're hungry, and someone gives you a tiny appetizer to take the edge off your hunger, but it only whets your appetite and makes you want more. I should have gone for two weeks to get satiated without feeling overstuffed. But everyone is back to work today anyway, so there wouldn't really be anyway to hang out with.
Here's what all I did:
Monday night: flight from Vancouver to Seattle canceled; spent night in nice hotel room; took lovely hot bath.
Tuesday: arrived in snowy Seattle late morning; took bus home where Michele made me yummy lunch; caught bus to Redmond to see Jocky briefly; had dinner with Mama, Jody, Amy, and Diana; got slightly tipsy and watched Harry Potter; spent the night at Amy's, even though she wasn't there.
Wednesday: drove three hours south to Portland with Jocky and Amy, lunch with Gma, Gpa, Aunt Leslie and Uncle Steve; shopped in downtown Portland (I like it there!); dinner with Aunt Chris; three hour drive home.
Thursday: Turkey Day at Ward and Dixie's; Secret Santa name draw (I'm not telling you whose name I drew!).
Black Friday: Woke at 2:15am to go shopping with Katy and Michele (clearly, I lost my mind at some point on Thursday). Shopped until 8am, then took a nap; went shopping again at 11am; met up briefly with Jocky at Banana Republic; lunch and nice catch-up time with Ross and Sandra; watched Mama and Jody play soccer (OMG! Mama playing soccer?! Awesome!); fell asleep in my Red Robin burger; spent the night at Amy's, in her roommate's room; woken up by Amy sometime around midnight because roommate was on her way home and I had to get out of her bed.
Saturday: breakfast and Target shopping with Jody (oh Target, how I do love thee; please move to London!); brief hanging out with Mama (mostly just me playing Kinectimals); high tea with Michele, Katy, Jody, and Becky at the Queen Mary teahouse; dinner date with Pops; briefly lose my wallet, then discover it at home. Phew!
Sunday: Watch Miracle on 34th Street while Michele puts up and decorates Christmas tree; lunch with Sara and Emily in U District; snacks and bubbly at Ross and Sandra's with their newly adopted daughter and Jocky, Amy, and Diana; watch cheesy Hallmark film with Pops and Michele; cry into Pops' shoulder at the thought of leaving.
Monday: Leave it all behind once again.
I have a feeling that might have been really boring to read. Anyway, I'm amazed I got so much done. It's no surprise I feel dead tired. Sadly, I don't have many photos to show for all the hijinks, except lots of photos of Mama playing soccer. I feel an evil laugh coming on. Mwah hahaha-ha!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Omens
I'm gonna be home in LESS THAN A WEEK!!!! Wooohooooooo! Can't wait!!!!
Happy birthday to John! I hope it's wonderful!
I don't have much else to report. I still haven't signed an updated contract at work, so still don't know if they're going to offer me more money or if I'll have to demand it. I feel like threatening to leave just before Christmas should knock some sense into them. Especially as one of the other girls they just promoted just gave her two weeks notice. They're dropping like flies.
I recently read The Alchemist, which was SOOO GOOD! Now I keep thinking that I should be paying better attention to signs and omens, that the Universe/God is probably sending me messages telling me what to do next, but I'm just not paying attention. The question popped into my head the other day: If I were to leave London and move to a different city, would I miss London? And the answer was "no." I would miss Izzi and Tim, and Holly. I would miss Carina a tiny bit but I hardly ever see her. If Tanya was staying in London, I'd miss her too, but she's still not sure if she'll be sticking around or going back to Canada. And that's about it. Five people.
I was thinking about all this as I passed under the prime meridian laser the other night, and I thought, "What if the laser is an omen, pointing me to an exotic northern locale?" So I hopped onto my trusty MacBook and pulled up Google maps to see where the prime meridian passes through on it's way north from London. I quickly determined that the prime meridian is NOT a helpful omen, directing me to my next adventure, as it passes through nowhere of any interest. It comes nearish to Cambridge, which is kind of a nice place but I didn't really like it that much, and Hull, which by all accounts is one of the most miserable places on earth. Then the line shoots off into the North Sea. So yeah. Back to the drawing board.
