I'm leaving in a week. Didn't see that one coming, did ya?
Really, though. One week from today, I'll be on a plane on my way to Heathrow. So, I thought it was time to give a bit of a practical update to everyone who cares. Here's what's going on in my life for the next little while...
I'm working and frantically packing and wrapping presents and tying up loose ends here in Calgary for the next week. Seeing everyone I need to see, buying stuff I need to buy, throwing out stuff I need to get rid of... Sleeping might take a back seat in the priority bus. Story of my life.
Then, on Wednesday, December 21st, at 20:55, I should be flying off in a 9-ish hour flight to London Heathrow. I have a six hour layover, and then another 9-ish hour flight to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where my parents are residing. By the time I get there it'll be about 7:30am their time on the 23rd of December. Just in time for my Mom's birthday. Considering I'm not usually able to sleep on planes, I'm planning on reading through at least one book, finishing whatever I'm knitting, and really, really messing up my body's schedule. (For all of you attending the IB reunion party thing, it'll be about 11:30pm when my plane lands... So if try really hard I can probably be on Skype with you within an hour and some of that. HOPEFULLY the flights will all be on schedule. Cross your fingers.)
And then I'll be in Tanzania. Living it up. Not climbing Kilimanjaro, sorry to disappoint.
Now, after that is still quite the situation. I still have this conditional acceptance to Cape Town. I think I've fulfilled most of the conditions. A letter was mailed to me almost a month ago, and I haven't received it yet. So it's hard to say what's going on, really. I've reached the point now that I'm just going to dive head-first into this thing, and see what happens. UCT wants me as a student. They're just bad at making that happen. So I figure if I keep emailing them and sending them random documents they'll eventually just let me in for sheer determination. That's my plan. I won't even tell you what the back-up plan is. I don't care what the back-up plan is. Sometimes you just have to think about Plan A.
I don't know if God wants me in Cape Town. But He hasn't let me know that that's where He doesn't want me, and since that's where I want to be, that's where I'm heading. I hope that if He ever does direct me elsewhere that I'll have the humility to go that direction and give up on what I think would be sweet. We'll cross that bridge and clear that hurdle and brave that storm if and when it comes.
In the meantime, I have stuff to do. And by stuff I mean lots of stuff. Getting to Tanzania means several things to me. Firstly, I get to see my family. Awesome. Secondly, I'll be in Africa. Awesome again. Thirdly, it'll be Christmas. Awesome to the max. Fourthly, I won't have to go to work or any such place. Oh, sweet relief. Fifthly, it'll be the end of this phase and the beginning of a new one, and it's always an adventure when that's the case.
Anyways, more reflections will come later. That's enough for now. That's your summary of my life for the near future. Hope you're having a wonderful Christmastime. Jesus always has the best birthday parties.
Thursday 15 December 2011
Thursday 24 November 2011
Conditional has always been my least favourite tense
So, I kind of got into university. Woohooooo. I hope that cheer didn't sound as sarcastic to you as it did to me. Don't get me wrong, at one in the morning when I read checked my online student profile, I was pretty shocked and delighted. For seven months now, I have been met with the words, "Decision deferred pending receipt of further or final results" each time I've logged in. Last Friday, or early Saturday morning, as it were, I encountered these phrases: "Conditional offer made. Letter with conditions to follow." It was a nice change, to say the least. They were words of possibility, of change, and of weird sentence fragmentation. But I was excited.
Now, the reason for me not churning out a super spiffy, flashy blog about how pumped I am for the future and blahbatiblahbatiblah (besides the fact that I don't know if you can churn anything besides butter) is simply that I'm still not completely sure what the deal is. And I don't want to get ahead of myself. I still have to get some documents to them, and their supposed "letter with conditions" will take a while to "follow", since I am way over here and they are way over there. So I'm working out the kinks of this conditional offer.
