2014

things I want to do this year:

become financially independent
do yoga weekly
run more than a mile
learn welsh to a conversational level
improve my french
pay down credit debt
build up my solo henna business- 2 gigs/month
plan two digital projects to develop a strong portfolio


i have a few more things, but I think this is a good general plan that I can carry on no matter what the next month brings.

Adventures on public transport

I am a firm believer that good people come in all shapes and sizes from every corner of the world. Likewise, the opposite is true. On my way home from grocery shopping I was witness to the most infuriating argument! It all started over a seat on the bus and escalated so quickly in so many directions I thought there would be punches thrown. Here's the set-up: At Putney, two women got on the bus with baby buggies. The buggues were both quite large and there wasn't really room for them both in the area the way they were arranged. Woman 1 parked her buggy lengthwise. Woman 2 parked her buggy athwartbus and went to sit at the back of the bus, completely out of sight of the buggy, promptly pulled out her phone and began texting. This left 2 unoccupied seats being blocked (mostly) by the buggy. I could have sat there if I didn't have groceries, but nobody larger or tall would have been comfortable. A quick shift of both buggies would have left room for both women to sit with their children. We travel like this for a few stops, then the following occurs.


[ENTER Arab Man and Obese Man]

ARAB MAN walks to the middle of the bus carrying a large folding wooden table and a large duffle bag. He sets the duffle bag onto the two unoccupied seats behind the baby buggy. He lets the table legthwise along the aisle. Remains standing.

OBESE MAN walks to the middle of the bus and stands directly behind me, panting quite loud. It is clear that he hasn't the ability to climb the stairs and would very much like to sit. He remains standing in the center of the bus. Glances at ARAB MAN

OM: Oy- what's all that then?

AM: (at elevated volume, near shouting. Thick London accent) Wot? You couldn't sit there! I'm not blocking anybody. You couldn't sit there!

OM: People could sit there, what are you doing with all this stuff all over?

AM: YOU COULDN"T SIT THERE!

OM: Somebody could sit there if you hadn't blocked it all in!

AM: IT WAS ALREADY BLOCKED! LOOK AT YOU! YOU COULDN"T SIT THERE!

OM: All the sa—

AM: (interjects) You wouldn't have said anything if I was a white man! You're only on me because I'm an Arab!

OM: If that's the case then why don't you go back to your own country!

AM: I would if you would get out of it!

OM: You wouldn't even be alive if we hadn't won the war with Germany!

AM: You mean the war over which LANGUAGE would be the official Language of the New World Order? You're in my country killing my people because you wanted the world to speak English!

OM: I've fought for my Queen and Country in—

AM: You fight for PEOPLE?! What did that ever bring us? The Illuminati controls the money and the white man follows along like sheep. You're an old man! I fight for God!

OM: And what a god he is, too, asking for innocent blood!

AM: I'm a MILLIONAIRE in Bagdad! Learn your history you racist white cow!

OM: GET OFF THE BUS and go back to Arabia if its so great!

ARAB MAN gathers up his bag and table and gets off the bus, ramming into me on his way out with the sharp edge of his table, nearly knocking me over and bruising my calf. He is still shouting about Nazis, the Illuminati, and the oppression of the White Man.

OBESE MAN looks at me as I stagger back to standing, nursing my dead leg. He remains standing.

OM: (looking at me) Well, you started it. EXEUNT STAGE LEFT

END SCENE

After the two men exited the bus there was some mild chatter, mostly saying how it was so completely uncalled for. Both men were totally out of line. Nobody mentioned the young mother who blocked the seats with her buggy then went and sat at the back of the bus. Two stops later she got up from her seat at the back and sat next to her baby with plenty of room for the other buggy and mother to sit down. It took 3 seconds to turn the buggies so both women could sit comfortably.

I don't care if you are white, black, asian, latino, muslim, jewish, christian, buddhist, wiccan, atheist, from Guam or UAE or China or Brazil or France, just don't be an Asshat! Both these men embarrassed themselves and made an entire bus of mostly women very uncomfortable with their arrogance, ignorance, and irrational fear/hate of eachother. 

Things to know about London

Moving to London is a special and exciting time and there is so much about this place that is just different enough to be VERY different. A few things that would be good to know:

1) They do not know what a Lemon Drop is. My favorite drink and nobody can make it. sigh.

2) A Hob is a stove, and most of them are electric. And tricky.

3) Always keep your Oyster topped up. Its obscenely expensive to travel by cash.

4) Always keep cash on hand. For being such a big city it is surprisingly cashy.

