Protected: Stratford Girl, behold your future

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

I’m so sleepy …

I’ve just finished watching “It’s all gone Pete Tong” on TV.  I’ve seen it before but really like the film.  I love the deaf theme, the mis-communications, the lipreading, the (little bit of) signing, and the focus on whether being deaf really is a disability or not …

I’m with the Deaf community on this point, i.e. those people who see themselves as being part of a linguistic minority rather than disabled.  And actually, I don’t think I would mind being deaf.  I mean, obviously, I’d rather not be deaf as I have grown up hearing, and none of my family and very few of my friends sign.  Life would get a lot harder, of course … but I think that, if for some reason I lost my hearing, I would adapt. 

And if I had a deaf child, I wouldn’t see that as a tragedy either.  I suppose they would end up with a cochlear implant, which by all accounts are pretty good these days.  But that would be for them rather than me: to help them manage in a predominantly hearing world, rather than to aid our communication.  In fact, I can even sympathise with Deaf people who want the right to select ‘deaf embryos’ during IVF treatment.  After all, some hearing people want the right to discard them …

Being blind on the other hand …

I can’t leave the house without my contact lenses or glasses.  In fact, I can barely manage in the house without them.  And I hate not being able to see properly.  I especially hate walking into a pub where I am supposed to meet someone if I don’t have my glasses/ contacts.  In fact, I just don’t do it because it’s too stressful! 

I am not sure how I would cope if I went blind.  I mean, I’m sure I would if I had to, but in the unlikely event that I had to choose between being blind and deaf (!), I would definitely choose the latter.  My ex French boyfriend always said he would prefer to be blind than deaf, which I could never understand.  Maybe it was a sign that we were not meant to be.

And now I really am waffling, and it really is time to go to bed.  I was tired before the film started and now I’m shattered.   My cosy bed awaits.

 

 

Vote Match

Check out this website if you live in London - it’s supposed to help you decide who to vote for in the forthcoming elections.

I’ve just taken the test myself and this is what I discovered …

Mayoral Elections

My views were apparently most similar to Ken Livingstone and Sîan Berry of the Greens, closely followed by Lindsey German of the Left List.  My views were least like Richard Barnbrook (BNP) and Gerrard Batten (UKIP) - there’s a relief!

London Assembly Elections

According to Vote Match, I again agree most closely with Labour and the Greens, closely followed by the Left List.  Alarmingly, after that, my views are most similar to vile George Galloway’s Respect Party.  And my views are most dissimilar to UKIP, BNP and One London (who??).

At the moment, I’m still not sure who I’ll be voting for (although not Boris, and none of the extreme right-wing nutters, obviously).  I’ll take time to read all the bumf before making my decision.

I’m a bit disappointed that Brian Paddick wasn’t higher up on my list as he’s the one I’ve been drawn to thus far (although, it would seem, without actually knowng what he stands for!). 

Let me know how you get on, if you take the test.  Who will you be voting for on 1st May? (And why?)

 

Work in progress

What I like about my job

• I can wear jeans to work.
• The salary/ pension is reasonable.
• I am largely independent.
• Some of my colleagues.
• I am interested in language development - at least in an academic, theoretical way.
• Phonetic transcription.

What I don’t like about my job

• SLTs are a homogeneous bunch:  white women in their twenties and thirties, mainly.
• This means there are very few men in the profession.  In the Trust I work in at the moment, there are no male SLTs AT ALL!  My previous Trust was quite remarkable in that we had three male SLTs … quite a coup!
• There is always more to be done.  I never go home from work having finished everything.
• I often take work home.  Although I am really trying not too as much, Norman (before you tell me off!)
• I am frequently by myself in the clinic (I’m the only SLT based where I work).
• There is so much fucking paperwork.
• Agenda for Change.  Under this NHS reform, SLTs lost 2 days’ annual leave per year.  We are also required to work 37.5 instead of 35 hours per week FOR THE SAME PAY!  (Many SLTs work way more than they should, anyway - but that’s not the point).
• Not having time to keep up with all the SLT literature … although it’s all such a yawn anyway, so it’s probably for the best!
• Colleagues who are on higher banded jobs who don’t do any reading AT ALL, and do the same type of therapy year in year out without stopping to think about clinical effectiveness.  (I’m thinking of one or two people in my previous Trust, in particular).
• Having to pay to be a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and Health Professions’ Council (both mandatory for NHS therapists) … and the fact that RCSLT membership fees are the same whether you are a lowly band 5 or a super high earning manager on band 8c.  I keep meaning to write to the RCSLT’s magazine about this but haven’t got round to it yet.  Apathy.
• In my previous Trust, having some people who were doing almost exactly the same job as me (and in some cases not as well as me) earning £10,000 a year more because they were on band 7 and I was on band 5.  Agenda for Change was supposed to ensure that people got equal pay for equal work.  Yeah, right.

STILL MORE RANTING TO COME FOLKS …

 

 

grrrr

I feel a massive moan coming on.  And the gist of it will be … I FUCKING WELL HATE MY JOB!

I really need to change things soon, before I go completly mad.

Let me out . . .

 

 

The Stratford Eye(sore)

Objectively, this is an amazing piece of architecture: it’s god-knows how many storeys high and looks very sleek.

 

But can you imagine living there, on the 18th floor, looking out over a building site, with trains roaring past?  What’s more it’s right next to a busy road, and bang in the middle of a down-market housing estate.  

And the cost of buying there?  A snip at £200,000 for a small two bedroom “apartment”.

