Red Eyes, Red Desk Lamp - Late Night Postgrad Reading

I bought myself a new desk lamp. Not a very sexy purchase but an essential one if I am to complete all this reading without going blind in my poorly lit room. Now I have no excuse not to read into the wee hours of the morning.

When they say you go to university to read for a degree, they are not kidding. I fell asleep over one tedious chapter last night and tonight, because 1) I was already tired and 2) I made the mistake of having a full glass of wine on an empty stomach, I will be taking a nap before text-diving.

I have an assignment due in 12 days' time so the pressure is on. I have put off all engagements this weekend to facilitate academc hibernation so I can enjoy the Rum Festival on the following weekend. Thinking of maybe going to a public place rather than staying at home, where there are soooo many distractions. Unless I am home alone, it really is not student-friendly.

I also miss the convenience of my mum's cooking. You know, getting home and all you need to do is grab a plate and eating utensils, rather than having to face the stove yourself. I have only been eating pasta since I got here, with the exception of the stir fry 2 weeks ago. If I can fit it in this weekend, I am going to cook a proper meal this weekend. Something with all the major food groups and not just carbs. My stomach is obscene with all the pasta I have been eating. Takes me back to my undergrad years where Kraft mac and cheese was king. In this case, it's Sainsbury's 2 for £2.70 specials that rule the roost. I have my Naparima cookbook with me, but it is probably the only book I have not opened since I got here.

Sigh. Off to bed, I go.

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I survived the tube strike!

I survived the tube strike. I mean, luckily for me, they decided to strike on the one day I have an early school day because I would not like to have been one of the hamsters during rush hour today. I snickered to myself though as I observed the antics of one angry commuter on the underground train from Waterloo. I mean, this tube thing has been on the news, the notices are everywhere and even on the train, they keep reminding customers to make alternative travel arrangements. Furthermore on this particular service, they repeated over and over and over, that some stations were closed and the station which would have ordinarily been next at this time was closed. So when I saw the dude get off his seat and head to the door, knowing we were not yet close to the next stop, I had a smile and waited. Of course when we got to the station he apparently wanted to get off at - the one that they kept saying was CLOSED - and the train kept moving, though it was no surprise to anyone else on the train, it was an awakening for this idiot. He went from calm commuter to irate commuter, kicking the seats and taking out his frustration on his backpack. It was too amusing. Communication is a helluva thing.

So while I survived the tube strike, I nearly did not survive the shopping bag walk from hell. Note the 2 shopping bags.

But wait...they were not filled with sexy goodies like undies or pea coats, or turtlenecks or cute scarves or boots. Oh no. They were chock full of...

...BOOKS! I mean, how the mighty have fallen! I had bought some of my core texts second hand from a student from last year's intake and she brought them all for me today. My God. They weighed tonnes. It was the longest commute ever today, with these heavy text books weighing me down.

Now the harder part is reading them all!

I also think I am going to offer my marketing/consumer services to bars, to taste-test daiquiris across this great city and see who wins the prize for Best Strawberry Daiquiri. I went out to B@1 last night, and had an s.d on their happy hour 2-for-1 special, and they left something to be desired. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably give them a 5 for the drink, but a 10 for the vibe and the service. But I am aware that I probably should not be too hard on them - daiquiris take a special skill. lol. I love the bar though and will give them another try - maybe not the strawberry daiquiri though. However, the daiquiri from Friday night at Ha Ha scored a high 9, leaving them in the lead...for now. So who is up for the daiquiri challenge and willing to sponsor my daiquiris for the rest of the academic year? Calling all bartenders!!!

I will refrain from going over the ordeal of the psychotic attention from some of the male patrons last night. Needless to say, it was the oddest moment of the evening.

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Back to School

I am too tired to write much. I mean, it's like they tried to pack a lifetime of induction knowledge into 8 hours. It was just too much and not just for my old brain, but the young'uns were struggling too. I mean, who puts the librarian's session after lunch?? REALLY??? I was waging a serious battle with sleep at that point. I think she realised a half hour before the scheduled end that she, her presentation with the cute graphics and her examples were just not making sense at that point and she surrendered a full 25 mins ahead of time. We could read the pamphlets.

