Week 6: My motorbike.....shweet.

Had my first full week of work--it feels amazing to be productive again. I definitely have a weekly routine that I am going to stick to. If I allow myself to goof off, I don't know if I could ever get myself back on track. I hear all these crazy stories about people who go off to do their dissertations and never come back, oftentimes not touching their dissertations for months on end.

I was thinking about this whole blog thing. I've never been any good at keeping a journal. Hell, I don't even know if any of my friends actually read this damn thing, but it sure makes me feel better. Its a good gauge for self-interrogation, to make sure I keep on track and do productive things. When you have to recount what you did in the week, you better make damn sure you do something.

Anyways, I was working in the library, minding my own business, when I was told I was not even allowed to use the outlet to charge my computer. When I asked why, the librarian told me, "we're trying to conserve electricity." What utter nonsense! Researchers cannot use the outlets because they want to conserve electicity, when I saw all the librarians surf the web and do internet chat. I am SO going to take this to the director of the library.

Went straight to the head honcho. He not only allowed me to plug my computer in, he also gave me my own space to work in. Ha! Take that! I was told that the mean librarian that revoked my electrical privileges just got promoted last week, and wanted to find some way to exert his minuscule power. Seriously, people get off on the smallest, most petty things. Isn't it just easier to look the other way, and ignore the researcher plugging in her computer? Anyways, I'm just venting here: I am not about to pick a fight with the people who work in the library. They can make my research a living hell.


So remember when I said how Kat wanted her new kitten's name to emerge naturally? Well, it seems that the kitty now has a name--One Dollar. No, not Fifty Cent, but even classier--One Dollar! Kat bought the kitty for a dollar from her landlady, and then proceeded to buy about 10 dollars worth of cat stuff!!! Have posted pics of the baby kitty, sleeping on top of my papers and preventing me from doing my work.

On a non-work related note, I got a new motorbike!!! I had this fantasy about getting a vintage Vespa, zipping through the city in a floaty white dress and big sunglasses, with my hair and scarf flying behind me, La Dolce Vita in French colonial Hanoi. Sigh... But the dreams were dashed when a friend of mine (who sells and buys motorbikes for a living) told me that the price of the La Dolce Vita fantasy is the constant breaking down of the motor, expensive repairs, and 90% value depreciation. Instead, I opted for a dependable, yet stylish, Yamaha Nuovo. Its painted the colors of a deck of cards--red, white and black. It seems that I have traded one fantasy for another--that of hopping off my badass motorbike, take my helmet off, and fluffing my long hair. That's HOT. Will post pictures of my new motorbike next week.

Congratulations to my high-school friend Arun, who just landed a job with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg!!!!! Wasn't it just yesterday we were going to raves and getting kicked out of Michael's house by his homicidal mother? Congrats Arun, I'm so proud of you!!!