April 30, 2004
it's friday again, and you know what that means: there's a train trip coming up tonight! true to form, i am taking advantage of free time and travelling with my friend dan (who is also an intern here) to her university in bochum (pls. see the red dot on the map of deutschland). i am taking a train after work tonight to essen (nearby) where i will meet up with her and a bunch of her university friends. not totally sure what the plans are for the weekend, but i'm sure they'll be fun! have a great weekend as well, and, especially for my favorite iu students, good luck on final exams next week! :)
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April 29, 2004
CONGRATULATIONS BIGGY! one full year of college completed with grace & brilliance! great job! varsity softball, anatomy, statistics & even that stephen king book class, the sib sorority, and...yeah, lots of other accomplishments! i'm proud of you danielle! :)
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April 28, 2004
one of the best things about going to a huge university is that there's always something to do: having fun with friends, running through the fountain in front of the school of music quickly without being caught by iupd, strolling through campus, studying at the third-and-indiana starbucks (seriously, this is the only place i can learn anything...maybe it's the coffee fumes), and visiting other... um... beverage-ing establishments... but sometimes one needs to be entertained in a formal setting (i.e. not including sake-bombing), and conveniently, at those times, mom usually decides i need some more culturing and generously donates some extra funds to buy a ticket to a musical performance at the iu auditorium, which just so happens to lie directly next to the dg house (note: the three dave matthews concerts i went to last summer were not classified as "cultural material"). the last time i was at one of the shows during sophomore year, david copperfield called me up onstage with several others to "portal" my picture from bloomington to bali or someplace. but i digress.
now i'll be the first to tell you that i am not exactly best-friends with musicals in general. "sunday in the park with george" in high school just about did me in, i fell asleep in both "annie get your gun" and "rogers & hammerstein's cinderella," and i think "oklahoma!" might terminate my existance. the problem is either the musicals or bernadette peters, not sure which. now, granted, "the lion king" was really good (great costumes, etc.) even with an over-exhuberant rafiki, i loved "mamma mia!" (although it kinda was more of an abba concert), have always loved "phantom of the opera" (in sixth grade i liked it so much, i read gaston leroux's original novel... or tried to...), and the un-toppable is obviously "les miserablés" (or as we amis like to say, "lay miz").
and so when i opened my email this morning, i found an email about the auditorium's 2004-2005 season. and NOT ONLY is les mis playing for like a week, but david sedaris, one of my favorite authors/comedians EVER, will be there too, just in time for me to graduate!! and i might even go to "jesus christ superstar" too since the music is decent andrew lloyd webber-style, (and the plot, a lite-version of some of the Bible, with a respectable message and much more of jesus's actual teachings than in "the passion of the christ") and "contact," which the new yorker said was great. but clearly, "the full monty" would NOT be appropriate for me.
p.s. mummsy, itzhak perlman, the violin-playing guy you like so much (at least, i think you do) will be there on september 18: do you want to have another cultural event? my treat this time :)
oh, and "oklahoma!" is also playing right around the most-revered iu holiday of all time, little 500... but i don't think you'll catch me at that show, i'll be with the dg bike team. :)
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now i'll be the first to tell you that i am not exactly best-friends with musicals in general. "sunday in the park with george" in high school just about did me in, i fell asleep in both "annie get your gun" and "rogers & hammerstein's cinderella," and i think "oklahoma!" might terminate my existance. the problem is either the musicals or bernadette peters, not sure which. now, granted, "the lion king" was really good (great costumes, etc.) even with an over-exhuberant rafiki, i loved "mamma mia!" (although it kinda was more of an abba concert), have always loved "phantom of the opera" (in sixth grade i liked it so much, i read gaston leroux's original novel... or tried to...), and the un-toppable is obviously "les miserablés" (or as we amis like to say, "lay miz").
and so when i opened my email this morning, i found an email about the auditorium's 2004-2005 season. and NOT ONLY is les mis playing for like a week, but david sedaris, one of my favorite authors/comedians EVER, will be there too, just in time for me to graduate!! and i might even go to "jesus christ superstar" too since the music is decent andrew lloyd webber-style, (and the plot, a lite-version of some of the Bible, with a respectable message and much more of jesus's actual teachings than in "the passion of the christ") and "contact," which the new yorker said was great. but clearly, "the full monty" would NOT be appropriate for me.
p.s. mummsy, itzhak perlman, the violin-playing guy you like so much (at least, i think you do) will be there on september 18: do you want to have another cultural event? my treat this time :)
oh, and "oklahoma!" is also playing right around the most-revered iu holiday of all time, little 500... but i don't think you'll catch me at that show, i'll be with the dg bike team. :)
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April 27, 2004
hi friends! i will take a few moments to write to y'all before lunchtime :) i had a wonderful and busy weekend; on friday, friend sarah from last term in reutlingen (originally from wales, uk) arrived via train in frankfurt and dan and i met up with her and then dan's boyfriend. the four of us bought tickets to the 11pm showing of kill bill vol. 2 at the english-language cinema, and, still having several hours beforehand, went to moschmosch, a favorite restaurant just off goethestrasse (i.e. near chanel). we had a great dinner & great conversations (victory: in german!!) and then scurried to the movie.
