7-point word

Since my last post, my mum has had a major operation and as I’m living at the nation’s expense right now I can look after her and generally make myself (and my working core muscles) useful. However, playing housewife temporarily has definitely re-iterated that although I am perfectly capable of hanging out a line of washing, making a mean goulash and whipping round Sainsbury’s like a pro, I REALLY don’t want to as a career! It is something else to add to my long-term career blacklist along with:

Retail assistant (I’ve been there, done that, got the t-shirt and can’t go into shops without straightening displays. It’s a problem.)

Receptionist/secretary (yawn)

Civil servant (*hiss*)

Artist (I can’t cope with the bullshit)

Graphic designer (I don’t love fonts enough)

...and now Housewife

Oh boy, am I thankful that I have more options than being married off and more ambitions than perfecting my bridge game! I should be very, very clear at this point that the lifestyle I’ve just outlined is not my mum’s – she’s an accountant, and she’s brilliant. She delayed her op for a week so she could do the payroll.

However, not all women are lucky enough to be in my position, which is a privileged one. I’m very well educated, solvent (well, just about anyway...), socially enfranchised and find it very difficult to imagine being otherwise. Now, while I’m up on my soapbox, hear this people: it hasn’t even been 100 years since women in the UK have been eligible to vote on the same terms as men, in fact it hasn’t even been 100 years yet since women could vote AT ALL.

I find it really frustrating when people just can’t be bothered to vote – we get to vote on so few things that when the opportunity comes round a “meh” response doesn’t cut it! I don’t think it matters if you don’t think any party represents your needs and ideologies or if they all come across as out of touch/ slightly depressing/ self serving or whatever. That’s what spoiling your ballot paper is for. I know a lot of people on here either live abroad or want to, fair play, I’m with you. My thinking is that I might want to come back one day though, and even if I do emigrate, I’m still a British citizen and for now (politically) the only place I can try to make a difference is in the UK. While I can try and do something, I’ll do it.  

Rant over, I feel better for that. I think.

In other news, I’m on my last checkpoint of the 60hr bit of TEFL, I’ve rediscovered the joys of running to Bowie, and I’m all caught up on Glee. I haven’t made any headway with either Mandarin or using chopsticks, but the latter is mostly because I wanted to play chopstick jenga and got discouraged when I realised we don’t have either jenga or any chopsticks. Like I said, Mum’s out of action so that’s a better excuse... but also various aged relations descended on Base Camp Wilson and some serious Scrabble battles had to be fought. If I’m as devious with a triple word score when I’m 90 as my Granny B, I will be doing well!

I’ve also finally got out a couple of books out the library about China – one about Beijing and its history, one about the only female emperor. If they’re any good I’ll let you guys know.

cheers all :)

(p.s. http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/elections_2010.aspx)