Update: it's less than a month until I leave to go to Tanzania. Update 2: I got all vaccinated up yesterday, and have been feeling reasonably crappy ever since. But if the small taste of yellow fever that I have experienced from the shot is any indication of the pleasure of the real thing, I'm just glad I'm now immune to it. Update 3: it's weird that I'm going to be leaving Calgary soon. I feel like I just got used to this. And it's weird that I'm going to leave Canadian winter behind and hit 30 degree weather in one fell swoop, and won't return for a long time. No matter how much I'll be dreaming of a white Christmas, I really, really doubt that Dar es Salaam is going to get that. Unless there's a plague of locusts or something. (Are locusts white? For the purposes of this blog, let's assume the answer is yes. I'm too afraid of the disturbing possibilities of Google Images right now to check up on this.) Oh, and let's just hope that the whole plague thing doesn't happen. Not cool.
Please keep praying for me. These next three weeks I'll be working seven days a week probably, and 60 hours or so? I'll be tired.
And listen to this song. It's a Christmas essential.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Now, the reason for me not churning out a super spiffy, flashy blog about how pumped I am for the future and blahbatiblahbatiblah (besides the fact that I don't know if you can churn anything besides butter) is simply that I'm still not completely sure what the deal is. And I don't want to get ahead of myself. I still have to get some documents to them, and their supposed "letter with conditions" will take a while to "follow", since I am way over here and they are way over there. So I'm working out the kinks of this conditional offer.
Update: it's less than a month until I leave to go to Tanzania. Update 2: I got all vaccinated up yesterday, and have been feeling reasonably crappy ever since. But if the small taste of yellow fever that I have experienced from the shot is any indication of the pleasure of the real thing, I'm just glad I'm now immune to it. Update 3: it's weird that I'm going to be leaving Calgary soon. I feel like I just got used to this. And it's weird that I'm going to leave Canadian winter behind and hit 30 degree weather in one fell swoop, and won't return for a long time. No matter how much I'll be dreaming of a white Christmas, I really, really doubt that Dar es Salaam is going to get that. Unless there's a plague of locusts or something. (Are locusts white? For the purposes of this blog, let's assume the answer is yes. I'm too afraid of the disturbing possibilities of Google Images right now to check up on this.) Oh, and let's just hope that the whole plague thing doesn't happen. Not cool.
Please keep praying for me. These next three weeks I'll be working seven days a week probably, and 60 hours or so? I'll be tired.
And listen to this song. It's a Christmas essential.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Monday 31 October 2011
Awesome
It seems I only have a craving to blog when I'm really tired and should be going to bed. That's actually when I have the willingness to do almost anything. A lot of things about me haven't changed since I was six and begging my parents to stay up just a little later. Unfortunately, there's no one around to tell me to go to bed. The cat sleeps all day, so it doesn't care whether I hit the sack right after dinner or at 3 in the morning. So, here I am. Left to my thoughts and stubbornness to go to bed like a responsible human being, and also a box of Wheat Thins. Luckily, I don't work tomorrow, so I can sit here and write and eat crackers 'til the dawn breaks. But I will definitely regret it later.
The thing I've been pondering as of late has been the presence of beauty in my life. Real beauty. Not People Magazine beauty. Not beauty to the standard of perfection. Beauty.
I still haven't gotten over being able to see the Rocky Mountains every day I'm here. I can just look climb a hill and there they are. As much as I don't like going in for early morning shifts at work, the last few instances have been timed perfectly for seeing the sun rise. Just as I'm walking across the parking lot from the bus stop to the !ndigo (because apparently that's the correct spelling), the sun is bursting from behind the big box store barricade (can anyone identify that literary device?) and cascading over the pavement. And from certain angles I can see the mountains. Sometimes intertwined with clouds and mist and hard to identify, other times in sharp contrast with the pale blue sky, piercing the backdrop with their power and size.
It doesn't have to be in the morning for me to see the mountains. Sometimes I'm on the bus in the afternoon with a couple dozen other people, and a stunning view of the mountains appear on the horizon, and I just look around at my fellow public-transportation users and wonder whether they can see what I see, and if they're appreciating it at all.
