I know, not the most appealing title out there, but a very evocative one about what has been happening in my life lately. Incidentally, I have noticed that my blog is strewn with apologies and broken promises of more frequent posts... *sigh* Stupid busy body that I am! I am really sorry and I promise that, should I finally manage to stop stressing out over every little thing, I WILL post more often!
Okay, now down to business...
I have been the worst blogger ever of late, due to an accumulation of unpleasant and stressful circumstances... which is why the numerous zit outbreaks. Stress does that to me, sadly.
First off, I had all four of my finals in very close succession, and I also started to work for Air Canada again. I was deliriously happy to work for them again until... I found out most of my shifts started at 3 a.m. I am not a morning person and these horrid morning shifts have caused me to be very sleep deprived. I have been stressed over exams, sleep deprived and stressed over Christmas shopping for the past three weeks, almost relentlessly. My very first days off were yesterday and today. Needless to say, I had reached such a low in energy that I had to be carried to my bedroom and did not find the strength in me to change clothes for two days. But I am all better now (though I still wake up ludicrously early due to habit)...
Wow - that summed things up pretty quickly...
My exams went, if not well, certainly OK. The last exam, especially, made me rather happy, as it was a multiple choice exam that reminded me of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." What I mean by that is, in the show, all questions worth less than 500$ have one riddiculous option out of four. It was the same with this exam. The question would have an excerpt of a novel we had read and ask "what is the significance of this passage?" Three options were serious, though they did not necessarily all fit the bill (and one could easily eliminate the right answer) and one answer was often out of the blue, for example "d) That Anthony Hopkins should play the main character if this was adapted into a movie" - probably a fair answer, but certainly not objective enough to be the answer to a multiple choice (and certainly not the explanation of a particular passage! ^_^ ) In all honesty, that exam was the one that scared me the most, because I did not really know what to expect. I have never had a literature exam be entirely multiple choice (I am so used to essay questions through which I can bullsh*t my way...) so I was pertrified of what kind of difficult questions the professor might ask... It turns out that all one needed to have done was read the texts and attended class, really. I think the fact that the prof is pregnant, and probably not in the mood to write and correct exams forever over Christmas break caused her to write such a nice exam (a good way to finish off my finals, really!).
As for work with Air Canada, it is still a challenge, and still fun. However, I forgot that Winter brings along issues that the airport does not have to deal with in summer... Flight cancellations!!! Well, flights do get cancelled in the summer too, but there was a snowstorm on the east coast of the USA that caused both New York airports, Boston, Newark, Fort Worth and other airports in the surrounding area to be entirely closed... tons of stranded passengers were at the airport and there was little we could do to help them because NOTHING else flew out there... Working on the Transborder (in other words, the American) side of the airport, I got to experience the unpleasantness of this situation first hand and I feel truly sorry for the passengers that had a weekend or business trip and that were stuck until it was too late and they could just go home...
Additionally, my 3 a.m. shifts were really difficult to cope with. I started by spending all-nighters and then just heading to work. Then I proceeded to nap afternoons and be ready to leave at night. Then, on Christmas (yes, I worked through Christmas Eve, Christmas and for pretty much all of the holidays - merry Christmas to me...) I slept from when I got home to when I had to get to work and was STILL overtired... I truly think I was overworked and sleep deprived, because my only days off so far had been my exam dates (which are, to say the least, not exactly relaxing or favouring recuperation from a hard week's work...). Here's proof that I was overworked: I sleep talked! Michael witnessed it all and recounted the sleep talking to me, though I barely (if at all) recall dreaming or talking to him in my sleep.
The first sleep talk I did was when Michael came to wake me up from my nap. I asked him solemnly (like I do to passengers at the airport - I suppose I dreamt I was checking him in at work): "What's your final destination in the United-States?" As Michael did not give me a straight up answer, I repeated my question several times, apparently getting more and more frustrated by the minute...
The second sleep talk that went on, I apparently said: "Tied up elves."
Michael asked me: "Why are the elves tied up?"
Me: "Because they activated it!"
Michael: "Activated what?"
Me: "Christmas!!!"
...
Me: "I feel sorry for the vegetables..."
Michael: "Why?"
Me: "Because they are being sacrificed so we will not get eaten..."
What the hell was I dreaming?! O.o Seriously?! I vaguely remember saying some of this stuff, especially after Michael recounted it to me, but I cannot for the life of me remember what I dreamt... *sigh* Too bad... though I do think that the nonsense I have been blurting out in my sleep is a sure sign of overtiredness...
And now for some passenger anecdotes!
I got a passenger at around 6 a.m. on my third day at work. He was traveling business class, and I can honestly say I do not think I have ever met more arrogant a person. He marched to my counter and demanded I check him in along with his six family members... which was okay, that is what I am there for anyway. But then he went into a major tirade about how much he hated that the flight for Florida was so early and that he thought it was unacceptable that he had to fly out at such a time. I politely refrained from telling him that I had to leave my house at 2 a.m. in order to be at the airport at 3. But then the guy called someone on his cell phone and went into a loud obnoxious rant about how long I was taking (I had to enter each and everyone's passport information, as they were going to the USA, which takes a while). He was saying loudly things along the lines of "No, I am still at the stupid counter! I've been standing at this counter for half and hour! This is going to take us longer than driving here!!" I can guarantee you, dear reader, it took me - at most! - ten minutes to check them all in (actually, make that five, because I am good at what I do). So the guy was making a fuss about ten minutes. Then, we went to weigh his bags. His adorable five-year-old son asks "Daddy, why do they have to weigh the bags?" I was about to answer when the father says aggressively "Because they like making our lives more difficult, that's why!" Thank you, sir. A nice day to you too... That sort of major jerk is the type that will really ruin your day at the airport, especially when they show up before sunrise.
The other anecdote is about a guy whose stupidity I could not believe. In order to go to the USA, you have to fill out a customs declaration form. This one guy filled out the form at my counter and thought out loud as he answered. I could not help but stare incredulously as he answered... To "address where you will be staying in the USA" he put down his Montreal address. An understandable mistake, but it gets worse from here... To "passeport delivered by (country)" he answered "Yes." He actually asked me if this meant whether his passeport was delivered here in Canada. I said yes, and he wrote down exactly that. Then, to "state" (as in "state where you will be staying in the USA") he put down "Single"... he actually thought they were asking for his marital status!!! And, finally, the cherry on the sundae; to "I am bringing; ... disease vectors, cellular cultures, snails" he checked off "yes." His reasonning behind this one? "Oh, well, I will be bringing my cellular phone with me... So I guess that I should check yes..." *facepalm* I think this guy made me lose faith in humanity.
