I hate group work!

[caroline_caz]

Arghhh…I wish this rotation would just kill me (…and then I could be magically resurrected after it’s all done)! Just finished my Oncology rotation and I’m about to start the massive pain in the arse Research rotation. I’ve always found myself to have a rather non-research brain but unfortunately in the world of medicine…that is something which I

Comments

[pastypanda]

I really hope you get your test results soon and am hoping that it is the less bad of the two options you have laid out (or alternately, something that you haven't thought of which is better than your perceived options)!

Groupwork is lame. I hate it. Cannot be escaped anywhere. I think I told you about the group I had last year for Public Relations - 4 of us were super cool (yes, I am super cool) and very easy to work with. Then we had a domineering girl from Latvia who insisted on doing pretty much everything, including the final proof (which resulted in the term New South Whales being put in our final document... English is her second language and she is not very good at spelling), and to round out the group, a girl who we saw twice all semester and who tried to take credit for work that she did not do (I think that she contributed... Maybe a paragraph, if that, of original content to our 100+ page document. But there's always one in every group isn't there? Just hang in there, anyway - as you say, it's only for a month and then I guess you get to move on to funner things!

Now, regarding your discussion of cosmetics and the female condition... Being the vainest bitch in town, I feel I am very well qualified to comment! I can tell you in all honesty that how I look, and how I feel about how I look, has a real effect on the way I function. I find that if I am happy with the way I look on a certain day, I am more likely to put in an effort with what I am doing (dance, for example - full face and hair makes me feel better about myself and I am more motivated to use correct form in rehearsals). I do envy people who are... I guess, secure enough in themselves that they can walk around unkempt in a pair of dirty trackies and still be functional, but that is just not me. I am the type of person who has to wake myself up an hour early before an exam - sacrificing valuable sleep - to ensure that I look presentable, because if I am happy with how I look I am less likely to be distracted and wonder if other people think I look awful. I also feel that any kind of procedure, treatment, illness or anything that would change my appearance would cause me tremendous anxiety. Two weeks ago I had a spot of contact dermatitis on my neck from a (very expensive) gold-plated necklace I had worn. It was red and bumpy and awful, and I was devastated at the thought of it staying around - until it went away, I wore scarves or used my hair to cover that spot because it was awful. Same as a lot of the time I try to hide my hands, because every so often I get little outbreaks of eczema-like bumps on my fingers which are quite unsightly and embarrassing. These kind of things truly make me feel awful about myself and I can only imagine that the changes that sufferers of diseases like you mentioned above have to endure would leave them feeling much worse. I'm not sure that it's localised to women entirely, as I think men feel it too, but it's more a prevalent concern in women because of how society has conditioned us - women are the fairer sex, traditionally the housewives who were meant to stay home, pump out the kids, make a nice dinner and keep themselves looking attractive for their husbands. Women are meant to look good - we're still held up to those standards now, look in any women's magazine - and men are meant to be strong and be the main breadwinners - in the eyes of society, being attractive is a bonus for men. But that is my Cultural Studies wankery and general feminist crankiness coming out I guess...

To be continued, because LJ is oppressing me!

[pastypanda]

I guess I wear makeup both to fine-tune my appearance (though it's more like taking one of those chisels or wood-planes to my face because I do what I can to change the shape of my face and features with my makeup... Everyone says it and usually they're lying, but I look very different without makeup, to the point where people have either not recognised me, or recognised me and told me I looked sick when I wasn't wearing any) and to project an image to others... The way I'd like them to think of me. I'd like people to think of me as a pretty little retro-inspired girl with a penchant for bold colours and quirky hairpieces. I want to be perceived as a nice but polished person who always puts in an effort. I am not and have never been one of those "effortlessly stylish" people if you know what I mean, so the minimal-effort thing doesn't work for me.

In summary, you are not alone in this boat. I like to call it the BOAT OF FIERCE. And we are ON THAT BOAT. Along with many other fierce, makeup wearing lads and ladies!

[caroline_caz]

I like the name of this boat...but it's more of a ship I'd think though...still the Boat of Fierce does have a certain ring to it =D

Yeah, if I don't wear my requisite makeup...I freak out thinking that people are looking at the things I don't want them to see...namely the unsightly festering sores on my face. Just kidding...
But definitely...makeup is amazing...and I blame social conditioning entirely for the fact that we feel the need and feel a pleasure in dabbling the alteration and emphasis of our facial features. It's always society's fault.

I don't think Cultural Studies is wanky...I think it's very interesting and am envious that you get to study something so interesting!