| intellectual orgasm, so to speak |
[Mar. 4th, 2007|11:03 pm] |
| [ | Spirits |
| |  content | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Death Cab for Cutie - Different Names for the Same Thing | ] |
Ah, the thrill of understanding!
There is nothing better than it. Not love, not money, not sex, not anything. Standing there at work today, talking with German, having a conversation however slow and halting it was, in Spanish. Not in Spanish, translated to English, translated back to Spanish. All in Spanish. No inner translation involved. Just thinking in Spanish. Knowing what he was saying. Knowing what to say.
It's so ephemeral that as soon as I take a step back to admire it, it's gone. I lost the connection and a torrent of meaningless Spanish washes over me, and I have to ask him to repeat it, or I start code-switching and answer him in English. It takes a lot of concentration, and if you let up for one second you've lost it. I went to an ASL Live Lab for Sign Language class, where some Deaf people come in and tell stories and talk with students. One guy was telling a bunch of stories about where he worked, and I was catching most of it even though he used a ton of words I didn't know. I started to relax, and then realised that I was just staring at his hands moving, and wasn't taking anything in. I can't understand Spanish or ASL in the same way I understand English, effortlessly. It takes a lot of work, but with exceptional reward.
It's like the lightbulb going off, constantly. It's like when I'm the first person in my math class to realise that the volume of a cylinder is the area of the circle, times its height. Like an infinite number of circles stacked on top of each other. When I realise that the surface area of a sphere is the derivative of the volume of a sphere, because it's the change in slope and antiderivative is the area under a cuve. It's like a million little "a-hah!" moments for every word I hear and every sentence I say.
Of course the Mexican guys at my work are still mostly jerks, but you can't choose the people you have to interact with. And it was a little annoying, because German kept telling me to repeat the things that I said to his brother Nicolas. "Nico, Nico, preguntale que esta haciendo!" he would say, to get me to say again that I was tirando la basura. Oy. They're all really tickled to death over however little Spanish I can speak.
Anyway. One of the girls at school tells me there might be another little Spanish-speaking chiquitito at the elementary school that we could help tutor. Yesica moved away some time ago, and I need another dose of adorable, amirite?
*sigh* Sunday night. Where did the weekend go, hm? Who stole it from me? Am I really going to school tomorrow?
~Joy contemplates. |
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| (ES) Un cuento de mi trabajo- |
[Feb. 19th, 2007|10:32 pm] |
| [ | Spirits |
| |  confundida | ] |
Ya saben Uds. que hay muchos mexicanos en mi trabajo. Me molestan mucho, a muchas veces.
Ay, ay ay... Esta noche, uno de ellos descubrió que hablo (un poquito de) español.
Él se llama Ricardo, y cocina en CiCi's. Es perezosísimo, y siempre quiere que yo haga su trabajo. Hoy, un cliente querría una pizza especial. Le dije a Ricardo, y dijo él, "No!"
"Come on!" dije yo.
"No! Why?"
"Because they want it."
"Who?"
"Just make the pizza!"
"No!"
"Yes! ...¡Sí!"
"Sí, what?"
"¡Sí, hazlo!" grité, "¡Ahora!"
"¡Ah!" Ricardo se calló con sorpresa. Un momentito después, "¡Ahora! ¡Ajajaja, Joy!"
Por eso, después ocurrió una otra conversación.
Ya eran después de las 8, y a las 8 yo iba a irme a casa. Pero había mucha gente esta noche, y todavía no podía irme de CiCi's. Yo cortaba las pizzas y Ricardo cocinaba.
"You make pizzas," Ricardo me mandó.
"I don't know how," contesté.
"¡Sí! Tú puedes hacerlo!" Ricardo es muy, muy perezoso y siempre quiere que yo le barre el piso, le traiga cosas, y le haga mucho más por él. Siempre no lo quiero hacer, y le digo así.
"I don't know how to make pizzas!"
"Ah, camman Joy! Come on!"
"What? No sé hacer pizzas."
"Eres americana. Sí sabes hacerlo."
¿¿¿He??? No lo entiendo... ¿Que yo sepa hacer pizzas, porque soy americana? ¿Sepan todos americanos hacer pizzas?
Estaba confundida. Todavía no entiendo. Rircardo es muy extraño, y también los otros mexicanos.
¿Entienden Uds.? |
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| Thankyouforcalling Cici's Pizza in Eastgate, home uh the wurlfamous forninenynine larjwuntopping pizza |
[Jan. 6th, 2007|05:47 pm] |
| [ | Spirits |
| |  lazy | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Chapeaumelon - My Generation | ] |
Whenever one of the managers asks if someone wants to go home, I am the first to volunteer.
