Guelph has a new garbage disposal system. We used to leave our garbage bags out by the curb and garbage people would come and pick them up. However, now the city is issuing bins. We're supposed to put the garbage in the bins and have the garbage people empty the bins into their truck. It's an alright system, but it's not so great for us. We live in a house that is divided into two apartments and at least three other rented rooms. That means that our household comprises at least seven people, eight when I'm around. Problem is, the City of Guelph treats us like a standard household, comprising one family. That means that we are only given bins fit to the size of one family, and they will not take any additional garbage.
These blogs have a new function, which allow me to see my highest-viewed posts of all time. It's kind of funny, and kind of random. None of my highest viewed posts are ones that I thought were terribly interesting. A lot of them back from during my depressed post-high school unemployed phase. It's interesting, looking at this blog over the past three years. You get a lot of different flavours. There's depressed unemployed flavour, there's Karate-obsession flavour, Katimavik flavour, Linimar flavour, Mali-obsession flavour, and now college-flavour.
That reminds me, I was going to visit Ways2Work and my old dojo before I go back.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Christmas
This year, there wasn't very much Christmas hype, and I'm not sure why. The stores weren't any more busy than they usually are, and this seems to be a nation-wide phenomenon. This is probably what the Mayans predicted.
I got sick on Christmas, too. I actually vomited for the first time in 12 years. I was shocked. While it was happening, I thought to myself "There goes my 12 years record...". Upside is, this proves that my body is still capable of this basic self-defense mechanism. I was kind of worried that it wasn't. In Katimavik, one time everyone in the house was sick and going about this action, except for me. There were actually three people in the house who didn't get sick, but I did, and I was the only sick person not to throw up.
I was surprised at how natural it was. After not having done it for so long, I'd built it up in my mind as some really awful thing, but in the end, it wasn't too bad at all.
My brother got sick, too, although perhaps not quite so much as me, and my mother didn't really get sick. Mom's wondering if me and my bro ate anything she didn't, since the symptoms seem a bit like food poisoning.
Anyway, I managed to keep my spirits up. This year, I got a camera, which is great, because my old one is ancient. I've probably talked about it in the past, how it has an "attitude" and how it's so old that when people see it, they think it's new. This new one's got million settings, including ones as cryptic as one for babies, one for flowers, one for fireworks, and one for parties.
I also got a printer. Nice, portable little thing that can still print in colour, scan, and do photocopies. I'm gonna bring it back to my dorm. I used to have to write up my papers in my room and go to school to print them out.
I got sick on Christmas, too. I actually vomited for the first time in 12 years. I was shocked. While it was happening, I thought to myself "There goes my 12 years record...". Upside is, this proves that my body is still capable of this basic self-defense mechanism. I was kind of worried that it wasn't. In Katimavik, one time everyone in the house was sick and going about this action, except for me. There were actually three people in the house who didn't get sick, but I did, and I was the only sick person not to throw up.
I was surprised at how natural it was. After not having done it for so long, I'd built it up in my mind as some really awful thing, but in the end, it wasn't too bad at all.
My brother got sick, too, although perhaps not quite so much as me, and my mother didn't really get sick. Mom's wondering if me and my bro ate anything she didn't, since the symptoms seem a bit like food poisoning.
Anyway, I managed to keep my spirits up. This year, I got a camera, which is great, because my old one is ancient. I've probably talked about it in the past, how it has an "attitude" and how it's so old that when people see it, they think it's new. This new one's got million settings, including ones as cryptic as one for babies, one for flowers, one for fireworks, and one for parties.
I also got a printer. Nice, portable little thing that can still print in colour, scan, and do photocopies. I'm gonna bring it back to my dorm. I used to have to write up my papers in my room and go to school to print them out.
Friday, December 21, 2012
End of the World
Well, it's the end of the world today. It's the end of the Mayan calendar and all that. I wish people would stop making these end of the world prophecies. There's one every couple of years, and it never happens, and I never believe it will happen, but I still get nervous.
Well, I got an 86% on the final Psyche assignment. That leaves me at an 89% average total. That's really annoying. Makes me go over my past and think "If I would have done more Guided Writing Exercise revisions, or did the Human Services midterm partial redo, this could have been avoided." Oh well. Like I said, Presidential Honours is gauged over a year, not a semester, and I don't have Math next semester.
The alphabet-style grades are coming in. Got a B in Math, and an A in English and Psyche. That means I should have straight As in everything except Math. That's no terrible. I always thought the grading system would be like 90-100=A, 80-90=B, 70-80=C, 50-70=D, 0-50=F.
But no, apparently a 72 is a B and an 86 is an A.
Apparently my program gives a $500 cheque for a randomly selected student with an average over 80% every month. I've never gotten this, and none of the people I know with averages over 80% have ever gotten it. Who's getting this money, and why don't they tell anyone?!
Well, I got an 86% on the final Psyche assignment. That leaves me at an 89% average total. That's really annoying. Makes me go over my past and think "If I would have done more Guided Writing Exercise revisions, or did the Human Services midterm partial redo, this could have been avoided." Oh well. Like I said, Presidential Honours is gauged over a year, not a semester, and I don't have Math next semester.
The alphabet-style grades are coming in. Got a B in Math, and an A in English and Psyche. That means I should have straight As in everything except Math. That's no terrible. I always thought the grading system would be like 90-100=A, 80-90=B, 70-80=C, 50-70=D, 0-50=F.
But no, apparently a 72 is a B and an 86 is an A.
Apparently my program gives a $500 cheque for a randomly selected student with an average over 80% every month. I've never gotten this, and none of the people I know with averages over 80% have ever gotten it. Who's getting this money, and why don't they tell anyone?!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Current Grades
Well, the semester's over. I'm done my math tests, and I've completed one of my Psych assignments. There is still one left to submit by 5:00 PM today. It's finished, but it's a group project, so I'm waiting on one of my group members to look it over. If she doesn't respond by 4:30, I'll just submit it.
I'm waiting on my grades to roll in. I've got 5 out of 6 so far. Here they are:
English: 86%
College Prep: 98%
Social Services: 95%
Human Services: 94%
Math: 72%
And my Psych grade, as of now, is 88%, but I'm waiting on two more assignments to be processed.
Right now, I'm at 89% average between the six. That's what I was at before, remember? Since then, I improved in every class except for Math, which dropped in a heavy way. If my Psych grade moves up, that will put me over my goal of 90%. If not, the Presidential Honours thing is evaluated over the course of a year, not semester, so I can probably pick it up. Next semester, there is no Math or English, which are my lowest grades.
I still improved my English grade from high school. I had the educational requirements to get into Social Services, and I was worried that, if I got a grade worse than 80%, I would lose the credential I already had before taking this program. Our final assignment was worth 40% of our grade, and it contained another assignment which was an additional 5%. Basically have the course in one package, and it was placed right after our worst rush for assignments, so I was feeling burned out when I really got down to work on it. I worried that this burn out would hurt the quality of my project.
In high school. I had a 72% average for English, but it was University stream, so it added up to 82% for College. There's an 82% minimum to get into my desired program. Since the minimum is 70% for Universities, it actually means you need to have a University-level comprehension of this specific subject to get in.
In the end, I improved by 4%. That's neat. Still my second-lowest grade.
I'm waiting on my grades to roll in. I've got 5 out of 6 so far. Here they are:
English: 86%
College Prep: 98%
Social Services: 95%
Human Services: 94%
Math: 72%
And my Psych grade, as of now, is 88%, but I'm waiting on two more assignments to be processed.
Right now, I'm at 89% average between the six. That's what I was at before, remember? Since then, I improved in every class except for Math, which dropped in a heavy way. If my Psych grade moves up, that will put me over my goal of 90%. If not, the Presidential Honours thing is evaluated over the course of a year, not semester, so I can probably pick it up. Next semester, there is no Math or English, which are my lowest grades.
I still improved my English grade from high school. I had the educational requirements to get into Social Services, and I was worried that, if I got a grade worse than 80%, I would lose the credential I already had before taking this program. Our final assignment was worth 40% of our grade, and it contained another assignment which was an additional 5%. Basically have the course in one package, and it was placed right after our worst rush for assignments, so I was feeling burned out when I really got down to work on it. I worried that this burn out would hurt the quality of my project.
In high school. I had a 72% average for English, but it was University stream, so it added up to 82% for College. There's an 82% minimum to get into my desired program. Since the minimum is 70% for Universities, it actually means you need to have a University-level comprehension of this specific subject to get in.
In the end, I improved by 4%. That's neat. Still my second-lowest grade.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Future Planning
Oooooohhhh.... I got to take a look at next semester's timetable, and it's not pretty. I have three 8:00 AM classes, and one class that runs until 5:00 PM... I had the option of putting an elective in another 8:00 AM slot. NO WAY!
My grades are good enough to get me into university. My program has two "streams", the College Stream, and the University Stream, which you get to decide on for next semester. But the University Stream only helps you get into Conestoga's Community and Criminal Justice program, so there's not really any reason for me to take it. Still, there's another University-College that has in the past taken Human Services Foundation into consideration. One of my professors has some weight there, and he said that he'd be willing to give me a letter of recommendation. This place also gives credits for Social Service Worker, which is what I'm applying for primarily. Degrees you can get from there using Social Service Worker, and which you might be able to influence your way into with Human Services Foundation, are their Bachelor of Social Work program, and their Cultural and Social Development program. This college is a branch off the University of Waterloo, and you get a U of W degree if you graduate.
Other colleges with university programs you can apply to through the Ontario Colleges website. However, I don't see this college on here. Maybe it's because this is a university-college instead of a college-university? Meaning, it's a university with college programs, unlike Conestoga, which is a college with university programs. I don't know.
I don't even know if I'd want to go to university. Double the price of college, and twice as long. I'd probably burn down my current resources and have to take out a loan. At the same time, I don't like the idea of living beneath my potential. When I graduated high school, I tried to get into university and failed, so that was my goal at one point in time. And I am good enough, for some reason, to get into university at this point in my life.
However, when I first applied to university, I only did it because I thought that university was a better option for people without a clear goal as to what they wanted to do. I didn't look at it like university was an "upgrade". Now, I have a clear enough goal, but I'm looking at university like an upgrade.
I was thinking I'd apply anyway, just to see if I could get in, but I'm not seeing it as an available option on this selection sheet.. Might have to go through the university website, and then I'd have to apply to two other universities and pay an additional fee. Yeah, I remember this process... Don't know if it's worth the hassle, if I'm just going to reject any offers that come my way.
My grades are good enough to get me into university. My program has two "streams", the College Stream, and the University Stream, which you get to decide on for next semester. But the University Stream only helps you get into Conestoga's Community and Criminal Justice program, so there's not really any reason for me to take it. Still, there's another University-College that has in the past taken Human Services Foundation into consideration. One of my professors has some weight there, and he said that he'd be willing to give me a letter of recommendation. This place also gives credits for Social Service Worker, which is what I'm applying for primarily. Degrees you can get from there using Social Service Worker, and which you might be able to influence your way into with Human Services Foundation, are their Bachelor of Social Work program, and their Cultural and Social Development program. This college is a branch off the University of Waterloo, and you get a U of W degree if you graduate.
Other colleges with university programs you can apply to through the Ontario Colleges website. However, I don't see this college on here. Maybe it's because this is a university-college instead of a college-university? Meaning, it's a university with college programs, unlike Conestoga, which is a college with university programs. I don't know.
I don't even know if I'd want to go to university. Double the price of college, and twice as long. I'd probably burn down my current resources and have to take out a loan. At the same time, I don't like the idea of living beneath my potential. When I graduated high school, I tried to get into university and failed, so that was my goal at one point in time. And I am good enough, for some reason, to get into university at this point in my life.
However, when I first applied to university, I only did it because I thought that university was a better option for people without a clear goal as to what they wanted to do. I didn't look at it like university was an "upgrade". Now, I have a clear enough goal, but I'm looking at university like an upgrade.
I was thinking I'd apply anyway, just to see if I could get in, but I'm not seeing it as an available option on this selection sheet.. Might have to go through the university website, and then I'd have to apply to two other universities and pay an additional fee. Yeah, I remember this process... Don't know if it's worth the hassle, if I'm just going to reject any offers that come my way.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Social Service Group Project & Family Genogram
Got my grades for my Social Services group project and my Family Genogram project. My Social Services project was a combination paper/presentation. We worked really hard on that one. We were supposed to write a 5-7 page paper, but we wrote 20. I brought it to the prof ahead of time, and he said "If you are willing to do the work, I'm ready to read it." Of course, he also said that some professors would just say "Didn't listen to instructions" and give a 0. We were willing to trim it, but he was cool with what we had.
We barely made the 45 minute presentation length prerequisite. We had no idea what amount of information would be needed to fill 45 minutes. Of course, the standard group is five people, and ours was three. He said that smaller groups wouldn't be expected to fill the same length.
Yeah, we got 100% on the project!
Family genogram, I got a humble 92%. Can;t really complain, when you're disappointed by a 92.
Final grade for Human Services is 94% It's the only final grade that I have so far.
We barely made the 45 minute presentation length prerequisite. We had no idea what amount of information would be needed to fill 45 minutes. Of course, the standard group is five people, and ours was three. He said that smaller groups wouldn't be expected to fill the same length.
Yeah, we got 100% on the project!
Family genogram, I got a humble 92%. Can;t really complain, when you're disappointed by a 92.
Final grade for Human Services is 94% It's the only final grade that I have so far.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Aftermath of the Semester's End
I woke up in my standard state of anxiety. My first reaction was to go through my memories and figure out what the obligations of the day were. I realized that I had no obligations, and I was actually kind of depressed. My only two classes left are Psych and Math.
Wellll.... I should clean my room, do my laundry, and take out the garbage. I fell behind on those obligations during the hardest time of the semester. I gotta eat all my perishable food before I leave for Chistmas vacation, too.
Lot of areas in my life took a hit when I was so focused on school. I was doing really well at healthy living for awhile. When I came back from Mali, I'd lost thirty pounds. Came back to Canada and gained back about fifteen. Maintained that weight well into my time in college. In the past two months, I gained them back. Couldn't find time to exercise, stopped prioritizing my diet etc. I'll probably do better at the beginning of next semester. I'd say I'd fix things over Christmas break, but that's not how Christmas break usually goes.
Slept until 3 PM today, and that set the tone for the rest of the day. I'll clean things up tomorrow.
Wellll.... I should clean my room, do my laundry, and take out the garbage. I fell behind on those obligations during the hardest time of the semester. I gotta eat all my perishable food before I leave for Chistmas vacation, too.
