Life needs change.

CONSPIRACY THEORY #20041029

my building manager is somewhat of an idiot. because students have been asking for something that was promised to be here since we moved in, ie: WIRELESS internet connection… we’re getting dial-up instead. it’s apparently faster than getting wireless installed. how long could it possibly take? and why did the manager arbitrarily decide rather than ASKING us, to get us dial-up? if someone’s getting paid to install it, then i don’t see what the problem is… it seems the rest of the uk is still using dial-up or broadband anyway… they got it done at the other res pretty fast too.

ok so i’ve been here for a month. thoughts, feelings, ideas. well, you know how people say that canadian’s in general are polite… it’s so damned TRUE. i think one of my main beefs here is that people are so freakin’ RUDE! they bump into you they say jack or give YOU a dirty look before walking away. ever hear of, ‘sorry,’ or ‘excuse me?’or is it because i’m asian? because i’m still a minority here. and even still, when i’m at a store and i thank the salesperson they seem pleasantly surprised that i did so.

i’ve noticed that in general north americans are germophobes and safetyphobes. they still use those crusty towels in the washrooms… you know the ones that are on this giant roll and you pull down to get a dry section? the trains smell like barns, especially on rainy days. and some of them are the old ones where you have to reach outside to open them. they’d NEVER have that in north america because there’s probably some stupid dumb-ass kid that would open the door while the train is running and kill themselves. there’s no real dress code in my gym. this means that some chick can wear flip flops when working out.

on the bright side, and aside from the fact that i’m broke, i LOVE the clothes here. they’re SO fun and different from what available back home. and the shoes? don’t get me started. i already have my eye on a few pairs even though i know that by the time i can afford them, they’ll be GONE.

I HATE THE FREAKIN’ FIRE ALARMS HERE!!!!! they’re that perfect pitch that pierces your ear and makes you cringe. they test them every friday morning and they did it just now. ugh! one time they did a test to see how long it’d take for people to evacuate. well, at least ¾ would be dead according to the fire marshall. there’s this one dude, nobody knows his name, but he’s known as the bathrobe man because he came outta the shower. OUCH! imagine THAT for a claim to fame. hope nothing like that ever happens to me!

stephie seems to be the only one that doesn’t want me to starve cuz she sent me recipes. love you! as for the rest of you, may you be haunted by the grumblings of my belly!

well seriously. i’m glad i’m here. i’m learning to cook, deal with annoying slobs, negotiate with dumbass customer service people here, grin and bear it with rude ass idiots etc. i’m learning a lot, not just in school, but about myself and what i’m capable of. even though i’m away from someone really special, i’m also learning that i’m not as commitment-phobic as i once thought. and that just makes going back in december extra special.

agent orange

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 23:09 | link | comments |

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 23:08 | link | comments |

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 15:22 | link | comments (2) |

CONSPIRACY THEORY #20041025

I was placed in the same flat as a slob. was this to try to teach me tolerance? why did I have to waste a good 15 minutes of my morning cleaning the stovetop because there was rice all over it? and I’m not just cleaning cuz it looks pretty, I don’t know about anyone else, food stuck on the burner doesn’t smell so pleasant when you’re cooking the next time. this is right after I reminded said slob the night before. and food in the drain? HELLO I bought the sieve for a reason. IT STINKS! and why is it so hard to squeeze excess water out of a sponge or towel… bacteria? sigh. I almost feel like I have to wash things before I use them. that’s SO lame!

 

I wish michael walken was my uncle or something. you know, the dude in the fat boy slim video for ‘weapon of choice’ where this man just gets up and starts dancing? that’s probably one of my all-time favourite videos. I just heard the song and was reminded of it. I was reading an interview of him in the sunday times magazine a while back. he’s SUCH a funny guy! at least I think it’s the times. I dunno, my flatmate tony always get the guardian and the times on the weekend and me being the shallow person that I am, I read all the arts and entertainment stuff.

I moved my desk to the other side of the room. it’s kinda cool that I can just pick it up and move it because I don’t have a lot of stuff in it like I do back home. I do this all the time. it keeps things interesting. now my room feels bigger.

the latest in fake n’ bake technology! now you too can tan AND take a shower at the same time. you can finish your tan feeling refreshed! you get an even tan! only requires 20cm of space and easy to maintain! riiiiiiiiight!

so we’re thinking about getting broadband for our flat. I heard a rumour that we’re paying more for rent because we’re supposed have already had wireless connection here. it’s really not that hard to install it is it? am I mistaken? and if I am paying more and we do get broadband, then I think it’s only fair that the school pays for it, or at least some of it. I doubt it’ll actually happen, but it’s worth a try.

