Something to Smile About

So today actually played out quite nicely... Perhaps I've been revitalized by yesterday's dinner conversations, but today I actually felt more reassured than I've been feeling lately.

Sure, I overslept this morning, found out to my dismay that I had FatMan's man-salad from yesterday instead of my Thai Chicken Pasta, was overall relatively irresponsible in my duties today, got ratted out about that by the intern-hating secretary, and had a spider drop on me from nowhere as I was lying on my bed reading, but my mind is [rather ironically] at peace.

It's amazing how different a person can feel when he realizes that he's not alone in his thoughts, when he finds out that there's still people on his side that are willing to talk to him and listen. And here I was thinking that no one would understand. But even though they don't completely agree, they do comprehend my situation and acknowledge me for who I am.

I was needy today, I admit. I spent time with the people whom I felt most comfortable with as opposed to trying to get along with the others. But honestly, I don't think it's wrong that I'm choosing whom to be around. I have my reasons, and I'm not alone in my thoughts. Therefore, in a situation like this, I think I'm justified.

Today I took a ride out for lunch for once. I decided I didn't want to stay behind with the others so I went with two of my coworkers whom I get along with well. Together we had an interesting time finding parking and getting to the creperie, where after some time we managed to finally enter and buy three sweet crepes. When we got back, the White Castle eating contest three of my other coworkers were participating in was already underway, all of them already on their eleventh burger. While I'd been suggesting it, I was pleasantly surprised when my two companions actually decided to sit outside, so we sat on the front lawn simply sharing the crepes we bought, chatting, laughing, away from everyone else.

So what if I can't accept them? I've always believed that fate leads people to the right path eventually. An alliance with the others... was perhaps simply never meant to be. But it doesn't matter. I have the alliances I need and care about.

National Cheesecake Day

Does this count as a holiday? Because it is awesome.

Today: Thai Chicken Pasta and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.

Both tasted good, but weren't extraordinary. The pasta tasted as it should be, and as much as I love vanilla, I think I would prefer it in cold, ice cream form. But I'm not going to complain. It was a good dinner, and the cheesecake was only $1.50 today. It may be a very clever marketing move, but I don't care. My cheesecake was cheap; therefore it was great. (Don't you love this logic?)

Plus I got to spend time with some of the best people ever. Though I think I might have said too much in that small period of time, I don't remember the last time I was in such accordance with someone during a conversation.

So what if we were united by hate? How does that saying go? Oh yes: An enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine. Hah...

But of course, I'm sure that there is something mutual, something we both understand...

The Dark Knight

I already declare this the best movie of the year. Hands down.

After eagerly anticipating this movie since it's prequel, Batman Begins, arrived in theatres a few years ago, I must say that The Dark Knight does not disappoint. In fact, it even exceeded my expectations, and I was already sure that it was going to be really damn awesome.

Is this review biased? Definitely. After all, Batman is not only my favorite superhero, but I loved Batman Begins and absolutely adore Christian Bale. But don't worry. Everything I'm about to tell you is 100% true.

So the Batman saga returns with a deeper and darker agenda this time around. Director Christopher Nolan takes the tortured hero and throws him into a twister of complexity and chaos as he deals with external foes as well as internal woes. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) continues to find himself increasingly dealing with the troubles of being a superhero as his childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) finds a new beau in Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). To make matters much much worse though, even though crime has been deterred significantly, the Joker (the late Heath Ledger) shows up to turn things completely upside down, offering Batman a taste of evil unlike any other.

Indeed, the beauty of Nolan and Ledger's rendition of the Joker is that he is presented more as a symbol than as a simple villain. In line with tradition, the Joker elicits some chuckles and causes trouble, yes, a lot of it actually, but it's the surreal taste of sociopathic psychosis perfectly portrayed by Ledger that opposes Batman and everything he stands for. This Joker is driven by something incorporeal, and if I may quote him, he is a true "classic criminal." Unlike the plot of the first movie, this problem doesn't have a simple solution, and the dilemma goes beyond the surface and delves deep into the complexity of the human mind.

Things get even more complex with the transformation of Harvey Dent into Two-Face. While I expected it to happen, I had no idea his presence in The Dark Knight would play out as it did. Although it made things a little harder to follow at the end, it did introduce an entirely new moral aspect to the story, and even if it was a bit preachy, it was definitely deep.

