Well, after sufficient downtime due to expiring credit cards, my site is back. And with two extra bonus entries just for your reading pleasure. I speak about some of my loves: cars, language, hating things... etc. But now I'm going to talk about what I usually talk about on my blog, and that's me.
What have I been up to for a few months? Well, the main focus of my life has been job hunting. I always enjoy sending out hundreds of unsolicited CVs, but this time it's been extra fun. Especially with the reasonless rejections that I seem to encounter at every opportunity. Usually because someone has slightly more experience than me (any). But I can't let something as meaningless and trivial as experience put me off. I hope I don't sound bitter.
I have also been working hard on the JCS. It's difficult to keep finding things to do that will interest people, and the main killer is that when you find something particularly fun, people will find stupid excuses not to do it, like not having money or having coursework. Seriously people, JCS is more important than debt or deadlines. I guess I should be more tolerant. But it is a real drain to keep people entertained sometimes. Luckily there is a core of people who still enjoy whatever we do, even if it's just each others' company. And if any of the faithful are reading, I thank you for your participation.
I have found a new joy in socialising. It started where just a few friends would come over for dinner and we'd finish with some kind of Korean ice-cream. This developed into not really needing Korean ice-cream, or in fact any ice-cream at all. I have found that my regular dinner parties are always anticipated and always enjoyed, and I am trying to throw them more and more regularly. Often to have people try new foods that I or my sister have discovered, but mostly just because socialising is hard when so many of your friends are far away. But perhaps it is just a sign of impending maturity that dinner parties are more the done thing than before. I managed to introduce a swathe of people to peanut-butter burgers, a delicacy that Canada gave me and I want to show the world. And more recently I showed everyone that vegetarian food doesn't have to be dull, and that falafel pitta with cous-cous and salad is one of the tastiest/low-fat/filling meals one can conceive of.
I've used the V-word twice now. Once in the last paragraph and once in the title. I'm vegetarian again. Well, to be precise, pescetarian. I will eat fish occasionally. But most of my food is now meat free. Why this time? Well, last time (January to June 2006) someone gave me the idea and it helped me eat lots of chocolate and not put on weight. This time, I figure that if I skip the chocolate, I will lose weight, and that's a good thing, since my diet since returning home hasn't been very healthy. But for the last few weeks, it has been very healthy. I have even taken up long walks, running to the top of my hill and walking down a different route each night at around 2:00AM. It's very peaceful, and you see plenty of foxes. You also look quite conspicuous, usually because I'm dressed in a long overcoat and black gloves with chequered Vans on. It isn't quite usual.
Emma went to Japan. I have known that this was going to happen for years, since I met her pretty much, but it was still a massive shock to my system when she left. She'd been in Wales for months since I'd last spent proper time with her, but the fact that she now isn't even on the same island, on the same continent, or in the same hemisphere still upset me. The day she left I shed a tear, but I know I'll see her soon. I managed to call her on Friday, although the delay to the mobile and the interference and the fact that she'd only just got the phone and didn't know how to change the volume meant that it was a short and sparse conversation. But frequent emails do help.
Despite this, a few old friendships have been renewed. Through these I have been invited to numerous parties and strange events. I went to support a friend through the C-Star Singing Competition, where various Chinese performers compete for a contract. Through luck and skill and well placed back up dancers, my friend went through to the final. However, the day of the final I am otherwise engaged, and I fear I will miss it. These new connections have also led me to the strange scenario I am currently enjoying. I am writing this on a brand new MacBook Pro. It isn't mine, so I'm not allowed to smash it, but to be honest, compared to the other Macs I have used in the last year, it has impressed me. When writing things, the letters appear on the screen pretty much as soon as you press the keys. And the whole operating system doesn't grind to a halt if your mouse strays too near the icon bar at the bottom. Perhaps this is the Leopard I have been reading so much about. It is definitely an improvement. I mean, there are some things that could be better. The power chord could be longer than 19cm (but I guess they keep it short to show off the magnetic trip protector). It also wouldn't turn on after it was shut for a few minutes, forcing a hard reset and the loss of data ('It just works!'), and the friend who lent it to me couldn't get some program she wanted working, nor get any of her videos playing. It was only thanks to my open source favourite VLC that I could save the day.
Oh, and on top of that she tells me it would have cost £2000 had she bought it here. My sister's new Vaio cost her £500. And I guarantee it'll last longer than this. You can write it down.
But I shouldn't complain, I have full use of it for a few days seeing as I'm the only person she knows with an unfiltered internet connection, and I have to learn how to use it so I can teach her. I had enough problems trying to get it to show things in English (it's a Hong Kong bought machine). I might use it, however, to write the first essay I have been assigned in many months. 2000 words all about somebody's face. I think I can do it, but it's certainly a challenge. I now have the MacBook hooked up to my father's impressive sound system, so it is now a bit more fun.
Despite the recent let down of a few employment opportunities, I have been very happy with many things in my life. I don't notice foods I'm not getting, and at least once a week I feel amazing contentment. I have it right now. I don't know what to do about it, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts. I'm going to try and have one more dinner party before this episode of my life ends. And it is going to end, much sooner than I want it to.
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