Lot of areas in my life took a hit when I was so focused on school. I was doing really well at healthy living for awhile. When I came back from Mali, I'd lost thirty pounds. Came back to Canada and gained back about fifteen. Maintained that weight well into my time in college. In the past two months, I gained them back. Couldn't find time to exercise, stopped prioritizing my diet etc. I'll probably do better at the beginning of next semester. I'd say I'd fix things over Christmas break, but that's not how Christmas break usually goes.
Slept until 3 PM today, and that set the tone for the rest of the day. I'll clean things up tomorrow.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Finished the English Paper
Well, I finished my paper at 6:40 AM. It doesn't look pretty, but I managed it. I kind of had to sacrifice an algebra test for it. It's too bad, for the longest time, I had scores across the nineties for four of my classes, and had grades in the mid-eighties for Psych and Math. Now I've worked my Psych up over ninety, but my Math has dipped below eighty, pretty sure. That's going to drag my entire average down! If only I hadn't been put in the year where they introduced Math!
Oh well, got two more math tests coming up, which I have confidence in. Maybe I'll be able to fix things up a bit. Other than Psych and Math, I'm all done for this semester.
Gotta clear out of Residence, though. If you don't, they charge you $30/day. Pretty uncool, if you ask me. They're already charging the same as the average for alternative housing, and that's for eight months, compared to other places, which will give you the full twelve for the same price or lower. So I'd think they could spring for Christmas vacation, as I'd assume it would be included in their eight months
I managed to identify an identical twin from her sister, when I had no prior knowledge that said person had a twin. A classmate of mine, who I have a "Smile and nod" level relationship appeared to be walking down the hall. I said to my friend:
Me: See that girl walking down the hall?
Friend: You mean _____?
Me: No, not _____. She must have a twin sister, because that's not her.
Friend: Shut the front door! How do you know that?
Me: It's not the right light behind her eyes. This is an ability I developed in Africa.
Friend: Should we ask her?
Me: No, that's too awkward.
Friend: HEY YOU! Are you_____?
Girl: No, that's my twin sister.
Oh well, got two more math tests coming up, which I have confidence in. Maybe I'll be able to fix things up a bit. Other than Psych and Math, I'm all done for this semester.
Gotta clear out of Residence, though. If you don't, they charge you $30/day. Pretty uncool, if you ask me. They're already charging the same as the average for alternative housing, and that's for eight months, compared to other places, which will give you the full twelve for the same price or lower. So I'd think they could spring for Christmas vacation, as I'd assume it would be included in their eight months
I managed to identify an identical twin from her sister, when I had no prior knowledge that said person had a twin. A classmate of mine, who I have a "Smile and nod" level relationship appeared to be walking down the hall. I said to my friend:
Me: See that girl walking down the hall?
Friend: You mean _____?
Me: No, not _____. She must have a twin sister, because that's not her.
Friend: Shut the front door! How do you know that?
Me: It's not the right light behind her eyes. This is an ability I developed in Africa.
Friend: Should we ask her?
Me: No, that's too awkward.
Friend: HEY YOU! Are you_____?
Girl: No, that's my twin sister.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
English Essay
Gotta stay strong, gotta stay strong! One final major assignment, due tomorrow, for my most influential class! After that, I've got a week to prep for my Psych and Math finals. Did a paper three times as big as this one last night. If I burn out now, I won't forgive myself! Not off to a good start, though. I printed out all my research articles, which will have to go into a binder. Hole puncher there only does two out of three holes! Brought them back home to my single hole punch. It broke! Now what am I going to do?! Such a stupid thing to get hung up on. Oh well, I'll just get the work done, and hopefully she can't flunk someone for having only two out of three holes punched on each paper.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Cumulative Family Assignment & Social Issues Exam
Well, I finished my Human Services Cumulative Assignment. It was based on my own family dynamics. I made a graph of three generations, looked at five themes throughout those generations, and then did a discussion paper on them I also did an in-depth review of my dynamics in my family at home, looked at the strengths and areas for improvement that I developed as a result of these dynamics and intergenerational themes, and then I wrote a piece on something that has inspired me.
The piece I chose was my spirit stones that my Aunt gave me as a Christmas present when I was young. I have three stones, each with a painting of an animal on them. I was meant to adapt the character of each respective animal as I grew. The animals I received were, Bear, to give me strength, Coyote, to give me cunning, and Whale, to give me wisdom.
I have them in a Malian satchel that I got with some wooden animal carvings on the market, so I wroteabout the symbolism behind that, too.
I had to go home for the weekend to get my inspirational piece. I was in luck, as my grandparents were swinging by. I hadn't thought that I would be able to visit home, as my schoolwork is keeping me too busy, even if my grandparents were coming over. But, just so happens, it was school that brought me home, and since it was an assignment on family history, my grandma was even able to help me out.
I had a Social Issues exam today, too. It wasn't so bad. I got back my Student Success paper. 92%. If my goal is to beat 90%, then I guess that's a success.
This week I have a Self and Career paper for College Prep and then an argumentative essay for English due the day following. If I can survive this, then it's smooth sailing for a couple of weeks, with only a few Math quizzes, a Psych quiz, and a pretty reasonable Psych assignment. Then Christmas vacation.
I got a 95% on the last Psych quiz, and 100% on a group discussion question. Only thing that's in danger of dragging me down is math. Since I don't have it next semester, I'm hoping I can build my average to over 90% even if I don't quite manage it this semester.
The piece I chose was my spirit stones that my Aunt gave me as a Christmas present when I was young. I have three stones, each with a painting of an animal on them. I was meant to adapt the character of each respective animal as I grew. The animals I received were, Bear, to give me strength, Coyote, to give me cunning, and Whale, to give me wisdom.
I have them in a Malian satchel that I got with some wooden animal carvings on the market, so I wroteabout the symbolism behind that, too.
I had to go home for the weekend to get my inspirational piece. I was in luck, as my grandparents were swinging by. I hadn't thought that I would be able to visit home, as my schoolwork is keeping me too busy, even if my grandparents were coming over. But, just so happens, it was school that brought me home, and since it was an assignment on family history, my grandma was even able to help me out.
I had a Social Issues exam today, too. It wasn't so bad. I got back my Student Success paper. 92%. If my goal is to beat 90%, then I guess that's a success.
This week I have a Self and Career paper for College Prep and then an argumentative essay for English due the day following. If I can survive this, then it's smooth sailing for a couple of weeks, with only a few Math quizzes, a Psych quiz, and a pretty reasonable Psych assignment. Then Christmas vacation.
I got a 95% on the last Psych quiz, and 100% on a group discussion question. Only thing that's in danger of dragging me down is math. Since I don't have it next semester, I'm hoping I can build my average to over 90% even if I don't quite manage it this semester.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Somebody's Pretending to Have My Phone
Well, I got my term paper back. 97%. Not bad! I didn't see anyone else who had a mark as high as that, although there were a number of people who did well.
I've got a paper due Friday and a presentation for Social Issues. I've got a family genogram assignment due next Monday for Human Services. I've got a paper due the following Thursday for College Prep, then an English essay the day following. I've got a paper due that Sunday for Psych, plus a quiz. I've got two more math quizzes, an optional math redo quiz, and at least one exam. I think I actually only have one exam, so that's nice.
I got to read a bit of next semester's cultural diversity textbook. It's got a lot on why white men are jerks. My prof said he was going to apologize to me now, because while I'm not the enemy, next semester I'm going to be treated like the enemy. That's cool.
Somebody must be giving out my phone number as their own. I got a ton of calls today from people asking for some lady I don't know. They were all looking for the same person, though. All day it was:
Person: Hello, is ___ there?
Me: No, I think you got the wrong phone number.
Person: Oh, I'm sorry, is this "###-####?"
Me: Yes.
Person: Oh. Do you know ___?
Me: No, I don't know anyone by that name.
Person: Oh, okay, thanks for your time.
Hmmmm......
I've got a paper due Friday and a presentation for Social Issues. I've got a family genogram assignment due next Monday for Human Services. I've got a paper due the following Thursday for College Prep, then an English essay the day following. I've got a paper due that Sunday for Psych, plus a quiz. I've got two more math quizzes, an optional math redo quiz, and at least one exam. I think I actually only have one exam, so that's nice.
I got to read a bit of next semester's cultural diversity textbook. It's got a lot on why white men are jerks. My prof said he was going to apologize to me now, because while I'm not the enemy, next semester I'm going to be treated like the enemy. That's cool.
Somebody must be giving out my phone number as their own. I got a ton of calls today from people asking for some lady I don't know. They were all looking for the same person, though. All day it was:
Person: Hello, is ___ there?
Me: No, I think you got the wrong phone number.
Person: Oh, I'm sorry, is this "###-####?"
Me: Yes.
Person: Oh. Do you know ___?
Me: No, I don't know anyone by that name.
Person: Oh, okay, thanks for your time.
Hmmmm......
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Grazing Deer
Recently, I was walking home from grocery shopping and I saw a deer standing next to the sidewalk. I went up next to it and it didn't run away. I didn't have my camera on me, and I forgot that my cell has a built-in camera. The deer inspected me, grazed, inspected me again, and finally galloped away. I guess it did leave because of me, but it stuck around long enough, and even as it galloped, it seemed to move at a relaxed pace.
I've also seen two rabbits and a hawk recently.
I got led through a smudging ceremony at the Aboriginal Services Office. Women traditionally burn sage, while men usually burn sweetgrass. Curiously, sweetgrass represents Mother Earth's hair, and burning it encourages men to come to terms with their inner woman. Just like the sweatlodge, it's meant to bring out feminine qualities in males. Unfortunately, since the male elder was busy, the female elder dealt with me, and she said that "A woman cannot teach a man to be a man, just as a man cannot teach a woman to be a woman."
That kinda hurts, since I didn't really have any male influences growing up. I guess that's why I failed to become a man.
That world champion martial arts girl hangs out at the Aboriginal Services Office all the time. Pretty cool, I get to talk with the champ!
That term paper that had me so frazzled turned out to be 35% of my final grade, so I'm glad I paid it as much attention as I did.
I volunteered at this career fair thing for my school on Saturday. I stood at a booth with my professor and two other students and we told people about Human Services Foundation. I think it went well.
Last week, the dryer didn't dry my clothes proper, and after I aired them out, they smelled funny. I've got my clothes in a dryer right now. I avoided last week's machine, so let's hope things turn out differently this week!
I've also seen two rabbits and a hawk recently.
I got led through a smudging ceremony at the Aboriginal Services Office. Women traditionally burn sage, while men usually burn sweetgrass. Curiously, sweetgrass represents Mother Earth's hair, and burning it encourages men to come to terms with their inner woman. Just like the sweatlodge, it's meant to bring out feminine qualities in males. Unfortunately, since the male elder was busy, the female elder dealt with me, and she said that "A woman cannot teach a man to be a man, just as a man cannot teach a woman to be a woman."
That kinda hurts, since I didn't really have any male influences growing up. I guess that's why I failed to become a man.
That world champion martial arts girl hangs out at the Aboriginal Services Office all the time. Pretty cool, I get to talk with the champ!
That term paper that had me so frazzled turned out to be 35% of my final grade, so I'm glad I paid it as much attention as I did.
I volunteered at this career fair thing for my school on Saturday. I stood at a booth with my professor and two other students and we told people about Human Services Foundation. I think it went well.
Last week, the dryer didn't dry my clothes proper, and after I aired them out, they smelled funny. I've got my clothes in a dryer right now. I avoided last week's machine, so let's hope things turn out differently this week!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Human Services Term Paper
Well, I just completed the largest paper I've ever written in my life. I think it's probably the most challenging assignment of the semester. That's why I haven't updated recently. I was so nervous, because that previous paper forced an all-nighter out of me, and it was one third the size and required half the research. I'd tried to prepare for this more major paper, but I was worried that my preparations would not be sufficient.
I surprised myself, though. The morning of the day before it was due, I was such a nervous wreck. Remember the time I did that all-nighter and OD'd on caffeine? Yeah, this time around, I had heart palpitations before I even put anything in my system. Pure anxiety. But once I got going, I was good. I even managed to get some sleep the night before.
One third of the class failed to hand it in, and it was a very major paper. Late penalty is 40%, with a 60% requirement to pass. Basically, you need 100% to pass if you're late.
I've been getting telemarketer calls on my cell. You know what for? For the Kitchener-Waterloo "Do not call" list. They advertise a service to stop telemarketer calls by using a telemarketing system...
I also got a call from the Guelph hospital. No idea why, they didn't leave a message or anything. I just saw the number, called it back to see who it was, and found myself at the Guelph hospital reception desk.
My cell phone has a weird beep that rings out after a phonecall from some kind of business. I have all it's sound settings muted and the ringer is on vibrate. When a regular person calls, there's no beep, but for the telemarketer call and the Guelph hospital, it beeps after the ringing is done. No idea why, and it's quite annoying.
I surprised myself, though. The morning of the day before it was due, I was such a nervous wreck. Remember the time I did that all-nighter and OD'd on caffeine? Yeah, this time around, I had heart palpitations before I even put anything in my system. Pure anxiety. But once I got going, I was good. I even managed to get some sleep the night before.
One third of the class failed to hand it in, and it was a very major paper. Late penalty is 40%, with a 60% requirement to pass. Basically, you need 100% to pass if you're late.
I've been getting telemarketer calls on my cell. You know what for? For the Kitchener-Waterloo "Do not call" list. They advertise a service to stop telemarketer calls by using a telemarketing system...
I also got a call from the Guelph hospital. No idea why, they didn't leave a message or anything. I just saw the number, called it back to see who it was, and found myself at the Guelph hospital reception desk.
My cell phone has a weird beep that rings out after a phonecall from some kind of business. I have all it's sound settings muted and the ringer is on vibrate. When a regular person calls, there's no beep, but for the telemarketer call and the Guelph hospital, it beeps after the ringing is done. No idea why, and it's quite annoying.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Winter Coat
Last month was heavy for finances. I got a cell phone, a vacuum, and a computer mouse. I'm trying to be frugal this month, but I've already been forced to make another major purchase. A winter coat. The one I've got at home is from my Linamar days, and it's safety-pinned up one side. There's always something else that you need, huh?
I had my first ESL conversation. One of my partners decided not to do it this semester, but I still have my other partner. I won't go into detail, but it was a very positive first experience. Apparently, I'll be getting another partner to replace the one who isn't going to be doing it.
Remember how I hated my Fox Man name from Cree nation? Well, the Ojibway really like me as a fox. They say that my perception of foxes is false and based on media, and they rattled out a list of positive fox-qualities. I don't remember them too well, except that foxes make good parents. I said that "When I look in the mirror, I don't see a little orange dog." They seemed to think that was funny.
I tried to say that being called "Fox Man" was a cultural insult, because all the people of that tribe were named things like "Running White Bear" or "Too Hard Bear" whereas the visitors were named things that followed the formula of "Animal + Man/Woman."