Happy birthday to John! I hope it's wonderful!
I don't have much else to report. I still haven't signed an updated contract at work, so still don't know if they're going to offer me more money or if I'll have to demand it. I feel like threatening to leave just before Christmas should knock some sense into them. Especially as one of the other girls they just promoted just gave her two weeks notice. They're dropping like flies.
I recently read The Alchemist, which was SOOO GOOD! Now I keep thinking that I should be paying better attention to signs and omens, that the Universe/God is probably sending me messages telling me what to do next, but I'm just not paying attention. The question popped into my head the other day: If I were to leave London and move to a different city, would I miss London? And the answer was "no." I would miss Izzi and Tim, and Holly. I would miss Carina a tiny bit but I hardly ever see her. If Tanya was staying in London, I'd miss her too, but she's still not sure if she'll be sticking around or going back to Canada. And that's about it. Five people.
I was thinking about all this as I passed under the prime meridian laser the other night, and I thought, "What if the laser is an omen, pointing me to an exotic northern locale?" So I hopped onto my trusty MacBook and pulled up Google maps to see where the prime meridian passes through on it's way north from London. I quickly determined that the prime meridian is NOT a helpful omen, directing me to my next adventure, as it passes through nowhere of any interest. It comes nearish to Cambridge, which is kind of a nice place but I didn't really like it that much, and Hull, which by all accounts is one of the most miserable places on earth. Then the line shoots off into the North Sea. So yeah. Back to the drawing board.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Back on the funny farm
Happy 26th birthday to the best second-youngest sister a girl could ask for! I miss you, Jodifer, but I'll see you soon! Also, while I'm at it, a very happy early birthday to Sandra and John! Can't wait to see you ALL!
Man, I had such a great weekend!!! I wasn't scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday, my first two days off in two months. I decided to get lots of work done for PhD guy, who sent me an email earlier in the week saying the WHO wants to see a publication by December so let's really rush this through. Eeps! Izzi and Tim invited me over for dinner Wednesday, and I was happy for once to not have to ask them to push it back until 8 or 9pm. Izzi made a delicious pie with chicken and bacon (my favorite!) She would like me to set the record straight, and I'm happy to oblige: my last post implied a bit that she and Tim are narcissists. This is not at all true. Only Tim is a narcissist. :-) He's still wonderful, though. He's growing a 'tache for Movember to raise awareness for prostate cancer, and though I'm normally a total 'tache hater, I feel I can support them for charity's sake. Also, I want to see what he manages to shape it into.
Tanya returned to London this week after a 5-month hiatus back home (Canada) so Holly suggested we all go to the Farm for the weekend, and go to Bonfire Night in Lewes (I went last year and it was SO MUCH FUN!) She asked if I could get Friday off work, which I was able to do in the end, and then on Thursday, a girl randomly asked if she could work for me on Saturday. So I had FOUR days off IN A ROW! Amazing!!! And I got to go to the Farm! And spend three days with Tanya! (and Holly, of course) So wonderful. We got to play with the baby (getting so big and clever!) and romp through the fields. Tanya, in her usual wide-eyed-wonderment way, asked, "So when you guys were little, you could just pick a field to run through?" (They do have a heckuva lotta fields. Full of deer, no less!) Holly's parents bought the farm in the 70s cuz they were hippies and wanted to work the land and live with friends and family around and raise their kids in a healthy, rural environment. Her older brother lives in a little room off the side of the house, and her sister and brother-in-law live with their little girl in a house across the driveway, but they're building a house in one of the fields. Her aunt and uncle live on the neighboring plot of land. Apparently, it's Holly's dad's dream that she and all her friends move into the big house and make it like some sort of happy commune. Yes, please! I would move there in a heartbeat.
(By the way, while I'm thinking about it: Ross, I LOVE my camera! I know you gave it to me five years ago, and there are probably more amazing ones are the market now, but it's such a great camera! The above series of photos wouldn't have been possible without the multiple-shot function, and I also used the color accent function a ton.)
