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So here goes round two of the questioning phase, this time from![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) uplift17. For those who don't remember the rules...
Leave me a comment with "READING IS SEXY" in the subject line.
I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can get to know you better.
Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.
1) What is the ideal book?
Ha, I bet everyone expects me to put Pride and Prejudice down first on the list. Well, not so. It is a truly amazing book, but it is not THE ideal book. That said, there is no definitive ideal book. But to me, an ideal book is one that blends flawless character development and depiction with an amazing plot (believable in the universe we live in or the carefully crafted universe of the book) that adds to the human experience. Humor, drama, romance, tragedy, it's all part of the ideal book. From the top of my head I'd have to list the books that have moved me most deeply, the ones that I finish and go "Wow..." A short list:
Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth
Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and We the Living
John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath
And there are others, though their subject matter is not as serious:
C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia
Madeleine L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time quartet, esp. A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Stephen Lawhead's Avalon
And yes, Pride and Prejudice, because it fulfills all the requirements. It's just not the book that comes first on the list.
William Goldman's The Princess Bride. EVERYONE should read this book (and it's back in print!!)
Well, Brendan, ask me a literary question and you get a hell of a long answer!
2) What are the top five countries you haven't visited that you would like to, and why?
Britain (including Scotland and Ireland): Why? Because I'm a huge freakin' Anglophile. I could trace my favorite authors (and their stories and the attendent film adaptations) all over the country if I had the time and money! I've already made myself a bet: in five years I want to have the vacation time and money to take my mother to Britain for a literary vacation. That would be wonderful.
France: Because I didn't study five years of French to avoid the country! I'd like to go all over the country...and see if the people are as rude as I've heard and read. And the Loire valley looks sooooo pretty!
Italy: I've had a small obsession with Italy for a few years now. Italian is the next language I'll study, but I think I'm in love with the country because of the Italian Renaissance and the architecture. I have whole books on Italian architecture.
Germany/Austria: Castles. Honestly, I'd like to just hang out in Europe for a few years. I wonder if someone would pay me to do that...>_> <_< >_> hmm...
Thailand: I'd need other people to go with me, because I don't think I'd be brave enough to go alone, but traveling to all the ancient monasteries and temples would be lovely.
New Zealand: For the scenery, hiking, and honestly...just maybe because they filmed The Lord of the Rings there. I'm sad, I know.
Oh, that was six. Oh well!
3) What's your current favorite running TV show?
Um, running? Well, it's not a sitcom or anything...I've never really followed TV shows religiously because when I was a kid we never had cable, so all we got was reruns. I guess What Not to Wear would be the only one that I will tune in for every Friday. But that's only if I remember.
Of course, the MINUTE Project Runway comes back on the air, I'll be a die-hard fan again!
4) Name a historical figure you would like to meet and why.
This question used to be of more interest to me, but now I realize that meeting a historical figure would probably less inspiring than one thinks. I would really like to meet Queen Elizabeth...she seems an incredible character. Such acerbic humor, but I guess it's the only natural product of her childhood and upbringing. Jane Austen, of course, but it wouldn't be to learn the secrets of her writing. I think she was an incredibly practical closet romantic. I wonder if I'm right. Joan of Arc. Leonardo da Vinci. Albert Einstein. Ayn Rand.
5) Come up with a funny anagram for your name :P
This is a question?
Christine: Incites h(e)r!
With one more 'e', that might have been kinda cool. How did Lord Voldemort do it! Well, he used his last and middle name, but I haven't got endless time to waste!
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| Subject: | Yay money! |
| Time: | 5:33 am. |
| Mood: |  chipper. | | Music: | Everything You Want ~ Vertical Horizon. |
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I'd hoped never to have to be this familiar with dawn ever again, but here I am, awake at 5:00 AM, preparing to go back to work at the cafeteria.
I really can't complain, since they are being kind enough to give me 35 hours of work a week, but man, not having to wake up early this last month and a half was really delightful. Still, it's better this time around, since I only have to be awake at 5, not 4, since I go to work at 7, and not 6:30. Also, I was able to unearth my uniform without too much trouble. Considering the fact that I threw it into a box in a closet, that's quite a feat.