But even if you're not into the pathos of a story, there's enough eye-candy to satisfy the average viewer. Stunning angles, boisterous Bat-vehicles, gliding between buildings and turning on walls, there's plenty of fancy action throughout. Oh and of course there are explosions galore.

The only problems I might have with the movie are the typical stupid things that the characters in movies do. For example, Rachel leaves the safety of Bruce's penthouse and Harvey knocks over a drum of oil that leads him to become you-know-what. But honestly, the numerous plot twists (naturally fed by the Joker's psychopathic personality) kept me on my feet and surprised the entire time. As the movie progressed, the mood became increasingly intense, and at the very end it was dark and beautiful at the same time. Bruce Wayne as Batman must play a more tragic role in his future, and the Joker has succeeded in showing him how alone he might be.

I'm not really sure how a sequel would work, but like the last movie it left off on a similar note, except instead of the idea that Bruce is creating his own category of enemies, he now has to deal with the dilemmas that reside within himself and his choices.

Anyway, in summary, this installment in the new Batman saga is definitely something to watch. It's much much darker, more intense, and even though it's a little too obvious with the morals the screenplay is enough to strike a person into awe. While the Batman veterans like Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman portray their characters with much talent, Heath Ledger delivers the performance of his lifetime and breathes life into the character that's been flattened all these years into a two-dimensional clown. Christopher Nolan has once again done it, bringing respect back to the Batman franchise with a film that is deeper, darker, more meaningful and so much more sensible. In fact, that's what I've personally always found attractive about this movie and its prequel, the fact that this isn't just some corny let's-make-money superhero movie. No, this is a movie that is authentic and profound.

Rating: 5/5

Picture copyright (c) Warner Bros., DC Comics, and anyone else involved...

Taste of the Future

So I just came back from a rather exciting three days of Orientation. Even if it was a little crazy, it was definitely memorable, and therefore, for record-keeping purposes (thus I don't really suggest you read this obscenely long post unless you're really bored), I'm going to reiterate it here.

If you're up for a quick read though, I did sum everything up in the end.

WEDNESDAY:

So I wake up at 5 AM to drive to Chinatown in order to catch the Fung Wah bus to Boston. I already understand though that this will be my primary mode of transportation to and from Boston for the next four years, so I try to pay attention. When we get to Boston four hours later, I follow my cousin's instructions on how to take the T to BU, and thanks to one little addition she made later, I avoided stepping on the wrong train (which I almost did anyway).

After switching lines, however, I did get off a bit too early (my dad swore that we had already passed the entire campus), and so we had to walk a good five minutes to the dorm which for some reason was located towards the very western end of campus. (Why they didn't put us in the dorm right across from where all the activities were taking place is beyond me.) When I get there there's a decently long line, and so by the time I got my room key, all I had time to do was just drop my bag off and "briskly walk" half a mile to another building located at the center of campus.

By the time I get there I'm tired and sweaty from the walk and from the heat. Then of course I run into a classmate from high school (the one person I could have run into), and when she goes to hug me I reluctantly hug back because I'm dripping with sweat and I knew that was pretty gross. We go inside to sit down, and I end up sitting beside a rather awkward boy. I eventually decide to break the ice and try to stir up some conversation, but his awkwardness stagnated it all and foiled my plans to be friendly.

The "Common Ground" program starts, and we're introduced to the Dean of Students who has quite the dynamic personality. When we're told to get up out of our seats and partner up, of course everyone around me turns to the person they've been talking to, and so because I hadn't hit it off with the kid next to me I didn't exactly have a partner. (Already I've established myself as a loner: EPIC FAIL.) When they tell anyone who doesn't have a partner to step up, I reluctantly do so and I'm partnered up with another lone person. After this, each pair partners up with another pair, each four partners up with another four, and each eight partners up with another eight so that there end up being sixteen students in each group. After this, we migrate to a Student Advisor who gives us bagged "lunches" (if you can call a bag of snacks and water a lunch), and she tells us to make eye contact with someone in the circle who will be the person you make sure is with the group. When I look around, I make eye contact with a nice Asian girl whom I got along with great and didn't mind at all except... (falling short of one of my objectives, my initial friend is someone from within my ethnic group: EPIC FAIL). As groups though, each is led to a different point in the city, where the students are given a list of clues and a GPS to navigate themselves to each waypoint. There we not only discover another part of the city but also take the opportunity to play numerous icebreaker games. While I admit it was a rather clever program that really did allow students to familiarize themselves with the city, the T, and other students, already my feet were blistering and I was already beginning to feel quite a bit of pain as I walked.

