Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sick day musings
You heard right, I took a sick day. I caught some nasty bug from the kids at work, and really wasn't up to facing the world today. Aside from the inability to keep anything in my system, today has been pretty relaxing. I woke up on time to go to work just in case nobody could cover my shift. As a result, I have had an entire day at home that wasn't wasted by sleeping.
I spent most of the morning writing a paper for my intercultural communication class. It is due tonight, but I submitted it via email so I didn't have to go in. The paper was based off of an interview I conducted last week. I interviewed a girl from the Philippines. We were pen pals when we were ten, and this is the first real conversation I have had with her since. It was also monumental for me because it was the first time I had ever had a spoken conversation with her... the first time I ever heard her voice. Whereas as a child, we exchanged letters, last week we had a video chat on Skype.
I know I sound ancient when I say this (and I'm only 22), but I find the advance in technology over the last decade to be absolutely astounding. Never in a million years would I have dreamed that I could have a face to face conversation with my friend from across the globe.
I am equally amazed by my cell phone. I remember when my parents got their first cell phones. They were clunky Nokia phones that didn't do much besides place a call (they did have that snake game though, which was pretty cool). Today, I can do so many things with my iPhone that you can hardly compare the two phones! Not only can I call, but I can also text, skype, play games, check my email... the list goes on! Again, I know I sound super old when I say things like this, but if you really stop to think about it, how can you NOT be amazed?
My interview with my pen pal also made me think a lot about American culture (I think that was the point of the assignment, anyway). In particular, it made me consider the issue of outsourcing. I understand that many Americans need work. I am extremely grateful for my job. However, after talking to my friend, I have come to know the other side of the story. She grew up in an orphanage because her mother couldn't afford to care for her. Hundreds if not thousands of children live on the streets. These jobs are vital to boosting their economy and placing roofs over their heads. I'm not saying that we don't need those jobs; all I'm saying is that the workers should not be villainized for taking them. They need them just as much as we do. My friend works in technical support for AT&T. She says that many Americans are polite when she speaks with them. However, she has many who are quite rude to her. I find it sad that we treat other humans with disdain simply for taking a job that wasn't offered to us. Outsourcing is a serious issue, I agree, but it is not fair to judge the worker for the corporation's decisions.
Anyways, sitting around all day with nothing but my thoughts (and my dog) to keep me company has made me really think about life in general. Maybe we all need to take days like this occasionally. Maybe the world would be a better place.
I spent most of the morning writing a paper for my intercultural communication class. It is due tonight, but I submitted it via email so I didn't have to go in. The paper was based off of an interview I conducted last week. I interviewed a girl from the Philippines. We were pen pals when we were ten, and this is the first real conversation I have had with her since. It was also monumental for me because it was the first time I had ever had a spoken conversation with her... the first time I ever heard her voice. Whereas as a child, we exchanged letters, last week we had a video chat on Skype.
I know I sound ancient when I say this (and I'm only 22), but I find the advance in technology over the last decade to be absolutely astounding. Never in a million years would I have dreamed that I could have a face to face conversation with my friend from across the globe.
I am equally amazed by my cell phone. I remember when my parents got their first cell phones. They were clunky Nokia phones that didn't do much besides place a call (they did have that snake game though, which was pretty cool). Today, I can do so many things with my iPhone that you can hardly compare the two phones! Not only can I call, but I can also text, skype, play games, check my email... the list goes on! Again, I know I sound super old when I say things like this, but if you really stop to think about it, how can you NOT be amazed?
My interview with my pen pal also made me think a lot about American culture (I think that was the point of the assignment, anyway). In particular, it made me consider the issue of outsourcing. I understand that many Americans need work. I am extremely grateful for my job. However, after talking to my friend, I have come to know the other side of the story. She grew up in an orphanage because her mother couldn't afford to care for her. Hundreds if not thousands of children live on the streets. These jobs are vital to boosting their economy and placing roofs over their heads. I'm not saying that we don't need those jobs; all I'm saying is that the workers should not be villainized for taking them. They need them just as much as we do. My friend works in technical support for AT&T. She says that many Americans are polite when she speaks with them. However, she has many who are quite rude to her. I find it sad that we treat other humans with disdain simply for taking a job that wasn't offered to us. Outsourcing is a serious issue, I agree, but it is not fair to judge the worker for the corporation's decisions.
Anyways, sitting around all day with nothing but my thoughts (and my dog) to keep me company has made me really think about life in general. Maybe we all need to take days like this occasionally. Maybe the world would be a better place.
Monday, September 26, 2011
I'm on Youtube!
Hello readers! In addition to this blog, I have also created a Youtube channel under the name MissOddi. Check out my intro video and be sure to subscribe!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Good morning, readers! I know it has been ages since my last post, but it has been a crazy couple of months! Let me give you a brief recap to get you up to speed...
On July 1st, a mere week and a half after my last post, my roommate walked out on me. He didn't give any notice, and I was stuck with all the bills that were due pretty much right then. Because I was stupid and trusting, I didn't require a deposit from him due to the fact that he was family (again, I know it was stupid). So yeah, I immediately had a lot of unexpected expenses thrust upon me.
In recoil to my roommate's abandonment, I picked up as many shifts as I could at work, leaving me utterly exhausted. I also tried to find another roommate, but because my lease is up in December and there is no guarantee of renewal, I had a pretty tough time of it. After paying a few bills and doing some math, I decided to forgo the whole roommate experience and stick it out on my own. It has now been almost three months, and while money is tight, I am making it.