But the Ojibway use simpler names than the Cree, so "Fox Man" is just a perfect name in Ojibway.
I guess I really am Fox Man :(
I had my first ESL conversation. One of my partners decided not to do it this semester, but I still have my other partner. I won't go into detail, but it was a very positive first experience. Apparently, I'll be getting another partner to replace the one who isn't going to be doing it.
Remember how I hated my Fox Man name from Cree nation? Well, the Ojibway really like me as a fox. They say that my perception of foxes is false and based on media, and they rattled out a list of positive fox-qualities. I don't remember them too well, except that foxes make good parents. I said that "When I look in the mirror, I don't see a little orange dog." They seemed to think that was funny.
I tried to say that being called "Fox Man" was a cultural insult, because all the people of that tribe were named things like "Running White Bear" or "Too Hard Bear" whereas the visitors were named things that followed the formula of "Animal + Man/Woman."
But the Ojibway use simpler names than the Cree, so "Fox Man" is just a perfect name in Ojibway.
I guess I really am Fox Man :(
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Current Grades
Sorry I haven't been updating. The semester has really gotten into it's heated point. I've got three major assignments due on the same day, and I've got a huge paper due in about two weeks. I've also got tests and minor assignments due almost every day. Today, I had to go into school, and tomorrow, I have a psych assignment due. All my downtime has been spent sleeping or destressing. I'm afraid that updating my blog registers as an "obligation" in my mind, so I don't usually do it during my downtime.
Here are my grades, currently:
English: 82%
Preparing for College: 100%
Socil Issues: 95%
Human Services: 92%
Psychology: 83%
That puts me at 89% overall. Anything above 80% is Honours, and anything above 90% is Presidential Honours. So close!!!
Here are my grades, currently:
English: 82%
Preparing for College: 100%
Socil Issues: 95%
Human Services: 92%
Psychology: 83%
That puts me at 89% overall. Anything above 80% is Honours, and anything above 90% is Presidential Honours. So close!!!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Clarity on the Sweatlodge
So I have my English as a Second Language partners. I got two instead of one, and we'll be working in a group. As per my privacy policy, I will not go into further detail.
I spoke with the Ojibway elder again, today. Remember that cool post I made about my sweatlodge experience? It's probably my most frequently-referenced post. It's as edgy as I've ever dared to go publicly. A real fan-favourite from this blog, if it's possible to say that this blog has fan-favourites.
Yeah, well, I went over the same story with the Ojibway elder, and he made sense of the experience.Ready for it? I was on my man-period.
No, seriously! Men need to do the sweatlodge ceremony because we don't have our monthly spiritual cleansing, which happens to women in the form of menstruation.
So the sweatlodge makes up for that. When we enter the tent, we are climbing into Mother Earth's womb, and when we emerge, that is a spiritual rebirth.
I remember women doing the sweatlodge when I was in Chisasibi, and I remember them feeling that they benefited from it. There was even a female-specific ritual. I guess it's just not mandatory unless you're male.
Kind of weird to say that my moment of spiritual reawakening can be boiled down to having had a period. Props to you ladies who every month.
He explained about the hair-braiding thing. He said that the braid is made of three strands. One represents the body, one the mind, and one the spirit. Apart, they can be torn easily, but intertwined, they are strong. I said that that reminded me of the Cree belief that there are four aspects of the human being, which were the same, but with the inclusion of the emotional aspect. He turned and pointed to an emblem on the wall, a circle with four colours, and said that the four aspects are represented by it, the medicine wheel.
Had another metaphor for the medicine wheel of four human aspects. Said that if you imagined the wheel to be your life, and if you imagine it rolling along, than if you decrease the size of any of the four colours, than it makes an indent in the wheel, and you'll hit a bump with each rotation. Life's going to be a bumpy ride unless you balance your four aspects.
Aboriginal is a slightly offensive term. It's the most widely recognized, so they use it for their office, but they're trying to wean off it. It's because Aboriginal is a government-designated term, and it refers to bloodline but not culture. Nobody's going to get too mad at you for using it, but it's most pro to use the tribe name if you can, or there's a more general word they use, but I forget it... Inishnawa or something like that.
Oh yeah, and the word tribe is slightly, slightly offensive. Like, it's a proper term and has it's place, but it's overused and oftentimes there's a better term to use. You would usually want to say "Nation". Among the First Nations, they don't consider themselves Canadian. They believe they belong to many smaller nations that existed before we came along, and which still today exist, even if they're not recognized by everyone. You know how I was in "Cree Nation"? Yeah. Everyone has a nation. Ojibway nation, Blackfoot nation etc.
But the Inuit are a separate definition to First Nations, so I don't know about them.
I spoke with the Ojibway elder again, today. Remember that cool post I made about my sweatlodge experience? It's probably my most frequently-referenced post. It's as edgy as I've ever dared to go publicly. A real fan-favourite from this blog, if it's possible to say that this blog has fan-favourites.
Yeah, well, I went over the same story with the Ojibway elder, and he made sense of the experience.Ready for it? I was on my man-period.
No, seriously! Men need to do the sweatlodge ceremony because we don't have our monthly spiritual cleansing, which happens to women in the form of menstruation.
So the sweatlodge makes up for that. When we enter the tent, we are climbing into Mother Earth's womb, and when we emerge, that is a spiritual rebirth.
I remember women doing the sweatlodge when I was in Chisasibi, and I remember them feeling that they benefited from it. There was even a female-specific ritual. I guess it's just not mandatory unless you're male.
Kind of weird to say that my moment of spiritual reawakening can be boiled down to having had a period. Props to you ladies who every month.
He explained about the hair-braiding thing. He said that the braid is made of three strands. One represents the body, one the mind, and one the spirit. Apart, they can be torn easily, but intertwined, they are strong. I said that that reminded me of the Cree belief that there are four aspects of the human being, which were the same, but with the inclusion of the emotional aspect. He turned and pointed to an emblem on the wall, a circle with four colours, and said that the four aspects are represented by it, the medicine wheel.
Had another metaphor for the medicine wheel of four human aspects. Said that if you imagined the wheel to be your life, and if you imagine it rolling along, than if you decrease the size of any of the four colours, than it makes an indent in the wheel, and you'll hit a bump with each rotation. Life's going to be a bumpy ride unless you balance your four aspects.
Aboriginal is a slightly offensive term. It's the most widely recognized, so they use it for their office, but they're trying to wean off it. It's because Aboriginal is a government-designated term, and it refers to bloodline but not culture. Nobody's going to get too mad at you for using it, but it's most pro to use the tribe name if you can, or there's a more general word they use, but I forget it... Inishnawa or something like that.
Oh yeah, and the word tribe is slightly, slightly offensive. Like, it's a proper term and has it's place, but it's overused and oftentimes there's a better term to use. You would usually want to say "Nation". Among the First Nations, they don't consider themselves Canadian. They believe they belong to many smaller nations that existed before we came along, and which still today exist, even if they're not recognized by everyone. You know how I was in "Cree Nation"? Yeah. Everyone has a nation. Ojibway nation, Blackfoot nation etc.
But the Inuit are a separate definition to First Nations, so I don't know about them.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Tuesday Mornings
There's a place inside my school called The Sanctuary. It's like a second cafeteria, except it's a little classier. It's got booths and tables like a restaurant's, but you still have to go to their kitchen area to get food. They serve beer here, too. It's kind of a novelty to drink beer inside of a school. There's a catch, though. They only serve beer on Tuesday mornings.
Isn't Tuesday morning the exact least appropriate time of the week to be drinking? For some reason, it feels even worse than Monday or Wednesday mornings.
The beer they serve is their own brew, too. That's right. I think my school has it's own brewery.
I only have one class on Tuesday, and it's at 1:00 pm. Needless to say, it's the least-attended class of the week. Besides being perfectly positioned to tempt people to drink before class, a lot of people who commute don't like to pay gas prices for just one class. We get maybe half the class attending every Tuesday.
At first I thought it was weird that if the school was going to serve alcohol, it would do it on Tuesday mornings, but then when I thought about it, I realized that the least-appropriate time of the week to drink is also the time when students are most likely to be cautious about their drinking.
Nobody's ever come to class with alcohol in their system. Or at least if they did, I didn't notice. Is it against the rules to be in class with alcohol in your system? I kind of assumed it was, but now that I think about it, I'm not sure.
The Tuesday morning drinking time is really popular. They're usually packed. Everybody seems to get a buzz off the novelty of drinking in a school.
Isn't Tuesday morning the exact least appropriate time of the week to be drinking? For some reason, it feels even worse than Monday or Wednesday mornings.
The beer they serve is their own brew, too. That's right. I think my school has it's own brewery.
I only have one class on Tuesday, and it's at 1:00 pm. Needless to say, it's the least-attended class of the week. Besides being perfectly positioned to tempt people to drink before class, a lot of people who commute don't like to pay gas prices for just one class. We get maybe half the class attending every Tuesday.
At first I thought it was weird that if the school was going to serve alcohol, it would do it on Tuesday mornings, but then when I thought about it, I realized that the least-appropriate time of the week to drink is also the time when students are most likely to be cautious about their drinking.
Nobody's ever come to class with alcohol in their system. Or at least if they did, I didn't notice. Is it against the rules to be in class with alcohol in your system? I kind of assumed it was, but now that I think about it, I'm not sure.
The Tuesday morning drinking time is really popular. They're usually packed. Everybody seems to get a buzz off the novelty of drinking in a school.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Car Crash
I saw a car crash on the way to school today. All these cars stopped and this other car didn't even slow down. This was on the highway, too, so it was going pretty fast. I was right next to the collision, close enough that I might have been caught by flying wreckage. The car that crashed into the other car bounced back on collision and lost the whole of it's front, but the other one wasn't damaged at at all. It actually drove away without the driver getting out to check on things. The other students kept walking. Nobody stopped to help the person who'd crashed. All the other cars just drove around her and kept going. One student stopped to give assistance.I stopped only long enough to see that the girl was up and talking. I'm ashamed to say I made it to class on time.
That's the kind of thing that will haunt you. It would've been worth being late for one class so I could think to myself "I'm the kind of guy who helps out in a crisis." Even when I was walking away, I was thinking "Not worth it, man. Not worth it."
That's the kind of thing that will haunt you. It would've been worth being late for one class so I could think to myself "I'm the kind of guy who helps out in a crisis." Even when I was walking away, I was thinking "Not worth it, man. Not worth it."
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Ashley Nichols
We have a celebrity at our school. Her name is Ashley Nichols, and she is the Muaythai world champion boxer. She participated in a competition of 1000 participants from 108 countries, the largest competition ever to be held outside of the art's native land of Thailand. Not only did she win, but she beat the former champion, who was from Russia in the semi-finals, which led her to fight Germany in the finals.
She's also the Athlete of Cambridge two years in a row, and she is the North American champion at kickboxing. She's going to compete at the Ottawa Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu tournament,and she's been asked to represent Canada in kick boxing at the Pan Am Games in December.
I know of this because she is a former student in the program I'm taking right now. Her achievement was broadcasted over my program's online messaging system (it's called ANGEL, don't know why). I watched her fight, and I gotta say, she was FEROCIOUS! It was the championship match, and you could tell who was going to win before the match even started.
In her interview, she is so cool and calm, with so many perceptions of her opponents. Her fighting form was fiery, but her perceptions are cool.
I saw this girl get her picture taken with her trophy in front of the Aboriginal services office. I see her across the school. She doesn't seem to get the kind of celebrity focus you'd expect. I should ask her for her autograph.
She's also the Athlete of Cambridge two years in a row, and she is the North American champion at kickboxing. She's going to compete at the Ottawa Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu tournament,and she's been asked to represent Canada in kick boxing at the Pan Am Games in December.
I know of this because she is a former student in the program I'm taking right now. Her achievement was broadcasted over my program's online messaging system (it's called ANGEL, don't know why). I watched her fight, and I gotta say, she was FEROCIOUS! It was the championship match, and you could tell who was going to win before the match even started.
In her interview, she is so cool and calm, with so many perceptions of her opponents. Her fighting form was fiery, but her perceptions are cool.
I saw this girl get her picture taken with her trophy in front of the Aboriginal services office. I see her across the school. She doesn't seem to get the kind of celebrity focus you'd expect. I should ask her for her autograph.
Friday, October 19, 2012
ESL Conversationalist Interview
Yeah, I think I landed the English as a Second Language conversationalist position. The interviewer said that I was "Obviously a good conversationalist", she asked me if I could take on more than one client, and she asked me if I could continue working with them into next semester. She also recommended some other places in the school that I might consider volunteering at, and she asked me to look for more potential applicants. Oh, and I have training next week. So I've elevated past the interview stage. I'd have to screw up pretty bad to not get it at this point, I think.
The only place that I think I might not have done so hot in, was when she asked me how I would engage a client who wasn't talking much. I gave the standard of asking about their interests, their subject, their family. But then I said "I would ask them to teach me a little bit of their language, so that, if they were self-conscious about the way they sounded in English, they could hear me struggle with their language and it might make them more comfortable." She said that that "Sounds like a great icebreaker, but don't forget, the focus is for them to learn our language."
The only place that I think I might not have done so hot in, was when she asked me how I would engage a client who wasn't talking much. I gave the standard of asking about their interests, their subject, their family. But then I said "I would ask them to teach me a little bit of their language, so that, if they were self-conscious about the way they sounded in English, they could hear me struggle with their language and it might make them more comfortable." She said that that "Sounds like a great icebreaker, but don't forget, the focus is for them to learn our language."
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Respect
I've been accepted as a Respect ambassador. I just went to my first meeting today. I think I'm the only heterosexual white able-bodied male born and raised in Canada. Seems like the organization attracts people who feel like they've been denied some respect. We're organizing a Random Act of Kindness day... Still don't really know what it entails. It was supposed to be 4:00 to 5:00 but they got me to stay until 8:00. I spent the extra three hours packaging bookmarks. Kind of assembly-line style. Oh well, got free pizza.
I have an interview to be an English Conversation Partner tomorrow at 1:00 PM.
Got the chance to talk to the person in charge of the Social Service Worker program. She said that the Respect volunteer thing is prefect. So I've got Canada World Youth and Katimavik backing me, and then I'll top it off with this Respect program, and hopefully the English Conversation Partner. The other important thing is English. If I can keep my English mark over 80% and I've got this volunteer bit, I should be a shoe in.
I really have to stop procrastinating, though. So far, I've gotten everything in on time, and I've passed everything with flying colours. I'm one of the very top students, but I'm still nervous, because despite having done well so far, I've only managed to stay a half-step ahead of my game. I shouldn't be pulling all-nighters for every major assignment. Eventually I'm going to have several in a row, and no matter how well I'm doing, if I've got three assignments due in one week and I've put everything off until last minute, then I'm gonna burn out.
