30.1.08
Native Arizonan
After days of waiting, biting down all my fingernails at the thought of incurring $50 late fee charges because of bureaucratic miscommunication, I am now officially an Arizona resident again. Whew.
Campus Fashion
After four years, you'd think some things would go out of fashion forever. Especially things that were never fashionable or attractive in the first place, like Ugg boots.
There never ceases to be a plethora of girls wearing them on the UA campus--spring, summer, fall or winter. I have ranted about this phenomenon many times in the past; I am vehemently anti-Ugg boot.
I never really thought much about the rest of the Ugg outfit, though. The most appalling thing I've ever seen has been a girl, in January, wearing red hot pants, a gold puffy jacket with a faux fur collar and ugg boots. Coming in at a close second were the girls last spring and the spring previous who wore ugg boots with mini skirts. Those are fashion nightmares if ever there was one.
But the most common Ugg uniform is a track suit (usually Victoria's Secret with "PINK" plastered on the ass not in pink), bottoms stuffed haphazardly into the unshapely vomit-colored Ugg boots, or jeans and a sweatshirt or t-shirt (or t-shirt under a sweatshirt, take your pick). While these two combinations are more appropriate for said hideous footwear, the overall picture is a sad one. Young, attractive college women choose to run around in public looking like slobs.
It's the uniform, it's what they do. They get up, tie their hair messily back into a crappy bun or pony tail, plaster their faces with makeup (or leave their faces pastily plain), and tug on a UofA shirt and jeans, and the most unflattering shoes possible.
What does this say about fashion in Tucson? Nothing good.
What does this say about the fashion sense of many future business women, researchers, journalists, publicists and trophy wives? Certainly nothing good.
My point?
Somebody needs to burn all forms of "comfy" shoes. Otherwise, the idea of being fashionable when you're young is just going to be something future generations think of when they think about Elvis and Marilyn Monroe--long long ago, very attractive, but irrelevant.
There never ceases to be a plethora of girls wearing them on the UA campus--spring, summer, fall or winter. I have ranted about this phenomenon many times in the past; I am vehemently anti-Ugg boot.
I never really thought much about the rest of the Ugg outfit, though. The most appalling thing I've ever seen has been a girl, in January, wearing red hot pants, a gold puffy jacket with a faux fur collar and ugg boots. Coming in at a close second were the girls last spring and the spring previous who wore ugg boots with mini skirts. Those are fashion nightmares if ever there was one.But the most common Ugg uniform is a track suit (usually Victoria's Secret with "PINK" plastered on the ass not in pink), bottoms stuffed haphazardly into the unshapely vomit-colored Ugg boots, or jeans and a sweatshirt or t-shirt (or t-shirt under a sweatshirt, take your pick). While these two combinations are more appropriate for said hideous footwear, the overall picture is a sad one. Young, attractive college women choose to run around in public looking like slobs.
It's the uniform, it's what they do. They get up, tie their hair messily back into a crappy bun or pony tail, plaster their faces with makeup (or leave their faces pastily plain), and tug on a UofA shirt and jeans, and the most unflattering shoes possible.
What does this say about fashion in Tucson? Nothing good.
What does this say about the fashion sense of many future business women, researchers, journalists, publicists and trophy wives? Certainly nothing good.
My point?
Somebody needs to burn all forms of "comfy" shoes. Otherwise, the idea of being fashionable when you're young is just going to be something future generations think of when they think about Elvis and Marilyn Monroe--long long ago, very attractive, but irrelevant.
25.1.08
Putting the "care" in healthcare.
You're a student. You wake up: very sore throat, dry painful deep-chest cough, migraine, sniffly, achey. So you call in sick to work, let your teachers know you won't be in class (if you're responsible, like me). Laying in bed, you decide to call mommy & daddy to see what you should do. Mommy thinks about your symptoms, looks up the Mayo Clinic's flu symptoms check list. You have all symptoms except two. There's a good chance you can get pneumonia if you don't get treated (especially if you lead a high-pace lifestyle, like I do). So you go to good ol' Campus Health, the cheap, reliable place for students to get treated on campus.
Not.
This was me on Wednesday. I went to Campus Health. I called in advance and was told there would be about an hour wait, but some people would leave and flu symptoms would put me in ahead of others with less serious symptoms. Cool.
