I think my honeymoon phase may be officially over. However, that is not to say that I am still not loving every minute here – because I am – but, it is to say that ‘poor student’ reality has set in. Poor student as in…poor me, I have to remember how to be a student again, and I’m a poor student who needs to find a job.
Most of my days consist of breakfast, read, lunch, read, class (if I have it), dinner, WINE, (maybe read, depending on the amount of wine) and repeat. Mind you I only have class on Monday and Tuesday and the occasional all day Friday – so you would think I’d have more than enough time to do my schoolwork and have a life. No, my life is school, but you know what Katie (I say to myself) – this is what you signed up for. And it’s true, this is the life I’ve wanted the minute I graduated school three years ago. It’s just been a shock to the system, remembering how to study and read (quickly) again.
As for my poor student “I should eat ramen everyday” situation…finding a job is hard! Especially when I don’t have barista or serving skills, definitely limits the job options. I actually had a job two weeks ago for about two days…as a Social Media Expert. Sounds perfect for me, don’t you think?! It was for a start up online coupon company, fashioning itself after America’s “GROUPON” if you’ve heard of it. Anyway, the “owner” didn’t have any idea what he was doing…therefore nor did I, and I think we both saw the writing on the wall after day two. Since then I’ve been back on the saddle sending my resume out like it’s sold at Costco – in mass. Ironically enough, I think a job just fell into my lap yesterday (without having to spend hours on a cover letter and customizing my resume). There was an opening at a company that friend works for, she put in a good word, I called to follow up, and I start next week! I can’t really explain exactly what the company does or what I will be doing, but I believe it will be a mix of office admin, serving, and hostessing. Don’t worry, the company is legitimate, and as long as it pays decently, it’s great!
I think the new job (knock on wood) will not only help pay the bills, but will also give more structure to my weeks, and force me out of the apartment breaking up the monotony of read and repeat.
Next week I have a week off from school for the Easter holiday and I hope to get out of the city a bit and stretch my legs. Of course in order to do that, I need to be all caught up with school…so more from me soon…I’m off to READ!
2.4.10
23.3.10
photo gallery
hi all,
i know i've been slack on writing...suffering from writer's block. don't feel like i have much to say at the moment. BUT i did just update my photo gallery on facebook. this should be a public link (copy & paste in your URL) for those who are not my "friend" on facebook :)
enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059252&id=44900330&l=3046e21c32
ps. the comment function/link on my blog still does not work. apologies!
i know i've been slack on writing...suffering from writer's block. don't feel like i have much to say at the moment. BUT i did just update my photo gallery on facebook. this should be a public link (copy & paste in your URL) for those who are not my "friend" on facebook :)
enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059252&id=44900330&l=3046e21c32
ps. the comment function/link on my blog still does not work. apologies!
2.3.10
just peace
*my opinions and feelings are expressed in this blog and not meant to offend anyone's political views.
oh my god – academia never felt so good! Pure and utter ecstasy describes my feelings best. I’m a student again and finally dedicating myself to my true passions and dreams. I have never felt so whole in my entire life.
Stepping on campus for the first time, I knew I was home. Academia is my utopia. Put me in a classroom with engaging topics and people and I’ll want for nothing…well, maybe with the exception of french fries and diet coke.
My excitement hit a new level at my Faculty of Arts Orientation Dinner on the 25th. Free wine, appetizers, and meeting and mingling with my new MPACS (Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies) friends and colleagues = euphoria. We are from all over the world, and as we met each other excitement about our future discussions grew and grew. And added bonus, after the dinner a handful of us kicked the semester off right with three rounds of beer at a local bar in Glebe (my neighborhood). Despite everything, it is good to know that beer is a universal language – maybe beer is the pathway to peace?
Yesterday, Monday March 1, was the official first day of school. Funny thinking how many first days of school I’ve had, and wondering if this would be my last. I hope not!
Three hugely exciting things happened over the past two days…First, the moment I’d most been waiting for – I met Jake Lynch – my idol! And, he is my professor!! A little background on this man, he is a former BBC correspondent and journalist, and the leader and one of the first practitioners of Peace Journalism. I studied his work and consequently wrote my senior thesis on Peace Journalism. Needless to say I am beyond star struck – and he undoubtedly knows my undying adoration. And to clarify, by professor, some may assume I am one of 500 in an impersonal lecture hall and Jake will never know of my existence. Oh no, that is not the case at all. The MPACS department is maybe that of 100, including professors – so class sizes are 35 and under, and he definitely already knows me by name. go me ☺
The second hugely exciting moment was fully understanding what a world class program I am now a part of. Besides being one the best programs and universities for Peace and Conflict Studies in the world, I am studying with tremendous people, with tremendous experiences and passion. During class introductions I realized just how international and outstanding my cohorts are… they come from Germany, Iraq, Australia, Finland, Nepal, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Norway, Iran, Faeroe Islands, China, US, Mongolia, France, UK, and including a diplomat from Sri Lanka, a war journalist and a military officer from the Philippines, and a nurse from Hong Kong…and those are just what I remember! One French man, Leo, was actually born in Sudan, has lived in Ethiopia most of his life, university educated in England, and now studying in Sydney! And in a class today we were discussing the relationship of human rights, peace, and justice, and a man from Iraq spoke of his experiences (under Saddam’s rule), and how living in Iraq was like living in a peaceful prison –relative peace, but no rights.
I am absolutely blown away by everyone’s different perspectives and backgrounds. Can’t you understand my elation?!