I've become fond of one particular bus route, in part because it's a lot less crowded and sometimes gets me home faster, but mostly because of the view. I work at the complex called Signal Hill, and it was a thrilling moment for me when I discovered that there's actually a hill behind Signal Hill. It's called Signal Hill. And there's one bus stop that I can use to transfer from one bus to another that's right where there used to be some sort of signal... thing... I haven't really read up on it. The layover from one bus to the next is usually between 12 seconds and 3 minutes, and it's hard to tell which one it will be, so I haven't had time to read the info boards yet. Someday. Anyways, the view from that bus stop. Amazing. A couple of times I've gotten there just as the sun is setting. So the wind is blowing, there are flags cracking in the breeze behind me, the sun is shedding an array of colours in the sky as it descends behind the mountains... And then bus 53 rounds the corner and I have to frantically wave at the driver because they never expect anyone to be at that stop. But seriously, those two minutes of just pure beauty a day... I feel like those are nourishment to something inside me. For me, it gives me a healthy dose of awe for my Creator, for The Creator. But for anyone, I think experiencing beauty is an essential to life. And I've realized that going out of my way to find beauty and taste it daily is not that hard, and so, so good.
It keeps things in perspective, if nothing else.
Here I am, frail and small and confused. Here is something else, something enormous and beautiful and overwhelming.
Awesome.
The thing I've been pondering as of late has been the presence of beauty in my life. Real beauty. Not People Magazine beauty. Not beauty to the standard of perfection. Beauty.
I still haven't gotten over being able to see the Rocky Mountains every day I'm here. I can just look climb a hill and there they are. As much as I don't like going in for early morning shifts at work, the last few instances have been timed perfectly for seeing the sun rise. Just as I'm walking across the parking lot from the bus stop to the !ndigo (because apparently that's the correct spelling), the sun is bursting from behind the big box store barricade (can anyone identify that literary device?) and cascading over the pavement. And from certain angles I can see the mountains. Sometimes intertwined with clouds and mist and hard to identify, other times in sharp contrast with the pale blue sky, piercing the backdrop with their power and size.
It doesn't have to be in the morning for me to see the mountains. Sometimes I'm on the bus in the afternoon with a couple dozen other people, and a stunning view of the mountains appear on the horizon, and I just look around at my fellow public-transportation users and wonder whether they can see what I see, and if they're appreciating it at all.
I've become fond of one particular bus route, in part because it's a lot less crowded and sometimes gets me home faster, but mostly because of the view. I work at the complex called Signal Hill, and it was a thrilling moment for me when I discovered that there's actually a hill behind Signal Hill. It's called Signal Hill. And there's one bus stop that I can use to transfer from one bus to another that's right where there used to be some sort of signal... thing... I haven't really read up on it. The layover from one bus to the next is usually between 12 seconds and 3 minutes, and it's hard to tell which one it will be, so I haven't had time to read the info boards yet. Someday. Anyways, the view from that bus stop. Amazing. A couple of times I've gotten there just as the sun is setting. So the wind is blowing, there are flags cracking in the breeze behind me, the sun is shedding an array of colours in the sky as it descends behind the mountains... And then bus 53 rounds the corner and I have to frantically wave at the driver because they never expect anyone to be at that stop. But seriously, those two minutes of just pure beauty a day... I feel like those are nourishment to something inside me. For me, it gives me a healthy dose of awe for my Creator, for The Creator. But for anyone, I think experiencing beauty is an essential to life. And I've realized that going out of my way to find beauty and taste it daily is not that hard, and so, so good.
It keeps things in perspective, if nothing else.
Here I am, frail and small and confused. Here is something else, something enormous and beautiful and overwhelming.
Awesome.
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Foundational
I'm kind of lacking in solid ground right now. I don't have a home, a school, a family, old friends, familiar locations, a bus route I know. Whatever I held close and depended upon for consistency and solidity has been taken away or shaken apart.
That's when you start to question what your foundation is made of.
I know that I intentionally planned this out for myself to see how I would react. It was partly a matter of practicality and convenience, but it was also this desire to push myself past my comfort zone, and watch myself try to live.
I think that in situations where all the superficial aspects of your personality disappear, you can either delve deeper into yourself, or you can grasp more tightly onto God, or whatever your notion of a greater being is.
