IJM finally gave the go-ahead to proceed with their CIDA proposal. I am so relieved to hear this that this morning after getting a call from my boss, I practically told the entire CSJ office, including the chair and board. Seriously, this is such a relief to me b/c I was beginning to think that the whole thing was a waste of my time and was never going to work. I am uncertain if this proposal contract will proceed smoothly but right now there is great potential for experience. To be honest, I don't understand why God would provide me with the connections and opportunity and then have it all fall apart. I mean, I guess he has purpose in everything, even if I don't quite understand it, but I just find that really odd. I guess we'll see what He does.
I also got to attend a fun working session this morning on the campaign. It was interesting but a bit too heavy for 9:30am. We discussed the idea of redefining the way average people talk about political issues. For example: tax cuts. Tax cuts are always considered to be a positive thing b/c they save the working person money every year. But taxation is very important to social programming and if we weren't taxed than we wouldn't have the programs we have. So tax cuts are really a decrease in the investment in education, healthcare, the environment etc... Then we talked about persuasive narrative and communication strategies. All very interesting except it was so full of academic and ideological vocabulary I almost wanted to scream. I can't blame these guys. They're professors and scholars and so to expect them to speak everyday (colloquial) language is probably unrealistic. Anywho, the meeting was good and actually quite productive considering we basically narrowed down our strategies and have begun to focus on our strengths.
During the conversation, the topic of hiring new staff came up. It seems that if all goes well, I am going to get hired on here. This is good news b/c up to this point I have been working to make it clear to my boss that I am an asset. My boss also told me that for the course of my internship he has planned to give me an honorarium. This is so sweet b/c I was not expecting to get paid any money at all. Apparently they're offering to pay for my travel costs, my lunch plus give me $1000. Not bad eh?
In other news, AWID gave me a FANTASTIC assignment on women's human rights in Sri Lanka. I get to create questions for an interview with a women who runs a feminist NGO in Sri Lanka called INFORM. It's pretty snazzy. The cool part about the whole thing is that this interview will be published and maybe my name will be on it. That would look good on my CV. I hate to say it, but right now, everything I do has to be relevant for my CV. It sucks and seems underhanded but it's just the reality of my life. If I want to go to law school, I need to have the best fricken CV on the planet.
Did I also mention that I got birthday money and bought a pair of rockin winter boots and some really snazzy pants. Oh yes, I'm gonna look really hot this fall.
Well, gotta go.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
I've had a great weekend thus far. THis Friday night I went out with some friend for my birthday. It was small as only few people attended but I enjoyed the conversation and general ease and relaxation of the evening. In particular a good friend from high school came out. She had just gotten back from Guyana and we were able to catch up over dinner. I also found that another good friend of mine from hih school is pregnant. The whole night seemed exciting in light of that news.
This morning I slept in until 11. It was glorious as I have been waking up super early all week to work at the Centre and AWID. After getting up and taking my time getting dressed, I walked over to the little bistro near my house for breakfast with my sister. This bistro is usually over-priced but this morning I had eggs benedict and tea all for free. This was due to the fact that J.P. (Catherine's boyfriend) just got a job working as a cook and apparently the head chef has a crush on me. I have to admit, although I would NEVER consider this person as a suitable romantic partner, I certainly enjoy free food. And, keep in mind that I am not supposed to be privy to such "personal" information.
After a lengthy and leisurely breakfast, Cat and I returned home and chatted. This was followed by a ridiculous cleaning spree, which involed me cleaning absolutely every part of my apartment. I find cleaning addictive and at some points very therapeutic.
Following my cleaning spree, I went to Ann Marie's going away party at Nathan's, which was quite fun. I left early to come home and I just watched the Count of Monte Cristo and it was quite good. It didn't follow the storyline/plot from the book but I liked it. If you know me, you'll know that I am incredibly picky when it comes to film adpatations of well-known pieces of literature. I have never been impressed with Austen films, particularly Pride and Prejudice. Although the BBC version come close. Anyways, this plot left out so much pertinent information and various sub-plots, which in my mind should have been expanded upon so that people could really get a sense of the mastery of Dumas' writing.
In terms of general entertainment, I thought it FANTASTIC!! I expecially liked the guy who played Edmond. GOsh he awa hunky. I couldn't figure out where he was from so I googled him and discovered he played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ. Everyone who plays Jesus in films are always good looking. I don't know why considering the Bible does not describe Jesus as a hunky man. I think the most attractive Jesus by far has been Ted Nealy. Dude was HOT.
Yes, I am sure that I could discuss ogther pertinent issues on this blog,like politics or something international affairs related but sometimes, a good disucssion of hot Jesus actors is needed. Besides, it's 1:42am. What else could I possibly talk about?