i have to say, i liked it. actually, i really liked it. it was bizarre and not even remotely plausible, but somehow very satisfying: excellent acting, colorful characters (word to pai mei), perfect (really, PERFECT) cinematography and directing, and the feeling that there's always something embedded in each scene that i'm just not getting (always an inside joke for hardcore samurai movie fans). and the ending... it was really... nice. :)
the next morning, i did errands around my neighborhood, and then sarah and i went to the train station to catch a three-hour bus tour of the city. not five minutes in, i realized that for the entire time i've been in frankfurt, i have apparently only been in 1/5th of the city... i have always loved frankfurt, but had no idea how NICE it actually is. we drove all over the town, saw several historical buildings, went along both sides of the river main (hence, frankfurt-am-main-- p.s. this is pronounced "mine") and eventually ended up at the main tower, the second tallest skyscraper, which happens to have an amazing viewing platform. from that height, it was incredible to see the city from such a view. the largest department stores looked mini, and one could even see low mountains in the distance. (naturally we took many photos before my camera ran out of batteries... photos coming soon!). it's such a funny experience to realize that a city i thought i'd mastered actually has so much more to it.
afterwards sarah and i walked to the old opera house, ran back to my apartment quickly to get the tickets i'd left there, and then met up with dan and her boyfriend at the konstablerwache so we could all go to the nacht der museen together. on this evening, 50-some museums all over frankfurt were open with special entertainment, snacks and beverages, and with a ticket, one could go to all of them from 7pm-3am without restraint. we had fun hopping from exhibit to exhibit, listening to african drumming, perusing the dinosaur collections, looking at photos from thailand, and watching an...erm...unique modern dance performance. my favorite part was walking in frankfurt's unbelievable botannical gardens at twilight. once nobly determined to shut the place down, sarah and i were too tired to see any more brontosaurus bones or expressive dances, and left at 11:45, and very happily went to sleep after a great day in the city.
the next day we took the train to willy brandt platz to see the european central bank (you can't miss it: it's a HUGE skyscraper with a gigantic euro symbol in front of it). afterwards, we walked all along the river on both sides, and caught pictures of the skyline from a far-off bridge. we had a nice brunch in sachsenhausen, a cute area on the south-side, and then took a break before heading to the train station so sarah could go back to heidelberg, where she is interning. it was a really fun visit, and i think both of us enjoyed (re)discovering the city!
and that was my weekend...now for a friends update: my good friend frau b. went to the pro-choice march in washington, dc; ciddy is taking two classes (just for fun) about herbs and "wood-identification" since his retirement; aunt judy and uncle mark are celebrating their anniversary soon; biggy will be done with her first year of college this friday (congrats, danielle); ashley k/kess kess had her junior recital in opera-singing at iu's prestigious music school; nick is coming to europe this summer; nitin hopefully will (or else we'll have a showdown in bloomington); detomonster defeated the mcats; roommate/nicole finished her washington, dc internship successfully; and minny, stef and i have a great room not too far from ashley l. and danielle b.! phew, lots of great things happening...
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i have to say, i liked it. actually, i really liked it. it was bizarre and not even remotely plausible, but somehow very satisfying: excellent acting, colorful characters (word to pai mei), perfect (really, PERFECT) cinematography and directing, and the feeling that there's always something embedded in each scene that i'm just not getting (always an inside joke for hardcore samurai movie fans). and the ending... it was really... nice. :)
the next morning, i did errands around my neighborhood, and then sarah and i went to the train station to catch a three-hour bus tour of the city. not five minutes in, i realized that for the entire time i've been in frankfurt, i have apparently only been in 1/5th of the city... i have always loved frankfurt, but had no idea how NICE it actually is. we drove all over the town, saw several historical buildings, went along both sides of the river main (hence, frankfurt-am-main-- p.s. this is pronounced "mine") and eventually ended up at the main tower, the second tallest skyscraper, which happens to have an amazing viewing platform. from that height, it was incredible to see the city from such a view. the largest department stores looked mini, and one could even see low mountains in the distance. (naturally we took many photos before my camera ran out of batteries... photos coming soon!). it's such a funny experience to realize that a city i thought i'd mastered actually has so much more to it.
afterwards sarah and i walked to the old opera house, ran back to my apartment quickly to get the tickets i'd left there, and then met up with dan and her boyfriend at the konstablerwache so we could all go to the nacht der museen together. on this evening, 50-some museums all over frankfurt were open with special entertainment, snacks and beverages, and with a ticket, one could go to all of them from 7pm-3am without restraint. we had fun hopping from exhibit to exhibit, listening to african drumming, perusing the dinosaur collections, looking at photos from thailand, and watching an...erm...unique modern dance performance. my favorite part was walking in frankfurt's unbelievable botannical gardens at twilight. once nobly determined to shut the place down, sarah and i were too tired to see any more brontosaurus bones or expressive dances, and left at 11:45, and very happily went to sleep after a great day in the city.