Yes peeps. Back to school. It was an okay kinda day, just too much for one sitting, man. The classmates are alright. Mostly Europeans, with 2 Nigerians, one Yank and one Trininista. No Brits. The Bajan and the last person aren't here yet. One dude is pretty annoying but I put on my best laugh and did not stare at him blankly, nor did I roll my eyes. Impressive. The two module leaders we have met so far are pretty cool and their classes should be interesting. And I am the ole timer in the group, I think, though I suspect one of the guys is hiding his age. lol. The timetable is a bit intimidating with one 3 hour class first thing on a Monday morning. I mean...who thought of that? And a 5 hour class on a Friday! Sadists. So, again, I have not a single regret about last weeks's vegging on the couch.

I also think I have literally lost about 8 pounds already. I had to keep pulling my jeans up all day which was highly annoying. All this pedestrian action is really taking its toll, and granted, weight loss is a great thing, but not when you cannot afford to buy new jeans cause the ones you have are apparently getting too big. lol. I have been eating really healthily as well, which does not help. I mean when a decent sized bag of pre-cut stir fry veggies cost a quid, you're gonna be eating pretty damn healthy. lol. I am supposed to have a "date" tomorrow but if I feel anything like I feel now, then that is going to be a disaster of royal proportions. I am really exhausted.

Headache of the century and a mother who wants me to stay up past midnight so she can Skype at 7pm her time. The things I do...

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Jobless, but not hapless in London

So I am back in London. But this time not as the divalicious tourist but as the fabulous unemployed student. I did some grocery shopping yesterday and it reminded me that during my student days, macaroni and cheese, and crackers and green tea will be my best friends. Got two boxes of green tea. I'm ready. The good thing is I will lose some weight for sure and maybe get back my undergrad body. lol. Miracles do happen!

To answer Bingi's question about BA, we need to go back to last week where I was trying ardently to get the lowly 20% discount on my second bag by paying for it online. However, try as I might, the site would not let me. I called and tweeted and was told I would have the option during online check in, so on Tuesday evening, armed with my credit card, I tried again, and still no luck. And though the difference between paying online and paying at the airport represented £8, it's an £8 that could look like £800 when your belly empty. lol. So I called again and got a very wonderful and friendly agent named Gail, who herself tried and confirmed my suspicion - the website was crap. Sadly, as friendly as she was, Gail could not give me my £8 discount over the phone and I was left with no choice but to go to the airport and pay the full £40. Smurfy I was not. BA's rating had quickly gone from a top pick of say, 9, to a meagre 3. But they're back to being a 9, and perhaps even a 10. I got to the airport and not only were my constant complaints logged in and available to the ticket agent, but it was proof that I had indeed tried to access mih £8 discount so guess who managed to keep her £8 in her pocket? And try as I did, my bags were still overweight, though just by 1kg a piece. Some hater would have made me pay that £30 but the poor student won again and I was politely scolded and allowed to board without a fuss.

So KUDOS TO BRITISH AIRWAYS and welcome back to being my #1 airline!

There was no crying at the airport. My mother held up well. But there was lots of crying on the plane. I held up well but the child next to me did not. Other than that, it was uneventful, from plane to Border Control to Customs. I made it...without having to cut my eye at anyone. Kudos to me.

It's surprisingly sunny and bright here though a bit chilly and I am in the house relaxing and watching Murder She Wrote on Sky. I left the house briefly today to go to the bank (but they could not do what I needed so will organise my account on Monday at the branch near school) and a phone card for my mobile. I may take a spin down to Covent Garden and ultimately to Lush tomorrow to get some stuff and meet up with a couple people, and oh...get a converter so I can use my laptop without it catching fire. Funny story...I think I was so tired last night that I did not bother to check voltage requirements etc and just plugged my alarm/radio into the adapter and into the wall. A minute later, there was a crackle, a pop but no cute cereal mascots. Only the acrid smell of my cute RCA radio biting the dust. I still slept like a stone but now I need to buy a new one.

I have zero interest in doing anything else cause I will soon be wishing for days like these when I don't have assignments, reading or exams. So hate me while I kick back with a glass of Tropicana red grape juice and some shrimp ravioli. I will be hating you soon enough.

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Past, Present and Future

The best part of any job would definitely be the people. I have been blessed to have made some really great friends during my career. My girlfriends from my last job took me out to lunch yesterday at one of my favourite restaurants, Chaud, and I highly recommend the oxtail cannelloni, friends. I mean, two of my favourite things in one meal - oxtail and pasta. Who would have thought? (the image there is not my actual lunch. taking a photo of it would have just been ghetto! It actually looked much better than this)

But the mascara drama really got going back at the office where my present colleagues attempted to surprise me with a farewell shindig. I had gotten a meeting request earlier in the day that gave it away for though it purported to be a  meeting about Wednesday's budget presentation and its implications for our business, I was like I'm leaving so why would I be invited to this? Easy giveaway. But that did not stop it from being extremely sentimental. They really are, and this is no BS, a great bunch of people and they made my time there memorable. Each job has its crap moments and some days you go Why am I working here? But even if you leave you always miss the people. I will miss the people very much.

