Returning to my desk... literally and metaphorically
This morning I am back at my desk. I really haven't worked at this desk in probably 8 months. With my laptop I tend to either go to the university or to sit at the kitchen table. Lately neither of these locals have resulted in much fruitful work. Yesterday I cleaned my desk and looked at old pictures on my desktop computer. The images of my desk in the Powell St. apt. where I wrote my undergraduate thesis reminded me what an important place a desk can be. So I'm back. I'm actually writing today... not much down yet but stuff and anything is important at this stage. Monday was spent f.i.n.a.l.l.y getting my "apply to education" (the only tool for applying to all teaching jobs in Canada nearly) stuff done... also continuing to apply for what mostly seem like inane public service jobs. I've seen so many of my friends wade through that scary, frustrating, depressing time while they look, wait, worry about their first job, that I'm trying to get a head start. I really don't know what I want to do. I want to teach... but some days at the homework club I think I'd be such a shitty teacher... and there are no jobs here so I'd be likely moving (I applied in Montreal, which really is close enough for weekends back here with my Darry beary). And I'm working on my French all the time from the grammar book I bought and reading for pleasure exclusively in French, and sometimes I think I see progress, and sometimes my glaring ignorance of this language is shown to me. There is just so much of it! It is really a very interesting time... oh and Adrian has me thinking about applying to do my Phd... but at Ottawa U? Is that problematic? Do I want to even start something like that without giving real (non-school) life a try?
The conference at McGill was just awesome. The climate in their faculty is so different, so passionate.... they have rescued obscure thinkers by infusing them with activism... or something. I don't know what that means... they also have beautiful buildings. Seeing Henry Giroux was my first exposure to... like... "academic as rock star" or whatever. He was enthralling at any rate. So was Nita (Paulo's wife) Freire. I bought a book by Nita on their love... an engaging way to read about this brilliant man so far. OH and I think my presentation was a hit even though barely no one came to it, the other presenter was a high school religion teacher and his project basically got me so excited I probably creeped him out.
Writing, the project and all that, are going fairly well... despite the fact that I don't actually seem to work on it that often. Job searching should act as a firm reminder that I need to do this... nothing stands in my way other than myself... the project engages me.. I simply need to do it :)
Have not been running outside due to pussy-ness. There are lots of excuses I could put out there... but I see lots of other people doing it so I could be too. Once this bout at the homework club is done I must also return to regular gym attendance.. right now its kind of sporadic. I wish I was going to see against me tonight ... I called, frantically using redial, on Monday to the news at noon people who were giving away tickets to no avail.
Lovely day to one and all.
The conference at McGill was just awesome. The climate in their faculty is so different, so passionate.... they have rescued obscure thinkers by infusing them with activism... or something. I don't know what that means... they also have beautiful buildings. Seeing Henry Giroux was my first exposure to... like... "academic as rock star" or whatever. He was enthralling at any rate. So was Nita (Paulo's wife) Freire. I bought a book by Nita on their love... an engaging way to read about this brilliant man so far. OH and I think my presentation was a hit even though barely no one came to it, the other presenter was a high school religion teacher and his project basically got me so excited I probably creeped him out.
Writing, the project and all that, are going fairly well... despite the fact that I don't actually seem to work on it that often. Job searching should act as a firm reminder that I need to do this... nothing stands in my way other than myself... the project engages me.. I simply need to do it :)
Have not been running outside due to pussy-ness. There are lots of excuses I could put out there... but I see lots of other people doing it so I could be too. Once this bout at the homework club is done I must also return to regular gym attendance.. right now its kind of sporadic. I wish I was going to see against me tonight ... I called, frantically using redial, on Monday to the news at noon people who were giving away tickets to no avail.
Lovely day to one and all.