I was scheduled to work from 12 to 8 today, and ended up working less than 3 hours total.
Cici's has been hit hard lately. Winter is the slow season, and the minimum wage just went up, giving at least half of all the employees there a raise.
Usually Saturday I'm working all day, so it accounts for the majority of my paycheck. But I don't mind. My time is worth more than $5.75 $6.85 an hour. I'm happy to spend it away from work.
Elyssa quit. A lot of other people want to quit too. They're giving everyone fewer hours and want everyone to quit socialising and work harder. Needless to say, people don't like it.
I don't know where Elyssa is going to work now. She didn't exactly think that part through before giving her two weeks' notice. If she gets a job somewhere cooler (she says she wants to work at a video store or something), maybe I can get a recommendation from her and migrate there myself.
~Joy |
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| blah blah blah |
[Oct. 10th, 2006|12:00 am] |
| [ | Spirits |
| | rejuvenated | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Future Bible Heroes - Mr. Punch | ] |
So like I was saying before, staying home today was a good decision. I caught up on a lot of stuff I needed done, I reduced a lot of stress on myself and I took some nice naps. Think of it as a 'mental health day'.
I still went to work today, and it was a refreshing change because I don't think I've ever worked a Monday night before. It was very very slow and I'm used to working weekends when it's crazy and I feel like exploding.
Savannah was there with some more notes from Jorge for me to translate. They're really cute, you can tell he's really lusty crazy about her. "Te ves tan linda, desde te vi no e dejado de pensar en ti"
That's how he writes, too. No accent marks, and all the Hs are dropped. And his spelling is really bad. As bad as it's possible to misspell words in Spanish, anyway.
Today most of the people in the back learned that I knew some Spanish. It was hilarious to see because it was easy to tell how surprised they were. One of the women, Eloisa, complimented me on my Spanish. :)
You know what I have a bad habit of doing? Responding to Spanish questions in English. I do it all the time in class and I did it tonight too.
Got the proofs for my senior pictures today. Some of them are okay, some are really terrible, and there is not a genuine smile in the whole set of them. I'm not good at getting photographed, I guess.
How about that Art History work, hm? Better get starting on that.
~Joy has read a lot of nice languagey stuff today... One book for ASL, and one for her language-education-themed SEAP. |
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| No te vayas por un minuto, bienamada, porque en ese minuto te habrás ido tan lejos que yo cruzaré toda la tierra preguntando si volverás o si me dejarás muriendo. |
[Oct. 1st, 2006|10:43 pm] |
| [ | Spirits |
| |  frustrated | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Fanny Lú - No te pido flores | ] |
Do you find it odd that I consider the weekdays more of a vacation than the weekend, because I hardly ever work then?
The sleeping-in thing is pretty nice though. Zzzz.
Today I had more adventures in español with that guy who was writing stuff last night (his name is Jorge). He was hitting on Savanna, but he doesn't speak any English (or if he does, veryvery little. I haven't heard him say anything) and she doesn't speak any Spanish.
So you know, she comes over to the register area calling "Joo-ooy! What's he saying?"
So they were basically writing notes back and forth to each other, myself acting as the translator. "Creo que eres guapo, pero no puedo entenderte." "Eres linda tambien, y quiero que salgamos. Dame tu numero de telefono para ablarnos [sic]". And so forth. It was amusing.
I have school tomorrow? You have to be kidding me. Ay mi...
~Joy would kill for power over time right about now... |
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| Stuff about work all in one big block of text because I don't feel like separating it into paragraphs |
[Oct. 1st, 2006|12:05 am] |
| [ | Spirits |
| |  sleepy | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Julieta Venegas - Limón y Sal | ] |
I think one of the Mexican guys at work calls me 'Gordita'. I would have been offended at this, but I was too pleased at myself when I finally understood it after all this time.
Some strange things happened at work today. A bunch of Mormons came by and tried to convert me at the register. Some kid came in an hour before closing (the place was a ghost town at this point) and offered me drugs. A couple came in with some kids, ordered buffets and had a coupon for free kids' buffets, and wanted the kids' buffets on a separate receipt. They've done this before. I can't imagine any possible aim they have to this, but the first time they did it I sort of questioned it and they were really rude. So I guess I'll never know why they do it. And finally, Jessie and I were talking after I clocked out (she was on break), and one of the Mexican guys, a teenager, came by and asked me for my agenda book and a pen. Then he wrote on it "Tu Salir 9". Yeah, I understand the words, but it doesn't make any sense. I think they like confusing me. XP
One of the latino guys has the hots for Jessie...But I can't remember if it was the same one or not. He was saying something to her earlier, and Jessie tried to have me translate, but all I could hear was "bababababa a las ocho", even though I had him repeat it about 4 times.
