So I drop-kicked that cold faster than you can say vitamin C. I think it was the combination of working 30+ hours last week with the sudden drop in temperature (which for here amounts to a lot of frost). All it turned out to be was three days of stuffiness and the mild headache. I'd like to think I willed the thing away, since I need every once of strength to get through the next four weeks of work, but I'm sure it just took its course.
This week has been pretty low-key thus far. I've put my head to the ground and worked through a whole bunch of little issues that didn't get the attention they deserved last week. These challenges, like the cold, are my opponents in the coming weeks. I'm hopping to go toe-to-toe with each of them and rack up some KO's.
1. Revision Shmision. Well, it's official. I've received my feedback from my two supervisors and now have a clear path towards finishing the dissertation. As was the same with Milija's feedback, Kati was really complimentary and excited about the work I have completed thus far. She suggested some really key points to consider that will inevitably make the paper stronger. At this point the notes aren't too difficult to integrate, but it just feels a bit tedious to be wading through all of these arguments and trying to find new interventions. I think I've 'added' all of the expansion that both supers have asked for - or least I am hoping. The beast now clocks in, are you ready for this, at 150 pages with bibliography. I mean, staggering. I stare into this monstrosity and wonder where and how it came to be. It feels especially nice to have a table of contents for something I'v written.
2. Load up the truck, we're moving out. I've moved a few times in my life, with large scale furniture and what-not, but this one in theory should be pretty simple. If I trim the baggage I intend to I should only have two pieces of luggage to take with me out of Nova Lodge. That being said, the hassles are starting to mount. The housing company would like us to have the carpets cleaned as required in the lease. I had originally planned to aid the girls in doing a bang up job of the carpets and telling the company we had them done, but they want the receipts attached to the move out papers. Burn. My next idea was to give the carpet company 20 pounds to make us a fake receipt, but I've thought better of it (I think what goes a wee bit too far in terms of deception). But I mean, we've only been here for four months. The carpets look fine. I think the compromise will be that they'll do the living room and hallway but not the bedrooms. We also have to cancel the cable and pay the bills into the future, as well as pray and hope our secure deposit is returning in one lump sum. It's just a lot of crappy details to sort out. It's not going to be as easy as wheeling my two suitcases off into the sunset.
3. British Bureaucracy. I applied for a National Insurance Number four weeks ago. Sounds important? Yes. It's the number that allows me to get paid as a working employee in the UK. River Island isn't able to process my pay cheques until they have this number. And get this - they only pay their employees ONCE A MONTH in a big lump sum. What is this organized crime? No, in fact, I bet organized crime does it a little better (a little here, a little there). Cement shoes can be expensive. I called the office three times yesterday and after three reconnections, I was foisted upon Sandy who was delightful. She assured me that my NIN number (Trent Resnor fan club?) is in the mail. Success. I am looking forward to my monthly payment immensely.
4. Social, what social? Is there something social going on? I've felt like a hermit the past few days. A 30 hour work week plus all these extra details have kept me focused. But thankfully there are a few wonderful things to look forward to. Courtney has invited me over tonight for dinner - roast chicken and pumpkin pie. How on Earth could I say no to that? And on Friday we're going to have a final program dinner in Birmingham. It promises to be a little bittersweet, but I'm looking forward to sharing a last meal with the larger group. And finally, on Sunday I have a day of merriment scheduled with Mr. Jonathan Heppner in Europe. He tells me the Convertable Jono to GBP was just too great to pass up so he's over in Europe for a few weeks. Because of the busy work schedule I won't be able to spend an extended visit with him, but I'm looking forward to bopping around London for the day and taking in the sights.
