Job

First off, questions:

~Why linguistics? Tolkien? 

I like studying languages and seeing not just the words used but unique ways of expressing ideas.  It’s neat to look at things like agglutinative languages that stack together morphemes to make an idea, or things like languages that only have three words for colors (black, white and red), or whatever makes languages distinct and what ties them.  

For an example from Wikipedia from Georgian of what an agglutinative language looks like:

gadmosakontrrevolucieleblebisnairebisatvisaco

someone said that it is also for those who are like the ones who need to be to again conterrevolutionized.

I really like Tolkien and his works.  I've read several of his books including the main five books of the Lord of the Rings canon.  I think it’s awesome how he not only made the languages (Dwarven, Elvish) spoken by his people but could speak them so fluently he could switch to them without realizing it.

~How are you doing with the isolation that so many freshmen feel? 

Not too well.  I still stay in contact with my MFC friends through voice chat and games.  However it takes me a while to open up to people, and so I wouldn't say I have made a true friend up here yet.  So it’s tough to not have someone to hang out with here, and to have a distance and time separation with my Idaho friends.

~How scary are Alaskan roads? 

From what I understand, they aren't too bad.  Once it gets so snowy and stays below zero, there’s not as much ice to cause you to lose control.  If you know what you’re doing and know to go slow, it shouldn’t be scary.  However, what would be scary are people who don’t drive well and pedestrians who don’t give you enough time to stop.  Once I start driving for my job I can give a better answer.

~Do you drink tea? 

Normally yes, but up here no as I don’t have any means to make tea nor any tea bags.

~Are you easily affected by the darkness that is so much more prevalent in Alaska during winter? 

I don’t think so, though it’s not as dark as it will be yet.  I’m told it will be soon dark from 2 pm to 10 am, but it’s not quite there yet.  Though it’s a shock to get up to go eat dinner at 5 o’clock and see it looks like midnight outside.

~What do you most miss at home and what do you want to do the first couple of days home?

I miss my friends and my mom.  I miss having decent food rather than cafeteria three times a day every day.  This might sound odd, but I miss being able to do laundry like at home.  Here I have to plan ahead and dedicate time to getting my clothes washed and dried.  At home I can do it any time I need to, and if I have a spot on a single shirt or something I can throw it in alone.  At home I can start the washer and drier and do something else and if I forget it, it’s not a big deal.  Now I have to measure how long it will take and make sure I take out my clothes as soon as they’re ready.

When I go home, I’d like to spend plenty of time with my mom, hugging her and eating dinner and playing a board game or watching a show.  I’d also like to have an overnighter with all my friends so as to hang out.  I’d like to pet all my cats and see if they remember me and see if they stick to me like glue and prevent me sleep.

Onto my job, I have all my paperwork finished and should soon have my payment worked out.  Last Thursday I did some training and went through the main dorms and picked up the recycling from all those buildings.  Friday was my first true work day and from 3:30 to 6:00ish I gathered plastic, paper, aluminum and glass with my new friend who I already knew from my christian group.  We drove around and I went in all new science buildings I had never before entered.  I found the worst part of the job is when there's glass to collect as a bag of bottles is very heavy.  It also doesn't help that it's often below zero.  At least for that short period of somewhat discomfort I made 26 dollars, which is a new reverie to me.

I should be working 17 hours a week, and will probably soon start to use the Office of Sustainability's vehicle, which is a van.

Prayers for me as I start my routine fully next week would be very much appreciated.

Updates

Hello, how are you?

Bonjour, comment vas-tu?

Hola, ¿cómo estás?

Terve, mitä kuuluu?

A while ago I suggested to the leader of UCM, David, that we do a hangout night because I was missing that kind of thing from MFC youth group and because I thought it would be a great opportunity to connect with my peers.  Last Friday it happened and I very much enjoyed grazing their chips con queso and leftover Halloween treats as well as playing Phase 10 and Catchphrase.  On the way home I saw a guy kneeling behind a decrepit van about to be handcuffed by a state trooper.  Fun!

There's a guy at UCM who I've been talking to and starting to make friends with who works for the UAF Office of Sustainability.  He told me they're desperate for employees.  So today, I went to the office and was interviewed and I gleaned that I was basically guaranteed a job.  All I need to do is send in my résumé and references and cover letter and have all that accepted by HR and pass a computer-based safety test and I'm good.

Lately I've been really wanting this semester to end so that I can go home.  But I still have a while, about  month and a half, during which I might be working, I've got my christian group (UCM), I've got my classes.  It's like I want to be done but I'm at the point where there is no escape; I've always got something ahead to consider. I don't want all the responsibilities of being a grown up thrusted upon me. :(

Thanks, goodbye.

Merci, au revoir.

Gracias, vaya con Dios.

Kiitos, moi moi.