However, on the day after boxing day, some of my faith in mankind was renewed. One guy who had flown over from Halifax and was supposed to head to New York was, obviously, stranded due to the fact that his destination airport was closed to all air traffic. So, he asked me whether I was quite sure that there was no way he was getting to New York that day. When I answered yes, he beamed at me and told me that was exactly what he was hoping to hear and that he now had the opportunity to visit Montreal and especially the Old Port. I gave him some sight-seeing advice, he made me so happy! Thank you, awesome passenger!!
In other news, Christmas was wonderful!! This year was really very special to me. In good German fashion, we celebrated not on Christmas day, but on Christmas Eve (which is the best way to do it, after all *wink*). My grandparents and my aunt had come over all the way from Germany to celebrate with us. My father and step-mother also came over to my mother's house and, for the first time in years, I had my whole family together on Christmas Eve!!! I cannot begin to describe how special that was and how much this meant to me. I cannot even remember when the last time was when we were all together... It was great and I will cherish the memory of this Christmas for a very long time!
--- and on a little side note, I got an awesome umbrella from Michael (the hilt of it is that of a katana and you can strap the umbrella to your back... It is called an "umbrella for the civilized, but discontented." Watch it, commuters! Here I come! ^_^), as well as fluffy killer rabbit with pointy teeth slippers (you know the ones: the rabbit from Monthy Python's Holy Grail is now a nice decoration for my feet... I have named the slippers, respectively, Flopsy and Mopsy...). I also got a manga from my brother, which made me really happy, and a beautiful polynesian pearl and some money from my parents. My dad also got Michael and me one of those small electrical grills that you plug into your kitchen wall to use in our apartment! Yay! This was really a wonderful Christmas (slightly ruined by the next day 3 a.m. shift, but otherwise good...)
And finally, as I am desperately trying to wrap up this post and keep it short (I am so hopeless!), I have to let you all know that we are slowly slipping into a promising New Year. Aside from the Savoy shows, I will also be modeling for Dr. Sketchy (it is an event called "Temptation" look it up on the Dr. Sketchy Montreal website!), and auditioning for Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus... among many other good things. So I am really looking forward to 2011, as it feels like it will be an even better year than the last!
And with that, dear readers, I shall leave you and get ready for work again. I wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and hope you have a very Happy New Year with much love, health and happiness. And overall, have a happy holiday season!!
P.S. I nearly forgot! Michael cleaned up our room and the rest of the apartment! I want the world to know that he is awesome and takes good care of me! He gets full credit for tidying up (as I was too exhausted to move a muscle when I got home from work). Michael cleaned up really nicely and really impressed my mum when she came to visit. My aunt also loved the apartment, I think she may be tempted to move in with us, lol. Anyways, thank you, my love, for all your hard work!!
Showing posts with label getting up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting up. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
In which there are further head injuries
All right, I confess... this one is not exactly a head injury. But it is pretty darned close to being one!
When I woke up this morning, I had a very nasty surprise. I woke up two hours before my alarm clock - which, as many know, very unusual for me - and woke to find a nice day and to find that I was quite alert and ready to start my day. As I shifted in bed, wishing to get up, pain shot from my left shoulder to my head, causing an almost instant migraine. Wondering what was wrong, I tried to shift my head... and found it was impossible. My head was stuck to the right. I could not even force myself to look to the front.
For half an hour, I made calls to my mum, my dad, etc. in order to figure out what was wrong. It turned out I had what we call, in good French, a "torticollis". Now, I was looking up the word to figure out what it was in English for the sake of my readers, but it came up with such a variety of translations that I am not quite certain of what it is I have. There is a "torticollis" in English too, but it seems to be a handicap from a genetic disorder at birth. I can assure you, this is not my case. Other translations were "wry neck," "neck sprain," "stiff neck," "whiplash," "cricked neck," "neck sore," and several medical conditions in Latin that I will not list here. So take your pick. Decide what I have. One thing I can assure you is that I cannot explain it. I have no idea how it happened. I just woke up with the misfortune of having XYZ condition this morning.
And let me tell you... it is bloody painful! Ignore my previous post. I was fit as a fiddle during that one (despite the top of my right ear being blackened for two days... it has now gone down to a slight redness, which is a good sign). My neck, this morning, was absolute agony! It made me realize just how heavy a body part the head actually is.
Getting up was a bloody nightmare! It took me about 10 minutes just to sit up and it made me cry out as tears stung my eyes from the pain. As I pushed myself up from the mattress, my head's weight pulled my neck backwards. It cause me accute pain, so I tried tensing the muscles to avoid my head tilting backwards... and the pain was even more severe. With my head stuck to the right I tried to get dressed - which is an immensely difficult task, I assure you - and then proceeded to try and look straight ahead of me, instead of constantly to the right (having glasses, I do not like to count on my weak peripheral vision too much). Despite trying to force through the pain, my head would not turn. I even used both my hands to try and turn my head to look forward, but the only result I got was that I ended up screaming and crying. It was rather pathetic.
Anyways, with my head awkwardly twisted to the right, I exited the apartment (through the hint of a new staircase we now have at the front... speaking of which, since that hint of staircase, no further renovations have been done! *pout*). I felt really uncomfortable walking down the street, only able to look over my right shoulder. I had to turn my entire body to look accross the street before crossing at an intersection. And I looked like I was constantly window shopping too! I think others thought I was a bit of a freak really. The oddest thing? A guy picked that moment to compliment me: "You are a very beautiful woman!" he said. However, I could not quite look at him to smile or thank him... because I was stuck at such a stupid angle.
Anyways, I finally made it to the pharmacy and bought several anti-inflamatory creams (which makes me sound like an old arthritic lady, I know!) and several pain-killers. I also bought some Robax muscle relaxants, but I resolved to take those only at night, as I do not wish to fall asleep at work. In the end, after smearing my neck and shoulder with cream and taking several pills, I managed to dull the pain enough to bring my face to look straight ahead of me. I needed to use my hands to turn it forward though. After that, I did not dare move it back to the right in case it got stuck again. So I basically spent the whole day looking straight ahead of me.
Now, work today was, literally, a pain in the neck. I am not used to moving with my entire body when looking at something, or turning to someone. I usually move my head alone. So I made many involuntary sudden movements (especially to my left side). The pain shot through me like a gunshot (not that I would know what that feels like, but... well, never mind!) and caused migraines, nausea and dizziness. I think I even came down with a small fever at some point, because I felt cold, then warm, then shivered... It was, all in all, a crappy day! I even think passengers thought me rude, because I would often lead them (to bagage drop, etc.) with my back to them. Usually, I like turning around to address them, but it was impossible today. And looking down at passports and computer screens was excruciating and difficult! And people kept walking out of my line of sight too! I did not enjoy this at all! *pout*
As a result, despite wanting to complete my cosplay tonight, I was unable to work on my costume at all. I will admit, I am not keen on leaning over my sewing machine when my neck is making me swear every few minutes. This is really stupidly painful! And I cannot explain why! Frustrating!