I'm also super happy with my decision to live alone. While some people are super social, I am definitely not when it comes to time at home. I am very sensitive to the energies in my home, and therefore do not like when people overstay their welcome (or live with me) because certain parts of the house become unbearable for me. With my former roommate, for example, I would become agitated or upset just by walking down the hallway towards his room. Now that I've cleaned (scrubbed, really) and cleansed the entire house after his departure, I feel at home again... in my own home. His old room, which was once mine, has been reclaimed and is now my beautiful craft room/office. I constantly burn my favorite incense in there, and my collection of fairies, what I call my "Fairy Forest" is proudly on display. While they are simply silly figurines, I do love them and find them to be highly inspirational.
In addition to all the changes at home, I have also entered my final semester of college. I only have nine credits left (three classes), and then I will have completed my degree in English. I'm so excited to be nearing completion! The fact that school is ending has forced a lot of decision making upon me. Do I go to grad school? Do I find a "real" job? What is the best career choice for me? Currently, I am torn. My dream in life is to be a writer. I love fantasy fiction, and I would say I have a decent skill set. However, I know how tough of a market fantasy fiction is to break into, so realistically speaking, I can't quit my day job. One solution I am considering right now is to work from home as a free-lance writer online. This would give me the flexible hours I want so I can work on my novel. However, it is hard to tell if I will be successful with this venture. I don't know if I can make enough money to pay my bills. It is scary to jump feet first into working from home. Right now I'm testing the waters on my days off, and so far I've been OK. If I go this route, my goal is to be working from home, full-time, by Christmas.
The other option I'm considering is to attend grad school and become a librarian. I love books, and libraries are some of the most magical places on the planet. I can see me doing this job as a career, but #1, I'm not sure I would love it, and #2, grad school is quite the investment for a job that won't pay that much in the end. I just can't decide.
I'm leaning towards working home for at least a little while. If I find down the road that I miss being part of the regular work force, I can always return to school and pursue librarianship, right? I'm horrible with making decisions, and because this one will likely play a huge role in defining who I am as an adult, I am especially struggling with this.
So yeah, a lot has been going on in my life of late, an I have much to look forward to. I've been especially inspired to be creative lately, so I hope to return to this blog with a gusto. I'm also working on a new Youtube channel, but I'm not sure what I will talk about on there just yet. I'll post more information once it becomes available, so stay tuned. In the meantime, love and light to all of you blessed readers!
On July 1st, a mere week and a half after my last post, my roommate walked out on me. He didn't give any notice, and I was stuck with all the bills that were due pretty much right then. Because I was stupid and trusting, I didn't require a deposit from him due to the fact that he was family (again, I know it was stupid). So yeah, I immediately had a lot of unexpected expenses thrust upon me.
In recoil to my roommate's abandonment, I picked up as many shifts as I could at work, leaving me utterly exhausted. I also tried to find another roommate, but because my lease is up in December and there is no guarantee of renewal, I had a pretty tough time of it. After paying a few bills and doing some math, I decided to forgo the whole roommate experience and stick it out on my own. It has now been almost three months, and while money is tight, I am making it.
I'm also super happy with my decision to live alone. While some people are super social, I am definitely not when it comes to time at home. I am very sensitive to the energies in my home, and therefore do not like when people overstay their welcome (or live with me) because certain parts of the house become unbearable for me. With my former roommate, for example, I would become agitated or upset just by walking down the hallway towards his room. Now that I've cleaned (scrubbed, really) and cleansed the entire house after his departure, I feel at home again... in my own home. His old room, which was once mine, has been reclaimed and is now my beautiful craft room/office. I constantly burn my favorite incense in there, and my collection of fairies, what I call my "Fairy Forest" is proudly on display. While they are simply silly figurines, I do love them and find them to be highly inspirational.
In addition to all the changes at home, I have also entered my final semester of college. I only have nine credits left (three classes), and then I will have completed my degree in English. I'm so excited to be nearing completion! The fact that school is ending has forced a lot of decision making upon me. Do I go to grad school? Do I find a "real" job? What is the best career choice for me? Currently, I am torn. My dream in life is to be a writer. I love fantasy fiction, and I would say I have a decent skill set. However, I know how tough of a market fantasy fiction is to break into, so realistically speaking, I can't quit my day job. One solution I am considering right now is to work from home as a free-lance writer online. This would give me the flexible hours I want so I can work on my novel. However, it is hard to tell if I will be successful with this venture. I don't know if I can make enough money to pay my bills. It is scary to jump feet first into working from home. Right now I'm testing the waters on my days off, and so far I've been OK. If I go this route, my goal is to be working from home, full-time, by Christmas.
The other option I'm considering is to attend grad school and become a librarian. I love books, and libraries are some of the most magical places on the planet. I can see me doing this job as a career, but #1, I'm not sure I would love it, and #2, grad school is quite the investment for a job that won't pay that much in the end. I just can't decide.
I'm leaning towards working home for at least a little while. If I find down the road that I miss being part of the regular work force, I can always return to school and pursue librarianship, right? I'm horrible with making decisions, and because this one will likely play a huge role in defining who I am as an adult, I am especially struggling with this.
So yeah, a lot has been going on in my life of late, an I have much to look forward to. I've been especially inspired to be creative lately, so I hope to return to this blog with a gusto. I'm also working on a new Youtube channel, but I'm not sure what I will talk about on there just yet. I'll post more information once it becomes available, so stay tuned. In the meantime, love and light to all of you blessed readers!
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