Repeatedly I'm being shown that I am a finite, exhaustible source of life, and that God, the living God, will provide more than I need in any circumstance. I want to believe that with my whole being, and I want to live a full life because of that.
This period of uncertainty is not going to be my last, but I can't complain. The lessons far outweigh the challenges.
That's when you start to question what your foundation is made of.
I know that I intentionally planned this out for myself to see how I would react. It was partly a matter of practicality and convenience, but it was also this desire to push myself past my comfort zone, and watch myself try to live.
I think that in situations where all the superficial aspects of your personality disappear, you can either delve deeper into yourself, or you can grasp more tightly onto God, or whatever your notion of a greater being is.
Repeatedly I'm being shown that I am a finite, exhaustible source of life, and that God, the living God, will provide more than I need in any circumstance. I want to believe that with my whole being, and I want to live a full life because of that.
This period of uncertainty is not going to be my last, but I can't complain. The lessons far outweigh the challenges.
Sunday 2 October 2011
What Not to Order
Hi everyone! It's been a while since I followed up on the whole being employed thing. So here's what's happening right now in my life.
I'm still employed. By Starbucks. I've worked two 40 hour weeks so far, and hopefully that'll continue to happen. The goal is to make as much money as possible in this short span of time. I've worked mostly 8-hour days, and usually between 10 and 6:30ish. I've done a couple of closing shifts, which are from 2 to 10:30, and I'll likely do an opening shift sometime soon, but my shifts will continue to vary. I've had weekends off so far as well, which has been nice. That'll probably change :)
And now that I've been there two weeks, I actually know how to do stuff. I can run your order through, I can brew coffee, I can serve you a pastry, I can make drinks, and I can even whip up a Frappuccino for you. I'm still a little unsure of some of the recipes, and there are some weird exceptions to rules (Caramel Macchiattos, for instance, take their espresso shots not directly in the cup...), but honestly, I've learned the French language, and it has several exceptions, so I think I can handle this.
As per the title of this blog, here's what not to order. Or what to order if you want to be one of those annoying Starbucks junkies:
Annoying Starbucks Junky: I'll take a half-caf, triple long shot, Tall in a Venti cup with no sleeve, sugar-free two-thirds sweet, kid's temperature, no whip, extra foam, light drizzle, salted caramel hot chocolate, with maybe an ice cube thrown in so it's not too hot.
Please, don't. You're not cool, you have too much time on your hands.
I work with good people. They're quite funny, and they want to do their jobs well. And they've been patient with me, even when I'm annoying and repetitive with my questions.
So, it's been good. For a first job, I think I totally lucked out.
Thanks for reading!
I'm still employed. By Starbucks. I've worked two 40 hour weeks so far, and hopefully that'll continue to happen. The goal is to make as much money as possible in this short span of time. I've worked mostly 8-hour days, and usually between 10 and 6:30ish. I've done a couple of closing shifts, which are from 2 to 10:30, and I'll likely do an opening shift sometime soon, but my shifts will continue to vary. I've had weekends off so far as well, which has been nice. That'll probably change :)
And now that I've been there two weeks, I actually know how to do stuff. I can run your order through, I can brew coffee, I can serve you a pastry, I can make drinks, and I can even whip up a Frappuccino for you. I'm still a little unsure of some of the recipes, and there are some weird exceptions to rules (Caramel Macchiattos, for instance, take their espresso shots not directly in the cup...), but honestly, I've learned the French language, and it has several exceptions, so I think I can handle this.
As per the title of this blog, here's what not to order. Or what to order if you want to be one of those annoying Starbucks junkies:
Annoying Starbucks Junky: I'll take a half-caf, triple long shot, Tall in a Venti cup with no sleeve, sugar-free two-thirds sweet, kid's temperature, no whip, extra foam, light drizzle, salted caramel hot chocolate, with maybe an ice cube thrown in so it's not too hot.
Please, don't. You're not cool, you have too much time on your hands.
I work with good people. They're quite funny, and they want to do their jobs well. And they've been patient with me, even when I'm annoying and repetitive with my questions.
So, it's been good. For a first job, I think I totally lucked out.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday 17 September 2011
Status: Employed
At least for now.
