...or "I return bearing Good News".
Almost 2 months to the day and I'm back in the blogosphere! It's been a fairly chaotic 2 months, I must say, full of stress, tears (both good and bad types), frustration and sheer joy. And now I'm back!
News The First:
After an achingly painful 2 months, my PR course is finally over. Don't get me wrong - the lecture part of the course was awesome - great people, interesting subject matter, complete and total relevance to my chosen career field... but the last 2 months... I want them back. Between trying to complete a 32-page PR proposal for my volunteer work (also part of the course requirements) and studying for 6 exams, I have never been so stressed in all my life.
Also, memo to the PRII (Public Relations Institute of Ireland) - scheduling 6 (yes, 6) 3 hour exams in 3 days? Not such a good idea. By the last day we were all bordering on hysteria, and finding anything and everything funny, whilst stressing and panicking at the same time. Seriously, PRII... please reconsider such a horrible exam schedule.
But it's done! Done, and I have my Official Graduation on October 15th! Never mind that we don't even have our exam results back yet and thus don't actually know if we've PASSED... I'm graduating! Again! This makes 4 graduations since 1998. I'm educated to the point of overkill.
News The Second:
As of October 5th, ladies and gentleman... I no longer belong to the Land of the Unemployed, and will be telling the Great Irish Recession (tm) where to stick it.
That's right! After much persistence, hard slog, frustration and tears over the last 11 months, I have a job! A paid job! And what's more, it's my absolute Dream Job To End All Dream Jobs! I am simultaneously delighted and incredibly nervous. It's part-time to start, so I can ease my way out of Unemployment Land... but I'll have money again! Disposable income!
Let me tell you... it's been an extremely hard fought battle, but I got there in the end. And I didn't have to compromise my beliefs or sell out and work in Corporate Bureaucracy Land. Once a do-gooding charity hippie, always a do-gooding charity hippie.
So until the 5th I am mostly relaxing... enjoying the last few days of being able to sleep til 11am on a weekday, baking zucchini bread and cleaning the apartment.
Oh, and planning weddings. But that's a post for another day.
September 28, 2009
July 27, 2009
Hiatus
Hi all,
I'm here today to say that Watch This Space will be taking a bit of a time out. Between my two volunteer internships, revising for exams in September, working on my course project for September, and planning two weddings... well, you'd understand if I don't have all the free time in the world.
So with that said, my poor little blog will be out of action until the end of September, when I will return, a happier, infinitely less stressed out K.
Hopefully you'll still be following!
K
I'm here today to say that Watch This Space will be taking a bit of a time out. Between my two volunteer internships, revising for exams in September, working on my course project for September, and planning two weddings... well, you'd understand if I don't have all the free time in the world.
So with that said, my poor little blog will be out of action until the end of September, when I will return, a happier, infinitely less stressed out K.
Hopefully you'll still be following!
K
July 13, 2009
Unclean! Unclean!
Disclaimer - if you are in any way germophobic, you might not want to read this!
So this weekend, B and I decided to check out the most recent exhibition in Trinity College's Science Gallery. It's called "Infectious: Stay Away" and was the perfect opportunity for me to nerd out for an afternoon. I always wanted to get into medicine after high school, but got sidetracked by being a do-gooder, so instead I nerd out on random sciencey things like Discovery Channel documentaries and exhibitions about infections and epidemics.
B is so proud. If by proud you mean worried.
It was actually a pretty cool afternoon out. When we entered the exhibition we were given lanyards with computer chip tags that showed our level of infection. If we happened to stand too close to someone who was infected, our tag would flash and we had to proceed immediately to the disinfection station. Well... after wandering around the exhibition for the better part of an hour we STILL weren't infected, and had to resort to stalking people whose tags we saw flashing. I'm sure they thought we were mental... as did the guy running the "disinfection station", who asked us if we were infected and was a bit concerned when we practically shouted "YES! FINALLY!" Hah.
Some of the other highlights? The opportunity to kiss an agar plate/petri dish and watch your natural flora grow in 3 days (yes, we're heading back on Thursday to see our cooties). Added bonus? You can get a photo of your plate made in to a coaster. I'm so tempted. I thought it might be a nice "unique" wedding favour, since B and I kissed the same plate. Nice.
They also had computer simulations of different epidemic situations. So if an epidemic started in Dublin, was highly contagious and resistent to antibiotics or treatment... well... we're all doomed, is what I gained from that exhibit.