But I will be stylin'. At lunch we were talking about how you never let anyone know you're down. Your outer projection, even if your finances are in the toilet, your man has left you, or you have serious issues, should be one of utter confidence, poise and fabulousity. So though I will be unemployed and counting pences religiously, I will be ferosh! Thanks to my colleagues for my fabulous school bag.

Today I get to spend all day with my cute as a button nephew. Pity he is too small and too adorable to be put to work cause I will also be packing and making dhalpuri. I am tired, have neck and shoulder pains and a bit cranky but ever so blessed as always. Eid Mubarak everyone.

p.s. Oh, forgot about the Future part of the entry. So on the networking site for the Sep 2010 intake of students, I have already gotten a stalker. A Nigerian stalker. You know how I feel about Nigerian men. God has a weird sense of humour. lol.

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She's Really Leaving?

So now that HR has decided to share resignations on the intranet, I guess everyone knows I am leaving. The reactions so far have mostly been that of shock and dismay, and I have to say, that's a bit flattering. I did not realise I was so highly regarded by my peers. Interesting. I also got the more touching and sentimental reactions - the ones that can lead to mascara drama, so I beat it out of those conversations pretty damn quick. Lots of congratulations and looks of "wish it were me". lol. Lots of words of support and it really meant a lot. The phone has been ringing off the hook as more people log on to the intranet and see my name plastered across the screen. Not the way I want my business out there, but what's done is done. It's funny. People keep asking if it's a misprint and if it's really my name on the list. lol. It's nice to know I have made some kind of valid contribution. The last phone call was pretty awesome. I really feel blessed and appreciated. You don't always know if you're appreciated when you work somewhere, but I have had the good fortune of really feeling the love from those I have worked with.

Still, the work continues. I could easily have signed off and said Eff this! I am leaving so this is no longer my headache. But I am not that type of employee. I will give my best until the very last day. However, my fabulousity has suffered slightly. I did not pass an iron on today's earth toned outfit, but I did make the effort with the eye makeup. I was so tired last night that I almost put a pair of jeans on, but then that would not have flown with the old school hierarchy.

I am about 85% complete with the clearing of my desk and wished the clearing of my bedroom was so far along. My God. How does one girl have so many items of clothing? It's funny. When I went off into the world of the undergrad, it was a real sacrifice. Not to say this isn't cause it is, but my parents were not well off and I did not have to worry too much about sorting clothes because I did not have a lot of nice things as I do now. It was hard then but I rallied. Now, I have to temper my desire to pack every blouse, every pair of pants, with practical restraint. I have come a long way. It will not be easy going back to being a scrunting student after years of getting a salary but I am used to sacrifice by now. I will make it with or without my leopard print high heeled pumps.

I have also found 2 Trinis via Facebook who will be enrolling with me and one high school girlfriend who, though not in the same school, will be joining the super fabulous life of the unemployed postgrad student in London as well.

The saga continues...

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Sky High Rant

I usually never sleep on long flights because I have crappy circulation and I like to get up and walk and stretch my legs every hour or so but believe me, by the time I get on ole BA 21whatever, I will be completely knackered. Moving a bed from one corner to another is hard work and tiring. Moving a life from one hemisphere to another is simply exhausting. And juggling my day job and my side job as Super Trininista, packing and transferring sold vehicle etc is really taking a toll. Okay, well maybe I am making it sound totally terrifying but shite, I am really tired.

I also have a rant. I remember when I was a student at UWI in Jamaica, good ole Bwee aka Caribbean Airlines had luggage concessions for students, recognising that we had books, we had clothes, we had food, we had equipment in some cases. So when your old grip was busting at the seams with a year of your life stuffed inside, and your other bag had a semester's worth of food (because all Trini students in trying to beat the Jamaican inflation reserved one bag for non perishable foodstuff), the counter staff at Bwee were very accomodating. I not saying they were selling the hog cause I had to pay overweight charges once cause I got there after all the other hungry students had come in with their overstuffed bags, but they made an effort to understand our plight.

