Internships and Cockroaches

Survive first week of internship. Check.

I got coffee, delivered things without getting lost, answered phones. Proper intern stuff. I even got to read a few scripts, which is why I’m actually there.

Yesterday, I got put on the scanning project – they’re working on scanning all of the hard copies of scripts into the computer. So, for seven hours, I stood in the back cursing at Oberon.

Oberon is the name I gave the scanner/copier. I named him such because he is temperamental and likes to make an ass out of people. He’s also the jealous type, as every time I tried to step away from him to throw something away -- or, God forbid, eat -- he would get a paper jam and call me back. And, like Oberon, he finally started to cooperate at around Act 4, which for me was an hour before I left.

Every time there was a paper jam, Oberon would beep at the same pitch as my high school alarm clock that used to wake me up at 5 a.m. every day. The one that screamed “Wake up, Carrie! Dream time is over! BEEP BEEP BEEP!”

Obviously, interns are meant to do the grunt work that no one else wants. I’m free labour, after all. I’m not a real employee. But when I’m standing for hours feeding paper into a machine, I can’t help but let my thoughts wander.

Of course, my thoughts wander to, “Shit. What if this is it?”

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

My supervisor is the assistant to the higher-ups She used to be in my position. It would be so easy to become an assistant. The issue is, I don’t want to be an assistant. I don’t want to go through the motions and be in a successful office just to be there. That’s only a step better than standing outside with my nose pressed against the window (metaphorically speaking – the office is on the third floor).

On a completely different note, I killed my first cockroach today. It was a horrible experience that I hope never to repeat. But, hey, check another thing off the list. I’m on my way to becoming a New Yorker.