This morning I slept in until 11. It was glorious as I have been waking up super early all week to work at the Centre and AWID. After getting up and taking my time getting dressed, I walked over to the little bistro near my house for breakfast with my sister. This bistro is usually over-priced but this morning I had eggs benedict and tea all for free. This was due to the fact that J.P. (Catherine's boyfriend) just got a job working as a cook and apparently the head chef has a crush on me. I have to admit, although I would NEVER consider this person as a suitable romantic partner, I certainly enjoy free food. And, keep in mind that I am not supposed to be privy to such "personal" information.
After a lengthy and leisurely breakfast, Cat and I returned home and chatted. This was followed by a ridiculous cleaning spree, which involed me cleaning absolutely every part of my apartment. I find cleaning addictive and at some points very therapeutic.
Following my cleaning spree, I went to Ann Marie's going away party at Nathan's, which was quite fun. I left early to come home and I just watched the Count of Monte Cristo and it was quite good. It didn't follow the storyline/plot from the book but I liked it. If you know me, you'll know that I am incredibly picky when it comes to film adpatations of well-known pieces of literature. I have never been impressed with Austen films, particularly Pride and Prejudice. Although the BBC version come close. Anyways, this plot left out so much pertinent information and various sub-plots, which in my mind should have been expanded upon so that people could really get a sense of the mastery of Dumas' writing.
In terms of general entertainment, I thought it FANTASTIC!! I expecially liked the guy who played Edmond. GOsh he awa hunky. I couldn't figure out where he was from so I googled him and discovered he played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ. Everyone who plays Jesus in films are always good looking. I don't know why considering the Bible does not describe Jesus as a hunky man. I think the most attractive Jesus by far has been Ted Nealy. Dude was HOT.
Yes, I am sure that I could discuss ogther pertinent issues on this blog,like politics or something international affairs related but sometimes, a good disucssion of hot Jesus actors is needed. Besides, it's 1:42am. What else could I possibly talk about?
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Scattered brained and distracted. Oh...silly David
I got in trouble today at work. Apparently when you edit something you are supposed to save the new AND the old document. I don't know why I should have several copies of one document with various edits but apparently they are needed. Erasing these previous documents is "not very bright" (quoted from David, my boss). Gosh, they could really use a footnothing option in blogger.
Speaking of David, he is so funny. Recently he called me from his car to discuss a proposal we were writing. At first I thought he was sitting in a parking lot as he was actually reading out the document to me and telling me what words he didn't like in specific paragraphs and then I realized he was driving along college street reading my proposal and editing it over the phone. Later on while dropping me off at a subway station, I noticed that his car was standard. Let's just say I have a new appreciation for multi-tasking.
He also has these moments at work where he gets really confused and forgets how to use the phone. Periodically he ends up hanging up on major sponsors and donors as he is simultaneously writing emails, talking on his cell and searching for documents on the floor of his office. Sometimes he intends to put someone on hold but attempts to dial out instead which causes the phone to make a very loud beeping alert noise. This is usually followed by some sort of grumbling or crass language which I cannot repeat here.
In so many ways he drives me nuts. For example, today I entered his office and it was absolutely freezing. I asked if the air conditioning was on and David pointed out that the window was open. When I tried to close the window I couldn't because he had removed two of the window panes for cleaning. We decided to put them back except we couldn't find them anywhere in his office. I don't know how it's possible to misplace two large window panes but David managed to do it. We eventually found them behind a shelf underneath papers and binders.
He is constantly scheduling meetings and then forgetting to attend them. He once scheduled a staff meeting to discuss project progress reports and deadlines and then was away at a conference in Quebec. He also likes to assume that he is paying me by making remarks like, "What an excellend idea! This is why we pay you". I have to remind him that he doesn't.
Although I find David to be a bit distracting and somewhat scatter-brained, the more I get to know him the more I like him. We had lunch today and chatted about MA programs and post-graduate work. He was really helpful and very encouraging. In so many ways he really surprises me. I never thought that a guy with a PhD and all his academic credentials took ten years to complete his B.A. (Yes, it is possible to fuck up your undergrad and still do well later on. Who knew?)
Despite my frustration with his lack of organization, I seem to be managing better. I realize that I do contribute and in some ways am discovering some of my strengths. It's a good feeling. I know I have a ways to go but I feel I've made a good start, and that's half the battle. I keep reminding myself that it's not about the end goal but about the process (props to Petey).
