I GOT MY VISA.
Seriously I haven't been this excited since the last Harry Potter book came out.
Showing posts with label organizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organizing. Show all posts
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Title change!
So, I've changed the title of this thang from Yours truly, xox to Gauffre-a-gogo because
1: I always thought "Yours truly, xox" was REALLY corny
2: My friend has decided that Belgium shall be referred to as "Waffle-a-gogo Land" (it's a long story), but in Belgium, waffles are called "gauffres" (gohfr) and "Gauffre-a-gogo" sounds better than "Waffle-a-gogo" because of the alliteration
So that's that! I might change the layout while I'm at it. Not really fond of the green birds, man.
I've finally gotten EVERYTHING in the mail to the Consulate General of Waffle-a-gogo Land (except the Almighty Background Check)! This is super exciting for me, because that business was my main cause of stress about all of this. I did a lot of running around on Friday; I went to the Study Abroad office (which is on the 4th floor and Clemson stairs are WICKED; srsly those things are VERTICAL) and the university post office, but they only accept cash or checks there and I never have cash, so I had to walk/run downtown to the city post office (which closes at 4) so I could express mail everything to Atlanta. I definitely had a nightmare last night that I left out my passport and found it in a sale bin in the mall, only it turned out that it wasn't my passport, it was somebody else's and then I was relieved. In the same dream, I bought a watch whose face looked like a record player. I really want to find that watch now and actually buy it, because it was really cool.
It's actual exam week, so I'm INFINITELY perkier than I was last post (can't you tell?) because the anticipation is ALWAYS worse than the actual event. Now if I only I could realize this about airplanes, we would be golden.
I'm starting to get nervous/excited about all this biznass. I'm nervous 1: because I hate airplanes, and 2: because I'm starting to worry about communication. Don't get me wrong, I speak French (rather well, I might add) and it's good that I have such a strong accent (so say my professors, anyway), but I've come to learn that my accent is a Parisian accent, and sometimes, like in English, I get REALLY southern because I put a lot of emphasis on the last syllable (yup; they have different accents just like we do!), and Parisian accent ≠ southern French accent ≠ Belgian accent. WHAT IF THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND ME AND MY PARISIAN/SOUTH CAROLINIAN SELF?
And I know y'all are probably all thinking, "Fool, they speak ENGLISH in Europe too!" but I don't WANT to speak English. What's the point of me even going abroad if I'm going to speak English the whole time? I'm one of those weird Americans that actually sees a benefit in learning a language that isn't English, and that would actually like to use said language if I'm going to go through the trouble of learning it in the first place.
I'm sure I'm just being silly.
1: I always thought "Yours truly, xox" was REALLY corny
2: My friend has decided that Belgium shall be referred to as "Waffle-a-gogo Land" (it's a long story), but in Belgium, waffles are called "gauffres" (gohfr) and "Gauffre-a-gogo" sounds better than "Waffle-a-gogo" because of the alliteration
So that's that! I might change the layout while I'm at it. Not really fond of the green birds, man.
I've finally gotten EVERYTHING in the mail to the Consulate General of Waffle-a-gogo Land (except the Almighty Background Check)! This is super exciting for me, because that business was my main cause of stress about all of this. I did a lot of running around on Friday; I went to the Study Abroad office (which is on the 4th floor and Clemson stairs are WICKED; srsly those things are VERTICAL) and the university post office, but they only accept cash or checks there and I never have cash, so I had to walk/run downtown to the city post office (which closes at 4) so I could express mail everything to Atlanta. I definitely had a nightmare last night that I left out my passport and found it in a sale bin in the mall, only it turned out that it wasn't my passport, it was somebody else's and then I was relieved. In the same dream, I bought a watch whose face looked like a record player. I really want to find that watch now and actually buy it, because it was really cool.
It's actual exam week, so I'm INFINITELY perkier than I was last post (can't you tell?) because the anticipation is ALWAYS worse than the actual event. Now if I only I could realize this about airplanes, we would be golden.