We got a "free" t-shirt for attending this pre-program though... so that was cool.

Afterwards, we were able to relax for a couple hours so I walked half a mile back to the dorm with the others. After that we walked half a mile back to the middle of campus where we were introduced to different parts of the city and allowed to choose a place to go. Earlier, my Student Advisor recommended a place called Faneuil Hall, so my friend from before and I went there. While waiting for the T, I tried to introduce myself to more people and I ended up befriending another two girls who we stuck with for the rest of the night. (Success!) We ate dinner together at a place called The Purple Shamrock, which served absolutely amazing food. (My choice: A Lobster Roll... delicious.) By the time we finished dinner though, most of the stores were closed, so we just walked around the markets (much to the chagrin of my feet).

When I got back to the dorm, I finally met my roommate who also happened to be from New York. She was really nice and we got along great, although we were both dying from the heat.

THURSDAY:

Actually, that night I couldn't sleep at all, and although I had showered at night, I ended up waking up (after many other times) at 5:15 and taking another shower because I was sticky and sweaty, and the cold water forcefully rushing towards my skin cooled me, cleaned me, and allowed me to breathe again.

My roommate woke up after I had taken a shower, and after we got ready we tried going to a CVS, even though it was 6 in the morning. Of course we failed, and so we walked back and stayed outside (which was significantly cooler than the concrete oven we were sleeping in), where we waited for breakfast to start at 7. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing though because we were one of the first in line, and I already had my custom-made omelette (yum) while others were stuck waiting on a tediously long line. Eventually, the people I had met the day before joined my roommate and me for breakfast too, and it was nice.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful though. We again walked half a mile to the center of campus where we sat through the welcoming address and met with our [real] Student Advisors. When we separated into our real school-specific groups, I got the chance to meet a few more people who I stuck with the rest of the time though, so that was fun. The rest of the day wasn't so much though. I attended a mandatory pre-med presentation, which was somewhat more informative than the ones I've attended in the past, and afterwards we attended school-specific presentations (which I slept through... whoops). Then we had to take a dreaded writing assessment, which I later found out I got a 3 out of 5 on... sigh. Then I got lost a little in the College of Fine Arts building where everyone was regrouping, but after I found my group, I was given a bagged lunch (with a sandwich in it this time!) and we proceeded to choose our potential classes for the next three hours.

I, of course, am always the weird problem child though and like to make things difficult for myself and everyone around me. Seriously considering a quote they'd been feeding us nonstop (because I'm lame enough to actually take these things to heart), I decided to follow its advice. Howard Thurman once said, "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

So I decided to try to be a Pre-Med Physics major (which, by the way, totally turns the pre-med curriculum upside down). Don't know if that's more likely to "make me come alive" than it is more likely to totally screw me over and kill me, but I figured that now is the time to take chances and give everything a shot.

Because I was a problem child though, I didn't exactly get done what I needed to get done, so that sort of made things a little more complicated than they should have been the next day. I also hadn't received word of my AP Exams, which made the process of choosing classes so much more annoying.

After that process, we proceeded to a horribly long two-hour presentation that really could have been summed up in two words - "Don't Drink." We had a barbecue after though, which served as a nice reward for our patience. After that we trekked back to the dorm, where we stayed for a couple hours before trekking back for yet another presentation about student life and "BU: The Musical" starring our Student Advisors. The presentation was very well made, however, and the musical was actually both informative and hilarious, so that wasn't bad. Plus they left even more freebies for us on each seat.

Then after that, we had a real taste of some of the things you can do on campus. Down at BU Central, they had things like karaoke, dancing, and even a mechanical bull. Personally, I chose to watch the comedian who I admit was actually pretty funny. (Oh, and everyone got a free shirt again.)

Then after making our way back to the dorm, we again endured another cookout in our rooms, though it wasn't as bad as the night before, whether that be due to truly cooler (as in less hot) weather or to the possibility that we just got used to it.

