2008: Year in Review

01 What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Earned a masters, wrote 16000 words within two weeks (yeah, exams were fun), designed and went through with a research project, visited a few new countries, toured my parents around the UK and Ireland.

02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Heh, apart from a fit of exercising in between semesters, I didn't keep the 2008 resolutions at all. To be fair, I should have kept up with that, since that was about the best few weeks of this entire year. So I'm going to get back into that, except let's not call it a resolution, since I have an apparent tendency to fail at those. Also, finding a JOB and achieving a real, adult, grown-up life is in the process. I hope.

03 Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope.

04 Did anyone close to you die? Janice, my family's crazy, psychotic, clueless, adorable dog. Who liked bagels. And sneezing on your face as you were laying on the couch. And howling along with you. There's no other greyhound like her.

05 What countries did you visit? The UK, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Canada. And France if you count the train ride on the way to Belgium.

06 What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? An idea of what I want to do with my life. (This answer from last year still applies.) Though at this point, I'd also accept a job.

07 What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? July 17, graduation day!

08 What was your biggest achievement of the year? Graduating with a master's from Cambridge... cross one thing off my to-do list! (see #35)

09 What was your biggest failure? I guess the inability to get hired could be counted as a failure, though there are a number of other factors that contribute to this. Example A: recession.

10 Did you suffer illness or injury? Not serious ones.

11 What was the best thing you bought? Anything involving travel: plane tickets, train tickets, any food in Belgium: fries, waffles and chocolate!

12 Whose behavior merited celebration? A few of my friends got married, so yay for them!

13 Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Apart from the usual politicians (Blagojevich, Spitzer)... hmm. There are certain people who seem to exist in my life purely to ruin my self-esteem and make me feel bad about myself, and the plan is to get them out of my life, and/or get myself away from their influence. (If you are reading this, it is not you.) (Also, this is NOT a resolution, since I generally fail at those; it's merely a goal. Not expressly for New Year's. Yeah.)

14 Where did most of your money go? I know exactly where: student loans. Also, the pound --> dollar exchange rate. Also, plane tickets. (Last year's, but still true.)

15 What did you get really, really, really excited about? When I found out my parents were actually going to visit me in Europe! I figured that was one of those things that they'd talk about ad nauseam but never follow through on, but it happened!

16 What song will always remind you of 2008? Uh... I didn't listen to the radio all year. I did buy some songs by Colin Meloy and the Decemberists this year, although only the former album actually came out in 2008.

17 Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Less stressed in terms of being on a schedule, but sadder due to a lack of purpose/independence. Funny how that works.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. Hopefully you can't tell.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer, big time. If anyone steals my credit cards or identity, they have definitely chosen the wrong person.

18 What do you wish you'd done more of? Made more friends and gone out more. Two years in a row; let's go for three!

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" I have got to find a better New Year's meme that doesn't include this 'question'.

22 Did you fall in love in 2008? No. There was a slight infatuation, though. But it didn't involve stalking, I promise.

23 How many one-night stands? Yeah, okay.

24 What was your favorite TV show? Still 'The Office', though it's really starting to slide. Let's hope the writers pick it up a little for the rest of the season.

25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? There were some professors at Cambridge that I rather extremely dislike, but I wouldn't say I hate them.

26 What was the best book you read? I'd say Vienna Blood by Frank Tallis. Rather a lame title, but very well-written, uses an impressively varied vocabulary, and set in 1902 Vienna. And it involves cake. That's basically a formula for a winning book, I feel.

27 What was your greatest musical discovery? The Decemberists are pretty great, I think. Their music gets better upon each relisten. Also, I'm suddenly into Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which is funny and twisted and catchy and fantastic, but it's now 2009, so I'm not sure if that counts. Although it came out in 2008, so let's say it does. Only one year behind the pop culture trends is quite good, considering my track record.

28 What did you want and get? I've been talking about visiting Belgium since 2003, and I finally got around to it this year. It was not quite as awesome as everyone's talked it up, but the food and beer definitely made it worthwhile.

29 What did you want and not get? A freaking JOB.

30 What was your favourite film of this year? I might have to be a lemming on this one and say 'The Dark Knight'. 'Atonement' was also amazing.

31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27, and I had people over to our house and fabulous garden for a grill fest. It was a good time, especially since it was after the academic year had ended for most people.

32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Lasting friendships with folks from Cambridge.

