Thursday, July 16

Part Time Jobs!

I’ve been getting really stressed out lately, thinking about upcoming expenses. Fall tuition, rent, all those textbooks at the start of a new term. Yikes-a-likes, right? When I think too much about how impoverished I’m about to be, I get in a really frugal mood where everything seems beyond my budget.

“Five cents for a plastic bag at a grocery store? Didn’t it used to be three? THIS IS HIGHWAY ROBBERY!”

I had a job during high school; I worked 10-20 hours per week, or more around the holidays. It was totally, totally doable, even though I participated in a crazy amount of after school activities and studied like a hound every night. (A hound that is intent upon getting 100% in calculus. You know, a regular hound). When I got to university though, I convinced myself that I wouldn’t have time for a part-time job.

Engineering is a pretty intense program, with 5 or 6 courses every term, and big projects, and crazy labs. Plus, I run 20sb, and I volunteer here and there, and I go to Power Hour at the pool (fine, now it’s called Aquatics Club but that is way less fun), and I like to hit the gym pretty often, and also I have a bit of a social life (I didn’t in high school).

It’s easy to say that there isn’t any time for a job. But also? I waste tonnes of time. I’m looking at you, sidereel.com, and google reader (there’s like 300 blogs in there), and twitter, and tumblr, and Internet In General. If somebody tells me that Big Bang Theory is funny, then I catch up on all 3 seasons over the course of a few weeks. Imagine if, instead of watching low-fi episodes with Asian-language subtitles, I was getting paid even minimum wage all that time! I’d have just as much time for studying and the rest of my life, and way less stress.

As soon as I thought about getting a job, all my stress left. Yes, it might be stressful to time manage, but even if I only make a few hundred dollars a month? I NEED THAT. So, I’ve decided. I’ma getta job.

It’s an exciting prospect! Jobs while in college! IT’S LIKE THE MOVIES!

I spent high school in retail and it would be painful to go back. Fast food is also out for pejorative reasons. I wouldn’t want to work in the type of restaurant commonly frequented by students, nor do I want to travel too far away from my house, which is near campus. I wondering if/how I could get a TA position? Or if I could teach a campus rec class like spinning. A spin instructor! That would be fun! The possibilities!

People from UW: any specific ideas? (Symposium crossed my mind, but I would eat all the deserts and get very large very quickly)

People not from UW: any generic ideas?

Tuesday, July 7

Dear Kenyan Roommate

Look, I know a lot ou things I do are crazy. Brushing teeth with bottled water, for example. Continually sanitizing my hands. Eating protein bars. I'M CRAZY. Fine. However, today at lunch, I served a very commonplace lunch.

Macaroni and Cheese. More specifically, President's Choice brand of white cheddar. It's the very best, and I've missed it so much over the past few months that my mom sent me a few packs all the way from Canada. I'll admit that it tasted a little different from normal, since I can't rinse the noodles, on account of the inevitable stomache ailments that follow any ingestion of unboiled water, and there isn't any milk to mix with the cheese sauce, but it was still delicious. Part of me considered rationing it for a day when you weren't home, so that I wouldn't have to share, but instead I thought I'd be a good roommate and North American ambassador and share. Well, after one bite you said you didn't like it, and then just pushed it around your bowl for a while.

Look, I understand how it feels to not like something that everybody else thinks is delicious. Well, for me it's never about the taste but just the psychological aspects relating to texture or sourcing of ingredients. But even then, I made courteous exceptions, like when I once ate salmon steaks at my boss's house, or cream cheese one time when out for breakfast. Heck, as you may recall, when I was at your house I ate a chicken whose slaughter I had witnessed and that had then been boiled in it's own blood. And we're just talking Kraft Dinner here! It's noodles and powder cheese sauce! Can you really abhor the taste SO MUCH that you can't even eat out of the desire to not hurt my feelings? I know the taste might be new and unusual, but in case you haven't noticed, I've been eating Kenyan food for nine weeks straight. My heart broke to know that i sixth of my precious mac and cheese stock would not be eaten. COME ON.

It's probably not you, it's just me being sick of Kenya. I want to go home and everything is getting on my nerves.

From Lisa

Thursday, May 28

I can't post all my Kenya feelings on my Kenya blog, because people like my grandma read it. But holy holla I miss flirting. Seriously.

Saturday, May 9

Kenya Update

I know I said I'd be blogging here and at my kenya blog, but computer mishap means I can only blog at one. So please add momimalive.blogspot.com to your readers and comment early and often.

No joke, please comment. It makes me feel connected to the world.

Saturday, May 2

Packing for Kenya

Criteria for comfort food: is delicious and/or nutritious, is light weight.

  • Crystal Light (3 months of only water is difficult)
  • Instant Oatmeal (the high fibre, high protein variety)
  • a few packets of hot chocolate (it gets cold at night!)
  • Clif Bars (protein and fibre fiesta, basically)
  • lots of gum
Criteria for comfort books/entertainment: high "time to digest":weight ratio.
  • complete novels of Jane Austen (all 7 in one volume!)
  • the book The Power of One
  • the book Great Expectations
  • a notebook
  • a book of logic puzzles
  • a calculator (is any item more comforting?) (plus I'm teaching math. so)
  • iPod filled with all of my favourite songs plus some great podcasts
(Packing List Part 1: Medicine)
(Packing List Part 3: Hygiene)