FRIDAY:

So this morning after again waking up at 5:30, as my roommate and I attempted to walk outside where it was cooler, we were greeted by the call of a security guard who stopped us and told us to come back inside. Apparently, the curfew lasted until 7 AM, and so I sat in the lobby with a couple others who had tried to escape and with the few who had found their rooms too unbearable and slept on the lobby couches. When the security guard "decided to be nice" and let us go around 6:50, we moved outside and waited for breakfast where I ate another custom-made omelette and sat with an ever-changing group of people which ended up being an excellent chance to meet a few more people.

After breakfast, we began the long process of actually registering for the classes we selected. First we had to wait to see faculty advisors, then choose classes by hand, and then actually register online. It was actually a lot more complicated than that though since A) my group was the last group to go, B) I decided to be a Pre-Med Physics major (oh, and I also have to take a special class to fulfill the requirements of this separate program), C) and therefore my first advisor didn't really know what she was talking about. Then, D) I also had to see a pre-med advisor who then sent me to E) another faculty advisor (a Physics professor) who helped me straighten everything out and F) sent me back to the pre-med advisor, who approved my schedule. In the next stage, it took me a while to figure out to sign up for the different components involved in each class, which didn't make sense to me anyway because so many of the classes were filled up anyway that blocking it out by hand was pointless. After they approved what I had scheduled, they then sent us to the computer lab where I was finally able to complete the 3-hour long process and print out my schedule. So that's set.

After that I got my ID card done and proceeded with the other members of my group to the closing ceremonies where they gave another short presentation and conducted a few giveaways. When it was finally over, everyone said goodbye and proceeded back to the dorms where it was near impossible to get into the elevators. When I finally managed to grab my luggage and escape from the building, I handed in my key and left to take the T back to South Station where I boarded the Fung Wah bus again and headed home. There was this slightly sketchy moment when two guys went up to the bus driver and asked (and then bribed) him to stop at a specific pit stop on the way. It was very strange, and I admit I was very suspicious at the time.

But I got home safely [obviously] and ate dinner in Chinatown. Then I drove home with my dad, and that was the end of that adventure.

SUMMARY:

So...
Total Travel Time: 13 hours
Total Hours on Campus: 49.5 hours
Total Trip Time: 62.5 hours
Total Distance Walked: 6 miles (and more probably).
Average Distance Walked Per Day: 2 miles
Total Number of Hours Registering for Classes: 6
Total Number of Hours of Sleep: 10... disrupted of course.
Degree of Foot Pain: INTENSE

So basically, I had a good time. BU's Orientation I'm sure is unlike any other, and aside from the concrete ovens we slept in, it was pretty amazing. While I was there:

- I met a number of people so in the worst case scenario I won't be too alone this September (hah).
- I also set my schedule, which consists of consecutive classes with ten minutes between each for me to literally run across campus to catch the next. (No joke, I'll map it out one day.) Aside from two classes though, the duration of my days range from 11 AM to 3 PM so it's okay.
- Furthermore, I've made the decision to be a Pre-Med Physics major. I can feel myself being screwed over already, but it's okay because if it really doesn't kill me, then I think it really will be something that "makes me come alive."

I'm really looking forward to September though. I can feel the excitement and the buzz, and I've yet to make a circle of friends and find my "College Best Friend"... hah. But I know, I know. Don't worry... I'm in no rush at all.

Optimism Feeds the Blind

Obama Supporters on the Far Left Cry Foul

I probably shouldn't find that article funny at all but I just do. I mean, it's just hilarious how extremists (left and right) are never happy with what they have. Plus it's a bonus that they're outraged at Obama of all people.

So apparently, Obama's been doing some pandering, taking on more centrist views in order to garner support for the general election. The leftists on the other hand, are extremely upset that he's been going back on his word, although some supporters claim that he's just doing it for the general election and that he'll be back to his optimistic, progressive self in no time.

HAH. Either way, doesn't that violate his image? I mean, he presents himself as a candidate for change... I didn't know that applied to his views! Seriously, it looks like we've got another flip-flopper on the campaign trail.

And even if he was just doing to to gain supporters, those seem like some pretty damn old election tactics to me. Oh, whatever happened to getting rid of those "old Washington politics?" Did he realize that he can't win the game without playing it?

