Nature Sketcher

Today, promptly at 10 AM in our very lovely and sunny morning at San Luis Obispo, I started my first work day at the library. I wake up a bit later than I wanted to – which was fine because I have a tendency to try and wake up 2 hours before class/work. I just didn’t get to do my reading and load-start the dishwasher. I did managed to squeeze enough time for a nice scrambled egg with lots of veggie.

Well, it used to take me a hour to wake up and prepare (eating time included, of course) , then half a hour a to travel to school. Now I am able to wake up and prepare in less than 15 minutes. Eating can be shorten to 10 minutes if don’t eat while I walk to the bus.

Still, old hobby die hard. I still like to wake up earlier than I need to, because I like eating my breakfast – slowly and enjoying it. Breakfast is a very important aspect to one’s health. Lack of proper breakfast can contribute to depression, irritability, fatigue, lower physical activity and energy, and -surprising to most- weight gain!

Yes, not eating a meal can actually contribute to weight gain. Basically, it leads to less activity, less ability to resist temptation, less mental control and discipline, more hunger, and larger meals.

Alas, I am off topic! So… work, right?

I bike fast over to the library, arriving happily on time. It turned out my official supervisor (the one who actually hired me) does not work in the weekend. The working supervisor and another student that work there showed me the rope first. My supervisor had me do a learning program that tested me at the end, so I can know how to shelve books properly (Anyone bookworm that lives at the library knows how crazy it is if a book is shelve incorrectly. I can tell that it can be a real headache for everyone involved – and I didn’t work in the library!) Being a library-bookworm actually come in quite useful in this job. Reading that little white piece of paper on the book’s binding – the one that shows the call number so we students can find the book – is much easier when you look for books on at least a weekly basis since middle school. The test wasn’t that difficult, and I got a 100 on the first try.

Afterward, one of my co-worker – also a follow architecture student – carefully went over all the details in the circulation desk with me. Then I started sorting books and shelving book. The shelving actually turned out more interesting that I expected, because at one point another first-day-of-work student assistant accidentally mistook my book cart for his. (I later found out that even though Saturday on an Easter week is typically slow, the supervisor was a lot more busy this morning because she had to help two new student assistants, and the supervisor who  usually helps the new student assistants is only here during the weekday. ) It was also a very beautiful day, and the library have nice large window all around (it have an atrium as well), so it was really serene to walk around.

After that, I got back downstairs and took a half hour lunch break. The shelving actually took a lot of time. I didn’t finish until 2:30. It”s a good thing I was well prepared. That is why I wanted to wake up early, so I can get a good and large breakfast instead of my usual cereal. My veggie-cheese scrambled egg with orange juice served me well until 2:30.

When I finished with the break, I started to work on the circulation desk for the first time. It was a slow day, so I got to chat with the student who work the afternoon shift quite a bit. Turned out we both belong to what I call the “crazy majors”. I am in architecture, he is in aerospace. We are both Cantonese-speaking Chinese, too. He is from mainland China, and I am from Hong Kong. In fact, he keep saying I look familiar. It is actually not that surprising – I remember him myself, because I am always in the library. I think I recognize all the students who works on the circulation desk.

The day went by relatively quick in my mind. It was great to learn more about how the library work, since I have always like library. In fact, I had wanted to be a librarian or an archivist. I still wouldn’t mind being one – but I think prefer jobs that have more changes and discovery.

Anyhow, I finally finished my first work day. It felt very satisfying to get my work done and to have such a productive day. Tomorrow I will be working from 1 to 8 pm. Its another seven hour.

On an interesting note, both my Saturday supervisor and the afternoon student assistant was surprised that I work full days. When I told the other student that I am working another seven hour, he joked that I am a workaholic. I have always worked full days, since most of my jobs were in  the summer and in the weekend. I guess I never realized that most student work on school days and rarely work full hour. It would be really exhausting for most people who have never done it before – heck, even my mind drifted for a while because it was such a slow day.

All in all, it was a nice experience today. The work will take a lot of my weekend hour – but I have always feel like I waste the weekend anyway. It is just hard to get my studies done in the weekend morning because there is not class. It is good to have work for me – I think it will actually help me study better! For now, I will get some of class reading done.

Patience is a virtue.

Like last Winter Quarter, I got waitlisted for the classes I want. But like last quarter, I patiently went and sat in for all possible classes even if I got in one of my “ok” classes. And now, I got the best classes I can hope to get!

I sit through all the class section of Buddhist Art (the require class of my Art History Minor), and I email the teacher to let her know my situation: I can only possibly attend two of her three section classes, and I am waitlisted for both two. I know my chance is low because a) I am at the end of waitlist for both class, and b) even though I am a senior, I am not graduating (BArch degree is a five year program). But I am genuinely interested (Which is very true. It’s a class that studies culture, art, and religion all at once!) . Then I ask her to let me know if someone drop the class by the add-drop deadline, because I will add her class for sure – very eagerly.
Appearally, I make a strong impression with the email and presence in the class. She remember me very well and wanted to add me in the class because I was so patient about it. So I got in!!!

Once again, I am amazed at how well people remember me. I have a lot of people that I meet for the first time whom told me they always notice me on campus. We have a low Asian population in the school, but its not that low.

But then, I am only 4′-11″ and always running around. (My leg is short – it takes longer for me to get around!)

I also mange to get into a Geography class related to climate and ecology. The teacher pulled out maps the first day of class, which scared me slightly. But after the first day, I know it is going to be one interesting class! It will combine ecology science and cultural humanity together. He talked about the scientific aspect of the subject, but he brings to a more human-culture scale.

It is also a class that can be use for both the Sustainability Minor and Anthropology-Geography Minor, should I choose to apply for one of them. I am very interested in the Ant-Geog Minor right now. They have Archeology classes and GIS classes! If I can get into Cultural Anthropology class in the summer, I am applying for the Minor!

Unfortunately, that means I would drop the Soil Science class I got in earlier. That class sounds interesting, but it doesn’t fulfill any Minor requirement , and I know it would not be very smart to do 16 units with a job, volunteer work, and architecture studio unless I actually need to. Maybe I should try it for the summer?

So here’s my new schedule:

• ARCH 453-03 Architectural Design 4.3

• ART 318-02 Asian Art Topic: National, Religious, & Intellectual Movement

• GEOG 325-01 Climate and Humanity

Also, all my job hunt effort is starting to pay off. I got a job in the school library. Those whom know me for a long time knows that I practically lived at the library when I was in San Francisco. In fact, I even got into the Teen Advisory Council in the Sunset District Library. It is the ideal job for a bookworm like me.
Not only that, I got an interview from the Library’s Information Technology section! I am not a Computer Science Major, but I have gather some computer skill over the four years of Architecture classes. I am definitely going to give it my best try. Wish me luck!