I got my first two major papers back. 100% and 95%.
My door lock is broken. My roommate managed to get in, so he let me in. I went down to the front desk, and the guy came up, looked at the lock, said he didn't know how to fix it so he'd send up a guy at 11:00 who knows this stuff better than him. It's 11:47 right now and he hasn't shown up. If I leave the room to go to front desk, I'll be locked out. Looks like I'm getting locked out tomorrow!
I have an interview to be an English Conversation Partner tomorrow at 1:00 PM.
Got the chance to talk to the person in charge of the Social Service Worker program. She said that the Respect volunteer thing is prefect. So I've got Canada World Youth and Katimavik backing me, and then I'll top it off with this Respect program, and hopefully the English Conversation Partner. The other important thing is English. If I can keep my English mark over 80% and I've got this volunteer bit, I should be a shoe in.
I really have to stop procrastinating, though. So far, I've gotten everything in on time, and I've passed everything with flying colours. I'm one of the very top students, but I'm still nervous, because despite having done well so far, I've only managed to stay a half-step ahead of my game. I shouldn't be pulling all-nighters for every major assignment. Eventually I'm going to have several in a row, and no matter how well I'm doing, if I've got three assignments due in one week and I've put everything off until last minute, then I'm gonna burn out.
I got my first two major papers back. 100% and 95%.
My door lock is broken. My roommate managed to get in, so he let me in. I went down to the front desk, and the guy came up, looked at the lock, said he didn't know how to fix it so he'd send up a guy at 11:00 who knows this stuff better than him. It's 11:47 right now and he hasn't shown up. If I leave the room to go to front desk, I'll be locked out. Looks like I'm getting locked out tomorrow!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Aboriginal Services Office
The other day, a friend of mine was like "Have you been to the Aboriginal services office yet?" and I was like, "Why would I have been to the Aboriginal services office?" and she was like "Because the elder is really nice" and I was like, "But I'm not Aboriginal, and you're not Aboriginal, and I'm wearing my Chisasibi hoodie and he'll think I'm a poser" and she was like "No he won't. Let's go to the Aboriginal services office."
So we went to the Aboriginal services office, and it turns out that the elder knows people in Chisasibi. A lot of people. Well.
It was actually pretty sweet, but we could only talk for fifteen minutes. He said I could drop by and talk at any time, and he told us about a smudging ceremony that we'd be allowed to come to. something about smoke going in the air.
I've got some application form to volunteer for the Respect campaign, which I don't really know what it is except that it involves encouraging diversity and understanding, and I'm applying to be a consultant for students entering Canada. I'd be teaching English and explaining Canadian culture.
So we went to the Aboriginal services office, and it turns out that the elder knows people in Chisasibi. A lot of people. Well.
It was actually pretty sweet, but we could only talk for fifteen minutes. He said I could drop by and talk at any time, and he told us about a smudging ceremony that we'd be allowed to come to. something about smoke going in the air.
I've got some application form to volunteer for the Respect campaign, which I don't really know what it is except that it involves encouraging diversity and understanding, and I'm applying to be a consultant for students entering Canada. I'd be teaching English and explaining Canadian culture.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Cool Pics
Huh. So all of my blogs had their pageviews completely erased. Right now, I have six subscribers and zero pageviews. Must be a glitch.
Here's some cool pics
No context. Just thought I'd give you guys something instead of just neglecting this blog entirely. Okay, back to my take home exam.
Here's some cool pics
No context. Just thought I'd give you guys something instead of just neglecting this blog entirely. Okay, back to my take home exam.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Locked Myself Out
Tried out my vacuum the other day. Works like a charm! I'm not looking forward to the day I move out, though. When I came here, I had only what I could carry... Two suitcases and a backpack, but I've been building since then... Nothing big, just a little here, little there, but it builds up. Everything I've gotten is minimalistic and transportable, too. I think it bothers my roommate... He really set down roots.
Got a Preparing for College paper back. We have the opportunity to redo this one, if we don't like our score. I don't really think I'll bother though, as I've just got a lot on my plate right now, and I'm pretty satisfied with my grade of 100%! Ha! That's a confidence booster.
I have to do volunteer work in the social services field and get a letter of recommendation to get into my program next year. It used to be a part of the HSF program, but it isn't anymore.I have more volunteer experience than anyone, and a number of recommendations, but I still need recent volunteer work. I don't really know how to research volunteer opportunities in the social services in Kitchener, though... I'm gonna be pissed if this is what does me in, when I've got more qualifications than anyone.
I locked myself out of my room today. I knew that was going to happen eventually. Too many automatically-locking doors. I'm not on top form in the morning, see, and when my coffee is outside of my auto-locking room, disaster is just waiting to happen.
I'm surprised I managed to make it to, what, the sixth week? At least my roommate did it before I did, so I beat him. It wasn't a big deal. The guy at front desk said that it happens all the time.
But the very next time I tried to use my key, it bent! I've no idea if it'll work the next time I try to use it. I managed to sort of jimmy it into the lock slot and thereby mold it into the right shape, and then I managed to move the lock in and out, so I should be good, but I haven't put it to a field test and I'm scared to try.
Got a Preparing for College paper back. We have the opportunity to redo this one, if we don't like our score. I don't really think I'll bother though, as I've just got a lot on my plate right now, and I'm pretty satisfied with my grade of 100%! Ha! That's a confidence booster.
I have to do volunteer work in the social services field and get a letter of recommendation to get into my program next year. It used to be a part of the HSF program, but it isn't anymore.I have more volunteer experience than anyone, and a number of recommendations, but I still need recent volunteer work. I don't really know how to research volunteer opportunities in the social services in Kitchener, though... I'm gonna be pissed if this is what does me in, when I've got more qualifications than anyone.
I locked myself out of my room today. I knew that was going to happen eventually. Too many automatically-locking doors. I'm not on top form in the morning, see, and when my coffee is outside of my auto-locking room, disaster is just waiting to happen.
I'm surprised I managed to make it to, what, the sixth week? At least my roommate did it before I did, so I beat him. It wasn't a big deal. The guy at front desk said that it happens all the time.
But the very next time I tried to use my key, it bent! I've no idea if it'll work the next time I try to use it. I managed to sort of jimmy it into the lock slot and thereby mold it into the right shape, and then I managed to move the lock in and out, so I should be good, but I haven't put it to a field test and I'm scared to try.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Bought a Vaccuum
Wow, sorry that I haven't updated in a week. I had no idea that it had been that long. Felt like two or three days...
I went home for Canadian Thanksgiving. I don't think I said this last time, but the Greyhound bus terminal in Kitchener is really bad. They have signs up for each city's station, but the line for the Toronto buses are always so big that they span over all the other stations. If you stand in line behind the Guelph sign, then you're in line for Toronto, and since they need multiple buses for Toronto, those spill out into other stations, too, and if you board a bus at the Guelph station, you might be boarding a Toronto bus by mistake.
I bombed the math test... 9 out of 18... Better than I thought! In this class, though, you can do a redo, and whatever grade you score, if it's above the minimum to pass, than she'll give you a passing grade with the bare minimum. Better than nothing, I guess...
I got a little hand vacuum. My room is carpeted, and the cleaning people don't come in here, so the vacuuming is up to us. I didn't bring a vacuum, and my initial strategy was to "Just be careful not to mess up the carpet", but eventually that was seeming like an escapist way of thinking, so I went out and bought a cheap little hand vacuum. I took a nap when I got back, and I don't think it would be cool of me to try it out at this hour. Oh well, tomorrow!
I'm running my finances down faster than usual this month because of the unusual purchases. The cell phone, the mouse, and the vacuum.
I went home for Canadian Thanksgiving. I don't think I said this last time, but the Greyhound bus terminal in Kitchener is really bad. They have signs up for each city's station, but the line for the Toronto buses are always so big that they span over all the other stations. If you stand in line behind the Guelph sign, then you're in line for Toronto, and since they need multiple buses for Toronto, those spill out into other stations, too, and if you board a bus at the Guelph station, you might be boarding a Toronto bus by mistake.
I bombed the math test... 9 out of 18... Better than I thought! In this class, though, you can do a redo, and whatever grade you score, if it's above the minimum to pass, than she'll give you a passing grade with the bare minimum. Better than nothing, I guess...
I got a little hand vacuum. My room is carpeted, and the cleaning people don't come in here, so the vacuuming is up to us. I didn't bring a vacuum, and my initial strategy was to "Just be careful not to mess up the carpet", but eventually that was seeming like an escapist way of thinking, so I went out and bought a cheap little hand vacuum. I took a nap when I got back, and I don't think it would be cool of me to try it out at this hour. Oh well, tomorrow!
I'm running my finances down faster than usual this month because of the unusual purchases. The cell phone, the mouse, and the vacuum.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Got a Cell Phone
I have a take-home test for my math class. It would be so easy to pass this thing to someone who better understands the subject that I almost feel obligated to do it. But I guess "If I cheat, I only cheat myself" and getting a good grade on a low-priority test through cheating will only lead to failure on a high-priority exam.
I don't exactly need to cheat, though. This test is so simple that I'm afraid I will get 100% and she'll expect that I cheated, since such improvement between this and the last test seems unrealistic.
I got an English test and assignment back. English is my most important grade to get into my desired course next year. I got 11/14 on one and 95% on the other. I don't know what % 11/14 is, but it sounds pretty good!
But... I bombed a Psychology assignment. Failed it, even. It was a group assignment, and I wasn't in charge of it. However, I did review and approve it and it looked FUCKING GOOD! The prof didn't leave any notes on why we failed, but it pushed my average in that course down to 69%.
I got a cell phone. Cheapest one I could find. All of my professors talk about how my generation is the "cell phone generation" and act like we always look down on them for not keeping up with modern technology. We're constantly being berated for our use of cell phones in class, and they're always trying to prove their ability toadapt to us based on their knowledge of cell phones.
Yeah, well, I'm a throwback in evolution, apparently. I know less about cell phones than any given one of these professors. To be fair, they seem to be right. My friends have always treated me like I was disabled for not having one. Again, considering how it limited me, that's a pretty accurate comparison...
But yeah! Bought one. Just a shitty prepaid one at the base plan. If you call a very minimal amount of time, it's the profitable way to go, but I've made two calls and two texts, and I've already used half my time for this month...
...I don't think I love cell phones. I tried texting, which is basically the iconic mode of communication for my generation. Yeah, that's right, I JUST LEARNED HOW! Anyway, it wasn't so great. Kind of awkward, actually. Simple enoughto learn, but the "taptaptap... pause... taptap... pause... taptaptaptaptap.... pause" seems like kind of primitive way of typing.
I guess I'm some young person equivalent of being old...
I don't exactly need to cheat, though. This test is so simple that I'm afraid I will get 100% and she'll expect that I cheated, since such improvement between this and the last test seems unrealistic.
I got an English test and assignment back. English is my most important grade to get into my desired course next year. I got 11/14 on one and 95% on the other. I don't know what % 11/14 is, but it sounds pretty good!
But... I bombed a Psychology assignment. Failed it, even. It was a group assignment, and I wasn't in charge of it. However, I did review and approve it and it looked FUCKING GOOD! The prof didn't leave any notes on why we failed, but it pushed my average in that course down to 69%.
I got a cell phone. Cheapest one I could find. All of my professors talk about how my generation is the "cell phone generation" and act like we always look down on them for not keeping up with modern technology. We're constantly being berated for our use of cell phones in class, and they're always trying to prove their ability toadapt to us based on their knowledge of cell phones.
Yeah, well, I'm a throwback in evolution, apparently. I know less about cell phones than any given one of these professors. To be fair, they seem to be right. My friends have always treated me like I was disabled for not having one. Again, considering how it limited me, that's a pretty accurate comparison...
But yeah! Bought one. Just a shitty prepaid one at the base plan. If you call a very minimal amount of time, it's the profitable way to go, but I've made two calls and two texts, and I've already used half my time for this month...
...I don't think I love cell phones. I tried texting, which is basically the iconic mode of communication for my generation. Yeah, that's right, I JUST LEARNED HOW! Anyway, it wasn't so great. Kind of awkward, actually. Simple enoughto learn, but the "taptaptap... pause... taptap... pause... taptaptaptaptap.... pause" seems like kind of primitive way of typing.
I guess I'm some young person equivalent of being old...
Monday, October 1, 2012
All-Nighter
I pulled an all-nighter last night, finishing an assignment. Glad to know that I'm still young and vital enough to pull something like that off. I drank so much caffeine, though, that I got heart palpitations. I think I must be more sensitive to caffeine than most people. That's, like, the third time I've OD'd on caffeine. I see peers plugging back way huger amounts than I take in. I'm not used to being a lightweight. When I asked them if they new you could OD on caffeine, they all knew from personal experience that you could.
Shit. The caffeine conversation was exactly like a drug conversation. I wondered at the time how they even sell that stuff legally and publicly in the school. I'm the only one who hates the palpitations this much though, it seems.
In class, my heart was in pain and I was lightheaded, falling in and out of consciousness, not knowing whether I was high-strung or tired, thinking that if I let my concentration go, my heart would stop.
I started writing stuff down to help me focus on a task and thereby regulate my thoughts and stop me from succumbing to panic. Reading them later in the day, when I'd gotten past the palpitations and, for some reason, I'd stopped being tired, the notes sounded so desperate, it was hilarious. Stuff like "Heart palpitations" "Light-headed" "Halfway there" "Less than 30 minutes" "She said it would end soon" "Not aware of heart rate".
I think I hate the palpitations more than other people. Other people just get uncomfortable, whereas I convince myself tht I'm gonna die.
At Tim Hortons, they sell something that they call a BELT (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce Tomato). I bought one today, and they were like "Bacon, ham or sausage?" WTF. "I'll have a bacon sandwich, hold the bacon" Makes no sense. I still got sausage, but really, that's a SELT, not a BELT.
When I was home a couple weeks back, I described to my mom what groceries I was buying, and she gave me a recipe to make a quick and easy dish with the resources and food items that I had. Since then, I've been feeling pretty slick, cooking meals and all that, instead of just eating a bunch of separate stuff.
Shit. The caffeine conversation was exactly like a drug conversation. I wondered at the time how they even sell that stuff legally and publicly in the school. I'm the only one who hates the palpitations this much though, it seems.
In class, my heart was in pain and I was lightheaded, falling in and out of consciousness, not knowing whether I was high-strung or tired, thinking that if I let my concentration go, my heart would stop.
I started writing stuff down to help me focus on a task and thereby regulate my thoughts and stop me from succumbing to panic. Reading them later in the day, when I'd gotten past the palpitations and, for some reason, I'd stopped being tired, the notes sounded so desperate, it was hilarious. Stuff like "Heart palpitations" "Light-headed" "Halfway there" "Less than 30 minutes" "She said it would end soon" "Not aware of heart rate".
