Krisi -
Wow im so jealous!! Dubai!! ok though its never fun getting burnt..or getting money stolen but still, Dubai!! Haha with us its the opposite, im usually late on my own..not always but usually ;) but when with the family we’re always on time…except we’re always annoyingly too early! i know its good just in case but möh! Post the pics soon! :)
Well, the trip was wonderful. Except for a few minor glitches: 1) They sent a smaller plane than planned so they had to drive us to Amsterdam instead of flying us there. But we made our connecting flight in time, so no harm done really.. 2) I burned my skin more than once. Not fun. :( 3) I was given $500 of spending money before we left. Yesterday, both Jaz and I discover that we only have $400 in our wallets. We’re both pretty sure that we took all of it with us, but not positive. There is the chance that we wanted to save some of it and left it back home, but so far, we haven’t found any of it. And we don’t remember doing that either. So.. yeah.. someone stole it. No clue when or where or how. >_< 4) Family trips are really stressful. Mainly because we’re always late. When I travel anywhere = I’m always on time. The five of us together = running to the gate.
On the plus side, I got lots of shopping done. Spent around 250€. Managed to buy 100€ worth of stuff in just one hour during one shopping trip. XD And I’ve got piccies! They’ll be up later on the pics page. Now, I’m gonna go make me some tea. It seems so cold outside after the relentless sunshine in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Just thought I’d let the ones who don’t speak to me on MSN daily that since it’s Easter vacation soon, I’m going home for a few days before going to Dubai and then back to Oliver’s. All of this means, I won’t be online. And therefore not updating. Then again, I haven’t updated my blogs for ages either.
Got my Aspects of Genre assignment back today. Borderline 2.1/First. So cool. I wasn’t expecting such a good grade from it, since I didn’t put that much effort into it. I did put effort into my Contemporary Writing essay and got a borderline 2.2/2.1… so yeah, really happy surprise. :D And the funniest thing was that my tutor just found out today that I’m not American. I would’ve thought that my last name would’ve been a big tip off. Anyway, when he handed me my essay, he was like: “Finally, an American who can write!” “I’m not American. I’m from Finland!” “Damn.”
XD
I got Buffy Season 4 from the library today. Half way through it by now. Has to be returned tomorrow at noon. I doubt that I’ll get through all of it, but it’s convinced me that Jaz & I should buy the DVDs.
God, it’ll be so hard getting up on Saturday. My train leaves at 7:30 am plus they’re doing some rail works which means that I’ll have to take a bus between two stations. Grr. Adding another hour to the journey. Ah well. And I finished packing today. Yay me. Except, I don’t know do I know have any clothes back home. And I can’t fit anything else in my suitcase. So.. problem. Possibly. I guess it just means that I have some shopping to do back at home. ^_^
I really feels like I’m just running around like a headless chicken. I just got back today from Sheffield (spent Friday night in Leicester because it was Russel’s birthday party) and I’m going back again already on Thursday. For like the third weekend in a row. But I get to see Oliver. :) I haven’t bought the tickets just yet, but I’m planning on going back home on the 1st of April, then go over to Sheffield on the 15th. Get back here on the 23rd. And I’m going to be spending most of my time at “home” in Dubai. Going there on the 3rd and coming back on my nameday, the 12th.
I’ve got a credit card! I feel so grown up. ^-^ And I finished my essay last week before I left, so now all I have to do is print it out and hand it in before I go again. Don’t feel so bad about playing Sims 2 University anymore. :D I love controlling them. Really wreak havoc among them. XD Which is what I’ll go do now, since I’ve gotten everything done that needs to be done today. :)
travelling, Dubai, trains, Sims 2 University
I’m feeling so.. unproductive right now. I’ve been writing my essay, the one that’s not due until the 27th, and so far I’ve got a bit over 800 words of it. Normally, I’d consider that as progress. But for some reason I’m not getting that feeling. And I think I know why: I’ve spent about 6 hrs playing Sims 2 University today. XD Y’see, Oliver bought it for me on Friday and I’ve been dying to play it ever since. So that’s what I did today. Played Sims 2. It’s just really really addictive. I kept thinking “Okay, just one more day. I need to get them happy again, etc”. And that’s where the time went. Then again, this was after the frantic last minute cleaning spree I had this morning for the inspection.. my way of relaxing. Relaxing isn’t supposed to make you feel guilty though…
Anywayz, Shaun’s grandfather’s funeral was on Friday. Since I was invited to it, I skipped Friday’s career’s lecture. I mean, seriously. I’m still in my first year, I have no clue what I want to do later on in life. I’ve got two years to think about it. Oliver didn’t know what he wanted to do when he graduated and now he’s got this really good job he likes (today was his second day, doesn’t sound like they get much done over there XP). So I should be fine. And I’m skipping this Friday’s lecture as well. Russel’s having a birthday party in Leicester that evening and the only way I’d make it on time would be to skip the lecture.