33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? I was in grad school, what do you think? Jeans and fleece and funny, random t-shirts. I've tried to get out of that rut to some extent, but it's a bit tough when you don't have any money. H&M helped me out a bit when I was in Cambridge.

34 What kept you sane? Phone calls to and from friends. Also, travel: getting away from the routine is always good.

35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Heh, British phrasing. I continue to be a big fan of John Krasinski. Also, I'm suddenly enamored of Neil Patrick Harris: he's hilarious, seems to be a down-to-earth guy, and he can sing!

36 What political issue stirred you the most? Oh, the 2008 election! Absolute madness. I loved it, as much as the infighting and twisting of words drove me crazy.

37 Whom did you miss? Oddly enough, I missed folks from Cambridge after returning to the US... I guess the grass is always greener, eh? Thank goodness for Facebook.

38 Who was the best new person you met? I met some interesting people while traveling...

39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Asking for help is not a bad thing.

40 Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 'Es tut so schlau, um nicht unangenehm aufzufallen/Und nicht schön genug, um damit durchzukommen/ Weisst du genau wie es ist, immer rauszufallen /Nur nicht weit genug, woanders anzukommen.' - Wir sind Helden, 'The Geek (Shall Inherit)' One day, the answer to this question won't be a song lyric that can also be applied to an angsty, geeky, misfit high-schooler. Today is not that day.

Happy 2009, and let's hope that it's better than 2008. It's got to be. Right?

Food, glorious food

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?

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!

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.

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!

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.

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...

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)

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!

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.

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.")

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..)

Happy Halloween!

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

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:

• 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?

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.

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 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

• 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??

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...

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:

(Just to clarify, I wasn't face-down in the daffodils when I woke up. I just don't have another picture of my neighborhood.)

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!

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.

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. Remus Lupin 75% Severus Snape 75% Percy Weasley 69% Albus Dumbledore 69% Neville Longbottom 66% Hermione Granger 66% Draco Malfoy 59% Ron Weasley 56% Oliver Wood 50% Luna Lovegood 50% Bellatrix Lestrange 41% Harry Potter 38% Lord Voldemort 34% Sirius Black 34% Also, happy birthday to Müs! It's even on a Friday this year, how excellent. 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!)

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.

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.

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 to freak 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!!

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?

OMG!!!1!one!

Remember that job I applied for back in November?

Well.

I was online this afternoon, procrastinating the hell out of my essay. I happened to be on the CUP website, because I check out their job postings once in a while... just for kicks, you know. My cell phone rings, and "Private number" shows up on the screen; I think it's my uncle from NY, since his number is blocked. Girl with a British accent answers, and I'm a little confused. Oh wait, it's the people with my job application, and the boss will be in on Monday, and can I come for an interview on Monday?

[Internal thought process: Oh, it's the CUP, oh my GOD THEY WANT TO INTERVIEW ME. Yes. Great. Wait, I don't have interview attire. That can be fixed. Monday... the College is renovating our bathroom so I won't be able to take a shower. Uh, slightly problematic. Crapcrapcrap.]

What I say: 'Uh, I'm really sorry but Monday won't work for me.'
CUP: 'The boss will be in on January 8th, how about then?'
Me: 'Oh, I won't be back in the country until the 11th.' [thinking: DAMNIT!!! How can I appear more interested in this job?!]
Me: 'I'll have classes after that, but my Wednesdays and Fridays are free. Otherwise, I can work around my classes, just let me know what time would work.'
CUP: 'I'll have to check with the boss and get back to you.'
Me: 'Okay... sorry Monday wouldn't work!' [thinking: GOD why am I so lame...]

And that, my friends, is how you freak out upon being offered an interview.

But all that aside: THE CUP WANTS TO INTERVIEW ME FOR A JOB OMG!!!!

How not to run an experiment involving participants:

• Let them sit and wait while you finish preparing the computer program.
• Don't make small talk with them or appear at all interested that they are real people outside of your study, and as such, have other things to do.
• Don't tell them about your experiment, what you are studying, how this is interesting, etc.
• Don't give them any directions, just tell them to put on the headphones and follow the instructions on the screen.
• Don't tell them approximately how many questions they will be answering at a stretch, or when they can expect to be done.
• Don't check up on them at all, just let them answer question after question after question after question...
• Keep foisting other tasks upon them, again not giving them warning about how many tasks they'll have to do.
• Make them answer MORE questions, after they've clearly gone through the list already but the computer somehow hasn't stored all the data.
• Make them answer MORE QUESTIONS AGAIN after you and the participant have already agreed on a stopping point.
• Give them a questionnaire at the very end, just when they thought they were finished.
• Ask them to come back next week for another part to the experiment.