I saw my friend Mike there. He had similar symptoms, had felt sick a few days earlier. He went in to triage because he kept throwing up. What did they do? Gave him a pamphlet on how to stop vomiting and sent him home. Great.
An hour and a half later, I finally get called in. Everyone who came before me and everyone who came after me, except for about five people, had gone in before I got called. That's about 35 people Campus Health deemed to have more serious symptoms than I did, as I sat in the waiting room in an uncomfortable chair, shivering violently because I had the chills.
The nurse takes me in, has me sit down. I tell her I think I have the flu. She says "uh, huh." I tell her my symptoms. She glares at me. She takes my temperature. "You don't have a high enough fever to have the flu." I tell her I felt I needed to come in because I'm afraid I'll get sicker if I don't get treated, like I'll get strep throat (has happened on many occasions in the past). "Your throat's not sore enough to have strep throat," she says without asking how sore my throat is. She doesn't ask what my pain level is like on a 1-5 scale, which I've been told by another medical professional is a requirement.
She looks in my ears. "They're sort of swollen, but I don't think you have an ear infection."
She looks down my throat. "Nope, it's not red. You probably have the beginnings of an ear infection."
She gives me a tylenol and tells me to go to urgent care somewhere else. She says they're too busy to see me tonight.
I start crying because I'm so frustrated. An hour and a half wait and all I get is a headache pill and a referral? Rediculous. No wonder I hate going to the doctor when I don't feel well.
"Oh, you must be a little bit uncomfortable," she says.
YOU THINK?????
"Do you have a car?" she asks, pointing out the other urgent care options on the list she hands me, without bothering to ask if I feel well enough to drive myself somewhere--which, at the time, I don't.
Infuriated, I leave the clinic and tell my parents about the episode over the phone, in tears. They are also upset. My mom calls the MinuteClinic hotline (the one the nurse suggested, and also the closest to my apartment), and finds out they don't take our insurance. But I don't want to go to an emergency room. If I have the flu, then EVERYONE else in Tucson must also be ill and in the emergency room.
So, I go to the MinuteClinic, which is in a CVS. Kind of weird, kind of ghetto. It's a 20 minute wait. And I have to pee really badly, because I didn't go the whole time I was at Campus Health because I thought the second I went into the bathroom they'd call me to come in. Some good that did me.
The nurse practitioner at the MinuteClinic is very friendly and helpful. I tell her my symptoms, and she automatically says that sounds like the flu. I tell her what Campus Health told me, and she shakes her head. I tell her about the pamphlet they gave Mike, and she laughs scornfully. Campus assholes.
She gives me a flu test--she takes a long q-tip and swabs the insides of each nostril, way up inside and very ticklish. It takes 15 minutes to "cook", during which time she fills out my information on the computer and takes down all of my symptoms again.
After 15 minutes, the test says I am positive for Type A Influenza. Gee.
She prescribes me two meds and I get to go to the pharmacy to have them filled. And, there was a promo with my insurance company, so I only had to pay for the visit, not for the flu test. $59 is better than $96.
I was also told not to go to school or work for five days so I don't morph into a sticky bundle of pneumonia. If I'd followed Campus Health's instructions, I'd be out spreading the plague all over the place, and probably waking up with cold sweats and rust-colored sputum (the danger signs the nurse practitioner said I needed to watch out for for pneumonia).
So, I'm going to file a complaint on campus. Clearly, the triage people just wanted to go home (it was getting close to 5 pm). And what kind of urgent care center is only open until 5 pm, especially on a campus with 37,000 students and god-knows-how-many faculty, staff and employees? And giving a bad diagnosis just so you can turn students away? That's outrageous, and it's poor practice.
Not.
This was me on Wednesday. I went to Campus Health. I called in advance and was told there would be about an hour wait, but some people would leave and flu symptoms would put me in ahead of others with less serious symptoms. Cool.
I saw my friend Mike there. He had similar symptoms, had felt sick a few days earlier. He went in to triage because he kept throwing up. What did they do? Gave him a pamphlet on how to stop vomiting and sent him home. Great.
An hour and a half later, I finally get called in. Everyone who came before me and everyone who came after me, except for about five people, had gone in before I got called. That's about 35 people Campus Health deemed to have more serious symptoms than I did, as I sat in the waiting room in an uncomfortable chair, shivering violently because I had the chills.
