more life updates

Haven't been writing here, and for a good reason. I've got better at entrying my journal, and it's just too much work to keep up with both.

Things have been going smoothly, and at the same time overwhelming, and that's not an oxymoron. I'm pleased with everything that I have going on here, but it's just a little too much on my plate right now.

We have a Bharatanatyam performance in 2 days. I'm only dancing a short piece, but it's still a ton of work. We have at least 3 practices each week, and last weekend, we were away in Tepotzlan at Paty's (my teacher) house to rehearse.

In the office, I've pretty much been by myself. Laura, the other intern (now a former intern), already left at the beginning of this month for a job at a law firm. Every day, I have to answer all the emails, all the phone calls, talk with everyone who walks into our center, and at the same time, put together on several presentations (state promotions for Illinois, test preps), draft the newsletter and continue working on two big projects: study group and pre-departure orientation. The way I usually work is concentrate and be productive for a couple of hours, then slow down for about half an hour, and then restart my engine. With all these deadlines coming down on me bam bam bam, I hardly even have time to breath, let alone slow down.

Also work-related, met with Megan for a mid-term evaluation, and learned more crucial lessons on professionalism. I love walking barefoot, and have a problem keeping my shoes on. Especially when i sit at one place (a.k.a. in front of the computer in the office) for a long time, I have the habit of kicking my shoes out, and then I'd get up and walk around barefoot. I also need to change my postures from time to time, and that may mean sitting cross-legged on my chair. All of this looks casual and unprofessional. Another thing that Megan brought up was my style of communication. She said I was too blunt and a little too casual with higher-up like Alan, which is totally true. While I understand that Alan is the top boss, it's hard to avoid chitchatting with him. We speak in English (i tend to be very casual in English) and he makes you feel like you're one of his best pals. And when I don't feel distant from someone, I can also be very direct. Also, (unfortunately), it's hard for me to "praise" or complement to people of higher ranks. It feels both inappropriate (they're the boss after all - they don't need my evaluation) and too ass-kissing. Maybe I just need to learn how. Or maybe someone can teach me another way to look at it that is not: making your boss feel good about him/herself so that you can become a favorite --> puke