Seriously! As unreasonable extremist views may sometimes (or often) be, I might actually think their outrage is justified! Regarding those who still support him, if they were worried about electability then they should have made a different choice in their states' primaries or caucuses. But no, now that the Obama campaign has tricked Democrats into ousting his opponent, he can wear the sheep's skin and finally campaign on a significantly more realistic agenda. Don't like it? Well too bad! After all, he's got them fenced in. There's no one else to vote for, and unlike the many Hillary supporters who rest on the borderline, these liberals will never ever hop the fence.

But I wonder, what makes them stick by him? Is it his optimism? His innocence? Or it's probably just plain ignorance if you ask me. After all, optimism feeds the blind. It's realism that will get things done.

Day

The instructor was pushy. The class was rowdy. The coworkers were talking about inappropriate things again.

I felt disrespected, defensive, awkward, and confused.

Then I was scared.

And I cried... and thanked God that he's alright.

No Progress

So this morning, I had the misfortune of once again finding the beetle upon my skin. How it got there (especially after just showering) I don't know, and whether it really is the same one is impossible to tell... but relying on the fact that my home usually isn't penetrated by beetles, I was almost sure that this one was the same one as last night.

So at that point, I froze and with one quick sweep, I swatted it off my chest. Then I'm a wimp so my mother killed it for me. So puts that ordeal to sleep for good...

In other news, there really isn't any news because NOTHING changed at work. Apparently, I think another instructor did talk to my instructor about it, but she's still letting her son do as he wishes. Her attitude hasn't changed either. Today she decided to switch the schedule around and demanded that we set up for a Bacterial Transformation Lab instead, which wouldn't be a problem if she told us the day before since this lab you know... requires bacteria, which grows OVERNIGHT. Plus, I already spent two days preparing liquid bacteria cultures that she should have used today, and now it goes to waste because they have to be fresh each time you do the lab. Luckily for her , my partner just happened to streak extra plates [of bacteria] on Monday, and even though they're a day old they were usable (although personally I hoped there would be nothing she could use... hah).

She still didn't miss the opportunity to tell us off though. In fact, I was highly offended that she had the nerve to ask me if I've ever set up for a BT before. Apparently, she was upset that she didn't have beakers, ice, or these snap cap tubes they use, which I feel she didn't have the right to do because she told us herself that she didn't need anything at the time we asked her. Plus, the only thing I feel I could actually be accountable for was the beakers, which we took out of the cubbies to wash because they were filthy. Other than that though, the teacher usually gets the ice herself, and there were plenty of snap caps under the teacher's bench so I don't know what she was complaining for other than the purpose of just finding things to complain about. She even complained to another instructor that nothing was set up, but of course that instructor understood that it wasn't our fault because the class wasn't supposed to do the BT until tomorrow anyway, and she can't expect the interns to set up for a lab they weren't expecting to set up for.

She was also pestering my partner about aliquots (tubes of specific liquids they use) the entire time, and my partner kept having to show her that they were right in the fridge, which she could see for herself if she weren't so lazy to actually check it herself. She also gave a new intern an attitude when he was trying to fulfill the request of another instructor. Apparently he asked if the other instructor could borrow a Bunsen burner. She then said something along the lines of, "Yeah, I guess. Just bring it back by the afternoon." The the new intern then responded, "Oh, she only needs it for a little bit. I'll bring it back in 5-10 minutes." And then she said, "NO. Bring it back to me by the afternoon," which of course doesn't make sense. What bothers me though is that she doesn't have the right to the Bunsen burners anyway since she switched her schedule around without asking the other teachers about the possibility of her switch interfering with their schedules. Plus, the kids have to be supervised, so we could only have a maximum of three burners running anyway...

As for her son, he did seem a bit calmer today but he's still using up lab materials. I'm pissed off though because he still thinks he can do whatever he wants. I mean, I wouldn't normally rag on the personal lives of others, but she's a shitty parent if she can't say no to her kid. In fact, I think that's why he's so hyperactive all the time, just because his parents for whatever reason never taught him any discipline or restraint.

"Can I use a microscope?" "No." He still moves towards them. "But... But... my mom usually let's me." "No. Ask your mother then." He starts climbing the chair to get one and whines, "But my mom usually let's me." At this point I think that the other instructor talked to his mother about this already and thinking that she'd tell him off, I respond "Then it shouldn't be a problem if you ask your mother."

She walks in, and he immediately asks, "Mom, can I use a microscope?" She hesitates and responds, "No no, not right now."

Victory is mine!

"Please?" he begs.

"Well, okay."

WTF. I shoot a horrified stare at my partner and she gives me her own look.