Unfortunately, I do not have many other news to convey. Michael has been completely silent for a while, though I imagine his programme keeps him that busy, so it is not really an issue. I still miss him dearly... though the strong pain in my neck is providing a good (however unhealthy) distraction. I am looking forward to seeing Michael back.
Other than that, there is not much to say. I am still watching the series Bones with enthusiasm. I find it brilliant that Brennan (the main character) is, like the creator of the series, an author of mystery fiction on top of being a forensic anthropologist. But the funny part? The main character in Brennan's book is named after the author of the "Bones" books: Kathy Reichs! I thought that was a hilarious idea (you only find out in passing in the episode "The Bodies in the Book" from season 2). Anyways... I thought I would just share my appreciation for that.
Okay... that is it for me tonight! I will now turn off the lights and sleep as well as I can with a neck that feels like it has been wrongly screwed onto my vertebrae. Goodnight!
When I woke up this morning, I had a very nasty surprise. I woke up two hours before my alarm clock - which, as many know, very unusual for me - and woke to find a nice day and to find that I was quite alert and ready to start my day. As I shifted in bed, wishing to get up, pain shot from my left shoulder to my head, causing an almost instant migraine. Wondering what was wrong, I tried to shift my head... and found it was impossible. My head was stuck to the right. I could not even force myself to look to the front.
For half an hour, I made calls to my mum, my dad, etc. in order to figure out what was wrong. It turned out I had what we call, in good French, a "torticollis". Now, I was looking up the word to figure out what it was in English for the sake of my readers, but it came up with such a variety of translations that I am not quite certain of what it is I have. There is a "torticollis" in English too, but it seems to be a handicap from a genetic disorder at birth. I can assure you, this is not my case. Other translations were "wry neck," "neck sprain," "stiff neck," "whiplash," "cricked neck," "neck sore," and several medical conditions in Latin that I will not list here. So take your pick. Decide what I have. One thing I can assure you is that I cannot explain it. I have no idea how it happened. I just woke up with the misfortune of having XYZ condition this morning.
And let me tell you... it is bloody painful! Ignore my previous post. I was fit as a fiddle during that one (despite the top of my right ear being blackened for two days... it has now gone down to a slight redness, which is a good sign). My neck, this morning, was absolute agony! It made me realize just how heavy a body part the head actually is.
Getting up was a bloody nightmare! It took me about 10 minutes just to sit up and it made me cry out as tears stung my eyes from the pain. As I pushed myself up from the mattress, my head's weight pulled my neck backwards. It cause me accute pain, so I tried tensing the muscles to avoid my head tilting backwards... and the pain was even more severe. With my head stuck to the right I tried to get dressed - which is an immensely difficult task, I assure you - and then proceeded to try and look straight ahead of me, instead of constantly to the right (having glasses, I do not like to count on my weak peripheral vision too much). Despite trying to force through the pain, my head would not turn. I even used both my hands to try and turn my head to look forward, but the only result I got was that I ended up screaming and crying. It was rather pathetic.
Anyways, with my head awkwardly twisted to the right, I exited the apartment (through the hint of a new staircase we now have at the front... speaking of which, since that hint of staircase, no further renovations have been done! *pout*). I felt really uncomfortable walking down the street, only able to look over my right shoulder. I had to turn my entire body to look accross the street before crossing at an intersection. And I looked like I was constantly window shopping too! I think others thought I was a bit of a freak really. The oddest thing? A guy picked that moment to compliment me: "You are a very beautiful woman!" he said. However, I could not quite look at him to smile or thank him... because I was stuck at such a stupid angle.
Anyways, I finally made it to the pharmacy and bought several anti-inflamatory creams (which makes me sound like an old arthritic lady, I know!) and several pain-killers. I also bought some Robax muscle relaxants, but I resolved to take those only at night, as I do not wish to fall asleep at work. In the end, after smearing my neck and shoulder with cream and taking several pills, I managed to dull the pain enough to bring my face to look straight ahead of me. I needed to use my hands to turn it forward though. After that, I did not dare move it back to the right in case it got stuck again. So I basically spent the whole day looking straight ahead of me.
Now, work today was, literally, a pain in the neck. I am not used to moving with my entire body when looking at something, or turning to someone. I usually move my head alone. So I made many involuntary sudden movements (especially to my left side). The pain shot through me like a gunshot (not that I would know what that feels like, but... well, never mind!) and caused migraines, nausea and dizziness. I think I even came down with a small fever at some point, because I felt cold, then warm, then shivered... It was, all in all, a crappy day! I even think passengers thought me rude, because I would often lead them (to bagage drop, etc.) with my back to them. Usually, I like turning around to address them, but it was impossible today. And looking down at passports and computer screens was excruciating and difficult! And people kept walking out of my line of sight too! I did not enjoy this at all! *pout*
As a result, despite wanting to complete my cosplay tonight, I was unable to work on my costume at all. I will admit, I am not keen on leaning over my sewing machine when my neck is making me swear every few minutes. This is really stupidly painful! And I cannot explain why! Frustrating!
Unfortunately, I do not have many other news to convey. Michael has been completely silent for a while, though I imagine his programme keeps him that busy, so it is not really an issue. I still miss him dearly... though the strong pain in my neck is providing a good (however unhealthy) distraction. I am looking forward to seeing Michael back.
Other than that, there is not much to say. I am still watching the series Bones with enthusiasm. I find it brilliant that Brennan (the main character) is, like the creator of the series, an author of mystery fiction on top of being a forensic anthropologist. But the funny part? The main character in Brennan's book is named after the author of the "Bones" books: Kathy Reichs! I thought that was a hilarious idea (you only find out in passing in the episode "The Bodies in the Book" from season 2). Anyways... I thought I would just share my appreciation for that.
Okay... that is it for me tonight! I will now turn off the lights and sleep as well as I can with a neck that feels like it has been wrongly screwed onto my vertebrae. Goodnight!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
In which the lock stitch was discovered...
Hello again from a very unreliable blogger! I am really getting frustrated with how poorly I am keeping up with myself... But I am always a) too busy, or b) too tired to actually write on my darling little blog... as you may have noticed, I have a tendency to write A LOT at once, so taking the time to write it all is no small thing.
Anyways... I wanted to thank all those who came to our housewarming party. It was great fun and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for coming!!
Before I mention what I did on the weekend, I need to make everyone aware that befriending a bar-maid is not always the best idea. I went to visit Michael at his restaurant on Thursday... It is a GORGEOUS place! With SUPER expensive food!! It is elegant and really posh and the people who sit there to eat wear really nice evening clothes! Anyways - I was bored on Thursday night and so decided to head over to Michael's restaurant to visit him and keep him some company.