We returned to London on Saturday to celebrate Aparna's birthday by letting Aparna cook us all a curry. It was super yummy. I'm hoping to absorb some good cooking tips from her, by allowing her to cook all my meals for me and half listen to her telling me what she's doing as she goes along. :-D
Man, I had such a great weekend!!! I wasn't scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday, my first two days off in two months. I decided to get lots of work done for PhD guy, who sent me an email earlier in the week saying the WHO wants to see a publication by December so let's really rush this through. Eeps! Izzi and Tim invited me over for dinner Wednesday, and I was happy for once to not have to ask them to push it back until 8 or 9pm. Izzi made a delicious pie with chicken and bacon (my favorite!) She would like me to set the record straight, and I'm happy to oblige: my last post implied a bit that she and Tim are narcissists. This is not at all true. Only Tim is a narcissist. :-) He's still wonderful, though. He's growing a 'tache for Movember to raise awareness for prostate cancer, and though I'm normally a total 'tache hater, I feel I can support them for charity's sake. Also, I want to see what he manages to shape it into.
Tanya returned to London this week after a 5-month hiatus back home (Canada) so Holly suggested we all go to the Farm for the weekend, and go to Bonfire Night in Lewes (I went last year and it was SO MUCH FUN!) She asked if I could get Friday off work, which I was able to do in the end, and then on Thursday, a girl randomly asked if she could work for me on Saturday. So I had FOUR days off IN A ROW! Amazing!!! And I got to go to the Farm! And spend three days with Tanya! (and Holly, of course) So wonderful. We got to play with the baby (getting so big and clever!) and romp through the fields. Tanya, in her usual wide-eyed-wonderment way, asked, "So when you guys were little, you could just pick a field to run through?" (They do have a heckuva lotta fields. Full of deer, no less!) Holly's parents bought the farm in the 70s cuz they were hippies and wanted to work the land and live with friends and family around and raise their kids in a healthy, rural environment. Her older brother lives in a little room off the side of the house, and her sister and brother-in-law live with their little girl in a house across the driveway, but they're building a house in one of the fields. Her aunt and uncle live on the neighboring plot of land. Apparently, it's Holly's dad's dream that she and all her friends move into the big house and make it like some sort of happy commune. Yes, please! I would move there in a heartbeat.
(By the way, while I'm thinking about it: Ross, I LOVE my camera! I know you gave it to me five years ago, and there are probably more amazing ones are the market now, but it's such a great camera! The above series of photos wouldn't have been possible without the multiple-shot function, and I also used the color accent function a ton.)
We returned to London on Saturday to celebrate Aparna's birthday by letting Aparna cook us all a curry. It was super yummy. I'm hoping to absorb some good cooking tips from her, by allowing her to cook all my meals for me and half listen to her telling me what she's doing as she goes along. :-D
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Stuff
Happy impending birthday to my favorite daddio!
Tisobel have asked that I update my blog, and write about them. They like to read about themselves. But when I leave this long between posts, it becomes a chore because I have so much to catch up on! I'll try to make it quick.
1. Izzi and Tim have had me over for dinner three times since they got married in September (did I post pics?) I love their new home! It's so cozy and bright and homey. It's wonderful in every way. Also, they make me yummy yummy food. I heart them. I told them that Ross and Sandra were adopting a grown-up woman, and they decided they want to adopt me. I didn't think my bio 'rents would appreciate it much, though, so maybe I will just move into the flat two doors down from them and be their neighbor instead of their daughter.
2. A month ago, I moved to Leytonstone, which is miiiiiiiiiiiles out of central London. It's in zone 3, east London. I work in zone 2, west London. I hate hate hate having to wake up at 6:30 in the morning to get to work on time and I haven't been getting home until late, but I'm actually kind of enjoying being out in the suburbs. I've been feeling lately like it might be time for me to leave London, like I'm over it. But moving out to the suburbs has actually fixed that feeling a bit. It's not even a nice suburb, either! It's dingy and grimy and a bit on the sketchy side, but I kind of love it! Also, one night as I was walking home, I noticed a green light shining across the sky. At first, I thought it was a skylight, but it was stationary. It took me a minute to realize that it's the laser beamed from Greenwich, delineating the prime meridian. How cool is that? I cross the prime meridian every day on my way to work, and again on my way home. Fun!