I think I hate the palpitations more than other people. Other people just get uncomfortable, whereas I convince myself tht I'm gonna die.
At Tim Hortons, they sell something that they call a BELT (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce Tomato). I bought one today, and they were like "Bacon, ham or sausage?" WTF. "I'll have a bacon sandwich, hold the bacon" Makes no sense. I still got sausage, but really, that's a SELT, not a BELT.
When I was home a couple weeks back, I described to my mom what groceries I was buying, and she gave me a recipe to make a quick and easy dish with the resources and food items that I had. Since then, I've been feeling pretty slick, cooking meals and all that, instead of just eating a bunch of separate stuff.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Mouse Quest
I had to take my weekly online quiz for Psychology today, but last night, the keypad on my laptop stopped working. I panicked and thought that I would have to buy a new laptop. Then, I came to the realization that, if only the keypad wasn't working, then I didn't need a new computer, just a new mouse.
So I went to the store. Turns out buses only come on hourly intervals on Sunday. In my head, I was planning my trip and trying to time it so that I would still have time to do my test. I figured that, if it took me an hour to get there, then I missed one bus and came back on the next, then in a worst-case scenario the mouse doesn't work and I do need a new computer, then I could go back to the store and still have an hour to do the test.
See, I didn't trust my technical knowledge to be assured that the mouse was the actual problem. If it was some kind of internal issue with detecting movement, then it wouldn't be the keypad that stopped working, but the mouse-detection function. So I wanted to set enough time aside that I was sure to be able to do two trips.
But when I got there, I didn't know which mouse I wanted: a corded or non-corded one? I didn't know if my computer was only compatible with certain mouses (mice? I think it's mice because the French translation translated the word "mouse", which means it is based on the animal, not just a homonym).
There was only one corded option. I wondered if non-cord mice were so commonplace now that new computers only accounted for them. But then I worried that my computer was so old, it wouldn't be able to handle technology as new as a non-cord mouse.
I called home and asked my mom all kinds of questions about mice, and she told me to just get the corded mouse. When I bought it, I found out that, not only was it the cheapest, it was also more than half-off! (It said $22, but it was actually $10)
But when I got back it worked fine, and I was able to do my quiz.
We're doing biology in Psych and I don't get it at all. It's an open-book test, though, so what I did was, I went through the chapter and wrote a definition for each bolded word, then went into it with my little quick-access research sheets handy.
It half-worked. I got 70% Better than you should for a subject you don't understand at all.
I think I bombed a math quiz last Friday, though. It was the first really humbling moment for me in college so far.
I accidentally did a project ahead of schedule. Last Friday I handed in a paper that's due next Wednesday. I got my dates mixed up, somehow. Now I feel like such an apple-polisher.
So I went to the store. Turns out buses only come on hourly intervals on Sunday. In my head, I was planning my trip and trying to time it so that I would still have time to do my test. I figured that, if it took me an hour to get there, then I missed one bus and came back on the next, then in a worst-case scenario the mouse doesn't work and I do need a new computer, then I could go back to the store and still have an hour to do the test.
See, I didn't trust my technical knowledge to be assured that the mouse was the actual problem. If it was some kind of internal issue with detecting movement, then it wouldn't be the keypad that stopped working, but the mouse-detection function. So I wanted to set enough time aside that I was sure to be able to do two trips.
But when I got there, I didn't know which mouse I wanted: a corded or non-corded one? I didn't know if my computer was only compatible with certain mouses (mice? I think it's mice because the French translation translated the word "mouse", which means it is based on the animal, not just a homonym).
There was only one corded option. I wondered if non-cord mice were so commonplace now that new computers only accounted for them. But then I worried that my computer was so old, it wouldn't be able to handle technology as new as a non-cord mouse.
I called home and asked my mom all kinds of questions about mice, and she told me to just get the corded mouse. When I bought it, I found out that, not only was it the cheapest, it was also more than half-off! (It said $22, but it was actually $10)
But when I got back it worked fine, and I was able to do my quiz.
We're doing biology in Psych and I don't get it at all. It's an open-book test, though, so what I did was, I went through the chapter and wrote a definition for each bolded word, then went into it with my little quick-access research sheets handy.
It half-worked. I got 70% Better than you should for a subject you don't understand at all.
I think I bombed a math quiz last Friday, though. It was the first really humbling moment for me in college so far.
I accidentally did a project ahead of schedule. Last Friday I handed in a paper that's due next Wednesday. I got my dates mixed up, somehow. Now I feel like such an apple-polisher.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
My Aunt Passed Away
I don't want to over-dramatize this by pretending that I had a closer relationship with her than I did. I know that a lot of my readers knew her on a more personal level than I did, and I think it would be disrespectful of me to feign emotions that I don't have a right to claim. But it is true that times like this cause you to think about the aspect of mortality and to reflect on the moments you shared with the deceased, and that brings about a weird little emotion from knowing that they are no longer here.
The memory I have of her which returns to me more than the other's is when I was reacquainted with her at another Aunt's (the deceased is actually my Great Aunt, but I don't refer to her as such because, for some reason, it's not a commonly recognized term) handfasting (Wiccan wedding).
I was a teenager at that time, and she hadn't seen me since I was a child. When she came up to me, she hugged me and said "Gryphon, is that you? You look completely different, and at the same time, exactly the same!"
And that's it. That memory keeps coming back, and I keep thinking "The woman who said that is not on the same planet as me anymore". It feels surreal.
I don't think it would be respectful of me to move onto another topic right now, so I'm going to leave this post the way it is.
The memory I have of her which returns to me more than the other's is when I was reacquainted with her at another Aunt's (the deceased is actually my Great Aunt, but I don't refer to her as such because, for some reason, it's not a commonly recognized term) handfasting (Wiccan wedding).
I was a teenager at that time, and she hadn't seen me since I was a child. When she came up to me, she hugged me and said "Gryphon, is that you? You look completely different, and at the same time, exactly the same!"
And that's it. That memory keeps coming back, and I keep thinking "The woman who said that is not on the same planet as me anymore". It feels surreal.
I don't think it would be respectful of me to move onto another topic right now, so I'm going to leave this post the way it is.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
My Aunt Had a Stroke
My great aunt recently suffered from a stroke. It appears that the damage is serious and she will likely pass away. Recovery is possible, but not a full one.
She isn't someone that I know well. She lives in the States and I only ever spoke to her at a handful of family gatherings. Still, this could be one of the few deaths of someone I had a preexisting relationship with. Other deaths were my great-grandfather, one of my great-grandmothers, my grandfather on my dad's side, and a close friend in high school. I was pretty young when my great grandparents moved on, and I was not close to the grandfather that passed away. My high school friend, who committed suicide, is probably the death that has impacted me the most.
I was around for the death of my father's biological mother, but I only met her as she was dying. So it wasn't a preexisting relationship.
She isn't someone that I know well. She lives in the States and I only ever spoke to her at a handful of family gatherings. Still, this could be one of the few deaths of someone I had a preexisting relationship with. Other deaths were my great-grandfather, one of my great-grandmothers, my grandfather on my dad's side, and a close friend in high school. I was pretty young when my great grandparents moved on, and I was not close to the grandfather that passed away. My high school friend, who committed suicide, is probably the death that has impacted me the most.
I was around for the death of my father's biological mother, but I only met her as she was dying. So it wasn't a preexisting relationship.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Birthday
Well, my birthday was alright. With my student discount, it only cost $10 to take the bus to Guelph. Unfortunately, it cost $30 to take a cab to the Greyhound bus station!
I made the most of my opportunity in Guelph and bought a hole punch, milk pitcher, and an umbrella. Right now, I'm living in the most cost-effective way I can find, while trying to balance my diet. I recently looked at the Canada food guide and found that the food category that I hadn't covered was dairy. I wonder what the consequences of not eating dairy is?
I'm incorporating milk into my diet, now, because even if it's not necessary for survival, it's still fairly cost effective and it will balance my diet.
I brought back some clothes for interviewing in. Remember how I said that, when I went into CWY, I couldn't wear the dress pants I'd gotten post-Katimavik, but that, after CWY, I could fit into them again? Yeah, well, I can still fit comfortably into them. That means that, I kept off some of the weight that I lost while I was in Africa.
I couldn't find a three hole punch, so I'm just using a one hole...
The umbrella was a good move. I've been trapped in the school, or hampered to do something because of the rain time and time again, and when I've decided to brave the rain without protection, I've just looked like the saddest thing.
There's a guy in class that was wearing the Malian colours, red, yellow, green. He was wearing them on some necklaces and a tag. I was excited, but didn't speak up, cautioning myself that there are a number of flags that have those colours. So I went home, researched national flags with those colour components and found that the most similar flag to Mali's was Guinea's, which was the same except had the colours in reverse. My classmate's were in the Malian order. There was also the Senegal flag, which was the same as the Malian's, except with a black star in the yellow band, and the Congo flag, which had the same order but with diagonal stripes instead of vertical. I figured that the beads of his necklace couldn't convey diagonal stripes or a black star easily, but then, he had that tag, with three vertical striped of plain green, yellow, red, in that order and from left to right.
I told myself that there wouldn't be a Malian in Ontario, because the Malians believe that Canada was a French-speaking nation due to their frequent interaction with Quebec due to their common language. But then, there was that Malian doctor I'd met at the hospital, who'd studied at the University of Toronto...
I thought that his hair, the shape of his eye, his skin tone, and his body structure were all very un-Mali, but... he was wearing the flag! So I went up and asked him if he had any association with Mali.
I'm glad I didn't try to initiate conversation in Bambara, as I'd considered. Turns out, he's from Jamaica. The green and yellow symbolize Jamaica, and the red is Rasta. Then another woman heard the conversation and came to introduce herself, as she was also Jamaican. Fsst... I can't believe I never noticed that those Rasta hats are Mali colours...
Remember how I said that my calling card changed it's policy and no longer covered Mali? And that there are no calling cards that cover anywhere in Africa? Well, I was walking along and saw a giant poster at a local bargain store, which was titled AFRICA. On closer inspection, it turned out to be for Africa-brand calling cards that specialize in calling the African nations. Next to that poster was one for African Beat brand calling cards. Curiously, though, African Beat covered all the major nations across the globe and left out Mali. Basically, it covered only what the standard calling card does. The Africa brand cards, though, cover all the African nations, including Mali.
I made the most of my opportunity in Guelph and bought a hole punch, milk pitcher, and an umbrella. Right now, I'm living in the most cost-effective way I can find, while trying to balance my diet. I recently looked at the Canada food guide and found that the food category that I hadn't covered was dairy. I wonder what the consequences of not eating dairy is?
I'm incorporating milk into my diet, now, because even if it's not necessary for survival, it's still fairly cost effective and it will balance my diet.
I brought back some clothes for interviewing in. Remember how I said that, when I went into CWY, I couldn't wear the dress pants I'd gotten post-Katimavik, but that, after CWY, I could fit into them again? Yeah, well, I can still fit comfortably into them. That means that, I kept off some of the weight that I lost while I was in Africa.
I couldn't find a three hole punch, so I'm just using a one hole...
The umbrella was a good move. I've been trapped in the school, or hampered to do something because of the rain time and time again, and when I've decided to brave the rain without protection, I've just looked like the saddest thing.
There's a guy in class that was wearing the Malian colours, red, yellow, green. He was wearing them on some necklaces and a tag. I was excited, but didn't speak up, cautioning myself that there are a number of flags that have those colours. So I went home, researched national flags with those colour components and found that the most similar flag to Mali's was Guinea's, which was the same except had the colours in reverse. My classmate's were in the Malian order. There was also the Senegal flag, which was the same as the Malian's, except with a black star in the yellow band, and the Congo flag, which had the same order but with diagonal stripes instead of vertical. I figured that the beads of his necklace couldn't convey diagonal stripes or a black star easily, but then, he had that tag, with three vertical striped of plain green, yellow, red, in that order and from left to right.
I told myself that there wouldn't be a Malian in Ontario, because the Malians believe that Canada was a French-speaking nation due to their frequent interaction with Quebec due to their common language. But then, there was that Malian doctor I'd met at the hospital, who'd studied at the University of Toronto...
I thought that his hair, the shape of his eye, his skin tone, and his body structure were all very un-Mali, but... he was wearing the flag! So I went up and asked him if he had any association with Mali.
I'm glad I didn't try to initiate conversation in Bambara, as I'd considered. Turns out, he's from Jamaica. The green and yellow symbolize Jamaica, and the red is Rasta. Then another woman heard the conversation and came to introduce herself, as she was also Jamaican. Fsst... I can't believe I never noticed that those Rasta hats are Mali colours...
Remember how I said that my calling card changed it's policy and no longer covered Mali? And that there are no calling cards that cover anywhere in Africa? Well, I was walking along and saw a giant poster at a local bargain store, which was titled AFRICA. On closer inspection, it turned out to be for Africa-brand calling cards that specialize in calling the African nations. Next to that poster was one for African Beat brand calling cards. Curiously, though, African Beat covered all the major nations across the globe and left out Mali. Basically, it covered only what the standard calling card does. The Africa brand cards, though, cover all the African nations, including Mali.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Actually 85%
Yeah, so I actually got 85% on my Psychology quiz. The automatic grading thing screwed up and gave the wrong answer for one of the questions, so we're being regraded, and since I was one of the people who got the actual right answer, I get an extra point.
They stopped selling large sandwiches at Tim Hortons. Not that it matters, though. After witnessing two people getting trained at making sandwiches, I saw that, for the regular size chicken salad, they're trained to put two scoops, whereas for a large (double-size bun), they're trained to put three scoops. It should be four scoops!!! So that extra few cents you save by getting large goes to that missing scoop, and I don't think it was worth it.
Tomorrow's my birthday. I get to celebrate it with my first math quiz. This one should be okay, I never had difficulty with the introductory stuff. I'm a little bit worried next week's fractions test, though. I'm going home for the weekend, though, so I'll get Mom to help me figure it out. That's kind of her field.
Hey, so if you've been to my gallery blog, you may have seen these critters.
Only just today did I figure out exactly what they are. They're called Guinea fowl. I knew that they served a similar function to chickens, but I wasn't sure what the advantage was to having both chickens and these guys.
Well, turns out, they fight off snakes and predatory birds, effectively protecting the other animals, and they somehow kill ticks. Weird to think of them as guard animals. They were so skittish, I could never so much as reach for my camera without them running away. My family thought it was hilarious how badly I wanted a photo of them. I had to get really lucky with this shot. My camera was already on and poised to take the shot when they coincidentally came by. Took me basically the entire trip. But apparently they fight off hawks and giant snakes, to the point where they're considered valuable as guard animals, and it's worth putting up with their obnoxious hooting and general stupidity.