The nurse takes me in, has me sit down. I tell her I think I have the flu. She says "uh, huh." I tell her my symptoms. She glares at me. She takes my temperature. "You don't have a high enough fever to have the flu." I tell her I felt I needed to come in because I'm afraid I'll get sicker if I don't get treated, like I'll get strep throat (has happened on many occasions in the past). "Your throat's not sore enough to have strep throat," she says without asking how sore my throat is. She doesn't ask what my pain level is like on a 1-5 scale, which I've been told by another medical professional is a requirement.
She looks in my ears. "They're sort of swollen, but I don't think you have an ear infection."
She looks down my throat. "Nope, it's not red. You probably have the beginnings of an ear infection."
She gives me a tylenol and tells me to go to urgent care somewhere else. She says they're too busy to see me tonight.
I start crying because I'm so frustrated. An hour and a half wait and all I get is a headache pill and a referral? Rediculous. No wonder I hate going to the doctor when I don't feel well.
"Oh, you must be a little bit uncomfortable," she says.
YOU THINK?????
"Do you have a car?" she asks, pointing out the other urgent care options on the list she hands me, without bothering to ask if I feel well enough to drive myself somewhere--which, at the time, I don't.
Infuriated, I leave the clinic and tell my parents about the episode over the phone, in tears. They are also upset. My mom calls the MinuteClinic hotline (the one the nurse suggested, and also the closest to my apartment), and finds out they don't take our insurance. But I don't want to go to an emergency room. If I have the flu, then EVERYONE else in Tucson must also be ill and in the emergency room.
So, I go to the MinuteClinic, which is in a CVS. Kind of weird, kind of ghetto. It's a 20 minute wait. And I have to pee really badly, because I didn't go the whole time I was at Campus Health because I thought the second I went into the bathroom they'd call me to come in. Some good that did me.
The nurse practitioner at the MinuteClinic is very friendly and helpful. I tell her my symptoms, and she automatically says that sounds like the flu. I tell her what Campus Health told me, and she shakes her head. I tell her about the pamphlet they gave Mike, and she laughs scornfully. Campus assholes.
She gives me a flu test--she takes a long q-tip and swabs the insides of each nostril, way up inside and very ticklish. It takes 15 minutes to "cook", during which time she fills out my information on the computer and takes down all of my symptoms again.
After 15 minutes, the test says I am positive for Type A Influenza. Gee.
She prescribes me two meds and I get to go to the pharmacy to have them filled. And, there was a promo with my insurance company, so I only had to pay for the visit, not for the flu test. $59 is better than $96.
I was also told not to go to school or work for five days so I don't morph into a sticky bundle of pneumonia. If I'd followed Campus Health's instructions, I'd be out spreading the plague all over the place, and probably waking up with cold sweats and rust-colored sputum (the danger signs the nurse practitioner said I needed to watch out for for pneumonia).
So, I'm going to file a complaint on campus. Clearly, the triage people just wanted to go home (it was getting close to 5 pm). And what kind of urgent care center is only open until 5 pm, especially on a campus with 37,000 students and god-knows-how-many faculty, staff and employees? And giving a bad diagnosis just so you can turn students away? That's outrageous, and it's poor practice.
22.1.08
Playing Catch-Up
The more I have conversations with interesting people, the more I realize I have a movie-watching deficiency. True, I'm an excruciatingly busy college student who barely has time to sleep at night.
But if everyone else is doing it, why can't I?
That in mind, I've decided to make a list of films I need to see. I once had a nice, long list. Since then, I've misplaced it. If you think of any movies you thought were fantastic and I need to watch, please post them and I'll add them to the list.
And hopefully, someday, I'll get caught up to the rest of you.
Poor, deficient Courtney's list of films to watch:
Charlotte Gray
Amazing Grace
But if everyone else is doing it, why can't I?
That in mind, I've decided to make a list of films I need to see. I once had a nice, long list. Since then, I've misplaced it. If you think of any movies you thought were fantastic and I need to watch, please post them and I'll add them to the list.
And hopefully, someday, I'll get caught up to the rest of you.
Poor, deficient Courtney's list of films to watch:
Charlotte Gray
Amazing Grace
19.1.08
Paradise? Eh.
Ian and I tried a new restaurant the other night for dinner: Paradise Bakery and Cafe.