3. I want to come home for Thanksgiving. I asked for time off from work (they wouldn't give me time off for Christmas and I kinda wanted to spend Christmas here again, though I have no plan for who to spend it with.) Ticket prices are high, but I'm feeling a feeling which might be called "homesick" so I don't care. I actually got homesick standing in Starbucks the other day! Can you believe it? They sell something called the "Seattle Latte" which comes in a little plastic cup out of the refrigerated section. They were also selling mugs with the old-school mermaid logo, and it was all too much for me. Thoughts of home came flooding over me and suddenly, my plan of coming home for one week didn't feel like enough. The only problem is, I don't actually have the money. My old flatmate still hasn't given me back my deposit, even though it's been three and a half weeks (GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!) and I was gonna use that to buy the ticket. At any rate, tomorrow is payday so I can buy the ticket then. I wish I could have bought it two weeks ago, but whatever! Life goes on, I suppose. Anyway, I expect to see ALL of your lovely faces in the whirlwind one-week tour I'll be making of the Greater Seattle and Portland areas.
4. So I was working two retail jobs, working seven days a week, right? This was not making me a happy girl, and I didn't really click at the second job, so I gave my notice. Friday is my last day and I am RELIEVED! It's a stressful job. Customer service over the phone is way harder and more stressful than face-to-face (especially when your company has just launched a new website and it has many, many flaws). Anyway, I asked the Big A if I could go full time, and they said yes, and also,
5. They are promoting me! Sort of. I'm kind of happy, but mostly annoyed and suspicious. They mentioned a few weeks ago that they wanted me to be sort of the till manager, so I asked my boss if this would involve a pay raise. The flat-out response was "no," mixed in with some mild jabs at my job performance (she's kind of a two-faced, untrustworthy type who makes up stupid excuses not to do stuff for you). So...yeah. Today, they told me I'm being promoted to Senior Customer Associate, and I'll be expected to be manager-on-duty at times. I'm not sure what to tell them. I want them to trust me and give me more responsibility, but I will not take on stressful management roles without a pay raise. I earn the same hourly wage that I earned when I started for them. The same hourly wage all my non-Senior Customer Associate coworkers also earn! I mean, hell no, right? And yet, it might be that or walk. I don't know. I know they are just taking advantage and I need to put my foot down and say, "Kusems L. Poppington will stand for this no longer!" Maybe.
6. The PhD guy changed his mind, and wants me to help him again! YAY!!! But I'm feeling bad cuz I'm still going really slowly (what with two jobs, moving, having no internet access at home until this week, and having a surprisingly active social life). :-S I am using my long commutes to sift through articles, though, so that's good. But I'm worried he's gonna get frustrated with how long this is taking. Must stop blogging and get back to work!
7. Sleepover with coworkers tomorrow (how funny is that?), the old gang over for dinner on Friday, and Halloween Saturday! Yippee! Oh, and daylight savings on Sunday, so the time difference between London and Seattle will be 7 hours for a couple weeks, I think. Just so's you know.
Tisobel have asked that I update my blog, and write about them. They like to read about themselves. But when I leave this long between posts, it becomes a chore because I have so much to catch up on! I'll try to make it quick.
1. Izzi and Tim have had me over for dinner three times since they got married in September (did I post pics?) I love their new home! It's so cozy and bright and homey. It's wonderful in every way. Also, they make me yummy yummy food. I heart them. I told them that Ross and Sandra were adopting a grown-up woman, and they decided they want to adopt me. I didn't think my bio 'rents would appreciate it much, though, so maybe I will just move into the flat two doors down from them and be their neighbor instead of their daughter.