Seriously. This is how post-doc research is done? I guess 'PhD' does not equal 'common sense and respect.'

Opinions wanted!

O loyal blog readers, today you have to WORK for your entertainment. Opinions are desperately needed on this subject:

I decided to celebrate the term being over by going into town and wandering around a bit. I hadn't yet been in the new department store that just opened a few weeks ago, so I wandered into there, just going to have a look around. And I found a travel bag (which I needed) and this coat (which I don't need so much). It was a tough decision: I tried on the two sizes that were on the rack, found the right size in a different color, left, came back, found that my size was on the mannequin, and got someone to take the coat off the mannequin so I could try it on. If I were being my normal, frugal-to-a-fault self, I wouldn't have bought it, but this coat's pretty awesome. And yet, I'm a poor grad student who does, in fact, already own a coat.

(sorry about the cutting off of the head and the rather sketchy background)


Pros: a red coat is awesome, it's wool and cashmere, and 90 pounds is pretty good compared to the other coats in the store.

Cons: 90 pounds=$180!, and I do actually own a long, black wool coat (it's at home).

So here are your choices:

1. Keep it! Everyone wears black in the winter, and color is needed. Plus, it's not too trendy that I won't be able to wear it. Also, I look good in red. (heh)
   
2. Return it! Why the hell would I need two long, wool coats? That's totally wasteful. Also, 90 pounds is my food budget for almost a month.

I know for a fact that there are at least 4 of you who read this blog (semi-)regularly, so let's hear it.

PS- NaBloPoMo's over, hooray!

Thursday.

Thursdays are always seemingly endless. Five hours of class, a meeting with my supervisor, a guest lecturer, and a concert... none of which I'm going to write about right now because I'm pretty tired. But I resolved to post something because I'M NOT GOING TO FAIL ON THE SECOND LAST DAY OF NABLOPOMO. So there.

Every single time I've typed NaBloPoMo this month, I've misspelled it. Also, every time I type it, I think of Michael Scott's quote from 'The Office', something like: 'One day, she's not yo' ho no mo'.' I think this should be the name of next year's NaBloPoMo.

Also, last day of class today. Hooray! Now time to write that PhD research proposal and get going on that giant scary research essay. Hooray...?

Add this to the list of reasons it's pretty cool to be at Cambridge

I got to attend a talk by Stephen Hawking tonight! It was actually kind of a fiasco: The talk was put on by the Cambridge Union, which has all sorts of famous people come in to speak, and which has a membership fee of 85 pounds. (That's right, $170... and that's the student rate.) Their events are generally open to non-members as well, for a small fee, but this one was so popular that no non-members could get in. They were, however, putting it on a live video feed to the bar down the hall. And since paying 3 pounds for a Guinness and a lecture by Stephen Hawking is far preferable to paying 85 pounds for the same lecture, I opted for the bar. Even more unfortunate was that the idiots who'd set up the video camera had done it so that all you could see was the powerpoint slides. Which are vital to a presentation, but if you're going to a talk by one of the most brilliant astronomers in the world, you actually want to see him, not just the powerpoint. It was a great presentation though; the man is funny! (heh, he even made fun of the French, it was great)

BUT... on the way out of the bar, my friends and I hit a wall of people waiting in line: They were going to have a photo session in the room at the end of the hall, and all these people were waiting for their chance to get a picture of him. Then suddenly the word comes that, oh wait, the photo session is going to be in the main room after all. So everyone sort of grumbles and turns around, but of course the people at the other end don't know this yet, so we all are sort of stuck there. My two friends somehow manage to maneuver their way out, and I move off to the side to let a man in a wheelchair through. And after this man in a wheelchair another man in a wheelchair passes by: it's Stephen Hawking.

Stephen Hawking, you can cut me in line any time.

Things that can drastically improve my mood:

• Doing WAY better on the dreaded semantics essay than I'd ever expected! Further proof that not knowing what I'm talking about is much better than having a cohesive argument. Plus, it was 'very well written.' Whee!
• Hanging out with people from my course, with whom I can gripe about said course and who don't make me feel inferior.
• Making people laugh.
• Understanding what's going on in class and being able to explain it to others.
• Realizing that I have actually learned a huge amount this term.
• Knowing that there's only one more day of class left.