So...that was my day. Jesus and little green pills and Spanish in action for which the education system has left me completely unprepared. And mysterious people with cool accents who want to hide the fact that they're purchasing free kids' buffets.
WHY?
The world may never know.
~Joy |
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| The sun is not kind to redheads |
[Sep. 24th, 2006|10:41 pm] |
| [ | Spirits |
| |  disappointed | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Phil Collins - Strangers Like Me | ] |
I've gone from lobster to zebra.
I did boards today at work for two hours, and I thought I put on enough sunscreen but looking at myself now I have some thin red stripes on my arms.
Meh. So I worked 8 hours today and it kind of sucked. Let's not do that again. It really isn't worth the money.
I didn't do my calculus homework due tomorrow (I'll do it during lunch, like always). The weekend has gotten away from me. Working Friday night, sleeping in late (very late. I only got up at 10 on Saturday and Sunday so I could get to work at 11), working the afternoons, and going over to Danielle's Saturday night.
That was interesting, by the way.
It was me, Jessie, Danielle, Brandon, Erin, and Trey. While we were eating Danielle's dad came in and randomly started talking to me about Spanish. We went downstairs and he showed me this show from Spain called Onda Jerez that he watches.
I felt kind of bad and also weird for having this conversation with Danielle's dad that no one else cared about at all. I also kind of left Danielle and Trey to go downstairs to watch this old woman dance flamenco (Jessie followed me).
I couldn't help myself. *pout* Soy así.
Then we watched Adaptation. Doug and his sister came over for a very little while too and then left. He apparently was going to Rocky afterwards, but no one told me and I had work the next day so rawrg. It wouldn't have worked out anyway since Jessie drove me over and she wouldn't want to go see RHPS again. XD
So then after the movie it was Danielle, Trey, Jessie and me. It was getting past midnight and we were all pretty tired and spacey. Well, I know I was anyway. So I was all giggly and stuff.
Fun fact: When someone puts a clawed hand on your knee and then spreads their fingers out, it feels very weird.
Aaaand I didn't get off work until 7 tonight. And that was my weekend. :\
The week should be better. At least I'm not working then. Next weekend however... gah. I don't want to think about that.
~Joy is going to sleep soon now. |
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| The weekend? What's that? |
[Sep. 8th, 2006|10:23 pm] |
| [ | Spirits |
| |  tired | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Harvey Danger - Save It For Later | ] |
Ow.
Second day wasn't as bad as the first. At all!
However, my feet are achey and I'm starting to feel sunburned.
So, first two hours I had to hold that godforsaken sign. I PUT SUNSCREEN ON! HONEST I DID! But as soon as I came back inside, Lori was going on about how red I was. I'm not badly burned, but it will irritate me tonight.
It was... meh. I don't ever want to do it again if I can help it. It was just passing two hours in the worst way possible, standing around doing nothing. Except dancing around with a large cardboard sign.
I brought my headphones, so it wasn't too horrible. I think I went to the wrong intersection but it's not as though anyone came out to check on me. I was also texting with Jessie and Lu (THANKS LUPIE you'retheawesomest) for part of the time.
Arcade Fire is good music for shaking a huge sign in an intersection while people stare at you. Just in case you ever needed to know.
Then I was guest greeting again, which after a few hours is already becoming routine. I didn't give anyone the wrong amount of change this time (or if I did, no one noticed), but I almost messed up some large groups. Worst thing ever: A family group comes in and the guy says "It's just us." or "Me and the kids" or something. I rang a guy up for 4 child buffets when he only needed two, because there were two other kids running around near him that weren't his.
I learned to properly take carryout orders tonight. Wow was that ever stressful. I'm running the register and the phone rings. There's a script for me to read off of for answering the phone, "Thank you for calling Cici's in Eastgate" blah blah blah, but there's a 'code' so to speak for writing down orders.
So beyond having to talk on the phone with strangers at any given moment, not knowing how much everything costs, and not knowing how to write the stuff down, I was freaking out on my first carryout order. To top it all off the person ordered bacon. I wrote it down. We apparently don't have bacon, heh.
But other than that things are going fine. It's crazy, and there's a lot of things I have to do at once and it's tempting to just scream "TIME OUT" and hide in the back room. Buuuut I haven't done that yet. So it's okay.
So tomorrow I get to relax a bit. Stay up late (in bed, reading or something until I fall asleep), sleep in (if I wake up before 10, I'll be surprised), and in the evening we're all going over to Danielle's because for the first time in many weeks we're doing something on a weekend-night when Jessie doesn't have to work.
