Selling My Soul

As I alluded to in the previous post, I recently acquired a job. I set out to find one of these puppies when I first got home, but ran into one dead-end after another. Everyone said they weren’t hiring until the spring, so I should sit tight and check back in a month or so. Hence, my trip back to Zürich. Within one week of returning from my trip abroad I applied for one more retail job and was hired 20 minutes into the interview. Was it fate??

Photo courtesy of sftravel.com

So here I am, doing my retail thing, selling (overpriced) clothing to affluent women. A few months before I left for my year au pairing I picked up a similar job to make some extra cash around the holidays and add some padding to my savings. HA! Turns out most of that money funded extracurricular (read: weekend) activities and more clothing from the store at a heavily discounted price. Now, I have a second chance at retail and I am NOT letting it go to waste. In fact, this job differs in more ways than just the aforementioned…

 

Photo courtesy of shopittome.com

I was explaining a little tonight at dinner with Matt and Courtney that I have morphed myself into an almost unrecognizable creature in the store. I like to shop and I like clothing, but this store (which shall remain nameless) takes the idea of shopping to a new level. Most importantly, we treat our clients (not customers) like they are our girlfriends. We are just a bunch of bosom buddies out for a day of gossip and retail therapy. When we meet up with a client we are devoted to her; we are there to serve her. We fetch her more clothing than what she asked for or sought after, taking our cue from the sizes of the items she actually picked up herself. From that base we pile on tops, skirts, camis, dresses, pants, shoes, etc until the room overfloweth. Finally, when the client jams herself in the room with all the extra “fun pieces” we just “thought she would looove,” we slather her with compliments and suggestions. Here’s where I really begin to sell my soul. Phrases that have actually come out of my mouth in the last few days:

• “Are you kidding me?! You look phenomenal in the dress! I mean, to die.”
• “OK, well the pants, obviously you’re getting them. Seriously, you aren’t leaving here without them.” (too pushy? Well, she bought them.)
• “Let me grab you a belt to go with that. I’m belting everything I can get my hands on.”
• “Girls, check out the dresses we just got in. I am losing my mind over them!!”

Yeah, I know. Not so good, huh? The other day I said, totally straight-faced, “It is all about the shirtdress right now, isn’t it?!” And, the best part, she was totally into it. She loved it. Ate it up. The funny thing is, I’m having so much fun with this job. You know, maybe my feet hurt when I leave the store, and my back has been a bit ache-y, but it’s not debilitating. And I really like helping the client. Yesterday I spent a little over an hour with a woman who was so happy to have her pre-baby body back and was going banana-sandwich-crazy all over the store. I had a lot of fun bringing things back to her, having her come out and do a fashion show, and just chat about things that were going on with each of us.

I may sound slightly certifiable as I walk around the store saying things like, “If you don’t get your hands on one of those extra-long, over-sized pearl necklaces, you will be sorry!” but I don’t regret it. Having fun like this makes the day zip by, and doesn’t hurt my sales record, to be quite honest. I think this store and I are going to have a good relationship.

Accepted!

Hey, this is really exciting! I got accepted to an English Master’s program yesterday!!

Photo Courtesy of fcschools.net

Not sure if you remember, but a while back I wrote a post about how frustrated I was with myself for neglecting to double-check the application deadline for this particular school, and found myself scrambling to get it in on time. Well, I managed to get all parts of the application submitted and apparently the admissions council looks favorably upon my application. I am accepted!

I have a few weeks to make a decision, and in that time I will wait to hear back from a couple other schools I applied to. As I was chatting with Jill on the phone today she asked, “Don’t you feel so relieved?” And I replied that, Yes, I feel monumentally relieved. For the past few weeks I have been in a little bit of a funk, a stupor, perhaps, and I haven’t been quite sure what it was all about. Immediately after I opened my packet and soaked in those amazing words of acceptance I realized exactly what it was that had been bothering me. So much has been up in the air the last few weeks: I didn’t have a job to help me start earning money and keep me busy (now I do, today was my first day!) and I had absolutely no clue about where I would end up at school. Now, while I haven’t made an final decisions, at least I know there is somewhere I can go. I have more of an idea about my future than I did last week, and that is a tremendous relief.

 

Talk is (Not) Cheap

I wish I could take credit for finding this site because it is so cool and would enhance my image as a scholar and constant seeker of knowledge. Alas, Adam told me about it many moons ago. TED promotes Ideas Worth Spreading through talks given by influential leaders, musicians, artists, scientists, writers, comedians, etc. The talks range from under six minutes to anywhere above twenty minutes, with most hovering around fifteen. Each one is unique and promotes a different idea or discovery.

If you are a runner or athlete perhaps this video will be of interest to you.

Are you also a lover of magic? I viewed this vid on Saturday and was amazed by the man’s brain magic. I gathered my mom and dad so they could watch it as well, so intrigued was I by his mind powers. Definitely worth a look. The end is pretty outstanding. <—No, that is not a ploy to get you to watch. It really is outstanding.