Oh, by the way, do you remember me talking about a spooky kid that I apprenticed, who held my hand as I cried when I left the village? One of the people I complained I didn't get a photo of. Well, I found one!
He's the one in the back, with his tongue half stuck out.
If I'm going home, I have the opportunity to buy a hole punch and a milk jug. I think I saw both those things at the dollar store. Our malls have a greater diversity of goods than the malls around here. I think those are the last two things I need to be fully equipped.
They stopped selling large sandwiches at Tim Hortons. Not that it matters, though. After witnessing two people getting trained at making sandwiches, I saw that, for the regular size chicken salad, they're trained to put two scoops, whereas for a large (double-size bun), they're trained to put three scoops. It should be four scoops!!! So that extra few cents you save by getting large goes to that missing scoop, and I don't think it was worth it.
Tomorrow's my birthday. I get to celebrate it with my first math quiz. This one should be okay, I never had difficulty with the introductory stuff. I'm a little bit worried next week's fractions test, though. I'm going home for the weekend, though, so I'll get Mom to help me figure it out. That's kind of her field.
Hey, so if you've been to my gallery blog, you may have seen these critters.
Well, turns out, they fight off snakes and predatory birds, effectively protecting the other animals, and they somehow kill ticks. Weird to think of them as guard animals. They were so skittish, I could never so much as reach for my camera without them running away. My family thought it was hilarious how badly I wanted a photo of them. I had to get really lucky with this shot. My camera was already on and poised to take the shot when they coincidentally came by. Took me basically the entire trip. But apparently they fight off hawks and giant snakes, to the point where they're considered valuable as guard animals, and it's worth putting up with their obnoxious hooting and general stupidity.
Oh, by the way, do you remember me talking about a spooky kid that I apprenticed, who held my hand as I cried when I left the village? One of the people I complained I didn't get a photo of. Well, I found one!
He's the one in the back, with his tongue half stuck out.
If I'm going home, I have the opportunity to buy a hole punch and a milk jug. I think I saw both those things at the dollar store. Our malls have a greater diversity of goods than the malls around here. I think those are the last two things I need to be fully equipped.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Cleaning Person
Yeah, so my AMA flopped. I only got one on-topic question (which I answered BRILLIANTLY). Even the guy who went to Ghana for one month and who didn't respond to anything got four questions!
What the fuck. Just the other day, there were people commenting on photos that I'd posted, saying things like "Why did you go to Mali? What were you doing? Did you keep a journal? What was the religious makeup of the community? Did the Muslims perform a jumma prayer? Sorry I keep asking so many questions, this is just so interesting. I'm going through your post history to see your other submissions."
And two people said they were gonna show and they didn't.
Apparently it's my birthday this Friday. I'm planning on going back home to Guelph for it.
Some cleaning person came into our apartment today. Our room gets cleaned every two weeks, but it's a pretty brief and not very thorough job. According to the Residence handbook, they don't move any objects, they don't clean the floors, and they don't go in your room. We don't get notified before they come over, either, and the service is not optional.
Sounds like all they do is come in and wipe down any open space on the table or counter. I figure this "service" is just a way of checking up on us to makesure we haven't wrecked the place too bad.
I found out that the reason I have a full size fridge and a separate room is because I'm living in the Private Suite. I didn't make the connection that this place matched up to the description of the better room perfectly. Thing is, on the application form, I said that I was not interested in a Private Suite, and when I paid for my dorm room, I only paid the price of the Traditional (like $2000 less). Huh. I hope they're not planning on me paying them for Private Suite down the road...
What the fuck. Just the other day, there were people commenting on photos that I'd posted, saying things like "Why did you go to Mali? What were you doing? Did you keep a journal? What was the religious makeup of the community? Did the Muslims perform a jumma prayer? Sorry I keep asking so many questions, this is just so interesting. I'm going through your post history to see your other submissions."
And two people said they were gonna show and they didn't.
Apparently it's my birthday this Friday. I'm planning on going back home to Guelph for it.
Some cleaning person came into our apartment today. Our room gets cleaned every two weeks, but it's a pretty brief and not very thorough job. According to the Residence handbook, they don't move any objects, they don't clean the floors, and they don't go in your room. We don't get notified before they come over, either, and the service is not optional.
Sounds like all they do is come in and wipe down any open space on the table or counter. I figure this "service" is just a way of checking up on us to makesure we haven't wrecked the place too bad.
I found out that the reason I have a full size fridge and a separate room is because I'm living in the Private Suite. I didn't make the connection that this place matched up to the description of the better room perfectly. Thing is, on the application form, I said that I was not interested in a Private Suite, and when I paid for my dorm room, I only paid the price of the Traditional (like $2000 less). Huh. I hope they're not planning on me paying them for Private Suite down the road...
Monday, September 17, 2012
Casual Ask Me Anything!
Remember how I said I would never do an Ask Me Anything? I was wrong! I'm doing one on my Mali experience right now. HOP ON OVER!
http://www.reddit.com/r/casualiama/comments/101fqp/iama_guy_who_lived_in_rural_west_africa_for_3/
http://www.reddit.com/r/casualiama/comments/101fqp/iama_guy_who_lived_in_rural_west_africa_for_3/
Sunday, September 16, 2012
First Graded Assignments
I put in my first graded assignment and did my first graded quiz. Both were for my Psychology class. Because of new technology, it's possible to make things due and hold quizzes on weekends. I don't know what my grade for the assignment was, since the prof will have to grade that herself, but the quiz was graded automatically. I got 80%. Don't know if that's a good mark or not.
Sure would be easy to cheat, if you knew someone better-versed, or you knew someone who'd already done the quiz and got the answers. You could just hand the controls over to them and none would be the wiser. I don't have a resource like that, though.
The assignment was worth 5% of the final grade. It was just a contract that me and the group I'm working in wrote out. Hard to imagine we screwed up.
Now I have to finish chapters 2 and 9 of my Preparing for College textbook and answer the questions at the end. I'm already done chapter 2. Assignment's due tomorrow. Things are speeding up! Next day, I think I've got a math quiz, and I have to buy a calculator for that which can do fractions. The scientific calculator I bought doesn't do fractions, and Walmart was sold out of scientific calculators. Hopefully they have some at the college bookstore.
Finally got out on the local transit. Went down to the Fairview Park area. Finally found an LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario, only place you can buy booze that's not a Beer Store). I can't believe there isn't an LCBO in my neighbourhood. In Guelph, it's a 15-30 minute walk at any given place to reach one. In Thunder Bay, I wanted to find one but didn't know which direction to take, so I walked in a random direction until I crossed one. I followed my "Three Tim Hortons' for every LCBO" rule. You can usually depend on finding an LCBO every third Tim Hortons.
I feel like I need alcohol to successfully integrate into this specific community, but it didn't matter because I spent the whole night studying! I had no choice. It was either that or bomb the test. Because of mechanical exactitude, your ability to take the quiz stops after 5:00. I was studying up to the hour of the quiz, and that was exactly enough time to get through the reading material.
I got a blanket! A nice warm one to bury myself in during these frigid, air conditioned nights. They finally stopped blasting the air conditioner non-stop, but it still vomits out a gust every once in a while. It's more distracting this way, too. Before, I could tune the sound out as background noise, but it actually draws more attention when it's always starting and stopping.
Jeez, if anything, it should be heated in here. I've got a bad head cold, and I'm wondering if it's the fault of the air conditioner. Can you actually catch a cold from the cold? I feel like I did.
The only blanket I'd brought with me was a sleeping bag that I used as a comforter. It's the same one I brought to CWY, the one that cost $8. I found out why it only cost $8! I only used it in the Canadian phase at a couple of camps, and then here for a couple of weeks. I didn't do anything rough with it, but it's already bursting it's seems! And it's plasticky material really doesn't keep the warm in. This new blankets on a whole different level.
Sorry I haven't updated the past few days. This time, it's not that I have nothing to say, it's that I'm too busy!
I managed to talk to the chief's son the other day. It was a really confused conversation over a bad connection, same as with my counterpart. But at least I know he managed to identify me. I asked him if my family was well and if my photos arrived. He said they were and they had, but I wasn't confident he understood my question. I called on a payphone. Any eavesdroppers (or people within screaming distance, since I had to speak up to be heard) must have been confused.
"Est le Elephant! ELEPHANT! ELEPHANT!"
The guy I called, Mozo, was the one who gave me the "Elephant" nickname, and I wasn't confident he remembered me by any other name.
But yeah, I was screaming into a pay phone in a combination of French, English and Bambara. Might've weirded someone out.
Sure would be easy to cheat, if you knew someone better-versed, or you knew someone who'd already done the quiz and got the answers. You could just hand the controls over to them and none would be the wiser. I don't have a resource like that, though.
The assignment was worth 5% of the final grade. It was just a contract that me and the group I'm working in wrote out. Hard to imagine we screwed up.
Now I have to finish chapters 2 and 9 of my Preparing for College textbook and answer the questions at the end. I'm already done chapter 2. Assignment's due tomorrow. Things are speeding up! Next day, I think I've got a math quiz, and I have to buy a calculator for that which can do fractions. The scientific calculator I bought doesn't do fractions, and Walmart was sold out of scientific calculators. Hopefully they have some at the college bookstore.
Finally got out on the local transit. Went down to the Fairview Park area. Finally found an LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario, only place you can buy booze that's not a Beer Store). I can't believe there isn't an LCBO in my neighbourhood. In Guelph, it's a 15-30 minute walk at any given place to reach one. In Thunder Bay, I wanted to find one but didn't know which direction to take, so I walked in a random direction until I crossed one. I followed my "Three Tim Hortons' for every LCBO" rule. You can usually depend on finding an LCBO every third Tim Hortons.
I feel like I need alcohol to successfully integrate into this specific community, but it didn't matter because I spent the whole night studying! I had no choice. It was either that or bomb the test. Because of mechanical exactitude, your ability to take the quiz stops after 5:00. I was studying up to the hour of the quiz, and that was exactly enough time to get through the reading material.
I got a blanket! A nice warm one to bury myself in during these frigid, air conditioned nights. They finally stopped blasting the air conditioner non-stop, but it still vomits out a gust every once in a while. It's more distracting this way, too. Before, I could tune the sound out as background noise, but it actually draws more attention when it's always starting and stopping.
Jeez, if anything, it should be heated in here. I've got a bad head cold, and I'm wondering if it's the fault of the air conditioner. Can you actually catch a cold from the cold? I feel like I did.
The only blanket I'd brought with me was a sleeping bag that I used as a comforter. It's the same one I brought to CWY, the one that cost $8. I found out why it only cost $8! I only used it in the Canadian phase at a couple of camps, and then here for a couple of weeks. I didn't do anything rough with it, but it's already bursting it's seems! And it's plasticky material really doesn't keep the warm in. This new blankets on a whole different level.
Sorry I haven't updated the past few days. This time, it's not that I have nothing to say, it's that I'm too busy!
I managed to talk to the chief's son the other day. It was a really confused conversation over a bad connection, same as with my counterpart. But at least I know he managed to identify me. I asked him if my family was well and if my photos arrived. He said they were and they had, but I wasn't confident he understood my question. I called on a payphone. Any eavesdroppers (or people within screaming distance, since I had to speak up to be heard) must have been confused.
"Est le Elephant! ELEPHANT! ELEPHANT!"
The guy I called, Mozo, was the one who gave me the "Elephant" nickname, and I wasn't confident he remembered me by any other name.
But yeah, I was screaming into a pay phone in a combination of French, English and Bambara. Might've weirded someone out.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Bus Routes
I think that everything I need is at a place called Fairview Park Mall, the biggest mall in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. According to these bus route maps, it's a fairly simple trip. It looks like there's a loop that has Conestoga on one end and Fairview Park on the other. You can discern which bus stop to use because the route number is printed directly on the bus sign, along with arrival times.
Jeez, this is different. In Guelph, we don't have this series of small individual loops, and we don't have the route number or arrival times printed on the bus signs. Our bus routes and arrival times change too frequently to make such a committed posting. Also, we have bus routes that overlap each other. Having more than one bus go by a given sign discourages posting a singular route number.
But I think that different buses do go by bus stops that aren't there's... They just don't stop at them. In Guelph, any bus stops at any bus stop. I guess these buses would move faster, since they don't make as many stops. Also, there aren't as many bus stops in general, out here. And while Guelph has only one terminal, this place seems to have dozens of mini-terminals
The buses come at roughly 30 minute intervals. The bus stop at Residence only operates after 6:00 PM, and according to my bus map, it also goes there all day on weekends. The one directly at the college goes all day, looks like.
These bus route maps are weird, too. I was expecting, like, a full map, with all the bus routes and a legend, but instead I got a bunch of different maps, each detailing their own individual route and covering only the part of the city that they travel. It's like each is a piece in a much larger puzzle. It's actually not even as straightforward as that, because they overlap each other.
Oh well, the route I'm planning looks straigthforward enough. If I survive this journey, my next goal will be to locate the Greyhound. I wonder if you take a transfer to go from loop to loop, or if you have to pay each time. That has the potential to be a real ripoff.
When I went to the bookstore to buy a bus map, they said they didn't have them (The bus website said that they sold them at the bookstore, and none of the local stores I checked had them) but they directed me to a place where they hang up free pamphlets, and that's where I got my maps. I notice they have them hanging in the same format here in Residence, too. I guess I glossed over them, because that type of thing oesn't usually have information that interests me. I should inform some of the people around here that were looking for maps.
Did I tell you guys that my calling card changed it's policy on overseas charges? It used to charge as much for an overseas phone call as it did for a local one. I discovered this by sheer coincidence, most calling cards will severely reduce the amount of time you get if it's an overseas call. And even though every calling card company sells international phone cards, not a single one of them covers anywhere in Africa.
I learned about the usefulness of my card when I let my counterpart use it to call home, and he got 600 minutes vs everyone else's 20 minutes. That was on a $20 and since then, I've bought and used a card in the same format, with the same results. After that, I bought a $5 card, which you would think would be like, 150-200 minutes, but it was 15 minutes. Made a local call with the same card, 200 minutes.
So you'd think their policy changed. It still seems to be the best deal, sadly, so I bought a $10 card for a half-hour call with the chief's son, and that's what I got. Then I tried calling another Malian. It was something like 400 minutes! Why is there such a fluctuation of in-Mali calling? Reflecting on it, only phone calls to the village have a reduced time. All the city Malians have local charges.
Anyway, weirdest thing happened when I called the chief's son. African music started playing. It was pretty good, so I listened to it for four minutes. I was wondering if it was a weird ring tone or something, but really, it should only ring like that on his side, right? If he changed his ringtone, from my side, shouldn't it still sound like a uniform ringtone?