A week and a couple of days ago, I had an interview at Starbucks. It was a fairly formal but friendly interview with two different people, one a store manager, the other a manager in training. The interview went well enough, but I didn't answer some questions as well as I could have, and honestly, I don't have any experience. I didn't get the job, to my disappointment, but also to my renewed determination. I went about handing out resumes like nobody's business a couple of days later, and sat back waiting for a possible phone call. This was a great exercise in my confidence; just walking up to someone and trying to show them how great I am in a three second conversation was a challenge.
The next day, I got a phone call from Starbucks. A different Starbucks than before. I had applied to several in one go, since that's what their online application process offered me. I missed their call, and by the time I called back, the manager wasn't in. So I called back the next morning, and went in for an interview that afternoon. The manager and I chatted a bit, I learned what the company is like, I asked a few questions... And then she asked if I wanted to try working there. Bam. Just like that. Most casual interview ever, much more comfortable than the other one, and she didn't seem to care that I didn't have experience, she just wanted to know that I'll do my best to work hard and serve people well. I think the main thing was that I said I actually cared about people, and wanted to improve their days as much as possible, it wasn't just for the sake of getting the job done.
So, cool story. I start on Monday. Apparently their training is pretty intensive. But, I survived the IB program, so I figure I can live through almost anything :). We'll find out.
Here are some reasons why God is good:
-I was extremely confident going into the first interview that I would be the best person ever for the job, and everyone would be proud of me for getting it, and I would breeze through my first job easily, blah blah blah. When I didn't get it, it was a beautiful slap in the face. And it's easy to say this now that I'm employed and happy, but it sucked at the time. I didn't realize how much I had been counting on that job.
-This Starbucks location is in an Indigo, which means a few things. Firstly, that I'm surrounded by books and nice things all the time. Secondly, that there won't be the same crazy morning rushes that other Starbucks' experience. And speaking of mornings, thirdly, the store opens when the Indigo does, at 9am. NO ABNORMALLY EARLY MORNING SHIFTS FOR ME.
Okay. That's it. Still waiting to hear from Cape Town. Still wanting to get snail mail from anyone who feels like writing to me? :) And I'm thankful that I'll soon have something to do with my time, so I won't be such a useless pile of lazy.
A week and a couple of days ago, I had an interview at Starbucks. It was a fairly formal but friendly interview with two different people, one a store manager, the other a manager in training. The interview went well enough, but I didn't answer some questions as well as I could have, and honestly, I don't have any experience. I didn't get the job, to my disappointment, but also to my renewed determination. I went about handing out resumes like nobody's business a couple of days later, and sat back waiting for a possible phone call. This was a great exercise in my confidence; just walking up to someone and trying to show them how great I am in a three second conversation was a challenge.
The next day, I got a phone call from Starbucks. A different Starbucks than before. I had applied to several in one go, since that's what their online application process offered me. I missed their call, and by the time I called back, the manager wasn't in. So I called back the next morning, and went in for an interview that afternoon. The manager and I chatted a bit, I learned what the company is like, I asked a few questions... And then she asked if I wanted to try working there. Bam. Just like that. Most casual interview ever, much more comfortable than the other one, and she didn't seem to care that I didn't have experience, she just wanted to know that I'll do my best to work hard and serve people well. I think the main thing was that I said I actually cared about people, and wanted to improve their days as much as possible, it wasn't just for the sake of getting the job done.
So, cool story. I start on Monday. Apparently their training is pretty intensive. But, I survived the IB program, so I figure I can live through almost anything :). We'll find out.
Here are some reasons why God is good:
-I was extremely confident going into the first interview that I would be the best person ever for the job, and everyone would be proud of me for getting it, and I would breeze through my first job easily, blah blah blah. When I didn't get it, it was a beautiful slap in the face. And it's easy to say this now that I'm employed and happy, but it sucked at the time. I didn't realize how much I had been counting on that job.