My own personal favourite (though I'm not sure how it relates to infection) was a game that uses your brain activity to move a small ball. Imagine a tug of war... between B and I... but only using our minds. Apparently you had to relax and clear your mind, and it would push the ball more towards your opponent. I could do this all day. It's like telekinesis! For reals! Sadly we left it at 1-1 so we'll never know which one of us is more likely to be a telekinetic supervillain. I'm voting for me.
So this weekend, B and I decided to check out the most recent exhibition in Trinity College's Science Gallery. It's called "Infectious: Stay Away" and was the perfect opportunity for me to nerd out for an afternoon. I always wanted to get into medicine after high school, but got sidetracked by being a do-gooder, so instead I nerd out on random sciencey things like Discovery Channel documentaries and exhibitions about infections and epidemics.
B is so proud. If by proud you mean worried.
It was actually a pretty cool afternoon out. When we entered the exhibition we were given lanyards with computer chip tags that showed our level of infection. If we happened to stand too close to someone who was infected, our tag would flash and we had to proceed immediately to the disinfection station. Well... after wandering around the exhibition for the better part of an hour we STILL weren't infected, and had to resort to stalking people whose tags we saw flashing. I'm sure they thought we were mental... as did the guy running the "disinfection station", who asked us if we were infected and was a bit concerned when we practically shouted "YES! FINALLY!" Hah.
Some of the other highlights? The opportunity to kiss an agar plate/petri dish and watch your natural flora grow in 3 days (yes, we're heading back on Thursday to see our cooties). Added bonus? You can get a photo of your plate made in to a coaster. I'm so tempted. I thought it might be a nice "unique" wedding favour, since B and I kissed the same plate. Nice.
They also had computer simulations of different epidemic situations. So if an epidemic started in Dublin, was highly contagious and resistent to antibiotics or treatment... well... we're all doomed, is what I gained from that exhibit.
My own personal favourite (though I'm not sure how it relates to infection) was a game that uses your brain activity to move a small ball. Imagine a tug of war... between B and I... but only using our minds. Apparently you had to relax and clear your mind, and it would push the ball more towards your opponent. I could do this all day. It's like telekinesis! For reals! Sadly we left it at 1-1 so we'll never know which one of us is more likely to be a telekinetic supervillain. I'm voting for me.
("Look honey, I'm diseased!")
June 29, 2009
20 Questions
Tomorrow is our engagement photo shoot! (insert girly squeal here) So in light of all the imminent loved-up-edness in Watch This Space land, I thought I'd do this 20 Questions meme that's been doing the rounds in the blogosphere. I have it on good authority that I did well. Enjoy!
1. He is sitting in front of the TV. What is on the screen?
Depending on the time of year, it's Irish Rugby. Otherwise some sort of documentary on the History Channel, or Discovery or one of those. Or Bear Grylls.
2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Salad? What is this "salad" you speak of?
3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?
Eggs. It's inexplicable.
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Guinness. Or sometimes Corona (ugh).
5. Where did he go to high school?
Templemore.
6. What size shoe does he wear?
10? (edit - apparently it's a 9)
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Guitars. Oh wait... we've already got... I don't know... at least 3.
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Breakfast rolls. Well, occasionally.
9. What would this person eat every day if he could?
I have it on good authority that he would eat nothing but profiteroles, given half a chance.
10. What is his favorite cereal?
We don't really do cereal for breakfast, so I don't really know. He did buy Cheerios the other day, so I'll go with that.
11. What would he never wear?
Pink. I know better than to even try.
12. What is his favorite sports team?
Ireland or Munster Rugby. Tough call.
13. Who did he vote for?
The good guys.
14. Who is his best friend?
Me? Aww....
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?
Snore? Occasionally belch? I maintain that's a compliment to his cooking abilities...
16. What is his heritage?
Irish. That one I know I got right!
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
I made him these cute little Mr Men cupcakes. They were awesome.
18. Did he play sports in high school?
Rugby. There is a recurring theme here.
19. What could he spend hours doing?
Playing guitar. And he does.
20. What is one unique talent he has?
Music. I have no idea how he does it, but the man's a genius.
June 27, 2009
Update!
Unfortunately my wee little blog seems to be getting neglected lately. It seems to be mostly due to the fact that I'm "working" again and so the days and weeks are flying by instead of progressing slowly and steadily. Honestly, I have no idea where June went and it's nearly July already! So I've decided to do a good things / piffling trifles recap of the last little while, before trying to post more regularly. Enjoy!