Well, it charged me for the four minutes, which it doesn't do unless someone picks up the phone or I get put through to the machine. I wondered if maybe it was his machine message, but it isn't supposed to charge me until it starts recording my message.
For it to charge me, and so me to have heard sound from the other side, the only available scenario I can see is that somebody picked up the phone. It's like he picked it up and stuck it next to the Karadie boombox.
Mali remains as mysterious and surprising as ever. Can't even phone there without a mystery like this unfolding, causing one to question one's own sanity.
Jeez, this is different. In Guelph, we don't have this series of small individual loops, and we don't have the route number or arrival times printed on the bus signs. Our bus routes and arrival times change too frequently to make such a committed posting. Also, we have bus routes that overlap each other. Having more than one bus go by a given sign discourages posting a singular route number.
But I think that different buses do go by bus stops that aren't there's... They just don't stop at them. In Guelph, any bus stops at any bus stop. I guess these buses would move faster, since they don't make as many stops. Also, there aren't as many bus stops in general, out here. And while Guelph has only one terminal, this place seems to have dozens of mini-terminals
The buses come at roughly 30 minute intervals. The bus stop at Residence only operates after 6:00 PM, and according to my bus map, it also goes there all day on weekends. The one directly at the college goes all day, looks like.
These bus route maps are weird, too. I was expecting, like, a full map, with all the bus routes and a legend, but instead I got a bunch of different maps, each detailing their own individual route and covering only the part of the city that they travel. It's like each is a piece in a much larger puzzle. It's actually not even as straightforward as that, because they overlap each other.
Oh well, the route I'm planning looks straigthforward enough. If I survive this journey, my next goal will be to locate the Greyhound. I wonder if you take a transfer to go from loop to loop, or if you have to pay each time. That has the potential to be a real ripoff.
When I went to the bookstore to buy a bus map, they said they didn't have them (The bus website said that they sold them at the bookstore, and none of the local stores I checked had them) but they directed me to a place where they hang up free pamphlets, and that's where I got my maps. I notice they have them hanging in the same format here in Residence, too. I guess I glossed over them, because that type of thing oesn't usually have information that interests me. I should inform some of the people around here that were looking for maps.
Did I tell you guys that my calling card changed it's policy on overseas charges? It used to charge as much for an overseas phone call as it did for a local one. I discovered this by sheer coincidence, most calling cards will severely reduce the amount of time you get if it's an overseas call. And even though every calling card company sells international phone cards, not a single one of them covers anywhere in Africa.
I learned about the usefulness of my card when I let my counterpart use it to call home, and he got 600 minutes vs everyone else's 20 minutes. That was on a $20 and since then, I've bought and used a card in the same format, with the same results. After that, I bought a $5 card, which you would think would be like, 150-200 minutes, but it was 15 minutes. Made a local call with the same card, 200 minutes.
So you'd think their policy changed. It still seems to be the best deal, sadly, so I bought a $10 card for a half-hour call with the chief's son, and that's what I got. Then I tried calling another Malian. It was something like 400 minutes! Why is there such a fluctuation of in-Mali calling? Reflecting on it, only phone calls to the village have a reduced time. All the city Malians have local charges.
Anyway, weirdest thing happened when I called the chief's son. African music started playing. It was pretty good, so I listened to it for four minutes. I was wondering if it was a weird ring tone or something, but really, it should only ring like that on his side, right? If he changed his ringtone, from my side, shouldn't it still sound like a uniform ringtone?
Well, it charged me for the four minutes, which it doesn't do unless someone picks up the phone or I get put through to the machine. I wondered if maybe it was his machine message, but it isn't supposed to charge me until it starts recording my message.
For it to charge me, and so me to have heard sound from the other side, the only available scenario I can see is that somebody picked up the phone. It's like he picked it up and stuck it next to the Karadie boombox.
Mali remains as mysterious and surprising as ever. Can't even phone there without a mystery like this unfolding, causing one to question one's own sanity.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Three Highlights
Today's a good day. I found out that another one of my old friends from high school is going to my college, I found free bus maps, and I got the phone number to the chief of Karadie!
Me and my two old friends are going to be getting together sometime soon to catch up on what we've been doing since high school.
The new Karadie phone # is proven to work, both by a past participant, and by one that took the program with me.
Today, when I was walking with a classmate, I got mistaken for a bodyguard. Apparently, our school offers bodyguarding services. If you feel vulnerable, you can request one to walk with you, and they're usually students. To be fair, I was considering signing up for a position like that. I wonder why there's such a demand for bodyguards at the college. Doesn't feel like there should be.
Me and my two old friends are going to be getting together sometime soon to catch up on what we've been doing since high school.
The new Karadie phone # is proven to work, both by a past participant, and by one that took the program with me.
Today, when I was walking with a classmate, I got mistaken for a bodyguard. Apparently, our school offers bodyguarding services. If you feel vulnerable, you can request one to walk with you, and they're usually students. To be fair, I was considering signing up for a position like that. I wonder why there's such a demand for bodyguards at the college. Doesn't feel like there should be.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Left-Handed Fridge
Today I found out that an old friend from high school, one that I used to hang out with every day, is going to the same college as me. We ran into each other at the Tim Hortons. He must've thought I was soooo bald.
As of today, I have done a day of school for every day of the week. I'm actually looking forward to doing an assignment. I won't feel like a college student until I've written a paper. after my first one, though, I'll probably lose my enthusiasm.
Even having gone to my first day of college, my credentials have risen. I can now write on a job application that I've done "Some college" and on the job bank, I'm on a new level in terms of educational requirements. Their advertisements are generally separated into "No education required", "High school", "Some college or university" or "College diploma or university degree". Of course, there are certain jobs that require a specific certification, diploma or degree. I've officially moved from "High school" to "Some college".
I got my student card's library function activated, so now I can use the library and it's resources. I was thinking that I would use it to print out my stuff, but now I'm realizing that my computer doesn't make things in the standard .pdf format. I used to email my resume to my grandfather and have him convert it to .pdf, but I don't want to make him do that for every paper I write moving forward.
Our refrigerator is a left-handed refrigerator, I think. It's handle is on the right. I think with a normal refrigerator, the handle is on the left, so that when you open it, it opens out in front of you. Since this
refrigerator's handle is on the right, if you stand in front of it and grab the handle, you either twist your arm or hit yourself, depending on how close you are to it. It's not rocket science to open it, it's maybe the equivalent of a door that has a push bar that you pull to open. Maybe rich left-handed people can afford to specify what type of room they rent out, and this deluxe apartment was constructed for the rich left-handed. Yeah, I'm going with that.
This refrigerator keeps tripping me up, but with a little luck, I'll be ambidextrous by the end of the term (at least to the extent of opening left-handed fridge doors).
As of today, I have done a day of school for every day of the week. I'm actually looking forward to doing an assignment. I won't feel like a college student until I've written a paper. after my first one, though, I'll probably lose my enthusiasm.
Even having gone to my first day of college, my credentials have risen. I can now write on a job application that I've done "Some college" and on the job bank, I'm on a new level in terms of educational requirements. Their advertisements are generally separated into "No education required", "High school", "Some college or university" or "College diploma or university degree". Of course, there are certain jobs that require a specific certification, diploma or degree. I've officially moved from "High school" to "Some college".
I got my student card's library function activated, so now I can use the library and it's resources. I was thinking that I would use it to print out my stuff, but now I'm realizing that my computer doesn't make things in the standard .pdf format. I used to email my resume to my grandfather and have him convert it to .pdf, but I don't want to make him do that for every paper I write moving forward.
Our refrigerator is a left-handed refrigerator, I think. It's handle is on the right. I think with a normal refrigerator, the handle is on the left, so that when you open it, it opens out in front of you. Since this
refrigerator's handle is on the right, if you stand in front of it and grab the handle, you either twist your arm or hit yourself, depending on how close you are to it. It's not rocket science to open it, it's maybe the equivalent of a door that has a push bar that you pull to open. Maybe rich left-handed people can afford to specify what type of room they rent out, and this deluxe apartment was constructed for the rich left-handed. Yeah, I'm going with that.
This refrigerator keeps tripping me up, but with a little luck, I'll be ambidextrous by the end of the term (at least to the extent of opening left-handed fridge doors).
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Roommate Didn't Get Kicked Out
Well, my roommate didn't get kicked out. The pylon was gone today. I asked him about it, and he said that you get pyloned if you forget something. I forget what it was that you have to forget to get put with the pylon. I guess front desk was just screwing with me when they said he got kicked out...?
I did my laundry today. Went okay. Now I just have to take out my garbage and I'll have done everything necessary for survival under these conditions.
I can't get my phone to make calls outside of Kitchener. I tried to make a collect call, and it said that the household doesn't accept collect calls, which I know is wrong. I tried using a calling card, but it kept saying the phone number was invalid. I wound up using a pay phone, and my card worked fine. Silly Residence phone.
It's always raining around here. In Guelph, we usually have droughts during the summer. Guelph used to be a lake, and I always found that fact ominous. I mean, what caused the lake to dry up, and has it stopped? At any rate, there's no such curse going on in Kitchener, and it can get annoying when your only transportation is walking.
I need to figure out the bus route. Nowhere in the area sells maps with the bus route, and when I looked it up online, my computer refused to load it. Apparently they sell them in the book store at the college, but if the line is as insane this week as last week, even if I had enough time to wait two hours in line, I'd feel bad for wasting everyone's time who was waiting to get their textbooks.
Nobody around here can pronounce my name. They always say "Grai-fun". Wasn't a problem in Guelph, because the University of Guelph's team is the "Guelph Gryphons".
I'm learning a lot of philosophical type stuff. Stuff like "There's no use in buying canned food if you don't have a can opener" and "There's no use in buying milk if you don't have milk jug".
That wouldn't make sense to any non-Canadians reading this. In Canada, we have our milk in bags. Getting it in cartons is twice as expensive, but apparently that's all you guys have.
I got a can opener. I've been collecting all these little things that I didn't think of, like dish soap, sponges, coat hangers, a hand towel for the bathroom etc. The only things left on my list are a stapler, a hole puncher, and a milk jug.
I felt bad yesterday, because I didn't manage to do a shopping trip that would last me a full week. I was so into only doing my shopping on Tuesdays, when I would get a 10% discount. I thought I might use what little food I had left to scrape me by, buffing it out by eating at Tim Hortons until Tuesday, but then I realized that that's more expensive than just shopping without the discount. So I did a little shopping trip to tide me over until Tuesday. If I bought to much, I'm gonna feel bad.
I did my laundry today. Went okay. Now I just have to take out my garbage and I'll have done everything necessary for survival under these conditions.
I can't get my phone to make calls outside of Kitchener. I tried to make a collect call, and it said that the household doesn't accept collect calls, which I know is wrong. I tried using a calling card, but it kept saying the phone number was invalid. I wound up using a pay phone, and my card worked fine. Silly Residence phone.
It's always raining around here. In Guelph, we usually have droughts during the summer. Guelph used to be a lake, and I always found that fact ominous. I mean, what caused the lake to dry up, and has it stopped? At any rate, there's no such curse going on in Kitchener, and it can get annoying when your only transportation is walking.
I need to figure out the bus route. Nowhere in the area sells maps with the bus route, and when I looked it up online, my computer refused to load it. Apparently they sell them in the book store at the college, but if the line is as insane this week as last week, even if I had enough time to wait two hours in line, I'd feel bad for wasting everyone's time who was waiting to get their textbooks.
Nobody around here can pronounce my name. They always say "Grai-fun". Wasn't a problem in Guelph, because the University of Guelph's team is the "Guelph Gryphons".
I'm learning a lot of philosophical type stuff. Stuff like "There's no use in buying canned food if you don't have a can opener" and "There's no use in buying milk if you don't have milk jug".
That wouldn't make sense to any non-Canadians reading this. In Canada, we have our milk in bags. Getting it in cartons is twice as expensive, but apparently that's all you guys have.
I got a can opener. I've been collecting all these little things that I didn't think of, like dish soap, sponges, coat hangers, a hand towel for the bathroom etc. The only things left on my list are a stapler, a hole puncher, and a milk jug.
I felt bad yesterday, because I didn't manage to do a shopping trip that would last me a full week. I was so into only doing my shopping on Tuesdays, when I would get a 10% discount. I thought I might use what little food I had left to scrape me by, buffing it out by eating at Tim Hortons until Tuesday, but then I realized that that's more expensive than just shopping without the discount. So I did a little shopping trip to tide me over until Tuesday. If I bought to much, I'm gonna feel bad.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Roommate Got Kicked Out
I think my roommate got kicked out. I went into the apartment, and on the kitchen table there was this little pylon with a little loop of rope attached to it. Attached to the rope was a key card, like what we use to get in and out, and on that key card were the words "lock out" written in marker. I went down to front desk and asked if my roommate was kicked out. I described the pylon and they were all "Yeah, that's the Key of Shame." Then they asked me what room I was staying in. They looked it up, asked me my name. I told them, and they were all "Yeah, you were right. Your roommate got kicked out." They told me he still has a working keycard and that he's around somewhere.
I don't know what he could have done to get kicked out. Today I opened our room door and my name had been taken off the door. A chill ran down my spine, as I felt the implication of that was that I no longer lived there, but my roommate still did. Then I looked around and saw that almost everyone's names had been taken down, except my roommate. So it's more like he's the one with something unique happening to him.
He came back last night, and I haven't been able to catch sight of him since. I can hear him in his room, but if he's avoiding me, maybe I should give him space.
Turns out that textbook I didn't get is really pretty important. I asked someone in my class, and she said "It's for English, and kind of for everything else." English is the most important grade for my course. Stupid senior students, telling us to not to get our textbooks right off the bat, probably just so they could get to them first.
Last night was my first Friday night in Residence and I felt bad about not going out to enjoy the college scene, but I didn't know anyone and wouldn't know where to go, so I just stayed in. At first I was like "I'll stay in my room with the lights off, and everyone will think I'm out partying." Then there was some announcement that there was a Residence party in the basement. I was like "An officially recognized party, organized by staff can't be all that great. If it's anything like the activities, it'll be a bunch of people standing around and awkwardly making small talk." And then I was like "Ooh, look at mister big shot 'I have standards' when he's hiding in his room. Just check it out." Yeah, I didn't get as far as the basement before somebody pulled me into a private party. Turns out it's pretty easy to find someplace to go. Wasn't all that exciting, but now people in the building will run up and high five me or smile at me instead of flinching and looking scared like they used to. It's amazing the amount of difference standing around in a room will do.