-This Starbucks location is in an Indigo, which means a few things. Firstly, that I'm surrounded by books and nice things all the time. Secondly, that there won't be the same crazy morning rushes that other Starbucks' experience. And speaking of mornings, thirdly, the store opens when the Indigo does, at 9am. NO ABNORMALLY EARLY MORNING SHIFTS FOR ME.
Okay. That's it. Still waiting to hear from Cape Town. Still wanting to get snail mail from anyone who feels like writing to me? :) And I'm thankful that I'll soon have something to do with my time, so I won't be such a useless pile of lazy.
Monday 12 September 2011
Back to Not School
This is the first time in, oh, 13 years or so, that I'm not in school at this point in the year. It's weird. Normally this would be a thrilling, busy, new time in my yearly cycle. Well, right now, I could call my life mildly thrilling, yes; busy, NO; and new, yes. The whole feeling of being on a new adventure hasn't quite left me yet, thankfully. But my daily schedule is so uneventful... I've read three books and watched six movies in the last week and a half. Seriously. But now I can add the movie Good Will Hunting to the (miniscule) list of movies that have made me cry. Possibly because it was 1am and I was over-tired. But who knows.
Bottom line is, I really need to get a job. But I'm getting more creative with my job searching, and possibly a little more desperate :) We'll see what turns up. It's funny, since I don't feel that anxious about actually getting a job. I more just feel that I'm wasting everyone else's time, the longer I go without one. Like I'm wasting my basement room, I'm wasting everyone's confidence in me to be productive. I don't know. It's actually only been 9 days or something, so I don't plan on losing faith too quickly.
However, in other news, I found a really sweet church today. Well, yesterday technically, since it's Monday now. It's called Abundant Life Church (from the verse John 10:10), it's within walking distance of my house, and I went into the service not knowing anyone, and came out knowing a dozen people's names. I also thought I was late coming into the service, but they started 15 minutes after their service officially starts. I like all churches that don't take punctuality too seriously. And I got invited out for Lebanese food for lunch. If that's not a winning church, I really don't know what is. I declined the invitation this time, but if you know me at all, you know that I will hold them to that invitation until it is fulfilled.
I think finding some friends in this city will be good for me. Friends that can hold me accountable and maybe keep me company while I watch movies. Sigh. I've forgotten what one does with friends.
Well, that had potential to be a positive paragraph and turned into a sad commentary on my life. Ha.
I feel as though I should go to bed soon. One of these days I'm going to have something to do in the morning, but by then I'll be so used to my staying up 'til 3, waking up at 3 schedule, I won't even know when the morning is. Okay, my schedule's not that extreme. But I reckon it could be problematic.
Thanks for reading. Oh, I forgot to mention that I found an HMV that was going out of business the other day, so I did get to purchase four CDs for $30. Jamie Cullum's 'The Pursuit' is so good. Just FYI.
Bottom line is, I really need to get a job. But I'm getting more creative with my job searching, and possibly a little more desperate :) We'll see what turns up. It's funny, since I don't feel that anxious about actually getting a job. I more just feel that I'm wasting everyone else's time, the longer I go without one. Like I'm wasting my basement room, I'm wasting everyone's confidence in me to be productive. I don't know. It's actually only been 9 days or something, so I don't plan on losing faith too quickly.
However, in other news, I found a really sweet church today. Well, yesterday technically, since it's Monday now. It's called Abundant Life Church (from the verse John 10:10), it's within walking distance of my house, and I went into the service not knowing anyone, and came out knowing a dozen people's names. I also thought I was late coming into the service, but they started 15 minutes after their service officially starts. I like all churches that don't take punctuality too seriously. And I got invited out for Lebanese food for lunch. If that's not a winning church, I really don't know what is. I declined the invitation this time, but if you know me at all, you know that I will hold them to that invitation until it is fulfilled.
I think finding some friends in this city will be good for me. Friends that can hold me accountable and maybe keep me company while I watch movies. Sigh. I've forgotten what one does with friends.
Well, that had potential to be a positive paragraph and turned into a sad commentary on my life. Ha.
I feel as though I should go to bed soon. One of these days I'm going to have something to do in the morning, but by then I'll be so used to my staying up 'til 3, waking up at 3 schedule, I won't even know when the morning is. Okay, my schedule's not that extreme. But I reckon it could be problematic.