the next day we took the train to willy brandt platz to see the european central bank (you can't miss it: it's a HUGE skyscraper with a gigantic euro symbol in front of it). afterwards, we walked all along the river on both sides, and caught pictures of the skyline from a far-off bridge. we had a nice brunch in sachsenhausen, a cute area on the south-side, and then took a break before heading to the train station so sarah could go back to heidelberg, where she is interning. it was a really fun visit, and i think both of us enjoyed (re)discovering the city!
and that was my weekend...now for a friends update: my good friend frau b. went to the pro-choice march in washington, dc; ciddy is taking two classes (just for fun) about herbs and "wood-identification" since his retirement; aunt judy and uncle mark are celebrating their anniversary soon; biggy will be done with her first year of college this friday (congrats, danielle); ashley k/kess kess had her junior recital in opera-singing at iu's prestigious music school; nick is coming to europe this summer; nitin hopefully will (or else we'll have a showdown in bloomington); detomonster defeated the mcats; roommate/nicole finished her washington, dc internship successfully; and minny, stef and i have a great room not too far from ashley l. and danielle b.! phew, lots of great things happening...
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April 23, 2004
hi! i only have a second right now at work, but i will leave a quick note... going to see "kill bill vol. 2" with visiting friend sarah from wales, fellow intern dan, and her boyfriend. sarah and i are taking a city tour of frankfurt tomorrow (i've been here for over three months but still haven't actually seen any historical sights) and then all four of us will go to the "nacht der museen" on saturday evening (50-some museums and attractions open from 7pm-3am partay-style-- it's the place to be, apparently), which is partly sponsored by the company i work for. frankfurt, bring on the swank!
ooo, almost forgot: am working on uploading all of my pictures from the past year onto ofoto.com, since apparently i have to pay some €€s to put them on this site (will give in once back in the us), so pls. send a quick email to cnconsta@indiana.edu if you want the link, probably early next week! :)
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ooo, almost forgot: am working on uploading all of my pictures from the past year onto ofoto.com, since apparently i have to pay some €€s to put them on this site (will give in once back in the us), so pls. send a quick email to cnconsta@indiana.edu if you want the link, probably early next week! :)
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April 22, 2004
can i just say that german compound-nouns are amazing: one can combine any multitude of nouns together, and it makes sense. i invented a new word just now:
"hochfrequenzelektrochirurgischegeneratoren"
it might not be correct, but, hey, it sounds great, no?
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"hochfrequenzelektrochirurgischegeneratoren"
it might not be correct, but, hey, it sounds great, no?
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good luck at your recital tonight, ashley k. (though you are too talented for just luck)! i wish i could be there, but will be in spirit! :)
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April 21, 2004
i have finished my projects at work for the moment, so have the chance to write about my wonderful weekend with elke and her boyfriend timo in oldenburg! i LOVED seeing the two of them-- was a very special & important trip for me! we'll get to that in a moment though. let's start with friday, also known as the night of german railway DRAMA... :)
so on friday i left work at 7pm, arriving at the frankfurt hauptbahnhof just in time to scurry onto a train headed to köln ("cologne" for the amis). it was a pleasant journey, and i was excited to see the kölnerdom (cologne cathedral) and other sights from the train station. and then the problems started: 1) although i double-, triple-, and quadruple-checked my itinerary, i headed to the wrong track initially. i quickly noticed my mistake, and still had four minutes to spare when i ran to the track the train to bremen was actually leaving from. just as i had sprinted onto the track, the doors slammed shut. so i tried to open them. and tried. and tried. and tried. two full minutes of yanking on the doors, first politely, then like a crazy person. and then the train started moving, with me hanging on to it. and the deutsche bahn people didn't find this to be amusing (well, neither did i), and i was lectured by a rather stern official. i explained where i was trying to go, and how i needed to catch the very last train (12:15 that night) from bremen to oldenburg. they took pity on me, and instead had me hop on a train to dortmund. i figured they knew best and did so, even though i had no idea (and still don't) where this "dortmund" was. one frenzied ride to dortmund later, i found the track at which the train to bremen would arrive. but it was late...10 minutes late... and my connection time would have been exactly 9 minutes assuming we were on time. so it appeared as if i would miss the last train for that night and have to sleep underneath the statue of the brementown musicians (though elke later said she would have kindly picked me up). i told the ticket guy on board of the problem and seemed tired & uninterested in my pflight... and then disappeared for an hour. once we arrived in bremen, i had one choice: sprint like marion jones or find a comfy bench. :) so i ran the length of a football field through the bahnhof and hopped up the stairs and lo and behold: the last train. waiting. for me. and apparently a bunch of other people too, who had chosen to stroll calmly to the track (which is why they held it). i threw myself into the first cabin i saw and took a nap, the whole way to oldenburg, arriving at 1:15am. and there, elke and timo were waiting! was so happy to see my long-lost sister!