 

agent orange

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 16:37 | link | comments (3) |

CONSPIRACY THEORY #20041024

‘wanker’ just seems like an ineffective word sometimes. about 2 weeks ago i was on my way home from the library after downloading the files i needed to work on. I was walking by the underpass to get to the train station where there’s always a homeless guy selling “big issues” (more on that later) and I had just bought one from him the day before. he’s a pretty cool guy with a great sense of humour. anyhow, just as I was passing him some brit dude in front of me, goes towards him, points to me and says, “you should ask HER for money. she’s an international student and she’s asian, she’s LOADED!” I was SO SO SO SO SO angry, but I didn’t want to start a fight because if I missed my train then I’d be EXTRA mad and I didn’t know how other people might react either. so I just walked by and said loudly, “I’m not fucking loaded you FUCKER!” I took that personally because I really don’t have money. yes, international students have to pay usually 3x the amount for tuition than you, you idiot. that means that I have NO surplus. do you not understand that you fucker? mr. diesel shoes, diesel jeans, puma jacket? fuck if he’s going to judge me then does this mean I get to make a judgement call too? aaah the stigma of being an international stoodent.

 

so the ‘big issue’. well basically it’s a weekly magazine kinda like uhhh… hmm… well it’s got a lot of pop culture stuff in it as well as articles about homelessness, gun violence and other social issues. the homeless people sell them and get to keep a certain percentage of each magazine they sell. idealism? maybe, but it’s giving them something to do. most times they’re not apathetic about their homelessness and at least it gives them a chance to do something about their situation. its’ not like they’re aggressive about selling the magazine and there’s even a contact number if the person selling is too hostile.

I forgot to mention. bobby has a little brother. his name is oscar. oscar’s a lot shorter than bobby. he also has a slimmer build. bobby looks uhh… top-heavy? they’re really close. here’s another s.o.s. if any of you are in the know of the unnerground music scene here… whatever genre… drop a line in the comment please! I’m just getting my feet wet here and I’m thinking about asking the dude in this small music store.

Kensington! why are SO many cool areas called Kensington? the one back home isn’t bad, but this one is much bigger and sells more stuff. they do have stores that sell expensive merch… but there’s also similar stores like the ones you’d find back home. VERY cool, and there’s a COOKIE STORE!!!!! I was gonna buy some cookies… then I changed my mind. then I ended up going into this other store to buy some bars… mmmm.. white chocolate and crunchy toffee. heavenly! and now that I’ve caved once, I can’t stop! sheeeeeeeeeeeeeit! then I went to go buy this mix of chocolate and yogurt covered nuts a fruit… so addictive. but… I… can’t… afford… it! need to find me a job!

I’ve rediscovered the sanctity of the morning again. aside from the fact that the mattress is TERRIBLE and I try to stay in bed as little as possible, and that I have a gym membership that dictates that I must get up early every other day except for the weekends, I tend to wake up anywhere between 6:50 and 7:30 now - no matter what. I used to like getting up early when I was younger… don’t ask why, maybe it’s the quietness and the fact that I can essentially do whatever I want except to make a lot of noise. it’s a very private moment of the day. it’s been usurped by my sister back home and now it’s just NOISE. her running around making brecky and her lunch, dashing upstairs because she forgot something. followed by my mother… nag nag nag nag nag. maybe that’s why shifted my sleeping schedule… so I could avoid it all. but now I have my mornings back… aah. and on top of that, I get to hear the waves. by the way, it’ s the English channel. I wasn’t sure if it was that or still the atlantic, but according to Encarta it is indeed the eng channel.

 

54 days and counting

agent orange

 

 

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 16:37 | link | comments |

CONSPIRACY THEORY #20041022

I think someone’s paying people to annoy me. don’t you hate it when you’re walking behind people and all of a sudden they just stop to talk, or try to send text messages while walking through door, or they stop and browse through a narrow aisle in a store when it’s obvious that you’re letting them by? this is going to be my greatest pet peeve of all times over here. they just can’t walk! MOVE OUTTA MY WAY!!!!!