I'm starting to get nervous/excited about all this biznass. I'm nervous 1: because I hate airplanes, and 2: because I'm starting to worry about communication. Don't get me wrong, I speak French (rather well, I might add) and it's good that I have such a strong accent (so say my professors, anyway), but I've come to learn that my accent is a Parisian accent, and sometimes, like in English, I get REALLY southern because I put a lot of emphasis on the last syllable (yup; they have different accents just like we do!), and Parisian accent ≠ southern French accent ≠ Belgian accent. WHAT IF THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND ME AND MY PARISIAN/SOUTH CAROLINIAN SELF?
And I know y'all are probably all thinking, "Fool, they speak ENGLISH in Europe too!" but I don't WANT to speak English. What's the point of me even going abroad if I'm going to speak English the whole time? I'm one of those weird Americans that actually sees a benefit in learning a language that isn't English, and that would actually like to use said language if I'm going to go through the trouble of learning it in the first place.
I'm sure I'm just being silly.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Owl humor, only I'm not laughing.
Technically this is my second post for today. That's intense.
The good news is, I got everything done last night that I needed done for today EXCEPT (of course there's an except) the kanji assessment for Japanese class, but compared to the econ test, oral exam, poli.sci quiz and cultural presentation, all of which also happened today, it's not such a big deal.
In "holy gracious I'm going to hurt someone" news, Clemson is 1 snarky email away from me walking over to the president's office, ripping out my brain and going "Here. You keep it. You've earned it." because these people are driving me loony tunes. Srsly. There was a misunderstanding about notarization, and no one has gotten back the all-important background check yet, but they're sending our visa requests off anyway. Wheredeydodatat? Apparently this is being done so that most of the work will be done already and when the bg checks come in all the school has to do is scan them and email them in, but seriously? What the heck, guys.
I just left the Study Abroad office talking to our SA advisor lady, and she goes, "Well, now we're starting to worry about getting everything back in time."
You guys have been doing this program for HOW MANY YEARS and you STILL haven't gotten it right yet? Slap yourself. Slap yourself and go home.
Honestly.
Pinky promise, I'll be happier after exams.
The good news is, I got everything done last night that I needed done for today EXCEPT (of course there's an except) the kanji assessment for Japanese class, but compared to the econ test, oral exam, poli.sci quiz and cultural presentation, all of which also happened today, it's not such a big deal.
In "holy gracious I'm going to hurt someone" news, Clemson is 1 snarky email away from me walking over to the president's office, ripping out my brain and going "Here. You keep it. You've earned it." because these people are driving me loony tunes. Srsly. There was a misunderstanding about notarization, and no one has gotten back the all-important background check yet, but they're sending our visa requests off anyway. Wheredeydodatat? Apparently this is being done so that most of the work will be done already and when the bg checks come in all the school has to do is scan them and email them in, but seriously? What the heck, guys.
I just left the Study Abroad office talking to our SA advisor lady, and she goes, "Well, now we're starting to worry about getting everything back in time."
You guys have been doing this program for HOW MANY YEARS and you STILL haven't gotten it right yet? Slap yourself. Slap yourself and go home.
Honestly.
Pinky promise, I'll be happier after exams.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The good, the eh, and the bad
Good news: I survived my TB test! Matt, my friend from Japanese class, magically appeared on his scooter as I was going in for it (and on the verge of tears) after class and gave me the thumbs up. I'm sure if he hadn't had a helmet on, he'd have given me a がんばって (ganbatte; the Japanese equivalent of "You can do it!"). He's a nice guy.
Eh news: I paid $15 and wasted 30 minutes sitting in Redfern (Clemson's health clinic) being told I weigh 195 pounds (which is bollocks, if you ask me) and answering questions about whether or not I have chronic this (no), chronic that (no), or medical allergies (codone). Srsly? I COULD HAVE LIED, PEOPLE. I am not, however, overlooking the fact that there was no blood drawn. Thank you, Jesus, for sparing me the finger prick/dull razor. (I'd hate to seem ungrateful)
Bad news: I haven't gotten my all-important FBI background check back yet. Deadline was today. But I emailed Meredith (the lady in the study abroad office who's working with us) and she told me to just hand in what I have.