we drove through the town and to their awesome apartment-- both were wonderful hosts & we talked for an hour or two and then all went to sleep. the next morning, we had a great breakfast and rode bicycles into town. the weather was beautiful, flowers blooming, birds chirping, etc. etc. elke had an extra bicycle, and i managed to embarass myself 20 times or so by either falling off or not getting on it correctly in the first place, as i was a liiiiiiittle bit too short for it. eventually mastered the art & we arrived in town-- it was the easter festival still, and we walked through the small carnival and streets filled with outdoor displays. after an ice tea in a café, we rode our bicycles back home (this time camille managed to stay on, though i had a few close calls). on an aesthetic note, oldenburg is beautiful-- if you ever find yourself in northern germany, you should certainly make a point to visit it.
once back, we took a break, then drove to elke's university, which was very impressive. we also drove through the rest of the town, which was very nice, and had our first ice cream of the year. back at their apartment, timo prepared chicken with paprika while elke and i peeled the top layer off of several bundles of white asparagus. (if you are new to germany, asparagus/spargel season is important here, which makes me quite happy as my favorite vegetable is available in abundance! we had a lovely dinner, had great conversations (i amused the two of them with my german and newly-acquired love for words like, "super" or "schön"-- minny, you know what i'm referring to), watched the german version of american idol, and played a card game. after a busy and exciting day, we went to sleep early.
on sunday, i sadly had to leave... we had another nice breakfast (gotta love the brötchen) and drove to the university again, this time walking all over campus, and then to a shopping mall that was open on sunday due only to the easter festival. we ran into some of elke and timo's friends, who were very nice, and then headed to the train station.
i was very sorry to go, and would have much preferred to stay with the two of them, but had a wonderful visit, and greatly appreciated them spending so much time with me! elke & i hadn't seen each other since before my senior year of high school, so this was a lovely reunion. i was so glad to see that she was doing so well and so happy, and it was great meeting timo. i took two effortless trains back to frankfurt, going through hannover, and arrived back in town at 8:00 on the dot. back at home, talked with nicole & nana, and went to sleep, exhausted after much fun! the end. :)
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so on friday i left work at 7pm, arriving at the frankfurt hauptbahnhof just in time to scurry onto a train headed to köln ("cologne" for the amis). it was a pleasant journey, and i was excited to see the kölnerdom (cologne cathedral) and other sights from the train station. and then the problems started: 1) although i double-, triple-, and quadruple-checked my itinerary, i headed to the wrong track initially. i quickly noticed my mistake, and still had four minutes to spare when i ran to the track the train to bremen was actually leaving from. just as i had sprinted onto the track, the doors slammed shut. so i tried to open them. and tried. and tried. and tried. two full minutes of yanking on the doors, first politely, then like a crazy person. and then the train started moving, with me hanging on to it. and the deutsche bahn people didn't find this to be amusing (well, neither did i), and i was lectured by a rather stern official. i explained where i was trying to go, and how i needed to catch the very last train (12:15 that night) from bremen to oldenburg. they took pity on me, and instead had me hop on a train to dortmund. i figured they knew best and did so, even though i had no idea (and still don't) where this "dortmund" was. one frenzied ride to dortmund later, i found the track at which the train to bremen would arrive. but it was late...10 minutes late... and my connection time would have been exactly 9 minutes assuming we were on time. so it appeared as if i would miss the last train for that night and have to sleep underneath the statue of the brementown musicians (though elke later said she would have kindly picked me up). i told the ticket guy on board of the problem and seemed tired & uninterested in my pflight... and then disappeared for an hour. once we arrived in bremen, i had one choice: sprint like marion jones or find a comfy bench. :) so i ran the length of a football field through the bahnhof and hopped up the stairs and lo and behold: the last train. waiting. for me. and apparently a bunch of other people too, who had chosen to stroll calmly to the track (which is why they held it). i threw myself into the first cabin i saw and took a nap, the whole way to oldenburg, arriving at 1:15am. and there, elke and timo were waiting! was so happy to see my long-lost sister!
we drove through the town and to their awesome apartment-- both were wonderful hosts & we talked for an hour or two and then all went to sleep. the next morning, we had a great breakfast and rode bicycles into town. the weather was beautiful, flowers blooming, birds chirping, etc. etc. elke had an extra bicycle, and i managed to embarass myself 20 times or so by either falling off or not getting on it correctly in the first place, as i was a liiiiiiittle bit too short for it. eventually mastered the art & we arrived in town-- it was the easter festival still, and we walked through the small carnival and streets filled with outdoor displays. after an ice tea in a café, we rode our bicycles back home (this time camille managed to stay on, though i had a few close calls). on an aesthetic note, oldenburg is beautiful-- if you ever find yourself in northern germany, you should certainly make a point to visit it.
once back, we took a break, then drove to elke's university, which was very impressive. we also drove through the rest of the town, which was very nice, and had our first ice cream of the year. back at their apartment, timo prepared chicken with paprika while elke and i peeled the top layer off of several bundles of white asparagus. (if you are new to germany, asparagus/spargel season is important here, which makes me quite happy as my favorite vegetable is available in abundance! we had a lovely dinner, had great conversations (i amused the two of them with my german and newly-acquired love for words like, "super" or "schön"-- minny, you know what i'm referring to), watched the german version of american idol, and played a card game. after a busy and exciting day, we went to sleep early.