It sounded promising, plus it's a newly opened restaurant, which can be exciting.
The setup was kind of confusing at first, because it's like a cafeteria line but you don't have to go through the whole line. You also have to pay for each item you get, so it's far more expensive than your traditional cafeteria--no flat rate meals. And the sweets and pastries have their own, out-of-the way counter. I was confused and put-off until one of the staff asked if we'd ever been there before and offered directions. Overall, not user-friendly for first-time visitors.
Ian tried the roast beef sandwich and I tried the vegetarian sandwich. The prices weren't bad--I think mine was about $5.70, and Ian's closer to $6 (I didn't pay). It was reasonable.
The roast beef sandwich was apparently quite good. It included a thick slab of roast beef, plus assorted vegetables that my meat-a-saurus boyfriend removed. The bread was very crusty and looked tasty.
The veggie was sub-standard. The bread was reminiscent of squishy sliced white bread from the grocery store, and the only vegetables present were half a tomato, a giant leaf of inedible lettuce and thinly sliced cucumber. There was also ONE slice of cheese and some avocado sauce. I was highly displeased. Plus the tomato kept falling out, and the bread got thinner and thinner as I held onto the sandwich. Throughout the meal I kept muttering, "Baggins is way better."
The chocolate chip cookies, on the other hand--which came with the sandwiches--were quite good. My new friend from Germany, an exchange student named Steffi, also said she really enjoyed the cookies when she ate at Paradise.
I think I'll still go back, to try the salads and soups, and more sweets. But the one sandwich I could eat was quite despicable.
It sounded promising, plus it's a newly opened restaurant, which can be exciting.
The setup was kind of confusing at first, because it's like a cafeteria line but you don't have to go through the whole line. You also have to pay for each item you get, so it's far more expensive than your traditional cafeteria--no flat rate meals. And the sweets and pastries have their own, out-of-the way counter. I was confused and put-off until one of the staff asked if we'd ever been there before and offered directions. Overall, not user-friendly for first-time visitors.
Ian tried the roast beef sandwich and I tried the vegetarian sandwich. The prices weren't bad--I think mine was about $5.70, and Ian's closer to $6 (I didn't pay). It was reasonable.
The roast beef sandwich was apparently quite good. It included a thick slab of roast beef, plus assorted vegetables that my meat-a-saurus boyfriend removed. The bread was very crusty and looked tasty.
The veggie was sub-standard. The bread was reminiscent of squishy sliced white bread from the grocery store, and the only vegetables present were half a tomato, a giant leaf of inedible lettuce and thinly sliced cucumber. There was also ONE slice of cheese and some avocado sauce. I was highly displeased. Plus the tomato kept falling out, and the bread got thinner and thinner as I held onto the sandwich. Throughout the meal I kept muttering, "Baggins is way better."
The chocolate chip cookies, on the other hand--which came with the sandwiches--were quite good. My new friend from Germany, an exchange student named Steffi, also said she really enjoyed the cookies when she ate at Paradise.
I think I'll still go back, to try the salads and soups, and more sweets. But the one sandwich I could eat was quite despicable.
18.1.08
Update to the Saga
So, more about my Bursar's account charges, just in case anyone's interested. This one comes with some good advice...
The reason I was charged in-state AND out-of-state tuition is because I applied to graduate school at The University of Arizona. Apparently this changed my status to that of an out-of-state student, I incurred charges for the current semester, and I had to fill out a domicile affidavit. Now I have to wait a week until I can be considered an Arizonan again. Yay. But, the good news is it had absolutely nothing to do with Prop 300. Hah.
So, if you want to apply to grad school at the UA and you're still an undergrad there, wait until the first few weeks of school have passed (if possible, based on deadlines) and THEN apply. I don't think they can charge you a few weeks into the semester. Not that they should be able to charge you for out-of-state tuition if you've already paid you're in-state tuition, but I'm not in charge, now am I?
The reason I was charged in-state AND out-of-state tuition is because I applied to graduate school at The University of Arizona. Apparently this changed my status to that of an out-of-state student, I incurred charges for the current semester, and I had to fill out a domicile affidavit. Now I have to wait a week until I can be considered an Arizonan again. Yay. But, the good news is it had absolutely nothing to do with Prop 300. Hah.