Thanks for reading. Oh, I forgot to mention that I found an HMV that was going out of business the other day, so I did get to purchase four CDs for $30. Jamie Cullum's 'The Pursuit' is so good. Just FYI.
Wednesday 7 September 2011
So Here's the Deal...
No one seems to be able to keep track of where I am nowadays. Or what I'm doing. Or what my plans are. And really, even someone with a lot of patience can only answer the same question so many times. Once you repeat the same response enough times, it starts sounding boring even to you. Even though it's not. It's incredibly exciting.
Hence, the blog. Hopefully this will put even the most curious souls at rest about my whereabouts. And I'll probably throw in some other items of interest to my posts. Otherwise I could have just created a Twitter account.
So, let's get started with the updates.
My current location is Calgary, Alberta. I'm staying at my Auntie Karen's house, living in a sweet suite in her basement. And I am hanging out with her cat Sprinkles. The purpose of my residence in Calgary is to find work as soon as I can, to save up for schooling. I've applied to several jobs, and hopefully the search won't last too much longer.
Why am I not trying to start a career in Ottawa, you ask?
Well, for one, the home in my hometown just up and moved to Tanzania. For two, jobs are easier to come by in Alberta. And for three, it's pretty awesome living close to the extended family you only get to see once every two Christmases.
You also may be wondering, why is she not in school?
Valid question. My first choice of post-secondary education is the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Their school year begins at the end of January-ish, so their application process is obviously later than most Canadian universities. I've applied there, and am still waiting to hear from them.
Whether I get accepted or not to Cape Town, I'll be heading to Dar es Salaam (the city in Tanzania where my parents live) for Christmas. If I'm going to the UCT, I'll head there after Christmas sometime. If not, I honestly am not really sure what I'll do. Perhaps I'll go back to Calgary and finish the year off working. If that's the case, then I'll go to Carleton University in the fall of 2012, for a Bachelor in the Humanities. [I think I'll explain my choice of university and program in a later post. This one's getting long enough.]
I think that covers most of the essential information. If there's anything you're still wondering, feel free to ask in a comment or send me an email or text or Facebook message or postcard or whatever creative form of communication you can think of. I appreciate all the concern and prayers and support and everything :) I'm doing really well, and I'm living in excited anticipation for what's to come.
Hence, the blog. Hopefully this will put even the most curious souls at rest about my whereabouts. And I'll probably throw in some other items of interest to my posts. Otherwise I could have just created a Twitter account.
So, let's get started with the updates.
My current location is Calgary, Alberta. I'm staying at my Auntie Karen's house, living in a sweet suite in her basement. And I am hanging out with her cat Sprinkles. The purpose of my residence in Calgary is to find work as soon as I can, to save up for schooling. I've applied to several jobs, and hopefully the search won't last too much longer.
Why am I not trying to start a career in Ottawa, you ask?
Well, for one, the home in my hometown just up and moved to Tanzania. For two, jobs are easier to come by in Alberta. And for three, it's pretty awesome living close to the extended family you only get to see once every two Christmases.
You also may be wondering, why is she not in school?
Valid question. My first choice of post-secondary education is the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Their school year begins at the end of January-ish, so their application process is obviously later than most Canadian universities. I've applied there, and am still waiting to hear from them.
Whether I get accepted or not to Cape Town, I'll be heading to Dar es Salaam (the city in Tanzania where my parents live) for Christmas. If I'm going to the UCT, I'll head there after Christmas sometime. If not, I honestly am not really sure what I'll do. Perhaps I'll go back to Calgary and finish the year off working. If that's the case, then I'll go to Carleton University in the fall of 2012, for a Bachelor in the Humanities. [I think I'll explain my choice of university and program in a later post. This one's getting long enough.]
I think that covers most of the essential information. If there's anything you're still wondering, feel free to ask in a comment or send me an email or text or Facebook message or postcard or whatever creative form of communication you can think of. I appreciate all the concern and prayers and support and everything :) I'm doing really well, and I'm living in excited anticipation for what's to come.
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