He did a complete double-take when he saw me (... silly man! I am not that good looking! *wink*) and he was really surprised and happy, which made me happy in turn as well. Unfortunately, because he was working, he could barely take the time to speak to me at all. But he did suggest that I get myself a drink. So I sat down at the bar.
Do you know just how dull it is to sit at a bar alone and unaccompanied? Did not think so... most people generally try to avoid it. Anyways - I was just as bored at the bar than I was alone at home (though I at least had the occasional glimpse of Michael's wonderful smile when he looked my way - he makes me so happy!). So I decided to talk to the bar-maid.
She was sooo nice! She was absolutely amazing! She used to be a model, which was cool, because we talked about modeling and travel and it was really an enjoyable evening. So why do I suggest not to befriend a bar-maid? Because I only ended up paying for 1 apple martini. However, I got a glass of Baileys on the Rocks on the house (the bar-maid offered) and, when someone decided they did not want that glass of Chianti after all, the bar-maid asked whether I wanted it or whether she should throw it out... Needless to say I ended up slightly tipsy... Luckily, Michael kept sneaking me food and yummy deserts, so I was fine. But I did sleep like a log. I completely passed out within minutes! XD
Other than that, updates on the weekend. I spent the weekend sewing, actually. I dedicated my weekend to it, as it is the last weekend I will have for a while. My next 2 days in a row off are only as of July 10th. *pout* Stupid schedule! Anyways... I started my wonderful weekend by meeting with my mum and buying 9 meters of the most amazing purple fabric! I love that stuff! I am now wishing I had bought the entire roll, because the fabric is honestly THAT great! And it is perfect for my cosplay too! It came on a brand-new roll and it was on sale at get 3 meters for the price of 1. I got 9 meters. I really wish I had more!!
So I cut my pattern into the fabric while watching the Doctor Who season finale. I have to say, I love their take on the meaning of "Something Old, something New, something Borrowed and something Blue" - you know, that old saying that goes around at a wedding. It was awesome. I want a TARDIS as my "something blue" too!! Much better than a blue garter any day! XD
So the fabric is cut and the sewing will soon be on its way! This costume will be AWESOME!!! The fabric drapes beautifully and I love the way it falls! I am ecstatic about it!! I also whipped up a cute little Renaissance caul out of leftover fabric in about 10 minutes. Did not turn out too bad actually...
Oh! And most importantly... I finally got the instructions to my sewing machine back! Su-su (that's what I have baptised my sewing machine) is now functionning better than ever before! Also, I have finally discovered which dial I had to move to succeed in making an overlock stitch! No more fraying fabric! HUZZAH!!
Needless to say, I spent a lot of my weekend re-stitching some of my costumes that had started to come apart at the seams. The overlock stitch is wonderful... I love it! It makes me squee... though my awesome purple fabric makes me squee even MORE!
Now, before this page gets covered in squees, I will violently change the subject to two things that happened today...
First: tomorrow is the final Air Canada exam... at 6 a.m. That means getting up at 4 a.m. I have to have 80%... It was supposed to be on Wednesday... AAAAAH!!!!! I soooo do not feel ready! God help me and let me pass: I love my job! Please, please, please! I hope I make it!
Second: the stupid bus kept breaking down!! We broke down a grand total of 5 times so that a 1 hour bus route took almost 2!!! The bus just stayed in the middle of a street at rush hour getting honked at, while I was sweating up a storm inside it, wishing nothing more than to get out... But I could not! Because "it is dangerous to go out in the middle of a street!" said the bus driver. Well, I am an adult and I feel quite ready to take the risk, thank you very much. Anyways, I did make it home in the end... I am just appalled that they let buses drive when the engine keeps breaking down.
And with that... I will go study for tomorrow's exam... otherwise I will freak out and not be able to go to bed early.
Cheers!
Anyways... I wanted to thank all those who came to our housewarming party. It was great fun and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for coming!!
Before I mention what I did on the weekend, I need to make everyone aware that befriending a bar-maid is not always the best idea. I went to visit Michael at his restaurant on Thursday... It is a GORGEOUS place! With SUPER expensive food!! It is elegant and really posh and the people who sit there to eat wear really nice evening clothes! Anyways - I was bored on Thursday night and so decided to head over to Michael's restaurant to visit him and keep him some company.
He did a complete double-take when he saw me (... silly man! I am not that good looking! *wink*) and he was really surprised and happy, which made me happy in turn as well. Unfortunately, because he was working, he could barely take the time to speak to me at all. But he did suggest that I get myself a drink. So I sat down at the bar.
Do you know just how dull it is to sit at a bar alone and unaccompanied? Did not think so... most people generally try to avoid it. Anyways - I was just as bored at the bar than I was alone at home (though I at least had the occasional glimpse of Michael's wonderful smile when he looked my way - he makes me so happy!). So I decided to talk to the bar-maid.
She was sooo nice! She was absolutely amazing! She used to be a model, which was cool, because we talked about modeling and travel and it was really an enjoyable evening. So why do I suggest not to befriend a bar-maid? Because I only ended up paying for 1 apple martini. However, I got a glass of Baileys on the Rocks on the house (the bar-maid offered) and, when someone decided they did not want that glass of Chianti after all, the bar-maid asked whether I wanted it or whether she should throw it out... Needless to say I ended up slightly tipsy... Luckily, Michael kept sneaking me food and yummy deserts, so I was fine. But I did sleep like a log. I completely passed out within minutes! XD
Other than that, updates on the weekend. I spent the weekend sewing, actually. I dedicated my weekend to it, as it is the last weekend I will have for a while. My next 2 days in a row off are only as of July 10th. *pout* Stupid schedule! Anyways... I started my wonderful weekend by meeting with my mum and buying 9 meters of the most amazing purple fabric! I love that stuff! I am now wishing I had bought the entire roll, because the fabric is honestly THAT great! And it is perfect for my cosplay too! It came on a brand-new roll and it was on sale at get 3 meters for the price of 1. I got 9 meters. I really wish I had more!!
So I cut my pattern into the fabric while watching the Doctor Who season finale. I have to say, I love their take on the meaning of "Something Old, something New, something Borrowed and something Blue" - you know, that old saying that goes around at a wedding. It was awesome. I want a TARDIS as my "something blue" too!! Much better than a blue garter any day! XD
So the fabric is cut and the sewing will soon be on its way! This costume will be AWESOME!!! The fabric drapes beautifully and I love the way it falls! I am ecstatic about it!! I also whipped up a cute little Renaissance caul out of leftover fabric in about 10 minutes. Did not turn out too bad actually...
Oh! And most importantly... I finally got the instructions to my sewing machine back! Su-su (that's what I have baptised my sewing machine) is now functionning better than ever before! Also, I have finally discovered which dial I had to move to succeed in making an overlock stitch! No more fraying fabric! HUZZAH!!
