CVs and C3POs
Today was a day of self discovery and taking life by the horns. While I attempted to master British job-lingo, some flatmates took over my role of lounging around the house and attempted an even greater feat. When asked why he climbed Mt Everest, Sir Edmund Hilary scoffed "Because it's there"....
In similar fashion, when asked "Why watch all 6 Star Wars movies in story-order?" Aaron had the same response.
Two quotes from our two-times-trilogy so far...
"Yeah, I've been powering though them..."- Emily
"Powering? More like basking!"-Aaron's response
a bit earlier,
"I've never seen these..." Kate
"You've read Jane Austen but you've never seen Star Wars?!?" Aaron
Bad acting and nostalgic feelings of betrayal and joy aside, I took to the streets of Nottingham in hopes of getting some much needed cash. (that last sentence made it sound like i became a prostitute, which is wrong... i'm waiting at least another week before i go that far)...
I made my hour long trek to Ms Bunns Cob Emporium (proud caterer to your Nottingham Forest), where I was informed by a possibly illiterate Cobman that -' sometimes people are academics, sometimes they are practical- I got this kid right here, he could write all day about sandwiches, but he can't make 'em for crap'
After the long trip down to the shop, I was secretly hoping he had put me in the Academic catagory, but my sparkling record at Quizno's was too much for him. As of now, I'm scheduled for a 'test day' on not this monday but the next, where i'll have a chance to 'walk the walk'.
In what can only be chalked up to Britspeak, I was twice today (Starbucks and a possible Pub-fingers crossed on the pub) told to hand in a CV first, then and only then could I think about an interview...
Where I come from, 'hiring' is a term used to define what a company does when it needs new staff.... not Recruiting. Also, a resume is used to explain various traits and attributes, not a CV (later research proved to be called a Curiculum Vitae.... thank you 9th grade Spanish, the only time i've ever heard the word before...)
So, here I am, typing up a CV to hand in later tonight on our way out and about....
There are only so many ways you can spin serving Snacks at KTC to 4th graders into a possible reason why you should be dispensing pints with the locals. We'll see if my spin is up to snuff.
______________
Exciting weekend ahead: A saturday of Starbucks and Pub interviews, Eda and Katie come on Tuesday, I get to head to London on Sunday, Forest take on Chelsea in the FA Cup (Zach, you're goin down), and Mary's buddy Caroline is here for the week- should be a packed house.
Back to Star Wars- We're on 4 finally- I can only take so much JarJar.
That's My Bush -or- Freedom Fighters
So I was looking at some random GW quotes a while back, about God wanting him to win the presidency and all, and came across one that said something to the effect of 'freedom is annoying, gets in the way, sometimes you have to live without it'. Today - and I'm ashamed to admit it- I agreed with him. Maybe not 'freedom' in the ambiguous, blanketed term used by confused politicians who have taken one too many lines before getting in on the family business, but 'freedom' in the sense of having nothing to do and all day to do it.
At this point in my life (let's be more specific)... At this point of the week, after finals and after a huge break from classes, I'm restless and bored. Not too bored to research for my big Luther research paper due in two weeks and not too bored to actually go out and personally enter shops and establishments in hopes of finding work, but just bored. Like those summers between 5th and 7th grade when you were too young to have a job, so some days would pass just lying down on the living room floor watching the fan rotate, wondering why VH1 was so obsessed with Bret Michaels or other has-been 80s hair bands.
That's how I feel. If i watch another movie, attempt to read another book, or spend another dime in Nottingham, I'll pull a 'younger brother of politician from Heros' and jump off the roof (i'm only on the 4th episode, don't ruin it)
So, for the first time in my recorded history, the following words escaped my mouth: "Wow, I can't wait for classes to start"
I'll chalk it up to boredom, the fact that the classes are about TV, and the fact that I'm sick of this lack of cranial stimulation.
This period of time, the Dark Ages of my Nottingham experience, the Limbo or liminal space that i've been floating in has taught me a great lesson despite its vapid lack of excitement. I NEED STRUCTURE. I am so completely void of self motivation that not having at least an ounce of responsibilty has left me a pudgy mass of bluh. I feel like those balls of tac or sticky stuff that you put posters up with, all full of hair and little black chunks of dust and old white flakes of paint- I am a blob of goo (not physically), but I need something more than 'classes begin in February' to keep me amped and fighting for my academic life.
So, tomorrow, I have a few interviews for jobs- Starbucks, Ms Buns Cob Emporium, and a hotel that looks to be way too dirty and far away to be legit.
Because I couldn't find my Bush Quote, and my searching wasted another 40 minutes of my life, I made a point to at least find a few of my favorites....