In other (good) news, I don't have TB! (so now Matt can stop teasing me about it)
Eh news: I paid $15 and wasted 30 minutes sitting in Redfern (Clemson's health clinic) being told I weigh 195 pounds (which is bollocks, if you ask me) and answering questions about whether or not I have chronic this (no), chronic that (no), or medical allergies (codone). Srsly? I COULD HAVE LIED, PEOPLE. I am not, however, overlooking the fact that there was no blood drawn. Thank you, Jesus, for sparing me the finger prick/dull razor. (I'd hate to seem ungrateful)
Bad news: I haven't gotten my all-important FBI background check back yet. Deadline was today. But I emailed Meredith (the lady in the study abroad office who's working with us) and she told me to just hand in what I have.
In other (good) news, I don't have TB! (so now Matt can stop teasing me about it)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Classes!
Yesterday I finally got off my bum and emailed Peebles about the classes I need to take next semester at UCL. There's this tricky little rule (i.e., the reason why I'll be graduating in May instead of December) (yes I'm bitter about this) where students doing the French Language Immersion Program (which will henceforth be known as FLIP because I'm lazy) have to take a crash/immersion course where you pretty much sit around and speak French for 3 hours for the first few days in Belgium, 9 hours of French courses (3 classes) and may take 3-6 hours of classes in other departments (2 classes) in order to remain full time students. This is what I'll be taking:
French 312 -- Writing in French I
French 317 -- Contemporary French/Francophone Civilization
French 398 -- Intermediate Oral Practice
Marketing 427 -- International Marketing
English 316 -- Writing & International Trade
I'll be doing 398 twice, because it's also the crash course all of us have to do at the beginning of the semester. Fr317 is only offered to the Clemson students, so I'll have that with the kids in my program (and I think Dr. Denis, one of the chairs of this program from Belgium, teaches it). Everything else? I get to mingle with foreign kids! :D
I'm only taking Eng316 at the insistence of Touya, my academic adviser, who I am loathe to listen to anyway because he neglected to mention that study abroad will put me behind graduating in the first place ('cause you know...that's only his JOB), and then proceeded to tell me (after I reamed him for it), "Well, sometimes, staying a little longer can be good." Do you wanna pay my tuition? No? Then sit down, shut up and GO HOME. Ugh. I am seriously about to pay for a whole semester + some change to eat chocolate, get fat, drink beer, and meander around Europe for 6 months. How about I just take a semester off and wander anyway? It'll be CHEAPER.
I think we'll end this on that positive note, hahaha
French 312 -- Writing in French I
French 317 -- Contemporary French/Francophone Civilization
French 398 -- Intermediate Oral Practice
Marketing 427 -- International Marketing
English 316 -- Writing & International Trade
I'll be doing 398 twice, because it's also the crash course all of us have to do at the beginning of the semester. Fr317 is only offered to the Clemson students, so I'll have that with the kids in my program (and I think Dr. Denis, one of the chairs of this program from Belgium, teaches it). Everything else? I get to mingle with foreign kids! :D
I'm only taking Eng316 at the insistence of Touya, my academic adviser, who I am loathe to listen to anyway because he neglected to mention that study abroad will put me behind graduating in the first place ('cause you know...that's only his JOB), and then proceeded to tell me (after I reamed him for it), "Well, sometimes, staying a little longer can be good." Do you wanna pay my tuition? No? Then sit down, shut up and GO HOME. Ugh. I am seriously about to pay for a whole semester + some change to eat chocolate, get fat, drink beer, and meander around Europe for 6 months. How about I just take a semester off and wander anyway? It'll be CHEAPER.
I think we'll end this on that positive note, hahaha
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