What better way to get into the holiday spirit than thinking about food? Specifically, desserts? (mostly desserts) Enjoy!
The Christmas Fifty
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve tasted.
3) Place an asterisk after all the items you’ve cooked/prepared.
4) Cross out anything you never want to try, or add an exclamation mark after anything you really want to try.
1. Crystallised or candied fruits.
2. Egg nog
3. Bûche de Noël, or Yule log*
4. Rum balls
5. Bebinca
6. Roasted chestnuts
7. Cavallucci
8. Tourtière
9. Uszka
10. Port & Stilton - I've had them, but not together; let's pretend that counts
11. Hallaca
12. Roast goose
13. Lefse
14. Sugar plums
15. Romeritos
16. Pinnekjøtt
17. Hot toddy*
18. Christmas cake - does this mean fruitcake? Let's say it does, so I can bold it
19. Tamales - but not for Christmas
20. Sorpotel
21. Panettone
22. Candy canes
23. Pasteles
24. Speculaas
25. Makowiec
26. Christmas pudding - it's really gross, don't try it
27. Stollen
28. Figgy pudding
29. Lebkuchen
30. Turrón
31. Mince pies
32. Wassail bowls
33. Buñuelos
34. Pio Quinto
35. Marzipan fruits
36. Mulled wine*
37. King cake
38. Christmas beach barbecue
39. Cola de mono
40. Lutefisk
41. Kutia
42. Pizzelle*
43. Dominostein
44. Cranberry sauce
45. Pfeffernüsse*
46. Satsumas or clementines
47. Pumpkin pie
48. Smalahove
49. Nut roast
50. Brandy butter
Grand total: 23/50 - not bad, I guess. What's yours?
23 December 2008
13 November 2008
Shhhhhhhhhhhoot.
Well, it looks like I've failed at the blopomo... I suppose I could go back and post-date some posts (ha!), but that seems rather silly. Oh well. I'll try and post more regularly, anyway.
Not much to report here; some interest in my resume, though, so I'll follow that up and see how it goes!
Not much to report here; some interest in my resume, though, so I'll follow that up and see how it goes!
08 November 2008
Reason 34293876592 that I'm a huge dork
Newsweek has a special edition out, which details the presidential campaigns from waaaay back before Obama or McCain declared their candidacy, through the Democratic Primary madness, up through Election Day. It is incredibly thorough and full of facts and observations which the reporters had promised to keep secret until after the election. This may seem rather dry and boring to you, but it's actually a fascinating read; I just spent the entire afternoon reading it cover to cover. Definitely worthwhile, go check it out!
And yes, sitting around and reading is generally what I do on a Saturday. Or any day, for that matter.
And yes, sitting around and reading is generally what I do on a Saturday. Or any day, for that matter.
07 November 2008
They can also eat a dozen bagels or an entire loaf of cinnamon bread
Apparently there's been much speculation about what kind of dog the Obamas should get when they move into the White House. Everyone is suggesting a poodle, and no doubt it'll end up being some sort of supercute retriever/lab mix, but may I suggest: a greyhound.
Oh, you want reasons?
1. They don't shed -- key, since Malia's allergic.
2. The family would like a shelter dog -- hello, greyhound rescue organizations!
2. The family would like a shelter dog -- hello, greyhound rescue organizations!
3. Greyhounds need big spaces to run and a fenced-in yard. The White House lawn is perfect!
4. They're generally very low key and love kids.
5. They don't bark -- there's noise enough from the press, thank you very much.
6.
06 November 2008
It's a small world, after all
So I applied for (yet another) job in the Boston area yesterday and heard back from the HR guy this afternoon. He said they weren't hiring for positions in that department, but they will be soon. Not the greatest news, but more hopeful than a lot of messages I've gotten.
And THEN he writes, "By the way, I went to [another high school in my district], just FYI."
How crazy! What a small world... So I wrote back, conveyed my amusement and the fact that my orchestra used to rehearse at his school, and he replied again(!).
So now I've got a connection with an HR person at this place where I'd like to work. That's more progress than I've made in the past two months! And all because of where I went to high school...
And THEN he writes, "By the way, I went to [another high school in my district], just FYI."
How crazy! What a small world... So I wrote back, conveyed my amusement and the fact that my orchestra used to rehearse at his school, and he replied again(!).
So now I've got a connection with an HR person at this place where I'd like to work. That's more progress than I've made in the past two months! And all because of where I went to high school...
05 November 2008
Obama wins!!
FINALLY. This is the most positive I've felt about my country in a long time. Now let's move forward, shall we?
(ps- sorry about the crappy post(s), Blogger seems to be having issues)
(ps- sorry about the crappy post(s), Blogger seems to be having issues)
04 November 2008
I'm looking at you, swing states
VOTE! You can get a free coffee from Starbucks and a free ice cream from Ben & Jerry's if you do, so there's no reason not to!
