I realise that administration, paperwork, and contracts are what makes this world go round. I also realise that it is what keeps all of us from throwing ourselves into things without knowing for sure what they will bring us or what we can expect from others. I know there have to be rules and regulations, but surely, not this many?
The first thing I'm kinda getting fed up on: contracts. I've signed a contract with the company I will do an internship for, which I think is logical, as they will be providing me with lots of information and a workspace and what not, and they'd like to see me commit to actually giving them something in return. Conversely, I still have to write up and have signed (by 4 different people) the contact between me, the university, my university supervisor and my company supervisor saying that we will all help me get the internship done and that the uni will then give me credit (the final 10 ECTs). It's a lot of work, because it requires all kinds of specific wording and many many things which I don't know yet, so I'm spending a lot of time thinking about this stupid piece of paper, which should not be the main thing on my mind right now. Finally, I still have to write up a contract with my dissertation supervisor. That's right, it has gotten this far; because students can't trust their supervisors (to help them properly) and the university doesn't trust students (to finish on time, which is actually resonable), we have to sign a piece of paper saying that we both commit to me finishing the 15,000 words on time and her helping me do that.
I mean, where is the trust? I can see how the uni and the internship company have to protect themselves from me not doing anything (while they either pay me or give me credit) or how I have to protect myself from them not providing the things I need, but seriously, my dissertation supervisor? With whom I chat about my US travels, grading papers, the new Jane Austen film, and what-not? Sigh...
Then there is the paperwork that comes with either travelling or moving to another country (I have no experience with the latter, but yesterday I spend the afternoon helping a friend who will move to Sweden on Tuesday, and boy, does it involve a looooot of paperwork). Sticking to our US trip, we have insurance, pre-booked tickets (there is literally only 1 venue that offers will-call, for the rest we have to print them out and carry them around for 2 weeks), international driver's licences, booking confirmations... the list is endless. I am starting to realise why people take these all-in vacations where you don't have to do anything yourself (including thinking), although I'd really hate to do one of those, so plodding on here.
Moral of the story; anyone who tells you that paper is dead and everything will become digital soon, they're either lying or don't get out much. Paper is what this world runs on. It is also what my desk is filled with, and what makes it impossible for me to do the things I should be doing, as there's other stuff to fill in or sign or print out first.
The only good thing is that I know that once the trip is done (and we've actually used all those bits of paper), the internship is on it's way, and the dissertation is going smoothly, I'll be happy I've done all this administrative prep. Something to look forward to!
Friday 17 August 2012
Monday 13 August 2012
End of summer smell
The smell is in the air again. I can't really describe it, but once I smell it, I know that it is August, probably mid leaning towards the end, and that A New Year is Coming.
That is to say, a new school year. This smell sets off feelings of both excitement and anticipation (a new school year! A new class! What will I do, learn, see?) and sadness (but summer is over! Where did all those weeks gooooo?) in my head. Usually, this is the period that I'm fully relaxed, have read everything I wanted to read, have done everything wanted to do, and am fully charged for a new year of activities. When in university, I'd be busy buying or ordering my books, checking out timetables, arranging my new work schedule, etc. Overall, this is a good time, a relaxed, happy time.
Not this year.
This year, I worked through the summer, initially doing various small jobs which then had larger things tacked onto them until they became quite big jobs. Then there was the preparation for my MA dissertation (which is still not finished), the administrative business for my internship next year (which is not even half-way) and all the prep for our big trip to the US in 2 weeks time. I don't feel relaxed, I don't feel like I've done any of the things I wanted to do or read any of the books I wanted to read, I'm not happily preparing for a new year as I still don't have a clue what or where or how that new year will be spend, and overall, I'm in a state of skin-deep panic rather than a nice tinge of anxiety.
This is probably over-reacting, but that is what a big trip to an unknown country (country? continent!) followed by an internship at a big fancy publishing company combined with an MA dissertation will do to you.
It's not like I haven't done anything this summer: we went on several day trips and spend a weekend away, and we generally had a very nice time with friends. But overall, it's been the same as most normal weeks of the year: boyfriend leaves the house to work for 8 hours, I stay in the house to work for 8 hours, and in the evenings we're tiredly trying to make sense of Tripadvisor or the Lonely Planet or government websites or Ticketmaster (this last thing we don't usually do, of course). We still have quite a large to-do list and I still don't feel like I know anything about the places we're going. We will take a sailing trip next weekend, which is also slightly freaking me out as I feel like I'm 'wasting away' those last precious free hours we have (which is nonsense, and it's probably very healthy to take a bit of a break away from home right now, to clear my head). Again, all of this is probably strictly speaking neither true nor fair, but as I said, panic mode is starting to set in.
So let's hope I'll get back from the US fully relaxed and re-charged. And let's hope that smell, flowers mixed with dried grass mixed with all kinds of herbs mixed with anticipation, is still in the air, so I can have a bit of a do-over for the End of the Summer.
That is to say, a new school year. This smell sets off feelings of both excitement and anticipation (a new school year! A new class! What will I do, learn, see?) and sadness (but summer is over! Where did all those weeks gooooo?) in my head. Usually, this is the period that I'm fully relaxed, have read everything I wanted to read, have done everything wanted to do, and am fully charged for a new year of activities. When in university, I'd be busy buying or ordering my books, checking out timetables, arranging my new work schedule, etc. Overall, this is a good time, a relaxed, happy time.
Not this year.
