October 2006 Archives

Today was my second day at the new job. Things are looking good. There is an opening for a breakfast shift manager and my name was mentioned. The head of HR is away but as soon as she’s back the talks begin.

Remember me feeling bad about losing my old job? Well, apparently the Department of Health closed them down toady for health violations. They wanted to save money by cutting me suddenly off their salary budget line. Guess they’re saving lots of money now.

When I arrived at school I went to get my late afternoon coffee fix. I noticed that girl at the counter was smiling more than usual. I inquired about why she was so happy she said something along these lines:

“You know I look forward to seeing you everyday. “You make me feel human.” (What do you mean?) Well you always say hello, ask how I am doing, say please and thank you, and usually say something like enjoy the rest of the day or have a good night.” People are either rude, in a rush, …… but you always remind me that I’m here not a machine or a servant.”

I know I must have blushed because I had a smile from ear to ear. I would have continued to go to that coffee counter Monday thru Friday, providing the same pleasantries I would anybody else and have never known that I provide her a little dose of daily happiness by simply acknowledging her humanity. I recommend everybody try it. It only took an extra few seconds; I made someone’s day and got a flavored coffee at non-flavored price out of it.

I had my Math midterm today. I dislike math almost as much as I do stepping on doggie poo, or getting a parking ticket (in Manhattan) or running out of nacho chips while there’s still salsa, or urethra swabbing, or venepuncture by a shaky person, or close and meaningful conversation with a bad breathed person, or or old homeless people or bullies, or not having superpowers or hang nails near salt, or nasty diseases, or the occupation of Tibet or the wrong camera setting during the perfect picture op, or bad reception, or owing taxes, or kimchi or the smell of dishwashing sponges that are more than three days old or nuclear weapons, or that part in the Color Purple when Mister splits Nettie and Celie apart or (shall I go on or do you get the picture?)

Anyway, I have been putting an extra 6-7 hours a week into math tutoring at school. I think it paid off. I may have received a C+, if lucky maybe even a B-. I know that sounds retarded but I won’t even begin to explain how mathematically challenged I am. But between the tutor and this silly Math CD-ROM set, I think I am starting to finally understand some of it.

I aced my Politics midterm . All that’s now left is Italian. CHE STRONZATA ma la karma non è male.

There’s a lot of talk regarding what IYusef (love talking about myself in the third) should be doing. Guys, I hear you but trust me it is not an easy choice to have a resume full of titles and qualifications and choose to live on a hospitality wage. See it as you may, education is important to me and I will not advance at a steady rate if it weren’t for my little sacrifices. And sacrifices they are. I make about thirty thousand less than before and work over 50 hours a week. I do all this while maintaining a full time school schedule and a commendable GPA. If even for a second you consider that I am taking an easy way out perhaps a second look from a different perspective might be at hand.

I got laid off a week ago but can say that during the middle of midterms and best-left-unmentioned stresses that I found a new job which I started today. It is not much but it affords me the right to hold my head up. It’s is a waiter position but who knows perhaps the prospect of advancement or something better is around the corner. The best part is the location and proximity to my campus.

My school will be hosting scholarship workshops on the 1st for the top percentile. My invitation arrived a week ago. I have qualified for several scholarships, including a fully paid trip to Austria in the spring and my Photography teacher is writing a proposal to take a group of students (me included) to Paris for a few weeks in the summer. I am rather excited about the prospect of getting to go to Europe on school funds and look forward to reaping the benefits of my hard work next semester when God willing tuition will be near free.

Regarding my putting the photography to use, I actually had an interview with a Japanese magazine in Tokyo. I wasn’t ready to say anything as of yet, but perhaps now wouldn’t be a bad time. They agreed to hire me as a freelance writer and editorial photographer. My first assignment runs from the 2-4th of November. I will be covering the New York Photo Plus Expo at the Jacob Javitz Center and making a gazillion contacts whiled at it. The money will be o.k. nothing worth bragging about but it’s been less than two years since I saved up enough for my first camera and here I am with my very first press pass.

The ride ruff but I’m working hard to make it smoother. So, why not give a brother a break?

Of Warlords

“A King I was on a cavern throne, in many pillared halls of stone, with golden roof and silver floor and runes of power upon the door.”

Such was the safety of my stronghold, the bigger the walls, the harder they were to penetrate. Those are the merits of one who is ruler of his domain.

Confused, I entered a fairytale which would one day be relabeled, fable, and was rhythmically marching into a battle I knew well was not mine to fight. All this, for the simple sake of a short lived victory and the acquisitions of spatial geography that was not mine to rule, ill equipped with metaphoric concoctions, loose bound breastplates, swords that cut both ways, blinded by false hope, gagged by pride, entrapped by spells and deafened by a nymph’s song, stood I in search of happily ever after.

Of Fairytales

“We fairies that do run, by the triple Hecate’s team, from the presence of the sun, following darkness like a dream.”

And so, I was roused from sleep, the safety of my cocoon, which seldom brought solace other than the cowardly safety of an exiled heart.

Confounded by chants and charms, I thought my metamorphose was complete and prematurely thought I was ready to take a leap, to fly and be something other than my formal self. Once outside, I saw that I lacked the wings of flight. There, grounded adrift the vastness of the physical, with head in clouds searching for ethereal remedies to the conundrums of the mundane, stood I in search of happily ever after.

Today I got up thinking that it would be a normal uneventful kind of day. I arrived at work early and began my routine. The General Manager walked in about 40 min later and hit me with it.

"I'm sorry but we have to let you go...."

I really am not ready to talk about this yet. Its new, it sucks and changes everything