bending_sickle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bending_sickle) wrote2009-06-18 02:07 pm
bending_sickle) wrote2009-06-18 02:07 pm
Entry tags:
What are the 2093 problems I skipped to get to this one?*
Spent the morning struggling with the ArcGIS part of the report. Basically, what that means for today is that I spent all my time staring at the manual a professor made (for a course they held in Nairobi, which I always thought I could so have used attending).
The manual is super clear for the first few pages, saying how to copy-paste, even, and then *poof* suddenly I'm staring at windows thingking, "How the fuck did you get there? What button?!?" Also, I was thoroughly stumped by Notepad, couldn't import data, then had to struggle with Textpad fpor a while. (Oh gods, "struggle with textpad"- makes me sound so computer illiterate. Look, Ctrl-F wasn't working, ok?!?)
I even sent a "Halp!" email to the professor, and he kindly came over as soon as he got it. Trouble is, his suggestion was to do it all over again. Then he spent some time just reading the manual at me, beccause that makes things so clear. Look, I've done that step already! Yes, I can read. But no, he's nice and all that jazz. I just didn't understand half of what he was saying. Like the manual, he tends to over explain simple concepts and then just leap over complicated things. "Oh, right, so of course I can't rename tables because then that would undo the queries - wait, what?"
So that made me feel like a wibble. And then there's the general wibbleness of being in Holland (with a dash of panic and doubt regarding the report). Also, I miss Robert** which is just snazzy. And then there's the free-floating "missing things and people" symptom: whenever I'm sad I always come up with hundreds of things to be sad over, even if it's not what made me sad in the first place. So now I'm missing a lot of other things too, like Barcelona (which, those of you who remember, what the fuck?) and Montreal (oh baby) and Kit-kat (muffin!) and Katarina and my family, in those few beautiful moments when we're functional and loving.
Speaking of, brother called a few days ago. Basically that's all he did: call. He didn't talk, he didn't ask me much either. He did ask if I'd thought about what I'm going to do after the Masters (no) and got annoyed that I got annoyed. And when I tried to explainw hy I felt the way I did - which I needed to communicate - he just cut me off. "Oh, no, I get if from your tone of voice." What the hell, man. What a way to make me feel pointless. "No, it doesn't matter whatever you want to tell me, I get it, whatever."
And then there's Elisa, who's leaving tomorrow (a fact I forgot) and her dim sum (mmm!) goodby party is tonight (which I also forgot) so there's some replanning on my side to do. Once she's gone, I don't know who I'll have around here. Her roommate Laura is right out, I think, 'cause though I've been over at Elisa's a few times, Laura was too tired to even say hi. I get that she wakes up early and all, but I've been gone for months! There's Elisa's friend, Wulan, with whom I get along really well, but don't quite know how to jumpstart that relationship. And there's Sangbreeta, who despite us hanging out three separate times, just don't hit it off. She's lovely but I just don't feel us click. Or maybe I just don't like her (but I do). Maybe she just reminds me too much of Shilpa. (Y'all remember that fiasco, right? Gods, I'll never get over that shit.)
Add to that some computer frustrations and you'v got me (eating Oreos and drinking hot chocolate, because I know how to cope, damnit!)
Links of the Day:
Chinese Characters Dictionary
Chinese-English Dictionary
Chinese Characters and Culture
* Eddie Izzard, "Glorious"
** Significant Other, I think is the PC term. I just call him "my boy" (amongst other things).
The manual is super clear for the first few pages, saying how to copy-paste, even, and then *poof* suddenly I'm staring at windows thingking, "How the fuck did you get there? What button?!?" Also, I was thoroughly stumped by Notepad, couldn't import data, then had to struggle with Textpad fpor a while. (Oh gods, "struggle with textpad"- makes me sound so computer illiterate. Look, Ctrl-F wasn't working, ok?!?)
I even sent a "Halp!" email to the professor, and he kindly came over as soon as he got it. Trouble is, his suggestion was to do it all over again. Then he spent some time just reading the manual at me, beccause that makes things so clear. Look, I've done that step already! Yes, I can read. But no, he's nice and all that jazz. I just didn't understand half of what he was saying. Like the manual, he tends to over explain simple concepts and then just leap over complicated things. "Oh, right, so of course I can't rename tables because then that would undo the queries - wait, what?"
So that made me feel like a wibble. And then there's the general wibbleness of being in Holland (with a dash of panic and doubt regarding the report). Also, I miss Robert** which is just snazzy. And then there's the free-floating "missing things and people" symptom: whenever I'm sad I always come up with hundreds of things to be sad over, even if it's not what made me sad in the first place. So now I'm missing a lot of other things too, like Barcelona (which, those of you who remember, what the fuck?) and Montreal (oh baby) and Kit-kat (muffin!) and Katarina and my family, in those few beautiful moments when we're functional and loving.
Speaking of, brother called a few days ago. Basically that's all he did: call. He didn't talk, he didn't ask me much either. He did ask if I'd thought about what I'm going to do after the Masters (no) and got annoyed that I got annoyed. And when I tried to explainw hy I felt the way I did - which I needed to communicate - he just cut me off. "Oh, no, I get if from your tone of voice." What the hell, man. What a way to make me feel pointless. "No, it doesn't matter whatever you want to tell me, I get it, whatever."
And then there's Elisa, who's leaving tomorrow (a fact I forgot) and her dim sum (mmm!) goodby party is tonight (which I also forgot) so there's some replanning on my side to do. Once she's gone, I don't know who I'll have around here. Her roommate Laura is right out, I think, 'cause though I've been over at Elisa's a few times, Laura was too tired to even say hi. I get that she wakes up early and all, but I've been gone for months! There's Elisa's friend, Wulan, with whom I get along really well, but don't quite know how to jumpstart that relationship. And there's Sangbreeta, who despite us hanging out three separate times, just don't hit it off. She's lovely but I just don't feel us click. Or maybe I just don't like her (but I do). Maybe she just reminds me too much of Shilpa. (Y'all remember that fiasco, right? Gods, I'll never get over that shit.)
Add to that some computer frustrations and you'v got me (eating Oreos and drinking hot chocolate, because I know how to cope, damnit!)
Links of the Day:
Chinese Characters Dictionary
Chinese-English Dictionary
Chinese Characters and Culture
* Eddie Izzard, "Glorious"
** Significant Other, I think is the PC term. I just call him "my boy" (amongst other things).