Monthly Archives: January 2012

Ugh.

So, I’m sick again. Anyone have an ice cream sandwich? Ah, a subtle reference to a past post. How “Lost” of me.

I was sick in October, and that was a game changer. First time being sick alone and all. This time’s different though. I know how to operate. I know what to stock up on. I know what curled up position on the bed shields the light the best. That said, it still sucks. It drains my energy into a black hole. Whatever creativity I had been cultivating is now roadkill, crushed by the Hummer of flu season. I even hate the word. Flu. It looks gross. I mean, it ends with a u. Not many nice things end with a u.

But regardless, I have it. Sandwiches don’t taste as crisp as they used to, orange juice stings the throat, and all things salty are chapping my lips like never before. Truly a nightmare for your typical North American student.

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Don’t Waste Your Lulls and Don’t Fret In Stress

There’s a lull in the air. It just feels like UBC’s taking it easy this week. I mean, I’m sure somewhere the Klingon Klub is madly organizing their bi-annual Spock-a-thon, but the general vibe is like a surfer at the foot of the ocean: calm, cool, and collected, just waiting for that big wave. My flood of responsibility subsided Tuesday, when after the deadline of a Ubyssey article on Friday, my academic catch-up on the weekend, and a class-filled hailstorm on Monday, I was just left to myself, in my dorm, with no abundant task at hand. I mean, I did have to define the overarching concepts of justice and morality for Philosophy 100, but come on, an amateur philosopher could do that. Someone like Plato. Oh, philosophy burn! I kid the man. He’s a genius. Plus, he’s been dead for over 2000 years. I don’t think he’ll be that offended.

Anyways, I had a personal lull. And do you know what’s the worst thing for me during a productivity lull? Trying out season one of The Wire that I got for Christmas. Why didn’t I just turn down my productivity into negatives, like an anti-Spinal Tap:

“See, most people’s productivity can only go to -10, but mine, see, mine, it goes to -11.”

So, I guess my main report today, developed through tireless research, with selected help from four sign language-trained chimpanzees and one Yahtzee-trained elephant, is that The Wire is a very good show. But that’s just what it’s like in a lull. And maybe I should be rejoicing. The very fact I get to enjoy an HBO show, stuck between two sides of my productivity-laden space-time continuum, is a sign that I’m enjoying the time I’m given, spent idly taking in a well-crafted story or vigourously volunteering around the campus, be it for The Ubyssey, CiTR, or even my comfy home here at Blog Squad. So what I’m saying is, don’t waste your lulls and don’t fret in stress. The two balance out. If you relax, aspire, and produce, well then the world just keeps going ‘round.

A Ubyssey Adventure

One of my big goals this term was to volunteer at The Ubyssey. And it wasn’t just a goal. It was a spin-o-rama, behind the back, bicycle kick kind of goal. Very important to me and very awesome, a fulfilling experience for the news junkie I’ve become. I thought my time at Blog Squad gave me the experience to tackle a real-life story, albeit one that doesn’t include my awkward experience purchasing an ice cream cookie sandwich or my goal to one day gain the ability to fly (still working on that). No disrespect to those tour de force pieces, but I wanted to tackle one of the institutional facets of writing, journalism.

Now I wasn’t expecting people in tweed suits and “Press” hats to be yelling, “Come ‘ere, see. Yeah, see” with that abstract and strangely exciting 1960’s attitude…okay, well I was expecting that, but more in that unique state of unrealistic optimism that improves your day, regardless of the logical fallacies attached. It’s like that glimmer of hope that you’ll one day open the paper and see, “Beatles Back On Tour!” Just our little fantasies. Our impractical, sanguine daydreams.

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A Triumphant Return!

After a much-needed break, full of sleep, healthy food and other such luxuries, it’s good to be back for a clean slate in familiar territory. One thing I vowed to change for second semester was to get more involved early on. Going into first semester felt like a deer in headlights situation. There was this overwhelming horde of club VP’s and event coordinators hollering ,

“COME CHECK OUT OUR THING!”

“THIS AS WELL!”

“YOU SHOULD DO THIS!”

I was busy settling into my drastic new lifestyle, let alone finding my niche. So by the time I got seriously interested in clubs and volunteer work, papers and exams were taking up the precious time I would’ve committed.

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