Needless to say, I spent a lot of my weekend re-stitching some of my costumes that had started to come apart at the seams. The overlock stitch is wonderful... I love it! It makes me squee... though my awesome purple fabric makes me squee even MORE!
Now, before this page gets covered in squees, I will violently change the subject to two things that happened today...
First: tomorrow is the final Air Canada exam... at 6 a.m. That means getting up at 4 a.m. I have to have 80%... It was supposed to be on Wednesday... AAAAAH!!!!! I soooo do not feel ready! God help me and let me pass: I love my job! Please, please, please! I hope I make it!
Second: the stupid bus kept breaking down!! We broke down a grand total of 5 times so that a 1 hour bus route took almost 2!!! The bus just stayed in the middle of a street at rush hour getting honked at, while I was sweating up a storm inside it, wishing nothing more than to get out... But I could not! Because "it is dangerous to go out in the middle of a street!" said the bus driver. Well, I am an adult and I feel quite ready to take the risk, thank you very much. Anyways, I did make it home in the end... I am just appalled that they let buses drive when the engine keeps breaking down.
And with that... I will go study for tomorrow's exam... otherwise I will freak out and not be able to go to bed early.
Cheers!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
In which AC called
Before I elaborate, I just wish to say that I had a wonderful weekend. I studied hard and arduously (no, really! I studied airport codes until I could no longer speak: drilling myself with flash-cards and all!), but I still had fun.
Indeed, I went to China Town on Saturday... we had Mongolian hot-pot. It was really good! Loads of squiggly squid! XD And I also made some small purchases which I had wanted to do for a while... Shiro and Kuro (two Monokuroo boo pigs - a black one and a white one - that are on a round throw pillow simply too cute to resist) and Moka (a big black Mokona that is always smiling and insanely cute!). I will have to post pictures of them at some point, as I am sure many of you think all this was Chinese (it was Japanese, just so you know! ;-P )
Anyways...
YXY (Whitehorse), ORD (Chicago), MCI (Kansas City), FCO (Rome), PVG (Shanghai), etc... Overall, I believe I know about 70 airport codes by heart now, as well as airline codes. Because I so got the job! Yes! I am, at last, working for Air Canada! I joined the family trade.
Unfortunately, I am not with in-flight. That is to say, I am not a flight attendant. *sigh* I wish I was... their uniforms are wonderful! But I think that I will apply again (and achieve my goal) next summer, after I have finished my bachelors. It will be much easier to concentrate on being a flight attendant then. I really want to do it. I went to try on uniforms today and I went by the in-flight training center and I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!!
Until then, I will be a CSSA. Customer Sales and Service Agent at the Montreal Trudeau airport. That is to say that I will be working check-in, baggage tags, kiosks, special needs passengers, etc. Unfortunately, I will no get to do gates, as this is a privilege only permanent employees have at the moment. They seem to believe that if temporary agents learn to work gates, then their jobs will be threatened... which is nonsense really... considering we summer temps are there to allow the perms to go on vacation... *sigh* It puzzles me sometimes...
Alas, as a temp, I do not get to wear the full uniform. Anything with an Air Canada crest is not allowed, as we do not have to pay for our uniforms at all. We get two bottoms and four tops from Air Canada, of our choice, so long as they do not bear a crest. So I picked skirt, a trouser, three blouses and a shell. I think that will do nicely.
As for work - I love it! So far, I am still in training. I have classes every day (from 7 to 3, but I have to get up at 4 a.m. to make it on time!) to learn about policies, security and computer programms... However, I also have half-an-hour of on-the-floor observation every day! I am looking forward to being on the floor! As of June 30th, we will be starting O.J.T. (on the job training)... I cannot wait! I am really excited!! *squee!*
Anyways - the people are really nice in my class. I met a girl, who almost did become a flight attendant, but who had to leave training because of a height requirement. Poor thing! She would have been a great flight attendant too! But she is really nice! I really appreciate her! The others are really awesome too! One girl actually studied opera at the same school as Michael and is currently in a show with the choreographer of the McGill Savoy Society!!! Small world!
I am really, really enjoying work. Everyone at Air Canada recognizes me as my mother's daughter. I got really funny comments about it. Others see my last name and know I am related to my infamous father (who liked to be the bratty one at the airport during his career here). And, today, we got a speech from the union, which means that the union V.P., my dad's girlfriend, visited our class. It was hilarious!
All this to say: I love my new job! I would love in-flight even more... I can feel it, but, until I am finished with school, this temp CSSA position is ideal!
And Michael went out to find a job today! Cross your fingers: hopefully he gets it!
I am looking forward to seeing you come to my airport counter soon!
Cheers!
P.S. If am not posting as frequently, it is because it is hard to post when you are tired after work (yesterday I was kaputt!)
Indeed, I went to China Town on Saturday... we had Mongolian hot-pot. It was really good! Loads of squiggly squid! XD And I also made some small purchases which I had wanted to do for a while... Shiro and Kuro (two Monokuroo boo pigs - a black one and a white one - that are on a round throw pillow simply too cute to resist) and Moka (a big black Mokona that is always smiling and insanely cute!). I will have to post pictures of them at some point, as I am sure many of you think all this was Chinese (it was Japanese, just so you know! ;-P )
Anyways...
YXY (Whitehorse), ORD (Chicago), MCI (Kansas City), FCO (Rome), PVG (Shanghai), etc... Overall, I believe I know about 70 airport codes by heart now, as well as airline codes. Because I so got the job! Yes! I am, at last, working for Air Canada! I joined the family trade.
Unfortunately, I am not with in-flight. That is to say, I am not a flight attendant. *sigh* I wish I was... their uniforms are wonderful! But I think that I will apply again (and achieve my goal) next summer, after I have finished my bachelors. It will be much easier to concentrate on being a flight attendant then. I really want to do it. I went to try on uniforms today and I went by the in-flight training center and I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!!
Until then, I will be a CSSA. Customer Sales and Service Agent at the Montreal Trudeau airport. That is to say that I will be working check-in, baggage tags, kiosks, special needs passengers, etc. Unfortunately, I will no get to do gates, as this is a privilege only permanent employees have at the moment. They seem to believe that if temporary agents learn to work gates, then their jobs will be threatened... which is nonsense really... considering we summer temps are there to allow the perms to go on vacation... *sigh* It puzzles me sometimes...
Alas, as a temp, I do not get to wear the full uniform. Anything with an Air Canada crest is not allowed, as we do not have to pay for our uniforms at all. We get two bottoms and four tops from Air Canada, of our choice, so long as they do not bear a crest. So I picked skirt, a trouser, three blouses and a shell. I think that will do nicely.
