Upon Returning to Uni

So after working 45 hours a week for four weeks, the holidays have finally drawn to a close. I always knew I would never come out of them feeling more relaxed, but I figured I’d be richer, if a little worse for wear.

Alas no, for anyone who has seen me with any money, no matter the amount, you all know that I get too excited by not being broke. So despite working to the point where my legs were probably going to up and quit, I decided I’d much prefer to buy shiny new things rather than be mature and save. Do I regret it? Well I’m still a week out of being paid yet so I’m not entirely broke, and I’m sure future Brad won’t mind living like a hobo until he gets paid again. Speaking of living like a hobo I kind of resemble a homeless person at the moment. Not intentionally, I just kind of forgot to look at myself before leaving the house and I guess you could say I look acceptably disheveled or homeless. Being sans coffee, and thus having a crazy look in my eye, I think we’ll opt for homeless.

But I digress, needing to only buy two textbooks this semester I figured I’d probably be up for about $150, and I wasn’t far off, it was gonna cost me $170. But I think I may have been a bit overwhelmed by all the books and stationery that were surrounding me.  $230 later and I have my textbooks, a legal dictionary, notebooks, pens, highlighters, new sleeves for my folder and coffee. I’m probably too excited about the prospect of new stationery but it’s probably one of my favorite things about the semester starting.

So while I’m having the greatest time ever highlighting everything that moves, I’m certain that future Brad will appreciate having pages of notebooks that are unusable while he is living off of sheets of paper cos he can’t afford a meal.

I also managed to get roped into helping out with in2uni today, which is a program where primary school kids come down to the uni and basically get told how great it is to learn things. My efforts lasted an hour and involved helping out with a game of trivia. One of the questions was 'what is the third book in the harry potter series' one of the children in the second group responded with 'who reads harry potter?' I'm sorry but that kid has clearly had the shittest childhood. Which we may have told him in a sort of roundabout way? Really? You've never read harry potter? But they all knew who wrote twilight? No hope for these children at all. They may as well just give up on life now.

But I scored a free lunch out of it so I guess it wasn't all too bad. And by scored a free lunch, I'm not entirely sure that I was supposed to be fed, but I saw a whole box of sandwiches and thought what the hell these kids are never gonna eat all those vegetarian sandwiches. 

I managed to surprise myself by actually attending uni today at all. It was only meant to be for a one hour lecture but I managed to fit that in as well as the volunteering and catching up with some people. And now I get to spend the evening reading up on legal theory and practicing my very poor French.

Do I win uni now?

Tales from the Cafe

So most of the time customers are alright. You get the occasional mother attempting to juggle three screaming children and hasn't had her coffee fix, and you can recognise that when she gets a bit snippy that she's just not having a fun time. 

But sometimes you get the people who are just incapable of understanding that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

This is for those people.

You're products are too expensive.

Okay? I'm not forcing you to buy anything? You walked in here, you know where the door is, just walk back on out. We aren't selling medicine, or staple food items, you don't need it, don't buy it. I don't set the prices. I'm not going to be offended if you decide not to get anything.

My hot chocolate is too sweet.

You're an idiot and I hate you. I hope you get diabetes. 

My drink isn't hot enough.

So this can kind of go two ways. Coming from a person who likes their drinks hot enough to cause third degree burns if you spill any on yourself, I can understand that if you order something and ask for that then by all means let me know if you want it hotter. A woman the other day told me to wait until the milk starts to smell (well she actually said burn the milk, but that's what happens, it smells like the cow that gave the milk died and is coming back for it's final revenge) but whatever, that's how you want your drink it's all good with me. 

But don't come back up flying off the handle because you forgot to say you wanted your drink hot. If not for the fact that I wasn't the one that fucked up your order, then because you probably don't want to piss off the person who decides if you get your fix. If you come up acting like a complete Joffrey then I'm going to make sure that your milk smells like a dead person. Enjoy!

What do you mean I have to wait!?

See all those other people sitting down, they wanted things too. In fact, they wanted so many things that  it's going to take me around ten minutes to get to your order. And y'know I can't produce food out of thing air because it's the first of the exceptions of gamp's law of elemental transfiguration (if I don't start referencing Harry Potter more often then I'll feel like I did something wrong). When you start acting like a child because no one can understand your pain in waiting ten minutes for that ice cream sundae you look like a giant cunt. No one's impressed by your ability to chuck a temper tantrum. Even the customers that I served after you think you're a fuckwit. 

People just need to calm down. If ordering a drink sets you on edge then probably don't leave your house. Ever. Buy a coffee machine and start making things yourself. Yell at your cats for fun. 

So I also wrote a post for my uni blog about whether studying a language is right for you. I don't know how I feel about it so I figure I'll post it here and y'all can tell me what you think. 

update

So that plan I had to update more frequently over the holidays was kind of shot in the face when I decided working 45 hours a week was a good idea.
And in between that, the political tomfoolery of the Bartlet Administration took up the reminder of my time when rewatching all seven seasons of the West Wing became a necessity.
But that aside the holidays were relatively enjoyable. I managed to fit in more piercings and a tattoo. As well as finally saving enough to buy a mac book. I'm going to fit in so well at uni now!
Keep an eye out tomorrow for an update on the perils of working in hospitality.
I've also got a blog going with the uni now cos I realised I should probably start getting more involved in things and junk.