Totally sick right now of climbing down ten flights of stairs only to reach the ground floor, barely touching my hand on the door to the outside world, and then having to turn back around as the alarm turns off, leaving me in a glut of people all trying to crowd back into the elevators so we can go sit in our desks and stew for a while before the next bell inevitably rings, which I'm sure it will, probably tomorrow, if the pattern holds. (**breath**) GAHHHHH.
Worse still than unnecessarily having to battle the crowds in elevators and stairwells is that on every floor, the fire alarm bell is tuned just slightly differently than the one on the floor before. This means that you're not only hearing an irritating, ear-piercingly loud drone, you're hearing an irritating, ear-piercingly loud and increasingly OFF-KEY drone. OK, I'm done complaining now. Just had to get that off my chest.
27.9.07
Window-Washing
Sitting in the conference room on the 12th floor a few days ago, I noticed that there were window-washers on the high-rise next to us. There they were, about six guys rappelling down the face of the building, swinging back and forth while squeegeeing (wow, I have no idea if that's the correct word but let's roll with it) the shiny, blue-glass windows.
I got so insanely jealous of those guys, cause it looked like so much fun to just hang there, chillin', 12 stories up, sloshing soapy water onto what I imagined to be the heads of some sodden, luckless passerby. I commented to my coworker - in all seriousness - about how that would be a much more rewarding career for me, and wondered out loud how one gets into such a line of work. She laughed in my face and called me "eccentric," which, at the moment, I suppose I deserved. I guess window-washer is the sort of thing that you would really dig for about a week or so, but it, like anything else, probably also gets old after a little while.
Lo and behold, I was re-visiting a favorite webcomic today and came across this, which basically sums up my feelings about life just now:
I got so insanely jealous of those guys, cause it looked like so much fun to just hang there, chillin', 12 stories up, sloshing soapy water onto what I imagined to be the heads of some sodden, luckless passerby. I commented to my coworker - in all seriousness - about how that would be a much more rewarding career for me, and wondered out loud how one gets into such a line of work. She laughed in my face and called me "eccentric," which, at the moment, I suppose I deserved. I guess window-washer is the sort of thing that you would really dig for about a week or so, but it, like anything else, probably also gets old after a little while.
Lo and behold, I was re-visiting a favorite webcomic today and came across this, which basically sums up my feelings about life just now:
26.9.07
THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER.
OH MY GOD GUESS WHO JUST WON A FREE LUNCH?!?!?????!???
I'll end the suspense now: it was ME!!! (Ha, almost fooled you.)
So, when I started this job, I scratched my head for a while mulling over what to do with the one thousand utterly useless business cards provided to me by my firm (Literally, there are 1K of them, and of no value to me for networking purposes. "Paralegal" isn't one of those titles which make people think "Oh, this person could be a valuable business contact in the future -- I better hold on to that card." But I digress.). It dawned on me one day that the best use I could put them to would be entering them in every imaginable food drawing, you know, the kind at Chipotle or Potbelly's that if picked, you would win a free sandwich or something.
Taking this on as a personal challenge, I began dropping those things, uh, like they were hot, and left my mark all over town in every imaginable eatery.
This morning, I got a call on my workphone from some guy at Ameriprize in Tyson's Corner, and had to ask him to repeat who he was because I was a little confused. It wasn't until he mentioned he was calling about a "prize drawing" that he got my attention, and not until he mentioned the restaurant "Mai Thai" that he won my undying love and affection.
Apparently, I've won a FREE lunch for myself AND my coworkers at this awesome Thai restaurant. Apparently, the catch is that they get us all there and while we're waiting for our food to come, he gives us some phony corporate bullshit spiel about "investing our assets" or something, and we laugh at him for five minutes and then snarf up our free food, courtesy of my charming cards.
So now that I've accomplished my year's goal (to make my business cards earn me free food), I don't really know what to do with myself. I need to somehow raise the bar as to what other side perks I can greedily squeeze out of corporate life. Hmmmm.... on to devising a new goal for myself.
I'll end the suspense now: it was ME!!! (Ha, almost fooled you.)
So, when I started this job, I scratched my head for a while mulling over what to do with the one thousand utterly useless business cards provided to me by my firm (Literally, there are 1K of them, and of no value to me for networking purposes. "Paralegal" isn't one of those titles which make people think "Oh, this person could be a valuable business contact in the future -- I better hold on to that card." But I digress.). It dawned on me one day that the best use I could put them to would be entering them in every imaginable food drawing, you know, the kind at Chipotle or Potbelly's that if picked, you would win a free sandwich or something.