03 November 2008
Obligatory post on the election
I have mixed feelings about the election this year. This is the first presidential election that I've really followed; I was away at school in 2000 and in Germany in 2004, so I didn't have either the desire or the opportunity to track the candidates' views on the issues, the scandals over misinterpreted speeches (i.e., "lipstick on a pig"), etc. Even though I did vote in the other two, I'm more invested in this one. Maybe it's a sign of maturity that I have actual views on the issues now, or maybe it's because I had to teach about American culture and politics that I've had the chance to figure out what I feel strongly about, and what I want a candidate to support. At any rate, my time isolated from American election politics has made it clear this time around:
1) How awesome the whole process is. It's a complicated, messed-up system that involves pandering to various subgroups of the population, lobbyists, and those who have the most money. Campaign funds play a disproportionately large role, and choosing who to vote for is generally choosing between the lesser of two evils. But where else do you see people so involved in the process? No matter who you support, there are camps upon camps of volunteers who make cold calls and send out mass mailings for no compensation other than the conviction that they're helping their candidate and, by extension, their country. I mean, where else can you see such an involvement in and dedication to the democratic process? (definitely not in Germany, where no one really cares either way about their representatives or what their government is doing, as long as they get to talk about how full of crap the US government is) It's pretty amazing. And watching people get so fired up is pretty cool; it reminds me that not everyone gets the same chance that we do to choose our own leaders*. (Seriously, WTF is with the parliamentary system? That's messed up.)
*cue national anthem*
BUT:
2) The whole process is incredibly dependent on the media. Spin, sound bytes, negative campaign ads vs. attack ads (apparently there's a difference??), newspaper endorsements, YouTube videos, SNL, and infomercials... campaigns depend on the media, and the media seem to depend on the candidates to keep people watching/reading. I wonder if this is a purely American thing; there were zero campaign ads in Germany, and I recall seeing AT MOST two or three in the UK. I actually didn't even know there was an election there until the day of, when we got a flyer under our door reminding us to vote. Even when it was time to elect a new mayor of London, there were no ads; he just suddenly appeared on the news one night as the new mayor. But here, the media plays such a huge role in US culture that I suppose it's only fitting that it plays a massive role in US politics and shaping history. The follow-up question to that, of course, is should the media assume the role it does, and how can we be sure we're getting unbiased information from any of the media outlets. (hello, Fox News!)
As a corollary to this, those political ads NEED TO STOP. Seriously. Along with the calls. Freaking SHUT UP already about Mesi, Ranzenhofer, Kryzan, Lee, Delano, Volker, Konst, etc., etc., ad nauseam.
I guess the point of all this rambling is that as much as I appreciate and am in awe of the process, I am SO ready for it to be over. Let's move on. Please?
*Yeah, yeah, let's ignore the Electoral College for the moment.
1) How awesome the whole process is. It's a complicated, messed-up system that involves pandering to various subgroups of the population, lobbyists, and those who have the most money. Campaign funds play a disproportionately large role, and choosing who to vote for is generally choosing between the lesser of two evils. But where else do you see people so involved in the process? No matter who you support, there are camps upon camps of volunteers who make cold calls and send out mass mailings for no compensation other than the conviction that they're helping their candidate and, by extension, their country. I mean, where else can you see such an involvement in and dedication to the democratic process? (definitely not in Germany, where no one really cares either way about their representatives or what their government is doing, as long as they get to talk about how full of crap the US government is) It's pretty amazing. And watching people get so fired up is pretty cool; it reminds me that not everyone gets the same chance that we do to choose our own leaders*. (Seriously, WTF is with the parliamentary system? That's messed up.)
*cue national anthem*
BUT:
2) The whole process is incredibly dependent on the media. Spin, sound bytes, negative campaign ads vs. attack ads (apparently there's a difference??), newspaper endorsements, YouTube videos, SNL, and infomercials... campaigns depend on the media, and the media seem to depend on the candidates to keep people watching/reading. I wonder if this is a purely American thing; there were zero campaign ads in Germany, and I recall seeing AT MOST two or three in the UK. I actually didn't even know there was an election there until the day of, when we got a flyer under our door reminding us to vote. Even when it was time to elect a new mayor of London, there were no ads; he just suddenly appeared on the news one night as the new mayor. But here, the media plays such a huge role in US culture that I suppose it's only fitting that it plays a massive role in US politics and shaping history. The follow-up question to that, of course, is should the media assume the role it does, and how can we be sure we're getting unbiased information from any of the media outlets. (hello, Fox News!)
As a corollary to this, those political ads NEED TO STOP. Seriously. Along with the calls. Freaking SHUT UP already about Mesi, Ranzenhofer, Kryzan, Lee, Delano, Volker, Konst, etc., etc., ad nauseam.
I guess the point of all this rambling is that as much as I appreciate and am in awe of the process, I am SO ready for it to be over. Let's move on. Please?
*Yeah, yeah, let's ignore the Electoral College for the moment.
02 November 2008
Three more things
...to add to yesterday's list:
11. Bacon. How could I forget bacon?! It's delicious!
12. Target.
13. Being able to watch TV shows over and over again online, without having to resort to some rather sketchy website from East Asia where I can't read any of the instructions. ("I wonder if this one means volume... Nope, that closed the window.")
