Sunday, August 22, 2010

Post-August 19th

In My Reality: San was empty because that's exactly what happened. NOTHING. On the night of August 18th I found out that the university wasn't accepting any home/EU students through Clearing, effectively cancelling Clearing 2010. I never got a chance to try...

Thursday, August 19, 2010

In My Reality: San

In My Mind: Ni

In my mind this is how I want the conversation on August 19th to go:

Tutor: What were your results?

Me: Three C's.

Tutor: You can't really do any of our courses...

Me: I know, but I got those grades like years ago.

Tutor: I see...

Me: For the past 3 years I been studying Biology at Queen Mary. Last summer I decided to drop out (I'm not sure whether I should add in the fact that I failed) and pursue Japanese full-time. Alongside studying at QM I've been teaching myself Japanese. I feel that I need guidance in my study, short of moving to Japan I don't know how else to best improve my Japanese skills. I really have a genuine passion for any thing Japanese, I want to know anything and everything. I think this uni has the perfect atmosphere to nurture that.

Tutor: Uh huh, uh huh..........Welcome aboard. Give us your clearing number and you can enroll in September.

Me: Woooooooooohoooooooooooooo.

THE END

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

In My Mind: Ichi

In my mind this is how the conversation on August 19th will go:

Tutor: What were your results?

Me: Three C's.

Tutor: You can't really do any of our courses... (Thanks to this shitty economy and even shittier Coalition Government there aren't any places left in clearing.)

Me: Not even Chinese? (I figure I could get my foot in the door.)

Tutor: NO!!!

ABRUPT END

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Pre-August 19th

I'm bloody nervous and it's only August 17th. I have a plan. I have a speech. I'm gonna bombarded them with info about why I'm such a great prospect. I'm not gonna take no for an answer. I'm even thinking about bribing them, but that's for when I'm really desperate. I don't know whether I should write about what August 19th means to me because I don't want to jinx it... but I guess it's OK cos I'm not gonna publish it right away.

August 19th is an important day for any 18-ish year olds in England because the A'Level exam results come out. It's a day when you find out what else you're gonna be studying for the next 3-4 years. My results day was filled with tears because I got three C's, what a waste of tears: a) three C's aren't that bad; especially since I hardly studied for them, b) I would've been failing Biomedical Sciences at King's instead of Biology at Queen Mary. You can see that science was not in my future but I was trying to force the subject. At that spectacularly crap Catholic school I was always good at Art but I didn't pursue it. I didn't think that it was a 'serious' person's subject, so I did Biology and Chemistry... that's what 'serious' people do - you can see how green I was. I couldn't see a future in Art because I never felt like I was particularly good at it, I wasn't particularly good at the Sciences either but I thought I could get better. Why didn't I think I could get better at Art? I was short-sited (I really am short-sited if you saw my pics, hihi) and immature, but that's what you expect of a kid. I wish I'd had more guidance.

City of Westminster College is my back-up plan. I'm one of those people who didn't particularly like school. I'm also one of those people who give little effort or emotion to things that don't interest them. I don't want to go back to that college setting to do Biology, Psychology and Sociology just to get the A'level entry grades for BA Japanese. I might need to, though. Why would I want to go to university? University's a whole other kettle of fish, in my opinion. Queen Mary wasn't even that bad, I just hated Biology. I think studying something I love at a great uni would bring out the best in me. I mean, seriously...I'm a Ghanaian studying Japanese by myself. If I didn't have a passion for it I would have giving up when I started trying to memorise Kanji.

So here I am, wishing that I was Irish or a Leprechaun, praying that someone really fucks up their exams and I get their spot - I kinda feel guilty for that, though. Phone lines open at 9am, so I'll start ringing at 8:58. Fingers crossed, wish me luck. ^_^

Sunday, August 15, 2010

You really get to know people

I had a great conversation with Henry VIII the other day. I said earlier that we hadn't really started yet but I think we have now. We talked about university; he told his school that their courses were shit even though he basically failed each year and still managed to graduate, I'm starting to think there's something wrong with me. Why couldn't I tell Stan that his course was shit but he should still let me progress to the third year even though I... ahh, he has the gift of the gab - a gift I'm trying to imitate come August 19th but that's another post. Then we went onto Japan; the lucky bastard got visit a friend in Tokyo the year before, I can at least say that my Japanese is better than his...but that's not really worth shit cos I really want to be in Japan. We even talked about Ghanaian food because he'd tried fufu, this coming out of a English boy had me pleasantly surprised ^_^.

The Queen and her Sidekick: these are two new characters in the saga that is my internship. They're generally pleasant, but they can give off this attitude. I'm not sure whether it's immaturity or the much documented black girl attitude; it doesn't help, in this world, to have that attitude. You have to behave in public, that's all I'm saying. You have to learn to put on a pleasant face when you're pissed off because, guess what, this is an internship. Even if they don't keep you on, you get the experience as well as something great to add to your CV. But they don't get that, the latter more so than the former. Maybe if they'd spent a year in exile, unsure of the future, unsure of plans laid, unsure of everything they would appreciate this opportunity more. I just found out today that the Sidekick left. Just up and gone. She went on her lunch break and never came back. I was chatting with the Showgirl about what a waste it was. It wasn't that bad, but she gave up becuase it wasn't worth it for her to grit her teeth and bare with it. I wonder if that's because of a lack of maturity. When I think about my situation last year, when I think about that sinking feeling and the need to get out of the situation as quickly as possible I wonder if giving up was that simple for her. Granted, she was a moody little cow, hihi (even the models thought so), but she could really talk to people when she wanted to. She could be really charming so that she built up a rapport with the clients - a skill I've only incrementally improved on. She even told me about the clients she had gained, her CV would've been great, what a waste.