Taking this on as a personal challenge, I began dropping those things, uh, like they were hot, and left my mark all over town in every imaginable eatery.
This morning, I got a call on my workphone from some guy at Ameriprize in Tyson's Corner, and had to ask him to repeat who he was because I was a little confused. It wasn't until he mentioned he was calling about a "prize drawing" that he got my attention, and not until he mentioned the restaurant "Mai Thai" that he won my undying love and affection.
Apparently, I've won a FREE lunch for myself AND my coworkers at this awesome Thai restaurant. Apparently, the catch is that they get us all there and while we're waiting for our food to come, he gives us some phony corporate bullshit spiel about "investing our assets" or something, and we laugh at him for five minutes and then snarf up our free food, courtesy of my charming cards.
So now that I've accomplished my year's goal (to make my business cards earn me free food), I don't really know what to do with myself. I need to somehow raise the bar as to what other side perks I can greedily squeeze out of corporate life. Hmmmm.... on to devising a new goal for myself.
25.9.07
Not to despair!!
It occurs to me that I've painted a pretty sorry picture of my life on this blog to date. I need to correct this misapprehension right here, right now: notwithstanding the crappy job, my life in DC rocks. I love it here. Seriously: life + DC + Krystyna = good. Really good. (Be wowed by my mathematical talents.)
It's been an interesting change to pass from "student mode," where your status as student defines every aspect of your life to "grown-up mode." As a student, your eating/sleeping/studying/bathing/socializing habits seem to somehow become entangled and intractably linked, and your schedule is invariably dependent on what the syllabus says that week. In "grown-up mode," however, I have discovered a little something called the work/life divide. (We can make SAT-style analogies, to the tune of work::life as disengagement::enthusiasm... or something like that.)
This means that while I may have an unsatisfying job, I more than make up for it by cultivating my personal interests. Outside of work, I truly am leading a very personally fulfilling life: I've begun Arabic lessons, have taken up the bluegrass fiddle, and am putting my kitchen to good use by cooking up a storm (fyi, last night I made a delectable chicken pipperade -- YUMMM. Seriously, if you're in the area, lemme know when I can cook dinner for you!) Most importantly, I have already garnered a wide social circle, and have tons of good friends in the District, both old and new. I actually feel let down if more than two days pass without me running into someone I know around town. Two days ago, I heard that a friend from Pomona went to Trader Joe's and was checked out (in the supermarket payment sense, not the "howyoudoin?" sense) by another old friend of mine -- turns out that within the few minutes it took to make that transaction, they had already figured out that I was a link between them. Gotta love the small-town feel of this city.
So among the old hobbies (including standards such as avid crossword-puzzling), the new ones (like deciphering Arabic script), the bar scene (happy hour is basically mandatory for any young professional in this city), the time I have to dig into good books (currently working my way through "The Brothers Karamazov"), and the ever-expanding web of awesome people with whom to surround myself, I'm digging this life. I may still need to re-balance my priorities at some point, that is, put a little more value on work, but I hate to take any emphasis away from my personal development at this point. I figure as far as a "real" career path goes, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
It's been an interesting change to pass from "student mode," where your status as student defines every aspect of your life to "grown-up mode." As a student, your eating/sleeping/studying/bathing/socializing habits seem to somehow become entangled and intractably linked, and your schedule is invariably dependent on what the syllabus says that week. In "grown-up mode," however, I have discovered a little something called the work/life divide. (We can make SAT-style analogies, to the tune of work::life as disengagement::enthusiasm... or something like that.)
This means that while I may have an unsatisfying job, I more than make up for it by cultivating my personal interests. Outside of work, I truly am leading a very personally fulfilling life: I've begun Arabic lessons, have taken up the bluegrass fiddle, and am putting my kitchen to good use by cooking up a storm (fyi, last night I made a delectable chicken pipperade -- YUMMM. Seriously, if you're in the area, lemme know when I can cook dinner for you!) Most importantly, I have already garnered a wide social circle, and have tons of good friends in the District, both old and new. I actually feel let down if more than two days pass without me running into someone I know around town. Two days ago, I heard that a friend from Pomona went to Trader Joe's and was checked out (in the supermarket payment sense, not the "howyoudoin?" sense) by another old friend of mine -- turns out that within the few minutes it took to make that transaction, they had already figured out that I was a link between them. Gotta love the small-town feel of this city.