I'm just thankful I didn't throw it away.
In addition to working in the morning, 7-2, I'm on call at Lane Bryant from 4-10. I wonder what working two jobs in one day feels like.
Oh well. Breakfast time!
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Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
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Leave me a comment with "I LOVE INTERPRETIVE DANCE" in the subject line.
I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can get to know you better.
Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.
Well, since it IS a compartment, it could really be called an "anything" compartment. I think it's called a glove compartment because it used to hold driving gloves. Now, back at you: why do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway? ANSWER ME THAT!!!
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Comments: Read 7 or Add Your Own.
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So today, among other things, I plan an absolutely MASSIVE spamming of the job market. Targets today include:
1: The Post Office
2: The UN
3: International Travel Agencies
4: Airports (as Flight Attendant, Customs Agent, etc.)
5: InterExchange
6: Other hotels (mostly in Hawaii)
7: Other jobs at the Hilton
I plan to get through about half these today, then go shopping for the materials to make Dan's birthday cake, buy birthday cards for my sister's and brother's birthday, and maybe make a quick present run. Then I'll get back, start baking the cake, and get through the second half of the list. This is waaaaaaaaaaay optimistic as a goal today, but since I start my second job on the 6th, I've really got to step up my game because after I start working that one, I just won't have as much uninterrupted time as right now. I already feel like a bum because I've wasted June. However, since I got accepted for contracts to teach in China, I consider the month a success, more or less. By the way, some of the contracts they've shown me are pretty amazing! I'm really leaning towards this position in Dongying...
Okay, gotta get to work!
By the way, thanks to all you guys who commented about my last post. I feel just fine now...but yesterday I made a point to drink all I could! I've only had that feeling once before, when I'd been outside playing for about three hours without a break. But I've never fainted, and I don't intend for it to happen!
EDIT 1:30: SO SICK of typing in the exact same information eight times in a row. It's all on the frickin' resume...why can't I just copy and paste my resume!!! I gotta get away from this for a bit. Goin' out.
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| Subject: | Wow... |
| Time: | 7:49 pm. |
| Mood: |  scared. | | Music: | Nothing Wrong ~ Stephanie Smith. |
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So, as all who know me know, there's a great bra sale going on at Lane Bryant, where I work. So I toddled over there this afternoon to avail myself of this truly glorious sale before it ends on the 5th. Anyway, after I find my four fabulous bras, I proceed to the checkout. Now, the registers have been really slow recently, and as I'm waiting in line, I start to sweat a little bit from the bright lights. This usually happens, but I notice that the sweat is cold, and that I feel pretty cold myself. Considering that it's eighty degrees outside, it's unlikely to be what's outside that's making me cold.
Then I start getting a little bit dizzy. Not so bad that I can't stand up, but I need to put a hand on the counter for a some stability.
At this point, I'm wondering if I'm just really hungry. I'd intended to go bra shopping, hit up Subway for dinner, and then visit a couple other stores before calling it a night. I hadn't eaten since 11, so it would make sense that I'd be peckish, but the weird thing is that my stomach wasn't growling.
So now I'm a little scared. I'm getting dizzier by the second, and the register still won't put my order through. Then I feel all the blood draining from my face. It's so bad that I can feel my lips tingling from the blood loss and I start shivering even more. I go to the back (thank God I work there or I don't know what I'd've done!) and sit down.
And suddenly it all makes sense. I'm seriously dehydrated. Most days I drink four or five full bottles of water (I have a plastic water bottle that goes everywhere) but today, all I'd had to drink was coffee. Add to that the fact that before I went shopping I'd spent an hour in the pool, out in the hot sun. No wonder!
So I drink as much as I can hold from the water fountain, and the dizziness stops. Unfortunately, by this point, all the employees are like "You really look so pale...can we get you anything, etc. etc." and I have to explain what the problem is.
The moral of the story is: dehydration sucks...drink more water!
I really wanted to get to the gym tonight, but honestly, I don't think it's a good idea. Still a little woozy. And I never got to visit the other stores I'd wanted to.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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I feel so gross. Between getting a cold, having a really bad time of the month, and various other troubles (such as my computer refusing to handle Trillian, for whatever reason...) I feel not so great today.