So, if you want to apply to grad school at the UA and you're still an undergrad there, wait until the first few weeks of school have passed (if possible, based on deadlines) and THEN apply. I don't think they can charge you a few weeks into the semester. Not that they should be able to charge you for out-of-state tuition if you've already paid you're in-state tuition, but I'm not in charge, now am I?
16.1.08
Bureaucratic Injustices
So, as an Arizona resident who files the FAFSA dilligently every year, who receives aid from the university and who won't be continuing at The University of Arizona after spring 2008, I never would have dreamed that Proposition 300 would affect me. It never has in the past. Nobody from the university ever told me to think about it, turn anything in, do anything.
But then, I checked my Bursar's account this morning to see if the second group of fantastic textbook charges had been applied to my account so I could finally pay for them all at once--only to discover I suddenly owe $5,796.13. That's a big jump from the $96.50 I owed yesterday. I nearly had a stroke.
So I went to look at my transactions to see what the hell was so expensive.
OUT OF STATE TUITION. What?
And a second charge for in-state tuition that they kindly marked out to show I paid for it the first time--but the evidence is still there.
So I call the Bursar to see what's up. After 99 phone calls and 20 minutes of being on-hold, a friendly employee answers the phone. She is also confused about the extra charges in my account, and says all my "paperwork" is "complete." I assume that means they have proof I'm a resident (DUH!).
She directs me to the Office of Residency and Classification. After another 50 phone calls and leaving a message, I get a slightly-less friendly person on the phone. She can't figure it out either, but assumes I don't have my Prop 300 paperwork in. I told her nobody informs of this. "I know they don't, I'm sorry," she says, then directs me to visit the Registrar's office to fulfill my requirements.
So now I must trek to the Registrar's office and probably stand in line for 45 minutes JUST so I can hand someone my driver's license, bank card, concealed weapons permit and CatCard to prove that they've made a mistake.
The bureaucracy is mind boggling. The idiocy is mind blowing.
But then, I checked my Bursar's account this morning to see if the second group of fantastic textbook charges had been applied to my account so I could finally pay for them all at once--only to discover I suddenly owe $5,796.13. That's a big jump from the $96.50 I owed yesterday. I nearly had a stroke.
So I went to look at my transactions to see what the hell was so expensive.
OUT OF STATE TUITION. What?
And a second charge for in-state tuition that they kindly marked out to show I paid for it the first time--but the evidence is still there.
So I call the Bursar to see what's up. After 99 phone calls and 20 minutes of being on-hold, a friendly employee answers the phone. She is also confused about the extra charges in my account, and says all my "paperwork" is "complete." I assume that means they have proof I'm a resident (DUH!).
She directs me to the Office of Residency and Classification. After another 50 phone calls and leaving a message, I get a slightly-less friendly person on the phone. She can't figure it out either, but assumes I don't have my Prop 300 paperwork in. I told her nobody informs of this. "I know they don't, I'm sorry," she says, then directs me to visit the Registrar's office to fulfill my requirements.
So now I must trek to the Registrar's office and probably stand in line for 45 minutes JUST so I can hand someone my driver's license, bank card, concealed weapons permit and CatCard to prove that they've made a mistake.
The bureaucracy is mind boggling. The idiocy is mind blowing.
15.1.08
Get on the B Line
In the spirit of food, which just so happens to be one of the driving forces in my life, I decided it's time the B Line got a mention on here.
The B Line is a delightful little bistro on Fourth Avenue in Tucson. It stands out from the gritty bars and hippie shops with it's neon sign and the bar stool seating lining the windows. Inside is a somewhat-scrunched, intimate seating area on two levels.
I haven't tried many of the items on the menu, but everyone else who's ever eaten there with me has enjoyed their meals.
I always get the orecchiette pasta alla vodka--sometimes half a portion with salad, sometimes a whole plate. It comes with garlic toast and a toping of arugula (which I hate) and thickly shaven parmesan. After picking off the bitterly minty arugula (unless you enjoy the stuff), you can dive into a rich and very filling meal, totally worth 11 dollars.
There's also lemonade and root beer on tap, a good selection of beer and English sparkling water, among other things.
If that's not good enough, the rotating dessert case next to the cash register, and the non-rotating one under the register, will make your mouth water with a variety of desserts ranging from thick slabs of cake and pie to cookies and creme brulee.