So among the old hobbies (including standards such as avid crossword-puzzling), the new ones (like deciphering Arabic script), the bar scene (happy hour is basically mandatory for any young professional in this city), the time I have to dig into good books (currently working my way through "The Brothers Karamazov"), and the ever-expanding web of awesome people with whom to surround myself, I'm digging this life. I may still need to re-balance my priorities at some point, that is, put a little more value on work, but I hate to take any emphasis away from my personal development at this point. I figure as far as a "real" career path goes, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
20.9.07
The Doldrums
Bertrand Russell wrote that "one of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important." No offense to you, Mr. Russell, but I'm going to have to respectfully disagree on this point.
I'd have to say that the root cause of my own impending psychological collapse is the fact that I constantly struggle to find, well, any redeeming value in my work. Having taken a crappy entry-level job out of economic necessity (I think the train of thought just before graduation went something like: I want to live in DC, DC is expensive, cool jobs are hard to find without more work experience, therefore, I must compromise a little in order to feed myself), I am now confirming in fact the belief that I once held only in theory: corporate life blows.
Holding a job description that might read something like "doing the bidding of arrogant and scatterbrained lawyers," I am alternately called to work insanely long hours during the run-up to their deadlines, or to sit aimlessly for days at a time when there is really nothing that needs to be done. Right now, I'm definitely in the doldrums. I have pretty much exhausted the excitement of the internet itself, having viewed just about every random site and watched every inane video avaliable... twice.
Don't tell me "oh, I wish I had that luxury. If only I had too little work to do!" Really, not only is it a little inherently condescending, but it's also untrue. While having free time on occasion (like at nights and on weekends) is wonderful and also quite necessary to a person's sanity, sitting around during normal work hours pondering how your nascent work skills are completely underutilized and your once-active brain going to rot is not, I should stress, a pleasant feeling. I like goofing off on occasion as much as the next person, but I also want to make a difference in the world, at least in some small way, and I'd really like to be able to put myself to use in some more-than-marginal capacity. If this requires hard work, then bring it on. I couldn't be more ready.
I'd have to say that the root cause of my own impending psychological collapse is the fact that I constantly struggle to find, well, any redeeming value in my work. Having taken a crappy entry-level job out of economic necessity (I think the train of thought just before graduation went something like: I want to live in DC, DC is expensive, cool jobs are hard to find without more work experience, therefore, I must compromise a little in order to feed myself), I am now confirming in fact the belief that I once held only in theory: corporate life blows.
Holding a job description that might read something like "doing the bidding of arrogant and scatterbrained lawyers," I am alternately called to work insanely long hours during the run-up to their deadlines, or to sit aimlessly for days at a time when there is really nothing that needs to be done. Right now, I'm definitely in the doldrums. I have pretty much exhausted the excitement of the internet itself, having viewed just about every random site and watched every inane video avaliable... twice.
Don't tell me "oh, I wish I had that luxury. If only I had too little work to do!" Really, not only is it a little inherently condescending, but it's also untrue. While having free time on occasion (like at nights and on weekends) is wonderful and also quite necessary to a person's sanity, sitting around during normal work hours pondering how your nascent work skills are completely underutilized and your once-active brain going to rot is not, I should stress, a pleasant feeling. I like goofing off on occasion as much as the next person, but I also want to make a difference in the world, at least in some small way, and I'd really like to be able to put myself to use in some more-than-marginal capacity. If this requires hard work, then bring it on. I couldn't be more ready.
19.9.07
All Grown Up and Nowhere to Go
Humor me for a minute while I quote some lines from a musical, Avenue Q:
What do you do with a BA in English?
What is my life going to be?
Four years of college,
and plenty of knowledge
have earned me this useless degree.
I can't pay the bills yet,
'cause I have no skills yet.
The world is a big scary place.
But somehow I can't shake
the feeling I might make
a difference to the human race."
Yes, the musical is meant to highlight the innocence and naivety of those fresh-out-of-the-womb (that is, college) grads who hit the job market, panic, and start longing for the comfort of their dear alma mater. Yes, it is meant to provoke laughter on the part of all those wizened 30-somethings who watch it and think, "how young and self-absorbed they are, thinking that life comes to an end when you turn 25!" Yes, it also really, really, speaks to me.
I find that I can now relate in a very intense way to the stereotypical trials and tribulations that the musical's characters endure: that is, un- (or under-) employment, stalled love life, money woes, and of course, that pesky feeling that you still don't know what you want to be "when you grow up." Post-college malaise in its purest form.