It strikes me at times that, for as advanced and intelligent as our nation is, we would select a person so completely uncharismatic, bumbling, and ignorant as Bush. I realize it's all a game, and he had Texas to Cheny's Wyoming, and his cabnit does all of the work, but if I were him, I'd be embarassed to know that there are at least (and this is, by all means a legit attempt at a reasonable guess...no foolin') more than .5 million people in the US who are more qualified and better apt to do his job. I'm not saying they wanted to or had the means to, but think about all of the college/university professors, community activists, historians, and other politicians who are more polished, elequant, intelligent, and morally sound than Pres. Whatshisnuts.
Rant over.
Some of my personal favorites:
"Do you have blacks, too?" —to Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001
"I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah." —at a White House menorah lighting ceremony, Washington, D.C., Dec. 10, 2001
"You forgot Poland." —to Sen. John Kerry during the first presidential debate, after Kerry failed to mention Poland's contributions to the Iraq war coalition, Miami, Fla., Sept. 30, 2004
"I'm the master of low expectations." —aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003
"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things." —aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003
"People say, how can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you." —Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
"You know, when I was one time campaigning in Chicago, a reporter said, 'Would you ever have a deficit?' I said, 'I can't imagine it, but there would be one if we had a war, or a national emergency, or a recession.' Never did I dream we'd get the trifecta." —Houston, Texas, June 14, 2002
"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." —Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001
"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." —Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002
"But all in all, it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me." —summing up his first year in office, three months after the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Dec. 20, 2001
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." —Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000
"I try to go for longer runs, but it's tough around here at the White House on the outdoor track. It's sad that I can't run longer. It's one of the saddest things about the presidency." —interview with "Runners World," Aug. 2002
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004
"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
Ayatollah Snowmani
Most days like today would hardly warrant one post, let alone two, but to quote a certain cancer-fighting Billboard-rocking artist and lead singer of Jack's Mannequin, "Today was a day unlike any other..."
Despite common misconceptions perpetuated thanks to movies like The Holiday and Love Actually, Britain and the UK are rather light in the snow department. One taxi driver went so far as to dash our hopes with words like "two centimeters" and "February" and "melt the next day".
Just about an hour ago, however, screams from upstairs usually reserved for curling iron burns or poking one's eye with a wand of mascara were curdled for another, even more worthy cause.
Snow is to Midwesterners in the winter what crack is to crackheads on a daily basis. It is the essence of existence. Whether you like it or not, Snow is a part of life. Without it, it's not winter. Personally, I hate winter. It's cold, sloppy, slushy and overwhelmingly depressing. However, my Midwestern roots require a certain reverence and acceptance tied to its arrival every year, and with it, Snow.
Because Christmas was a little lacking this year, the sight of snowflakes the size of quarters (OK, fifty pence) was completely unexpected and beyond therapeutic. Amid screams and giddy frolics through the street, we had snowball fights, Kate did a snow angel next to an alarmed Ford, and we built a snowman.
His name? In honor of Islam, finals, and snow..... The Ayatollah Snowmani (posing here with me in a quasi-Senior picture moment)...
.....keep in mind, we're looking at about .5 inches (1cm) of snow at this point, so our efforts and the actual final product may not exactly coincide.....
*this photo was taken this morning, the temperature not conducive to Snowman survival. All of our ground cover is gone, and everyone's back to a depressed state. Note the snowman's nose, A Real Carrot, lying next to him.
They're takin' our Jorbs!
In light of recent events (ie, my lack of cash, my lack of anything to do for the next week before new classes, my somewhat open schedule), I've set my sights on acquiring a job here in the UK.
Nothing glamorous, nothing flashy- just anything that will get me out of this hole. Tomorrow seems to be a good time to start, and aside from my previously mentioned intent on researching medical testing, I'm leaning towards some cob shops and hotels....
My first step in getting my hands on some money is this Sunday, when I'll wearily wake up at 4:30am after a night of Crosscountry post-finals partying to get on a bus and head to London to pick up the new UNotters for the International Office. A meeting tomorrow promises to bore me to tears, but with 50 pounds for one day of work on the line, it's the least i could do....
I might even make some friends/acquaintances.... or more likely, I'll pocket the money, sit with my hands in my pockets and ear buds blaring, carrying Samsonites packed to the gills up narrow staircases in good old Cripps Hall.
Anything for a pound.
Otherwise, today was a wash. Islam is done, finally. We had a talk yesterday as a group of procrastinating studiers about the whole dichotomy of being naturally gifted vs. having to work for grades and studying.... it's an interesting debate- which is more admirable? which bodes well for the future?
