SSW Meet

I got to go to an SSW meet yesterday since I'm not working anymore. Now I get to work with the team in charge of registration for the BBQ. It was good seeing the old crew again.

I also got to drop off that paperwork for Student Life which I only managed to scan in before.

I tried to get my student card reprinted but apparently they won't have the machine in until next week, so I'll have to do it then.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

 Recently, I was nominated to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I had to find a bucket, ice, something to videotape with, and someone to videotape me within 24 hours, when I'd got the challenge at night and when I had work the next day. Wound up postponing it to the last hour, but I did it.

The guy I had taping me shut it off after I'd dumped the ice, so I had to take a second video with the nominations. I almost decided to do it twice, but thought that would cheapen the event.

I really do hate my voice. I finish all my sentences with a high note, as if I'm asking a question.

Forgot a lot of the things I was going to say. Should have gone in with a script.

Camp Over

This was my last day working with participants through the summer program. This job has been the most intellectually and emotionally involving experience, and the most most challenging, since coming back from Mali. I've got a three day wrap-up week and then I'm finished with my staff team, too. Very weird feeling.

Got an interview next week to do some part-time work with an individual during the school year.

The 2nd Year SSW are supposed to organize a BBQ for the 1st years, but because of my work, I missed both meetings about organizing it and had to figure out something to bring for the potluck by texting some of the people involved. And I can't do set-up for the program orientation because it's on the 26th, and my last day is the 27th.

Back From Impeesa

I'm back!

It was a really good experience to be placed in  a full-immersion setting in a natural environment (like what I had in Chisasibi and Mali) combined with doing work in my favoured field. It was like paradise, although definitely challenging at times.

We cooked, cleaned, played sports, went on hikes, did crafts etc. The best element of course, was all the dynamic personalities of the participants. But I'm not allowed to speak on that.

Before I left, I had to get some paperwork in to school for my position as Respect Leader the Wednesday of last week. It was frustrating because I live right next to the campus, but all the time that they're open, I'm working, so I've got zero access. I decided to see if a scan would do, but when I went onto my computer, I realized that even though I hooked up my printer/photocopier/scanner to my new computer and I've used the printer since, I've never used the scanner, and the scan shortcut was not on my new computer.

So I tried to look it up and I found it, but all my computer would say was that it was functioning fine. It wouldn't give me the option to scan, thou.

Thought to go across to the school and use their resources but realized that they have only printer/photocopiers, with scanners available only during work hours.

I thought to try booting up my old computer, even though last time I tried, both my account and the admin account were becoming unusable and requiring frequent resets, and most of the time it would make a weird screaming sound and stop working when I tried to log in.

But I tried it and to my relief, it worked. My trusty old laptop worked once more just for me.

But when I scanned the forms and tried sending them by email, it bounced. I tried emailing someone else from Student Life and that email also bounced.

I desperately tried emailing a few more times and one went through. And I got a message saying the reciprocant was on vacation.

But it was okay because she'd be back during the week before the due date. I just had to leave and trust things would go well. I left them my cell number with the thought that I could get my roommates to bring the papers in during the work week if things didn't go well.

Things went well enough. The scanned forms are enough to get the paperwork going.but they might need an original signature later on. At least I have my job.

But I was packing for the overnight at the same time and was distracted enough to do an imperfect job. Day I went in, I realized at the last moment that I forgot to pack bedding. But since I was at the EAF office near WALES and I visited WALES before going in, they actually hooked me up with blankets, sheets and pillows. It was pretty slick. Brought them their stuff back today and I'll hopefully remember to bring my own next week at the overnight.

Camp Impeesa

Just a reminder to everyone, but I'll be going away for five days to overnight camp at Camp Impeesa So I won't have Internet, so don't expect blog updates.

We got to check the place out last week. Looks pretty spacious. We were told the name means "The Wolf That Never Sleepss" and was a nickname given to Robert Baden-Powell, the guy who started Scouts, when he was fighting in South Africa.

However, wolves don't exist in Africa and the actual translation is "Hyena" which is NOT a compliment. Sounds like Baden-Powell took a name given to him by his enemy and built it up in the most positive light he could:

-A hyena is a wild dog in Africa
-A wolf is a wild dog in North America
-"Hyena" could be "wild dog" translated to "wolf"
-I've seen hyenas running around at night and haven't seen them asleep
-You could consider them to be "wolves that never sleep"
-That sounds hardcore. I'll tell people that's what "Impeesa" means

But when I learned the meaning of this name, in my Segu book, the character the story is currently following, Malobali Traore, had fallen into service of the Ashanti people. The Ashanti were involved in the battle where Baden-Powell earned his title. So I'm a Traore, and my book has the lead Traore fall into service of the Ashanti people when I'm headed out to work at a place named after an Ashanti word. Coincidence?

Well, all I know is that the Ashanti were involved. Despite the Scouts being humble enough to admit that Baden-Powell was wrong about the translation and that the literal one is an insult, I cannot find which language "Impeesa" comes from. Aggravating.

I found out who killed my sunflower! Arg!

Stuff I Brought Back

So since I was back, I was able to pick up my health card and credit card. I had to activate my credit card by calling a number. All went smoothly. Guy on the other end was the most enthusiastic customer service representative I've ever encountered! Wish I remembered his name.

"Hello, how may I improve your day?"
"Sorry, you must get this all the time, but you have one of the most AWESOME names I have ever heard. "Sibbald" very British, and then "Gryphon" you don't need me to tell you how awesome."
"I'll spare you the earful, since you mentioned the word I was waiting for."
"Let me tell you about a mistake I made when I started using my credit card."

As if he was actually invested in doing a good job or something.

I also picked up my beard trimmer charger, my DS charger, some tupperware I'd left behind, and brought some decorative items for my room.

Played some online game with my brother and his friends, which was a new experience. Looking into getting a headset adapter, since my computer doesn't have the correct equipment for audio/visual communication. I think it's the audio which is the problem. Interferes with me Skyping, too.

Student Vs Regular Fare

Somebody ripped my sunflower out of the ground!! I noticed it was gone today, looked at where it was, and there's a hole in the ground where it used to be.

I get a four day weekend, since the day program ended. We'll have three days of programming next week for the overnight camp, and then we'll have two-weeks of overnight.

I'm back in Guelph. Since I lost my student card, the guy said I'd have to pay the regular fare. Want to know the difference between a regular ticket for a round trip and a student one? Student is $17, regular is $45!! Yowch! If I wind up working in Kitchener, I'm never visiting Guelph again! It's too expensive! I might never stop being a student, just because it's cheaper to live with the student discounts than it is to work and and earn enough to live without them!

Some exaggeration. There are tricks to buying cheap without a student discount, like buying a week in advance or buying in bulk. I'll just have to be a bit smarter. And I wound up getting the student discount anyway because the girl at the other register remembered me.

We got to go to a water park last Friday. I got to go down the Lazy River, got to go into the wave pool, and got to go down water slides. It's been forever since I've got to go down a slide that size! I enjoyed it all, and felt childishly playful.