5. There is life after Europe? Add to all these details my affinity for forward thinking (I curse it sometimes), and I'm running on all cylinders. I've got my fingers in a number of Canada based projects - finding an apartment and the early job search. Admittedly it's the last thing on my list most times, but I've done some leg work on getting settled once moving back. I don't want to divulge too many details just yet (in case I jinx anything) but applications for apartments are hard to complete from over here. I also am not optimistic about landing a job from here for February, but will work on and try to send off my resume in the coming weeks. "Sorry, can't come in for that interview, having my carpets cleaned in the UK"
Doc's Prescription of the Day: From one Doc to another, I must join the Jays fans back home in Canada (those that are left) and lament the loss of the best starting pitcher in baseball. I remember watching Halladay's second every start as a Blue Jay against, I think, the Detroit Tigers when he took a DEEP into the ninth. Early signs that he would blossom into the stoic franchise leader that everyone admired so much.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Under the Weather.doc
I've been feeling a bit sickly this weekend. For anyone who knows me well you'll know how seldom this tends to happen. I feel sick (cold/flu like symptoms) about once every year and a half. I'm blessed with a really strong immune system so it seems. But Saturday I woke up with an incredibly stuffy nose and a headache I just couldn't shake. Thankfully, I had decided to devote the weekend to dissertation revision so I wasn't planning on leaving the flat for much anyways. Item number 28 on the list of 100 things I am looking forward to back in Canada: indulging in some Timmy Ho's treats (double chocolate chip cookies) when feeling under the weather.
It got me thinking though. Where the heck does the phrase "under the weather" come from? I did a bit of research (one of my marketable resume skills) and I found that it's a term originating from the British Navy. When a sailor was ill, he was kept below decks, and thus, under weather. The last time I posted a grammatical tidbit I received a correction from Doc Walker, so let us see if this one goes unscathed. It makes sense to me. Whenever I feel sick I just want to crawl under the covers (away from everything including the weather) so the phrase seems to fit. This evening I marched out of the house to head to the gym. I hear a 30 minute sauna does wonders for a cold. But low and behold, the one time in the four months I've been going they closed early for some sort of repair. It just wasn't my weekend.
In any event, I didn't let the sick feelings get me down. I managed to add 2000 words more to the dissertation in response to supervisor feedback. At this point it's really difficult to dig up passages written two months ago, but I'm trying to just power through and overwrite it before going back with a machete to chop and clip it into shape. I have to work out submission dates later on this evening, but I'm hoping to part with this thing in two weeks. I'll be happy to say bon voyage to my little project.
Thursday evening we had a bit of a surprise party for Courtney's birthday. We had all planned to pretend it was just a regular get together like our usual MAIPR jams (since it was the night before her birthday). Around 10pm we surprised her with a cake made by our resident expert Bec, and some merriment. There have been an abundance of birthdays in the first term here in Leamington, so it was nice to share in yet another. Courtney has been a great friend in the program this past year, and like Bec, Tory, and Zoey, it will be a sad goodbye in the coming weeks. Thankfully we all have a unique holiday celebration to look forward to later in the month. It may not be the homey Thorold Christmas I'm use to, but I'm sure it will carry its own memorable moments.
I've made a to-do list that puts the last five weeks of Europe in perspective. It's a lengthy list, but I'm really looking forward to the one week of travel at the end of my hard work as a reward for the busy schedule. I cannot believe how fast everything is coming. I'm commissioning just about everyone I know to help me decide just how I should be spending this last week. These are my two options:
A) Head to Amsterdam for three nights to see some friends one final time and then go somewhere like Austra, Switzerland, or Hungary.
B) Head to Tunisia in Northern Africa for a week (where the temperatures are 18C) and chill on a beach at an all inclusive.
Both would cost about the same amount of money, and because everyone is heading their own way I'd likely be traveling on my own. Thoughts?
Doc's Prescription of the Day: I'm not a happy sicky - it impedes progress too much. It's a reminder that we take tip-top health for granted.
It got me thinking though. Where the heck does the phrase "under the weather" come from? I did a bit of research (one of my marketable resume skills) and I found that it's a term originating from the British Navy. When a sailor was ill, he was kept below decks, and thus, under weather. The last time I posted a grammatical tidbit I received a correction from Doc Walker, so let us see if this one goes unscathed. It makes sense to me. Whenever I feel sick I just want to crawl under the covers (away from everything including the weather) so the phrase seems to fit. This evening I marched out of the house to head to the gym. I hear a 30 minute sauna does wonders for a cold. But low and behold, the one time in the four months I've been going they closed early for some sort of repair. It just wasn't my weekend.