As for work - I love it! So far, I am still in training. I have classes every day (from 7 to 3, but I have to get up at 4 a.m. to make it on time!) to learn about policies, security and computer programms... However, I also have half-an-hour of on-the-floor observation every day! I am looking forward to being on the floor! As of June 30th, we will be starting O.J.T. (on the job training)... I cannot wait! I am really excited!! *squee!*
Anyways - the people are really nice in my class. I met a girl, who almost did become a flight attendant, but who had to leave training because of a height requirement. Poor thing! She would have been a great flight attendant too! But she is really nice! I really appreciate her! The others are really awesome too! One girl actually studied opera at the same school as Michael and is currently in a show with the choreographer of the McGill Savoy Society!!! Small world!
I am really, really enjoying work. Everyone at Air Canada recognizes me as my mother's daughter. I got really funny comments about it. Others see my last name and know I am related to my infamous father (who liked to be the bratty one at the airport during his career here). And, today, we got a speech from the union, which means that the union V.P., my dad's girlfriend, visited our class. It was hilarious!
All this to say: I love my new job! I would love in-flight even more... I can feel it, but, until I am finished with school, this temp CSSA position is ideal!
And Michael went out to find a job today! Cross your fingers: hopefully he gets it!
I am looking forward to seeing you come to my airport counter soon!
Cheers!
P.S. If am not posting as frequently, it is because it is hard to post when you are tired after work (yesterday I was kaputt!)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Chapter 15 - In which there is a funny dream, essays and lack of sleep
HI!!! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!
(... I didn't just write that, did I? Hold on... yes... I did.)
(... I didn't just write that, did I? Hold on... yes... I did.)
Okay, so I had this ueber wacky dream last night. I swear, it sort of made me giggle in my sleep it was so odd! The funniest bit was that I was utterly convinced it was reality until I woke up in bed! And now you're all thinking: "get to the point, you silly girl who writes too much" so I shall indulge you.
In my dream, I was dating Michael like I am now... Except that I was in high school. My high school. My beloved, uniform-wearing Academy, where I hated the guts of three-quarter of the students for a period of six years. Anyhow... I was sitting at a table in the school cafeteria (THE school cafeteria, line with windows on either side, looking out on the playing field, the place that was a former dance studio...). I was wearing the dark green plaid skirt, the pale-blue oxford shirt and the ugly navy polyester cardigan. Even my hair was short, like back in the old days! Odd thing was that Michael was there with me. In high school. Dating me.
Now, this may not strike anyone as odd... yet. The thing was, in my dream, Michael's ex showed up. Not his real ex. Some nondescript, bland and boring brunette, the type of girl I used to hate in high school; the type of girl whose name you're not likely to remember... that was his girlfriend in this dream. She was just another typical high school girl that my imagination fashioned for the sake of the dream. Anyways, she was also a student at the Academy, for she was wearing the same uniform, though she was wearing it in the way that I used to consider "pompous and slutty".
Here comes the funny part. The ex-girlfriend sat down at the table with both of us, looking incredibly moody and in a huff. She started bad mouthing me about how I stole her boyfriend, etc. For some reason, Michael was very porcelain-doll-like in this dream: he just sat there, smiling an empty smile, not noticing anyone and unaware that two girls were fighting over his affections. Michael, if you read this, it's nothing against you: I think you were just... an accessory to the dream - like a very, very minor character. (I'm sorry!)
But back to the foul-mouthed ex. So she started ranting about me and insulting me and calling me names. I started to get really tired of her and it could potentially have degenerated into a cat fight. Not the case. Exasperated, I opened the little knapsack I had with me (now this is REALLY weird because it was so... well, SMALL! I usually always carry around an oversized heavy schoolbag!). I started rummaging inside the little bag to see if I could find anything that would shut her up (because whatever was in the knapsack was the obvious solution). I was mostly thinking about throwing something at her head. But the only things inside the bag were a pen and a flyer add for a "Miss Sixty" razor (WTF?? seriously!).
So I looked up at the girl and I smiled my nicest smile. I cut accross her ramblings and said: "I feel like acting sixty!" (which seemed a perfectly normal thing to say at the time) The girl cringed with dread when I pulled out the pen and the paper... but I just started scribbling down notes, completely unrelated to the situation, blissfully ignoring her... Because scribbles are the obvious solution against people who bad-mouth you...??? *puzzled look* And still, I was quite CONVINCED that this was reality. This seemed like a perfectly natural reaction to the situation. In the dream, I felt quite proud of my coolness and how I had handled the situation.
And then I woke up. Turns out I had onlly been dozing for a grand total of... 10 minutes. *sigh*
Oh, and as for going to Ottawa today - scratch taht. No; it's not because Ottawa is tiny and too far away to be appealing to me at six in the bloody morning that I didn't go. This morning, I recieved a phone call from my mum. She's really ill and has a bad fever. I will admit I'm a little concerned and I hope she gets better soon! Anyways, she can't go through with the two hour drive to Ottawa. It's not worth getting into a car accident for the sake of a bleeding passport (for those who didn't know: I need to get to Ottawa to get my passport renewed... fun times!)
In other news... I still haven't bought my fabric for the Erica Fontaine costume. I soooo want to work on the costume, but I am sooooo broke! It makes me very sad.
And as for essays... one of them is FINALLY done!! Three more essays to go! Two for Anime class (I'll be writing one about the use of genre in Slayers Next and one about the use of media/communication/technology in Gundam Seed), and another one for Victorian Lit. The Victorian Lit topics are so boring that I won't bother writing them down, else your brains will go to mush, dear readers - like mine did upon reading the topic. On top of the essays, I still have four exams and one 12 minute Japanese skit to go through. Then my semester will be over at last. *SIGH* I can't wait. It seems soooo loooooong! *cries* Needless to say, I'm tired of this semester: it's been a really crappy one and it's time for some vacation!
Speaking of vacation... I am FINALLY going back to Germany! We are planning the trip and it turns out that it is actually happening!!Michael and I will be leaving on April 30th and returning toward the middle of May! It will be great!!
And Michael will be RETURNING to Germany in August (lucky bastard)!! He got into a really cool summer programme in Weimar, Germany, where he score a lead role for the Mozart Opera, Cosi Fan Tutte. Not only that, he even got himself a good scholarship for it!! HUZZAH, MICHAEL!! I am really proud of him: the programme people obviously really want him!
Okay. Enough type now. Back to bed for me. Why? Because it's 5:30 in the freakin' morning and I barely slept (I couldn't sleep at all... fell into the weird dream doze around 4:00-ish). So I'm going to crash into bed and screw the rules of attendance policies - if I miss class, NOT my fault. Blame my brain for keeping me awake all night.
My typing is getting ridiculous. Get off the computer, Naria! GO TO BED!
