juggling two jobs

I currently have two part-time jobs. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but I’m busier than ever and it’s actually not too bad. I prefer to be busy, because then I feel forced to manage my time and actually get things done. All in all, it’s been a mixture of interesting, frustrating, and wow-this-is-so-much-like-studio.

About Job A: On the weekend (only a few hours), I teach three high school kids who are preparing for the SAT and I feel like they want to drive me crazy. I think all teenage boys are the same – immature and apathetic. Maybe if I taught them individually it would have been okay, but when they’re together … mayhem.

About Job B: I’m working for an architecture firm part-time on weekday afternoons. I basically do a lot of SketchUp and AutoCAD busy work, which is fine. I’m still getting used to paper sizes like A0, A3, and A4, but I spent a few hours folding A0-sized sheets the proper architecture-y way, and it was kind of fun. It’s a lot like studio with fast-approaching deadlines, “lying” in drawings, and late nights. Last Thursday we got dinner from 7-11 (the office building actually has its own 7-11) and I got off work around 11, but thankfully that’s not typical.

I’m getting paid peanuts, but it’s all good so far.

gaining weight

Recently multiple people have said that I look chubbier. What!? All of my clothes still fit, but it looks like I gain weight in my face, so oh joy. Since I keep track of my weight, I flipped through my records and figured out that I have gained ten pounds in the last six months. Wow. Then again, considering that I just shoveled a spoonful of peanut butter into my mouth, it’s quite understandable.

start with breakfast

I’m not much of a breakfast eater. I’m more of a eat-cookies-on-the-bus person. That being said, sometimes I like to fix myself some actual food (usually on the weekends when I actually have the time). Unfortunately, starting the day off correctly does not mean that I’m not going to completely waste the rest of the day. Ah, procrastination, how I fall prey to you once again.

happy pi day

Happy Pi Day! I have discovered that it is impossible to find pie in Shanghai, so instead I had to settle on choco pies. I bought them to give to my classmates, and most of them were completely oblivious as to the day’s significance. It also took a bit of explaining as to why today was Pi Day. Apparently it’s not as widely celebrated as I thought. Sad. I miss apple pie. The end.

mycenae makes me smile

Been over a week since my last post, mostly because things are getting more hectic. Yay! School is in full swing and oh goodness gracious it’s requiring a lot more input from me than last semester. I have no job, but I’m looking for one. Not too seriously, but it’d be nice to work a few hours a week. I’ve also started to do a language exchange, so hopefully that’ll help my speaking improve. Oh, and I’m going to New York! For graduate school! … Somewhere! Basically there are no firm plans and I’ve managed to decide on the city but not the school. Still waiting for a few replies and all.

Oh, and Shenzhen guy has stopped calling. Yay! Unfortunately I haven’t received any calls from prospective employers either. Sigh … c’est la vie. Below is from Shenzhen’s Window of the World park, and depicts the glory that is the Lion Gate at Mycenae at 1:1 scale. I was completely amazed that they even included it because how many people have ever heard of the Lion Gate? Probably explains why there was no one else there versus the crowds around the Arc de Triomphe. Anyway, I am particularly fond of ancient Greece (architecture, mythology, literature), so yeah … I did a little happy dance when I saw it and kept prancing back and forth through the gate. It was much smaller than I would’ve expected. Still very cool.

ugh … life et cetera

I feel ucks. School has started up again, I have no more income, and I feel kind of sickly. I’m not sick, but I think the combination of a screwed-up sleep schedule and ridiculous eating schedule (yesterday I forgot to eat dinner until around 11 pm) are kind of getting to me. Plus, I switched into a higher level class and it’s a bit tough so my head hurts. I’m quite out of practice as well, having not used Mandarin in all the time I was traveling and on break. Yikes.

Speaking of the break, the below picture is of the Great Wall of China – in miniature. Shenzhen, China, has this park called Splendid China, where they have major Chinese tourist attractions in miniature form. Quite cute. Interesting. All in all a fun few hours of walking around. I kind of wish I knew more about Chinese architecture though. Okay, so Splendid China was fun, but what happened there was kind of weird, in that I ended up spending the day/evening with three random Chinese people.

At the entrance, a girl asked me to take a picture for her. She was also traveling alone and attached herself to me/dragged me along. She was kind of annoying, but whatever. Maybe five minutes in, she asked for directions from two guys, and they said they had just arrived themselves. So … she attached us to them. I spent about six hours with them, had dinner, caught a show, et cetera. Very weird. Weirder though, Shenzhen Guy1 (at least that’s what he’s listed at in my phone) called me today. Basically he said that next time he visits Shanghai I should cook for him. Um, no. I told him I can’t cook. Back in Shenzhen I barely spoke to them because I found the whole situation kind of odd, so I didn’t think he’d try to keep in touch, especially because he’s married with a kid and all. I said very little and kept the conversation short, which I hope was hint enough of LEAVE ME ALONE, but not sure. Hopefully he loses my number. Should never have given it in the first place. Ugh.