Yes, on a purely abstract level I understand that I'm only 22, and that all this worrying about missing out on opportunities that will define my life course is wayyyyyyyyy premature. But on a gut level, I can't help it -- if I'm paying taxes and bills and working 8-hour days and contributing to an IRA plan, then dammit, I'm as grown up as I'm gonna get, and I feel almost entitled to panic a little about having my life not be as ideal as I once dreamed. But then I get a reality check, and breathe a little, and realize that everyone I know (in that post-college, pre-marriage cohort) seems to be going through EXACTLY the same thing. So I put off worrying for a little while, and instead check out the DC happy hour circuit, which it seems, unlike having a quarter-life crisis, IS an age-appropriate activity for me.
Speaking of happy hour, yesterday I got my ID checked upon entering a bar, and the guy looks at me and says he has the same birthday as I do, except in 1985. So there you have it -- I have officially had my ID checked by a guy a year younger than me. I feel perfectly entitled to feel old.
What do you do with a BA in English?
What is my life going to be?
Four years of college,
and plenty of knowledge
have earned me this useless degree.
I can't pay the bills yet,
'cause I have no skills yet.
The world is a big scary place.
But somehow I can't shake
the feeling I might make
a difference to the human race."
Yes, the musical is meant to highlight the innocence and naivety of those fresh-out-of-the-womb (that is, college) grads who hit the job market, panic, and start longing for the comfort of their dear alma mater. Yes, it is meant to provoke laughter on the part of all those wizened 30-somethings who watch it and think, "how young and self-absorbed they are, thinking that life comes to an end when you turn 25!" Yes, it also really, really, speaks to me.
I find that I can now relate in a very intense way to the stereotypical trials and tribulations that the musical's characters endure: that is, un- (or under-) employment, stalled love life, money woes, and of course, that pesky feeling that you still don't know what you want to be "when you grow up." Post-college malaise in its purest form.
Yes, on a purely abstract level I understand that I'm only 22, and that all this worrying about missing out on opportunities that will define my life course is wayyyyyyyyy premature. But on a gut level, I can't help it -- if I'm paying taxes and bills and working 8-hour days and contributing to an IRA plan, then dammit, I'm as grown up as I'm gonna get, and I feel almost entitled to panic a little about having my life not be as ideal as I once dreamed. But then I get a reality check, and breathe a little, and realize that everyone I know (in that post-college, pre-marriage cohort) seems to be going through EXACTLY the same thing. So I put off worrying for a little while, and instead check out the DC happy hour circuit, which it seems, unlike having a quarter-life crisis, IS an age-appropriate activity for me.
Speaking of happy hour, yesterday I got my ID checked upon entering a bar, and the guy looks at me and says he has the same birthday as I do, except in 1985. So there you have it -- I have officially had my ID checked by a guy a year younger than me. I feel perfectly entitled to feel old.
14.9.07
Rationale for Blogging Attempt No. 2
Alright folks. It seems that Krystyna, after long and hard deliberation, is back on the blog wagon. (Off the anti-blog wagon? Having never felt the need to admit to alcoholism, I haven't attended any meetings that would have taught me that relevant terminology concerning said "wagon.") After maintaining a small but fervent readership for my study-abroad blog, I dropped the whole endeavor after returning to the states, mostly because I thought it was unneccesarily narcissistic for me to yammer on about, well, me, but equally on the realization that the caliber of my stories plummeted once I left East Africa.
In any case, two years hence and I've decided to once again give it a go. While I do still believe that blogs are essentially platforms for one's vanity, I've started feeling that itch to be self-indulgent. Why start up the blog again? Not only is there is a gratifying feeling in knowing that people are (marginally) interested in what goes on in my life, but moreover, I'm hoping that the act of writing things down will magically transform the dullness of my quotidien routine into something lively, engaging, and readable! That's the goal, at least. We'll see if my writing skills are up to the task.
Also, I feel I owe my blogging friends the reverse favor of giving them back something to read, since I truly do enjoy the voyeurism of following their exploits online. But enough prelude -- on to the blog!!
In any case, two years hence and I've decided to once again give it a go. While I do still believe that blogs are essentially platforms for one's vanity, I've started feeling that itch to be self-indulgent. Why start up the blog again? Not only is there is a gratifying feeling in knowing that people are (marginally) interested in what goes on in my life, but moreover, I'm hoping that the act of writing things down will magically transform the dullness of my quotidien routine into something lively, engaging, and readable! That's the goal, at least. We'll see if my writing skills are up to the task.
Also, I feel I owe my blogging friends the reverse favor of giving them back something to read, since I truly do enjoy the voyeurism of following their exploits online. But enough prelude -- on to the blog!!
6.9.07
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