And finally:

• Really nice Belgian beer. Mmm.

Christmas shopping tip

This is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I just ordered one for myself. Merry Christmas to me! But if you're looking for gifts, the whole site's pretty cool, so enjoy!

Some events have transpired in the past couple days that have led me to the following conclusion: I have got to find new friends that don't make me feel inferior and/or stupid. Not that they do it on purpose, but that's how it is. Of course, it's hard to make new friends when you spend all your time in class/working/taking naps. Maybe I should start doing my work elsewhere and harassing people in the library.

Things I did this weekend vs. Things I meant to do this weekend

What I did:

• played in a ceilidh Friday night
• slept in
• spent inordinate amounts of time on Facebook
• finished Phonology assignments
• read a very small amount for class
• went out on Saturday for dessert and drinks
• went to a Mexican food/fundraising event

What I meant to do:

• the ceilidh
• assignments for all my classes
• catch up on reading for classes
• grocery shopping
• buy my return flight tickets

I apparently enjoy procrastinating a great deal.

Because I am generous, and insanely competitive

... is a vocabulary game that donates 10 grains of rice for every word that you get right. It's free, and a good way to procrastinate. You knew those SAT words would someday come in handy.

Also, there are 50 levels, but I can't seem to get above 45. If you manage to do it, tell me how!

Mmmm... pie

You Are Mud Pie

You're the perfect combo of flavor and depth.You are overpowering and dominant - and that's what people like about you.You bring energy and a new direction to most interactions.People crave you in a serious way. You're that important to them. Those who like you give into their impulses.You don't represent reason. You represent pure temptation.People get addicted to you rather easily. You offer people a dark side that is very hard to resist.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofpieareyouquiz/">What Kind of Pie Are You?

And if you believe all this, clearly you don't actually know me.

November is the longest month ever, thanks to NaBloPoMo

All right, so we've reached the point in November when NaBloPoMo has ceased to be fun, and it's now just a matter of principle that I'm going to post every day for the next seven days. (only seven!) It's been a busy week here in Grad School Land, and I can tell that it's time for a break because I'm starting to have a really short temper.

One of my housemates was asking me for help on a cover letter, which I'd already helped him revise two weeks ago and then AGAIN Wednesday morning when I got up early (on my day off!) to look over it for him. So he wanted to redo one of the sentences and asked me what I thought, I told him what I would say, and he was like, 'No, I don't like that, what else can I say?' I said something like, 'You know what? I've got nothing else. It's your cover letter, say whatever you want to say.' Seriously, if you don't agree with me, that's fine, but don't ask me for help then. I'm not going to do your work for you.

I'm also starting to get really annoyed with myself, which is a little weird. Like right now, I'm skipping a talk that I'd wanted to go to, but I just couldn't bring myself to bike all the way over there. Which I know is lazy, and it's only really hurting myself, etc., etc. I just can't be bothered... figured I'd save my energy for the ceilidh I'm playing in tonight. Hopefully that goes well, or I'll start questioning my very existence. Again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Undoubtedly the best holiday of the year. Enjoy your turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie with family and friends! Eat some extra pie for me! And turnips, I love turnips.

Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing here.

Apparently I am better off writing crap essays than actually knowing what I'm talking about. Or at least thinking that I know what I'm talking about. So much for a 'well-constructed argument'.

Anyway. Today's Wednesday (hooray!) and some folks from College and I are off to Oxford. The College here has an exchange with a college there, so they came here a few weeks ago, and we get to visit them today. Hopefully it'll be nice and sunny (like it is here at the moment) so we can look around a bit and take some decent pictures. Also, hopefully some nice people from their college will actually show up so it's a real exchange and not just a really, really far field trip. Nothing like bonding with fellow classmates during 5 hours in the car.

That's all I've got right now. Pictures to come...given it's still daylight and the weather's decent by the time we get there.

Essay update II:

Done.

Hey, it's Tuesday! Guess my blog post for today is done.

Essay update:

Words written: 1206
Words remaining: 793
Time logged: whatever it's been since the last time I posted

Time to analyze the semantic use of German alle vs. jede/r/s! Woo!

You know you love NaBloPoMo.