11. Bacon. How could I forget bacon?! It's delicious!
12. Target.
13. Being able to watch TV shows over and over again online, without having to resort to some rather sketchy website from East Asia where I can't read any of the instructions. ("I wonder if this one means volume... Nope, that closed the window.")
01 November 2008
Yes, I do realize that most of these revolve around food
Ten things I didn't realize I missed about the US:
1. (Non-alcoholic) Cider and donut holes.
2. Pumpkin carving.
3. The fact that everyone, kids and adults, gets into Halloween.
4. Not having to explain and/or defend the US, its government, or traditions like Thanksgiving or Halloween.
5. Tim Horton's. (all right, they're Canadian, but still)
6. Mulled cider. (yes, cider takes two places on this list, so sue me)
7. People acting not just polite, but friendly.
8. Watching current TV shows, on the day they air.
9. The vast variety of food that is Wegmans.
10. Newspapers with comic strips. (although they don't seem to be as funny as they used to be..)
1. (Non-alcoholic) Cider and donut holes.
2. Pumpkin carving.
3. The fact that everyone, kids and adults, gets into Halloween.
4. Not having to explain and/or defend the US, its government, or traditions like Thanksgiving or Halloween.
5. Tim Horton's. (all right, they're Canadian, but still)
6. Mulled cider. (yes, cider takes two places on this list, so sue me)
7. People acting not just polite, but friendly.
8. Watching current TV shows, on the day they air.
9. The vast variety of food that is Wegmans.
10. Newspapers with comic strips. (although they don't seem to be as funny as they used to be..)
31 October 2008
25 October 2008
So much for that "must post more often" sentiment.
Heh. Funny how life can go from "way too busy to update the blog" to "not nearly enough to talk about to update the blog", eh? There hasn't been much of note to report: I'm living at home, in a town where none of my friends live, applying for jobs at places that aren't contacting me back. (thanks, recession!) Oh, and I'm unable to drive, since the car is a stick shift. So I'm pretty much 15 again. Needless to say, it's pretty awesome.
At any rate, I'm thinking of participating in NaBloPoMo again this year, so I guess I'd better start stocking up interesting stories. It'll probably be a month-long slideshow of those pictures that I took while traveling from June to August, because everyone loves looking at pictures from other people's vacations. Stay tuned!
Also, I was randomly thinking (!) the other day that October is practically the pivotal month in my life; it sets the tone for the rest of the year. Forget New Year's, it's all about October first. To wit:
At any rate, I'm thinking of participating in NaBloPoMo again this year, so I guess I'd better start stocking up interesting stories. It'll probably be a month-long slideshow of those pictures that I took while traveling from June to August, because everyone loves looking at pictures from other people's vacations. Stay tuned!
Also, I was randomly thinking (!) the other day that October is practically the pivotal month in my life; it sets the tone for the rest of the year. Forget New Year's, it's all about October first. To wit:
- October 2003: Began teaching English in WB, filling vast amounts of free time with naps and traveling Europe.
- October 2004: Began teaching English in K-Town, met Scottish TAs and began 9-month-long odyssey to try the hot chocolate at every cafe in town. Also, began (near-)weekly Irish pub trips.
- October 2005: Had just begun teaching kindergarten. Work was pretty awful, and continued to be for the entire school year.
- October 2006: Had just begun teaching first grade. Learned to lay down the law for the first few weeks of school, and this turned out fantastic! Also, sent in my application to Cambridge.
- October 2007: Began school year at Cambridge by having a few nervous breakdowns. The rest of the course was intense and zero fun; however, some good times were had in the few minutes between working and feeling guilty for not working.
- October 2008: Lazing around, futilely job searching. Feeling useless and unsuccessful. Also, large amounts of self-pity.
So... let's hope that October 2008 doesn't set the pattern for the upcoming year, shall we?
09 August 2008
Yes, it IS time to update more frequently
Scene: Starbucks in Dulles airport, half an hour after disembarking a 7-hour flight from London.
Me (mumbling through the jet lag): A grande mocha frappuccino, please.
Cashier: Okay, that'll be $4.20.
Me: *pause* But... it says $4.00 up there on the board.
Cashier: Uh, yeah, that's before tax.
Me: Right.
Welcome back to the US, land of infinite possibilities and taxation.
Me (mumbling through the jet lag): A grande mocha frappuccino, please.
Cashier: Okay, that'll be $4.20.
Me: *pause* But... it says $4.00 up there on the board.
Cashier: Uh, yeah, that's before tax.
Me: Right.
Welcome back to the US, land of infinite possibilities and taxation.
18 April 2008
Know what I just realized?
My undergrad honors thesis, the one I spent the entire year on, was just over 9000 words.
I have had five weeks to write this 8000-word paper.
Soon, I'll be writing 16,000 words in the space of two weeks.
Hmm.
I have had five weeks to write this 8000-word paper.
Soon, I'll be writing 16,000 words in the space of two weeks.
Hmm.