The third hugely exciting experience was sitting in my first lecture and contributing to a discussion of global viewpoints and perspectives. However, something I will have to get used to, accept, or get over is my embarrassment when American politics are discussed – which is often. I am outside of the American bubble and am seeing and hearing first hand accounts of the effects of US policies. Not only, in regard to Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in regard to our neglect of other major global issues that are still being ignored. I am ashamed of my embarrassment and wish I could feel more pride, but I feel we’ve been made fools by our foreign policy. However, I know my fellow classmates do not judge me, as I do not judge them. None of us are representatives of our governments worst. I know my Afghan classmate is not a part of the Taliban, but you do have to imagine the elephant in the room when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are discussed.
The beauty of what my colleagues and I are about to engage is that we are all apart of MPACS to learn from each other, and learn how to transcend differences, histories, biases and move toward mutual understanding. Let the adventure begin – viva!
My Courses:
Semester One
Key Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies
Human Rights: Peace and Justice
Genocide in Global Perspective (Masters of History course)
Cultures of Violence
Winter Semester (July)
Peace Journalism (in London!)
Semester Two
Crisis of Democracy in the Islamic World
Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
Religion, War, and Peace
oh my god – academia never felt so good! Pure and utter ecstasy describes my feelings best. I’m a student again and finally dedicating myself to my true passions and dreams. I have never felt so whole in my entire life.
Stepping on campus for the first time, I knew I was home. Academia is my utopia. Put me in a classroom with engaging topics and people and I’ll want for nothing…well, maybe with the exception of french fries and diet coke.
My excitement hit a new level at my Faculty of Arts Orientation Dinner on the 25th. Free wine, appetizers, and meeting and mingling with my new MPACS (Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies) friends and colleagues = euphoria. We are from all over the world, and as we met each other excitement about our future discussions grew and grew. And added bonus, after the dinner a handful of us kicked the semester off right with three rounds of beer at a local bar in Glebe (my neighborhood). Despite everything, it is good to know that beer is a universal language – maybe beer is the pathway to peace?
Yesterday, Monday March 1, was the official first day of school. Funny thinking how many first days of school I’ve had, and wondering if this would be my last. I hope not!
Three hugely exciting things happened over the past two days…First, the moment I’d most been waiting for – I met Jake Lynch – my idol! And, he is my professor!! A little background on this man, he is a former BBC correspondent and journalist, and the leader and one of the first practitioners of Peace Journalism. I studied his work and consequently wrote my senior thesis on Peace Journalism. Needless to say I am beyond star struck – and he undoubtedly knows my undying adoration. And to clarify, by professor, some may assume I am one of 500 in an impersonal lecture hall and Jake will never know of my existence. Oh no, that is not the case at all. The MPACS department is maybe that of 100, including professors – so class sizes are 35 and under, and he definitely already knows me by name. go me ☺
The second hugely exciting moment was fully understanding what a world class program I am now a part of. Besides being one the best programs and universities for Peace and Conflict Studies in the world, I am studying with tremendous people, with tremendous experiences and passion. During class introductions I realized just how international and outstanding my cohorts are… they come from Germany, Iraq, Australia, Finland, Nepal, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Norway, Iran, Faeroe Islands, China, US, Mongolia, France, UK, and including a diplomat from Sri Lanka, a war journalist and a military officer from the Philippines, and a nurse from Hong Kong…and those are just what I remember! One French man, Leo, was actually born in Sudan, has lived in Ethiopia most of his life, university educated in England, and now studying in Sydney! And in a class today we were discussing the relationship of human rights, peace, and justice, and a man from Iraq spoke of his experiences (under Saddam’s rule), and how living in Iraq was like living in a peaceful prison –relative peace, but no rights.
I am absolutely blown away by everyone’s different perspectives and backgrounds. Can’t you understand my elation?!
The third hugely exciting experience was sitting in my first lecture and contributing to a discussion of global viewpoints and perspectives. However, something I will have to get used to, accept, or get over is my embarrassment when American politics are discussed – which is often. I am outside of the American bubble and am seeing and hearing first hand accounts of the effects of US policies. Not only, in regard to Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in regard to our neglect of other major global issues that are still being ignored. I am ashamed of my embarrassment and wish I could feel more pride, but I feel we’ve been made fools by our foreign policy. However, I know my fellow classmates do not judge me, as I do not judge them. None of us are representatives of our governments worst. I know my Afghan classmate is not a part of the Taliban, but you do have to imagine the elephant in the room when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are discussed.
The beauty of what my colleagues and I are about to engage is that we are all apart of MPACS to learn from each other, and learn how to transcend differences, histories, biases and move toward mutual understanding. Let the adventure begin – viva!
My Courses:
Semester One
Key Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies
Human Rights: Peace and Justice
Genocide in Global Perspective (Masters of History course)
Cultures of Violence
Winter Semester (July)
Peace Journalism (in London!)
Semester Two
Crisis of Democracy in the Islamic World
Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
Religion, War, and Peace
27.2.10
maintenance notice
i don't know if anyone noticed or even tried to comment...but the comment link was not working. i fixed it. so please, comment away!
another notice - australian internet is different than american. australian's have limited internet, meaning they pay for a certain amount of bandwidth or bytes per month. i have "unlimited" internet at my apartment, but even with unlimited i can run out. i have pretty much run out of internet juice at the apartment this month, so that's why the blogs are slow in coming. hopefully i will learn how to budget my internet usage so i can blog, facebook, twitter, gmail, and STUDY without losing my internet access each month. i have learned...downloading tv shows = no more internet.
another notice - australian internet is different than american. australian's have limited internet, meaning they pay for a certain amount of bandwidth or bytes per month. i have "unlimited" internet at my apartment, but even with unlimited i can run out. i have pretty much run out of internet juice at the apartment this month, so that's why the blogs are slow in coming. hopefully i will learn how to budget my internet usage so i can blog, facebook, twitter, gmail, and STUDY without losing my internet access each month. i have learned...downloading tv shows = no more internet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)