We're picking up Anna, this freshman who sits at our lunch table. I don't think she knows many people. It'll be an adventure trying to find her house, and I can only hope Elyssa calls her and gets good directions.
So that's that. Going from the nice, pensive almost-essay to another stupid entry about my life. And this one's longer, too. x.x
~Joy also got to leave 45 minutes early. Which was good. |
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| Life is a test, but I confess, I like this mess I've made so far |
[Sep. 7th, 2006|10:37 pm] |
| [ | Spirits |
| | exhausted | ] |
| [ | Voices |
| | Franz Ferdinand - Come on Home | ] |
Uhm. *plops down*
*kicks off shoes and puts down the stupid hat*
That was kind of draining. Granted it was my first day and I had no idea what I was doing part of the time. I'm good at pretending to be nice and personable when the only thing I wanted was for the clock the strike eight already, but I'm not as good at counting out money and doing split-second mental math when annoyed customers think I've shortchanged them and I get all flustered.
Right near the end of my shift Jessie came in and we talked and had dinner afterwards. It was really nice of her and it was good after talking to strangers all evening.
In addition to general cashier stuff, I also had to keep the salad bar stocked and clean. I will now, for the rest of my life, truly appreciate a tidy salad bar.
So here's hoping I get used to this. I probably will. Tomorrow's going to stink though - you know those people out on the corners of intersections dancing around holding signs, and you think 'How embarassing for them that they have to do that'?
That's what I'm doing for two hours tomorrow. Ohhh lord.
In other news, we had our first Journalism meeting today. Staut is, really, the best teacher ever. She's going to be the one I'll miss like crazy once I've left Glen Este. Ayyyyy. :(
There was a good turnout - almost 30 people. Who can say whether those people will stick with it, and whether those people can write, but they came to the meeting out of their own free will so at least they're interested.
Journalism is a club now, rather than a class. We're not getting any funding from the school at all (last year we struggled with money, but at least we had some student fees to start us off) and by cutting our numbers in half, Staut thinks we should put out a 4-page paper at first (last year all our issues were 12 pages).
It's going to be tough but I'm going to put as much into it as I can. People used to read The Torch, and it was important to the school. It caused controversy last year. It's important for us to keep putting it out, despite the obstacles.
Between the classes at UCC and my job now, I've dropped Choir. After 7 years, I hate to jump the boat, but it's for the best. The district doesn't care about music programs for people who don't want to specialise in it - that was evident enough when they gave us to a middle school choir teacher last year (we sounded terrible, by the way).
This year, they dumped us on a new middle school teacher, who has for the past few years been teaching elementary school choir.
The group is full of freshmen anyway, and I don't think I would be able to take it. All my friends that made choir bearable last year are either gone or dropping the class. So it wasn't that hard of a decision.
I feel like I should be totally overwhelmed right now. So much is happening, there's so much to do and I certainly don't have as much downtime as I'd like, nor as much time to talk to the people I want to. But, for the most part, I'm happy with the way things are going.
Granted everything is going to bite me in the butt eventually, be it at the end of this semester, or in a month or two, or in May during the AP tests. We'll see.
TIME FOR A SHOWER AND THEN SLEEP, DAMMIT!
~Joy
-PS: Oh by the way...you guys...I got a manga sequel to Labyrinth. Yes, that Labyrinth. With David Bowie.
Huh?
I haven't even opened it yet (the mail came not long before I left for work) but... yeah. It's strange. If there's anything worth writing about it I will be sure to let you know.
Labyrinth manga! Wha! |
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[Sep. 4th, 2006|03:29 pm] |
Woooooo. I had work orientation today and earned my first $5.75.
Now I have to go shopping for clothes. XP
Also some kind of weekly planner or something. That would be useful.
Hi welcome to Cici's, are you familiar with our buffet? It's all you can eat salad, pasta, pizza and dessert for just $4.49, and $1.13 for a drink. Kids under 3 eat free. |
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[Aug. 31st, 2006|07:54 pm] |
I have a jeorb now yays!
So I've gotten my license, a job, and started taking college classes all in the course of like a month. It feels bizarre.
I get ta say "Hi welcome to Cici's, are you familiar with our buffet?" over and over and over. Also work the register and handle the phone and stuff, but that's not important. Hi, welcome to Cici's, are you familiar with our buffet? |
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[Aug. 31st, 2006|04:49 pm] |
Fwee! I got an interview tonight at 7 at Cici's. I filled out the application last night and Jessie took it today at school to give to them this afternoon when she worked, and they called me while I was at UC Clermont.
They really must be desperate, like Jessie says. So I'm going to brush up on some Spanish to show off, think of as many good things to say about myself as possible, pretend I'm good at working with people and hope I don't start stammering. |
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