07 April 2008
I would do this in a table, but I don't know how
A Comparative Analysis of Research Essays 1 and 2, In Bullet Point Form
Research Essay #1
Research Essay #1
- Topic: Critical Period Hypothesis and Second Language Acquisition
- Length: 8000 words
- Timeline: 6 weeks
- Experiment/data analysis required?: no
- Most time spent: at home
- Research: finished in the first 2 weeks
- Writing: all done in the last week
- Contact with supervisor: 4 meetings, total
- Supervisor: helpful and encouraged me to come in
- Amount of time spent thinking about essay: constant while in Cambridge, then forgot about it for 2 weeks when I was at home
- Grade: 65 (solidly average)
Research Essay #2
- Topic: Does Musical Training Affect Musical and Phonological Short-Term Memory? (or something like that)
- Length: 8000 words
- Timeline: 5 weeks
- Experiment/data analysis required?: yes
- Most time spent: in Cambridge
- Research: experiment design = 2 weeks, data collecting = just over a week, data analysis = 4 days (still ongoing), literature review = not started yet
- Writing: not started yet... probably will take place in the last week
- Contact with supervisor: insecure emails sent every 2 or 3 days, which he apparently doesn't read as he doesn't answer any of my questions
- Supervisor: not helpful, makes me feel stupid for not understanding/knowing what's going on
- Amount of time spent thinking about essay: constant, except for those 4 days I was in Portugal...then it was only sporadic
- Grade: to be determined... it better be higher than the last one, is all I have to say...I'm working my ass off here.
When will it all end??
02 April 2008
Add another patch to the bag
Funny story: I went to Portugal last week!
As I was thinking only of doom and gloom (and interminable essays) last Monday, an acquaintance from College sent me a text, wondering if I'd be interested in going to Portugal. Apparently her friend could no longer go and I could have her plane ticket. The kicker: The plane was leaving Wednesday morning, super early! At first, I wasn't sure what I should do; I only had another 4 weeks for the essay, and I really should be working, plus I'm living on student loans at the moment...
And then I thought about what my friends would say: I'd be stupid not to go. So I made about the fastest decision in my life when I told her I'd join her in Portugal.
I am so glad I did.
I guess I'd forgotten how much I've missed travelling... the last time I went someplace completely new (for fun, not moving) was chaperoning the high-schoolers in Budapest last summer. While I'm still not a fan of not knowing the language of a new place (I always feel a bit guilty that people have to speak mine), I love sight-seeing, soaking up the atmosphere of a new place, trying local food (randomly from a menu which I can't read), wandering about the neighborhoods, and taking excessive amounts of pictures. Some of which you will now see.
Typical small, windy street. Cars drive down these, believe it or not. (though not this one, since it has stairs) 
The riverfront of Porto, plus the really high bridge we walked across to the other side. 
My lunch on the first day. Note that the head is still attached.
St. Alfonse of something church.. too bad I don't speak Portuguese. These blue and white tiles were everywhere, though; they were beautiful.
12th century cathedral.
Cathedral cloisters... though I'm not entirely sure what 'cloisters' are. We got to see them for free, though, since it was a National Day of Historic Centers!
A bishop and the Clerigos church tower. You can see the tower almost anywhere in Porto, and you can get a great view of the city from there. (I'm not posting any pictures from there because it was gray and misty that day... no fun.)
The beach! I have concluded that I have to live near the beach when I grow up. No more of this land-locked crap.
I noticed this rock formation when it was dry, and then waited patiently for some water to come in so I could get a nice, artistic shot. Unfortunately, a really big wave decided to come in then, so I ended up with this:
Wet socks are no fun. Luckily we had nothing to do, so we could lounge on the beach while I waited for my socks to (mostly) dry out.
So those were the highlights... and I've now caught the travel bug again and can't wait to go someplace else. I'm thinking possibly Belgium in June, or else maybe Croatia...
23 March 2008
Merry Eastermas!
The weather decided to go all multiple-personality-disorder on us this weekend: yesterday passed in 15-minute increments of bright sunshine, wind and misty rain, and wind and fat snowflakes. The stretches without sunshine, which comprised most of the day, were pretty miserable, but it was just warm enough so that the snow didn't stick. So imagine my surprise this morning when I woke up to this:
Walking very carefully down the hill into town
Across the Cam and past the snow-covered punts
King's College Chapel and the Senate House
It being Easter Sunday, I'd planned on going into town for church this morning and went to King's College Chapel. The thirty-minute walk turned into more like a 45-minute walk due to the slushy sidewalks and my crappy shoes, but it at least provided me with an opportunity to take some rare Cambridge In The Snow photos. And now, a photo essay:
Walking very carefully down the hill into town
Across the Cam and past the snow-covered punts King's College Chapel and the Senate House
The Cam and a snowman (not made by me, but appropriated for this photo)
Clare College, King's College Chapel and the Cam
Happy Easter!
27 February 2008
Well, hello there.
It's a good thing blogs aren't alive; I think even a goldfish would die after almost four weeks of neglect. I suppose the lack of blogging could be construed as:
- (a) Real life is so wonderfully fulfilling and joyous that I don't feel the need to get on the internet.
