Writing Course Reception, New Katimaroute Info

Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I didn't go to karate, either, so both those goals went bust in one day. However, I only didn't go to karate because I was visiting with an old friend from middle school, which was on my list of things to do before I leave for Katimavik, and I only didn't update the blog because our Internet was down. I can't bring back that karate lesson, but I can update this blog twice in one day.

This old friend is the guy who's getting married. I didn't meet his fiancee. Did I say that, apparently, they're moving into this apartment building?! Why did he wait until now to do all these things?! Could've been a groomsman and then a neighbor! Oh well.

Got my grades back for my 1-2 page short rewrite, plot outline, and ten novels first paragraph exercise. Apparently I am doing excellent. Sweet.

I think I'll send another mass email about my destinations, although I don't think many people in my network are too savvy with Canadian Geography (lots of branch-family in the States).

By-the-by, my final destination, which I stated as being "a small village in Northern Quebec that I don't remember the name of" goes by the name "Chisasibi".

Those are some wicked names, eh? Like, right out of fiction. "Summerside", "Thunder Bay", "Chisasibi".

Let's see if I can find out what Chisasibi means...

Okay, they have an official website, and I learned that it's a Cree nation. What...? Our Native community will be in Quebec? So I'll be around people who have a Native first language and French as a second. I guess it would be too much to hope for for them to be trilingual?

Nothing on their name, though. Just a sec...

Okay, it means Great River. Thank you, Wikipedia!

I guess Great River will do. I would have preferred something like "Valley of Death" or "Destruction Kill Land", but I guess Great River is pretty badass, too. It's no Thunder Bay, though.

I just revisited my Katimaroute and it contains all sorts of interesting information, like the names of my destinations :P. I didn't know that it was useful as anything other than to tell you how your application process was going in the context of acceptance. Thats's why, when I got accepted, I didn't check back there. That's also why the lady expected me to know my destinations when I called.

Jeez, under medical diagnosis, they put me down as having Attention Deficit Disorder, Dysthmyia, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Let me give you guys some advice... When you are depressed because you broke up with your girlfriend of three years, don't tell your doctor. Doctors love to diagnose you with intimidating-sounding things. That's the only reason I've been put down as having Dysthmyia and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and those are things I don't think will ever be taken off my record. And no matter how many people have these things, only the ones who get diagnosed can have it held against them. I've heard of people not being allowed to take jobs overseas because they were diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which sounds the most tame of those three titles.

Looks like they also sent me a departure guide for things to pack. I'm glad I'm discovering this now!!! I was waiting on them to send me something through the mail!

Well, I can't go too in-depth right now... Something else I gotta get doing, but you can bet I'm sending my list of things to pack along with my destinations. I'm not ready to travel materials-wise! I'm wearing rags right now and don't have a dollar to my name! (Okay, seven dollars, but that's it).

Screw congratulatory lunches/dinners and going away presents! It's time to be a beggar!

Otherwise, I found out that if I rejoin my dojo after Katimavik, I won't lose any stripes, and if I join another, I won't lose my belt rank.

I also found out that that dojo I thought was trying to top us is actually separate from the one that comes to train with us. It's just taken the spot where our partner school used to be. But this school isn't new, because this old friend that's getting married used to be a member of it years ago, and our partner school doesn't look like it went out of business, because they're keeping up their regiment with our school.

Also, turns out, there are more than three degrees on a black belt. You know what? Google could answer most of these questions. I'm not so fond of Google, sometimes. Makes life too easy.

Okay, well it turns out you can go beyond eleven degrees, but it doesn't give me a cap. Didn't help me too much this time!