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| A few weeks ago I started working at a place called the Dartmoor School. It is a learning center for high school and middle school students. I go to work from Monday - Thursday, 9:30am until 5:30pm or 7:30pm, depending on the day. I mainly teach Spanish, but I occasionally teach English, Physical Science (God only knows why), and general homework support. So far I've enjoy the work and the students and my fellow teachers are all very pleasant. The campus is only about 20 minutes away from my apartment and there is NEVER any traffic which makes the commute very doable. I live in Redmond, but the campus is located in Woodinville; it is a bit more rustic than Redmond, but the scenery while I drive is great.
Before I fled from Japan, I began reading the Harry Potter series on a suggestion from my friend Martin. At first I read the books because I had nothing else to do. BUT soon it became an obsession. I just finished book 6 on Saturday and now I have to wait until July for the last book. Like most people I wondered just how good a children's book could be. Well, they're great, the end.
Lastly in this oh-so-uneventful entry is my trip to the dentist. On Tuesday I went for my long overdue deep cleaning; the dentist's office is literally in walking distance from my apartment which is always a plus. BUT I drove. When I arrived a very pleasant Colombian women greeted me with a wave of Spanish (I guess she assumed everybody with my last name can speak Spanish). We chatted for a few minutes and then she began the procedure. I told her I had to go to work afterwards and I was worried about being able to talk because of the numbing gel they might use. She informed that since my teeth were not that bad it should not hurt too much, if I was in too much pain we would stop and she would apply some numb juice. I soon found out that not only did I not mind the pain, but I almost enjoyed the whole procedure without any pain killers. Weird? I think so. But after the work was completed, she told me that I was too young and handsome to not a very attractive smile so she recommended braces. Funny enough she and the other doctor both have braces. She assured me that if a "viejita" like her could I have braces I most certainly could too. I will give it a once over, but I am rather attached to my crooked smile.
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| On Friday night I ventured to downtown Seattle to catch a show at the Crocodile Cafe. Shane had a thesis to work on and my two friends in Seattle who would have enjoyed the show were pooped from working, SO I headed down there solo. The doors opened at 9, but without a definite start time for the performers I headed down early to find parking and to not miss any of the musical action. The place was easy to find enough and I settled down to enjoy the show. The first act was a woman named Johanna Kunin. Her music was misty and inviting. I enjoyed her music more than I had expected. Next we had a band from LA called Los Abandoned. Meh. I was not too impressed. There were one or two songs that I would have liked to have heard again, but overall a let down. THEN we had Miho Hatori. I LOVED HER!! Her music was delicious and her commentary in between the songs was comical and down right cute. Her English was not amazing, but that only added to her charm. My favorite was explanation of her "Sci-Fi" songs and her fascination with reading about the human brain. The only downer for the evening was a group of Spaniards who insisted on commenting very loudly, in Spanish, during Miho's performance. Apparently no one told them that Miho performed in English (with one song in Japanese) because one of their frequent requests was that she sing in Spanish. Umm, no. By the time the whole show was over it was around 2ish and I was mega tired. BUT it was a great show and very much worth the long drive home and the drunken shouts from out Iberian friends.
Earlier in the day I had an interview downtown at a store called Phiten. I was under the impression that the store sold various products from Japan, BUT I was wrong. Turns out that the store sold sports equipment made of titanium. The titanium (as I was told during my interview) helps people recover from injuries faster. That is wonderful and all, but I was super not interested in the job from the second I walked in the door. It was like going on a blind date and knowing before you sit down that you will have "forgotten" that you have to end the date early to pick up a friend. Sigh. I still haven't heard back from a bank that I interviewed with last week, but I am still hoping.
Then on Saturday my friends Kate and Chris came over for dinner. We had fun and they brought over some ridiculously good fudge and a yummy salad. I have to admit I don't normally play host, but I enjoyed it this time and I might be making it a regular thing. OK enough writing and off to the gym.
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| I was never one for having hobbies, but with a new city can come new things. SO I went to the library and checked out several books about running and plants. Random yes, but interesting.
