Vivien ♀ Twenty one (21) English Literature Major ✎ A Gleek ♬ I love you like a love song

Ahoy there, mateys!

Uh. So I haven't blogged in a really long time. But anyhoo, it's my last week of work at The Company! I am so totally looking forward to it, but at the same time I feel bad because I'd have to transfer some of the undone crap to another intern.

And I happen to like the other interns so to inflict such pain unto them isn't really my thing. But you gotta do what you gotta do, so.

I think the reason I haven't blogged in such a long while is because I have been writing so much crap during work that any more writing seems like a torture. And also because I haven't been using the laptop that often due to the fact that every night I come home I feel like flopping onto my bed and sleeping every thing away.

Round 1A bidding results are out! And guess what? I've only got two out of the three modules I bidded for. Which means I need to think of another to bid for. And I was on IVLE just now, looking at the module descriptions. And I was also checking out SN1101E on Module-review, and it seems like an okay module. Not the "THIS MODULE IS THE SHIZZ!" type, but at least the reviews weren't horrible or anything.

I went to the library today! And borrowed two Calvin and Hobbes compilations, Sense and Sensibility, and two other books. I'm trying to get in touch with my literary side, because I still haven't actually decided whether I'm taking Literature or NM. The thing is, I love reading, I love writing crappy essays (not even kidding), and I love the Internets, so I really am torn between the two majors. And the fact is, loving the Internets doesn't mean I love the media theories and all the crappy other stuff in NM.

Hmm, decisions, decisions.

And speaking of the Internetz, I was on Facebook and all the orientation photos are up. But I don't really care about that, because I guess I never really bonded with my OG people (missed outings, didn't seat with them during lectures, skipped more than half of the camp) and I'm feeling rather like an existentialist now.

Of course that existentialism aspect of my mood has got to do with me feeling bummed out and disillusioned about stuff. But I'm actually not. I mean, I was for a while at around 7 in the evening.

You see, I was googling myself because I wanted to find out if my Facebook account could be found that way (turns out I can't. I'm very paranoid about the traces I leave on the Internet and my FB privacy settings are horribly, well, private), because one of the interns said she couldn't find me on Facebook.

Anyway, long backstory short: I googled myself.

And you know how working for The Company, you sometimes get unwanted attention from people who think they have an opinion about your article but are really just showing some form of stupidity or another? (aside: Oh damn I am so sick of the YOG song. They screen it every fucking hour between shows. Pardon my French. And speaking of shows, I'm hooked onto 90210. It's so bitchy and trivial - my sort of show)

So, back to the story. I googled myself (yes, third time's the charm see?) and there was this article I did additional reporting for. In case you all don't know, additional reporting means you don't actually write the story. You do legwork, which is a fancy term for saigang-rookies-do. Legwork is essentially going out collecting quotes, and getting ignored or rudely rejected by people.

Remember how I said I googled myself? Yeah so it turns out that the unfortunate story which has attracted some online attention is the one which I did legwork for, but since Tabby does not do that "additional reporting by ..." thing which McTimus does but rather lumps the names together (both writer and rookie legwork reporter), I appeared to be one of the writers.

And thus, because the story is about foreign workers (which is a hot topic, in case you didn't know), and because people think The Company is in some way affiliated to The System (this is, of course, an understatement. People think we work for The System, which is insulting to say the least), the reaction to the article has been anything but nice.

I mean it's not horrible like "These writers ought to be neutered and fired!" No, no, instead the insults were civil, like "...They should be ashamed of themselves and commit suicide if they have an ounce of integrity and truth."

Honestly. I didn't even write the story!

And then also, on a blog: "Thirdly, if the reporters love FTs so much since things are more expensive without them, then I would like to point out that this article written by (my name) and (writer's name) is very very costly. 2 authors to come up with a 152 word article? Even PSLE students can do better. Both should be replaced by FTs as well. Then maybe the newspaper would cost a lot less."

Well for one thing the 152 word "article" is actually a blurb. Dumbass And I didn't write the article! Sheesh. I would be less offended if I were actually guilty of writing it. Instead I was out for two hours plus speaking to hawker centre and coffee shop stall owners and generally skulking around like some sartorially-challenged OL in the hot afternoon sun.

And what do I get? Some insinuation that I need a lesson in Economics ("To Ms. (my name) and Ms. (writer's name) - Let me give you a very quick lesson in Economics 101." Well thanks but no fucking thanks, dear) in some blog. Okay granted, the blogger sounds reasonable and he/she doesn't use superlatives or exaggerations which I am prone to using sometimes.

Well the 3pm thing isn't so bad after all, since all I did was loaf around and do absolutely nothing. Okay so it was bad, but in a totally zen way.