- (b) Real life is crappy and as I don't want to come off as incredibly whiny, I refrain from posting.
- (c) Real life is insanely busy and I would rather sleep than blog.
Hint: It's not (a)!
So, February. School has been school, by which I mean it's continuing to be difficult and the profs are becoming increasingly insufferable. The more time I spend here, the more I realize that people here are snobs and quite two-faced. And having spent so much time in (painfully honest) Germany, the whole fake-smile-over-the-top-niceness thing is really annoying. The Brits are polite, I'll give you that, but they definitely don't tell you what they think.
Anyway, there are now two and a half weeks left in the term, then one more term and I'm done. And I'm pretty sure I'll be done after this master's; at this point, I feel the PhD is not for me. Another three years of this place, where it's all about theory and no one has any connection to the real world? No thank you. Though it would be cool to work on a project of my own choosing, and I've got a pretty great one picked out, I'm missing the practicality of the real world. That being said, if anyone wants to grant me full funding to work on this project, I wouldn't be incredibly averse to that, either...
On the employment front, you may recall that I got turned down for that job at the beginning of the month? Well, all the students in the department got an email from the HR people at the CUP two weeks or so later, saying that they 'weren't able to fill the position' and thus had reposted the position. So not only did they not take me, but they would rather hire no one than hire me. Awesome. So that was fun.
I've been kind of half-heartedly searching for jobs since the CUP incident, and have come to the conclusion that this degree will not help me achieve a decent salary range after all. There seem to be some interesting-looking jobs in the NYC and DC areas, which is good, but the cost of living is so high in these places that I'd be living in a shoebox. Not a refrigerator box, mind you, but a shoebox. It's gotten so depressing that I briefly considered going back to MN... because at least I know I'd have a job there and could possibly pay my student loans off before I die. And then I remembered that I left that job for a reason. Moral: A master's degree is apparently not worth it.
In other news, I'm playing in this musical this weekend, and rehearsals have lately been taking over my life. Seriously, these people have been so disorganized it's horrific. Case in point: On Monday, the orchestra call time was 7.40pm and we were supposed to run the show at 8. When I showed up, they hadn't even finished building the stage yet. We didn't start until 11.30pm. Needless to say, we were there until 1am, and again until 1am yesterday. Somehow, I always remember these types of activities as being more fun than they actually are... and of course being in this is preventing me from going to both a boat race and a friend's party this weekend. AND I've invited friends to come see it, but only one or two have actually said they're coming. Dude, if I had real friends here, they'd come see me. (or, perhaps more accurately, I'd force you them to come see me)
See, this is why I haven't posted for so long. On the plus side, though, I've started going to the gym this month, so yay for that. Three times a week, and I've only missed one day so far! I will totally be a supermodel by the time July rolls around. Of course, then I won't be able to afford a vacation at the beach, so it won't matter anyway.
01 February 2008
Because it's Friday, my day off...
| Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test created with QuizFarm.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You scored as Remus Lupin You're a calm, cool, optimistic person who doesn't dwell on the bad but looks more deeply into the good. You're wise and know much about the world, and though you teach your lessons to others, react humbly when complimented on your intelligence. You've suffered a lot in your life but are extremely accepting of it all and suffer inwardly. You're a great friend to have as you're gentle and caring.
Also, I did not get the job. Mediocre grade and hopes dashed in the span of one week, hooray. (so much for the 'optimistic person' the quiz describes!) |
25 January 2008
Congratulations, universe. You win.
Lesson #1: All those vibes you put out into the universe do come back to get you. Case in point: Research essay... you know, the one that I put off until the last week of vacation. I've been saying all along that it'll pass, but I'm not sure how good it is. I've also been saying that though I'll be elated if it gets above a 70 (in the range of 55-75, above 70 = a qualification for the PhD program, below 60 = failing), but I'll be content if it gets a grade mid-60s or above.
I got a 65.
On some level, I'm fine with this; it's right in the middle, fairly decent grade, and I'm at Cambridge, so that's pretty good. And I probably deserve it, since I did procrastinate a lot.
But.
This means the pressure is on for the other big essay; I have to get a 70 or above if I want to get into the PhD program. Also, as much as I am sort of content with this grade, it is lower than the grades on my previous three unassessed essays. And the comments are not nice; I don't think I got any positive feedback.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is I don't know what to think. This makes me not want to go for the PhD, because to be honest, I don't feel like dealing with that kind of stress right now. I'm not sure that I want to do it anyway. Also, this is not exactly motivating to work on the essay I have due next week, or to do reading for class. I'm just feeling sort of blah.
Guess I was taking it more seriously than I thought.
I got a 65.
On some level, I'm fine with this; it's right in the middle, fairly decent grade, and I'm at Cambridge, so that's pretty good. And I probably deserve it, since I did procrastinate a lot.
But.
This means the pressure is on for the other big essay; I have to get a 70 or above if I want to get into the PhD program. Also, as much as I am sort of content with this grade, it is lower than the grades on my previous three unassessed essays. And the comments are not nice; I don't think I got any positive feedback.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is I don't know what to think. This makes me not want to go for the PhD, because to be honest, I don't feel like dealing with that kind of stress right now. I'm not sure that I want to do it anyway. Also, this is not exactly motivating to work on the essay I have due next week, or to do reading for class. I'm just feeling sort of blah.