But I am not going to let this get me down. I have things to do today, and research to be done. Hungry though. Maybe breakfast comes first.
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It's halfway through June and I don't have any promising job prospects, nor do I really know what I want to do in my career-to-be. All I know is that I would really love to move to Hawaii. And in order to do that, I need to have a job there, a job that pays enough for me to live there. Of course, no matter how qualified I am to get a job in a hotel or travel agency in Hawaii (between Japanese, Chinese and extensive customer service experience), there is still the insupperable difficulty of a potential employer's unwillingness to even schedule an interview with a girl from Albany, NY.
And why do I even want to live in Hawaii, anyway? I don't know...it's a whim. I want to break away, definitely have some time on the West coast, and sort of make a change from all the familiar scenes of my life. I know I don't want to stay here anymore. And Hawaii has excellent graduate programs, and it's closer to Asia.
So now, I'm thinking...what if I just move to Hawaii at the end of the summer? It's much more likely that I'll get an interview if I'm living in the state...I could find a cheap apartment in need of a roommate, and start looking, first for a subsistence job, and then for a career.
Of course, the move would be frighteningly expensive. I wouldn't be able to take more than the two bags allowed for a flight, I'd have no car, I wouldn't know anyone...
It's a horrifying and thrilling prospect.
At this point, this is all idle speculation. I'm sending out new job inquiries every day, and ten to one but I get at least a decent job offer by the end of the summer. However, if I don't, maybe I'll set out on one hell of an adventure!
Hmm.
It doesn't help that I've grown much fonder of Chinese than Japanese over the years. That just means that I need to hit the Japanese books much harder in these coming months. And this winter I'll definitely be taking the JLPT.
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Thursday, June 11th, 2009
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For some reason my eyes popped open this morning at 5:30, and despite my best efforts, I could not get back to sleep. Eh, whatever. I got to bed around 12 last night so I'm not really hurting for sleep (if I were, I'd be pissed!), but I'm gonna try dozing or reading for a while after posting this.
The summer continues to be...slow. LB is giving me practically no hours, I haven't heard back from Steve at the cafeteria (and if he doesn't call me I'm sure as hell gonna start hassling him!) and my days are basically a repetition of job search, vocabulary study, reading, trips to the gym, and trying new recipes.
As an aside, http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/recipes/dinner/shrimp-in-tomato-sauce-over-pasta.aspx and http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/recipes/dinner/snapper-with-sauteed-tomato-pepper-sauce.aspx are freaking delicious. Of course, I have a serious love affair with tomatos, so these may not work for you! For the shrimp dish, I had a smaller amount of tomatos than they recommended, so I tossed some frozen spinach into the skillet (love spinach) and it worked out really well.
Despite the lack of ready income, this may not actually be a bad thing. I'm filling in a lot of the gaps in my vocabulary for both Chinese and Japanese, and my mom just ordered grammar guides in both languages as a graduation present (they should be here any day...is it wrong that I'm absurdly excited?) If I could just get one reliable job of around 30 or so hours a week, I would be perfectly happy with that much spare time to continue studying and searching. It's finding that job that's a pain in my butt. Who knows...maybe after I show how good I am at LB, they'll give me more hours. I hope so, because I was really excited about doing the job. I'm 'on call' again tonight, but who knows if I'll actually go in?
Still, there are good things happening. I applied for two jobs at the Honolulu Hilton (one of them asked for trilingual people, but waited until the end to say they wanted English, Japanese and Korean proficiency...bastards), contacted two insurance companies who called me, have an interview at 1 with one of them, and need to set up a phone interview with a company for teaching ESL in China.
Eh, I dunno. I'm just going to keep on as I have been, and even if I end up not getting the best jobs or the greatest hours, I'll still take away a greater knowledge of both my languages of choice. I've been considering reviving my long-buried French as well, since I've been putting proficiency in French on my applications, but two languages at a time, I believe, is my limit. Besides, whenever I watch a movie, I put on the French subtitles so I can read along, and that always seems to work well. There was a time when I was watching all my movies with the French soundtrack, too...I believe I can still sing the majority of The Phantom of the Opera in French!