If you're in the area and don't mind parking across the street (I usually take the Blackjack Pizza parking lot), it's sooooo worth it!
The B Line is a delightful little bistro on Fourth Avenue in Tucson. It stands out from the gritty bars and hippie shops with it's neon sign and the bar stool seating lining the windows. Inside is a somewhat-scrunched, intimate seating area on two levels.
I haven't tried many of the items on the menu, but everyone else who's ever eaten there with me has enjoyed their meals.
I always get the orecchiette pasta alla vodka--sometimes half a portion with salad, sometimes a whole plate. It comes with garlic toast and a toping of arugula (which I hate) and thickly shaven parmesan. After picking off the bitterly minty arugula (unless you enjoy the stuff), you can dive into a rich and very filling meal, totally worth 11 dollars.
There's also lemonade and root beer on tap, a good selection of beer and English sparkling water, among other things.
If that's not good enough, the rotating dessert case next to the cash register, and the non-rotating one under the register, will make your mouth water with a variety of desserts ranging from thick slabs of cake and pie to cookies and creme brulee.
If you're in the area and don't mind parking across the street (I usually take the Blackjack Pizza parking lot), it's sooooo worth it!
14.1.08
Squash + Pasta = Smiles
Returning to one of the pillars of this blog, we're going to talk about food today.
And not just any food. Good food.
My roommate brought home a container of butternut squash ravioli for us to try this week. I was the teeniest bit apprehensive. I love squash and I like ravioli, so the prospect of having them together was promising. It just didn't seem like something that would go well with tomato sauce.
I decided to forgo the jar of marinara sauce my roommate had purchased for the meal, and instead tossed my (very pretty--pink striped) ravioli with olive oil and a healthy dose of freshly grated parmesan.
The combination was quite delicious, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys squash or ravioli.
My roommate said the taste combination was a bit "different" with tomato sauce, since the squash is sweeter. I highly recommend olive oil instead.
And not just any food. Good food.
My roommate brought home a container of butternut squash ravioli for us to try this week. I was the teeniest bit apprehensive. I love squash and I like ravioli, so the prospect of having them together was promising. It just didn't seem like something that would go well with tomato sauce.
I decided to forgo the jar of marinara sauce my roommate had purchased for the meal, and instead tossed my (very pretty--pink striped) ravioli with olive oil and a healthy dose of freshly grated parmesan.
The combination was quite delicious, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys squash or ravioli.
My roommate said the taste combination was a bit "different" with tomato sauce, since the squash is sweeter. I highly recommend olive oil instead.
13.1.08
Foreign Relations
When I studied in Germany in 2006, everything was set up in advance. I had a place to stay (dormitory), it was easy to get from the airport to the dormitory (although I stayed with grandparents, but that's a different story), and I knew I would be able to get around without a car.
When my tandem partner got here in the fall semester, he had no idea where he was going to live. Luckily, a friend who'd arrived before him had made arrangements for him to get from the airport and finally found him a roommate. He soon discovered he'd need a bicycle because Tucson is too spread out and there isn't adequate public transportation. He also discovered it was difficult to get groceries, as the closest grocery store was a bike ride away.
Last week I got an e-mail from a German girl who was on her way to Tucson and, having missed orientation week, wanted to know the cheapest way to get from the airport to the hostel she hoped to stay in. Hmm. Taxi? Expensive. Bus? Probably doesn't operate after 10 pm. So I offered to pick her up. She hadn't been able to exchange money for dollars in Chicago, and there was no place to do so in Tucson. Why would there be? The hostel (only one in town, as far as I know--and the first time I've ever heard of it) doesn't offer locks for lockers.
Then, I went to help her find a place to live, since she had no idea where she was going to stay with a few days before school starts. Apartment offices? Supposed to be open on Sunday, but all miraculously closed. The UA International Affairs office had told her it was super easy to find housing in Tucson. Hmm, not by my experience.
Does the university actually think lying to poor foreign students makes getting used to a strange place any easier? If they do, they're assholes. If I'd had to find a place to stay in Leipzig, I'd have been a writhing ball of nerves--a wreck. And they expect people to do it here like it's a piece of cake.