on sunday, i sadly had to leave... we had another nice breakfast (gotta love the brötchen) and drove to the university again, this time walking all over campus, and then to a shopping mall that was open on sunday due only to the easter festival. we ran into some of elke and timo's friends, who were very nice, and then headed to the train station.
i was very sorry to go, and would have much preferred to stay with the two of them, but had a wonderful visit, and greatly appreciated them spending so much time with me! elke & i hadn't seen each other since before my senior year of high school, so this was a lovely reunion. i was so glad to see that she was doing so well and so happy, and it was great meeting timo. i took two effortless trains back to frankfurt, going through hannover, and arrived back in town at 8:00 on the dot. back at home, talked with nicole & nana, and went to sleep, exhausted after much fun! the end. :)
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April 20, 2004
the FUNNIEST thing i have seen in a long time: check out subservient chicken, or the link on the right. who thinks of these things?
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April 19, 2004
yay yay yay yay yayyyy room 317 v. 2.0 with minny & detomonster (i.e. molly & stef) fall term at dg. lauren, ashley l., jarvis & co., pls. live closeby!! i will just be so excited for senior year back in bloomington! speaking of iu, had lovely convo with roommate/nicole after i arrived back home last night! (p.s., we are planning several fêtes, including a festive "welcome back from the european union" party... all invited! just act like you were an exchange student!)
and just for fun, a, ummm, perspective-giving email from our chapter housing coordinator:
"Remember there are people dying of cancer, fighting in Iraq, and starving in Africa... so don't complain about living in a mansion in the middle of campus with AMAZING WOMEN!!!!!!!!!"
indeed.
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and just for fun, a, ummm, perspective-giving email from our chapter housing coordinator:
"Remember there are people dying of cancer, fighting in Iraq, and starving in Africa... so don't complain about living in a mansion in the middle of campus with AMAZING WOMEN!!!!!!!!!"
indeed.
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want more proof that michael moore is anti-american? read this analysis (courtesy of right-thinking from the left coast and a link from andrew sullivan). hey, i liked "roger and me" too, and feel that moore is talented and a great communicator, but i think that these days, he's off-base much of the time. i am also sick of him spewing out extremely manipulated messages to the world both because i am living overseas and can see the large effect his oratory has on people in Europe, specifically, and because i believe that citizens should be as informed as possible and recognize the complexity of issues that can be made out as simple or one-sided... his rhetoric does have strong effects on people (i.e. some europeans) for whom it is all too easy to believe every word he says... how many people believe every sentence of "stupid white men" and finish the last page feeling horrified and indignant at some of america's leaders? i'm not challenging the validity of individuals' feelings, but rather the source that stirs up these emotions.
comments?
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comments?
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April 16, 2004
overheard in office #3.41:
scene two: two interns at computers furiously researching important information on internet but stop suddenly when they hear loud conversation from hallway:
[note: translated from the german, except what is in quotations]
manager: this is ridiculous! would you look at this email!
director: what did it say?
manager: it says, "would you please confirm that 'alpha' begins with the letter 'a'."
director: ha! well tell him it begins with the letter 'b'!"
manager: heh! i'll say, as they say in english, "up yours!"
interns can hardly stifle their laughter, but manage to compose themselves and continue aforementioned 'furious typing' on internet.
end scene
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scene two: two interns at computers furiously researching important information on internet but stop suddenly when they hear loud conversation from hallway:
[note: translated from the german, except what is in quotations]
manager: this is ridiculous! would you look at this email!
director: what did it say?
manager: it says, "would you please confirm that 'alpha' begins with the letter 'a'."
director: ha! well tell him it begins with the letter 'b'!"
manager: heh! i'll say, as they say in english, "up yours!"
interns can hardly stifle their laughter, but manage to compose themselves and continue aforementioned 'furious typing' on internet.
end scene
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why, hello... i hope you all have a lovely weekend! am off once again-- this time staying in germany-- am visiting my second & and beloved sister elke in oldenburg (waaaay north, just west of bremen). i have known elke since 10th grade when she was an exchange student at midland high & lived with us for several months, and she has been a wonderful addition to our family ever since! it's been a long time since we've seen each other, so i am thrilled to visit her this evening until sunday!
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April 15, 2004
see folks, even the secretary of defense (although wouldn't it be more p.c. to call him the administrative assistant of defense?) needs some tlc once in a while (article & most excellent photos courtesy of the onion):
"[Donald] Rumsfeld, who was hired by the executive branch of the federal government in December 2000, said he loves his job and doesn't expect special treatment from his boss, U.S. President George W. Bush. According to the overworked secretary, this is exactly why he so greatly appreciates it when Bush Administration officials make an effort to show the secretarial pool their gratitude.
'Whether it's a card, a Mylar balloon, or a big decorated cookie, it's really nice for someone to say 'Good job. I notice what you do,'' Rumsfeld said. 'Some secretaries say, 'I work my hiney off all year round, and I'm supposed to go nuts over a $25 Bath & Body Works gift certificate?' But I'm telling you, every smidgen of recognition counts. I've worked in places that didn't observe Secretary's Day at all, like the Ford White House.'"