Aside from running on the treadmill or the occasional run outside, running was one of those things I pondered, but never went threw with it (like pushing people you don't like in front of the bus or starting your own religious cult). I have talked with several people about running and most people can agree that if you are going to do it, do it right. It just so happens there is a marathon here in Seattle in late November. That gives me about 40 weeks of preparation for the 25.2 mile run. After consulting several books and some delicious online sources, 40 weeks is just enough time to really prepare for a race. I am pumped. I hope that I don't develop enormous runners legs; while stylish and sleek on taller folks I am afraid on me it would like someone used my legs as cotton-candy cones. Giant pillars of muscle and bone turning me into a weird science experiment; tiny midget torso supported by elephant trunks. But after the grueling training it will all be worth it to get that free t-shirt!
Hobby #2. Having house plants is something most people have tried, but I am determined to make it an obsession! After pouring over the books I rented from the library I headed over the local nursery to see what I could find. Equipped with my new knowledge and a debit card I bought 3 standard house plant. While the plants I chose were the best of the bunch, they are still in need of some loving (according to the man at the store. Hopefully he was referring to watering and pruning because I have my plate full with Shane). I spent much of the afternoon dusting them, nipping off brown ends and misting up a storm. Shane had this set of deer antlers that I am trying to work into a motif with the ivy, but so far the only thing I can come up with is some bizarre, satanic looking altar. Maybe adding a few virgin Mary candles could give it that "freshly sacrificed human heart" look I am after. Oh well.
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| Moving to a completely different part of the country in a very sudden way has been surprisingly easy. For the most part the weather is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be and it feels good to be in a real city again. Shane and I have fully moved into our apartment in Redmond (it is so close to work that Shane can walk to work) and I have been busy finding a job. While Seattle is pumping with life, Redmond, at best, is wheezing. I have gone to a couple of job fairs, posted my resume, and asked around, but so far nothing. I had one job interview yesterday (to be a bank teller) and hopefully two next week. Wish me luck.
Other than pretending to find a job I spend most of my day doing little errands, internet research (Kaneisha's favorite activity), or making elaborate dinners that require several hours and a slew of ingredients. So far I have made a garbanzo bean cake, a fajita dinner including homemade rice and tortillas, chilaquiles, and a country breakfast with turkey bacon. Cooking by far is the highlight of everyday (probably because eating the food is sure to follow).
Most of my errands include turning on some utility that I never realized need to be turned on in the first place. I am amazed at what I don't know about setting up my own apartment. Example 1) When I called to set up our electricity the woman on the phone asked if I had ever had an utility bill in my name before. "No", I replied. She informed me that because I did not have a previous record I would be charged a $200 non-refundable "deposit". First of all non-refundable is a fee, not a deposit and second with a $200 fee off the bat I might as well tie a kite to the roof and hope for lighting. I then asked her how I could avoid this "deposit" and soon we came to an agreement. Although life as a homemaking is very fulfilling in some ways (drinking wine before 2pm, obsessively cleaning kitchen faucets, and hoping a delivery person will accidently come to your door so you can talk to someone or give him some cake) I am sho needing a job and will be overjoyed when one finds me.
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| SO Shane and I have successfully moved to Seattle. Currently we are in temporary housing, but we have just decided on a place that is closer to his job. It is so close he can even walk to work. This is wonderful and great bc now I can use the car to look for a job. I have posted my resume on a few websites and I plan on attending some career fairs. Keep your fingers crossed. Today we will be shopping for some stuff for the new place and a mattress.
One funny thing that happened to us once we got here was the rental car they provided for us. It is a F-150 which might possibly be the BIGGEST car I have ever had to drive. I almost hit a few pedistrarians, but so far we have made it around the city without any casualties. We did get lost yesterday on the highway on our way to tour an apratment; it was down right awful. You can't just exit on and off highways like in Texas (which makes sense). Oh no, you must travel on this extremely complicated and ugly road until an exit comes out of nowhere (not to mention the car pool lanes that are blocking your escape) and then hurl yourself across several lanes of traffic to get off. Needless to say it was a tense drive. But it was worth it bc we found an apartment that was super cute and affordable. Now the only big thing left is for me to find a job. Wish me luck. | | |
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