But there's a lot of valor on the team

[austin_dern]

Quiet again today, which seems to be a neat binary pattern we've developed. Today was largely my fault: I had an ``outreach'' event, convincing High School students to come to my university, that took most of the day. This was the first outreaching since the reorganization of my department became public, so the other staff had reasonable questions for me like what's happening to the people in it (academic and non-academic staff), what's happening to me, whether anyone bothers coming in anymore (yeah, it's just like any other between-term time), do we have any flyers to give out (no).

It turns out I'm pretty good at outreaching, though it takes time to warm up in the morning and get used to barking, asking anyone who walks by if they've considered a science major, or the university, and trying to make up reasonable answers about things outside my department (``you do need some biology to take a biological sciences programme, but there are bridging classes for weak points in your background''). That simple, genial approach seems to do all right, and one guy from another department mentioned he hoped I would get assigned to his department, because he liked my energy and could use me for further outreachery. We really should get somebody from Lucky Plaza or Change Alley, one of the aggressive barkers who tackle passers-by and drive them into their stores, to get people to our stands. Or we could learn some of their marketing tactics. I hate being a salesman, but if we're going to do it, we should try doing it well.

Later, back home, my guest and I did something that, so far as I recall, I've never done in my life before: get delivery pizza. The list of things I've never done in my life is odd and generally dull. We got from Pizza Hut, which I've rarely eaten at, never before in Singapore. Ordering took -- my phone times calls, and yes, my phone bill will not be zero this month -- four minutes, 31 seconds, for a single pie. They asked for my address, name, phone number, and postal code. They also got lost. And got the order wrong, although by the time it arrived we didn't feel like arguing. It was a tasty Singapura Topping pizza, which was ... I guess ham, turkey sausage, pineapple, capsicum, olives, that sort of thing. Pretty good, though I still miss your classic Romeo's ``You Tried The Rest, Now Try The Best'' grease pizza with grease.

Trivia: Swedish naturalist and taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus developed ``Flora's Clocks,'' flower beds whose plants opened and closed at different, but regular, times of day. Source: Life Science Library: Time, Samuel A Goudsmit, Robert Claiborne.

Currently Reading: Longitude, Dava Sobel.

Comments

[jakebe.livejournal.com]

I hate being a salesman, but if we're going to do it, we should try doing it well.

That philosophy right there is one of the many reasons I dig you so completely. :)

Hope you and the 'roo are having fun, despite himself. Pinch him or metamorphos him into something for me.

-J

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

That's a curious trait to find likable in me, actually. It seems to lend itself too easily to fairly devious behavior if I'm not careful.

We are, though, having a wonderful time. I'll see what I can do about pinching when he's not expecting it.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

I have to concur with Austin on this. I hated absolutely from start to finish my retail work.. two kiosks in the mall one november through mid-january.. but I was good at my work at both kiosks, an good salesperson if I say so myself. I just don't like being pushy.

--Chiaroscuro

[jakebe.livejournal.com]

Mm, I hear you there. I actually really adore certain types of retail -- the jobs I held at the Nature Company and Natural Wonders were the best ever. If I'm selling product I can really believe in to people who are genuinely interested and excited, then, yeah, best job ever. It doesn't feel like work, it just feels like...helping people. ;)

-J

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

That's why I like when I get to work Banquets at work. Saying hiyas to folks as I refill the trays of Hazelnut Crusted Chicken and Pasta Florentine is my rare bit of customer interaction, and it's always fun. Trying to push "The Amazing Chop Chop- dices onions! Pulverizes potatoes!" was Not Fun.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

It'd be much more fun if you really hated potatoes, though.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I did like working retail in a bookshop, but that's just something that appeals to several longstanding mental needs of mine, such as the need to put things in order and the need to have plenty of material to read around. Most products I might sell don't register so very well.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Mmm. What sort of bookstore did you work in? And.. I have some of the similar need-to-order, as long as I deem something orderable. My CDs are in excellent order by artist and by date.. save for that stack of a dozen on my computer table, and the two on my dresser.. but when they go back to the two giant cases in the living room, they will be in the right spots once more.

I also color-sorted out my closet after seeing it recommended on TV's Clean Sweep.. and it looks better, cleaner, and cuts my self-dressing time about 20%.

Of course, escaped from my ability to order anymore are my comic book collection, and my VCL/Yerf/Fchan downloads..