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"[Donald] Rumsfeld, who was hired by the executive branch of the federal government in December 2000, said he loves his job and doesn't expect special treatment from his boss, U.S. President George W. Bush. According to the overworked secretary, this is exactly why he so greatly appreciates it when Bush Administration officials make an effort to show the secretarial pool their gratitude.
'Whether it's a card, a Mylar balloon, or a big decorated cookie, it's really nice for someone to say 'Good job. I notice what you do,'' Rumsfeld said. 'Some secretaries say, 'I work my hiney off all year round, and I'm supposed to go nuts over a $25 Bath & Body Works gift certificate?' But I'm telling you, every smidgen of recognition counts. I've worked in places that didn't observe Secretary's Day at all, like the Ford White House.'"
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April 14, 2004
awww nice george! ... and strange george.... and for the last photo, you're going to have to go to wonkette & see it for yourself as i just can't bring myself to post it...
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details on this past weekend: took the night train to paris on thursday night, arriving at 7am on friday in the gare de l'est. after a bleary-eyed orientation, found a coffee stand & took advantage of my caffeine intolerance (friends, you know this) and drank the most powerful café-au-lait i could find. significantly energized but not willing to risk the shadiness of the east side, i took a cab to the hotel, dropped suitcase off, and went in search of the musée delacroix near the boulevard saint germain. i was there a liiiittle early (like 2 hours) so walked all over saint germain area & at 10, went to the museum. it was cute & small, with a collection of impressive paintings, and the people working there were SO nice. afterwards, walked and walked and walked, and at 12 headed back to hotel to move into room. my original plan was to see as much of the city as i could immediately afterwards, but i crashed & took my first daytime nap in 10 years. woke up to text message on mobile from friend olivier d., a friend from reutlingen whose family lives in paris. he is interning in hamburg this term, but was back for easter and his 22nd birthday. we met in front of the notre dame cathedral at 5:30 and then walked into his favorite section of town to eclectic stores and some croissants. he had to leave at 9, so i had an early evening & prepared to wake up early.
molly & her parents would arrive on saturday afternoon, so i decided to walk around the boulevard haussman area (read: printemps & galleries lafayette, much-beloved department stores) to educate myself about parisian fashion (p.s. LOVE it). that educational experience (and a few very petite purchases) acquired, i went off in search of diptyque, a store at 34 boulevard saint germain (5 arr.) that mom & i had been unable to find on our last trip. i walked straight across three districts & like a mirage in a desert, it suddenly appeared before my eyes. chevrefeuille, gardenia, mimosa, tubereuse, lime tree, amande and (my favorite) baies, a blend of black currant leaves & bulgarian roses, were all lovely. afterwards, i walked through the tuileries to the musée orangerie (where monet's waterlilies are...or were... it's under construction for the next year), then to the champs elysées where (among other things) the world's hugest louis vuitton bag looms from above. and then i got a text message from molly, saying her family had arrived, and i would meet up with them in the hotel later on.
and meet-up we did. molly & parents had spent the past day in the champagne region of france, and very kindly brought back some refreshments for before dinner. we then went back to the saint germain region and had a lovely dinner! it was amazing to spend time with them!
the next day, we went to a flea market that molly discovered on the north side of paris and saw the wares of hundreds of merchants (with everything from antique board games, table linens--including one that almost outed me some €€s, vintage posters and cards to fake christian dior hats, shoes and blue jeans). and naturally also crêpes. several, in fact. :)
we spent the rest of the day in the gorgeous tuileries, along the seine, on the champs elysées (including a lunchtime run-in with some feisty sailors only delta gammas could adore--pictures coming soon), and near the notre dame (of course i wouldn't forget to mention an excellent impromptu soccer game with mrs. w.). we had an excellent french meal in the latin quarter for easter dinner. after that, mr. & mrs. w. had to pack as they were leaving for the us again the next day. :(
after molly's parents left for the airport, we had a quick breakfast & walked all over the opera & madeleine area of town, and, not forgetting tradition, even went in starbucks & the gap. eventually, it was time for both of us to catch our trains back to rouen & frankfurt. it was sad to go, but i really did have a lovely time with molly & mr. & mrs. w. many thanks to them for a great weekend!