5) Pret a manger porridge is super tasty! Starbucks is not. :\

6) long jeans are trouble in a wet climate. My pants are all useless because they just soak up the water!

7) British girls dress VERY trashy when they go out. You must do the same!

8) Paracetemol is Tylenol.

9) Not all pubs are nice. Some are downright crap!

10) Starbucks. Tricky ordering like a partner when the people behind the counter really don't speak English.

11) Shopping trolleys may be carried only by the elderly, but invest in one. They are awesome.

12) Place your first grocery list ONLINE and have it delivered. This is very important.


Of course there's lots else to know. My life would be so much easier with a Target. But between TK Maxx, Marks and Spencer, Argos and ASDA, things are ok. Getting there. More to come, more to come!

hiring woes.

Dear prospective employees. Please do the following:

1) Write a cover letter to ME, specific to MY advertised position. At least use my company name ONCE in the body of the cover letter. Make me feel like you care about my company enough to try spelling it once or twice.

2) Write a real objective. "To obtain a job that uses my skills to make the business a success" does not mean anything, to anybody.

3) Attach your resume in an easily printable document format- honestly, a PDF is easiest.

4) "Internet Explorer" is NOT a skill. "Proficiency in multiple browser platforms" might be.

5) ONE PAGE- not 1 1/4. 2 is fine, if everything you have on it is interesting and relevant. But, seriously, 1.25 pages? Spend 10 minutes making your language more concise. And NO– setting your font to size 8 is not an option.


I'm very happy to have so many applicants, but based on your resume formatting alone, only 2 would be called in for an interview. Taking content into account, I'd increase that number to 4 (thankfully the initial 2 still pass muster). I know that resumes can be difficult, but 10 minutes on google will point out 90% of what is wrong with your resume.

Hint: If you are looking for a job, your cover letter and resume are your first impressions. You never get a second chance to make a first impression! And yes, an emailed resume needs a cover letter- that is what you put in the body of your email. Even if it is just a few sentences long, make it personal to the job for which you're applying.

Carrie's Turbulent Throwdown this Thrusday is complete. I'm out!

Preparing for gad school, hopefully

I have some work to do before I'm accepted into grad school, and with the last correspondence... I'm not that confident. I have to write an essay illustrating my penchant for original thought. I should ahve been working on that all day today, but I can't find my copy of my book. My mom won't help me look for it. I can't look for it myself because I'm on crutches. And my brain is telling me "write write write!".

So the moment I find my copy of the Secret Garden, I'll be searching it for something to create a spark. Writing notes and outlines, and preparing to write 1500 words. 5 pages. That's not much. That's easy. But I need my text and I'm particular put out about it right now. My feeling of helplessness last week was replaced with a task- this essay and my "additional qualifications". But now I have a task, I can't start, because I am so physically helpless.

My thoughts now are based around the themes of displacement, which I propose as part of my graduate school studies. The trauma of displacement is ameliorated by shared imagination. I will also address how this text was published for adults, but has since become a child's novel.

ok. there's my brain starting to work. Let's see if I can get a draft done by Monday.

My Mini is on the way!!!

My mini has been built and is almost on the way! I can't wait. And now its time for me to learn how to drive stick. EEK! O_O

Anybody want to volunteer to teach me?

Downton Abbey

I watched the first 3 Downton Abbeys ages ago. Today I started with the 4th episode. These are my remarks.... starting with 3/4 through episode 6.

Cybelle! You are being such a Marianne!
YESSSSSSSS!
OH NOOOOOO! Mary! you're such a fool!
I effing love Maggie Smith...

Moving onto the next episode... 7!

BABBY?
why is OBrien a cow? MOO! moo moo MOO!
Damn you Edith. You're a cow, too! MOOOOOOO!
gah! World War I is starting and its going to be horrid!
I cannot use my own library because one of my housemaids is in there applying for another job? *ay carumba!*
stop being stupid OBrien! And stop eavesdropping.
OMG OBRIEN YOU HO!
NOOOOOOOO oh no no no no no no.
thomas you bastard.
Why hasn't thomas been dismissed outright?
and awwww Irish boy is keen on Lady Cybelle... kinda thought the Cybelle Mathew thing might develop.
MARY you bitch.
Poor middle sister. You thought you were to be married, but your sister ruined it. To get back at you for being a horrid person!
.....aaaaaand O'Brien you now realize how stupid you've been. You killed a baby cause you eavesdropped.
awwww no Mathew! I liked you! Stupid Mary.
and. its. war.

and thats it for the season. GAH!