The building may look modern and stylish now, but give it a few years … By 2012, it will most definitely be past its prime.

If I had £200,000 to spend on a home … you can bet your life I wouldn’t be investing in the Stratford Eye.

 

Texts

The idea for this post has been shamelessly plagiarised from Brennig, whose texts I enjoyed reading.  The following were on my phone at 7 o’clock this evening.  I’ve included every twentieth message I have sent regardless of content …  not that I’m revealing anything earth-shatteringly shocking …  Can’t believe how many texts my phone is capable of storing.

8.57 pm - 25th March 2008 (to my sister)

Would you like me to upload your race video clips to Facebook?

[My sister did 3 miles for Sport Relief in Brighton]

10.55 am - 21st March 2008 (to E.)

Thanks for the Easter card!  Are you at Center Parcs? xx

[Lucky girl ... turned out my good friend E. was having a luxury spa day there!]

5.13pm - 16th March 2008 (to my dad)

Yes will do.  Just on train back to London.  Will send it when back home.

[Picture of my sister and nephew that is]

8.13pm - 14th March 2008 (to E. and A.)

Doh!  Left diary at work … but think I am OK for Easter Monday.  Can we avoid shopping centres if possible?!  Not sure I could face the bank holiday crowds

[Trying to organise a girly meet-up with E. and A.  We ended up meeting here ... very posh!]

6.47 pm - 11th March 2008 (to L.)

I am making food x

[Lucky boy]

1.46 pm - 1st March 2008 (to Y.)

I have the address but could u remind me which bus it was from Stratford?  I spoke to I. y’day.  She said she would try and make it - will let me know 2day.  C u later x

[For a quiz, that is ... and we won!  Although I. couldn't make it]

3.22 pm - 26th February 2008 (to E.)

All gone a bit crap.  Will tell you more later.  Am teaching at the moment. 

[Less said about this the better]

3.16 pm - 26th February 2008 (to F.B.)

Hey F.B., hope the setting up/ travelling going well.  I am happy to meet after your drinks or may be able to make lunch tomorrow.  Why don’t you call me when you know what you’re doing?  Hope it’s not too scary being in the big, bad metropolis.

[Ditto]

10.01 am - 22nd February 2008 (to J.)

Thanks, J.!  Looking forward to seeing you, too!  Me and my sis are on Friends Reunited dating at the moment.  Trying to find her a man on-line.  It’s such fun x

[She ended up going on a date with a bloke that we had jointly chatted up on-line ... he wasn't her type, though]

10.01 am - 6.53pm February 2008 (to my sister)

Oh dear.  Is it supposed to be longer on one side?

[Her haircut.  She was not a happy bunny]

6.18 pm - 9th February 2008 (to my mum)

Do you fancy going to see Dolly Parton in concert in July?

[I love Dolly Parton!  Mum was unwilling to commit, though ...]

8.15 pm - 8th February 2008 (to L.)

Yes, please.  That would be lovely.  Back soon x 

[L. had offered to make me food after I stayed late at work]

10.15 am - 4th February 2008 (to. A.)

Thanks for the text, A.  Forgot to say yesterday but F.B. has a 7 year old son that lives with him. Xx

[Hmm]

12.38 pm - 3rd February 2008 (to Mathschick)

I am so angry.  Fucking train conductor told me to change at wrong place and now journey will take extra hour!  Aaargh!

[On my way to Folkestone to visit A.]

2.17 am - 3rd February 2008 (to Gastropunk’s friend)

No worries - I gave them back to you.  You were very gallant in lending them to me in the first place!  I got on the bus straight after you anyway.  Hope you get home soon xx

[He's a nice guy, is GP's friend]

5.40 pm - 28th Januray 2008 (to Mathschick)

Cov Gard at 6? x

[We did indeed meet at 6 at Covent Garden]

1.40pm - 24th January 2008 (to my trusty SLT assistant)

Hi H., are you still OK for tomorrow?  I think I have everything we need … if not we’ll have to improvise.  The first group is at 9.30.  Shall we meet at about 9?  SG x

[We did]

The Apprentice

I decided that I wasn’t going to watch this series.  I find Alan Sugar annoying - can’t stand the way he interrupts people all the time and how he insists on being called ‘Sir Alan’.  However, last night, I was home alone and had nothing else to do.  I was channel hopping and stumbled across a repeat of the first episode of the series.  And I’m sorry to report that I think I may already be hooked.

The first episode was a real cracker.  Isn’t Alex sexy?  Wasn’t Raef annoying?  And doesn’t Lucinda look older than her 31 years? 

The villain of the piece was definitely Nicolas de Lacy Twat Features.  He got my goat as soon as he opened his mouth and I heard his posh boy squawk.  I gave myself a metaphorical slap and told myself not to pre-judge … but I’m afraid I lost any sympathy I had for him when he said that his biggest failure in life was getting a B at GCSE French! 

Later he said he felt that the boys’ group had divided into those who were ‘educated’  and those who were not.  What he actually meant was, he thought the boys’ group was split along the lines of those who used R.P. and those who didn’t: he was equating being educated with being posh. 

Needless to say I was really glad when Nicholas (who it turns out was born plain old Nicholas Brown!) was the first one to get fired.  And now I can’t wait for the next episode.

As an addendum to the above, I have just been checking out Nicholas’s website.  Although a posh twit, it seems that he is actually quite a talented artist, too. 

Sunset over Stratford

The sky was blood red, with large splashes of yellow; the photos don’t do it justice.

And obviously sunsets in the city are not as nice as sunsets on the beach, but this was pretty spectacular nonetheless.