Day 79

Exactly one year ago I moved to Boston.

I don't sleep on the floor anymore and it's finally starting to feel like home. 

Day 78

Last day of classes for a bit. New friends for the summer, and very possible much longer. 

Day 77

Today I was the student!

Day 76

What are some things you find annoying?

Japan: I don't like that my husband has always said "I'll wash the dishes later". I'm annoyed that even though I call a plumber, he hasn't always kept his promises. I don't like that the server explains about foods for a long time at the restaurants. I don't like winter in Boston. 

Day 75

I wasn't completely overwhelmed and confused in French class today. Until I lied and said I had a dog when it was my turn to tell something about myself because "dog" is the only word I remembered how to pronounce from the vocabulary. Then they asked me what his name is. Uhh, Spot! Then they asked what kind of dog he is. I don't know what kinds of dogs there are, lady!! You just called on me first and I didn't have time to think and now I'm caught in a web of lies! I don't even like dogs! Move on!

I will read the vocabulary this week. 

Day 74

Today is Memorial Day. Which reminds me that I really need to make friends with rooftops and BBQ grills. Instead of eating a delicious hamburger and corn on the cob, I helped my new boss paint her new apartment. Another job that I will NEVER attempt: Painting. The house kind. 

The good news for her room: Even a bad paint job would be an improvement.

   

Day 73

Wow I get SO much more work done when it's raining. More rain. More rain. More rain. 

Day 72

One of my students offered me her apartment in Paris. Whenever I want. For free. So I'm googling things. 

Day 71

They let ME help the wine rainman Matteo do the Friday tasting. Only because we were two men down. And they had no other choice. And I talk loud anyway. I liked it. I think I like talking in front of people.

Day 70

 International relations.  

Day 69

Hot is my favorite.
Dresses are my favorite.
Starting my day with foreigners is my favorite.
Making students who come in late sing a song in their language in front of the class is my favorite.

Writing on my stoop while crazy dogwalkers and mommies with babies in strollers and mailmen and neighbors and streetcleaners pass by is my favorite.
Walking around the city in the middle of the day in the middle of the week is my favorite.
Trying new cheese at the the European Food Festival with my students is my favorite.
Sleeping with my windows open is my favorite. 
Not going to an office to make advertising tomorrow is my favorite. 

Today is my favorite. 

Day 68

Working on my stoop. In the sunshine. On my brick-paved, tree-lined street. People are out walking around. Smiling. Saying hello to each other. I live on Sesame Street!

Day 67

It’s L’Auberge Boston.

My wine shop boss broke up with her boyfriend and moved out of his house and into a non-residential apartment in Chinatown today with some English and Australian artists and musicians. Yeah I think I’ve seen this movie before, too. AND I LOVED IT.

This is all more than slightly reminiscent of one of my favorite movies, L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment). Also one of my favorite types of movies. With different people from different places whose lives intersect. Why I’m fascinated by such things I don’t know but I am. So having a front row seat to a real life “Spanish Apartment”? I’m beside myself.

Their place looks like a condemned building at the moment but their collaborative creativity is already starting to add warmth and charm to it. There’s even graffiti inside! Graffiti and exposed brick and foreigners and artists and musicians. OH MY! My grand tour of the place was accompanied by the sound of Alessandro’s girlfriend practicing the cello. Their other roommate is a songwriter who has produced a song for John Mayer. The other roommate is an artist working on some instillation in Miami with artists from around the world. And I guess the whole building is filled with more of their kind.

I've found my new Third Place.

Also had the funnest, most un-filling lunch ever with my students after class. We went to a Japanese restaurant called something that meant soup meat fondue. We cooked soup right at our tables and added all sorts of interesting things to it. I did NOT eat the crazy egg inside. The crazy purple gel thing. I didn’t really eat much of anything. But it was fun to make. And again, amazing company. Where have these people been all my life?

Day 66

So it's not raining anymore but I wish it still was. So that I wouldn't feel guilty for staying in all day. I just can't seem to put clothes on. Even though I really need milk. Even though I'll be mad at myself tonight for wasting the day. I don't care. My apartment is too cozy right now. And the Coco Chanel movie I want to go see is still not out yet! So f it. I'm staying right here.

I'm fascinated by The Coco. I read a little about her life while writing a business plan for the jewelry company I freelance for. She's a badass! I remember reading a quote from her...something along the lines of "I didn't like my life so I reinvented it." Which I LOVED of course. Now her initials hang over the arms of desperate housewives and block UV rays from yuppie eyeballs everywhere. And how many little black dresses do we all own?? Not bad for a poor little orphan.

More Coco-isms:

“There are people who have money and people who are rich.”
~Coco Chanel

I invented my life by taking for granted that everything I did not
like would have an opposite, which I would like.
~Coco Chanel

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.
~Coco Chanel

Day 65

I had a very language-y day. I corrected English. 