Guess I was taking it more seriously than I thought.
23 January 2008
Relief.
The interview was this morning, and to be honest, I'm trying to figure out what I should say about it. There weren't any warning signs that said "Run away! You shouldn't take this soulless, awful job!" but I didn't have an epiphany, or come to a realization that this is the perfect job for me. If anything, I'm even more uncertain about it; there are some really cool aspects (Working with books for a living! Doing something I like in a field that is interesting! Working for a prestigious organization for what appears to be a decent salary!), but there are also parts of the job that I don't really care for and/or am not very good at (networking, communicating well with others, having to live an ocean away). I kind of wish I had the opportunity to try it out for a few weeks and see how it goes, and then make my decision. I suppose that's the entire point of the "probationary period", but it's tough to leave straight away after that without feeling like a failure. Anyway, I guess that's not my decision to make at this point; the woman with whom I interviewed said that she'd let me know her decision next week.
Here's the weird thing, though: I think the interview went well. (!) All right, not abnormal for most people, but I get really nervous under pressure and freeze up, sounding like I don't know what I'm talking about. This time, they asked me concrete questions I could answer (for the most part), I think my answers went over fairly well, and my experience seems to fit with the job. It's actually rather odd how well this job and I (on paper, at least) match up. But the really strange part is that I wasn't too nervous; I was just thinking, 'Well, I guess I'll just chat with these people and if they like me, great! If not, oh well.' Does this mean I've become (*gasp*)more confident? Does it mean I'm a grown-up? Strange things happen.
That being said, though, I came home after it was over, ate lunch, and totally fell asleep for two hours. Guess it was more stressful than I realized.
Here's the weird thing, though: I think the interview went well. (!) All right, not abnormal for most people, but I get really nervous under pressure and freeze up, sounding like I don't know what I'm talking about. This time, they asked me concrete questions I could answer (for the most part), I think my answers went over fairly well, and my experience seems to fit with the job. It's actually rather odd how well this job and I (on paper, at least) match up. But the really strange part is that I wasn't too nervous; I was just thinking, 'Well, I guess I'll just chat with these people and if they like me, great! If not, oh well.' Does this mean I've become (*gasp*)more confident? Does it mean I'm a grown-up? Strange things happen.
That being said, though, I came home after it was over, ate lunch, and totally fell asleep for two hours. Guess it was more stressful than I realized.
15 January 2008
Job/school/life update
Hello! Long time, no see! Wow, have I missed having a decent internet connection. Actually, though, it's not that crucial; I can find ways of amusing myself that don't involve facebook, email, or frivolous blog entries. They're just considerably less fun. Without further ado, some updates:
(1) Job: So they contacted me right before I left town, scheduling an interview for tomorrow morning. Luckily (?), I had a huge research paper to write over the vacation, so I didn't stress out about this... too much. And then I turned in my essay, and I realized how little I've prepared for this; sure, I have the nice professional outfit, but that's not too helpful if you don't know WHAT YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION IS. Heh. So I've been doing a bit of that, and they sent me an email today, asking to reschedule, as one of the managers is sick. Since I kind of want this to be over, I'm a bit disappointed, but the rest of me is vastly relieved. Not only do I have a bit more time to research now, but I can finally catch up on my sleep. Jet lag and working like mad on essays have a way of draining you. I'll keep you (all?) posted.
*ETA: Rescheduled for next Wednesday. A whole week tofreak out prepare, yay.
(2) School: Exhausting. That essay was almost the death of me... nothing like procrastinating so much that you have to write an 8000-word (25-page) research paper in a week. Heh. I don't recommend it. However, I still got someone to proofread it, and was finished by midnight on Sunday. So really, not that bad, but combine that with jet lag and it's not good. Also, I'm starting to second-guess the essay. Oh well, guess there's not much I can do about that at this point.
Also! I am understanding way more in class than I was last semester! It's pretty great to start out on a good note, unlike last time, when I had no idea what was going on.
(3) Life: Vacation was super, minus the essay. The two weeks of doing nothing were superb: nothing but sleeping, reading interesting (non-class-related!) books, eating delicious food, and broadening my cultural horizons with such film classics as 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures.' It was most righteous. It was actually really great to come back, though, to my house as well as to see folks in class. It's kind of like we've all relaxed a bit; maybe because we all know what we're getting into this time, as opposed to in October.
SLEEPING IN TOMORROW, hooray!!
(1) Job: So they contacted me right before I left town, scheduling an interview for tomorrow morning. Luckily (?), I had a huge research paper to write over the vacation, so I didn't stress out about this... too much. And then I turned in my essay, and I realized how little I've prepared for this; sure, I have the nice professional outfit, but that's not too helpful if you don't know WHAT YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION IS. Heh. So I've been doing a bit of that, and they sent me an email today, asking to reschedule, as one of the managers is sick. Since I kind of want this to be over, I'm a bit disappointed, but the rest of me is vastly relieved. Not only do I have a bit more time to research now, but I can finally catch up on my sleep. Jet lag and working like mad on essays have a way of draining you. I'll keep you (all?) posted.