I think Oliver’s mom is getting a suspicious of how serious we are about each other. Oliver was talking to his mom a few days ago and he happened to mention that I wanted a puppy, a kitten and a baby. She was like: “A baby?!” He did point out to her that I didn’t want them right now, later on, like after I’ve graduated and we’d moved in and stuff. Then while I was over there, he asked his parents would it be possible to get someone from another country to marry you in a church over in England. Like would it be legal and stuff. The reason for asking this was because while we were watching “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, I mentioned that I’d like to say my vows in Finnish when I get married (I got the idea from the book “Fishboys of Vernazza” by John Sam Jones). So that got us thinking about would it be legal and how one could find out about such things.. We’re not actually planning a wedding just yet. We’re gonna wait until after I graduate to even consider it. :P Plus, we want to live together first. :)
He got the job! Oliver had an interview this morning and he’s just gotten an e-mail saying he got the job. *grin* The funny thing was when Jaz told our dad that he’ll be earning £18/yr. Not £18,000, but £18.. XD
So today after my lecture I sped down to the train station just to time myself in preparation for next week. Took me a little less than 20 mins to get on the platform. Then afterwards I dropped off my credit card application and then went in search of boots. I found the ones I had seen earlier on Monday, but unfortunately, they didn’t have my size. So no nice brown boots. :-( I just wandered around shops afterwards. Ran into Kayla and Simon in Dorothy Perkins. She said that they can give me a lift to the station next week, so no rushing! Yay! And I’ll have time to stop by Burger King to get a Whopper to go since I won’t have the time to get anything in Birmingham (only got 10 mins to change there, instead of the usual 30 mins when I take the later train). Plus I bought a pair of jeans. Only £10. ^-^
*can’t stop laughing* Oh God, this is too funny. I was just talking to Jaz about learning to type correctly (I typed in life instead of lift at first in the above paragraph) and she told me this little story: She’s on the plane and they’re going through the safety procedures. She’s a bit dazed (no clue why). Anyway, the lady says: “..n you will find life vest under your seat..” Jaz gets all excited and is about to start searching for LIFE underneath her seat! XD That little story really made my day. :D
airplane safety procedures, shopping, jobs
Yayness! I’ve completed my next essay which is due next Monday. I was talking to some of the people in my seminar and they stayed up until like 4 am writing the essay that was due today. I dunno, I guess I sorta feel like a nerd for having finished things early. But, if I want to go away two consecutive weekends, then I need to get all of my work done beforehand so I can enjoy myself. Oooh, if I’m feeling really productive, I might be able to finish off the essay that’s not due for another month! XD
So this morning I filled out the application papers. Since I don’t have a credit card, I had to borrow Oliver’s. Again. Grr, annoying not having one. I did pick up a form to fill in to get one though.. (the Yahoo money smiley would be really appropriate here).
And on my way to the bus stop, I saw some really really cute boots. Didn’t have the time to stop and actually see if they had any in my size or even their price. So I’m going back into town on Wednesday to check them out again. The same time that I go drop off the credit card application, the bank statement for Montana and I have a doctor’s appointment then too. Well, will have. I tried making one today and found out that they have a new system that they only take appointments for the day that you call. So I gotta call them on Wednesday again. Anyway, the reason why I’m going is that I got a letter today saying that I need to get a cervical smear test done and the place over here that does it is booked until June 14th. Plus, I want to talk about going on the Pill..
When I tried describing the boots to Krisi, she couldn’t remember the shoes I was trying to compare these boots to, so now I’ve made a pics page of all the shoes I have here with me. With the exception of sneakers. No one needs to see those. XP
essays, shoes, boots, credit cards
I got in!! I’m going to Montana next year!!! *happy dance* Penn State withdrew from the program, so Montana’s my next choice. *grin* Horseback riding! Cowboys! Ranches and stuff! :D:D:D Just gotta get all the paperwork done by Monday because they need it in by the 1st of March. Which means that since my stupid laptop is being a pain in the butt right now, I gotta hoof it over to Carol’s office early Monday morning and fill them out there before my 12 o’clock seminar. >_< The cool thing is that it’s like over a thousand pounds cheaper to be there for a year than here. And I’d be staying in one of the more expensive rooms too. ^-^
Ah well. I’m going!!! :D:D:D:D Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
University of Montana, UWA, exchange program
Okay, so today I went down into town after my 10 am seminar just to see how long it takes to get to the place where the interview will be tomorrow. My guess is about 30 mins if I don’t rush. I’m only estimating how long it actually does take because once I got to Great Darkgate Street, I couldn’t find Laura Place anywhere. I spent 40 mins wandering around, trying various little alleys/streets to no avail. I got so frustrated I went shopping to calm myself down. Retail therapy really does work. *grin* I got a shirt, skirt and pants for under £15… Anyway, I decided to find the place after my shopping because it really wouldn’t be a good thing for me not know exactly where it is tomorrow. So I wander around again and this one man asks me if I’m lost. Er, no, I know exactly where I am (on Vulcan Street) but I don’t know where Laura Place is. Does that count as lost? Anyway, I didn’t say that to him since he was being really nice and all. I told him I was looking for Laura Place and he showed me this tiny little gap between a stone wall and a green house and said that it should be right down there. So that’s where I went and voila, there it was. But seriously, no obvious street name signs or anything. How the hell are tourists supposed to find places? And there weren’t any street maps either. Grr… I hung out at the beach for a bit, just watching the water change colors and the clouds move. Stopped by the Ceredigion Museum. Free entry so I figured why not? I think I spent an hour and a half in there just looking at stuff from all ages. I mean it, from the Stone Age to like the Victorian age and turn of the century electrical appliances.. Really cool. And I listened to tapes of different types of bagpipes and the tunes they used to play in different countries. :)
Oh and I finished my essay draft last night! Go me. ^-^ My tutor sent it back to me with suggestions so I’ll just tweak the bits she suggested and then print it out. :-D
traffic signs, museum, lost
My interview’s on Thursday at 3:45pm. I wonder what they’ll ask… what should I wear? Since the interview’s down in town, I think I’ll take a pair of heels with me and swap shoes once I get to the office. Need to look neat. Gabriel, from my Creative Writing class, has also applied to go. His first choice is U of Pittsburgh, while mine is Penn State.
Speaking of interviews, Oliver has one next week. ^-^
So far I’ve gotten over 600 words of my first essay written. Another 1,000 to go. Went to the library today with Kayla. Showed her how to find stuff. XD Really need to get a move on with this essay. I want to send my tutor a draft so I’ll have the weekend to tweak it.
essays, exchange program, interview