Episode 11: Varsity & STARS Interview

I didn't have lessons today, so I woke up late and went online. One of my sisters was finally online, so I asked her to send me all the TV shows that I haven't been able to download over here. (I send the torrents to Audrey via e-mail and she downloads them for me. I wish my university didn't ban P2P!) The transfer rate is awfully slow though, which is understandably frustrating and frustratingly understandable. Can't think of a solution, so I'll just bear with it. Then I rushed over to Heronbank to meet Chernise to help her move her friend's stuff. I didn't get lost, even though I was cutting from Westwood to Heronbank for the first time ever, and in the process, I saw parts of campus that I've never been to before. Same thing happened later, when I was walking back with her from Varsity. There's this whole tract of land between the university and Kenilworth that is untouched, and it really feels like you're in the countryside. Picturesque, if the weather's right. Don't think many of the other Singaporean freshers have seen that area before, as it's pretty much not along any of the main routes that one has to take around campus.

So I had lunch with Chernise at Varsity, which is a pub that lies about midway along the route between Westwood and Heronbank. This is walking down along Kirby Corner Road, and then turning in the direction of Scarman. It's a nice place, especially if you want to get away from the international crowd, as I hardly saw any non-British people in there during lunch. Singaporean freshers, you should all go there at least once, if you haven't already! Chernise says if I attend her church, I'll probably see the inside of Varsity quite often because the church is nearby. Will go there in two Sundays' time. The food's good, and kind of makes me want to stop eating sandwiches from Costcutter and the other places on Central Campus. I should check out Café Westwood though, since it's practically at my doorstep. Maybe for lunch tomorrow, before I go to the Library to do some research on Yeats's The Second Coming. Am meeting Conrad to discuss our seminar presentation, although honestly, how much can you cram into a three-minute presentation?

I wandered over to the Library after walking Chernise back to Central Campus and into Costcutter. (We didn't manage to find her friend's stuff.) I needed to print out my inventory form for submission, so I topped up my printer credits using my credit card. I also bought a photocopying card by mistake, so I'm going to sell that to Michelle, since she says she'll probably need to photocopy stuff because she reads borrowed books too slowly anyway. I managed to figure out the whole printing thing, which made me feel slightly accomplished, in the same way that doing my coloured laundry yesterday did. I feel like I'm becoming a proper student! So I filled in the form, walked back to Rootes Social to hand it in, then walked to the Arts Centre to bum around until my STARS interview. I stepped into the Bookshop, and proceeded to purchase all but three of Joanne Harris's novels. I know, I'm insane, but I just couldn't resist, not when they were all nicely lined up on the shelves and all Black Swan editions too. The lady who helped me to order the remaining three was really understanding and totally got why I felt like I had to buy them all at one go. The covers are really pretty by the way. She jokingly asked me if I was actually going to do any studying while I was here, so I told her I didn't really bring much leisure reading over from Singapore, which is true. She's like my favourite new person now, seriously.

The STARS interview was okay, I guess, although I didn't feel like I made much of an impression. We were supposed to come up with some ideas on how to market a particular event. Couldn't really say much because some of the people in my assigned group were really vocal and it was hard to get a word in without sounding rude. Or you could read that as me being completely useless in group situations. It's this habit I have of wanting to listen to everyone else's thoughts before adding my own. I didn't use to be so retiring, I think. It's something I somehow picked up along the years. So despite coming from RJC, I haven't quite mastered the art of being cutthroat and competitive in order to get what I want. I do hope I get the job nonetheless, as it sounds like a really cool thing to be doing, and it could be helpful when I start teaching, if only tangentially, in getting my students interested in the arts. I'll know by Monday if I'm in, and then if I am, there's a social to attend on Tuesday evening. Fingers crossed!