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molly & her parents would arrive on saturday afternoon, so i decided to walk around the boulevard haussman area (read: printemps & galleries lafayette, much-beloved department stores) to educate myself about parisian fashion (p.s. LOVE it). that educational experience (and a few very petite purchases) acquired, i went off in search of diptyque, a store at 34 boulevard saint germain (5 arr.) that mom & i had been unable to find on our last trip. i walked straight across three districts & like a mirage in a desert, it suddenly appeared before my eyes. chevrefeuille, gardenia, mimosa, tubereuse, lime tree, amande and (my favorite) baies, a blend of black currant leaves & bulgarian roses, were all lovely. afterwards, i walked through the tuileries to the musée orangerie (where monet's waterlilies are...or were... it's under construction for the next year), then to the champs elysées where (among other things) the world's hugest louis vuitton bag looms from above. and then i got a text message from molly, saying her family had arrived, and i would meet up with them in the hotel later on.
and meet-up we did. molly & parents had spent the past day in the champagne region of france, and very kindly brought back some refreshments for before dinner. we then went back to the saint germain region and had a lovely dinner! it was amazing to spend time with them!
the next day, we went to a flea market that molly discovered on the north side of paris and saw the wares of hundreds of merchants (with everything from antique board games, table linens--including one that almost outed me some €€s, vintage posters and cards to fake christian dior hats, shoes and blue jeans). and naturally also crêpes. several, in fact. :)
we spent the rest of the day in the gorgeous tuileries, along the seine, on the champs elysées (including a lunchtime run-in with some feisty sailors only delta gammas could adore--pictures coming soon), and near the notre dame (of course i wouldn't forget to mention an excellent impromptu soccer game with mrs. w.). we had an excellent french meal in the latin quarter for easter dinner. after that, mr. & mrs. w. had to pack as they were leaving for the us again the next day. :(
after molly's parents left for the airport, we had a quick breakfast & walked all over the opera & madeleine area of town, and, not forgetting tradition, even went in starbucks & the gap. eventually, it was time for both of us to catch our trains back to rouen & frankfurt. it was sad to go, but i really did have a lovely time with molly & mr. & mrs. w. many thanks to them for a great weekend!
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April 13, 2004
i l-o-v-e long weekends... when i woke up this morning, i thought it was monday, which meant that there were five whole days of labor ahead before the carefree fun of the s-days. however, upon looking in my calendar at work, i was pleasantly surprised! it is indeed tuesday! as if by a copperfield-esque magic trick, the work week has been shortened to just four little days! it's an easter miracle!
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April 08, 2004
happy easter everyone! i hope you all have a lovely long weekend! p.s. i did my best to find a cute picture of rabbits or at least peeps marshmallows but nothing seemed to fit... and anyways, i feel this holiday needs a new mascot. will have to leave you instead with....
....easter kittens!!
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....easter kittens!!
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i can't decide... is this cute or not? feedback, pls.
one thing is clear: i am very much a fan of this, this, that, and this one, though. hurrah for spring / summer dress collection!! (now, um, just need to work on cash flows & capital to acquire said dresses)...
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one thing is clear: i am very much a fan of this, this, that, and this one, though. hurrah for spring / summer dress collection!! (now, um, just need to work on cash flows & capital to acquire said dresses)...
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okay, i just finished yann martel's life of pi last night-- and thought it was completely brilliant... you mustmustmust read it! aunt judy asked what i thought about it two days ago, and i know some of you have read it, so check out the comments (& leave some) below ONLY if you have read the book... don't want to spoil it for you :)
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April 07, 2004
shout-out & thank you to ashley l. for giving up a good portion of her morning to register on the new iu system for me! thank you ashley!!
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so i wasn't really on-the-ball about anything un-work over here for the past two weeks, and although i am christian, simply did not realize that friday & monday are holy (vaaayyyycation) days & just found out yesterday the office will be closed starting thursday evening. (i had assumed that this team would work through anything)... so-o-o one of my best friends, molly, will be in paris this weekend with her parents who are visiting from the us, as well as my friend olivier from last semester in reutlingen. and i am not far from paris, so it seems logical to go! i would also like to go to berlin & brussels soon, but as an american girl, it kind of isn't that safe for me to travel anywhere "new" on my own, but i would love to meet up with molly's group & see the city again!! am buying train tickets tonight (unless mama has any strong objections) & will find a cheap & chic hôtel soon enough :)
friends, what are you doing this weekend? leave comments!! let me know how you're doing!! (ooo good news-- nitin & nick might be coming to frankfurt in the next few months! yay!)
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April 06, 2004
no no no! the nytimes has it all wrong! ladies (and gentlemen), don't fall for the chunky shoe myth!
"...'We're definitely selling a stronger, chunkier shoe for spring,' said Judy Collinson, the general merchandising manager of Barneys New York..."
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"...'We're definitely selling a stronger, chunkier shoe for spring,' said Judy Collinson, the general merchandising manager of Barneys New York..."
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update on "schedule DRAMA 2004": registration for senior year fall semester tomorrow! 1.5 months of haggling with the registar's office has paid off (i hope)! many thanks to roommate/nicole, ashley l., detomonster, lauren & danielle b. for helping me out! and, in other good news, roommate assignments going on @dg... AND i am going to add a beginning guitar class (despite the fact that i am rather tone-deaf & have failed at two instruments already) onto the five other fun business econ (i.e. "game theory") & legal studies ("law and the arts") classes i am taking...who's with me?!
can you all tell how insanely excited i am to come back to iu?
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can you all tell how insanely excited i am to come back to iu?