How does one artist from Paris plan to change the world? The 2011 TED Prize winner, JR, talks about how art can change the way we see one another and ultimately unite us.

Rives explains how “4 in the morning” has become synonymous with “bad,” “unfortunate,” or “creepy.” His talk is injected with a healthy dose of humor.

The list could go on. It’s a great site to help fill the holes in your day or night.

Hint

I received a book titled Hint Fiction (W.W. Norton & Company, 2011) this year for Christmas from my sister, Katie. It’s an anthology of stories containing 25 words or less. The prologue explains that these tiny little fictions might suggest larger, more complex stories. No doubt with such limited content the title becomes a great ally, helping to communicate the bigger picture. I’ve been having fun flipping through the book reading and contemplating a few stories. A sampling:

“Talking of Michelangelo” by Frank Byrns

‘Call me Ishmael.’

She stared blankly, then grinned. ‘I’m going to hit the keg–need a refill?’

Ish sighed. No one reads anymore.

 

“Trust” by Don Lee

At the party, he tells her he’s a painter, meaning of houses. She misunderstands, assumes he’s an artist. Harmless, he thinks.

 

“Art Alone Endures” by William J. Brazill

The Art League had a competition for artists to depict the future. By accident Bogdan included a blank canvas among his submissions. It won.

 

p.s. I submitted my third graduate school application yesterday. Wahoo! Progress! One more to go…

The Rest of the Story

Now, for a few more photos from this fantastic trip abroad.

 

Adam and I had an out-of-bounds delicious dinner at Josef, which I talked about soon after we indulged there. The dinner included small plates, slightly larger than tapas size, of a wide variety. Gnocchi with artichokes and parmesan, beef tartare (seen below), soup with fresh scallops, the creamiest risotto I’ve ever been a part of, plus more. All paired with a velvety Swiss wine. Perfect.

Band of Horses

I love coffee. This is so strange because I only liked “fluff” coffee until about two years ago. I suppose I’m a late bloomer. I wouldn’t say I’m a monster without it by any means, but it certainly makes the day a wee bit brighter. Adam and I stumbled through working a french press, finally figured it out and were quite successful. But, for the days without joe at home, restaurant cappuccinos and lattes did just fine.

 

Who do we think we are? Dining out in fancy-shmancy restaurants like we belong there? Well, no one has caught on yet, so until then I’m going to bask in the glory of all things delicious food. Since about this time last year, when I would pass by the restaurant Helvetia everyday on my way to German class, I have wanted to visit the dining establishment. Alas, I didn’t make it there in all of 2010 so I figured that since I made my way all the way back to Zürich, I must visit it. It. was. out-of-bounds. It could have been the goat cheese with truffle oil on a bed of greens and bacon. Or perhaps it was my truffle oil ravioli. Maybe it was Adam’s goulash with homemade potato dumplings. Perchance the Portuguese wine that reminded us of our trip to Portugal last August. Obviously the warm chocolate cake with sour cream ice cream, that was crossing all sorts of dairy lines, sent the whole meal to the top of my all-time-favorite-meals list. All these factors made the meal absolutely worth the wait.

 

This is the map to my heart. It has mountains of buffalo mozzarella, valleys of salty prosciutto, rivers of fresh tomato sauce, and plains of doughy crust. I am in love.

 

Les Halles is one of my favorite bars in Zürich. It has a young, quirky feel and is popular with the student crowd. If you are lucky enough to snag a table it’s a great place to catch up with friends. It also has a great mussels and fries special.

Appenzeller brews the best beer. This is a no-brainer. They have a vast array of beers, all concocted in Appenzell, Switzerland. Luckily, I was able to try a few more on this last visit. Oh, how I wish I could buy it here!

Well That Was Fast

Already home and I can’t quite believe it. I knew it would go quickly but, come on. That was slightly absurd, no?

I’m so happy that I had a chance to get back to Zürich. It’s funny because it’s not known to be an overly beautiful or culturally rich city like Rome or Paris. But I love Zürich. And I think this is because I was a resident, I lived there. I had my favorite cafes, quiet places for reading, restaurants, bars, streets to walk around, and on and on. I loved laying by the lake when it was warm. Hands down, this was my favorite thing about Zürich. Additionally, my love probably has to do with the growing up I did here. I moved there by myself and struggled with homesickness and loneliness for a while and finally found my own way. I made friends, discovered the gems, and established myself in the year I lived there.

To go back without the obligation of au pair-ing was truly fantastic. I could enjoy the city without thinking about my curfew and needing to catch the last train back to my village. I didn’t worry about working on the weekend and wondering what everyone else was up to. Experiencing the city independent from these worries made it more pleasant. Lastly, I feel ever so fortunate for the opportunity to spend a little more time with Adam (alright, that’s as mushy as I’ll get!).

I suppose I should make it evident through photos that I actually made it there. More to come once a certain someone sends me his pics. Enjoy.

Love these purple shudders. Perhaps a K-State fan lives here...

View of the Niderdorf from Lindenhof

I managed to capture this with everyone else walking behind a tree. When I looked at the shot afterward I couldn't believe it.