2. A month ago, I moved to Leytonstone, which is miiiiiiiiiiiles out of central London. It's in zone 3, east London. I work in zone 2, west London. I hate hate hate having to wake up at 6:30 in the morning to get to work on time and I haven't been getting home until late, but I'm actually kind of enjoying being out in the suburbs. I've been feeling lately like it might be time for me to leave London, like I'm over it. But moving out to the suburbs has actually fixed that feeling a bit. It's not even a nice suburb, either! It's dingy and grimy and a bit on the sketchy side, but I kind of love it! Also, one night as I was walking home, I noticed a green light shining across the sky. At first, I thought it was a skylight, but it was stationary. It took me a minute to realize that it's the laser beamed from Greenwich, delineating the prime meridian. How cool is that? I cross the prime meridian every day on my way to work, and again on my way home. Fun!
3. I want to come home for Thanksgiving. I asked for time off from work (they wouldn't give me time off for Christmas and I kinda wanted to spend Christmas here again, though I have no plan for who to spend it with.) Ticket prices are high, but I'm feeling a feeling which might be called "homesick" so I don't care. I actually got homesick standing in Starbucks the other day! Can you believe it? They sell something called the "Seattle Latte" which comes in a little plastic cup out of the refrigerated section. They were also selling mugs with the old-school mermaid logo, and it was all too much for me. Thoughts of home came flooding over me and suddenly, my plan of coming home for one week didn't feel like enough. The only problem is, I don't actually have the money. My old flatmate still hasn't given me back my deposit, even though it's been three and a half weeks (GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!) and I was gonna use that to buy the ticket. At any rate, tomorrow is payday so I can buy the ticket then. I wish I could have bought it two weeks ago, but whatever! Life goes on, I suppose. Anyway, I expect to see ALL of your lovely faces in the whirlwind one-week tour I'll be making of the Greater Seattle and Portland areas.
4. So I was working two retail jobs, working seven days a week, right? This was not making me a happy girl, and I didn't really click at the second job, so I gave my notice. Friday is my last day and I am RELIEVED! It's a stressful job. Customer service over the phone is way harder and more stressful than face-to-face (especially when your company has just launched a new website and it has many, many flaws). Anyway, I asked the Big A if I could go full time, and they said yes, and also,
5. They are promoting me! Sort of. I'm kind of happy, but mostly annoyed and suspicious. They mentioned a few weeks ago that they wanted me to be sort of the till manager, so I asked my boss if this would involve a pay raise. The flat-out response was "no," mixed in with some mild jabs at my job performance (she's kind of a two-faced, untrustworthy type who makes up stupid excuses not to do stuff for you). So...yeah. Today, they told me I'm being promoted to Senior Customer Associate, and I'll be expected to be manager-on-duty at times. I'm not sure what to tell them. I want them to trust me and give me more responsibility, but I will not take on stressful management roles without a pay raise. I earn the same hourly wage that I earned when I started for them. The same hourly wage all my non-Senior Customer Associate coworkers also earn! I mean, hell no, right? And yet, it might be that or walk. I don't know. I know they are just taking advantage and I need to put my foot down and say, "Kusems L. Poppington will stand for this no longer!" Maybe.
6. The PhD guy changed his mind, and wants me to help him again! YAY!!! But I'm feeling bad cuz I'm still going really slowly (what with two jobs, moving, having no internet access at home until this week, and having a surprisingly active social life). :-S I am using my long commutes to sift through articles, though, so that's good. But I'm worried he's gonna get frustrated with how long this is taking. Must stop blogging and get back to work!
7. Sleepover with coworkers tomorrow (how funny is that?), the old gang over for dinner on Friday, and Halloween Saturday! Yippee! Oh, and daylight savings on Sunday, so the time difference between London and Seattle will be 7 hours for a couple weeks, I think. Just so's you know.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
My latest creation
I have been upset with a stupid boy all day. The thing is, I think I'm pretty wonderful, and it really galls me when anyone treats me like I'm just some girl. I'm not just some girl. I'm one of the most wonderful, sweet, amazing girls you'll ever have the good fortune to meet! So how dare you be so blase about spending time with me?!? You should be so lucky to have the opportunity!!
I was making a card for Izzi and Tim (only two weeks late for their wedding :-S), and I decided I needed to make a card for this boy, too. So after a long hiatus from drawing (pretty much since Africa last summer), here is my latest creation.