In any event, I didn't let the sick feelings get me down. I managed to add 2000 words more to the dissertation in response to supervisor feedback. At this point it's really difficult to dig up passages written two months ago, but I'm trying to just power through and overwrite it before going back with a machete to chop and clip it into shape. I have to work out submission dates later on this evening, but I'm hoping to part with this thing in two weeks. I'll be happy to say bon voyage to my little project.
Thursday evening we had a bit of a surprise party for Courtney's birthday. We had all planned to pretend it was just a regular get together like our usual MAIPR jams (since it was the night before her birthday). Around 10pm we surprised her with a cake made by our resident expert Bec, and some merriment. There have been an abundance of birthdays in the first term here in Leamington, so it was nice to share in yet another. Courtney has been a great friend in the program this past year, and like Bec, Tory, and Zoey, it will be a sad goodbye in the coming weeks. Thankfully we all have a unique holiday celebration to look forward to later in the month. It may not be the homey Thorold Christmas I'm use to, but I'm sure it will carry its own memorable moments.
I've made a to-do list that puts the last five weeks of Europe in perspective. It's a lengthy list, but I'm really looking forward to the one week of travel at the end of my hard work as a reward for the busy schedule. I cannot believe how fast everything is coming. I'm commissioning just about everyone I know to help me decide just how I should be spending this last week. These are my two options:
A) Head to Amsterdam for three nights to see some friends one final time and then go somewhere like Austra, Switzerland, or Hungary.
B) Head to Tunisia in Northern Africa for a week (where the temperatures are 18C) and chill on a beach at an all inclusive.
Both would cost about the same amount of money, and because everyone is heading their own way I'd likely be traveling on my own. Thoughts?
Doc's Prescription of the Day: I'm not a happy sicky - it impedes progress too much. It's a reminder that we take tip-top health for granted.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Working 9 to 5.doc
My good friend Erin Schachter is fond of singing the Dolly Parton tune at karaoke (among a host of other classics). It's good that Erin has so much vocal training to be able to pull it off. Item number 27 on the list of 100 things I am looking forward to back in Canada: karaoke with friends.
I really am working 9 -5 for the most part with 30 hours this week devoted to River Island. Oddly enough, the longest days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday seem to fly by quickly while I'm always waiting for my short shifts on Tuesday and Thursday to be over. Yesterday was the FIRST day in the two and a half weeks I've been there where I felt like every job and every task was doable. I think yesterday marked the point where I turned the corner and now know how to complete just about every requirement quickly and efficiently. Admittedly, when I'm the product guy on these long days I don't have to interact with customers much and all and all am the store gopher. It means that I can work independently, and I that I traverse the store's three flights of stairs at least forty times a day. It's not too bad at all.
Sunday was the official submission date for the first draft of everyone's dissertation. After heading off the train in Leamington I joined the group at one of my favourite pubs in Leamington, Benjamin Satchwells. It was great to see everyone (for the most part) jovial and less stressed. It has been a bit of a trying time for most of us in tackling these beasts so it was good to relax and revel in the reality that they will be sign, sealed, and delivered in less than four weeks. We shared a few pints (where else in the world can you get a cold pint of Guinness for 2 pounds 30) and indulged in the Sunday roast. That evening a few of the program mates hit the town hard to celebrate, but I stayed in to gear up for my first 9 - 5.
This next phase of things until the holidays is pretty standard: work weekdays at the store and spending the weekends in full revision mode. Right now I've booked Saturday and Sunday for delving into the document and expanding, cutting, and editing the work I currently have. Thankfully, the demands of me in regards to the dissertation are not insurmountable. There are a lot of small points that need attention, but nothing that keeps me up at night. It means that the next three weeks I will always have something to be doing (and will be working 50 hours a week) but it means that December is flying by.
This doesn't mean to say there isn't time to relax! Courtney and I went to the movies last night to take advantage of the 2-4-1 deal of which we're so fond. We saw 2012. It was a treat to watch things blow up on the big screen. You can't really be bothered by the implausibility of it all with disaster films, but there were a few plot moments that made me roll my eyes. All in all though, I'm a huge "end-of-the-world" film fan. Courtney made a delicious peanut stir fry before the film that reminded me of great food in Amsterdam. After returning home from the film, Tory and I shared a glass of wine and caught up (I feel like I haven't been home much this week). We looked through old MAIPR photos from Warwick and summer school and I couldn't help much feel a first pang of nostalgia for the crazy, zany program and its students which I will be saying goodbye to in four weeks. The reality is starting to set in, and it's going to hard to say goodbye to the sixteen months of brilliant uncertainty that has been my European adventure.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Congrats to my fellow blogger Miss Emily Hyland Hincks on the 136 chapters of her captivating adventures in France and beyond.
