Things I've Learned Part 2

Hello again!

I really had a lot of fun writing the last post where I made it a list of things I have learned (mostly since coming to London, but also just generally over the course of the last few years). I also got some good feedback about it, so at the risk of turning a good thing into a bad one by boring you all, I have decided to do a follow-up with other things that I have learned that I wanted to share with you. I hope you enjoy it and please forgive for being repetitive in terms of the format of the blog. I hope I'm not repeating things I have already told you in previous posts. Again, these things are in no particular order.

1. Peanut butter is really important to me. I have discovered that one never knows what it is about home that one will miss will one ventures abroad. Naturally, you expect to miss your family and friends (and I DO), but I've come to realize there will also be something else (or several somethings)--somthing small that you never thought mattered that much--and you will miss it! For me, it's Skippy creamy peanut butter! Yum! (And a huge thank you to those who have worked to keep me supplied!)

2. On the topic of food, the Brits really need to work on their salad dressing (in my opinion). It is another thing that I have come to (unexpectedly) miss about home.

3. I like editing with a red pen! It started when I was editing my honor's thesis at F&M so that I would be sure not to miss any changes (there were a lot of pages to edit!). But now I always use a red pen to edit and I love it!

4. Politeness is really important to me! One, I think it is important for us all (and I include myself here) to remember to be polite and thank people for the little things they do that make our lives better. But this has been reinforced since I've been here and it seems that a lot of people don't do this (which bugs me). So London, here is a quick lesson: when someone holds a door open for you, say thank you; when you bump into someone, say excuse me; if you need someone to move, say excuse me; etc. Today I held the door open for four people in a row and not one of them said anything. It was a sad commentary on politeness (and even more sad--it's not unusual here). (I should perhaps add that the Brits are known for their politeness and I don't mean to imply that they aren't polite. All I am saying is that in a city [and a university], a lot of these things get lost and it's sad.)

5. I am not going to be a political theorist. I like the political theory classes I took as an undergrad, but it's just not my calling. So, yeah...at least the job market for comparative politics is slightly better than the one for political theory.

6. Apparently, 'classificatory' is a word! Who knew? Obviously not me!

7. In a similar vein to my last point on part 1 of this post (i.e. the last post), I am continually reminded how much I have grown in a short period of time. I went back and reread my posts from my time in Bath and my time a year and a half ago when I was conducting interview with MPs and I am just amazed at the difference between my posts then and now. I think I have improved, but of course, that is for you to say. :)

8. I really care about the EU, to the point that I am the kind of person who will get worked up about it. This is news to me. I never thought I would be like this, but tonight I went to a really interesting panel discussion about the referendum on EU membership that David Cameron has called (don't get me started). One of the audience members, in a 'question', accused the EU of being a dictatorship because of the so-called 'democratic deficit.' I have spent the hour or so since angrily formulating counter arguments. In a nutshell, the EU is democratic (it's called delegation), although it could surely be more so; closed list electoral systems are also democratic; and the European Parliament is far from irrelevant. If you would like the long version, just let me know. :) But seriously, I would love to talk to anyone who is at all interested in the EU and Britain and would like to chat (and as long as you promise not to call the EU a dictatorship, I promise I won't start ranting)!

9. Apparently, I am kind of obsessed with Les Miserables. I never really thought of it this way until someone basically pointed it out and I realized...they were right. I love that show! I have something like three or four different versions of the soundtrack on my iPod right now. To show you exactly how much I love this show, I give you my own rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream":

10. "I dreamed a dream in time gone by. When hopes were high and kitchens clean. I dreamed that coming to college/grad school would mean people are mature and responsible...Now life has killed the dream I dreamed"

    -What do you think? If I had more time I would have added verses about clean bathrooms and other things that I thought I would have in my life by now (maybe, I'll keep working on it in my spare time...). If you are at all interested, here is a site with several comics of Les Mis song parodies, relating the songs to graduate school. (Thank you to Allison for showing this to me!) They are great (better than mine) so be sure to click next to see all of them!

    -While I'm partly joking about my love for Les Mis with this post, I am also making a serious point about life that I have learned in the past 5 years. I had this vision (dream) that when I went into higher education, the people would be mature adults who acted responsibly. I thought this would be even more true of graduate school. But what I have learned, what life has taught me, is that being legally an adult in no way signifies that one is mature or responsible. And it is a lesson that is driving me crazy!! I have basically accepted that at (almost) all times except for immediately after the cleaning staff stop by, the kitchen that I share with about 12 others will be dirty because people don't clean up after themselves properly. That is one reason I rarely make much effort with my cooking. (On a related note, custodians who clean up after college students are angels!!! Seriously!!) But the most recent revelation is that people won't take responsibility for closing the refrigerator and freezer doors! I mean, really! The temperature fluctuates wildly (like 15-20 degrees celsius in the worst cases I have seen) because people aren't careful enough to shut the door properly despite repeated notes on the door. I find this annoying as all get out! I no longer trust that my food will be good when I go to eat it (in fact I avoid the freezer as a general rule now). And this, in a nutshell, is why I CAN NOT WAIT for my own place with a kitchen (and bathroom) that I don't have to share and can keep to my level of cleanliness and hygiene without spending my entire life cleaning up after others (which is what my life would be if I even tried to keep the kitchen here up to my standards).

11. On a brighter note, I'm really liking this book: 

It is not always an easy read (I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to understand two chapters on Sunday), but it has quickly become a classic in the political science literature (it was only published in 2002). Honestly, I have seen this book on the shelves of most, if not all, of my poly sci professors and I am so pleased to now have a copy on my shelf too! I feel like a real political scientist now! And I really like it because, unlike some other things I have read for classes, as I read it, I have this palpable sense that this is going to come in handy and apply to a lot of things I will do in the future. 

12. I am also loving feeling more professional with my new briefcase! I was sick of walking around looking like a kid/tourist so I bought a briefcase and I love it! (I would put a picture, but I haven't had a chance to take one in good lighting yet.)

Well I hope you enjoyed part 2! I tried to end with a happy note (it involved some rearranging of the bullet points). I also hope everyone in the Northeast is safe and recovering after the crazy weather!