Once more with feeling

Essay status:
Words written: 758
Of those, words that are total crap: 758
Words to go: 1242
Time logged: it feels like an eternity

Shoot me in the face.

ARGH.

WTF, semantics? Why must you hate me so? Why can't you and my brain just get along? Why do I not understand a single thing in this topic?

So I've been reading articles about the difference between 'each' and 'every'. Apparently there's a difference. I don't think there is. Therein lies the problem.

I'm seriously considering not doing this one. It's unassessed, so it won't hurt my grade, though not doing it might make me look bad. Honestly, though, I don't know if this is worth the effort.

Bleurgh.

Two days, two boxes of cookies

So I finished that job application today. And after working on it all day yesterday, it only took me four more hours today. Seriously, this is way too much effort for a job that I probably won't even get and am not entirely sure if I want. Oh well, at least I have a decent an improved resume and a less-vague idea of how to write a cover letter out of the deal.

But now half of my weekend is shot, and I haven't even started that essay on semantics that's due on Tuesday. And if syntax is the bane of my existence, semantics is a mini-bane, syntax's younger sibling, the one who I'm trying really hard to like but we're just on two different wavelengths. Tomorrow is not going to be a fun day.

Also, I've eaten two entire boxes of cookies so far this weekend. Luckily they were the only two that I had, so there's no danger of doing the same thing tomorrow. Unless I stop at Sainsburys...

A dilemma

One of my many issues deficiencies personality quirks is that I'm really shy, but tend to latch on to people that I've met once and pretend that we're REALLY GOOD FRIENDS. This helps me believe that I can make friends, it's cool, I'm normal, everything's fine. However, the other person has to make the first move; I'm terrified. Of what, I'm not sure... rejection, perhaps? Anyway, so the problem here (one of many) is that I end up meeting a limited amount of people, with whom I don't really become close friends anyway. Also, I hate walking into a place at which I know no one, sidling up to a group of people, and budging in on their conversation.

The problem here (one among many) is that these are ways that you meet people. I am not really meeting people. I recognize this is my own fault, I know ways of fixing it; I'm just incapable of doing so. And part of me is actually okay with this; hi, my name is Bridget and I'm an introvert. However, this is not helping with the feeling of loneliness that comes and goes, and has been more coming than going recently. Actually, it's been kind of steady throughout the past 2 years; I didn't really make any friends in MN, but at least then I was able to rationalize it as work-related. Now it's just the fact that I'm neurotic.

As if I needed another excuse to procrastinate

OMG I'm on Facebook!!!!1!!one! Haven't done a whole lot with it yet, though, especially because it seems to be ignoring my requests to be added to the university network. However, if you're on Facebook and want to be my friend (what am I, eight years old?), comment away.

In real-life news, I'm totally skipping out on yoga AND the lecture I was supposed to go to tonight. Laaaaaaaaazy. I have been working on my CV cover letter, though, so there's that. It's been kind of a strange experience working on the CV; most of the decent information was already there, but way too much of it. It was obviously a resume that I'd written in college, complete with '2002 Student Marshal!' and 'Tutor, Math and German Workshops!' (albeit without the exclamation points) So the work was mostly in the pruning down to the interesting stuff that's relevant to this job. And now I'm down to a page... amazing when it used to be all I could do to get it into a page and a half. Clearly I've become less interesting as I've gotten older.

Also, the invention of the cover letter is ridiculous. I have no idea what to write. Somehow, I think "I'm awesome and brilliant, please give me this job, thanks!" is not an appropriate way to go.

Only 2 hours until Ceilidh Band tonight! Woo!

Why I am awesome:

Guess what I had for dinner tonight? Poached salmon in a white wine sauce! With new potatoes! Sometimes I amaze myself. Actually, it was perhaps not quite as delicious as it sounds (though still pretty good), but certainly a step up from the pasta and frozen dinners I've been subsisting on. This is what happens when you have a day off of class... and don't particularly care to start the essay that's been assigned for next week.

Also, I got carded buying the wine. Which is kind of funny, since they card everyone who looks under 21 here. Whatever, I'll take it as a compliment.

I wish I had chocolate in the house.

That is all.

(How in the world am I going to post for another 16 consecutive days?!)

So... it's Tuesday.