I really am working 9 -5 for the most part with 30 hours this week devoted to River Island. Oddly enough, the longest days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday seem to fly by quickly while I'm always waiting for my short shifts on Tuesday and Thursday to be over. Yesterday was the FIRST day in the two and a half weeks I've been there where I felt like every job and every task was doable. I think yesterday marked the point where I turned the corner and now know how to complete just about every requirement quickly and efficiently. Admittedly, when I'm the product guy on these long days I don't have to interact with customers much and all and all am the store gopher. It means that I can work independently, and I that I traverse the store's three flights of stairs at least forty times a day. It's not too bad at all.
Sunday was the official submission date for the first draft of everyone's dissertation. After heading off the train in Leamington I joined the group at one of my favourite pubs in Leamington, Benjamin Satchwells. It was great to see everyone (for the most part) jovial and less stressed. It has been a bit of a trying time for most of us in tackling these beasts so it was good to relax and revel in the reality that they will be sign, sealed, and delivered in less than four weeks. We shared a few pints (where else in the world can you get a cold pint of Guinness for 2 pounds 30) and indulged in the Sunday roast. That evening a few of the program mates hit the town hard to celebrate, but I stayed in to gear up for my first 9 - 5.
This next phase of things until the holidays is pretty standard: work weekdays at the store and spending the weekends in full revision mode. Right now I've booked Saturday and Sunday for delving into the document and expanding, cutting, and editing the work I currently have. Thankfully, the demands of me in regards to the dissertation are not insurmountable. There are a lot of small points that need attention, but nothing that keeps me up at night. It means that the next three weeks I will always have something to be doing (and will be working 50 hours a week) but it means that December is flying by.
This doesn't mean to say there isn't time to relax! Courtney and I went to the movies last night to take advantage of the 2-4-1 deal of which we're so fond. We saw 2012. It was a treat to watch things blow up on the big screen. You can't really be bothered by the implausibility of it all with disaster films, but there were a few plot moments that made me roll my eyes. All in all though, I'm a huge "end-of-the-world" film fan. Courtney made a delicious peanut stir fry before the film that reminded me of great food in Amsterdam. After returning home from the film, Tory and I shared a glass of wine and caught up (I feel like I haven't been home much this week). We looked through old MAIPR photos from Warwick and summer school and I couldn't help much feel a first pang of nostalgia for the crazy, zany program and its students which I will be saying goodbye to in four weeks. The reality is starting to set in, and it's going to hard to say goodbye to the sixteen months of brilliant uncertainty that has been my European adventure.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Congrats to my fellow blogger Miss Emily Hyland Hincks on the 136 chapters of her captivating adventures in France and beyond.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Heaven in London.doc
An attempt to sum up the weekend will only given 5% of an indication of the amount of fun I had. There are just some events that cannot be done adequate justice through an insufficient collection of nouns and verbs. Yet, we soldier on in the face of challenge. I spent the weekend with two of my favourite girls, Emma Jane Hunter and Talia Radcliffe.
Emma's visit has been the light at the end of my November tunnel for a solid month now. Even though I was lucky enough to see her twice in Toronto during the visit in June (like all of my other besties back in the city) I haven't had one on one time with her in thirteen months. For friends who have spent the past six years close at hand, this is much too much time apart. The excitement was unbearable. I was smiling uncontrollably on the train and tube ride into the city. When we finally were reunited in the lobby of the Hunters' Trafalgar Square hotel room, it was pure bliss. I was glad to see that, as I expected, my best friend hasn't changed much. We can go a year without talking, but all it takes is a snap of the finger to fall back into our old patterns.
