The summer time change this week has been so dramatic. Not only does it stay light out later, but all of the sudden it has gotten warmer and sunnier, as if nature abided by the man-made spring-ahead time change. Not that I'm complaining much! I just hope the weather will stay like this.
I have been so busy the past week, between working at the museum and working on my project for my picture research course, I haven't had much free time. The course ends next week and it has really been one of the best courses I have ever taken. I have learned so much about the industry. Even if I never find a job in that industry (I will though!), just knowing all the stuff is neat. I guess I am a bit of a geek, I like learning new things just for the sake of knowing them.
Working at the museum has also been a bit of an education. Standing around for two hours in the Kings Library while patrons swill wine and listen to a sting quartet as they are getting personal lessons from the curators, who bring out artefacts for them to touch (with gloved hands), can be interesting. Although I could do without having to look at the two mummified heads in glass jars at the far end of the room. Every time I walked past them all I could think about was the heads in jars on Futurama. But then again lots of things in the museum feel they belong in a cartoon: mummies, totem poles, stereotypical masses of Japanese tourists with cameras…
Thanks to everyone who replied to my last despondent post. It made me feel better knowing that you all care! (*wipes away tear*) Sometimes it just helps to get the bad stuff out. I am feeling much better now, I don't hate it here as much as that post implied.
Posted by shannon at 01:41 PM | Permalink
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I try to keep this log positive, not wanting to sound like a whiner. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, right? Well the past few weeks have been really crappy. Things felt like they were going so well. And then I get sick, like really badly sick, for over a week, which blows my entire gym/running routine to hell. And none of my job prospects works out and on top of that my scooter gets broken into (while I'm at a second interview, after which I was turned down for "not having enough experience" HELLO? Why call me back a second time if you don't think I am qualified??) and ALL of my stuff is stolen. Which means no photos for a while, seeing as how not only did they get my wallet, mobile phone, leather jacket, motorcycle helmet and all my notes from my course, but they also stole my digital camera. Its like I fell into some big black hole, and I'm just slowly climbing my way out. I postponed my bookclub meeting last week, I just didn't have the energy to leave the house or talk to anyone. When things get really bad I also get super homesick. I hate living here with all the extra crap I have to put up with when I could be back in San Francisco with my friends and nice weather and possibly even a job. That’s the worse part about interviews: lying about how much I LOVE London and whatnot. Really I can take it or leave it. No actually I would prefer to leave this shitpile for someplace on the seaside where I can go surfing and breathe salty air and sell sea shells for a living.
Posted by shannon at 03:22 PM | Permalink
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Spray of crocuses peeking through the ground.
Winter is almost done. The daffodils are popping up all over. I've been very busy lately, which is nice. I've been going to the gym in addition to getting into a more regular running schedule, which has made me feel healthier. When I say "gym", I don't mean a fancy club with white fluffy towels and a juice bar, I mean the local leisure centre which is full of screaming kids and smells like feet. The chlorine fumes from the pool alone make me gag, and for some reason you have to walk through the pool area (and café and kids play area) to get to the gym. It makes me miss going to a grown-up health club, but at least the equipment is never too crowded.
I have been applying to jobs and even getting an interview or two (fingers crossed). I am enjoying my picture research course, which, if nothing else, has taught me some things I can use to impress people in interviews. Next week I have my first full day working at the museum, which I am looking forward to, yet also dreading because I have no comfortable shoes that I can wear for 8 hours.
I had lunch with a friend in Soho the other day, and then went to Seven Dials to get some coffee beans from my favourite coffee shop, Monmouth Street Coffee. (I find it funny that a google search for Monmouth Street Coffee brings up a link for the House of Coffee in Red Bank, probably the first place I ever experienced good coffee. This was long before Starbucks popularized decent coffee. At least in NJ.) It was a grey cloudy day, but Earlham Street was full of colour as usual, due to the cheery street vendors. I don't know why, but I always manage to end up on this street whenever I am in the area. Maybe it has something to do with the good motorcycle parking spots.
Here are a few photos of the colours of Earlham Street:
Beginning at the seven dials roundabout with the sundial in the centre.
I have been trying to do something in my photography which I usually avoid: portraits. Hopefully you will be seeing some photos of people I know, maybe even people I don't know (though I doubt it). I think since London is usually my subject that it would be nice to see the faces of London as well as its streets, parks, and buildings. But this is fairly new area for me, so don't expect anything spectacular. Just asking if I can take someone's photograph is difficult enough. Oh, and if by chance you live in London and want your portrait taken (FOR FREE!) drop me a line.
Posted by shannon at 02:16 PM | Permalink
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