This year, I worked through the summer, initially doing various small jobs which then had larger things tacked onto them until they became quite big jobs. Then there was the preparation for my MA dissertation (which is still not finished), the administrative business for my internship next year (which is not even half-way) and all the prep for our big trip to the US in 2 weeks time. I don't feel relaxed, I don't feel like I've done any of the things I wanted to do or read any of the books I wanted to read, I'm not happily preparing for a new year as I still don't have a clue what or where or how that new year will be spend, and overall, I'm in a state of skin-deep panic rather than a nice tinge of anxiety.
This is probably over-reacting, but that is what a big trip to an unknown country (country? continent!) followed by an internship at a big fancy publishing company combined with an MA dissertation will do to you.
It's not like I haven't done anything this summer: we went on several day trips and spend a weekend away, and we generally had a very nice time with friends. But overall, it's been the same as most normal weeks of the year: boyfriend leaves the house to work for 8 hours, I stay in the house to work for 8 hours, and in the evenings we're tiredly trying to make sense of Tripadvisor or the Lonely Planet or government websites or Ticketmaster (this last thing we don't usually do, of course). We still have quite a large to-do list and I still don't feel like I know anything about the places we're going. We will take a sailing trip next weekend, which is also slightly freaking me out as I feel like I'm 'wasting away' those last precious free hours we have (which is nonsense, and it's probably very healthy to take a bit of a break away from home right now, to clear my head). Again, all of this is probably strictly speaking neither true nor fair, but as I said, panic mode is starting to set in.
So let's hope I'll get back from the US fully relaxed and re-charged. And let's hope that smell, flowers mixed with dried grass mixed with all kinds of herbs mixed with anticipation, is still in the air, so I can have a bit of a do-over for the End of the Summer.
Wednesday 8 August 2012
Home or away?
I've been studying English Language & Culture for 4 years now, and I naturally feel a great affinity with Great Britain. Maybe that's even an understatement: I love the atmosphere, the nature, the countryside, the people, the culture. I usually only watch BBC programs, most of my favourite authors are British, and I know more about British culture, history, and arts than any other country, including my own. I've always loved British novels and tea, but now I've also acquired a taste for many other traditionally British things, including many bakery things, rugby, (British) theatre, and of course British humour (I still can't figure out cricket, but I will one day!).
So usually, when there's a sporting event, I back both the Netherlands and Great Britain (or England if the countries compete separately, as in the Six Nations Cup). I thought I might get into a bit of a conscience conflict with the 2012 Olympics, as these are held in London and I felt that I would probably back Great Britain more than the Netherlands.
Interestingly, the opposite has happened. I've cheered for the Dutch so much more, especially when competing against Great Britain, which happened mostly in the sailing, cycling, and equestrian sports, that I've been thoroughly annoyed at all the medals the Brits keep winning. Even more, in other sports I'm also starting to oppose the British, and starting to favour people from countries I'd never thought I'd like (yesterday I cheered for Ivan Ukhov in the high jump, but he's just the most eccentric athlete you've ever seen...). In any case, blood apparently does run thicker than water.
I wonder how this will play out when the Olympics are over. I'm generally not a huge admirer of Dutch culture or customs, even though I write extensively about them on my Postcrossing cards, I often think that I'd rather live somewhere less narrow, less self-absorbed, where people have more respect for others (I'm now thinking that probably everyone feels this way about their country, but hey). But then where ever I'd go, I'd probably still feel inherently Dutch, even though I'd always thought I'd easily adapt to whatever environment I'd find myself in. Not that I would be one for importing drop and hagelslag (Dutch things) because I couldn't do without them, but this has shown me that the Dutch thing is ingrained deeper than I thought.
Another positive revelation is that I apparently don't automatically back the horse that is doing best. The Netherlands are doing great, with 5 gold medals so far, but Great Britain is really on a roll. All I can say is: good for them!
PS: The title is from a round of questions in A Question of Sport, another BBC program, great fun even for non-sport lovers!
So usually, when there's a sporting event, I back both the Netherlands and Great Britain (or England if the countries compete separately, as in the Six Nations Cup). I thought I might get into a bit of a conscience conflict with the 2012 Olympics, as these are held in London and I felt that I would probably back Great Britain more than the Netherlands.
Interestingly, the opposite has happened. I've cheered for the Dutch so much more, especially when competing against Great Britain, which happened mostly in the sailing, cycling, and equestrian sports, that I've been thoroughly annoyed at all the medals the Brits keep winning. Even more, in other sports I'm also starting to oppose the British, and starting to favour people from countries I'd never thought I'd like (yesterday I cheered for Ivan Ukhov in the high jump, but he's just the most eccentric athlete you've ever seen...). In any case, blood apparently does run thicker than water.
I wonder how this will play out when the Olympics are over. I'm generally not a huge admirer of Dutch culture or customs, even though I write extensively about them on my Postcrossing cards, I often think that I'd rather live somewhere less narrow, less self-absorbed, where people have more respect for others (I'm now thinking that probably everyone feels this way about their country, but hey). But then where ever I'd go, I'd probably still feel inherently Dutch, even though I'd always thought I'd easily adapt to whatever environment I'd find myself in. Not that I would be one for importing drop and hagelslag (Dutch things) because I couldn't do without them, but this has shown me that the Dutch thing is ingrained deeper than I thought.
Another positive revelation is that I apparently don't automatically back the horse that is doing best. The Netherlands are doing great, with 5 gold medals so far, but Great Britain is really on a roll. All I can say is: good for them!
PS: The title is from a round of questions in A Question of Sport, another BBC program, great fun even for non-sport lovers!
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