We sipped on a drink in the lobby bar and visited with her wonderful parents. The Hunters were incredibly generous in asking me to join them for the night. Mrs. Hunter was really keen to hear more about my dissertation topic, and Mr. Hunter's subtle comic genius always makes me laugh. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the National Portrait Gallery. I learned that Emma now likes to drink dirty martinis (a Megan Deeks favourite as well). The restaurant overlooks a lot of wonderful city landmarks. It is the type of place characters in a film would eat in as the backdrop screams Londontown. The dinner was delicious and visiting with the Hunters was a special treat - they are such a generous family. From there we went to a production of Othello just down the street featuring British comedian Lenny Henry. The show has received much critical acclaim and is running for only three months in the city. It was a really impress show. Henry's commanding voice (with one of the deepest registers I've ever heard) exuded authority. The guy playing Iago was deliciously good. Emma, myself, and her parents discussed the merits and drawbacks during the intermission and again at the play's conclusion. It was a wonderful dinner and show combination in one of the best city's in the world for that type of one-two punch.
After Emma's parents retired to the hotel, it was wonderful to catch up with my best friend. We sat for just over an hour in a pub and dished about everything and anything going on in our lives. I was so happy to hear about the latest happenings from Toronto, and it was great to tell my friend what I had been up to for the past year. We laughed and laughed like old times and shared a bevy of "ideas" as we are want to do. An interesting side story: [When we left the table to get another round of drinks, I returned to find my new scarf had been pinched. I deeply suspected a man in a table behind us so I inquired with no success, realizing his bag was practically overflowing with bulk, and kept giving him "cut-eye". He eventually pulled a Houdini and "found" the scarf on the opposite sit of his table like it had jumped over there. When it actual fact he removed it his bag and pretended to find it. He left promptly to avoid a further confrontation since he knew I knew he was lying. He was already wearing a scarf]. After ensuring we had our fill of one-to-one convo we HIT the town. I chose a bar named Heaven for the following reasons:
1. It was right around the corner from Emma's hotel and the major intersection for night buses.
2. Open 11pm - 4am.
3. 5 pounds cover
4. Three rooms of pop: 2000s, 1990s, and 1970 and 80s.
I know my friend pretty well and figured this criteria was more than appropriate. To say we had an unbelievable time would be a substantial understatement. We bounced like pinballs between the three rooms, danced our faces off, and enjoyed every moment of the short visit. Since we figured no one in the club knew who we were, Em and I created a scenario for ourselves (I guess this is what theatre students do on the weekend). If anyone asked, and surprisingly they did, we said we were contestants from So You Think You Can Dance Canada who had been kicked off 6th and 7th respectively and were blowing our appearance money on a week in London. Emma enjoyed approaching dancers in the club and inquiring if they were pro. We danced to choice tunes until 4am when the lights came up. It was heaven. After the bar, we sat in Trafalgar Square (which has a massive Christmas tree) and talked for an hour. The visit was a reminder just how much I miss my friends back home. I wish the whole group could have been here to share in the insanity of our night, but having a one-on-one adventure with Emma was extremely special. If I had to have said goodbye to her indefinitely I don't know how I would have been able to, but it's only seven weeks or so until I'll see her again. It was an absolute blast.
Talia, who I've shared some incredible moments with over the past few months, was SO generous in welcoming me to her place for the weekend. After hitting the night bus home, I arrived on her doorstep at 5:30am and she didn't bat an eye. Not too many friends who would open their arms that wide. After a nice lie-in, Talia and I spent a leisurely morning catching up and chatting. I told her about the adventures of the night before and she let me know about the excitement in Berlin after I left. From her place we went to the Old Vic for a production of Inherit the Wind starring none other than Kevin Spacey. I was blessed to see two professional shows in one weekend. The show itself was really entertaining and well done. Looking back, I think it was the perfect show for Tal and I to see together. Our discussions always tend to be about ideas, social action, and the state of the world on some level. The debates at the centre of the show (evolution and religion, ideas and free speech, progress and thinkers) are themes that ring true for just about any kind of intellectual inquiry. Spacey was brilliant and so was the majority of the cast. It was a special treat to see a "celebrity" up close and following a love of theatre.