 

now we are six! our final flatmate has moved in yesterday. he’s irish, doing his phd in uhh artificial intelligence. which is cool and if my computer ever fucks up, I can bother him. how convenient is that? the sun is shinin’ this morning.

man, the brits should be introduced to texas toast. their bread is SO thin! and the toasters are designed solely to toast bread that width. which means that I almost have to cut my bagel in 3 just ot fit it into the damned slots! how retarded is that?

ok guys, think upon this for a moment. most of the time when you do weight training, the machines calculate in lbs.  and the free weights are usually in lbs. here they calculate in kgs. when you’re cooking the recipe usually writes in cups, tbsp etc. here they measure in ml. but canada’s the metric country and uk is imperial… wtf?!?!?!?!?

holycraponmyhead! the wind yesterday was CRAZY!!!!! if I didn’t have a full backpack I woulda blown away! never mind about an umbrella during that time! I’ll never forget one time at around 2am I was trying to sleep, the wind was blowing like mad, and these people that were going to buddies a 24 hr fish and chips joint, (y’know, those post-clubbing places) would scream everytime the wind blew. ok so I only heard the girls that were probably dressed to the nines in skirts and heels they can’t walk in. all of a sudden I heard this guy yell out his car window, “I LOVE YOUR PANTIES!!!!!” aaaaaahahahahahahaa!

ok so I’m having issues cooking. j-me, the book you gave me was wicked, but I don’t have the utensils and some of the ingredients are pretty expensive here. I think I can make only a few of them. so if any of you that are reading this, and know me, please e-mail me idiotproof simple recipes that don’t require any crazy ingredients or ask for things like pureeing and stuff. just think of a VERY bare kitchen with the basic pot, non-stick frying pan that everything sticks to, colander, cutting board and knives that don’t really cut. oh! hey, Christian-from-texas was thinking about getting a blender… hmmm… anyhoo, remember I can’t cook and I refuse to eat beef here.

stephie, remember how you were disgusted that they didn’t recycle somewhere in the states when you went to visit someone on campus? well it’s worse here. they don’t even HAVE a recycling plant here in the uk. they send it off to other countries to be processed, but it usually ends up in a landfill. so essentially, everything get’s thrown out. how disgusting is that? I realize now that I’m more granola than I thought, and I don’t mind one bit!

 

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 23:46 | link | comments (2) |

CONSPIRACY THEORY #20041020

you know how you HATE certain things, but at the same time you need them? like part-time jobs. there were SO many times that I worked when I couldve been out chillin with my friends, sleeping in or resting my po' feet. instead, when someone asked me to work, I usually said yes. now Im technically unemployed. I have a temporary job, but this will probably go on for another week or so, then its done. but I want to work. why do I do this to myself?

(the above theory is dedicated to someone whos working for an evil corporation run by the man- DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM!)

well I am exhausted! I told myself Id finish this reading for next week since the book is due on friday anyway… grrr… stupid dumb-ass short-term loan books, one week! this is what I get from a library that holds all but two books! WHATLESS! but the reading is almost 30 pages long!!!!! and why does it have to focus on incomprehensible Foucault of all people? eeew! holy shit the wind sounds like its going to rip the doors off my flatmates room. she has her window open to aid in her smoking habit. yes, this is a non-smoking flat, if I ever smell it, then Im going to ask her to stop. but it hasnt bothered me yet. too many brits smoke here! I think the downside of having lived in a city where smoking is illegal in many public venues, is that you DIE when you have to inhale it elsewhere.

I have a new friend, his name is bobby. I found him the day that I was REALLY frustrated with the schools wireless system… wait… that ALWAYS happens! but I had to register my wireless pc card with the schools network so that they know to send a signal to me when I lug my laptop to school. this is so I can do my temp work. well it didnt work the first day… (and its STILL fussy) I was looking forward to being able to read e-mails, go on msn etc but I couldnt. so bobby cheered me up. hes charming yet aloof. he leads a very simple life and it doesnt seem to take much to please him. hes originally from somewhere really warm, I think somewhere in south America or mexico. Im going to miss him when I leave the uk for good, but Im sure hell be ok. Ill take a picture of him so you can all see him when I get the film developed. yes I like primitive cameras that use film, leave me alone!

agent orange

ps… Im grinding my teeth in my sleep, does anyone have any solutions or ideas why? I dont think Im a particularly stressed person…

pps if youve noticed that the past 2 blawgs were odd in terms of timing, its because they were old ones that I had saved on my laptop from a while ago.