France (I think I have a favorite student): I can be easily annoyed. But I will just discuss some of my new discoveries in Boston. I've been disappointed by the attitude of drivers in Boston. I don't drive but bike and walk a lot and in both situations, I've found that the drivers are really without respect for others. For example, at the red lamp, they don't stop before the pedestrian crossing, but on this one! Why? The drivers make also an extensive use of their horns and not always for some good reasons. I remember biking in a narrow street. A car arrived and followed me but immediately the driver begin to honk. What was I supposed to do? Jump on the sidewalk?

Brazil: People annoy me when they are rude. When they make me miserable. When just his views is correct. When they are careless with my things. When I talk and they don't pay attention.

Korea: I don't like smelling smoke cigarette. So smoking in the street of public places really ticks me off. 

I practiced my French. 

Je suis

Tu es

Il/elle est

Nous sommes

Vous etes

Ils/elles sont

And I sat next to an Italian couple at an outdoor cafe and for a teeny tiny itsy bitsy moment, while they were speaking, I felt like I was in some piazza in Rome. This does not mean I have an imagination. This means I'm delusional. And I REALLY need to get out of town. Is that being greedy? The last two months of my life have been one big vacation! So it's not that I need a break. I just need that high you get from being in an unfamiliar place. I wish I liked drugs. My vices would be WAY cheaper. 

Day 64

Conversational English Level 2. Freelance. Wine shop. More freelance. Then more freelance. Then organic, biodynamic, environmentally friendly Malbec. Daydreaming about far away places AGAIN. Not doing the dishes. Wondering if I should get my hair cut tomorrow. Wondering about a lot of things. Being patient. Being anxious. Being thankful. Considering push-ups. Maybe sit-ups. Looking up flights. Getting off the computer NOW before I do anything drastic.

Day 63

I'm supposed to be writing mission statements but instead I'm planning imaginary vacations here. And here. I have the travel itch. Bad. I need a fix. 

Day 62

For the first time ever, I'm watching American Idol. On purpose. To see Adam Lambert visit our old high school in sunny San Diego. I never knew how much I loved Mt. Carmel High School until I moved my junior year. In San Diego I grew up with every culture. People of every color. Then I moved to Michigan. My new high school had one black kid and a couple Chinese kids. The boys wore khakis and tucked their shirts in. The girls wore ribbons in their hair. Everyone looked the same. So I blame (thank) Mt. Carmel for making me the xenophile I am today. I think I love diversity so much because I got to see what life is like with out it. It's creepy!

I love you Mt. Carmel High School. I will give you lots of money if I ever become rich. That's a huge gigantic enormous IF so don't hold your breath or anything. 

Day 61

Jack of all trades, master of none.

I remember the first time I heard that phrase. I thought, "Hey!! That's me!!" followed immediately by "Oh fuck. That's me..." 

Nothing sums up my previously subconscious approach to work (and life) more than that phrase. For better or worse. Exactly two months after getting laid of from a job I hated, I have 3+ jobs that I love. I love them for a ton of reasons but I think what I love most is the fact that I don't have just one job. I don't wear just one metaphorical hat. Every week I split my time between three very different jobs requiring three very different interests and skills. On the days I work all three jobs, instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel quite liberated. If I were teaching ESL or slinging grape juice exclusively, I think I'd eventually find myself anxious again. I used to think this anxiousness was the result of not finding the "right" job. Now I know it's BECAUSE I've found the right jobs. Jobsss with an sss. 

I've made peace with the fact that I'll never be really good at anything. I don't have the patience nor desire to concentrate on honing one skill or learning one art. I get bored. I start wondering what else I would be missing out on if I spent all my time at one job. Or in one city. Or with the same people. 

This is bad because I'm also one of those people that enjoy steady paychecks, health insurance and 401k. Paying $500 for health insurance is just stoopid. But I'll figure all that out. For now, I'm running with the jack of all trades thing. It's fun. My new jobs may not have the traditional benefits like vision and dental but I think they are doing worlds for my overall health and well-being. My quality of life has skyrocketed. And money had nothing to do with it. Imagine that. 

Day 60

Watching more Jim Jarmusch. Love Jim Jarmusch. There's an idea here somewhere.

Day 59

One last night with the camels then it's back to work.

Day 58

I was Chaldean all day today. That's kind of like a full time job.

Day 57

And other times I love advertising.

Day 56

I don't believe in 5 year plans but I asked my students (coworkers?) to write about theirs anyway. For will/may/might/would/could practice. Premium responses. Per usual.