That evening we went back to Tal's place for a cosy pasta dinner and some wine. From there we had grand plans to check out a winter fair in Hyde Park. But upon arrival the whole place was closed. Instead we walked around and sipped on roadies before heading into a lively little pub. We caught two songs of acoustic guitar, and continued our discussions, before heading home for the evening. After a PERFECT little breakfast (a decadent pastry and coffee) at Paul in the train station, I made my way back to Leamington Spa.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The weekend was one of my favourite all year. It doesn't where you are, as long as you have best friends to share the space, you're set. Great theatre doesn't hurt.
Emma's visit has been the light at the end of my November tunnel for a solid month now. Even though I was lucky enough to see her twice in Toronto during the visit in June (like all of my other besties back in the city) I haven't had one on one time with her in thirteen months. For friends who have spent the past six years close at hand, this is much too much time apart. The excitement was unbearable. I was smiling uncontrollably on the train and tube ride into the city. When we finally were reunited in the lobby of the Hunters' Trafalgar Square hotel room, it was pure bliss. I was glad to see that, as I expected, my best friend hasn't changed much. We can go a year without talking, but all it takes is a snap of the finger to fall back into our old patterns.
We sipped on a drink in the lobby bar and visited with her wonderful parents. The Hunters were incredibly generous in asking me to join them for the night. Mrs. Hunter was really keen to hear more about my dissertation topic, and Mr. Hunter's subtle comic genius always makes me laugh. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the National Portrait Gallery. I learned that Emma now likes to drink dirty martinis (a Megan Deeks favourite as well). The restaurant overlooks a lot of wonderful city landmarks. It is the type of place characters in a film would eat in as the backdrop screams Londontown. The dinner was delicious and visiting with the Hunters was a special treat - they are such a generous family. From there we went to a production of Othello just down the street featuring British comedian Lenny Henry. The show has received much critical acclaim and is running for only three months in the city. It was a really impress show. Henry's commanding voice (with one of the deepest registers I've ever heard) exuded authority. The guy playing Iago was deliciously good. Emma, myself, and her parents discussed the merits and drawbacks during the intermission and again at the play's conclusion. It was a wonderful dinner and show combination in one of the best city's in the world for that type of one-two punch.
After Emma's parents retired to the hotel, it was wonderful to catch up with my best friend. We sat for just over an hour in a pub and dished about everything and anything going on in our lives. I was so happy to hear about the latest happenings from Toronto, and it was great to tell my friend what I had been up to for the past year. We laughed and laughed like old times and shared a bevy of "ideas" as we are want to do. An interesting side story: [When we left the table to get another round of drinks, I returned to find my new scarf had been pinched. I deeply suspected a man in a table behind us so I inquired with no success, realizing his bag was practically overflowing with bulk, and kept giving him "cut-eye". He eventually pulled a Houdini and "found" the scarf on the opposite sit of his table like it had jumped over there. When it actual fact he removed it his bag and pretended to find it. He left promptly to avoid a further confrontation since he knew I knew he was lying. He was already wearing a scarf]. After ensuring we had our fill of one-to-one convo we HIT the town. I chose a bar named Heaven for the following reasons:
1. It was right around the corner from Emma's hotel and the major intersection for night buses.
2. Open 11pm - 4am.
3. 5 pounds cover
4. Three rooms of pop: 2000s, 1990s, and 1970 and 80s.
I know my friend pretty well and figured this criteria was more than appropriate. To say we had an unbelievable time would be a substantial understatement. We bounced like pinballs between the three rooms, danced our faces off, and enjoyed every moment of the short visit. Since we figured no one in the club knew who we were, Em and I created a scenario for ourselves (I guess this is what theatre students do on the weekend). If anyone asked, and surprisingly they did, we said we were contestants from So You Think You Can Dance Canada who had been kicked off 6th and 7th respectively and were blowing our appearance money on a week in London. Emma enjoyed approaching dancers in the club and inquiring if they were pro. We danced to choice tunes until 4am when the lights came up. It was heaven. After the bar, we sat in Trafalgar Square (which has a massive Christmas tree) and talked for an hour. The visit was a reminder just how much I miss my friends back home. I wish the whole group could have been here to share in the insanity of our night, but having a one-on-one adventure with Emma was extremely special. If I had to have said goodbye to her indefinitely I don't know how I would have been able to, but it's only seven weeks or so until I'll see her again. It was an absolute blast.