Well, anyway, I guess I'm thoroughly awake now. Time to shower and tackle those dirty dishes!
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Because I've been quite lazy these last few days, I feel I need a checklist to get through what I've been letting slide recently!
1) Wash dishes
2) Clean out email inboxes 71 unread messages in my gmail inbox!!
3) Email mother graduation photos
4) Clean room
5) Do laundry
6) Do Chinese and Japanese vocabulary
7) Finish Maupassant
8) Get mom's birthday card (and present)
9) Continue with job search
...Yeah, that's about the size of it. Bleh. I severely overslept yesterday and was determined not to do the same today, but today I also have work...maybe. There's this system of 'on call' at Lane Bryant where you call in two hours before your scheduled shift and ask if they need you. Depending on the answer you come in or you don't. I have no idea how often people on call are told to come in (I asked but there's no definite answer) but I'm scheduled for only on call hours all week. My shift is 6-10, so I have plenty of time to do what I need to.
{EDIT 2:14 PM} Pretty good start. I have to outline a lesson of Japanese vocab in order to finish #6, and when I switch my laundry from the washer to the dryer I'll have lunch. For her birthday, I got mom a copy of our favorite version of Rebecca on DVD. I have to get my dad a Father's day present too, but I have a pretty good idea of what I want to send him. Okay, back to work!
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Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.
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Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
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| Subject: | Ouch! |
| Time: | 7:00 pm. |
| Mood: |  sore. | | Music: | The Real Thing ~ Gwen Stefani. |
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Phew! An hour in the gym (30 minutes on the elliptical, another 30 on the bike) and I'm pretty sore. Still, good progress from my high spot of yesterday, which was 30 minutes of elliptical, 15 minutes walking, and 15 minutes jogging. Tomorrow I'll work on my stomach (I always shy away from that because pilates makes much stomach so sore) and arms, and give my tired legs a break.
These last few days have been quiet, but productive. I've outlined two lessons of Chinese vocabulary, researched four graduate schools (so far Indiana University, University of Hawaii, and Columbia look the best--UC Berkeley only enrolls for the Ph.D program!), fixed up my Monster profile, and responded to one job offer. Moreover, I've more or less secured a job at Chartwells (ugh) to work during the summer besides working evenings at Lane Bryant.
Not to mention I've enjoyed the unlimited time for reading. Umm, reading!
Plans for tonight include: a shower (I'm stinky, post-gym), making dinner (chicken with sauteed pepper and tomato sauce over jasmine rice), continuing with my application to the Honolulu Hilton, finishing my book (short stories by Stephen Crane), and watching the rest of Pride and Prejudice.
Oh, I'm hungry.
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| Subject: | Ho crap! |
| Time: | 6:15 pm. |
| Mood: |  crazy. | | Music: | The Prayer Cycle ~ Movement II-Strength. |
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Today has been interesting. And full. And I can't believe it's already 6 PM!!
Woke up, helped Dan move the rest of his stuff into his place, then went home where I thought Holly and Victor were still asleep. Then heard from Elly that they had gone to the mall. Went to the mall myself to finish getting ready for new job. Purchased extremely cute skirt, few tops, some jewelry (including first pair of post-piercing earrings!). Met Elly at Sears, where Elly bought beautiful new bedding set and I bought an awesome white denim jacket. Went to Elly's, where loaded into car the tiny Japanese washing machine and carpet cleaner. Made plans for taco and Risk party tonight. Ate banana-nut with brown sugar frosted cupcaks. Came home. Unloaded tiny Japanese washing machine and carpet cleaner. Sat down, wrote LJ post about day.
So yeah. Interesting, and full day.
Cannot get used to the sensation of dangly earrings. I've never been so aware of my earlobes before. At least with my short hair the earrings are noticeable.
So...taco and Risk party tonight. I approve.
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Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.