Speaking of David, he is so funny. Recently he called me from his car to discuss a proposal we were writing. At first I thought he was sitting in a parking lot as he was actually reading out the document to me and telling me what words he didn't like in specific paragraphs and then I realized he was driving along college street reading my proposal and editing it over the phone. Later on while dropping me off at a subway station, I noticed that his car was standard. Let's just say I have a new appreciation for multi-tasking.
He also has these moments at work where he gets really confused and forgets how to use the phone. Periodically he ends up hanging up on major sponsors and donors as he is simultaneously writing emails, talking on his cell and searching for documents on the floor of his office. Sometimes he intends to put someone on hold but attempts to dial out instead which causes the phone to make a very loud beeping alert noise. This is usually followed by some sort of grumbling or crass language which I cannot repeat here.
In so many ways he drives me nuts. For example, today I entered his office and it was absolutely freezing. I asked if the air conditioning was on and David pointed out that the window was open. When I tried to close the window I couldn't because he had removed two of the window panes for cleaning. We decided to put them back except we couldn't find them anywhere in his office. I don't know how it's possible to misplace two large window panes but David managed to do it. We eventually found them behind a shelf underneath papers and binders.
He is constantly scheduling meetings and then forgetting to attend them. He once scheduled a staff meeting to discuss project progress reports and deadlines and then was away at a conference in Quebec. He also likes to assume that he is paying me by making remarks like, "What an excellend idea! This is why we pay you". I have to remind him that he doesn't.
Although I find David to be a bit distracting and somewhat scatter-brained, the more I get to know him the more I like him. We had lunch today and chatted about MA programs and post-graduate work. He was really helpful and very encouraging. In so many ways he really surprises me. I never thought that a guy with a PhD and all his academic credentials took ten years to complete his B.A. (Yes, it is possible to fuck up your undergrad and still do well later on. Who knew?)
Despite my frustration with his lack of organization, I seem to be managing better. I realize that I do contribute and in some ways am discovering some of my strengths. It's a good feeling. I know I have a ways to go but I feel I've made a good start, and that's half the battle. I keep reminding myself that it's not about the end goal but about the process (props to Petey).
Monday, September 11, 2006
Frustrated
Today my boss asked me to start up a social justice blog. I thought it would be a great idea for the campaign and so I began to work at writing up our founding document for our very first post. I even had some people ready to comment. The whole thing would be fantastic except for the program we are using for our blog. I'm sure it's not a program but I don't know what else to call it. I swear if it was a person I would totally kick it in the head. Yes, I said kick it in the head. Not punch, kick. Grr... It kept changing the font on me, the colours, the spacing, making it bold etc... I was so pissed off after two hours of working away that I just gave up. What the hell am I doing wrong? Someone tell me b/c I have no idea why this is acting this way. I blog here and cut and paste all the time and never have any problems. Why is this so difficult? Boo-urns.
Bah
Bah
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Peacekeeping Job #2
There is a new advertisement up for a project officer in Montreal with the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre. It pays well and it offers the potential of traveling all over Africa training peacekeepers from various African nations. I want this job! I just sent off my application and this time I didn't spend endless hours writing and editing my cover letter. I wrote what I thought was good and sent it off. I didn't even ask a friend to edit it. The last time I applied to the PPC they didn't even acknowledge receiving my resume. With my recent application, I asked for them to respond to let me know they had successfully received the attachments. Let's hope I hear from them.
Two other girls that I know of applied for this position. One is a great girl who got short listed for the last PPC job I applied to. I expect that she's got the position already if she's not working for some other organization. The other girl is a friend of mine who is the most pessimistic person I've ever encountered. I don't know if she would get hired after an interview. Was that wrong to point out her pessimism? I take that back, she's not pessimistic she's... very realistic. Anyways, whatever happens I hope one of us gets hired. I won't lie, I hope it's me. Frick that would SO rock! I would get to live in Montreal. I could move away from Toronto and be one of those exciting people who are going through "transition time".
Stupid transition time (grumble grumble). I think I have a bad case of the "poor mes" today. I have been going on and on with myself about how everyone has moved away and I'm stuck in Toronto working for International Justice Mission and the Centre for Social Justice. It seems like all those close to me are moving to foreign lands or new places to pursue their dreams. Just yesterday I counted all the foreign friends I now have; friends in Tanzania, Kenya, Goa, Sri Lanka, Cairo, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Bali, Maui, Korea, the Dominican Republic and countless other places. I have friends who aren't even in development who are going to the Philippines, Mozambique and Holland to do mission training. I say good for them. I should not be envious or bitter. I should rejoice. When I eventually get money I will have tons of places to stay for free!
That is not sufficient to cheer me up.
