Quite a different semester

January 31, 2014

Hello all! I'm at work right now, but I really don't have anything to do so shh! I typically do homework, but I figured I'd write a post. I really don't even know if people still read this blog, because, let's face it, I have far fewer and less exciting adventures in Boston than in Sydney--especially in the brutal cold weather we've been having.

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, I am now working in the Events & Conferences department of BU as the Summer Conference Housing Intern. I'm finally starting to figure out how to prepare a contract. I wonder what I will be doing in the summer. At that point, all the contracts should have been completed and I will be awaiting the groups to come. I'm excited, but I also hope I have more to do than I currently do right now. However, I do have to say, the schedule this job allows me is much less hectic than when I worked in catering. I work 16 hours/week but they are all during normal work hours. I used to work 15-20 hours a week or more within three days (typically on the weekend, but in the evenings too) and it would be taxing on my body. I don't mind the crazy hours of hospitality, but I think for the time being this is healthier for me (I also do brief workouts a few days a week!) and more conducive to my doing well this semester. Once I've graduated and no longer have classes, I expect to be working some long days in the industry.

As for classes, I am currently taking Strategic Marketing, Accounting, Revenue Management, Deaf Literature and Folklore, and American Sign Language 3. I feel like I have significantly more work to do this semester than last Spring based on the classes I'm taking. I do have to say that ASL 3 probably takes the most brain power, followed by Accounting and then Deaf Lit. I am pretty surprised to see how far I have come in ASL. It is still difficult to understand when people are signing quickly (particularly spelling names), but it is slowly becoming easier to comprehend. In Deaf Lit, we talk a lot about stories and structure (of both hearing and non-hearing authors/artists). It's an interesting class, but rather long (3 hours!) for a literature class. One of our assigned books, The Storytelling Animal, is quite good! I would recommend that you read it, especially if you enjoy fictional books/TV shows. It is non-fiction, but it is told like a story and will seriously make you think about why you like your shows and stories.

Last night, my friend Kerry invited me and our other SHA friends over to her place for dinner. She made delicious pasta and foccacia bread--yum! Sam also brought some salmon, cod, and quinoa salad from her seafood cooking class. Everything was so delicious. It was a nice evening spent with them, Kathryn, and Poon. All of us haven't been in Boston together since Fall 2012 I believe. They were one of the first groups of friends I made in SHA and we still get along really well (and laugh at each other in the process), so it's nice when we are able to have these get-togethers.

That's about all for now. If you still read this, let me know! :)

New year, new semester, new job.

January 14, 2014

Hello all! Hope everyone had a lovely holiday. It's been a while since I've written here. I know I was supposed to summarize my experience at InterContinental Sydney. To be honest, I just got lazy because it was winter break. Now, I'm back at school for my second to last semester of undergrad and it is kind of frightening and kind of exciting at the same time.

Working at InterCon Sydney was a great experience. I met so many people from different parts of the world. The hotel itself had a great atmosphere with the staff and I am glad I was able to experience it. Everyone was so welcoming and willing to talk to me. My internship was split between Engineering and the Executive Office, which is odd, but it allowed me to see different sides of this hotel's operation. Being with Engineering, I also got to see several rooms, including the Australia Suite, and stand on the roof of the building. It was a really nice experience and I hope future BU Sydney students enjoy themselves there too.

Now I am back in Boston. This semester I'm living in Student Village II, or Stuvi2 as it is referred to here in BU. It's such a nice apartment and quite spacious for two people. It also happened to be Larissa's room from last semester--what are the odds of that? I got sick of dining hall food last year. It is actually pretty good, but I'd rather buy and cook my own food like I did while I was in Sydney. My apartment-mate seems really nice too. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to her, but she is friends with the girl who lived here with Larissa--even smaller odds, but somehow it happened! I think we'll get along just fine.

This year I have also started a new job. I'm the new Summer Conference Housing Intern for Boston University Events and Conferences. I'm actually quite excited about this, even though it means I'll have to stay in Boston for the summer. I think I burned myself out while working in catering last year; I just can't do it anymore. Luckily, I was able to secure this opportunity where I will be working with clients to figure out their housing and meals for summer events, in addition to overseeing events. Everyone in the department seems really nice and I am looking forward to seeing what I will learn from them.

Well, that's about all for now. Classes start tomorrow, eek! Hope all goes well this semester. Again, thanks for reading!