Friday 12 April 2013

Installing real life...99% complete

Exciting day today, which started with me being locked out of my new office. This happens too often.

However, I found a key, and sat myself down. No computer yet; while books can be lugged around any old how, computers must be signed for in triplicate, because people are more likely to steal a computer. Even a four-year old computer with less processing power than the A5-sized tablet they have in their bag. It's crazy, the thing must weigh a ton.

In any case - this meant I was on my laptop, and since I prefer +Gmail over Outlook (sorry Microsoft, sorry Apple, my next laptop's going to be a Chromebook and I'll always be an Android fanboy) my supervisor has started emailing me on that address. However, since I also use it for personal stuff (emails to my dad, getting tickets to En attendant Godot, my weekly hairdressing appointments) I decided now was the time to take control of my inbox. I said it with force. I said it with conviction. I said it with absolutely no idea how I'd go about it.

Step forward +Lifehacker, my favourite find ever. They output around 20-30 articles a day, and almost all of them go in my trash bin because they don't apply to me. But I always scan the titles, because once in a while an absolute gem comes up. Lifehacker is my go-to guy; if Stephen Fry were a website, he'd be Lifehacker. Maybe. Whether he would or he wouldn't be, I knew Lifehacker would help me out, and they did. Page after page on how to take control of your Gmail inbox, and before I knew it I'd so totally organised my inbox that I had a folder for everyone, subfolders for topics, and I'd lost three hours of my day.

Students came in and out throughout the morning, and I'm hoping that's going to become a common theme - I really want the huge new space I've got to be more than book storage. I want it to be a place for conversation, for improving English, and for rediscovering classics of English. English is my first language and my first love, and I'm so excited to now have the opportunity to share it with even more students.

I'm also right next to the coffee machine, so I'm expecting my five hours of sleep per night to be further abbreviated. I will carry on regardless; I would do anything for love. Apart from that weird thing with ketchup and apples, you can keep that to yourself. Weirdo.

Lunch today was kids' menu; turkey nuggets and chips. This is what I count as a weekend treat; going out on a Friday night is not feasible with a 10am start. I'm confident that other students reading this will shake their heads and laugh mockingly, but I'm old now. I'm 23, another few years and I get my pension.

(As I get closer to graduation I'm realising more and more that the world doesn't work that way, but I'm clinging to my delusion like a lifejacket)

My weekend looks pretty good, with lessons in the morning, a walk along the Seine with some work colleagues and I think a visit to Paris on Sunday. I've not been in for a while and I've some things to see before I leave - a date which is approaching with alarming speed.

For tonight I'll leave you with this from my new favourite musical, Matilda, which has just opened on Broadway. 400 Americans read this blog in the last five days; if any of you are New Yorkers I implore you to go and see this wonderful production.

Skip to 0.40 for the good stuff and to avoid David Walliams.



When I grow up, I will eat sweets every day
On the way to work 
And I will go to bed late every night
And I will wake up when the sun comes up and I
Will watch cartoons until my eyes go square and I won't care
'Cause I'll be all grown up.

(Hands up if this was you not so long ago.)

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