Monthly Archives: April 2012

End of the Semester!!

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Sorry for the lack of posts of late! I have pictures to put up and many things to say, but I don’t have the time…because it ALREADY the end of the semester (I don’t want to talk about it).

Things that have happened:

  • I’ve started my 10pg paper and presentation
  • I went to a rugby game!!!!
  • I’ve finished work at my Community Service Project 😦
  • I’ve met my entire host family!! It was vacation here so I met my host brother and host sister.

Things that are going to happen:

  • I’m going to Bretagne (Brittany) with my family tomorrow!!!
  • Next week I present my CSP and take an exam…
  • So…my next “real” post will not be until the week after this one. When I’m preparing to fly home.
  • That’s another thing that’s happening: I’m going home!!
Apr15

As my days become numbered

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I tried to film this but there is a huge delay between what I say and the movements. I recorded two times, and had the same problem. Not sure what’s up.

This post is about the weird mix of feelings I’m experiencing as my flight approaches. Since I haven’t updated my blog with this news: I’ve decided to go home on May 7th. The logistics involved in staying here and preparing for Madagascar makes it too expensive. Lessons learned:

  1. Schedule flight 1-2 weeks out, even if you have no plans
  2. Try to do as much as possible for your second program in the States – I tried to do this but I forgot a few forms that could’ve been signed in advance

As I’ve realized that my time here in Toulouse is going to end, I’ve started to feel really pressed, in an almost claustrophobic sense. I feel stir-crazy and yet I want to stay here in Toulouse. I’m caught between being scared of not seeing the rest of the world, and wondering what’ve missed out on back home. I’m looking forward to seeing my real family, and dreading having to leave this family here. I had a dream the other night that I arrived in Cincinnati and when I tried to faire les bises with my mom, it was an awkward moment… like a reverse arrival to France. Still not sure how that’ll work out. I’ve learned to love to faire les bises. It avoids hugging which I find awkward sometimes because it goes on too long…and you don’t want to push away because thats rude. Any who…

That wasn’t really what I wanted to talk about. I’m feeling very uncertain about everything. My plans for grad school, the possibility of working and traveling, what to do once I start my courses back up on campus…when I have to be on campus for an extended period of time… graduating. What to do afterward. Lots of things that have nothing to do with me in this moment, but for some reason are distracting me.

I’m worried about forgetting my French. I’m worried about not getting back to Toulouse. Will I want to come back? I know Toulouse, shouldn’t I want to see the rest of the world?

I have a lot of homework to do, and I’m not able to focus on it because of all these other feelings and thoughts. While there is nothing I can do, I find them, distracting and stressful.

 

Apr14
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Anyone who has ever been on a plane knows “SkyMall”… a strange shopping catalog that contains all sorts of items, some weird, some a bit practical, some eccentric (the coffee table/fish tank is pretty tempting… not gonna lie 🙂 ) So what is this post about?   …..applying to a summer study abroad program while currently overseas studying abroad….

Even in the U.S. the amount of paperwork and bureaucracy involved in going abroad is complicated and hard to get finished on time. Overseas its even worse.  Especially when you don’t really have a functioning scanner, and/or you keep having to interrupt your host family with another form you’ve just discovered in the back of your folder that was due about a week ago…    my point? and what does this have to do with Skymall?

I distinctly remember there being a scanner in Skymall. A small one that looks like a stick with a paper slot in it…. I SHOULD’VE BOUGHT IT!!! My advice: if you have the occasion to get a travel scanner, and you plan on traveling and there might even be the possibility of paperwork…buy it. Its worth it.

That being said, hopefully all my paperwork will be sorted by out by next Wed…which is good because I have 7-10 pg paper due soon. Its not the length thats the trouble (7-10 isn’t really that much), its the fact its in French… gotta hand it to SIT I may not be able to read as well as a 6 year old orally- pronunciation is a bit of a problem (I bought this “I’m learning How to Read Game” for young kids…the explanation of how to use the educational tool had the audacity to say that Letters go together to from sounds, which create words… I know English has phonetic issues regarding letter, but not like French… most American English make use of the majority of their letters. The first card I looked at had “haut” ..H’s aren’t pronounced, and I’m pretty sure the T isn’t too…exactly…) anywho… so, my paper is going to take up a lot of time.

 

🙂 There will be more this weekend, I just needed to put this out there.

Item from SkyMall that You Might Actually need