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So I got back from the parents' house yesterday. It was kinda weird, this trip. Very emotional, which for my parents is a bit strange. Especially my dad, who was like a stone statue on graduation weekend (which really pissed me off, to be honest) and is all suddenly like, "I am sorry you don't like it in Virginia, because we do miss you terribly when you're gone..." and almost is trying to lay on the guilt. And mom had a whole "my baby's leaving the nest!" speech, when last fall when I was talking about maybe needing to move back home she said, "no, you won't. When I left home I never came back," which rather hurt me at the time.
This post is sounding rather cynical. Ugh. I would totally go home more often if home weren't eight hours away. And I constantly invite family up here, but no one can take the time off when I have vacation. Even after graduation, mom used her time off to visit her mom instead of spending at least one more day in Albany.
I don't know. I don't know what they want me to think or feel. I guess it was just an emotionally-charged weekend.
Anyway, now that I'm back, I'm very much enjoying having my own room and bed! Sleeping on a sofa for a week was a little annoying. But (despite my awesome lounging session this morning) there is no rest for the weary (or emotionally drained). Brendan's moving out, I'm changing rooms, and my new job is starting soon. So here's the plan for today!
1) Take down wall decorations
2) Unpack bookcase
3) Transfer bookcase, nightstand, bed, and desk (dresser will have to wait, it's too heavy) to Brendan's room
4) Move Brendan's desk, bookcase, and bed to my room
5) Sort kitchen supplies, pack away Brendan's
6) Call Lane Bryant and find out schedule
7) Watch the last disc of Escaflowne
8) Read some more
9) Find someone who might be interested in seeing Terminator: Salvation and go see
Hmm. It'll be interesting to have a new room to work with.
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Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.
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...To have two cups of coffee following a six hour nap!
So graduation weekend is over. A new era begins...and I can't wait. Thank you Holly, for giving me that journal for my birthday (which I finally had the chance to break into tonight!) because it wasn't until I started writing my thoughts and feelings that I truly realized how much I'd missed doing it. I haven't even tried to journal over the last three years because I've just been so busy. Once you set everything down on paper it gives you the chance to examine what you think and feel much more carefully, and you find out (in many cases) what you really think.
But enough rhapsodizing. I'm still wide awake!
So, summer vacation begins tomorrow, huzzah! But I've already got lots of goals outlined for this summer (to maximize the time I'll have with access to a university library), and I have some loose ends to take care of before I can move forward. So, tomorrow will be a half fun, half work day.
Work:
1) Fill out all job applications (including online) and hand in
2) Clear out closet and pack away most winter clothes
3) Take unwanted clothes to Goodwill
4) Purchase and write thank-you cards
5) General house clean-up
Fun:
1) Deposit graduation checks
2) Write emails to friends and family
3) Post graduation (and all other) pictures
4) Go grocery shopping (yes, this does belong in the 'fun' category!)
5) Go see Star Trek (after all the bashing this weekend I have to reaffirm my faith in it as a good movie!)
Brendan's heading home with his mom tomorrow, so I'll be able to get the house all nice and neat before he gets back. Aw, I feel all Suzie Homemaker! And tomorrow I'm going to do something that I usually do every month but haven't had a chance to do all year...I'm going to start rewatching my favorite, six-hour version of Pride and Prejudice!
And now...off to try and get some sleep!
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Comments: Read 2 or Add Your Own.
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Man, I can't believe there's only one more day of class to go! How strange...
But things continue to go well. I have a few more things to polish off before the end of the year:
1) Edit and resend Japanese literature paper
2) Begin work on Chinese history take-home final
3) Chinese history readings
4) Long Ridge assignment #4
5) Print out Japanese vocabulary sheets and start filling in/studying for final
And...greatest news of all (which I actually got a few days ago)...
Dear Christine,
The department voted yesterday to accept your thesis. Congratulations on
being done.
Take care,
Charles Hartman
Ah, it's nice to know he harbors such warm feelings for me. Still, I did it. I beat him...I WON!!
So I'm in a faaaaaaaaaabulous mood. Plus my Mom called a few days ago and is so excited about graduation plans (she wants to go to all the school-organized activities, like the picnic (where she can meet my coworkers), Torch Night, etc.) and her enthusiasm just brings my spirits way up. It's hard to go to all the school things if you feel as though your group is bored with them.