Good day to all!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Chapter 11 - In which Naria has no idea what title to give
Yeah, sorry about that. I wanted to call the chapter "in which a nice day was spent," but that's just too fromage for my taste. I did, however, have a truly wonderful day. I have a bit of a sore throat, which would put a damper on things on any normal day, but today was a really relaxing, enjoyable Saturday... so no harm done by the sore throat.
First things first. I did not sleep in today. So if any of you like to fancy that I enjoyed my day because of sleep you're... not entirely wrong. I woke up at 8:30 this morning, but I had a replenishing nap around three in the afternoon... Which was just really, really nice. But, aside from the nap...
I woke up at 8:30 this morning at at 9:00 I went out for breakfast with Michael to a small deli around the corner of our place. Since we decided to make it a nice day, we decided to eat out for breakfast, as we rarely ever do that.
After that, we went home and got ready for my photoshoot. That's right, a real photoshoot! I have recently put up my modelling profile and a photographer contacted me for a shoot. It wasn't a paid shoot - sadly - but as I am still a beginner, I don't mind. Eventually, I'll ask for a salary. But I can still do a few shoots for free to embellish and perfect my portfolio. It was a really cool shoot. Remember the medieval gown of awesomeness?? Yup, that's right! It was a shoot all about that dress!! We shot at a super nice location in Westmount, close to the mountain, where there are these really nice old buildings made of stone... the gold and red of my dress really popped against that scenery! It was GREAT!! As for my hair, I "italian taped" two strands on either side with some ribbon... it looked really pretty. It reminded me a little of Juliet in some classic presentations of Shakespeare's famous (cheesy) tragedy. (No offence, Will Shakespeare! I love your work, but seriously - you could have done better on R&J, they are the two biggest twats in the history of theater!)
Okay... I'm veering severely off course just now... ^__^ To get back to the shoot, it was really fun. Quite short and sweet to be honest: we only shot for about an hour, max an hour and a half. Unfortunately, it turned bloody cold. Considering yesterday was about 10 degrees and today was windy and overcast (and slightly rainy) with only 5-6 degrees celcius... I sorta froze my cute butt off. But it was well worth it. I think we did some good work. I'll post some pictures up soon (we need to take out some anachronisms (i.e. cars and streets lights) out of the background). Too bad it was so cold or I think I could have done the shoot even longer!
Then I got home and had a nice long nap... of two hours I think...
And then I found this online, careful, fashionistas and fans of vintage clothing: you may have to severely squee upon seeing this website. This is my new website of what I want and covet: http://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/pinupgirsigl.html
Check out the evening wear, but the day wear - all the cherry clothes and sailor clothes - are my favs! Absolutely gorgeous! And they match some of my high heels too!! I totally want some of these dresses for the summer... *sigh* Why must I be so broke? *cries*
Anyhoots... conclusion of this extensive, yet wonderfully random post, I had a really great day today! <3
First things first. I did not sleep in today. So if any of you like to fancy that I enjoyed my day because of sleep you're... not entirely wrong. I woke up at 8:30 this morning, but I had a replenishing nap around three in the afternoon... Which was just really, really nice. But, aside from the nap...
I woke up at 8:30 this morning at at 9:00 I went out for breakfast with Michael to a small deli around the corner of our place. Since we decided to make it a nice day, we decided to eat out for breakfast, as we rarely ever do that.
After that, we went home and got ready for my photoshoot. That's right, a real photoshoot! I have recently put up my modelling profile and a photographer contacted me for a shoot. It wasn't a paid shoot - sadly - but as I am still a beginner, I don't mind. Eventually, I'll ask for a salary. But I can still do a few shoots for free to embellish and perfect my portfolio. It was a really cool shoot. Remember the medieval gown of awesomeness?? Yup, that's right! It was a shoot all about that dress!! We shot at a super nice location in Westmount, close to the mountain, where there are these really nice old buildings made of stone... the gold and red of my dress really popped against that scenery! It was GREAT!! As for my hair, I "italian taped" two strands on either side with some ribbon... it looked really pretty. It reminded me a little of Juliet in some classic presentations of Shakespeare's famous (cheesy) tragedy. (No offence, Will Shakespeare! I love your work, but seriously - you could have done better on R&J, they are the two biggest twats in the history of theater!)
Okay... I'm veering severely off course just now... ^__^ To get back to the shoot, it was really fun. Quite short and sweet to be honest: we only shot for about an hour, max an hour and a half. Unfortunately, it turned bloody cold. Considering yesterday was about 10 degrees and today was windy and overcast (and slightly rainy) with only 5-6 degrees celcius... I sorta froze my cute butt off. But it was well worth it. I think we did some good work. I'll post some pictures up soon (we need to take out some anachronisms (i.e. cars and streets lights) out of the background). Too bad it was so cold or I think I could have done the shoot even longer!
Then I got home and had a nice long nap... of two hours I think...
And then I found this online, careful, fashionistas and fans of vintage clothing: you may have to severely squee upon seeing this website. This is my new website of what I want and covet: http://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/pinupgirsigl.html
Check out the evening wear, but the day wear - all the cherry clothes and sailor clothes - are my favs! Absolutely gorgeous! And they match some of my high heels too!! I totally want some of these dresses for the summer... *sigh* Why must I be so broke? *cries*
Anyhoots... conclusion of this extensive, yet wonderfully random post, I had a really great day today! <3
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Chapter 2 - In which there is much complaining...
I hate waking up in the morning. I cannot begin to explain how much I hate it! And the worst thing? I don't even have to get up super early!! Today, I got up at 8:30 a.m. Now I feel completely exhausted. And nauseous. Because, in the morning, I'm always nauseous and dizzy (and I can guarantee that is a distinctly unpleasant feeling that makes you want to stay in bed all day). But, despite feeling dizzy, I sit down and write some Japanese homework, for my Japanese class that is in one and a half hours... It's just a really gross way to start a morning. Oh, and did I mention that it's bloody cold outside? Why would I even WANT to leave my bed?
...
Anyways, mornings have been getting much worse for me lately. For some random reason, I've not been sleeping all too well. I have been having all sorts of crazy nightmares (including one where my boyfriend was trying to administer a lobotomy to me using some plumbing tools - his main concern was that no one should see the scar - it was quite terrifying!). Not only are these unpleasant dreams to wake up from, but they also make me very restless at night. Even though I have theoretically been sleeping 8 hours, I feel like I've barely slept for 2 because my nightmares are driving me up the wall and giving me no rest... *grumble* I wish I could knock myself out for a day or two to catch up on sleep. Sadly, this is impossible due to school and rehearsals.
