It feels like spring outside and that alone is exciting after an admittedly brief cold period. It's amazing how much your mood can pick up with a change in the weather. In spite of all the frustrations of the past few months, I am in very good spirits. Frustrations from what? Well I have decided to pursue my PhD, that is, providing I get into a program here at UCL. It has been a learning experience to say the least. After multiple meetings with various professors, completely conflicting advice, and 95 changes of heart on a possible PhD topic, I have succeeded with completing my first application. It's for the kind of lamely named UCL SECReT program, a security studies 4 year program. I'd complete another Masters in the first year and the rest would be PhD and internship. Kind of a non-traditional program as it were. It's very competitive and I received both guidance that I need to have my project and research methodology very well thought out, while also being told that it might be best if I DON'T have a specific idea of what I want to research considering how much new information about the field would be thrown at us in the first term. GREAT! Thanks for the clarification. At any rate, if I don't get into this program I will have to define an actual project for a different program, but that can wait until I get the verdict. Who would have thought? I went into this Masters with the sole intention of doing it to get a job right after. I had no interest in academia. It's funny how much difference a few months and quite a few hours of classes can make. I think I'd really like to teach eventually...college, not younger. I have learned an incredible amount of stuff in my time at UCL and alot of that is thanks to the professors, bah, they're called 'lecturers' here but whatever. I'm supposed to be writing my current dissertation proposal as we speak. I have a pretty clear idea of what I'm doing so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Hurray for more school!
In further news, I got a job! I am pretty glad that I haven't had one up until now, things have been pretty busy. And as with everything in life, this was kind of random in how it happened. There's a pub we frequent on some Sunday nights called The Pear Tree, mainly because of its very exciting pub quiz. It also has excellent food and a staff that looks like they're having the time of their lives. We weren't the only ones to notice because I overheard other people talking about it as well when I was standing outside one night. I kept thinking that I'd love to work there too. It has been a very long time since I've had a job like that but I loved it when I did. There was a reason I left office work after three months to go back to working at Starbucks and at House of Blues. So last Sunday Shannon and my friend Elin and I were headed to the pub quiz. When we got there it turned out that there was no pub quiz. However, because it was less hectic I had time to notice the sign that 'friendly bar staff was required.' I talked to the girls at the counter and had an interview set up before I left. School will be over in four weeks, classes anyway, and I know that if I just have to sit at home all day with nowhere to go I will be MUCH less productive than I would be if I had to be on a schedule. I interviewed yesterday. I shouldn't be surprised at how different things are here in the UK but I kind of was. Normally when you go in for an interview there is some sort of application to fill out, identification to be checked, discussion of hours, pay, etc. That did not happen here. After about fifteen minutes of chatting she asked if I wanted to do the required trial shift now. Apparently you do a trial run to see if you can handle it, fit in the with the other staff, you like it, they like you... This is actually a really great idea I think. It costs way too much to hire people who end up sucking, and then it takes months to get rid of them. It also works if you know what you're looking for in someone and realize what is important for them to have beforehand (people skills, friendliness, a brain) and what can be taught after (how to run the till, pour a pint, where to find the extra condiments).
Admittedly I wanted to cry my eyes out the first 45 minutes or so. It got busy quickly and after approximately 10 whole minutes of training I had to jump in at full steam. Before too long though, the majority of me remembered what I used to know and it was much better. I forgot how nice it was to chat with people and be so busy you don't notice 3 hours passing. I think I got really scarred from working in customer service in Beverly Hills. I forgot that most people are delightful. After I was done with the shift I got to sit down with a drink and relax. At the end of it I was sure I'd cry but only if they didn't offer me the job. They called today with my scheduled shifts so I guess I did alright. Now if I only knew what the pay was...
PS. Posting delayed pictures of our day trip to Hampton Court Palace to pay our regard to Henry the 8th!
