i drink your milkshake
just another dot in the worldhello, goodbye
wow, it’s been a very long time since i’ve written anything. everything has been hectic and busy the last two months which have swept me right by.
i couldn’t even tell you what’s happened. that’s the thing, there isn’t enough hours in a day, let alone to write blogs.
i’m currently back in the UAE, staying with my family. the weather here is beautiful and i’m very happy to be home, but coming home always brings back that painful nostalgia that makes your nose hurt… you know the kind, ha!
currently interning at Gulf News which is FANTASTIC beyond words!! I can’t describe the thrill of working for such a prestigious paper. I’ve had my first article published in the paper which is wonderful, i’ve added it to the list of articles, if you’d like to check it out please feel free, look to your left and click on articles, there is a list of articles i’ve written and that have been published on the internet. They aren’t that interesting, but hopefully you’ll see something you like.
working on two feature articles at the minute, one is a focus piece on Iran which is fantastic. It’s very difficult to talk about it and leave out the political side (which is the most fascinating!) but i’ve enjoyed interviewing Iranian expats in the UAE for it. I’m also working on an article on the Size Zero phenomenon, trying to investigate whether Emirati women in particular are as obsessed with weight as Western women (particularly in the US); obviously every one is different, and i don’t intend to generalize whatsoever.
since i’ve been back i’ve been focusing on my writing as well, trying to get the prose poetry portfolio finished, i’ve finally found my ending thanks to a specific person… my epistolary piece still needs severe work but i’ll get to it soon. i’m gonna need to see my muse again though for that to give me the motivation for it.
today had yet another driving lesson. i just can’t wait to be done with it all! driving test has been moved up to the 5th of May which is annoying, but oh well. Off to Beirut on the 6th to get my new passport sorted; hopefully see some family there too! haven’t been back there in years!
went to see the pilots practice for the Red Bull air race yesterday, which happens every year in Abu Dhabi; was pretty cool, couldn’t actually see much cause i’m blind and didn’t have my glasses on me.
as for the last two months, i’ve been busy catching up with work, juggling work, and trying desperately to write, trying desperately to pretend to write, pretending to write and finally writing stuff that was absolute rubbish and so tearing it all up thus defeating the purpose of writing in the first place. since then i’ve been in total writer’s block, but after my muse sparked me with some ideas yesterday i’ve been writing nonstop which is great.
i think i’m in love ha!
it’s funny how a little familiarity can do just the trick.
Snowy Monday, Good News Tuesday, Orange Wednesday, Quiz-night Thursday
Right, so much to say! So much has happened and yet nothing interesting to single out…
The only thing I’ve managed to master recently is the art of procrastination. There is so much more with my life I ought to be doing, so many films I should be watching and books I should be reading, things in life I should be trying, but I don’t do any of it. Whenever I see a copy of Atonement or On the Road I cringe, remembering I’ve been reading them for longer than I’ll ever admit and how I haven’t finished them yet. I waste so much time.
Today I woke up, wrote two articles for the paper and website, and then I browsed the internet for longer than I should have. I’ve been putting off my writing, and reading. I’ve got to read Pnin for next week, and I’m dreading it. I hate reading for a deadline; I’m slow paced and like to take my time. I can do essay deadlines, article deadlines; that’s all fine, but I can’t read fast enough. So I put it off for couple of days until I’ve got 2 days left to finish whatever books I’ve been putting off reading, so I’m swamped with work and panic.
I’ve got to write a draft of my story for next week’s tutorial. I’m just not in the mood to write. I’ve been doing loads of articles for the paper, that’s fine because I’m used to it and enjoy it… but writing creatively can be such effort. But then I know once I start writing I’ll wonder why I’ve put it off for so long.
Quick catch up on what I’ve been doing/reading/watching… watched Waltz with Bashir the other night, twas brilliant, thought-provoking and extremely moving; wrote a review for the website. Watching Revolutionary Road tonight… should be interesting. Intend on watching Curious Case of Benjamin Button when it hits the cinemas. What have I been reading? Finished Prime of Miss Jean Brodie last week as well as the Fan Man, both of which were interesting. Fan Man was a pretty funny but claustrophobic read.
It snowed a treat on Monday, the UK went in panic mode, and everything shut. It’s funny thinking about it. Couldn’t go out and enjoy it though as I have a cold and it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea to get wetter and colder. Quiz night last Thursday was fun; we didn’t win… not even close. We only go for the laughs. Going again this Thursday. Last night went to a pub called the Penny Theatre, it’s quite cool, it’s got a great ambience; warm and cozy, very studenty. Saturday went to work but left early as I had a nasty cold, that night I saw Waltz w/ Bashir though as I really needed a break from it all. I quite enjoy the cinematic escape. Yesterday I found out that I got an internship at Gulf News, a national paper published in Dubai. The internship is in April and I’m really excited and happy about! It’s the first real good news I’ve had in a long, long, long time. It feels like my life has stopped for the last six months so I feel I’m on top of my game again. I’ve also got my driving test booked on the 20th so fingers crossed everything goes well. The last few weeks have been tough what with everything that’s happened with J but I’m starting to see reason; there is no reason to be upset, things happen and you have to move on; there are worse things happening in the world right now, I’ve got to stop being selfish about it and move on. It’s very hard I guess because it’s all relative isn’t it? Still, I’m trying my best.
I can’t believe its February already. Mom’s birthday is coming up so I think I’ll go to town and get her a present and card… I was thinking maybe a book on Robert DeNiro… or maybe a DVD… I could post over Golden Girls, as she loves it. Yeah I think I’ll order the DVD off Amazon and post it to her… she’ll like that I think. So with good news all round, I think things are looking up at the moment. I’ll have to hold my breath though as life has a funny way of surprising you. Sunday is football practice; I think it’s a good idea to start getting active. I miss physical exertion.
I like having things to look forward to, it’s the only way I can function, or any human being can function for that matter. So tonight is movie night, tomorrow’s quiz, and weekend is yet to be determined. I hate weekends in Canterbury; they’re always so uneventful and depressing. I think that’s when I feel at my lowest and most vulnerable. Still going to hang in there and try and just survive the next two months… and enjoy it of course, I have to try for my sanity.
As for now, i will read a couple of chapters of Pnin, and attempt at writing the first draft of this story.
snow in the middle east?!
i can’t believe it!!
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090125/NATIONAL/688880349/1010/enewsletter
worrying and yet very cool
a good day
i’m so exhausted, but it’s been a pretty good day. just got in from work, more on that later- there was this awfully rude customer- it really aggravates me when people are so rude unnecessarily…
friends are over, i’m cooking some dinner; salmon mmm, reminds me of home, dash of lemon and dill and lots and lots of spice.
working on a radio show which is pretty exciting; it’s on national identity, immigration etc. it’s pretty interesting. going to try and arrange an interview with the crown court on Monday, fingers crossed!
right must check the salmon…!