I'd have to say, as someone who has yet to discover the secret to sitting down and studying, sometimes I find it awkward as hell to sit in a corner and pour myself into a task I find to be monotonous and pointless. Maybe it comes from never studying in high school or maybe it's an overwhelmingly cocky attitude (mixed with some pessimism) over the importance of menial finals, but i'm still working to figure it out. I admire anyone with the gumption to sit for more than 15 minutes studying without the help of Facebook, Swedish Fish, homemade brownies, LOST, iTunes or any other distraction to help pass the time.
That being said, I will make a new resolution for next semester- give it a week or two before I cave- but I promise to study/look over my notes and lectures more than 20 hours before the final, and I promise to take a more focused approach to classes and my education. It's embarrassing to learn more in one week than I have all semester, and i'd just assume that my new found financially destitute situation be at least somewhat well founded.
So tomorrow, a day filled with job hunting, State of the Union scrutinizing, Grey's watching, maybe running, and maybe some spring break planning and job getting....
Later days
Monetary Confinement
Can't buy me love. Money doesn't grow on trees. Time is Money. A Penny saved is a penny earned. Insert other economically or monetarily-minded statements here.
They say money can't buy happiness, but it might stave off depression....
Turns out I'm poor. Not "Pursuit of Happyness" poor or Charles Dickens novel poor, but on the verge of wondering how i'm going to pay for the next 4 months of living abroad. I figure I can swing the plane ticket home, and maybe pay for a few trips out every once in a while, but this whole 4 weeks on the Continent in April is looking a little sketchy.
Possible solutions? I've looked up plasma donation, medical testing, and that whole bit but it turns out there are a lot of stipulations. If all went according to plan, for just 15 overnight stays, a few hundred pricks of the needle and the possibility of cottonmouth, dryness, constipation, bleeding from the gums, fever, vomiting, shortness of breath (do i really need to continue?) I could make up to 3 thousand pounds over 3 months. That's 6,000 US Dollars. As in, more than I made all summer working two jobs... So I may look into it, despite the possibility of rendering me spermless or paralyzed.
Otherwise, a few jobs have caught my eye. Namely, Starbucks, some Cob Shop (sandwich place), a few telemarketing places, a couple of hotels, a catering company, and some waiting and bar tending jobs. Problems? UK work visa, not having a valid bank account, etc.
The search continues.
In other news, my final final is tomorrow at four over Islam, a mind boggling and truly frightening religion that i would just assume.... not insult for fear of retribution and annihilation.
Censorship aside, I'll be pleased to never read about or study it again.
Tomorrow: procrastination, job hunting, final rocking, celebrating, Grey's watching (gotta research for next semester....), running, and relaxing.
Best. Class. Ever. (last night was fun too...)
Starting next monday (long ways off, but let me explain), I'll start my TV Cultures class here at UNotts.
To call it the Best Class Ever requires two things: an interest in television, and a pulse.
The class consists of an hour lecture, one hour of seminar, and a two hour screening class at some point during the week. As part of the screening, we'll watch different American TV shows and relate it to the topics in class. What kind of tv shows you ask? The following are excerpts from my syllabus:
-episodes of Lost and CSI [for week 4 lecture and seminar]
-episodes of Desperate Housewives, The Kingdom (aka Riget), and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse
-selections of television sports coverage [for week 6 lecture and seminar
-episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, 30 Days, and People Like Us
-episodes of The State Within, Sleeper Cell, Battlestar Galactica
-selection of 24 ‘mobisodes’; online pilot of Hollywood Residential; episode of Iron Chef
This of course fails to mention the seminar on Reality TV, huge here in the UK and Europe. I'm trying to come to grips with finishing what might be considered the most boring and painful class of all time in Geology and now picking up TV.
Last night was productive. Aside from christening our house with its first Power Hour, (Guiness of course), we rearranged the furniture, played sardines, and Ryan taught backrub technique. The house looked like a frathouse this morning. I've been waiting all year to wake up to piles of cans and christmas lights strung about in a haphazard fashion, and this morning (noon is still close to morning?) my prayers were answered.
Today I went to see 'Pursuit of Happyness'... ok movie, not worth the 6 pounds (yeah, that's 12 dollars) to see it. I should have seen Babel or The Queen or any number of Oscar worthy flicks out, but it seemed like a cute idea at the time, and I really expected it to be more emotionally draining. I left the theatre feeling poor myself. Ironic, really.
Greys Anatomy marathon in a bit, pretend to study for Islam, and plan the next week out- There's no excuse to have all of this freetime and never make it to Scotland or Ireland....
We'll see what Visa has to say, then check it out.
4 months in the Notts, and still kickin.
