MIRTH:
Blogging the delicious, the inane, the delightful, and the laughs of a twenty-something.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Leaving the Ivory Tower
sigh.
All around me, anxious and eager grad students prepare themselves for the next step: their post-MA life. They cram for their GREs, the write up statements of purpose, seek out letters of recommendation, etc. Me? I watch them. As it stands, I will not be entering Fall 2010 as a grad student...anywhere. For various reasons, I am in the process of leaving the Ivory Tower of Academia.
Its a dangerous, uncharted territory for me.
And as I head towards the light, I can only see the major pitfall of having been a student/scholar/academic for the past 6-going-on-7 years: I am completely and utterly at a loss.
Here's the thing, you think college would prepare you for a life beyond it. That it gives you the necessary skills to be successful post-bac as you head into the "real word" as a contributing member of society. That's what you think.
Now, granted, I'm sure that happens for some people. Let's just not call them students in the Humanities/Arts/Letters.
I made a conscious choice, oh, maybe 5 years ago, to abandon the path that leads you to A to B to C and gives you lots of money. What was I thinking?!?! Who would have thunk that 5 years down the road, I'd be backed up into a corner with no skill set, no path, and no options.
Stupid, stupid girl.
Okay, so I'm not completely without skills. They are just...peculiar and specialized. Specialized in a way that is advantageous to no one...not me, not society, nobody. And this, my friends, is the drawback and major complaint filed against academics: That their skill set exists only within the Ivory Tower.
The skills of research, argumentation, writing etc etc etc can make you successful in academia. But how do these skills translate to "real" jobs? They don't. So much of what threatens the university system is the fact that graduates are ill-equipped for the transition from "student" to "job applicant." Forget the civil engineers, the chem/bio majors, the poli-sci majors, business majors... what about me whose degrees are humanities and history....
And so, as I prepare to leave this Ivory Tower that has housed me, fed me and nurtured me, I can't help but feel a bit disgruntled that I will be left out in the cold. I can't do anything! I have always been a mix of "not good enough"-- not quite good enough to do Classics...although not quite good enough to do History, etc etc etc-- but this just takes the cake! Not quite good enough to survive? Not gonna lie, it hurts a little bit. Darwin would probably say that I should have been filtered out ages ago.
But here's the thing that worries me the most: I don't want to be one of those people who settle for whatever comes their way. I know that I've been blessed enough in my life to not have to worry about surviving from paycheck to paycheck, and that I've been given the opportunities that I didn't deserve, but I still choose to live a life that has meaning. I just need to figure it out. And soon!
All around me, anxious and eager grad students prepare themselves for the next step: their post-MA life. They cram for their GREs, the write up statements of purpose, seek out letters of recommendation, etc. Me? I watch them. As it stands, I will not be entering Fall 2010 as a grad student...anywhere. For various reasons, I am in the process of leaving the Ivory Tower of Academia.
Its a dangerous, uncharted territory for me.
And as I head towards the light, I can only see the major pitfall of having been a student/scholar/academic for the past 6-going-on-7 years: I am completely and utterly at a loss.
Here's the thing, you think college would prepare you for a life beyond it. That it gives you the necessary skills to be successful post-bac as you head into the "real word" as a contributing member of society. That's what you think.
Now, granted, I'm sure that happens for some people. Let's just not call them students in the Humanities/Arts/Letters.
I made a conscious choice, oh, maybe 5 years ago, to abandon the path that leads you to A to B to C and gives you lots of money. What was I thinking?!?! Who would have thunk that 5 years down the road, I'd be backed up into a corner with no skill set, no path, and no options.
Stupid, stupid girl.
Okay, so I'm not completely without skills. They are just...peculiar and specialized. Specialized in a way that is advantageous to no one...not me, not society, nobody. And this, my friends, is the drawback and major complaint filed against academics: That their skill set exists only within the Ivory Tower.
The skills of research, argumentation, writing etc etc etc can make you successful in academia. But how do these skills translate to "real" jobs? They don't. So much of what threatens the university system is the fact that graduates are ill-equipped for the transition from "student" to "job applicant." Forget the civil engineers, the chem/bio majors, the poli-sci majors, business majors... what about me whose degrees are humanities and history....
And so, as I prepare to leave this Ivory Tower that has housed me, fed me and nurtured me, I can't help but feel a bit disgruntled that I will be left out in the cold. I can't do anything! I have always been a mix of "not good enough"-- not quite good enough to do Classics...although not quite good enough to do History, etc etc etc-- but this just takes the cake! Not quite good enough to survive? Not gonna lie, it hurts a little bit. Darwin would probably say that I should have been filtered out ages ago.