I don't know what he could have done to get kicked out. Today I opened our room door and my name had been taken off the door. A chill ran down my spine, as I felt the implication of that was that I no longer lived there, but my roommate still did. Then I looked around and saw that almost everyone's names had been taken down, except my roommate. So it's more like he's the one with something unique happening to him.
He came back last night, and I haven't been able to catch sight of him since. I can hear him in his room, but if he's avoiding me, maybe I should give him space.
Turns out that textbook I didn't get is really pretty important. I asked someone in my class, and she said "It's for English, and kind of for everything else." English is the most important grade for my course. Stupid senior students, telling us to not to get our textbooks right off the bat, probably just so they could get to them first.
Last night was my first Friday night in Residence and I felt bad about not going out to enjoy the college scene, but I didn't know anyone and wouldn't know where to go, so I just stayed in. At first I was like "I'll stay in my room with the lights off, and everyone will think I'm out partying." Then there was some announcement that there was a Residence party in the basement. I was like "An officially recognized party, organized by staff can't be all that great. If it's anything like the activities, it'll be a bunch of people standing around and awkwardly making small talk." And then I was like "Ooh, look at mister big shot 'I have standards' when he's hiding in his room. Just check it out." Yeah, I didn't get as far as the basement before somebody pulled me into a private party. Turns out it's pretty easy to find someplace to go. Wasn't all that exciting, but now people in the building will run up and high five me or smile at me instead of flinching and looking scared like they used to. It's amazing the amount of difference standing around in a room will do.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Bought my Books
I bit the bullet and bought my books. It was weird to me, going into class unprepared, but at orientation, the senior students were saying that we shouldn't buy all our text books at once, because we wouldn't necessarily need all of them, and there might be cheaper alternatives even if we did. Even the teachers said that we wouldn't need them in the first week.
Well, it's true that we didn't need our textbooks in the first week, but each teacher made it out like their textbook was pretty freakin' necessary, and I wasn't finding any other cheaper alternatives. So I just bought them.
The lineup was insane. I've checked the lineup every day and it always stretches completely down the hall. And that's only for the opportunity to get in the store and look for your books.
Once inside it wasn't bad, though. There were signs with the names of each course and the titles of the books necessary posted throughout the store, and there was staff running around asking people if they needed help. When one girl asked me if I needed help and I told her the name of the book I was looking for, she looked at the list for my course, asked which ones I'd found, and then she went and got all three of the ones I hadn't yet found.
One of my textbooks was sold out, though. Don't really know what to do about that.
My family had one of those cell phones that you buy phone cards for, and just top up at your leisure. Last time we'd used it, I'd brought it along with me to CWY and used it to call back home a few times. We weren't using it for communication, so we didn't top it up for a long time. Well, I brought it with me to college, and I just bought a top-up card, and it doesn't work. A little research online tells me that your phone number gets deactivated if you don't top it up for 180 days. Kind of a bummer, since I thought the point of these things was that you didn't have to make any kind of payment plan. Now I feel like a cripple. Everyone has a cell phone. Even that homeless guy who was complaining about some guy stealing his weed and who threw a "testing punch" my way received a text message during the course of our interaction.
Well, I can still use this old phone as a timepiece, since I forgot my watch, and also as an alarm clock.
Yesterday, we had a meeting. It was a repeat of a meeting that happened during move-in day, but I'd missed it. I don't know how I would not have missed it, since I didn't see any effort made to notify anyone about it. My roommate missed it, too. A lot of people missed it. It was just going over the basic rules of Residence, and apparently we have a monthly meeting.
I've got a plastic wristband on that I have to wear for two weeks. During those two weeks, I cannot enter or leave residence without my wristband. If I lose it, it's a $20 fine, and if I had missed the meeting that second time, it would have been a $50 fine.
And with the motivator of that fine, it kind of troubles me how sloppy their attendance system was. I managed to get on the list, but I could imagine them easily having missed me.
Well, it's true that we didn't need our textbooks in the first week, but each teacher made it out like their textbook was pretty freakin' necessary, and I wasn't finding any other cheaper alternatives. So I just bought them.
The lineup was insane. I've checked the lineup every day and it always stretches completely down the hall. And that's only for the opportunity to get in the store and look for your books.
Once inside it wasn't bad, though. There were signs with the names of each course and the titles of the books necessary posted throughout the store, and there was staff running around asking people if they needed help. When one girl asked me if I needed help and I told her the name of the book I was looking for, she looked at the list for my course, asked which ones I'd found, and then she went and got all three of the ones I hadn't yet found.
One of my textbooks was sold out, though. Don't really know what to do about that.
My family had one of those cell phones that you buy phone cards for, and just top up at your leisure. Last time we'd used it, I'd brought it along with me to CWY and used it to call back home a few times. We weren't using it for communication, so we didn't top it up for a long time. Well, I brought it with me to college, and I just bought a top-up card, and it doesn't work. A little research online tells me that your phone number gets deactivated if you don't top it up for 180 days. Kind of a bummer, since I thought the point of these things was that you didn't have to make any kind of payment plan. Now I feel like a cripple. Everyone has a cell phone. Even that homeless guy who was complaining about some guy stealing his weed and who threw a "testing punch" my way received a text message during the course of our interaction.
Well, I can still use this old phone as a timepiece, since I forgot my watch, and also as an alarm clock.
Yesterday, we had a meeting. It was a repeat of a meeting that happened during move-in day, but I'd missed it. I don't know how I would not have missed it, since I didn't see any effort made to notify anyone about it. My roommate missed it, too. A lot of people missed it. It was just going over the basic rules of Residence, and apparently we have a monthly meeting.
I've got a plastic wristband on that I have to wear for two weeks. During those two weeks, I cannot enter or leave residence without my wristband. If I lose it, it's a $20 fine, and if I had missed the meeting that second time, it would have been a $50 fine.
And with the motivator of that fine, it kind of troubles me how sloppy their attendance system was. I managed to get on the list, but I could imagine them easily having missed me.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Raining
When I went to my first class the other day, it was raining. Guess what I hadn't prepared for? It was raining after class too, but I walked to the grocery store in the rain because I was sick of not having any groceries. Doesn't come out very exciting in writing, but it FELT important enough to write about.
I finished writing about my unpublishable Mali stories. It's an extra 13 pages. I finished them the day before my first day of classes. Kind of a nice time to put all that stuff behind me and move forward.
Three classes today, each of them two hours long. Still not as long as a day of work. My weekly class pattern goes like this: Monday, 3 classes. Tuesday, 1. Wednesday, 3. Thursday, 1. Friday, 3. Kind of scanty in comparison to high school's four classes per day. Each class is two hours long, so that's six hours of classes with a two hour break on my worst day. Better than eight hours of work with one ten minute break and one twenty minute break placed throughout.
I finished writing about my unpublishable Mali stories. It's an extra 13 pages. I finished them the day before my first day of classes. Kind of a nice time to put all that stuff behind me and move forward.
Three classes today, each of them two hours long. Still not as long as a day of work. My weekly class pattern goes like this: Monday, 3 classes. Tuesday, 1. Wednesday, 3. Thursday, 1. Friday, 3. Kind of scanty in comparison to high school's four classes per day. Each class is two hours long, so that's six hours of classes with a two hour break on my worst day. Better than eight hours of work with one ten minute break and one twenty minute break placed throughout.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
First Class
Had my first day of classes today, although it was only comprised of one class, right at the end of the day. Nice way of weaning me into this way of life, I guess. I went three hours early and found my class, and then found all my classes for the next day. Wasn't as hard as I'd thought it would be. The school's layout was kind of baffling at orientation,and I couldn't find any of my classes. This time around, I found them all inside an hour, ran into someone I met at orientation, and spent the rest of the day chatting until it was time for class.
My class was math. Apparently having a math class for this program is a new thing, and it's getting people nervous. Those in our field are not known for being good at math. What was presented to us today was clownishly easy, though. We also don't get any fieldwork, which used to be a part of this program. Since having a letter of recommendation from someone in the social services is a requirement for the SSW program, a lot of people were hoping to get that through fieldwork during the program I'm doing now. I guess this program used to be better than it is now, huh?
Did my first shopping trip. Found out that I get a 10% discount at the local Zehrs every Tuesday if I show my student card. I guess organizing the move so that your first available shopping trip would be on a Tuesday wasn't such a dumb move on behalf of the Residence after all.
I found out why it's so cold in my room. There's a vent blowing in cold air. Is it supposed to be air conditioning? For some reason, that angers me more than if it was just a natural occurence.
My class was math. Apparently having a math class for this program is a new thing, and it's getting people nervous. Those in our field are not known for being good at math. What was presented to us today was clownishly easy, though. We also don't get any fieldwork, which used to be a part of this program. Since having a letter of recommendation from someone in the social services is a requirement for the SSW program, a lot of people were hoping to get that through fieldwork during the program I'm doing now. I guess this program used to be better than it is now, huh?
Did my first shopping trip. Found out that I get a 10% discount at the local Zehrs every Tuesday if I show my student card. I guess organizing the move so that your first available shopping trip would be on a Tuesday wasn't such a dumb move on behalf of the Residence after all.
I found out why it's so cold in my room. There's a vent blowing in cold air. Is it supposed to be air conditioning? For some reason, that angers me more than if it was just a natural occurence.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Grocery Store
I found a grocery store today! But it's labour day, so it was closed. Kind of bad organization to have the move be on a Sunday, when everything closes early, followed by labour day, when everything is closed. Since I wasn't using a vehicle during my move, I only brought what I could carry on my back, which included enough food to survive for a bit, but my kitchen is still not very diverse. My roommate brought in a lot more stuff than I did, so I'm feeling a little humbled.
Now I need to find a Zellers or a Wal Mart or something. Dan said he'd bring the shower curtain, but this new guy didn't bring one. Well, maybe I'll do a Mali-style bucket shower tonight,
My roommate is older than I am! I was worried that I would be the oldest in residence (and I must still be up there) but they matched me with someone of a comparable age. He's actually only two weeks older than me.
They had that celebration today, which I thought was supposed to be yesterday. The bouncy castle was underwhelming, and the staff had difficulty drumming up enthusiasm. I scored some free food, though.
There are a lot of really nice nature trails in the area, and some scenery that will look amazing this coming Fall, when the colour changes really become prominent..
The building is pink. Did you know that sometimes prisons will be painted pink to calm down the inmates? Yeah, little nervous that this place might feel a similar need for such measures.
Also, turns out I lucked out with the room. Lots of people have the room they advertised... mini fridge and one room with two beds. This Residence building used to be a hotel, apparently, but they transformed it. I must have gotten one of the better rooms, at no extra cost. Maybe it's an age thing? My roommate got the same type of room last year, too. Nah, that wouldn't make any sense.
It's cold in my room, though. No idea why. Outside it's really hot, and the kitchen area isn't bad. But my room is frigid.
I'm catching phone signals in Mali now. Not good ones, but they're still there! Usually it stops ringing after two or three goes, but one time it reached nine rings. Nobody answered, but it's still a full signal.
Now I need to find a Zellers or a Wal Mart or something. Dan said he'd bring the shower curtain, but this new guy didn't bring one. Well, maybe I'll do a Mali-style bucket shower tonight,
My roommate is older than I am! I was worried that I would be the oldest in residence (and I must still be up there) but they matched me with someone of a comparable age. He's actually only two weeks older than me.
They had that celebration today, which I thought was supposed to be yesterday. The bouncy castle was underwhelming, and the staff had difficulty drumming up enthusiasm. I scored some free food, though.
There are a lot of really nice nature trails in the area, and some scenery that will look amazing this coming Fall, when the colour changes really become prominent..
The building is pink. Did you know that sometimes prisons will be painted pink to calm down the inmates? Yeah, little nervous that this place might feel a similar need for such measures.
Also, turns out I lucked out with the room. Lots of people have the room they advertised... mini fridge and one room with two beds. This Residence building used to be a hotel, apparently, but they transformed it. I must have gotten one of the better rooms, at no extra cost. Maybe it's an age thing? My roommate got the same type of room last year, too. Nah, that wouldn't make any sense.
It's cold in my room, though. No idea why. Outside it's really hot, and the kitchen area isn't bad. But my room is frigid.
I'm catching phone signals in Mali now. Not good ones, but they're still there! Usually it stops ringing after two or three goes, but one time it reached nine rings. Nobody answered, but it's still a full signal.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Residence
Well here I am, in Residence. The accommodations are actually pretty swell. I have a TV with like, fifty channels on it. I've got the Internet working. I've called home with my calling card, so the phone line works. We got a full-size refrigerator instead of the mini one I'd heard I was going to get. We have separate bedrooms, which I wasn't expecting.
There was no celebration, unless you count somebody putting a boombox outside and a sign that says "Welcome to residence" with balloons attached. I didn't see anything that I thought could even be interpreted as a bouncy castle. There were a couple of stations set up to help people get to their rooms, though.
My roommate isn't that Dan guy. The guy I got says he never even got a roommate notification.
I got an orientation pack. It includes:
-A water bottle
-A pack of Skittles
-A caffeinated chocolate bar
-Axe shower gel
-A map of Kitchener
-A visitor's guide to Kitchener
-A calendar magnet
-Instant coffee
-Shampoo and conditioner
-Dish soap
-Mac& cheese
-Sour cream & dill flavour potato chips
-Lip balm
-15 sticks of gum
-Face gel
-Aloe body lotion
-Regular body lotion
-Peach tea
-Frank's Red Hot Sauce
-Deodorizing body wash
From a quick walk around the general area, I don't see any grocery stores, but there's a number of inexpensive restaurants. There's a Tim Hortons, a McDonalds, a Thai/Vietnamese place, and a pizza place. Otherwise, there's just a couple of gas stations and a hardware store.
There was no celebration, unless you count somebody putting a boombox outside and a sign that says "Welcome to residence" with balloons attached. I didn't see anything that I thought could even be interpreted as a bouncy castle. There were a couple of stations set up to help people get to their rooms, though.
My roommate isn't that Dan guy. The guy I got says he never even got a roommate notification.
I got an orientation pack. It includes:
-A water bottle
-A pack of Skittles
-A caffeinated chocolate bar
-Axe shower gel
-A map of Kitchener
-A visitor's guide to Kitchener
-A calendar magnet
-Instant coffee
-Shampoo and conditioner
-Dish soap
-Mac& cheese
-Sour cream & dill flavour potato chips
-Lip balm
-15 sticks of gum
-Face gel
-Aloe body lotion
-Regular body lotion
-Peach tea
-Frank's Red Hot Sauce
-Deodorizing body wash
From a quick walk around the general area, I don't see any grocery stores, but there's a number of inexpensive restaurants. There's a Tim Hortons, a McDonalds, a Thai/Vietnamese place, and a pizza place. Otherwise, there's just a couple of gas stations and a hardware store.
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