Good Things
1. My new "job" is great. The fact that I can tie my PR course project in to work is also great! I'm learning loads, mostly to do with software like Raiser's Edge, which is so ridiculously in demand at at the moment that I'll be fairly set when I finish the internship. That is, if I'm not able to wrangle a paid position out of the board! Fingers crossed.
2. As a kind of "thank you" for doing this internship I get to go to Ethiopia in November. Part of what I was working on this past week was finding out about local attractions in Addis Ababa and the surrounding area. Now I've been fairly diligent with this, and scoured the Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and did a Flickr image search of all the places I found. Am now so excited at the prospect of going to Ethiopia I can hardly breathe. I love paid holidays to awesome places!
3. The organisation formerly known as my employers held a conference on Tuesday on the problem of sex trafficking and prostitution (delightful, I know!) at which the guest speaker, Victor Malarek, was someone I recommended! Clearly I still rock at that job even 8 months after I've left.
4. B and I have booked a consultation / engagement photo shoot with our first-choice wedding photographer this coming Tuesday. Again, am so excited I can barely breathe. I don't know what it is, but having an actual engagement shoot seems to move all this wedding stuff from the intangible to the realm of actual reality. As in, omigod we're actually doing this!
5. I am officially capable of waking up at 7.30am, commuting for 1 hour and 15 mins and NOT being sleepy OR grumpy (or any of the other dwarves, for that matter!)
6. B and the band are absolute rock legends, having supported Melophobia (fear of people named Mel? Fear of mellow people?) on the main stage at Whelans on Thursday night. They totally rocked a pretty crowded house and likely still have not come down off their post-performance high. And I am so incredibly proud of all of them it's ridiculous.
7. It's Pride Weekend! Rock the rainbows!
Piffling Trifles
1. Now that it's kind of warm and extremely humid, we've been leaving all the doors and windows of the apartment open wide. Result? We have random little flies in the living room. I hate flies. Get out of my house!!
2. I missed the Pride Parade due to a very important long distance phone call. Well worth it, though. I'll definitely catch the Pride Festival next year.
3. A whole day of sex trafficking and prostitution conferences is perhaps THE single most depressing way to spend a sunny Tuesday.
4. Potential Canadian wedding venues are crap at getting back to me about my enquiries. Don't tell me to email you for further information if you're not intending to write back!
5. Note to potential Irish venue: please please please, learn the difference between "its" and "it's"... oh, and "your" and "you're". I might just be that much of a grammar freak that the mistakes in your "newly updated" wedding brochure could be a dealbreaker.
So, as you can see things are definitely on the up. The piffling trifles I can live with, and the good things definitely outweigh them anyway, so I'm delighted.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to chase tiny flies around the living room with a rolled up newspaper...
Good Things
1. My new "job" is great. The fact that I can tie my PR course project in to work is also great! I'm learning loads, mostly to do with software like Raiser's Edge, which is so ridiculously in demand at at the moment that I'll be fairly set when I finish the internship. That is, if I'm not able to wrangle a paid position out of the board! Fingers crossed.
2. As a kind of "thank you" for doing this internship I get to go to Ethiopia in November. Part of what I was working on this past week was finding out about local attractions in Addis Ababa and the surrounding area. Now I've been fairly diligent with this, and scoured the Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and did a Flickr image search of all the places I found. Am now so excited at the prospect of going to Ethiopia I can hardly breathe. I love paid holidays to awesome places!
3. The organisation formerly known as my employers held a conference on Tuesday on the problem of sex trafficking and prostitution (delightful, I know!) at which the guest speaker, Victor Malarek, was someone I recommended! Clearly I still rock at that job even 8 months after I've left.
4. B and I have booked a consultation / engagement photo shoot with our first-choice wedding photographer this coming Tuesday. Again, am so excited I can barely breathe. I don't know what it is, but having an actual engagement shoot seems to move all this wedding stuff from the intangible to the realm of actual reality. As in, omigod we're actually doing this!
5. I am officially capable of waking up at 7.30am, commuting for 1 hour and 15 mins and NOT being sleepy OR grumpy (or any of the other dwarves, for that matter!)
6. B and the band are absolute rock legends, having supported Melophobia (fear of people named Mel? Fear of mellow people?) on the main stage at Whelans on Thursday night. They totally rocked a pretty crowded house and likely still have not come down off their post-performance high. And I am so incredibly proud of all of them it's ridiculous.
7. It's Pride Weekend! Rock the rainbows!
Piffling Trifles
1. Now that it's kind of warm and extremely humid, we've been leaving all the doors and windows of the apartment open wide. Result? We have random little flies in the living room. I hate flies. Get out of my house!!