I was studying Biology because I didn't take a breath after my A'Levels to truly understand what best suited me, I can be at peace with myself over the decision to quit a degree I had no intention of utilizing except to get my visa for Japan. The Sidekick is a fashion student, can she guarantee that she won't meet any of this people ever again? That they won't remember?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Look! It has Wiiiinnnggggssss

Do you like them, do you? Don't worry if you don't cos I do. Flaunt anything with a Japanese style heel or pleats (preferably not together) and I'm sold. I go crazy for these VW + Melissa Plastic Dreams Rocking Horse shoes, but alas I'm poor. Feel free to buy them for me in any colour, I really don't mind. I'm a European Size 5 (I'm a 5 and a half really, but no one sells that). ^_^ ............. .....and this.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

She Judo Chopped me

So, during the busiest week yet at this internship I was Judo chopped. Yes, JUDO chopped... OK, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. I'd been on my feet all day helping the models change into and out of their clothes. I'd had lunch courtesy of the company but it was awful. I had a Falafel melt from Pret; it's a wrap filled with Feta, sauteed red onions, tomato sauce and Falafel, of course. Don't ever get it, it's pure acid. The Falafel was drowned out by the lemon acidic, tomato puree sauce (hey Pret, you have to balance tomato sauces with sugar or the equivalent) and the Feta just intensified the sharp, biting taste. The only relief came from the sweet red onions but they were scarce.

Anyway, I was on a roll; unzipping, buttoning etc. I had just finished unbuttoning a garment and I was about to place/chuck it onto the model's chair. BAM! She got me! It was purely accidental, but in a blink of an eye my glasses were on the floor in two and my vision was a blur. The model was filled with apologies and promises to fix them. She was surprised at how calm I was but... I really didn't care that much, I was too busy and I had another pair; they're not the same prescription but they work. I've been wearing glasses since I was in year three so that makes it about 12 years. My eyesight is bad but not awful. I can function without them but I can't drive, or read or see people very well... that sounds quite bad, though. Thinking about it now, my eyesight is shit. I wouldn't even be able to cross the road. My boss sent me upstairs to get a replacement to assist the models and to fix my glasses, I offered to carry on but she wasn't having it. I don't know what I was thinking, I can just imagine it now; unbuttoning the clothes with them 2cm from my face because that's the only distance at which they weren't a blur, lol.

My boss's boss examined them and decided that because it was a clean break they could be super-glued together again. I was up for it cos I wanted to get back to work. She glued them back together and they were like new. You wouldn't even know that they had been broken. Moral of the Story; don't get too close to the models ^_^    

Saturday, August 7, 2010

You get to know people

First impressions aren't always true. You hang around the same people long enough, you find that you peel off a new layer each time. This past month and a half I've learned a lot about the other interns. Some of them have revealed their ages in their stroppy behaviour, while others have revealed their adaptability, their street savvy.

I feel like I'm jumping the gun because I didn't write a post about the Spring/Summer interns of '11 - I planned to but I didn't get to it, mostly because I was feeling lazy; that's how we ended up with Newbies. I think I mentioned before that there were nine of us in all, and of that nine there were only two guys so I'll start with them. The first guy, I'm gonna call Henry VIII cos he looks like Henry VIII, the early years; I wouldn't compare him to the fat, bed-sore ridden, "hoist me onto my horse" Henry VIII in his latter years. He's more like Henry the hunter of game, the lover of sport and trophies. He's 6 ft ish with a bit of a belly though, lol. He's got a really cool fashion sense for a straight guy, and he wears a lot of expensive brands which I'm still not sure how he gets his hands on. I figure he's either a rich kid or he knows someone who knows someone. The type who has a lot of connections. He wears tailored trousers, rolled up so that he reveals his quirky striped socks and brown, leather shoes as is the fashion in London nowadays. Yesterday, he donned a black, sequined cap; it was so wrong but so right. Henry's a Chatty Cathy in a really good way, that's the first thing I noticed about him. He fits in so well. Initially, I thought that he was a permanent member of staff; he'd only started a week prior to me but he knew everything and whatever he didn't know he was quick to learn. He was able to talk to the staff as a colleague and not as an unpaid intern. I don't think that we've gotten off to a good or bad start because we haven't really started. That's what happens when you have so many interns that work on different lines, you can go the whole day without talking to each other or even seeing each other. But when we do see each other it's usually at the office and he's crazy funny, and witty and knowledgeable.

The other male intern is the Raj, he's very friendly and inquisitive. He's really dedicated to his work - which I admire. I think he comes from an affluent family because he's an oversees student, who's still here during the summer. And he goes out for lunch - a luxury I can't afford, lol. I think he's sweet and by sweet I mean gay. Why? The swish of his hips as he walks is unlike any other heterosexual man I have met in my life. We all know that straight men pretend to be unaware of they're hips unless they're dancers. I think we'll get on fine ^_^.

The other interns are OK, there's not much to say about them because no particular personality stands out to me. I'll just say that I can see some issues between certain girls, but we're girls; I don't think we could call ourselves females if we didn't dislike each other at some point during the day, lol.