Ah. My back is killing me, though...working the grill makes you stoop over, and four hours of that would make anyone hurt. I'm going to finish Neo-Confucianism in History and then get to work!
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Ugh, it's been a long day. But the general trend of events is on an upward swing, which is always good news, right? I'm just super tired right now...work was hell, the students all seemed to be jerks today. I actually called a couple of them dicks (behind their backs, though). I hate going there, cause I always start out all nice and happy saying "Hi, good morning, what can I get you?" and then I devolve into an angry lunch lady, one step removed from a filthy white uniform and a hair net.
Ahem. Hopefully that'll change this summer. I had to hand in a bunch of applications today, and I really hope to get some callbacks too.
While I was at the mall, I found the cutest, cheapest, (and most comfortable) pair of red heels! I think I'll wear them underneath my regalia on graduation day, since you can't see anything under the gown besides your calves and feet, basically.
Tonight I also have to go grocery shopping. I'm completely out of anything that might once have been classified as edible...basically I'm down to rice and meat. God, I'm tired. Also tomorrow I'm helping Elly out by babysitting Zach, so probably no sleeping in. I think a nap tonight may be in order.
All right. Gonna watch one more episode of Scrubs and then get going.
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Stolen off of nodoff : Rattle off the first 15 books you can think of that will always stick with you.
1) Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
2) The Princess Bride (William Goldman)
3) Avalon: The Return of King Arthur (Stephen R. Lawhead)
4) Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
5) Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)
6) The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi)
7) We the Living (Ayn Rand)
8) The Chronicles of Narnia (C. S. Lewis)
9) The Dark is Rising Sequence (Susan Cooper)
10) Wrinkle in Time Series (Madelene L'Engle)
11) Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
12) Abarat Series (Clive Barker)
13) The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
14) Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare)
15) The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkein)
I tag: (uplift17 ,sassypants678 , astarel7 , and evendia )
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As the days count down to the end of the school year and graduation *gulp* rears its head (I won't call it ugly, per se), I realize that I have some rather important things to set up.
First, my coverage under my dad's health and dental care run out the very month I graduate. Way to be cheapskates, dudes. Which means that I need to schedule all sorts of appointments like now.
Bleh.
Second, I've got to get a job that isn't food service. I mean, I really have to. I don't mind working retail, since I'm already familiar with the annoyances involved therein, but I've got to get my ass out of food service. Gotta have some way of paying the rent this summer that isn't Chartwells. Well, I don't mind if it's Chartwells and something else (cause I can use all the cash I can get), but I need a new job. Therefore, this Wednesday after work is going to be a massive job search day. I'll go to both malls, pick up applications, print a pile of resumes, complete the applications, and get that rolling. Maybe swing round some other places too.
Third, I've got to get the ball rolling on post-graduation career options. Which means setting up all sorts of online resume service thingies, plus finally getting started investigating potential companies/career options. Ugh. Can't I just get a fun job that gives me plenty of time to read on the side?
I just found out too that I won't be able to use the university's library over the summer, cause I'll have graduated. I was looking forward to doing a whole bunch of research using the library. Our library might not have much in the way of East Asian Studies, but it'll be better than Guilderland Public, anyway. Grumble, grumble. And I won't be able to use the library for printing, either...grumblegrumblegrumble.
Maybe it's the heat that's making me feel all gross. It's such an Albany spring, too! Frigid cold, frigid cold, frigid cold, EIGHTY-FIVE FRICKIN' DEGREES. Ah well.
Christine, quit your whining!
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Today is full of good things.
I finished getting the final touches for my graduation outfit. Since the EAS department has a semi-formal graduation ceremony without cap and gown required, and since that's the day that my whole family (four of them have to leave that night) are going to be there to see me, I made it my mission to find the PERFECT graduation dress. And on Friday, I did. I will disclose no details at this time, save to say that it makes me look farkin' gorgeous. Today, I found the perfect shoes to go with the perfect dress. It's amazing how good clothes can make you feel so amazing about yourself.
What's even better is that the dress works perfectly with the necklace my mother bought me to wear with my prom dress from senior year of high school.
So, there's that.