2. I missed the Pride Parade due to a very important long distance phone call. Well worth it, though. I'll definitely catch the Pride Festival next year.
3. A whole day of sex trafficking and prostitution conferences is perhaps THE single most depressing way to spend a sunny Tuesday.
4. Potential Canadian wedding venues are crap at getting back to me about my enquiries. Don't tell me to email you for further information if you're not intending to write back!
5. Note to potential Irish venue: please please please, learn the difference between "its" and "it's"... oh, and "your" and "you're". I might just be that much of a grammar freak that the mistakes in your "newly updated" wedding brochure could be a dealbreaker.
So, as you can see things are definitely on the up. The piffling trifles I can live with, and the good things definitely outweigh them anyway, so I'm delighted.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to chase tiny flies around the living room with a rolled up newspaper...
June 18, 2009
Why me?
So despite a pretty awesome day overall, this evening I had an unfortunate reminder of why I sometimes hate this city.
I got robbed. Again. And I'm getting pretty sick of it, to be honest.
It's not that I'm careless with my personal possessions. Hardly. There is a part of me that is entirely made up of my mother's DNA and means that if anyone even so much as LOOKS at my bag I immediately picture them as a potential purse-snatcher. Overreaction? Perhaps.
And I know it's not Dublin's fault that I got robbed. I mean people get robbed every day in cities all over the world. It just so happens that the only 2 times in my life that I've had my bag stolen have BOTH happened here. Within a few blocks of each other, actually. And so my occasionally rose-tinted view of my adopted hometown is... a bit skewed... to the point that I'm once again forced to view each and every member of the general public as a potential purse-snatcher.
The compassionate Buddhist in me is gonna have to take a backseat for a few days.
It's just... it's such a violation of my personal space! I mean okay, I have always been lucky and gotten my purse back, which is more than most victims can say. This time the helpful manager and security people at McDonald's (yes... I got robbed at McDonald's... please spare me your ridicule for the moment) checked the CCTV footage immediately and noticed the girl in question go into the women's bathroom, where they found my bag, intact but missing €50. I know it could have been worse. Much worse! I was envisioning frantic calls to cancel all my various cards, having to pay to get IDs reissued, new student cards, etc... all with money that I don't have.
Apparently purse-snatchers do not take your employment and/or financial status into account when choosing you as a victim. Maybe I look too well-off.
Note to self - work on the "I'm unemployed, can't go on welfare and have no money" look.
I got robbed. Again. And I'm getting pretty sick of it, to be honest.
It's not that I'm careless with my personal possessions. Hardly. There is a part of me that is entirely made up of my mother's DNA and means that if anyone even so much as LOOKS at my bag I immediately picture them as a potential purse-snatcher. Overreaction? Perhaps.
And I know it's not Dublin's fault that I got robbed. I mean people get robbed every day in cities all over the world. It just so happens that the only 2 times in my life that I've had my bag stolen have BOTH happened here. Within a few blocks of each other, actually. And so my occasionally rose-tinted view of my adopted hometown is... a bit skewed... to the point that I'm once again forced to view each and every member of the general public as a potential purse-snatcher.
The compassionate Buddhist in me is gonna have to take a backseat for a few days.
It's just... it's such a violation of my personal space! I mean okay, I have always been lucky and gotten my purse back, which is more than most victims can say. This time the helpful manager and security people at McDonald's (yes... I got robbed at McDonald's... please spare me your ridicule for the moment) checked the CCTV footage immediately and noticed the girl in question go into the women's bathroom, where they found my bag, intact but missing €50. I know it could have been worse. Much worse! I was envisioning frantic calls to cancel all my various cards, having to pay to get IDs reissued, new student cards, etc... all with money that I don't have.
Apparently purse-snatchers do not take your employment and/or financial status into account when choosing you as a victim. Maybe I look too well-off.
Note to self - work on the "I'm unemployed, can't go on welfare and have no money" look.
June 9, 2009
Alive and kicking
Alright... so I had a small hiatus for the past week(ish), but I promise it was only because I really had nothing of interest to report, and didn't want to bore you all with the mundane details of my (still) unemployed life.
But!
