So Long Southampton, Hola Oxford

So I ship off to Oxford on Thursday to start work as an RA. Whoop. Oh yeah, and I got the Cambridge gig too, so I won't be home until after August 13th. The second program doesn't pay as well as the first since it's a week shorter, but oh well.

I've definitely enjoyed my time here in Southampton, just being able to relax and not worry too much about anything, but I really am starting to feel like a potato. I attended a (personal) record 4 barbecues in one week, and completely made up for being seperated from my precious internets in Spain by spending a sad number of hours crawling around the web and playing stupid online games. I've also managed to watch at least one World Cup game per day which has been an excellent diversion. Side note: The US managed a whole hell of a lot better facing Italy than when they played the CR, despite being down 2 men for half the game. But anyway, I don't think I've gone this long without being employed since my work career started 6 or 7 years back and it feels weird.

Speaking of monkeymakin', I'm inquiring into the BBC this week about what I might be able to do to augment my prospects of becoming one of their cameramen (or whatever sort of donkeyworker they need) after I graduate. I understand it's a ridiculously competitive company to try to get a job for, but I think I'd make a decent candidate with the amount of experience I've amassed these past 4 or 5 years. Plus I can add the whole American dimension on things, which everyone is dying to get a piece of.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Matt's parent's place for yet more BBQing and the England/Sweden match. Should be tasty good times. Last chance I'll get to hang out with the Harding family before I head off to work. It's worth noting that they are good people and have been very cool to me since I've been here. Wednesday night we'll be headed out for a curry and a couple beers, then it's off to the Ox the next morning.

It's been a rush to get all my forms and crap filled out for the job since ASA waited 'til the absolute last minute to send them along. I guess it's because I'm a last minute hire, but still, my getting paid depends on whether or not I can get my W-4 and I-9 and whatever else faxed to them as soon as possible.

Looking over my responsiblities and the rules/regulations of the program has led me to feel slightly apprehensive about this whole thing. I have been away from the "holy-shit-we-need-to-put-a-protective-bubble-around-everyone-or-someone-might-get-a-splinter" mentality that seems to be all-pervasive in America and is strangely absent throughout Europe. Despite ASA's claims that they don't wish to create a "police state" or "military environment" within the program, the sheer number of offenses that I personally could be dismissed from the program for (sans paycheck) - on the basis of nothing more than a rumor - are a bit staggering. Gossip apparantly plays a very large role in how things are decided by the staff. This is at least what my Resident Advisor Handbook is telling me. I've yet to see how things are actually run on the ground as it generally is never quite like they play it up in the instruction booklet. We do, sadly enough, have to go on "Town Patrol," and make sure the kids aren't causin' a ruckus off-campus during their free time. I'm gonna chalk all this up to part of my re-introduction to American culture and hope it only helps to further decrease the inevitable culture shock I'll be feeling upon my return to the States (ha!).

Oh, and I got a kick out of this. Included in my packet-o-info was a Packing Suggestions sheet that spends 2 paragraphs explaining the importance of travelling light and then recommends that you bring no less than:
8-10 pairs of underwear
8-10 pairs of socks
5 pairs of jeans or casual pants (I don't think I own this many)
5 pairs of shorts (again, don't own this many)
8 casual shirts
2 dressy outfits
2-3 sweaters/sweatshirts
1-2 pairs of sweatpants
1 pair of sneakers
1 pair of "sturdy walking shoes" (quotes added for effect)
1 pair of dress shoes
swimming trunks and athletic gear (as necessary)
a rainproof jacket
2 large towels
a bath robe
[and this is just the clothes list]

Pack light?!!? Is that a sick joke? I mean, it's a 4 week program and there are laundry facilities on site. What the hell is packing heavy to these people? I couldn't help laughing at that, especially since I don't have half that crap and am wearing the same ratty ass clothes I brought with me to Spain (most of which I've owned for a long time before that). My sneakers (which will double as my "sturdy walking shoes") have both almost split in two because they have so many holes in them (which reminds me I need to buy some duct tape or get myself some sweatshop puma ripoffs at ASDA) and my jeans are doing that whole "gaping-knee-hole-that-keeps-getting-bigger-because-I-forget-it's-there-and-jam-my-foot-into-it-tearing-it-even-more-every-time-I-put-my-pants-on" thing. Nice outfits are a straight up no, so I'll have to figure something out before we head over for our tour of Parliament. I actually think I might have one button down white shirt, but it's currently crumpled up in a ball at the bottom of my [19kg overweight by easyJet's standards] duffle bag.

So I'm not sure what internet access is gonna look like during this thing. The handbook keeps talking about my "day off" but whether this means I have one day off for the entire month, or per week is beyond me. I'm praying it's the latter, of course, although "day off" is always referenced in the singular, and never once in the plural *shiver*. I would assume I would have some sort of access to the internets somewhere on campus during the day, but this hasn't been explained to me in any sort of detail yet. I know I will have office duty about once a week, so I should have a computer in front of me then, but as for leisure time, I don't yet know what this is shaping up to be like. I do have a British SIM card for my mobile now so if anybody wants to give along a friendly hello (and can afford the long distance charges) I can be contacted at (011 44) 7927 004 722 (if calling from the States). Texts are also welcome, of course. Oh, and the spacing I used for that phone number is completey arbitrary because I still can't figure out how the hell they do that here. Regardless, I'll try to slide an update in every once in a while and keep up with emails and whatnot.

As an added feature, now that I've had some time to reflect a bit, I've decided to add a couple things I miss about Spain in each post (or as I remember them). Here's a couple to get us started

Things I miss about Spain:
- Random explosions and loud crashes during the night - I can't explain this, but they became comforting after a while. They spice up your dreams like a jalapeno pepper does your peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

- The fashionably executed mullet (seriously) - There were so many of them, the ones that were actually well kempt (or entirely way over the top) really did stand out. If I ever see one in England (the British have adopted the same policy of ridicule towards the hair"style" as America has, therefore sightings are rare) it's usually greasy and wily like the Amazon. I think I miss the gel-spiked-highlighted-faux hawk-with-rat-tail-modifier the most. A rare beauty, indeed.

- Goofy Spaniards. The British take themselves too seriously. I miss the Spanish way of taking everything with a grain of salt: from STDs to terrorism to embarrasing leg hair.

On that note, Goodnight!

Oh and I almost forgot, check out this pure ridiculousness. I can't stop marvelling at it.