And with Tuesday comes the weekly debate over whether or not to go to Irish dance. I had class and other assorted academic events from 9.30 until 5.30, just finished dinner, and (would theoretically) have to leave in 10 minutes or so for dance. Every week, I have the choice between (a) going to dance and (b) sleeping, and to be honest, (b) sounds pretty good right now. Except taking a nap at 7.30 is definitely not smart. And I need the exercise. (though that sounds less than tempting right now) I'll probably end up going, it's just a matter of dragging myself back outside in the cold... yeah, this is making me want to go even less. Heh.

Also, I'm supposed to help Ceilidh Band folk make music folders tonight, but I don't know if I'll last that long. So I'm weighing the feeling of duty/guilt against the desire for this day to be OVER already. Which will I choose? Stay tuned.

(PS-How exciting is my life? This is what you get when you sign up for NaBloPoMo.)

This is the part where NaBloPoMo gets incredibly boring.

Sorry, folks, I've got nothing today. No exciting things happened in my (admittedly somewhat self-centered) world today. Turned in the essay (hooray!), went out with most of the people in my class to celebrate, and am taking the night off.

With tomorrow comes the next essay, and tomorrow will be Crazy Busy^TM, but that'll all happen soon enough. For now, I'm going to find some way to entertain myself that does not involve schoolwork.

Essay update: (wow, aren't these fascinating)

Time logged: almost 2 more hours
Words written: 1998
Words remaining: none!
Status: one more read-through, and Bob's your uncle! (heh) How do you like that ability to stay under 2000 words?

Also, it's only 9.45. Awesome. However, I'll try not to get too complacent until I get this thing back next Monday.

Essay update:

Time logged: another hour
Words written: 1326
Words remaining: 674
Status: I just finished dinner and chatted with Jamie for about an hour... ready to sit down and finish this bad boy. Er, in a minute, after I check my email.

Essay status:

Time logged: 2 hours
Words written: 969
Words remaining: 1031
Status: between 1/2 to 2/3 done, I'd say... in only two hours! If this keeps up, I'll be able to go to bed at a decent hour tonight. Also, I'm feeling way too confident about this, especially since syntax is my worst subject. We'll see what the result is next week...

You know you've been out of touch too long when...

...your own brother doesn't recognize your voice on the phone. Hi, Müs!

In essay news:
Time logged: 3 hours
Words written: 0
Words to go: 2000
Status: outline is finished but I just can't...get...started...

Happy 200th Post!

Dear Blogger,

Wow, has it really been 200 posts? It feels like just yesterday, I was lamenting my generally boring existence and lack of job, or writing odes to Canadian television. But here we are, 200 posts later, and it's been quite a trip. We've had some good times, and some not-so-good times. We've had quite a relationship, you and I, even if it is rather one-sided. Whoops, sorry about that; I shouldn't be so judgmental. It's all right that I put more into this relationship than you do; you're busy and I understand that. You're always around when I need you, though, so I can't complain.

What, you didn't get me anything for my 200th post? That's okay, I didn't get you anything either.

Here's to another 200 mundane, rather silly posts!

Love,
Bridget

*****
And now for something completely different: This video is about the most hilarious, adorable thing I've ever seen; I've watched it five times now and it's made me laugh every single time. And it almost makes me want to have kids. Wait, who said that?

Schedule

• 8.40: leave for class
• 9.00 - 1.15: classes
• 1.15 - 2.00: talk about/pick apart Monday's essay assignment with two classmates
• 2.00 - 3.15: go into town for lunch on the market square
• 3.00: get caught in the rain
• 3.15: meeting with supervisor about Big Scary Research Paper #1
• 4.00 - 5.00: class
• 5.15: en route to my place, the bike breaks down. I walk it the rest of the way back.
• 5.30: change for yoga, grab fiddle, eat 5 mouthfuls of pasta, leave for yoga
• 6.00: arrive at yoga
• 6.10: find out that yoga is cancelled
• 6.10 - 6.45: head back up the hill with a friend to her place so she can get some money, then head back down the hill to find someplace to eat
• 6.45 - 7.45: dinner... delicious French food!
• 8.00 - 10.00: Ceilidh Band rehearsal
• 10.40: arrive home

I am wiped out, but it was a good day. Ceilidh Band is AMAZING! V. excited for next Thursday.

Good night!

Sometimes I think my computer knows too much.

After checking my email, which 'news' link should happen to show up but: Britain's Most Ridiculous Laws! I must remember not to wear a suit of armor or die in Parliament.

Hmm.