Speaking of rehearsals, the show is going quite well - though the conductor is getting REALLY annoying. He is... a bitch with a god complex, really. There is genuinely no other way to describe the guy. He thinks he's a miracle, a gift to music since Mozart - which I can gurantee you... HE IS NOT! He's not a bad conductor, but he changes his mind more often than stocks on Wall Street about tempo and stuff and it becomes really aggravating and frustrating in the last WEEK before the show. We also have a new director: 3 weeks before the show premiere, our old director was replaced. It stresses me out: we premiere next Friday and I really, really hope we'll be ready! We've got an amazing cast and the foundations of what promises to be a great show and one of the best versions of Pirates of Penzance ever made (me? exaggerate? not at all, why would you think that?) But, overall, will we actually be READY? There are so many last minute changes I don't know how to handle them (especially with 3 essays due the week of the premiere).
And, on a final note of complaint; yesterday I went through one of the worst classes of my life. I love anime, so you'd figure I would have fun in the 'Japanese Animation and Modern Media' class. Not the case. It is important to know that we have two teachers in this class. One of them is brilliant. I mean it: BRILLIANT. She is writing her PhD thesis on the Final Fantasy Franchise... how cool is that? I love that prof. Her T.A. though, who teaches half the time, is terrible. First off, she's Korean (I think) and thus has a very, very strong accent. I don't mind it, but she is really difficult to understand when taking notes. Sometimes, I worry that some of the things she says were lost in translation: half the time, I feel she doesn't know what she's talking about. Yesterday, we were discussing my favourite anime (Fullmetal Alchemist), and I can honestly say that I am a bit of an expert on the matter of that anime. So, when she was talking about the anime and getting many important things (and I'm not talking about details, but about key plot points) wrong, I was getting really frustrated. It felt as if she had never seen the anime and barely Wikipedia-ed the storyline! I kept correcting her and she just went "yes, that too," as if she just randomly accepted what anyone would say about the anime. I bet that, if I had said "Edward has one green testicle" she would have replied "that's right, that too!"
But the reason why I am particularily angry at that T.A. is because of what she said regarding Nazis. Don't get me wrong: I hate the Nazis. I honestly do. They do not deserve to live because I do not tolerate people with a superiority complex - especially not one that exceeds reason, as theirs did. But, as the T.A. spoke of Nazis, she blamed it all on Germany. She said "Nazis are a specifically German problem," "the Germans had no identity until the Nazis," and many more gross generalizations of the sort. As a German (okay, only my mum is German, but I do have the citizenship of that country and I even partly grew up there!) I cannot help but feel offended. Statements like that may be her personal opinion, but they should never be said in front of a classrooom! It is very offensive, and one could even call it racist. Nazis are NOT just a German problem! All it is, is that Germany gave a name to that phenomenon. You still have anti-Semitic morons that roam the world today, most of them in France and in the USA (neo-Nazis, white supremasists, etc.) How the Hell is that only a German problem then? Germany is quite tame in comparison to what some of these new generation Nazis are doing!! As a result, I felt quite upset by the teacher's statement...
Sigh...
Okay, I'd better stop. I am only getting myself worked up again. Besides, I should have some breakfast: I have to go to class in half an hour.
Sorry for all the complaining, should anyone read this.
...
Anyways, mornings have been getting much worse for me lately. For some random reason, I've not been sleeping all too well. I have been having all sorts of crazy nightmares (including one where my boyfriend was trying to administer a lobotomy to me using some plumbing tools - his main concern was that no one should see the scar - it was quite terrifying!). Not only are these unpleasant dreams to wake up from, but they also make me very restless at night. Even though I have theoretically been sleeping 8 hours, I feel like I've barely slept for 2 because my nightmares are driving me up the wall and giving me no rest... *grumble* I wish I could knock myself out for a day or two to catch up on sleep. Sadly, this is impossible due to school and rehearsals.
Speaking of rehearsals, the show is going quite well - though the conductor is getting REALLY annoying. He is... a bitch with a god complex, really. There is genuinely no other way to describe the guy. He thinks he's a miracle, a gift to music since Mozart - which I can gurantee you... HE IS NOT! He's not a bad conductor, but he changes his mind more often than stocks on Wall Street about tempo and stuff and it becomes really aggravating and frustrating in the last WEEK before the show. We also have a new director: 3 weeks before the show premiere, our old director was replaced. It stresses me out: we premiere next Friday and I really, really hope we'll be ready! We've got an amazing cast and the foundations of what promises to be a great show and one of the best versions of Pirates of Penzance ever made (me? exaggerate? not at all, why would you think that?) But, overall, will we actually be READY? There are so many last minute changes I don't know how to handle them (especially with 3 essays due the week of the premiere).
And, on a final note of complaint; yesterday I went through one of the worst classes of my life. I love anime, so you'd figure I would have fun in the 'Japanese Animation and Modern Media' class. Not the case. It is important to know that we have two teachers in this class. One of them is brilliant. I mean it: BRILLIANT. She is writing her PhD thesis on the Final Fantasy Franchise... how cool is that? I love that prof. Her T.A. though, who teaches half the time, is terrible. First off, she's Korean (I think) and thus has a very, very strong accent. I don't mind it, but she is really difficult to understand when taking notes. Sometimes, I worry that some of the things she says were lost in translation: half the time, I feel she doesn't know what she's talking about. Yesterday, we were discussing my favourite anime (Fullmetal Alchemist), and I can honestly say that I am a bit of an expert on the matter of that anime. So, when she was talking about the anime and getting many important things (and I'm not talking about details, but about key plot points) wrong, I was getting really frustrated. It felt as if she had never seen the anime and barely Wikipedia-ed the storyline! I kept correcting her and she just went "yes, that too," as if she just randomly accepted what anyone would say about the anime. I bet that, if I had said "Edward has one green testicle" she would have replied "that's right, that too!"
But the reason why I am particularily angry at that T.A. is because of what she said regarding Nazis. Don't get me wrong: I hate the Nazis. I honestly do. They do not deserve to live because I do not tolerate people with a superiority complex - especially not one that exceeds reason, as theirs did. But, as the T.A. spoke of Nazis, she blamed it all on Germany. She said "Nazis are a specifically German problem," "the Germans had no identity until the Nazis," and many more gross generalizations of the sort. As a German (okay, only my mum is German, but I do have the citizenship of that country and I even partly grew up there!) I cannot help but feel offended. Statements like that may be her personal opinion, but they should never be said in front of a classrooom! It is very offensive, and one could even call it racist. Nazis are NOT just a German problem! All it is, is that Germany gave a name to that phenomenon. You still have anti-Semitic morons that roam the world today, most of them in France and in the USA (neo-Nazis, white supremasists, etc.) How the Hell is that only a German problem then? Germany is quite tame in comparison to what some of these new generation Nazis are doing!! As a result, I felt quite upset by the teacher's statement...
Sigh...
Okay, I'd better stop. I am only getting myself worked up again. Besides, I should have some breakfast: I have to go to class in half an hour.
Sorry for all the complaining, should anyone read this.
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