Talia, who I've shared some incredible moments with over the past few months, was SO generous in welcoming me to her place for the weekend. After hitting the night bus home, I arrived on her doorstep at 5:30am and she didn't bat an eye. Not too many friends who would open their arms that wide. After a nice lie-in, Talia and I spent a leisurely morning catching up and chatting. I told her about the adventures of the night before and she let me know about the excitement in Berlin after I left. From her place we went to the Old Vic for a production of Inherit the Wind starring none other than Kevin Spacey. I was blessed to see two professional shows in one weekend. The show itself was really entertaining and well done. Looking back, I think it was the perfect show for Tal and I to see together. Our discussions always tend to be about ideas, social action, and the state of the world on some level. The debates at the centre of the show (evolution and religion, ideas and free speech, progress and thinkers) are themes that ring true for just about any kind of intellectual inquiry. Spacey was brilliant and so was the majority of the cast. It was a special treat to see a "celebrity" up close and following a love of theatre.
That evening we went back to Tal's place for a cosy pasta dinner and some wine. From there we had grand plans to check out a winter fair in Hyde Park. But upon arrival the whole place was closed. Instead we walked around and sipped on roadies before heading into a lively little pub. We caught two songs of acoustic guitar, and continued our discussions, before heading home for the evening. After a PERFECT little breakfast (a decadent pastry and coffee) at Paul in the train station, I made my way back to Leamington Spa.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The weekend was one of my favourite all year. It doesn't where you are, as long as you have best friends to share the space, you're set. Great theatre doesn't hurt.
Friday, December 04, 2009
The Good, the Bad, the Fugly.doc
I struggle to post today because it doesn't even feel like a week has gone by. But low and behold I turn around and it's Friday. I've finished my duties at R.I. (River Island) for a week and I'm about to jet down to London for two nights of frivolity. I think most of the weeks are going to be like this from here on out. I'm squeezing this post in before departure because I want to give you a look at the good, the bad, and the fugly events from my week.
The Good
Work at River Island is going really well. What I like most about the job is that the hours fly by. I have been doing 7 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays in addition to five hours a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Next week, and for five weeks until the contract is over, I'll add 7 hours on Friday to working approx. 30 hours a week. Not so part time anymore. I've actually been given lots of responsibility there (especially for a Christmas temp). I think it would have been much more advantageous of them to promote one of their current staff to the Product positions I am learning (rather than giving me all these skills and having me leave the first week of January) but it's not my place to question.
On my third shift at the store, I was listed on the day rota as the Ladieswear Product Manager. A surprise to me too. I've slowly learned what this role entails, but I feel that once I finally grasp it I'll already have one foot out the door. Aside from this, I work with some really fun people and I'm enjoying working outside of academia. I probably won't be singing the same tune come Boxing Day (when I hear the Brits shop 10 times more insanely than we do) but I think it'll create some memorable moments if I'm stuck here for the holidays: "let me tell you about the Christmas I worked retail in the UK". I'd rather be chilling out in my final month in Leamington, but it means I'd come to Canada penniless. This way I rake in a load of pounds that DOUBLE once I cross the border. It makes securing that Toronto pad all the more possible. As a reward for my diligence I'm going to take advantage of my 30% staff discount in the form of 150 pounds of merch per month. Thankfully, River Island is one of the top three hip shops in the UK.
The Bad
There wasn't a lot of bad news this week, but the realization did hit me that my time in Europe is winding down. Having submitted the dissertation draft I've taken a week off from even looking at it - I tell myself it's a good thing, but there still is a lot of work to do be done. It's just hard to give it attention after running around on my feet for seven hours. Add to this the fact that I'm slowly but surely starting to plan a return to Canada and the inevitability of leaving hits home. On one hand I am 100% ready to return home. I'm accomplished everything I set out to do here. But on the other, sixteen months is a long time to be away. I know I'm not coming back to the same Canada, but I'm hoping the transition back is seamless. In any event, I have one more week left of fantastic traveling. I've set aside a nice portion of my R.I. funds to do it on a comfortable budget so I'm not scraping by. I've researched a few options but nothing is solid yet. I guess if I was to label this "bad" section it's all the planning I have to do. So much to figure out and so little time! I have a Toronto apartment application on my desktop begging to be filled out with little means to answer all the questions they need. Planning, planning, and more planning.