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 20:02 | link | comments (5) |

CONSPIRACY THEORY #20041019

The hsbc bank at my school smells like shit cuz it IS shit. this is my current msn name and I think it will stay for a while. it’s a bank at a school, obiviously it’s going to be busy. why is it that there’s ONE teller who’s on LUNCH while there’s another person taking care of personal accounts etc? it’s a bank, it will be busy, where’s the staff? I’m NOT waiting in line for 2 hours just to pick up my bank card!!!!! I don’t care if the uk is known for it’s ‘queue’ culture. it’s BULLSHIT!

ok. life here is starting to gel. I now have a membership at this gym called riptide. IT’S ON THE BEACH FRONT!!!!! since I’m controlled by my wallet, I opted for the cheapest membership which means that I only have access between 7am and 930am. but it’s right across the street from my flat! and the staff there… so friendly and genuine. not like those dour towel givers at u of t. they actually TALK to you! and it’s so cool cuz it’s pretty empty in the mornings, I can CHOOSE what I want to do first. eeeeeeheheheheheee. I’ve been able to find me another grocery store. much nicer, a bit more expensive, but it’s worth it. it has a lot of organic stuff there and it’s so clean and pretty. so here you bag your own stuff like at no frill’s. this guy from la in my flat was telling us the embarrassing story of the first time he went grocery shopping and just stood there waiting for the cashier to bag his stuff… and she turned to look at him and asked him if everything was ok. aaaahahahahaha. we’re such dumb fuck north Americans! oh oh oh! I have a phone number now!!!!! we have a phone in our flat, now I don’t have to feel so dry when I’m signing up for things and they ask me for my phone number and I tell them I don’t have one. like at the shitty-smelling bank I had to do business with. I bought a pair of shoes!!!!! they’re only £5… which is still cheap by Canadian standards. sadly they’re summer shoes so I guess I’ll just take them home during the holidays. hey… so if any of you are coming to visit me… would’ja mind taking some stuff home for me when you leave? c’mon, please? just a bit… y’know. you can make space for it… right???

agent orange

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 15:54 | link | comments (3) |

Conspiracy Theory # 20041007

University of Sussex is cheap because they make you register your freakin’wireless card so you can have wireless access while you’re on campus. wtf?!?!?!!? all I wanted to do was to get some work done and NOT waste my afternoon doing nothing because I thought I had registered this piece of garbage! what a load of bull this turned out to be! my back is tired!

so this is the beginning of an angry blog for a day that started out so very well. the sun is STILL shining and it’s 3:40 in the afternoon. I went out along the pier for a half hour run again and it was NAICE. of course I thought I’d be smart and go eastward against the wind so that on my way back I’d have the wind pushing me. well, there was no wind on my way back. hmmph! snot fair!

I tried to register my stupid wireless pc card so that I can have access while I’m on campus so that I can do work. I got a 2 week job doing data entry. woohaa! so I’m getting paid uhhh 7.35/hr. and the min wage here is like 4.85 metinks. so she said I’d make about 150… go grocery money! eeeehehehehehehehehee.

so I’m too cheap to photocopy the copious amounts of articles that I have to read for my classes so I’m going to just read them in advance as I borrow them from the library. I HATE THE LIBRARY HERE!!!!! it’s sucks ass. it’s like the teak boat of libraries. it’s SO SO SO lame! I can’t deal with this SHIT anymore! I think I’m actually going to do some research while I’m home for the holidays. that’s how much I hate this library! it’s SO lame! wish I could just burn it, if it even had HALF the resources that rofarts had, then I’d be happy. as much as I hated u of t, I loved the resources that the library had to offer us. now I’m stuck with NOTHING!

agent orange

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 15:53 | link | comments (1) |

Conspiracy Theory #20041003

I believe they brought me here early so that i would spend friviously on ‘freshers’ garbage, whiling my time away racially segregated like all the other international students here. ‘lil do they know that this girl likes a likkle bit ‘o colour in her life.