To those who don't spend time with me in real life, I got my ears pierced on Saturday. Unfortunately, my ears won't be ready to wear different types of earrings besides the starter studs by graduation time (which is sad, cause I do love them danglies), but my ears are healing perfectly...no signs of swelling, infection, puss, gangrene, etc...and, to make things even better, I can sleep on my side with no problems! By the time Amina's wedding rolls around (which is the reason I got my ears impaled to begin with), my ears will be fine. And by the end of September, I'll be able to wear whatever kind of earrings I want!
So that's cool.
Also today (my squeamish male readers may want to look away at this point) I got my period. Which is a GOOD thing, because it means that I will most certainly NOT be bleeding during graduation ceremonies.
...And that's always a good thing.
To top it all off, I've started writing again. All of a sudden, I saw the ending to one of my stories, and just picked it up (affter more than a year) and started writing again. Since this is one of the many pieces of fanfiction (hey, I'm still proud of them!) I've left unfinished, I'm sure as hell gonna do my best to keep going with this trend. After all, more people reading my work, real or imagined, is more people...and every little bit counts if I want to build an internet reputation in order to help me publish original fiction one day.
Getting reviews on a regular basis is so good for your ego, after all.
The downside to all these good things: a MASSIVE attack of senioritis. Tonight, I must:
1) Finish prepping Japanese
2) Write Chinese speech contest entry
And NOT:
1) Try on my graduation dress again
2) Get distracted by my story's hit counter
3) Bask in the light of good reviews
4) Watch more Lois and Clark UNLESS also accompanied by Japanese work
5) Keep reading Eyes of the Dragon or A Distant Mirror
This sounds possible in theory, but...maybe I'll get through another chapter before cooking dinner (spinach strata's on the menu for tonight, yo!) and then get down to hard, serious, college-y work.
God, I'm so bubbly. Must get some hot air taken out.
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Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.
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Saturday, April 18th, 2009
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So this is the first relaxing Saturday I've had in a good long while. I still have a few things to do, of course.
1) Japanese prep
2) Chinese prep
3) Japanese lit readings
4) Edit and resend Japanese lit paper
5) Finish editing thesis and resend
6) Pay bills
Sigh. I read and watched Sailor Stars all morning. Wonderful!
I'm a-going to the gym w/Brendan in a few.
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
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All right, so I just gotta brag a little bit.
In two and a half hours, after approximately fifteen pages of research reading, I wrote a TEN PAGE history paper that I'm actually really proud of.
Big blocks of quoted text, yo. Big, big blocks.
Just gotta do readings for Japanese lit (both English + Japanese) and study for my Chinese exam.
Oh, God. My paper was on the influence of the civil service exam in Song China, so if I think of or type the word 'examination', 'candidate', or 'intellectual' again, I'm gonna go bonkers! I just hope Deblasi doesn't get bothered by it! But really, what else could I call them?
Almost done...mou chotto, ne!
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busy.
groggy.
contemplative.
blank.
confused.
hopeful.
energetic.
determined.
cranky.
Completely accidental. I was intending to take either French or Arabic. The French class I wanted to take was full, and Arabic wasn't on the list, so I was scrolling down the course packet, and "Elementary Chinese 101" caught my eye. The first class, I was hooked. And it wasn't until I studied in China that I looked back (and wondered why I was in Beijing instead of Paris). Now though, I'm happy I know it. In all likelihood, it'll be more useful than Japanese.
2. Who would you do first: Jeremy Irons or Gerard Butler?
Elly, I'm disappointed. Gerard Butler without the slightest hesistation! For you it might be more of a conundrum, but honestly...how can it be?
3. Do you trust Severus Snape? xD
Unlike SOME people I could mention *cough
4. How many kids do you want to have?
I'm thinking 3 or 4. Of course, that depends on having the right husband and probably the temperment of my first child.
5. What is your absolute dream job? Like, if money didn't matter and anything was possible. TELL ME EVERYTHING.!
NOVELIST. Oh, man, I'd travel all over the world and have the time to write the greatest books...they're all in my head somewhere, but I just need the time and all the money I needed to not worry about money anymore.
6. BONUS ROUND. A glove compartment has neither gloves or compartments in it. Talk amongst yourselves.