A dream denied...

Dear Jez Catrina,

Thank you for your enquiry into vacancies at the Natural History Museum.

Unfortunately we do not keep general applications on file, however, if you would like to apply for a specific post, all of the Museum's vacancies are listed on our website at www.nhm.ac.uk/jobs where you can also register for email alerts for all new vacancies.

Alternatively, if you are interested in voluntary work experience at the Museum, details are also available on the website or please click on the link below:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/volunteer/work-experience/

Thank you again for your interest, I wish you all the best of luck for the future.

Yours Sincerely,

"£$%^ &*$%*(
Customer Services Assistant
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road | London | SW7 5BD
Tel: 020 7942 5511
Email: "$£%££^&&%$
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk

-----Original Message-----

Subject: Ready and willing to dust dinosaurs

The following message was submitted by email form.

Title: Ready and willing to dust dinosaurs
Submitted by: Jez Catrina
Message:
Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Jez Catrina, and I am currently a graduate student at the London School of Economics. I'm doing a MSc in Global Politics, an umbrella program where students with diverse interests converge in a core module on globalization, while specializing in fields such as economics, history, gender studies, environment, or the academic study of activism, or as I call it, "Revolution 101." It's absorbing and enjoyable, and the perfect fit for a girl like me who's spent the last decade becoming a jane of all trades, having previously been worked or studied in an arts high school, a liberal arts college in a larger university, a continental philosophy faculty, a non-profit language school, a bookstore/cafe and DIY media.

I've always loved science, ever since I was a little girl. People always seem surprised by this, considering my formal qualifications and current academic interests. The popular Zeitgeist would have it that there is some deep psychological divide between the "arts" and the "sciences," as if enthusiasm for one naturally pairs with distaste for the other. Yet I've always been interested in both, and though I've mostly pursued a career in the "arts" I've always tried to keep intellectual and temporal room in my life for science, be it taking simpler science classes in high school and university (being an absolute fumblebuns at the nitty-gritty work that professional scientists are mainly occupied with), reading science blogs, or visiting museums.

This brings me to my query. I'm a Darwin fan, and I recently went the Museum of Natural History with a fellow amateur evolutionist to see your Darwin Exhibit. Being students, we arrived in the afternoon, but we found that the tickets had sold out. So, we naturally decided to visit the dinosaurs, as well as the animals, which I discovered weren't models, but all stuffed with fluffies, much like Winnie the Pooh. The specimens were magnificent, but very, very dusty. I do not mean to deride your janitorial staff, indeed, I applaud them for undertaking nightly what must be a Sisyphean task, that is cleaning up after hoards of children, some nauseous, some rambunctious, some covered in chocolate. Similarly, I do not underestimate the duties of your curators, who likely have to stretch minimal public money to maximum effect on a daily basis.

Rather than criticize the workings of your excellent institution, I'd like to offer my services as a dinosaur duster. I would dust the blue whale as well, and anything else the needs the attention of a good feather duster. I recognize that this would not necessarily be a daily endeavor. I'm currently looking for a job in London in September, something to keep me comfortable and to repay my swelling student debts, and I know you likely cannot hire me full time. Yet I would provide my own French maid's uniform, and would be perfectly happy to hang by a harness from a winch or climb very big ladders, given the position of the dustiest dinosaurs and animals. Please let me know if you are interested in my offer, and thank-you for a wonderful afternoon out.

Yours Sincerely,

Jez Catrina

Further information

Linked_from: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/contact-enquiries/index.html
formURL: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/contact-enquiries/forms/index.jsp

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(PS: In the original, I used my real name, and the NHM's response was signed with a real name and email address as well.)

Jams: Theme songs and Rose Preserve

I watch Heroes. For those of you who aren't in the know, Heroes is an American television show that's essentially a soap opera featuring people with superpowers, combining the cheesy dialogue and "Who's the daddy?" plot twists of afternoon stories and characters who can fly, or shoot electricity from their hands. My favourite character is the erstwhile villain of the piece, Sylar, whose story has unfolded like a first-year university textbook's briefing on Freud. I have come to the conclusion that his character is based on this Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds song, Red Right Hand. Have a listen and a think.

Since we're on the topic of theme songs, my pal Oscar has chosen this song by Stereo Total as my theme song. Do you have a theme song? I think everyone should. If you do, let me know and leave a comment!

Also in the news, (my favourite section of the BBC's news site) this doggo is a survivor. And, as if you ever needed extra motivation to move to Somerset, there is now an entire village that is twinned and shares street names with Ankh Morpork, the "Big Apple" of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.

While on the Beeb I found this recipe for Rose Petal Jam. It looks easy and potentially very useful for an afternoon tea party, but I'm lost as to how I could afford a pound of rose petals. That's a lot of roses. I mean, that's a lot of roses. That's a garden's worth of roses. Such is life, I guess. Strawberry jam forever.