k so I’ve been here for almost a week. how do I feel? well, a little bored actually. I know, I know, I know, I was supposed to start a blog for your entertainment, however, I don’t have the money to get dial-up and if we’re supposed to get wireless here in late December or around new year’s then I won’t bother getting it, and I will just use the computers at school. which means that I am leaving my blog entirely in the hands of someone else to whom I e-mail them my entries. how lame is that?!?!?!

well some of you may wonder if I’m pining away in my room wanting to be home. well, not really actually. I honestly think the only time that I’ve wanted to turn tail and run was when I was sitting at the airport waiting to check in. I was going through moments of watery eyes and moments of feeling like I’m setting off for somewhere new where nobody knows of the mistakes I’ve made in my past. I miss you all terribly yes, but I can’t say that I want to be home because I’ve burnt my bridges at my parents’ place, so I technically have no home to return to in a sense. arun, wouldja mind? :p

it’s a coastal city, my flat faces the sea. I’m a hop-step-and a jump away from the salty spray of uhhh… I don’t even know what body of water it is, my geography is TERRIBLE! so much for poetics. I’ve already gone for a jog along the pier. I went west last time so next time I’ll head east. very hilly geography and you can never really figure out what the street names are. I literally spent hours yesterday just meandering through all these laneways and streets just browsing.

of course, I was tempted to shop, but with absolutely NO money, I was a good girl and just bought a bottle of olive oil for a £. I’m taking this student budgeting to the extreme here. I haven’t eaten out yet, I haven’t bought anything frivolous, no junk food… nuthin’! aside from the fact that I can’t cook for shit, which means I should probably eat as healthily as possible. right now, I’m kinda stuck with one stinkin’ grocery store which doesn’t have everything that I need/want. we didn’t have a toaster, dish rack, or hand towels in the bathrooms. so of course I went out and bought them. 2 flatmates have been more than grateful, the other… well not so much. and we’re still expecting 2 more. the clothes airers are MINE because I’m too cheap to pay 20 pence to use the dryer each time. the stove is electric and is AGONIZINGLY slow! the bargain queen extraordinaire has been able to find herself a bummy pair of pants for £3 though…

stephie, if you think you’re a neat freak… well, I’ve used the plastic bag from the pillow set that I purchased to make myself shelf liners because I don’t know what’s been on the shelf before I arrived. I’ve used carpet shampoo and made my room a shoe-free zone! yippee, barefoot in my own room! how you like dem apples?!?!?! hahaha. I’m going to attack the bathroom soon, and I’ve already cleaned out the gunk in the detergent dispenser in the washing machine.

the first flatmate I met is a rich cougar from Tokyo. Mina’s studying international education metinks. there’s actually A LOT of Japanese here, so much so that I don’t have to worry about being mistaken for a Chinese person, plus I can practice my Japanese again. the second one is Sabina is a fellow neat freak from bosnia and she brought her bf along cuz he came to help move her in. I spent last night with Sabina and Tim in a café with wicked atmosphere. my third flatmate is Tony, he’s from Malawi and he snores a lot… hahaha, ok, he’s cool, but rather keeps to himself. there’s a lot of people getting their postgrad degrees in some sort of development, whether it be gender and, or educational, or international development. so far I’m the only one doing art history. typical. a lot of people here have full or partial scholarships… I’m the only dummy who’s paying my way to be here.

I’m no longer delighted and charmed by the English accent. it’s not like I’m holing my self up in my room all the time, on the contrary, the kitchen is a naice place to chill… cuz it’s so warm! hahahaha. I’m anxiously awaiting the beginning of school since I need something to do. when you live like a pauper, there’s really not much to do at all. EVERYTHING HERE IS SO STINKIN’EXPENSIVE while I stand there holding things in my hand mentally calculating the price by 2.5. sigh. SIGH! I don’t hate it here, I just haven’t been here long enough to formulate an opinion. I’m ecstatic by the fact that I’m a FIFTEEN MINUTE WALK AWAY FROM THE TRAIN STATION!!!!! no more bus, rt, subway and possibly streetcar!!!!! woohaa! somebody just has to remind me to buy tokens once I get back since I won’t have a metropass anymore.

I miss watching family guy, I miss drinking a good, cheap cuppa coffee, I miss you my darlin’. but I’m kinda glad that I had the balls to cross the atlantic.

agent orange

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 15:53 | link | comments |

test test test

posted by: conspiracytheorist at 14:26 | link | comments (4) |