Scene From an Office

Tomorrow's the big day! I have a job interview! I got a call Wednesday about a job opening at the company that has always been my first-choice company to work with. I hear that some people, athletes perhaps, try to visualize themselves being successful at upcoming events. Somehow this will make them perform better when the actual time comes. I also hear that people can get dooced from their job because of what they write on their blog. Therefore, this may be the only reference to my employment that you will ever read. See? I've already started visualizing success at the interview.

Scene From an Office
Date: 1-28-05 (aka the future, aka upcoming event)
Time: 10:07 am
Location: Office building

(Suzie, sitting, wearing a brown suit, hands folded in her lap, waits patiently for interviewer to begin the interrogation. Interviewer, standing, hands behind back, not facing Suzie, staring out window on back wall of office, takes no notice that interviewee is waiting patiently.)

Suzie: "Ahem."
Interviewer: "Hello there."





(Awkward pause.)





Suzie: "It's nice to meet you, Mr. ..."
Interviewer: "Olaf."
Suzie: "Mr. Olaf."






(Awkward pause.)







Interviewer: "Shall we begin?"

Suzie: "Ok."

Interviewer: "Tell me, Sarah..."
Suzie: "Suzie."
Interviewer: "Whatever. I see that you graduated from Abilene Christian University. I have never heard of this school before."

Suzie (to herself): "Was that a question? Am I supposed to say something?"
Suzie (outloud): "Yes, I did. ACU is a small, private school with about 5,000 students. It focuses on undergraduate education. I graduated in December with a B.S. in Computer Science."

Interviewer: "Whatever. It also says here on your resume under languages that you know Java and C++. Will you please say something in Java* for me?"

Suzie (to herself): "What? Say something in Java?"
Suzie (outloud): "Java is actually a computer language that you program in, not a spoken language."










(Awkward pause.)





(Crickets chirp.)






Interviewer: "Well, that seems to be all the questions that I have. Goodbye, Stephanie."
Suzie: "Suzie. Thank you for your time."


This job is no match for me. And if anyone in the future ever reads this, please do not fire me! Assuming I get the job that is. Who knows.

Josh, feel better!!

* All credit to James for the Java joke

First Day of School

I survived my first day of graduate school! Thoughts about today:

1. Starting a new school can be lonely. I didn't see one familiar face all day until my parents came home.

2. Big surprise: my classes are about 40% women, 60% men. I am not alone in that aspect. However, the ethnic makeup of my classes is about 91% Indian, 6% Caucasian, and 3% other. The 6% Caucasian consists of me and some white, scrawny dude with baggy pants and smudged eyeglasses.

3. Since today was the first day, my professors gave an overview of the class and went through the syllabus. As they talked about bomb threats (you were right, Kim), the Americans with Disabilities Act, academic integrity, and other subjects the university makes them mention, I began to look around the classroom. In my one undergrad class, most of the students were sleeping. At ACU, we would at least wait until the second week to start sleeping, not the first day.

But in my two grad classes, the students were diligently taking notes about what exit to use in case of an emergency. Not only were they fiercely scribbling down everything the professor said, they were doing it in pen! I haven't used a pen to take notes since my sixth grade teacher said, "No one is perfect; that's why we use pencils in this classroom." Since I'm in grad school now, rather than grade school, am I required to use a pen too? Does the missing 'e' at the end of that word really mean that I'm perfect?

4. Remind me to never say again, "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" to the white, scrawny dude sitting a few seats down from me because he'll think I'm hitting on him.

5. ACU does not have a parking problem. UTA does.

6. Concerning the actual computer science subject matter, what I lack in experience, passion, talent, skill, and intelligence, I plan to make up with organization. That's why I went to Eckerds, err, CVS tonight and bought two new 3-ring binders and dividers. You can take the 'e' out of grade school, but you'll never take the sixth grade organizational skills outta me.

Nepalese Eagle

It's done! I am an official graduate student. I've registered for 10 hours, all of which are on Mondays and Wednesdays. If anyone has any ideas on how I can fill up my time the rest of the week, please let me know.

While I was waiting for my advising appointment today, I met another new grad student who was sitting next to me. Typically, CS professors are late to everything, and today my advisor was no exception so Proveem...Provim...Pruvam... well, I couldn't understand his name but this guy from Nepal and I chatted for about 20 minutes.

"P" was nice and interesting to talk to. He said he was happy to talk to me because not only am I an American, I am also female. I guess the elusive cross-gender communication for CS majors transcends nationality. It doesn't matter where you live: male CS majors don't often talk to females.

When "P" mentioned he had done some shopping earlier and had never seen stores so big, I asked if he went to The Parks in Arlington Mall. He said, "No, Wal-mart." I then proceeded to tell him about how big The Parks is and how many stores are there and how he should definitely go there when he has a chance. I could have gone on about the food court, traffic, and parking but I stopped myself when his eyes started glazing over.

I could almost see the stereotypical American girl mold being formed about me in his head until he showed me a picture of him and his two sisters back in Nepal and, judging by the girls' clothes, they could have been spokespersons for the American Eagle (or is it Nepalese Eagle?). I realized his eyes probably glazed over not because he had a low tolerance for shopping but because he had to listen to his sisters talk about shopping all the time and now me as well. I guess the elusive cross-gender shopping transcends nationality. It doesn't matter where you live: females like to shop.

Engagement!

Haha, I fooled you. You thought I was going to make the announcement on my blog that I'm engaged. Well, you're wrong!

Why is it that after every major holiday, and even the minor ones, I get a spike in the number of people who ask me if I am engaged yet?

Figure 1. Typical December 26 IM Conversation
CuriousFriend (08:32:56 PM): so are you engaged yet
Suzie (08:33:17 PM): Umm, hi! No, not yet
CuriousFriend (08:33:49 PM): oh ok just checking
Suzie (08:34:02 PM): Don't worry! I'll let you know when it happens
Suzie (08:34:33 PM): So, how was your Christmas?
Suzie (08:36:29 PM): You there?
CuriousFriend signed off at 08:37:51 PM.

See what I go though? There's no greeting. There's no "hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 how r u???? i miss you!!!!!!!!!1". There nothing.

It's not only IM. When I see friends in person, first thing they do is grab my hand. Not for a handshake. They look and see if I have a ring on. Come on! At least try and be a little sneaky about it.

Since my birthday is coming up, as well as Inauguration Day, Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lincoln's Birthday, and Valentine's Day, I beg you, please, don't ask me if I got engaged. I know it was a holiday and a "perfect opportunity" but I will let you know. I will be shouting it off the highest mountain, running through the fields, scaling city walls, kissing honey lips...umm...well, I will let you know when it happens. I promise.

And lastly, if you can't stop yourself from asking me or Josh this question, a good time to bring it up would be at least several months after he gets a job. Trust me.