But here's the thing that worries me the most: I don't want to be one of those people who settle for whatever comes their way. I know that I've been blessed enough in my life to not have to worry about surviving from paycheck to paycheck, and that I've been given the opportunities that I didn't deserve, but I still choose to live a life that has meaning. I just need to figure it out. And soon!
Monday, September 21, 2009
one-oh-one.
I only just found out that my last post (the hot dog) was my 100th post on Mirth! But since its too late to celebrate that milestone, I decided to celebrate this 101th post instead=) woot woot! Here's to many more useless ramblings, annoying obsessions, and obnoxious over-analysis!!
Oh, and to my 2 readers, hello and thanks for reading =) [haha I delude myself into thinking there are even two readers of Mirth!]
anyway, no updates lately simply because I've been too busy. School kicked in and is kicking me down--I've got to be DONE with my thesis by the end of this year, that's like only like 15 weeks left or something! :o I also started my TAship, which has its better days, and quit my job as a numba one barrristaa baby. But its a crazy situation with the universities (as with most everywhere else), and I'm only barely getting used to how things work.
I planned the transition between jobs poorly, I have to say, because I'm basically living on like, no money whatsoever. Hello cup of noodles, why that kids meal is looking mighty tasty, etc etc etc. I even have a running list of the things I will buy when I get my first pay check (that is, after paying off some of that credit card debt I've been racking up since my income ran out): haircut, shoes, paperclips, those big clips for large stacks of paper, sweaters for when it (finally) starts getting cooler, snacks for my office, large, wall-sized maps for my classes, a couple books... as if my paycheck were even something to cover all of that! I know I have to be better about budgeting my money because its the kind where I get paid only once a month, and knowing me, I'd blow it all in two weeks :(
well, that was a rather pointless post, but there you go anyway.
Oh, and to my 2 readers, hello and thanks for reading =) [haha I delude myself into thinking there are even two readers of Mirth!]
anyway, no updates lately simply because I've been too busy. School kicked in and is kicking me down--I've got to be DONE with my thesis by the end of this year, that's like only like 15 weeks left or something! :o I also started my TAship, which has its better days, and quit my job as a numba one barrristaa baby. But its a crazy situation with the universities (as with most everywhere else), and I'm only barely getting used to how things work.
I planned the transition between jobs poorly, I have to say, because I'm basically living on like, no money whatsoever. Hello cup of noodles, why that kids meal is looking mighty tasty, etc etc etc. I even have a running list of the things I will buy when I get my first pay check (that is, after paying off some of that credit card debt I've been racking up since my income ran out): haircut, shoes, paperclips, those big clips for large stacks of paper, sweaters for when it (finally) starts getting cooler, snacks for my office, large, wall-sized maps for my classes, a couple books... as if my paycheck were even something to cover all of that! I know I have to be better about budgeting my money because its the kind where I get paid only once a month, and knowing me, I'd blow it all in two weeks :(
well, that was a rather pointless post, but there you go anyway.
Friday, August 28, 2009
That's some hot DOG!
I know this is definitely a controversial picture, but I find it extremely funny, in a cute, to-die-for kind of way:
Taken from my filipino friend's FB with a caption that reads, " with bacon, grilled onions, sauerkraut and honey mustard." If you are filipino, this is extra special =]
p.s. no I do not condone the eating of precious pooches--or hot dogs for that matter!
Taken from my filipino friend's FB with a caption that reads, " with bacon, grilled onions, sauerkraut and honey mustard." If you are filipino, this is extra special =]
p.s. no I do not condone the eating of precious pooches--or hot dogs for that matter!
Monday, August 17, 2009
French Feast for the Senses
Whenever I get asked what my favorite food is, my mind goes blank. I am at a complete loss for words. I adore chocolate, but I don't have a particular dessert-type food that I love more than anything. When I go out to eat, I usually choose a western-style restaurant/eatery simply but I also know that I can't live without the tastes of Asian cuisine [I can't give up my rice bowls...which is why I can't go on those no-carb diets haha]. Anyway, so while I can't say what my favorite kind of food is, I do love myself some french food. And have a new culinary hero: Tyler Florence. Excusing that stint he did for, what was it, Applebees?, everything he makes looks delicious and the way he describes ingredients and flavors is just beautiful--this is his take on french food.
Images courtesy of Foodnetwork.com, go there for these recipes.
French Onion Soup.
Coq au Vin.
Next on my to make list: this scallop in puff pastry with a beurre blanc sauce.
As well as this: steamed lemon pudding with fresh berries. Salivating yet? ; )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)