Sometimes, no matter how long you’re in a country, and no matter how accustomed to their ways you think you are, you still revert to old habits. To wit: I decided to take the bus back from Irish dance tonight, since it’s kind of dark and creepy walking back alone at 9.30. (Usually I have my bike, but the chain came off the gears, so that’s on my list of things to do tomorrow.) So I got out of dance and went to the bus stop across the street, only to find that I missed the bus by three minutes. Well, crap. I started walking, and after about two minutes… the bus passed. On the other side of the road. Because they drive on the left here. Duh.

On the plus side, I saved 50p.

In other news, there are a few interesting job postings by the Cambridge University Press, in Cambridge as well as in New York (City). The ones I’m looking at require an advanced degree in applied linguistics, conveniently enough. But do they hold jobs eight months? Would I like editing? (I think so, I can be picky. Shut up, Müs.) Would they even hire me? Do I want to go for a PhD? Would I even get into the PhD program? All good questions. Also, I’m getting tired of starting something new every two years; it’s time to find something good and stick with it. So there’s lots of pondering going on here at Windsor Castle. Where the Internet sporadically breaks down. Grr.

I'm not really sure if they're celebrating the fact that they tried to blow up Parliament, or that they failed.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Happy Guy Fawkes Night!

My fair lady

London was great! Not sure if it rivals Berlin (oh Berlin, how I miss you), but good times were had. Plus, they speak English in London, so that's one point Berlin doesn't have.

It's nice to go to a city you've visited before; it kind of takes the pressure off. You don't have the feeling that you absolutely have to visit the top 10 tourist sights, since you've already seen them. You don't have to spend half an hour figuring out where you are, where you want to go, how you're going to get there, and how to ask the guy behind the counter for the ticket you want. Fitting everything in doesn't matter as much, you're just relaxed and there to have a good time, which makes it more likely that you will actually have a good time. What I'm trying to say here is that I really didn't do very much in London, and I'm totally okay with that.

What I did do was meet up with Mandy, a former Wittenberger who's doing her PhD at University College London. We got to talk about Witt, good times as Fulbrighters, and the perils of academia. (And I was very, very envious that she is fully funded. Grr.) We took the bus up to St. Paul's Cathedral but didn't go in because it costs 10 pounds. (For a church! Prime example of how London is overpriced.) We wandered around for a bit, then went to the Tower of London, which was awesome! From the outside, it just looks like a fortress, but there is a regular complex in there, including 13 towers which held prisoners, a courtyard, the house that was built for Anne Boleyn (but wasn't finished before she was beheaded), the central White Tower which was home to kings and queens, the chapel where many, many (mostly unidentified) people are buried, and the building housing the crown jewels. We had a tour by one of the Yeoman Warders, who clearly had done this a million times, but was just as enthusiastic this time as he was the previous 999,999 times. Did you know that the Beefeaters live in the Tower? And that their dress uniforms cost 10,000 pounds?

our excellent tour guide

After hanging out in the Tower for a good 4 hours, we then went for dinner at a Pakistani restaurant, which was delicious... I am totally going to miss this kind of food when I go home. And then we had to book it across the city so I could make my 7.30 bus: from the bus, to the Tube, to the coach station, to running through the coach station, to sprinting across the parking lot... I made it to the bus at 7.29. Whew.

So now it's Sunday night, we get an essay assigned tomorrow and I'm dreading this week. But of course I'll keep you all updated on that, because it's NaBloPoMo and I have to.

Two more pictures of the Tower of London for good measure. Here's the White Tower:

... and a shot of where some of the Beefeaters live, complete with laundry:

Jolly good egg!

Just got back from London, and in the interest of NaBloPoMo, I'm posting to my blog! (*gasp*) Full details to come tomorrow, because I am wiped out. Also, because I will more than likely need something interesting mildly amusing to write. In the meantime, enjoy these photos as an appetizer:

The Tower Bridge. Not the London Bridge. People get them confused. (London Bridge is far less attractive.)

The Tower of London! Bloody and gory and creepy and wonderful.

Sunset over the Thames. Those buildings are doubtless landmarks and very interesting, but I don't know what they are.

And now, instead of the Halloween party, I am off to watch 'The Office' and to bed. Sounds like a much better evening to me.