Fast forward now to the age of airline capitalism where you might soon have to pay to pee on an airplane, and I am packing a year of my life away and of course, I dunno if you can do it, but trying to fit a year of your life, even if you're drabulous and not fabulous (like me)  into one suitcase is impossible. My winter coat alone took up half of one bag, not to mention boots and other cold weather accoutrements. Of course I still have to buy other things when I arrive in ole Blighty cause yuh cyah pack everything, but one bag, with my Caribbean skin and hair toiletries and warm clothes is already stuffed. Let's face it, Boots cyah help me, my black skin and my black hair! Boots is no Pennywise! What's more, this is not Jamaica I am going to, so I have not a scrap of food in the bag - just clothes, heavy coats/sweaters, just shoes, just books, my laptop. I am not being unreasonable!

Now don't get me wrong eh. I think among all the airlines I have used in my life, British Airways ranks at the top with excellent in-flight service, timely departures, great movies, though the food could use a bit of haute cuisine love. BA is great. But...British Airways allows you ONE free bag and one cabin bag, which already has my laptop and yuh doh wanna be stuffing too many things into the bag with your laptop. I mean, seriously? You eh talk about jeans and then your warm weather clothes yet. I mean, BA, I not asking for a free extra bag, but oh gosh, a lil discount at least!

So with this dilemma in mind and vexation that these people have no consideration for students coming from tropical Third World countries, I tweeted to British Airway's rep and was told I needed to call 1-800-AIRWAYS. Let me just say this BA, doh waste a big woman's time eh. When I called the number, I got a dude who told me they only ever made concessions to missionaries going to feed the poor in places like Africa. I kid you not. But missionaries doh wear clothes other than what...a pair of shorts and an old shirt and some boots? They don't need two bags! The food they are taking to Africa cannot fit into a bag. It's called cargo. I am not asking for cargo concessions. Just a discount on my university-bound bag. Uni books are not paperback novels. They are heavy. Where is the consideration for higher education? No consideration that students

1.are  unemployed and probably trying to save the £32 these bandits at BA and God knows who else (Virgin? AA?) charging for each additional bag
2. need to pack more than the average traveller cause they are packing for a year or more

But to the Twitter person, this is not a new thing so I am sure you knew what phone dude was going to tell me so why make me waste the phone call? C'mon. I am as busy as you are.

I am not sure if Caribbean Airlines still allow students luggage concessions nowadays but a belated bless you for your hospitality back then. I will pay my £32 cause I will not be naked and cold in London because of BA. But they better at least have a better meal than the meals they served when I travelled with them in July and August. I deserve at least that. My deep BA loyalty is being seriously tested.

RBTT - also on my sh... list.

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Jurassic Park Personified

When I made this decision to go back to school, one thing I kept saying to myself and to others was "I am getting older" and though you try to fool yourself into thinking you're that hot spring chicken you were when you did your spin as an undergrad, you soon realise that you're a damn dinosaur. (a hot dinosaur, excuse you)

I have been following the social networking chatter from the 2010/2011 intake at my school and I felt like Ty - Tyrannosauraus Rex. I mean, wow...was I this young and foolish once? What's worse, one chick who would probably share a couple classes with me asked my age and I told her, and you would swear I had some infectious cyber disease after that. It was somewhat alarming but more hilarious than anything else. Am I going to be the old fart in the classroom with all these silly twenty-somethings? God help me. Are there going to be more Edward Cullen and Justin Bieber aficionados than people who could tell you about Boyz II Men and Russell Crowe? Will I be that woman I used to frown on at age 19 - the old lady on the block? Yeah. Mature students look different, act differently and even dress differently and as I was going through my own back to school wardrobe, I knew I was going to not be as disheveled as some of the people you see on campus. Well, not all the time anyway. And you would think I was like in my 50s or something. I am still years away from ticking the 35-40 box on application forms, so damn...when did I become a relic?

But note friends, I did not say I felt like a Brontosauraus, all slow and wombly and chewing on grass like a wuss. Nope. I am fierce, I am the H.B.I.C in the park, and will bite your head off if you're annoying. Gives a whole new meaning to the saying "I may be old, but not cold".
I think I am better prepared now for this than I was at 22. I think the life experiences I have had since then have given me enough perspective to appreciate where I am now, and how I managed to get here. The one great thing about where I have been is that I have been able to keep my brain from turning to mush and it's probably sharper and more receptive to knowledge now than it was then. I think I can embrace this new challenge with the force of the fabulous and super woman that I am and love it and succeed at it. I probably have more to show for myself than some of these young'uns and more to show them as well. And show them that 30 definitely is not ancient. I used to think so too when I was their age, but it's a pretty good place to be actually. They may be surprised that I can actually relate to them, and think this old battleaxe is quite a trip! Cause I am. I  am pretty damn awesome!

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