Therefore, I have decided (with a bit of prodding from my mother) to make the German Club more active in helping German, Austrian and Swiss (and maybe even those from Lichtenstein, should they come) students have an easier time of getting into Tucson and adjusting to life here. I mean, we can't just leave them homeless and (depending on the season) sweaty, wandering the streets of Tucson.
When my tandem partner got here in the fall semester, he had no idea where he was going to live. Luckily, a friend who'd arrived before him had made arrangements for him to get from the airport and finally found him a roommate. He soon discovered he'd need a bicycle because Tucson is too spread out and there isn't adequate public transportation. He also discovered it was difficult to get groceries, as the closest grocery store was a bike ride away.
Last week I got an e-mail from a German girl who was on her way to Tucson and, having missed orientation week, wanted to know the cheapest way to get from the airport to the hostel she hoped to stay in. Hmm. Taxi? Expensive. Bus? Probably doesn't operate after 10 pm. So I offered to pick her up. She hadn't been able to exchange money for dollars in Chicago, and there was no place to do so in Tucson. Why would there be? The hostel (only one in town, as far as I know--and the first time I've ever heard of it) doesn't offer locks for lockers.
Then, I went to help her find a place to live, since she had no idea where she was going to stay with a few days before school starts. Apartment offices? Supposed to be open on Sunday, but all miraculously closed. The UA International Affairs office had told her it was super easy to find housing in Tucson. Hmm, not by my experience.
Does the university actually think lying to poor foreign students makes getting used to a strange place any easier? If they do, they're assholes. If I'd had to find a place to stay in Leipzig, I'd have been a writhing ball of nerves--a wreck. And they expect people to do it here like it's a piece of cake.
Therefore, I have decided (with a bit of prodding from my mother) to make the German Club more active in helping German, Austrian and Swiss (and maybe even those from Lichtenstein, should they come) students have an easier time of getting into Tucson and adjusting to life here. I mean, we can't just leave them homeless and (depending on the season) sweaty, wandering the streets of Tucson.
8.1.08
Lessons Learned
Here's one for the wise:
NEVER SCREW UP YOUR BODY'S SLEEP CLOCK!!!
I happened to do so over the course of my winter break from school and am now suffering from it. By going to bed around 2 a.m. and waking up around 1:30 p.m. on a daily basis, this schedule became ingrained in my body's daily functions and it's wreaking havoc on me as I try to readjust to work life and get ready for school to start again (think laying in bed for hours, hoping to fall asleep, and then being unable to drag yourself out of bed on time).
A discussion with my friends last night also pondered the issue of sleep. Do humans really need eight hours of sleep a night to function properly? Do we need more or less? I think the answer depends on the person. While some of my friends think four hours is adequate, I think I need eight to 10 hours a night to function 100 percent. The chances of me getting that much sleep, though...eh.
The most important lesson to be learned is that sleep isn't something we can throw to the wind with caution and whatnot. Getting enough sleep, and going to bed at decent hours, respects the body. And that's pretty damn important.
NEVER SCREW UP YOUR BODY'S SLEEP CLOCK!!!
I happened to do so over the course of my winter break from school and am now suffering from it. By going to bed around 2 a.m. and waking up around 1:30 p.m. on a daily basis, this schedule became ingrained in my body's daily functions and it's wreaking havoc on me as I try to readjust to work life and get ready for school to start again (think laying in bed for hours, hoping to fall asleep, and then being unable to drag yourself out of bed on time).
A discussion with my friends last night also pondered the issue of sleep. Do humans really need eight hours of sleep a night to function properly? Do we need more or less? I think the answer depends on the person. While some of my friends think four hours is adequate, I think I need eight to 10 hours a night to function 100 percent. The chances of me getting that much sleep, though...eh.The most important lesson to be learned is that sleep isn't something we can throw to the wind with caution and whatnot. Getting enough sleep, and going to bed at decent hours, respects the body. And that's pretty damn important.
7.1.08
Drainage? Naw.
I don't know what it is, but there's something about rain that I adore. Perhaps it's because I've grown up in the desert and we hardly ever get enough rain. And I don't believe there is such a thing as too much rain.
But there is such a thing as too much rain for the drainage capacity in Tucson.
Actually I'm not even sure if there is any drainage system in place in Tucson. Whenever it rains semi-hard, the streets flood with water, making it impossible to walk anywhere without become soaked to mid-calf. See this YouTube video that my boyfriend, Ian, posted during summer 2007 as an example.