Life is not entirely bad here. And even though I am not traveling somewhere my life is in a transition period too, it's just not as exciting as other people. My volunteer position at the Centre for Social Justice may end up turning into a real job. My boss wants me to help him coordinate and organize a national pre-election campaign for civic engagement. Once funding is given for the campaign he said he would pay me a working wage. This opportunity appeals to me, except for the fact that I have to work with the most scatter-brained person on the planet. My boss is so ADD it's impossible to get him to focus to even map out our campaign strategies and general deadlines. Part of last week was spent attempting to fix up his founding documents to present to the Working Committee of union heads/leaders and it took us two days (and countless hours of my frustration).
I also got a call from IJM telling me my contract is still a go. I am back working on a proposal and should be done in the next three weeks to a month. I also got a phone call from AWID (a women's rights organization) to do an internship. I had applied for an internship with them in June and was interviewed with two other people but did not get the job. Apparently the person they did hire was terrible and left early. Phht, serves them right for not hiring me. Jerks. Ahem...the point is they want me to work for them, for free of course because no one ever pays people in my field unless they have an MA or gazillion years of experience. Man, this poor me stuff really has to go.
In some relatively good news, I started doing practice LSATs and I am getting questions right. I am so smart! Yes, be impressed people (if anyone indeed reads this blog) I do have some level of intelligent thought and according to the people of the Princeton Review, I will be on my way to law school any day now. Of course I believe them and why not, they're from Princeton and Ivy League schools are always right; at least in my estimation.
So you see life is not so terrible. I potentially have a job with the PPC, I have two internships with two relatively good organizations (one which will eventually pay me), I still have a contract with IJM and I am on my way to LSAT glory and success.
So why do I still feel bad?
Two other girls that I know of applied for this position. One is a great girl who got short listed for the last PPC job I applied to. I expect that she's got the position already if she's not working for some other organization. The other girl is a friend of mine who is the most pessimistic person I've ever encountered. I don't know if she would get hired after an interview. Was that wrong to point out her pessimism? I take that back, she's not pessimistic she's... very realistic. Anyways, whatever happens I hope one of us gets hired. I won't lie, I hope it's me. Frick that would SO rock! I would get to live in Montreal. I could move away from Toronto and be one of those exciting people who are going through "transition time".
Stupid transition time (grumble grumble). I think I have a bad case of the "poor mes" today. I have been going on and on with myself about how everyone has moved away and I'm stuck in Toronto working for International Justice Mission and the Centre for Social Justice. It seems like all those close to me are moving to foreign lands or new places to pursue their dreams. Just yesterday I counted all the foreign friends I now have; friends in Tanzania, Kenya, Goa, Sri Lanka, Cairo, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Bali, Maui, Korea, the Dominican Republic and countless other places. I have friends who aren't even in development who are going to the Philippines, Mozambique and Holland to do mission training. I say good for them. I should not be envious or bitter. I should rejoice. When I eventually get money I will have tons of places to stay for free!
That is not sufficient to cheer me up.
Life is not entirely bad here. And even though I am not traveling somewhere my life is in a transition period too, it's just not as exciting as other people. My volunteer position at the Centre for Social Justice may end up turning into a real job. My boss wants me to help him coordinate and organize a national pre-election campaign for civic engagement. Once funding is given for the campaign he said he would pay me a working wage. This opportunity appeals to me, except for the fact that I have to work with the most scatter-brained person on the planet. My boss is so ADD it's impossible to get him to focus to even map out our campaign strategies and general deadlines. Part of last week was spent attempting to fix up his founding documents to present to the Working Committee of union heads/leaders and it took us two days (and countless hours of my frustration).
I also got a call from IJM telling me my contract is still a go. I am back working on a proposal and should be done in the next three weeks to a month. I also got a phone call from AWID (a women's rights organization) to do an internship. I had applied for an internship with them in June and was interviewed with two other people but did not get the job. Apparently the person they did hire was terrible and left early. Phht, serves them right for not hiring me. Jerks. Ahem...the point is they want me to work for them, for free of course because no one ever pays people in my field unless they have an MA or gazillion years of experience. Man, this poor me stuff really has to go.
In some relatively good news, I started doing practice LSATs and I am getting questions right. I am so smart! Yes, be impressed people (if anyone indeed reads this blog) I do have some level of intelligent thought and according to the people of the Princeton Review, I will be on my way to law school any day now. Of course I believe them and why not, they're from Princeton and Ivy League schools are always right; at least in my estimation.
So you see life is not so terrible. I potentially have a job with the PPC, I have two internships with two relatively good organizations (one which will eventually pay me), I still have a contract with IJM and I am on my way to LSAT glory and success.
So why do I still feel bad?
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