NaBloPoMo: day two

Bridget's To-Do List for today:

• Semantics reading
• Semantics homework
• Phonology reading
• Phonology homework
• Pick up debit card from bank
• Get cash...again
• Buy student card for the bus lines
• Buy bus ticket to London
• Pick up TV
• Harass housemates to pay their shares of the TV
• Go to Aldi
• Get book from library for research essay
• Mail postcards
• Mail payment for Thanksgiving lunch
• Find suitable costume for Halloween party tomorrow night...?
• Formal Hall with Oxford students

Pretty good description of my day. How was yours?

NaBloPoMo

I've decided to give NaBloPoMo a shot, since I'm online every day and interesting stuff happens to me every day. Er... at least the first part's true. I haven't officially signed up or anything, though, so we'll see how it goes. Whether or not these posts will degenerate into incoherent and hysterical rambling is anyone's guess. (oh wait! they generally are already!)

So today's news is that I've got a violin! I'd talked to a couple of different orchestras and the university Ceilidh Band at the beginning of term about how I had to leave my violin at home, but no one had a lead on how I could borrow one. Apparently no one rents/loans musical instruments here. Finally on Wednesday, someone from Ceilidh Band emailed me to say that she found someone who'd lend me their violin until Christmas! Woo! It's a piece of crap, practically plastic violin, but it's better than nothing. Here's the analogy (I've been working on this): It's been like I've left one of my arms at home, and now I have this temporary, really cheap plastic prosthetic arm. Which looks like an arm but is not very functional. With a hook for a hand.

I guess I can't complain, since it's way better than nothing. And the guy from whom I'm borrowing it got it for 60 pounds at Costco. But still, the ability to play with dynamics or hear the vibrato that I'm using would be nice. < /music geek rant>

So there's Day One of NaBloPoMo. Bets now being taken on how many days this will actually last.

Update on the general status of things

Dad is fine, thank goodness. Apparently he has developed an infection (!), but should be out of the hospital soon. Hopefully tomorrow.

Things are generally better. I still feel really stupid a majority of the time, but I put in a lot of hours this weekend on...well, pretty much everything. So there's that. I get my essay back tomorrow, though, so will probably be in tears again.

Also, went to a formal hall at Christ's College with two of my classmates tonight. (Sidenote: Every time I hear the name of this college, it's like an expletive: Christ's! College. There is also Jesus! Green and Jesus! Lane.) This was fantastic for a number of reasons:

1. Going out to eat for relatively cheap (6 pounds...that's right, $12 is now relatively cheap for me. Good lord.) and not having to cook or do dishes.
2. Getting an insider tour of Christ's! College. The dining hall is straight out of Harry Potter, with dark wood paneling, stained glass windows, portraits, and long tables of people wearing gowns. (Though gowns were optional. It did provide a way to tell the graduates from the undergrads, though: all the undergrads were in gowns.)
3. Chatting with my classmates and finding out they're just as lost as I am!! Oh, thank God. I feel considerably better about my status in the class; if I'm at the bottom, there are at least two people almost down there with me.
4. Walking back through the city on a clear, moonlight night made me remember that I am lucky to be here. Not everyone gets to do this. I keep forgetting about that and have to kick myself once in a while.

Two more things: Hi, Hans Martin! Also, can I just say Christ's! College one more time? Awesome, thanks.

So.

Things are not good. Not, not good.

• First of all, my dad is in the hospital with a broken leg. He's fine now, but only after surgery and some time in the ICU. There are also underlying problems here that I'm not going to get into. Also, no one bothered to inform me of this until a week after it happened.
• V. lonely. *cue the self-pity* For reasons mentioned in the previous post. And the fact that I don't have good friends here yet. And that people in my class are weird and competitive as hell. *tries to beat self-pity back with a stick*
• My essay was crap. Really awful. I'm not just saying this.
• Completely lost again in class today, because I spent all last week doing reading for the essay, and not reading for my classes.
• Apparently I get all the effects of being hungover without the 'fun' of being drunk. Curse you, genes.
• Too tired to eat. I have no food anyway. This is something I should maybe remedy.

Going to bed early tonight; maybe 12 hours of sleep will help. Also, maybe I should do something fun this weekend, like go to London... let's just ignore the fact that I am po'...

Names acceptable for cats owned by a cat lady:

• Sprinkles
• Marmalade
• Mittens
• Snowball
• Cupcake
• Garbage ('TO', anyone?)

Suggestions?

Fate hates me.

I will undoubtedly die alone. With cats.

ETA: Good lord. October really is the month of doom.