Welcoming Spring

From my mom's garden today

Sup! The weather in Northern California is beautiful. ^^ So refreshing to get to sit around the house now in a male t-shirt and comfy shorts instead of the restriction that is winter clothes. I'm totally writing this post out of procrastination even though I have to read and do an assignment on a 109 paged screenplay that's due Tuesday. Fuck. I've been so busy lately I don't wanna spend my only free time doing work waa waaaa. :'c

I had volunteering again today! I was just supposed to follow our team leader around again like yesterday and help with whatever errands (which isn't uninteresting, but just unproductive, I find) UNTIL!! she got a call asking for reinforcement, as an usher at one of the theatres couldn't show up. I enjoyed ticket ushering so much that I emailed the team leader to let her know, so of course the job got passed on to me woooo!

Last time I worked at a movie theater, but this time I was stationed at a fancy theatre with Spaniard style architecture that oversees operas, orchestras, etc.

A sorry excuse of a picture of the lobby + red carpet I snapped on my shoddy, non-smart phone. :'D
(Google Images gives a much more flattering presentation BUT... they tore down the red carpet and backdrop near the end of my shift so I wanted to preserve what I got to be in the presence of.)

The bulk of today's work (and cause for my current soreness of throat and feet) came in the hour and a half during which I was among 3 ticket scanners letting 600+ people into an event.

It's unfortunate that I don't know who Neil Gaiman is but it was pretty awesome to see how many people were big enough fans to come. ^^ I had a great moment after my shift ended when a group of girls in front of the theatre asked me if Mr. Gaiman had left yet, and I got to be all, "I DON'T KNOW IF I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY THIS BUT... I heard he's leaving from the back," and they displayed.. such.... a range of emotion that makes me very fond and smug about this story. Teheheh.

I never once thought I'd be even half decent at customer service, but it was so much fun and I felt competent. ;^;)/ But t'was tiring. 3 hours of constant smiling, standing, being polite, hunger, thirst, and SO MUCH TALKING: "thank you!" "enjoy!" "I can help you over here!" "would you like to fill out a survey?" "good morning!" "I'm so sorry; please give me a moment!" "have a great day!" and sweetly smiling some more.

And I made friends very easily and got along with about everyone I interacted with for more than a minute. I wish volunteering didn't chip such a chunk out of my schedule, because it's had the most positive impact on me and has been one of my greatest experiences in university. I would engage in it more if not for class, work, homework, time for friends, and the things that I had to cut out in the past few weeks: recording, mixing, watching dramas, getting proper sleep.

It was when I took friend out for driving practice after volunteering, and he was really embarrassed to approach the ice cream truck we came upon... I realized that that was me not too long ago. I always feared and disliked interacting with people--especially strangers--so much that if possible, I'd have someone else order for me in a restaurant because I didn't want to talk to the waiter/waitress. I found it too overwhelming to talk to people with authority, adults, professors, doctors... I'd be afraid of people watching me, and too self conscious to do anything that any onlookers might find strange or embarrassing. If someone got my order wrong, I would not say anything and suck it up. I would not engage with strangers, and just say a few words coldly to get my point across at best. Today I even wished the ice cream truck man a nice day--no hesitation and lit with a genuine smile and confident tone. Damn.

These days of volunteering may have made me outgoing for the first time.




Zhou Mi (Super Junior-M) - "Wild Lilies Also Have A Spring" (3:01)