France: So I hope that in five years the science will have do great progress. Really great. So I might get gills, like fishes. It would be very useful for me. Now I swim like a dog, but with gils and some other enhancements, I may swim like a dolphin and I could enjoy deep water swimming. I might also get a few more arms, useful to wash dishes. No, really, I think I will enjoy the future.

Day 55

I don't join book clubs. I don't hang out with groups of girls. I don't eat onions in my salad. I do now.

5 femmes with 5 different professions from 5 different countries, age 23-40. Single. Married. With kids. Without. Hanging out in a kitchen. Making a big lunch. Arguing over onions. Not talking about books. And I was actually having fun. I didn't want to leave as soon as I got there.

They reminded me how much I like people. (Sometimes.)

In other news, Germany did not offend anyone in class today. In fact, she and the Brazilian Tiramisu queen have a weekend shopping trip planned. Shopping is the best friendmaker ever.

Brazil: Here I could see that Americans like big boxes, big cans, big cups, big advertisements papers, big cars and so on. I also notice that on the advertisements on the radio, they say the company's phone so many times, in Brazil they only say one time.

Japan: Why are the coffee cups so big?

Korea: Korean homes have underground heating system. So back in the day, most Korean used to sleep on ground in home. It's very warm. You may sleep in ground. You can feel better because when korean people feel hurt, they usually use warm things. For example hot pack, hot stone room and hot food. So you'd better experience that hot culture in Korea.

Japan: I was annoyed by drivers during driving. They blew the horn at once when the lights changed to green.

Germany: In Germany, please not surprised when you go to swim. Many people swim in the nude. I hate the lycra. It is bad for the skin. I like to be nude. Is much better.

Day 54

Je suis learning Français. Je t'aime all the Ss and Zs.

Bonsoir.

Day 53

France. Japan. Germany. Korea x2. Brazil x3. My new English Level 4 class.

It's going to be an interesting 4 weeks. Thanks to Germany. I'm pretty sure she has already insulted Brazil and Korea. Unintentionally. I think? Luckily they don't understand each other very well yet. France is hilarious and the only thing I know about him for sure is that he loves the supermarket (me too! me too!). Korea #1 is thrilled that in America, it is possible to make any type of meal from a box. No cake mix in Korea. No Rice-a-Roni. In America, you can make anything you want whenever you want! Brazil says he's never heard of Oprah. The other Brazil loves Tiramisu. To which Germany replied "Well, I hope you like the gym too.". When asked to practice modals and begin a sentence with "I can't" Germany responded with: But I CAN do everything.

I'm thoroughly amused already. To say the least.

Day 52

Writing. Writing. Writing. All day. All weekend. For my other, other job. The company that makes these purdy little thangs. 

Day 51

Cleaning + My first favorite song ever



+ Some Tempations



+ Some Stevie

Day 50...but wait, there's more!

I had a brilliant idea yesterday when an Argentinian winemaker (the very blue-eyed, very dark-haired Matias) popped in the store to pour his wines himself. I guess it happens every so often. So my new mission is to convince one of these winemakers to let me come work on their vineyard sometime. Like for a week. So I can cross it off my bucket list. And of course just hang out.

Day 50.5

Just got a call from the school. I get to teach the next session of English Level 4! Starting Monday! This means NEW foreigners! And more homework assignments! And no new grammar! And more new friends! And more research for plan B, C, D, X, Y, Z!

!

Day 50

Axing the career in anthropology, STAT. An e-mail I just received from the anthro department at a university after inquiring about their program:

Stephanie,

Having a fascination with other cultures is a sign of an intelligent individual. Certainly there are countless books that you could read to fulfill that interest.

Pursuing anthropology as a profession goes far beyond the dream. For starters, there are virtually no jobs for people with MAs. The main employers were car companies and ad agencies, both of which have been hit hard in this recession.

The PhD program is a 6+ year commitment in an academically-rigorous program, including two years of coursework, comprehensive exams, a year or more of field research, and a 350-page dissertation. A potential grad student generally has a specific idea of what he or she wants to study--for example, one student is studying the effect of a tourist program on a certain remote region of Tibet.

With a doctorate in anthropology, you can teach on the college level, lead research programs, work at an NGO, and so on. But since you would now be applying to programs starting in September 2010, your future profession would start in 2017 (or, more likely, even later). Can you wait that long?

Sorry to be so straightforward, but you need to know the truth. If you still are interested in anthropology, let me know and I can arrange for you to visit with some professors and grad students.

Wishing you the best of luck, Mark

Way to sell the program, Mark! 350-page dissertation. Won't graduate until 2017. Virtually no jobs. This might be one of the funniest e-mails I've ever received. After making me laugh out loud, it did give me a reality check. School is a big commitment. And I've never really been great with commitment. Or decisions. Or niche work. Or homework. Which means on to my other ideas for capitalizing on my cultural interests.