*ETA: Rescheduled for next Wednesday. A whole week to
(2) School: Exhausting. That essay was almost the death of me... nothing like procrastinating so much that you have to write an 8000-word (25-page) research paper in a week. Heh. I don't recommend it. However, I still got someone to proofread it, and was finished by midnight on Sunday. So really, not that bad, but combine that with jet lag and it's not good. Also, I'm starting to second-guess the essay. Oh well, guess there's not much I can do about that at this point.
Also! I am understanding way more in class than I was last semester! It's pretty great to start out on a good note, unlike last time, when I had no idea what was going on.
(3) Life: Vacation was super, minus the essay. The two weeks of doing nothing were superb: nothing but sleeping, reading interesting (non-class-related!) books, eating delicious food, and broadening my cultural horizons with such film classics as 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures.' It was most righteous. It was actually really great to come back, though, to my house as well as to see folks in class. It's kind of like we've all relaxed a bit; maybe because we all know what we're getting into this time, as opposed to in October.
SLEEPING IN TOMORROW, hooray!!
01 January 2008
2007: Year In Review
It's that time again: time to look back on the year and think about what you've done, what you wished you'd done, and what you're glad you haven't done. And now, I humbly present to you: 2007: The Year That Sucked For The Most Part, But Had Some Good Moments In It!
01 What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Taught first grade, chaperoned high schoolers in Europe, visited Budapest, moved to England for grad school… is that enough?
02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Looking back on last year’s ‘resolutions’, it appears I didn’t keep the ones I made. Or, at the very most, I sporadically kept them. I think I need to treat myself like a 6-year-old: set small goals that are easily measurable. As such, here are the tentative resolutions for 2008:
(a) Drink more water.
(b) Get some form of exercise at least 3 times a week. (Biking to class does not count.)
(c) Get out of the house more. (carried over from last year, but still needs to be done)
03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my younger cousin. This made me feel very old.
04 Did anyone close to you die? No.
05 What countries did you visit? Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, the UK.
06 What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? An idea of what I want to do with my life. Yep, I’m 26 and still have no idea!
07 What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? September 27, when I moved to Cambridge. Also, that day in October when I found out my dad had broken his leg. Don’t know the exact date, but that was pretty awful.
08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting into grad school at the University of Cambridge… one of my long-held ambitions!
09 What was your biggest failure? One really awful dinner party/night out in October… huge blow to my self-esteem. Let’s try to repress those memories, shall we?
10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.
11 What was the best thing you bought? Do student loans count? Not necessarily the best, at this moment in time, but paying for this Master’s will be a pretty good investment.
12 Whose behavior merited celebration? Müs graduated from college! Nice job, my friend.
13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My parents win this one. Not telling me about my dad’s injury until 2 weeks after it had happened was really a low point.
14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets.
15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? Getting into Cambridge! Also, when I got back my first assignment for the course and found out that I wasn’t as stupid as I thought I was.
16 What song will always remind you of 2007? Any of the songs I taught the first-graders toward the end of the year: the ‘Guten Morgen’ song, ‘YMCA’ (it’s not what you think) and ‘Alle Kinder lernen lesen’.
17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? In terms of my current professional/educational status: happier. At least I’m doing what I want to be doing, even though I’m not earning any money. Not very happy about the state of my personal life, though.
b) thinner or fatter? I have definitely put on some pounds. Hence the resolution about getting more exercise.
c) richer or poorer? Definitely poorer. Though richer in knowledge. (commence groaning at cheesy pun)
18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. This answer from last year still stands; some things never change.
19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.
20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.
21 "There is no question 21" Uh, what? This still isn’t funny.
22 Did you fall in love in 2007? Nope. Surprise, surprise.
23 How many one-night stands? Ha! Bets now being taken on this question.
24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office'. And may I just say, thank goodness for the writers’ strike; do you have any idea how many episodes I’d be missing otherwise?
25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, it takes a lot to make me hate someone.
26 What was the best book you read? I just finished The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), both of which were amazing.
27 What was your greatest musical discovery? I became a new listener of Death Cab for Cutie and Enter the Haggis this year. Also, I’m a big fan of the newest Wir sind Helden CD.
28 What did you want and get? To attend this master’s program.
29 What did you want and not get? Full (or any) funding for this master’s program.
30 What was your favourite film of this year? ‘Once’ is pretty much the only movie I can remember seeing in the cinema this year.
31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 26, and I went out to lunch with friends, went mini-golfing (or Putt Putting, whichever you prefer) at the Science Museum, and went out to dinner. It was like the perfect 8-year-old birthday.
32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? From last year, but still accurate: Being appreciated by colleagues and parents of students.
33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Working: Khakis and nice shirts that generally didn’t require ironing. Currently: Lots of jeans and fleece. Or jeans and sweaters.
34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, those times when I wasn’t working: some of the summer, certain weekends during term, certain weeks when term ended.