In other news, Izzi and Tim's (or Tisobel's, if you prefer) wedding was wonderful, beautiful, and the most fun I've had in quite a long time. You better believe I shook my little booty quite a bit. The ceremony was hilarious. The minister actually quoted the Princess Bride! I could not believe it! It was a bit sad, though, because few British people have seen the Princess Bride so no one else had any idea what he was on about, but I was laughing hysterically in my seat.
The PhD guy pulled me off the project for the moment. He needed to get it done more quickly and I was holding him back. He said I can help him in November when he gets back from traveling. I'm not gonna pretend I wasn't a little bit devastated. I may have cried into my pillow and sobbed over the phone to Holly. And considering I now work long hours seven days a week in two jobs that give me zero feelings of satisfaction or fulfillment, it's no wonder that I'm feeling a bit frustrated with life. But I won't lose hope. I'm moving in a couple weeks and I hope that will be a positive experience. It's a much bigger room, for less than I pay now, and I'll be living with a good, diseases-loving friend and her childhood friend, though it is a bit far out and clear on the other side of town from both my jobs. It's gonna be good, though. I can feel it. I will make it so.
I was making a card for Izzi and Tim (only two weeks late for their wedding :-S), and I decided I needed to make a card for this boy, too. So after a long hiatus from drawing (pretty much since Africa last summer), here is my latest creation.
In other news, Izzi and Tim's (or Tisobel's, if you prefer) wedding was wonderful, beautiful, and the most fun I've had in quite a long time. You better believe I shook my little booty quite a bit. The ceremony was hilarious. The minister actually quoted the Princess Bride! I could not believe it! It was a bit sad, though, because few British people have seen the Princess Bride so no one else had any idea what he was on about, but I was laughing hysterically in my seat.
The PhD guy pulled me off the project for the moment. He needed to get it done more quickly and I was holding him back. He said I can help him in November when he gets back from traveling. I'm not gonna pretend I wasn't a little bit devastated. I may have cried into my pillow and sobbed over the phone to Holly. And considering I now work long hours seven days a week in two jobs that give me zero feelings of satisfaction or fulfillment, it's no wonder that I'm feeling a bit frustrated with life. But I won't lose hope. I'm moving in a couple weeks and I hope that will be a positive experience. It's a much bigger room, for less than I pay now, and I'll be living with a good, diseases-loving friend and her childhood friend, though it is a bit far out and clear on the other side of town from both my jobs. It's gonna be good, though. I can feel it. I will make it so.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Cool kids
No John, I'm not still sick. Just too busy to update my blog!
The PhD student that I offered to help (for free, of course) is finally ready to kick things off, and he has signed me up as an honorary research fellow at the school. This means my school email has been re-activated (they cut us all off a month after we finished our dissertations) and I get to spend more time at the school. I've previously noticed that any time I spend at the school makes me feel really warm and fuzzy inside. It reminds me of the good old days when I was surrounded by people with the same passions and interests as me. When it was perfectly normal for dinner conversation to revolve around gastric worm infections and the best treatment for herpes. I miss it like crazy, but I don't really realise that I've been missing it until I'm reexposed to it all.
The PhD student that I offered to help (for free, of course) is finally ready to kick things off, and he has signed me up as an honorary research fellow at the school. This means my school email has been re-activated (they cut us all off a month after we finished our dissertations) and I get to spend more time at the school. I've previously noticed that any time I spend at the school makes me feel really warm and fuzzy inside. It reminds me of the good old days when I was surrounded by people with the same passions and interests as me. When it was perfectly normal for dinner conversation to revolve around gastric worm infections and the best treatment for herpes. I miss it like crazy, but I don't really realise that I've been missing it until I'm reexposed to it all.
So when I logged in to my email account just now for the first time, I almost felt like crying with joy when the first two emails I read were headed:
"New Podcast: "This Wormy World": Global Atlas of Worm Infections"
and
"Delete if not interested in TB"
It's like I've been temporarily invited into an elite club that I've been dying to get into for a year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)