I couldn't believe his mother just did that. Even so, I think I've got him because the two of us hid the microscope slides the day before, but no, when he realized they were no longer on the counter, he tells his mother and she tells him to go downstairs and ask for more. When she leaves the room, I telephone down to tell the other interns to pretend there's no more, but another intern has already given him a box of slides. Attempting to foil him again, I tell my partner to hide the methylene blue, and again we think we're successful when his friend goes, "It's okay. We can use the ink packets I brought."

At which point I just wanted to take the microscope and smash it on the ground... not that it would have helped since we've got so many anyway. It didn't help that I didn't get the chance to take away the box of slides either, and at the end of the day I discovered that the entire box was gone.

I'm hoping that another intern took them away, but if not then that's another thing the kid has stolen thus far. At this point though, I'm just waiting for the week to finally be over...

Ending on a brighter note, the building had a "surprise" party for my supervisor, who's getting married in a couple of weeks and is leaving the lab to start her life elsewhere. We're all really happy for her... except we're quite worried about the new intern manager, but that's a story for another time.

This Thing...

So I just had the living daylights scared out of me... See, I'm wearing this shirt dress with these plastic buttons going down the front, and because they're plastic when they knock into things they make a clicking noise. So for example, at work, when I'm walking around with my plastic ID card on a lanyard around my neck, it does generate a somewhat steady clicking noise with each step I take.

So I just came back from my piano lesson, and as I'm walking into my house I hear a very clear, constant clicking noise. And for a moment, I'm thinking about how that's the sound my ID makes when I walk, but then I realize that of course, I'm no longer wearing my ID or the necklace I was wearing earlier.

I look down, and go to undo the belt I had cinching the shirt dress around my waist. The clicking noise gets louder as I pull the belt away from my body. I think I've solved the problem when I then ask myself, "But how can my belt be making that sound?"

Slowly approaching the conclusion, I slowly move my hand toward my waistline and feel a small lump under my shirt dress, pulsing slightly with every click.

Then I panicked.

I run back into my kitchen and start screaming and jumping up and down. My dad doesn't see anything and thinks that it's actually nothing, but when I finally manage to undo enough of my shirt dress, I look down and realize that a HUGE black thing is already up my chest and making its way up to my neck.

At which point I just screamed and jumped up and down more violently than before.

It eventually flew off or fell off, that beetle or whatever the hell it was... but the worst part is that I don't actually know where it went, so for the rest of the night I'm going to be remaining pretty paranoid.

Ugh, I must have lost 2 years of my life right there.

Speaking of little life-suckers though, my instructor at work is being her pushy self as expected, and her son is creating a royal mess in the back of the classroom.

"I need you two to help them!"

"Can you two just... clean up or something!"

"Can one of you tell my son to stop doing what he's doing and pay attention now?"

"I need ice!" (So I get the ice in a cooler.) "What! How are the kids supposed to get ice out of this! Whatever! I'm just going to have to do it for them!"

Okay, number one: We're there to help her help the kids, not do her job. Number two: Interns don't clean everything. The children are responsible for their bit of cleaning too. Number three: It's HER freaking son. SHE is the mother. SHE should act like one. And if it bothers her so much that her son doesn't pay attention then SHE shouldn't let him be playing with things he shouldn't be playing with in the first place. And number four: Don't freaking complain when you send me to run an errand last minute and without any details and about something as insignificant as ice!

And that annoying brat of hers keeps stealing microscope slides and cover slips and other lab materials. I understand that his mother is the teacher, but those glass slides and slips are obviously extremely fragile and those supplies are paid for by grant money and belong to the lab! Plus, it's not actually her classroom she's teaching in, and therefore those supplies aren't actually hers to give away! Not to mention that he got methylene blue (a dye used to make specimens more defined under a microscope) ALL OVER THE DAMN TABLE AND FLOOR, and naturally that dye does NOT come off easily, even on the lab tables. Why his mother thought it permissible to allow him the whole tube of methylene blue when no student should be handling that is beyond me, but all I knew was that my partner and I were not going to clean that up.

In fact, we ended up showing another instructor what the kid did, and she said she'd talk to his mother tomorrow. She regrettably told us that we couldn't leave it a mess though as much as we wanted to show his mother as proof, although when she told another instructor (who also doubles as our intern manager), she told me that she understood and agreed that I really shouldn't have to clean up the mess the boy left behind. Of course, with literally all the interns helping out though, everything was cleaned up in no time, which I admit was a nice feeling, having everyone work together like that...

