The Film Noir Experience

So, its been a week and no news on the scholarship. This has me all kinds of worried. And as if waiting weren't bad enough on its own, as each day passes I start to get more worried that soon my waiting will be over...and that it won't end as I hope it will.

Of course, you can't let your mind get wrapped up in these sorts of things. So, I continued on the job hunt today. I wasn't hired by the coffee shop. I would be upset about this, but I'm actually more upset that I'm still unemployed in the first place than I am by individual rejections. What is wrong with me that British businesses don't want to hire me? Is it really that daunting to check references in another country? Is it really that hard to shoot off an email (because I provide email addresses with all my references) if you don't want to be charged an international phone rate. Its beyond upsetting, its vexing.

On the plus side, I suppose, I found a sandwich shop and a Greggs in the area that are hiring. I could be the new pasty girl. That sounds sexier than it actually is.

Posted by Kate at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometimes, Cardiff has the sort of clouds that you expect to see in snaps taken at sunset by tourists visiting the beach. They have this salty, swept in from sea look that is harsh yet soft, backlit by the setting sun. Its one of the things I like about here; different enough from the methane sunsets of Iowa to be remarkable.

I was thinking today, while walking back from an interview at a coffee shop that a good cup of coffee from the same place you always get it is a little like making the bed in the morning. There are these steps and procedures that you have to go through if you are making it, and you might think, "Why bother?" Why mess around with hospital corners and making sure everything gets tucked in? Why bother count the seconds it takes to brew a shot? You have other things to do; the world is a busy and chaotic place.

Well, I reason that you bother because then, every time you see your bed its a reminder that there are things that you have control over. That maybe the universe isn't such a chaotic place; there is some sort of order. And you aren't bringing anything left over from yesterday, like twisted and mangled sheets because you kept tossing and turning before you fell asleep into the next day. Getting the same cup of coffee from the same place is a little like that. Its a reminder that there is order in the vast universe. A universe that may possibly be friendly because the barista that you see every Thursday and Saturday and some Mondays and Tuesdays has bothered to learn your name and not just your drink. Maybe I'm being optimistic and maybe its just subconcious, but I think these reminders of order are important to us. And even if they are the tiniest of things, they still do us good.

Posted by Kate at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of my favorite films is the Princess Bride. Its funny. Its quotable. It has call-backs. These things make it great. One of my favorite bits is The Scillian with his, "Inconceivable!"; particularly when Inigo Montoya says, "I don't think that means what you think that means."

This happens alot in the world, by the way, at least to me. Frequently, someone will jump into a conversation, or someone will misspeak, or it will turn out that Americans just don't use that word that way and bam! Miscommunication. I don't think that means what you think that means. Or, in the context of a conversation, I don't think I mean what you think I mean.

So, In honor of this hiccup of communication, I have found an online quiz about "doublespeak". Or, in the case, intentionally deceptive or ambiguous language used by businesses or government officials. Its an interesting little quiz, I recommend that you go and take it and then report back and let me know how you did. (If you don't want me to publish your score, just leave a note in the comment and I will screen it out.)

I missed one, who would have guessed that meant death? I think this is a good topic to become aware of, especially now in the run up the beginning of the American Election cycle.

Posted by Kate at 06:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Languages may be a skill set that you can be taught in a classroom. They may have phonological systems and phonetic sets and grammar. They may contain a series of tenses that have endings that you have to memorize.

But, that's not what they are.

I took myself for a walk this afternoon, and while I did it I was thinking about languages. About how they are joint efforts. They are community experiences. They are tools that we use to express our thoughts and feelings. Things we use to ask for stuff. They are a way that we express ourselves, how we identify with others or how we alienate others. And, all this takes place in contexts created by the language and by the situations and by us as individuals. We create communities. I was thinking about being little and how then communitites were provided for you. There were the kids in the neighborhood and school. There was church and choir and bible study and Girl Scouts and dance class. I think its amazing (considering how many people don't like church or school) that when we grow up we make an effort to create communities of our own. How cool is that? Sometimes, we even create communities so that we can speak something that we're not even sure how to speak.

I think the interview went well. I sat down and the Professor said that it was going to get hot in the room and I said, "Guess I'm literally in the hot seat then." and everyone laughed and we talked for about half an hour about all kinds of things. Of course, since then, I've had a lot of time to think about how I could have answered things better but I'm trying not to dwell on it and make myself more nervous. I really hope I get this; I think it would be incredibly rewarding to have an opportunity to study how people build and work together on things.

Posted by Kate at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

"There are many reasons for keeping a diary: to make a note of facts that one considers important; to open one's heart, to give vent to one's feelings, to make confessions; from the instinct of economy which sometimes encourages a writer to make good use of even the smallest crumbs of his life, so that he may have one more book to publish; or again from vanity and self-satisfaction."

Posted by Kate at 05:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have an interview next week for a scholarship I have applied for at Cardiff University.

Hooray!

Also, sorry for the lack of blogging. My computer has malfunctioned. I will hopefully fix it shortly.

Posted by Kate at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)