But before anyone thinks I'm depressed, I'm actually really stoked for Toy Story tomorrow!

I am sorry!

Okay, here's what happened. You know how because of my job at Tabby I've been asking people for quotes and pictures sometimes? Well I don't mean to cause any harm!

I never did lie about anything; when I need your picture I will tell you I need it. I won't simply steal it off Facebook and use it in the papers.

Also I don't ever quote you without first telling you I need the quotes. I do this very very explicitly.

I'm terribly sorry if I made you (two, actually. Two people) sound like a bimbo. You don't sound like a bimbo; people are generally too stupid and insipid. Besides, you know you're not stupid, so you should treat being seen as a bimbo a good thing, because it means someone thinks you're pretty. Yeah I know, bad advice.

Also, sorry to Choo, if I somehow jeopardised your career in the you-know-what field. I'm sorry you missed the part where I mentioned I needed a picture; I didn't mean for that to happen. I won't ever ask you for quotes if it would mean endangering your future. Really. Sorry D:

And, it's horribly difficult finding someone who agrees to give their photo, so if you are one of them, I owe you one. Honestly, just tell me and I'm willing to like give you a treat or something.

But on another note I really am sorry if I happened to not tell you that you would be in the papers by yourself. I didn't think this would be that of a big deal, since if you agreed to give a picture you shouldn't care if it's published together with others pictures.

The thing is, I won't ever lie to you about needing your quote for Tabby. I don't lie to my friends on purpose and if I didn't tell you something it's because you didn't ask me and it never occurred to me to tell you. Next time I'd be more explicit.

Gah I feel like I'm a horrible person.

Yeah I do realise I sound wistfully emo in the previous post. I'm actually not that depressed. In fact I'm not depressed at all, which is weird considering how I'm stuck working the rest of the summer vacation away.

Maybe there is some virtue in working.

Not that I think about that when it's time for me to drag my butt out of bed every morning. That part kills me.

I need a break! But Miss Choo is stuck in OBS and I don't have her number, so there's no way I can make plans.

Eh well. Oh and by the way, I ended the previous post saying "more to come tomorrow", but that's not an indication that I'd be blogging tomorrow. I was referring to writing stories. D:

Oh-kay then. Good night! For real.

PS: THANKS FOR THE NICE POST CARD CHIP! Very retro in a Chinese way.

I'm feeling extremely sleepy, even though it's barely 12 and I didn't actually do much today. I went for a primary school outing on Saturday, which is really weird considering how it's been 8 years since Primary 6 and we haven't really remained in close contact for a while.

So technically it wasn't the entire class but rather 6 of us who used to hang out as a clique in school.

Somehow it isn't half as awkward as you'd imagine it to be.

Maybe because we were in Mind Cafe and there really isn't anything awkward about playing games with people. But even when we were hanging out at Subway for dinner the conversation wasn't weird or anything.

There's something about hanging out with old friends that make you remember what you loved about your childhood. And you remember the time when everything was much simpler and in black and white. And you didn't have as much things to trouble over, like how you're so antisocial and how you're afraid you'd end up a failure. Stuff like that can really bring you down.

Point is, even though we're not even half as close as we used to be, it's still pretty heart-warming to hang out with old (by old I mean like really old, 9 years) friends and talking about life (like the past, the present, and the future). You just don't get these sort of friendship as you get older and realise that you can't make close friends that easily anymore.

Or maybe it's just the no-life part of me speaking here, I don't know.

It's like, in primary school you make friends because you sit next to each other, and these friends usually become your BFFs. In secondary school you start learning to be cynical and make friends with people who share similarly cynical views as you do, although you still make friends with people because they make you laugh and you can talk to them about anything. Secondary school/JC friends are the real BFFs you'd have, even though you no longer call them that. IN University you'd join the camps hoping you wouldn't be outcasted, but after all that you realise that it isn't so bad being alone if you aren't 100% into hanging out with your new friends. You realise that anything you don't want to be in 100% probably doesn't mean too much to you and you realise you don't want to be phony and pretend to have a good time.

So you hang out with your Secondary/JC friends more often.

I'm not saying that all Uni friendships are meaningless because I do know some awesome people in Uni. The thing is I just don't have the chance to hang out with them so often and I wouldn't feel the need to because the effort is more than what you get in return.

Which is why I do away with those little social obligations and wax lyrical about life on my blog.

Instead of sleeping. Okay, that's enough writing for today, more to come tomorrow. Later, Amigos!

Last night I dreamt that there was a zombie attack.

Then I woke up to pee.

Chip ★ Choo ♥ Cecilia ★ Judy ♥ Linette & Yingxian ★ Jiayin ♥ Vina ★ Skins ♛ Twitter ☁ Blogger ☢ Facebook ☠ Tumblr ♐

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