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April 05, 2004
a sincere letter to my aesthetic heroine:
my dearest martha, even though you are a conviced felon (it pains me beyond belief to write these words), i still love & admire you, and especially your excellent choices in color, décor and upholstery. what style! what class! i so wish to be your protégé! however, given recent unfortunate circumstances, i ask you only to pleasepleaseplease behave yourself in any federal facilities you might find yourself in so you can come back safe and sound & help me decorate my next apartment. much love, camille
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my dearest martha, even though you are a conviced felon (it pains me beyond belief to write these words), i still love & admire you, and especially your excellent choices in color, décor and upholstery. what style! what class! i so wish to be your protégé! however, given recent unfortunate circumstances, i ask you only to pleasepleaseplease behave yourself in any federal facilities you might find yourself in so you can come back safe and sound & help me decorate my next apartment. much love, camille
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hello friends! hope you all had a good weekend! mine was pleasant & quiet (due to fabled reunion of last-semester's german, spanish & american friends) and i took advantage of free time to exercise, watch a movie (starsky & hutch-- can i just say, never have seen tighter pants than on ben stiller or more of a human skeleton than snoop dogg. p.s. kids, don't do drugs), sit in a café and read (life of pi and vogue "power issue"), talk with family members (mom & c.diddy, danielle, cousin steffi, aunt judy, and nana & papére!) & watch a few hours of 1950s movies on the five german- and two turkish channels i get on tv!
great convos especially with little sister danielle (who just joined a sorority--can you believe it? their mascot is an ANCHOR too!!-- at hope college and is already in gospel choir & varsity softball-- congrats, biggy!) and aunt judy, who gave updates on upcoming nyc trip, u.s. news & good literature!
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great convos especially with little sister danielle (who just joined a sorority--can you believe it? their mascot is an ANCHOR too!!-- at hope college and is already in gospel choir & varsity softball-- congrats, biggy!) and aunt judy, who gave updates on upcoming nyc trip, u.s. news & good literature!
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April 02, 2004
oh my gosh this is just so great
p.s. and not "great" in the sense that george w. dropped a puppy, but great in the sense that you can tell, he's probably a really nice guy...plus it's an awesome photo
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p.s. and not "great" in the sense that george w. dropped a puppy, but great in the sense that you can tell, he's probably a really nice guy...plus it's an awesome photo
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so last night was very festive. to begin with, DRAMA at the bureau for foreigners (loosely translated) involving 1) my train to town stuck underground for 10 minutes on the way there, and 2) a threatening "security specialist" shouting that even though the place wouldn't close for another few minutes, it was still too late for me to take care of the urgent business that they called me in for... so i still have registration forms to fill out there, apparently, even though i already registered 2x in town, so if i am not deported by next week, will miss even more work to take care of the problem... i guess, though, that the good news is i now speak enough german to put up a good fight :)
but then everything turned out right-- i met up with iu friend adam, had little stroll around town, nice dinner at japanese restaurant (yaay have sashimi friend now!), walk back to apt., walk down to local beverage establishment. a few refreshments later, we were partying with a moose (i kid you not-- some guy came in dressed as the jaegermeister elk or whatever, started handing out samples & took polaroids with everyone-- i have the pics to prove it) and having a jolly time. parted ways eventually as i had work the next day (and showed up early like a champion). had much fun with adam; was great to see him again!
and, um, apologies to anyone who might have gotten text messages and/or phone calls :) merci, molly
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but then everything turned out right-- i met up with iu friend adam, had little stroll around town, nice dinner at japanese restaurant (yaay have sashimi friend now!), walk back to apt., walk down to local beverage establishment. a few refreshments later, we were partying with a moose (i kid you not-- some guy came in dressed as the jaegermeister elk or whatever, started handing out samples & took polaroids with everyone-- i have the pics to prove it) and having a jolly time. parted ways eventually as i had work the next day (and showed up early like a champion). had much fun with adam; was great to see him again!
and, um, apologies to anyone who might have gotten text messages and/or phone calls :) merci, molly
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April 01, 2004
from the department of useless knowledge & procrastination: keanu reeves is almost 40! (had discussion about this with friend the other day) is this not bizarre? would like to point out odd phenemenon of boy-men (i.e. leo dicaprio, yucky ashton & even beloved orlaaando). they look like college sophomores but in reality are practically middle-aged, indicating stability & at least more wisdom than the average undergrad... i feel like this could be a good thing...
anyways, in related pointless celebrity reports, check out imdb's tv & movie news (points to them for describing britney as a "raunchy singer," although that's just the tip of the iceberg... p.s. she's taking the nasssty onyx hotel tour to china...pls. spare us all...it hits germany soon so i expect will hear much about it shortly, though nothing much can shock the germans these days, especially anything from america)
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anyways, in related pointless celebrity reports, check out imdb's tv & movie news (points to them for describing britney as a "raunchy singer," although that's just the tip of the iceberg... p.s. she's taking the nasssty onyx hotel tour to china...pls. spare us all...it hits germany soon so i expect will hear much about it shortly, though nothing much can shock the germans these days, especially anything from america)
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it's the first day of april & another beauuuutiful day! good projects at work, so can only leave short message at the moment. am very happy that i will be able to spend time with friends adam & rael tonight (also from copenhagen program)! that's all for now... leave a message! :)
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