Things have been happening, and I'm now actually out-of-my-mind busy! What what what? I know... everything seems to happen all at the same time. It doesn't rain but it pours, as I mentioned on Twitter a while ago. At least this time it is pouring good things. So here goes:
1. Gainfully employed - er... volunteering
Success #1... I have a sort of job! As of last week I am officially back in the world of employment, working an average of 3 days per week as a volunteer PR and racer support person, attempting to organise a 10km charity run in Ethiopia in November. Job perk? I get to go to Ethiopia in November! So stoked...
2. Jobhunting
Fail. Just absolute, unequivocal fail. And at the risk of placing blame unfairly on others, it's entirely not my fault! Case in point? The recruitment agency I signed up with in March rang me with "the perfect job for you". So I went out for an initial interview with the HR manager and we got on like a house on fire. In fact she noticed I was engaged, mentioned that she was getting married in 5 weeks, and we spent most of the interview talking about wedding planning. Hah! So I figured I was in good standing for that job. What I did not count on was the GM, who apparently ignored the "this girl is seriously awesome" recommendation of the HR manager, took one look at my CV/resume and flat out refused to meet me. Back to the drawing board, then.
3. PR Course
Is going well. Have decided I am a PR genius in the making. Have also noticed a serious lack of modesty now that I've been at the jobhunt for this long. I'm awesome! Hire me!!
4. Rambling all over the place, and getting ill in the process
At the weekend B and I headed down to Wexford again, to attend his niece's confirmation. Now, my knowledge of the Catholic Church is based mostly on The Da Vinci Code, so I'm always left feeling a bit awkward in a room full of hundreds of people all doing and saying (and singing) the same thing as they've been doing all their lives. But hey, it's all a learning experience. I even got sprinkled with some of the holy water from the Bishop! I'm sure the Church would be scandalised to hear that... hah.
On the Saturday night I also developed a serious, severe asthma attack. At first I chalked it up to hayfever combined with the family's profusely shedding dog, but when it didn't clear up on our return to Dublin, I started to panic. I panic anyway about breathing related problems, but this time I hauled myself over to my GP, who gave me prescriptions for my inhalers (which I'd foolishly let run out months ago) plus the added bonus of a week's worth of steroid tablets. I am a walking pharmacy.
And that's about it for me, ladies and gents! Now that I'm in a bit more of a routine I'll try to update more frequently.... really.
But!
Things have been happening, and I'm now actually out-of-my-mind busy! What what what? I know... everything seems to happen all at the same time. It doesn't rain but it pours, as I mentioned on Twitter a while ago. At least this time it is pouring good things. So here goes:
1. Gainfully employed - er... volunteering
Success #1... I have a sort of job! As of last week I am officially back in the world of employment, working an average of 3 days per week as a volunteer PR and racer support person, attempting to organise a 10km charity run in Ethiopia in November. Job perk? I get to go to Ethiopia in November! So stoked...
2. Jobhunting
Fail. Just absolute, unequivocal fail. And at the risk of placing blame unfairly on others, it's entirely not my fault! Case in point? The recruitment agency I signed up with in March rang me with "the perfect job for you". So I went out for an initial interview with the HR manager and we got on like a house on fire. In fact she noticed I was engaged, mentioned that she was getting married in 5 weeks, and we spent most of the interview talking about wedding planning. Hah! So I figured I was in good standing for that job. What I did not count on was the GM, who apparently ignored the "this girl is seriously awesome" recommendation of the HR manager, took one look at my CV/resume and flat out refused to meet me. Back to the drawing board, then.
3. PR Course
Is going well. Have decided I am a PR genius in the making. Have also noticed a serious lack of modesty now that I've been at the jobhunt for this long. I'm awesome! Hire me!!
4. Rambling all over the place, and getting ill in the process
At the weekend B and I headed down to Wexford again, to attend his niece's confirmation. Now, my knowledge of the Catholic Church is based mostly on The Da Vinci Code, so I'm always left feeling a bit awkward in a room full of hundreds of people all doing and saying (and singing) the same thing as they've been doing all their lives. But hey, it's all a learning experience. I even got sprinkled with some of the holy water from the Bishop! I'm sure the Church would be scandalised to hear that... hah.
On the Saturday night I also developed a serious, severe asthma attack. At first I chalked it up to hayfever combined with the family's profusely shedding dog, but when it didn't clear up on our return to Dublin, I started to panic. I panic anyway about breathing related problems, but this time I hauled myself over to my GP, who gave me prescriptions for my inhalers (which I'd foolishly let run out months ago) plus the added bonus of a week's worth of steroid tablets. I am a walking pharmacy.
And that's about it for me, ladies and gents! Now that I'm in a bit more of a routine I'll try to update more frequently.... really.
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