Aside from the woman and her son though, everything else seems to be getting better a little bit at a time. I feel a little tension, but that might just be my suspicions and thoughts running wild.

Woes of the Workplace

So I just got through my first summer session day of work today and I must say that it was pretty bad. In fact, my concerns about just working four weeks this summer were definitely obliterated within the first hour, and I suddenly found myself thanking God that I wouldn't have to work there even more...

THE INSTRUCTOR: So I received early word of the instructor whose class I would be prepping for this week, and heard that she's a teacher who used to work at the place years ago when interns were a lot more er... diligent. Not that I'm not diligent or responsible, but I do mind it when someone orders me to do something as opposed to at least kindly asking me to do it. And worst of all, it was all random crap too! "I need this place clear!!" "Take this and pour it." "Go around and put these away." "Can you sharpen these pencils?" "Can you get me some lotion?" "Can you sit with the kids while they watch a movie... because I'm not going to sit in there myself!" ... OKAY, I get it that I'm an intern and she's an instructor, and that I'm supposed to be taking care of the class, and that this is how a normal workforce would be and probably even worse in the real world, but I'm an intern, not her servant, not her slave, not her bitch! Oh, and the fact that she's apparently really good friends with the Director (AKA the big boss) doesn't make me feel any better about the situation.

THE CLASS: So this morning I had the "pleasure" of meeting three very special children: the instructor's son, the Director's younger son, and the son of another researcher at the main lab. So basically, if you didn't already speak the lingo of the working world, that essentially translates to "special treatment all around!" While the Director's son and the researcher's son were actually quite normal and didn't subconsciously demand special attention (in fact they're both rather adorable once you put aside the parent-has-connections-and-can- immediately-get-me-fired aspect of their presence), I can't really say the same for the instructor's son. Seriously, the kid has a serious superiority complex, not that I expected any less from the son of the woman like the instructor. Maybe he's just naturally curious and really into science, but he was REALLY taking advantage of the fact that his mother was the teacher. He just kept... touching EVERYTHING and going up to the instructor's bench and showing off these things to his lab partner... not to mention that he couldn't even sit still when his mom was teaching! I really didn't know what to do when he kept asking if he could help us with things or if he can keep things... His mother let him keep his microscope slides, and those things are made of glass! Actually, he even dropped them outside the classroom at the end of the day and I had to help him pick them up because I was afraid that the kids would cut themselves on the broken glass! Ugh, and I feel so conflicted because I hate giving kids special treatment, especially after growing up with that type of kid during my secondary education and feeling so cheated out of so many things, but what am I supposed to do when his mother is standing right there? Yell at him? Tell him no?

THE PARTNER: Just my luck too that I'm working with one of the least diligent interns in the lab under a teacher who expects the most diligent interns in the lab. While I was surprised to see her actually doing what she's supposed to be doing today, I wonder how long that's going to last. While I may sound cruel doubting my coworker, my worries do not exist unwarranted.

THE INTERNS: So honestly, I like a lot of the interns; they're all nice and everything. But one day on the job of the summer session, and I already know way too much about my coworkers than I really needed to know. Seriously, I don't think I have ever been in such close proximity to such a corrupt bunch of people. How are they corrupt, you ask? Well let's see, it's not that I'm against drinking or premarital sex, but COME ON. One of them is only fifteen! I mean, I really don't mind drinking at all as long as people are able to stop themselves from doing things that are incredibly stupid, but they're minors or they were minors and they've had sex how many times? Seriously, does the classification of "whore" even exist anymore? If it does, it seems like it's something that's to be achieved! Worst of all, they were all (stupid FatMan included) trying to break one of the new interns by asking him things like what his fetish was and playing "Never Have I Ever." Seriously, we already found out that one new intern was promiscuous; it would have killed me to find out that this one was corrupt too! Oh where is the world coming to? I miss the old interns... While I'm sure they were pretty corrupt too, they at least kept it to themselves!

Ugh, and sometimes I wonder if this is why I don't get along too well with everyone. Well, at least I have the more virtuous interns to relate to... even if the others seem to treat that like a bad thing... which is so wrong in itself.

How am I going to get through this summer?