A mere example of this:
Tonight my friends and I walked to Chipotle for dinner. It was lightly sprinkling when we left. On our way home, it was raining lightly but steadily. Eh, no big deal.
Then we needed to cross the street. But there was about five feet of rushing water in our way. So I waded through, soaking my shoes and pants to above my ankles. With cold water on a cold night.
Ian jumped across, thanks to his long legs. Sam attempted to carry Colleen across so her suede shoes wouldn't get ruined. But halfway across, her cell phone and wallet fell out of her pocket and went rushing away.
Right then, our friend Mike drove up, 30 seconds too late. So as I stood guarding Colleen's shoes with my umbrella, my friends waded through the mini-river, searching for the lost items. The wallet (the more important item) was recovered, but the cell phone was gone. It probably wouldn't work anymore, anyway.
Clearly there's a problem when people can't cross the street on a university campus without forever loosing their belongings to fast-moving water. Other problems include the people who drive through flooded areas during monsoon season and get washed away (although that may have more to do with the average IQ of Arizona's population than drainage issues).
How is it possible, in an area that expects heavy rains for at least 35 days a year, that we don't have adequate drainage in place to move the water away from foot and vehicular traffic?
It boggles the mind.
But there is such a thing as too much rain for the drainage capacity in Tucson.
Actually I'm not even sure if there is any drainage system in place in Tucson. Whenever it rains semi-hard, the streets flood with water, making it impossible to walk anywhere without become soaked to mid-calf. See this YouTube video that my boyfriend, Ian, posted during summer 2007 as an example.
A mere example of this:
Tonight my friends and I walked to Chipotle for dinner. It was lightly sprinkling when we left. On our way home, it was raining lightly but steadily. Eh, no big deal.
Then we needed to cross the street. But there was about five feet of rushing water in our way. So I waded through, soaking my shoes and pants to above my ankles. With cold water on a cold night.
Ian jumped across, thanks to his long legs. Sam attempted to carry Colleen across so her suede shoes wouldn't get ruined. But halfway across, her cell phone and wallet fell out of her pocket and went rushing away.
Right then, our friend Mike drove up, 30 seconds too late. So as I stood guarding Colleen's shoes with my umbrella, my friends waded through the mini-river, searching for the lost items. The wallet (the more important item) was recovered, but the cell phone was gone. It probably wouldn't work anymore, anyway.
Clearly there's a problem when people can't cross the street on a university campus without forever loosing their belongings to fast-moving water. Other problems include the people who drive through flooded areas during monsoon season and get washed away (although that may have more to do with the average IQ of Arizona's population than drainage issues).
How is it possible, in an area that expects heavy rains for at least 35 days a year, that we don't have adequate drainage in place to move the water away from foot and vehicular traffic?
It boggles the mind.
1.1.08
Happy New Year
So...2008 is upon us and there's no going back.
With that in mind, thousands of Americans are starting in on their New Year's Resolutions.
I have come to believe that I slightly detest these resolutions. They fizzle out around January 8, maybe a little later depending on the resolver's personal resolve. They're usually related to a) weight loss, b) finances or c) organization. And they usually always fail.
I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I don't think I have for several years. But this year, I have decided to set GOALS for 2008. My goals will be easier to achieve, and they aren't going to be something I forget in a few weeks because the New Year hoopla is over.
My goals will relate to health and financial stability, not to losing weight and saving $100,000 by December. I am making my goals purposefully broad, and things that I think about often. I think goals for 2008 are going to be far more attainable than crummy resolutions. And I'll let you know how it goes in about 364 days.
With that in mind, thousands of Americans are starting in on their New Year's Resolutions.
I have come to believe that I slightly detest these resolutions. They fizzle out around January 8, maybe a little later depending on the resolver's personal resolve. They're usually related to a) weight loss, b) finances or c) organization. And they usually always fail.
I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I don't think I have for several years. But this year, I have decided to set GOALS for 2008. My goals will be easier to achieve, and they aren't going to be something I forget in a few weeks because the New Year hoopla is over.
My goals will relate to health and financial stability, not to losing weight and saving $100,000 by December. I am making my goals purposefully broad, and things that I think about often. I think goals for 2008 are going to be far more attainable than crummy resolutions. And I'll let you know how it goes in about 364 days.
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