35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski.
36 What political issue stirred you the most? Stupidity in general annoys the crap out of me. (Still true!)
37 Whom did you miss? Pretty much everyone, since I came to England by myself.
38 Who was the best new person you met? My classmates are pretty cool, for the most part.
39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. People BS a lot, especially in academia. I am capable of more than I think I am… at least in a classroom setting.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. ‘I feel like a quote out of context, withholding the rest, so I can be for you what you want to see.’ – Ben Folds, ‘Best Imitation of Myself’ I played a lot of roles this year, and still do… maybe this year, I’ll figure out which one of them is actually me.
Happy 2008! Let's all hope it's a step up from 2007, eh?
01 What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Taught first grade, chaperoned high schoolers in Europe, visited Budapest, moved to England for grad school… is that enough?
02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Looking back on last year’s ‘resolutions’, it appears I didn’t keep the ones I made. Or, at the very most, I sporadically kept them. I think I need to treat myself like a 6-year-old: set small goals that are easily measurable. As such, here are the tentative resolutions for 2008:
(a) Drink more water.
(b) Get some form of exercise at least 3 times a week. (Biking to class does not count.)
(c) Get out of the house more. (carried over from last year, but still needs to be done)
03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my younger cousin. This made me feel very old.
04 Did anyone close to you die? No.
05 What countries did you visit? Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, the UK.
06 What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? An idea of what I want to do with my life. Yep, I’m 26 and still have no idea!
07 What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? September 27, when I moved to Cambridge. Also, that day in October when I found out my dad had broken his leg. Don’t know the exact date, but that was pretty awful.
08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting into grad school at the University of Cambridge… one of my long-held ambitions!
09 What was your biggest failure? One really awful dinner party/night out in October… huge blow to my self-esteem. Let’s try to repress those memories, shall we?
10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.
11 What was the best thing you bought? Do student loans count? Not necessarily the best, at this moment in time, but paying for this Master’s will be a pretty good investment.
12 Whose behavior merited celebration? Müs graduated from college! Nice job, my friend.
13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My parents win this one. Not telling me about my dad’s injury until 2 weeks after it had happened was really a low point.
14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets.
15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? Getting into Cambridge! Also, when I got back my first assignment for the course and found out that I wasn’t as stupid as I thought I was.
16 What song will always remind you of 2007? Any of the songs I taught the first-graders toward the end of the year: the ‘Guten Morgen’ song, ‘YMCA’ (it’s not what you think) and ‘Alle Kinder lernen lesen’.
17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? In terms of my current professional/educational status: happier. At least I’m doing what I want to be doing, even though I’m not earning any money. Not very happy about the state of my personal life, though.
b) thinner or fatter? I have definitely put on some pounds. Hence the resolution about getting more exercise.
c) richer or poorer? Definitely poorer. Though richer in knowledge. (commence groaning at cheesy pun)
18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. This answer from last year still stands; some things never change.
19 What do you wish you'd done less of? Self-doubt and feeling stupid.
20 How did you spend Christmas? With the fam in B-lo. Of course.
21 "There is no question 21" Uh, what? This still isn’t funny.
22 Did you fall in love in 2007? Nope. Surprise, surprise.
23 How many one-night stands? Ha! Bets now being taken on this question.
24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office'. And may I just say, thank goodness for the writers’ strike; do you have any idea how many episodes I’d be missing otherwise?
25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, it takes a lot to make me hate someone.
26 What was the best book you read? I just finished The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) and The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), both of which were amazing.
27 What was your greatest musical discovery? I became a new listener of Death Cab for Cutie and Enter the Haggis this year. Also, I’m a big fan of the newest Wir sind Helden CD.
28 What did you want and get? To attend this master’s program.
29 What did you want and not get? Full (or any) funding for this master’s program.
30 What was your favourite film of this year? ‘Once’ is pretty much the only movie I can remember seeing in the cinema this year.
31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 26, and I went out to lunch with friends, went mini-golfing (or Putt Putting, whichever you prefer) at the Science Museum, and went out to dinner. It was like the perfect 8-year-old birthday.
32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? From last year, but still accurate: Being appreciated by colleagues and parents of students.
33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Working: Khakis and nice shirts that generally didn’t require ironing. Currently: Lots of jeans and fleece. Or jeans and sweaters.
34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, those times when I wasn’t working: some of the summer, certain weekends during term, certain weeks when term ended.
35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski.
36 What political issue stirred you the most? Stupidity in general annoys the crap out of me. (Still true!)
37 Whom did you miss? Pretty much everyone, since I came to England by myself.
38 Who was the best new person you met? My classmates are pretty cool, for the most part.
39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007. People BS a lot, especially in academia. I am capable of more than I think I am… at least in a classroom setting.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. ‘I feel like a quote out of context, withholding the rest, so I can be for you what you want to see.’ – Ben Folds, ‘Best Imitation of Myself’ I played a lot of roles this year, and still do… maybe this year, I’ll figure out which one of them is actually me.
Happy 2008! Let's all hope it's a step up from 2007, eh?
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