The Fugly
The ugly event of the week happened when I was at work. Actually, I think it happened as I was walking home from work. Our oven exploded. What? You've never heard of an oven exploding? Neither have I. The girls had put a pizza in for ten minutes on a moderate temperature. After it just turned golden brown, the innner layer of glass covering the oven door exploded against the outer wall of glass and shattered all over the floor and inside the oven. Thankfully the girls were in the dining room when the oven decided to shed its layer of glass. I wasn't home for these fireworks but the girls said the sound was like a gunshot and that the oven door actually propelled outward. We were nervous that the landlord would be furious with us for some sort of wrongdoing, but he was completely understanding. I mean, how could we have done anything to make an oven door explode? The oven looks brand new in the past two years so hopefully he can have it sorted. It was completely strange. Photo previdence:
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The chef's special tonight is BBQ chicken and spinach pizza sprinkled with Swarovski crystals. Enjoy.
The Good
Work at River Island is going really well. What I like most about the job is that the hours fly by. I have been doing 7 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays in addition to five hours a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Next week, and for five weeks until the contract is over, I'll add 7 hours on Friday to working approx. 30 hours a week. Not so part time anymore. I've actually been given lots of responsibility there (especially for a Christmas temp). I think it would have been much more advantageous of them to promote one of their current staff to the Product positions I am learning (rather than giving me all these skills and having me leave the first week of January) but it's not my place to question.
On my third shift at the store, I was listed on the day rota as the Ladieswear Product Manager. A surprise to me too. I've slowly learned what this role entails, but I feel that once I finally grasp it I'll already have one foot out the door. Aside from this, I work with some really fun people and I'm enjoying working outside of academia. I probably won't be singing the same tune come Boxing Day (when I hear the Brits shop 10 times more insanely than we do) but I think it'll create some memorable moments if I'm stuck here for the holidays: "let me tell you about the Christmas I worked retail in the UK". I'd rather be chilling out in my final month in Leamington, but it means I'd come to Canada penniless. This way I rake in a load of pounds that DOUBLE once I cross the border. It makes securing that Toronto pad all the more possible. As a reward for my diligence I'm going to take advantage of my 30% staff discount in the form of 150 pounds of merch per month. Thankfully, River Island is one of the top three hip shops in the UK.
The Bad
There wasn't a lot of bad news this week, but the realization did hit me that my time in Europe is winding down. Having submitted the dissertation draft I've taken a week off from even looking at it - I tell myself it's a good thing, but there still is a lot of work to do be done. It's just hard to give it attention after running around on my feet for seven hours. Add to this the fact that I'm slowly but surely starting to plan a return to Canada and the inevitability of leaving hits home. On one hand I am 100% ready to return home. I'm accomplished everything I set out to do here. But on the other, sixteen months is a long time to be away. I know I'm not coming back to the same Canada, but I'm hoping the transition back is seamless. In any event, I have one more week left of fantastic traveling. I've set aside a nice portion of my R.I. funds to do it on a comfortable budget so I'm not scraping by. I've researched a few options but nothing is solid yet. I guess if I was to label this "bad" section it's all the planning I have to do. So much to figure out and so little time! I have a Toronto apartment application on my desktop begging to be filled out with little means to answer all the questions they need. Planning, planning, and more planning.
The Fugly
The ugly event of the week happened when I was at work. Actually, I think it happened as I was walking home from work. Our oven exploded. What? You've never heard of an oven exploding? Neither have I. The girls had put a pizza in for ten minutes on a moderate temperature. After it just turned golden brown, the innner layer of glass covering the oven door exploded against the outer wall of glass and shattered all over the floor and inside the oven. Thankfully the girls were in the dining room when the oven decided to shed its layer of glass. I wasn't home for these fireworks but the girls said the sound was like a gunshot and that the oven door actually propelled outward. We were nervous that the landlord would be furious with us for some sort of wrongdoing, but he was completely understanding. I mean, how could we have done anything to make an oven door explode? The oven looks brand new in the past two years so hopefully he can have it sorted. It was completely strange. Photo previdence:
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The chef's special tonight is BBQ chicken and spinach pizza sprinkled with Swarovski crystals. Enjoy.
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