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I worked at a Walden's, in a comfortable if declining mall. I got charge of the science fiction, computers, reference, and humor sections, which again shows that they were doing pretty well at matching personalities to people.

Color-sorting? Like, assigning dark clothes to one end and light clothes to another?

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Yes, though even more specialized than that in actuality. In order from left to right in my closet:

Those 5 sentimental value T-shirts that don't even fit anymore
Black T-Shirts
Green T-shirts
Blue T-shirts
Purple T-shirts
Red T-shirts
Orange T-shirts
Yellow T-shirts
Beige and Grey T-shirts
White T-shirts
White Chef Jackets
White Button Shirts
Colored Button Shirts (predominantly hawaiian)
Grey/Black Formal Shirts
Sweaters/Sweatshirts
Ties
Suit

Perhaps it's a bit on the obsessive side, but if I'm looking for my Anthroon 2004 shirt, or my nice formal dark purple long-sleeve shirt, I can find it most rapidly. It also makes needs a little plainer- black T-shirts are plainly NOT one for me, while more white ones shall be soon.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

You've got multiple purple t-shirts?

I suppose I do some color-gradation in my clothes, but everything I have is either dark or light, by my eye. Even the stuff that is a specific bright color is either a dark color or a light color, and I just try to avoid wearing too similar a top and bottom outside the house.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Three. One "Pinky and the Brain: Bikers for World Domination" shirt, and two shirts from Raya's, a local pizza place I worked at for two months earlier this year. The Raya's shirts are more a burgundy shade, but not 'red'. I do miss my very purple Wile E. Coyote shirt, but it was tattered enough to depart some years back.

As for my color decision process... well, I'm fussy. My work uniform is mandated enough I try to put optimal clothing choices into my 'wekeend', and I'll dither between the kelly green and forest green T-shirts for a while now and then. (And usually go with the kelly green, because it has a pocket, and that's really nice for my iPod.)

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Huh. The only T-shirts I've got are, hm, a ``Picard/Riker '92'' T-shirt I picked up back when I went to conventions, a couple NASA shirts, and an ``I love my coatimundis'' shirt. I don't have any coatimundis, but it's a mighty cute shirt.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

You dress more formally than I do, and I think that's a good thing. I'd rather dress moreso, but work requirements.. albeit, a Chef jacket and pants is somewhat formal of wear, it's a uniform. But, under the jacket is mandated a white shirt.

I have approximately 70 T-shirts, down from a peak of 100 or so. About 10 are white shirts, 30 are black T-shirts.. couple that with my blue jean supply, and I could probably wear Black T-shirts and jeans every day for a year and not match the same jean with the same shirt.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Huh. I keep thinking I could go months without ever exactly duplicating my outfits, but then every time I notice it seems to be the same pair.

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

Certainly true - whether you're talking of a commodity product, or an establishment, things very seldom just sell themselves; even the best products will wither on the vine, if nobody's around to pick them.

And, you have the local benefit of being exotic, too.

I wonder - is online ordering available in Singapore? I recall they've been trying it out in some markets. That'd seem to be a win for them, too, as they can (hopefully) just look at a list of checked toppings and run with that, no transcribing troubles getting in the way.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I'm not actually all that exotic. Many of the faculty, particularly those up for outreaching, are ``foreign talent,'' often from the United States or Europe. I have some exoticness from being taller than average, but just being a large, doughy white guy doesn't cut it.

I don't know if online ordering is available. The Pizza Hut web site here demands Flash, and I leave Flash turned off because I'm trying to discourage that sort of irresponsible behavior from web site designers.

[spaceroo.livejournal.com]

Hope you and the 'roo are having fun, despite himself.

Hmph.

[patchoblack.livejournal.com]

You tell them, 'roo. Don't let them force you to enjoy yourself!

[orv.livejournal.com]

He puts up a good fight, but deep down he wants it. Enjoying himself, that is. Please don't take that first sentence out of context. ;>

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Can't do much about the context, but yes, we've been doing pretty nicely finding ways to have deep-down fun, whether from geckos or from perfectly reckless activities. (See following posts for details.)

[spaceroo.livejournal.com]

Mrrrrrrow, or something.

[jakebe.livejournal.com]

*pinches your cheek and hands you a button that reads "Warning: Cute When Grumpy."

-J

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

That sort of thing feeds the grumpiness, you know.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*outreaches........ and touches.... the tip of your tail*

:} ..."oooo, fluffy".

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I'm not really all that fluffy. Fuzzy, maybe, particularly in photographs.