(no subject)
Today started out as a pretty horrible day; there is no real justification for me having dragged out my degree for this long, and I found myself walking around campus with my eyes on the ground hoping not to run into old professors or people I know who'll ask me what the fuck I'm still doing there. (I had one such conversation already. No, two. "You're still here!" he said. I made a face. "Yeah." "Should I ask?" "Please don't." "Okay," he smiled ruefully, "I'll be a gentleman." He really was nice about it. It still sucks.)
Anyway. Things got better as the day went on. Bumping into
eumelia cheered me up a little, and then
marina gave me a ride, and the class I went to was tolerable, although I'm still not sure I'll be able to register to it; we'll say if they accept me next week.
Later on the train home I was all prepared to be a loner and sit secluded in my little open-laptop-do-not-disturb bubble. Instead, on a bench at the station, I noticed that the soldier sitting next to me was wearing two silly bandz(z!). As in the States, here too they're a great conversation starter, and we ended up talking the entire ride (American, 23 with a BA from Cal State, owes the country a few last months of service due to a slightly vague and complicated story). I love train talk; it really is easy to just spill to strangers, hear life stories, get this kind of casual and interest support from people who know you for thirty minutes of their lives.
(One of my favorite bus rides took place when I was in the army, taking the 10 or 11PM bus from Beer Sheva to Tel Aviv. I'd bought myself a McDonald's meal for the ride -- there's nothing quite like hot, greasy junk food on a bus ride at night, with its crackling paper bag and strong burger smell. The bus was half full, and the few seats next to me were filled with this classic microcosm of Israeli society, six or seven people from different towns and religions and stereotypes, and we spent the entire ride, about an hour and a half, all arguing about the Disengagement. It was frustrating and not very productive, but it was a good argument: I don't think anybody changed their minds, but sometimes it's good to argue just to hone your own opinion, to learn firsthand what the other side is saying and actually consider it, even if you don't agree.)
Okay. To do list:
--Sign up for last classes. Get accepted. Graduate.
--Write up resume
--Get job
--Get apartment
...Hopefully all within the next two weeks. Except the first.
comments on Dreamwidth.
Anyway. Things got better as the day went on. Bumping into
eumelia cheered me up a little, and then
marina gave me a ride, and the class I went to was tolerable, although I'm still not sure I'll be able to register to it; we'll say if they accept me next week.
Later on the train home I was all prepared to be a loner and sit secluded in my little open-laptop-do-not-disturb bubble. Instead, on a bench at the station, I noticed that the soldier sitting next to me was wearing two silly bandz(z!). As in the States, here too they're a great conversation starter, and we ended up talking the entire ride (American, 23 with a BA from Cal State, owes the country a few last months of service due to a slightly vague and complicated story). I love train talk; it really is easy to just spill to strangers, hear life stories, get this kind of casual and interest support from people who know you for thirty minutes of their lives.
(One of my favorite bus rides took place when I was in the army, taking the 10 or 11PM bus from Beer Sheva to Tel Aviv. I'd bought myself a McDonald's meal for the ride -- there's nothing quite like hot, greasy junk food on a bus ride at night, with its crackling paper bag and strong burger smell. The bus was half full, and the few seats next to me were filled with this classic microcosm of Israeli society, six or seven people from different towns and religions and stereotypes, and we spent the entire ride, about an hour and a half, all arguing about the Disengagement. It was frustrating and not very productive, but it was a good argument: I don't think anybody changed their minds, but sometimes it's good to argue just to hone your own opinion, to learn firsthand what the other side is saying and actually consider it, even if you don't agree.)
Okay. To do list:
--Sign up for last classes. Get accepted. Graduate.
--Write up resume
--Get job
--Get apartment
...Hopefully all within the next two weeks. Except the first.
comments on Dreamwidth.