Back to Great Falls
I know...that sounds awful doesn't it? Hopefully it won't be too long and it will give me an opportunity to make money. Let me rephrase that. I do not want to live in Great Falls for longer than 8 months. That's the goal anyway. I'm going to move into Marlena's and help with her bills. She left Tad because he turned out to be a complete asshole. He's alcoholic and was being forcefull and a little violent with her (even though she's two months pregnant). She quit stripping a couple of weeks ago because Tad got a job waiting tables. So now she's pregnant and without a job. I think she might try and go back to The Playground for the next couple of months. To top it all off...she found out that this will be Tad's ninth child! Yeah. Life in Marlena world is never easy, but what have we grown to expect? At least I'll be around for some of the pregnacy. And a boy isn't in danger of being Marvin Perry Hensly IV.
I haven't bought my plane ticket yet, but Sunday is the target leave date. I have to finish withdrawing from school, get a refund on my tuition, pay for and get out of my dorm, wire the money home, and close my bank account. I won't get my $1800 deposit back and I have to pay $400 for the time I've lived here. Most of my stuff will have to be shipped home, at a cost of about $400, and the ticket is going to cost $920. All of that on top of the $1700 in debt I have from getting here puts me at about $5200 to pay off and about $3500 to save to actually leave Great Falls. So, needless to say, two jobs is going to be a must.
My mom's on the lookout for a job waiting tables for me. It's wierd that I acutally miss it, or maybe I just miss the money. I'm getting really excited about getting a social work job and feeling like a proper adult. Hopefully the thought will serve as motivation.
Mom is moving closer and closer to divorce (I keep hoping!). Kirk is really a complete psychopath. Maybe we'll be lucky and she will leave him while I'm home. But, I've been thinking that for the last 4 years. My wierdo dad was so happy I was coming home he bawled on the phone.
Thanks for your thoughts
I have told a few people that I am considering leaving and moving home. They were really kind and supportive. A couple of you (Melanie and Mitch), made my cry a bit. Things aren't going well and I might as well admit that this may have been a failed endeavor. No final decisons have been made and I am certainly going to give class a chance for the next week. We'll see what happens. But, right now I'm leaning towards returning to Great Falls and paying off the small debt I have and saving money. Then I want to leave Great Falls and get a job with my degree somewhere closer to home (preferably in the northwestern US). It should only take about six to nine months of waiting tables before I have enough to relocate. I want to be in a place I can work and potentially go to school part time. That way I can pay for it as I go. Universities in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon have well-established MSW programs you can attend part-time and incorporate work experience for credit.
Wow, it sounds like I've already made my decision. I need to keep an open mind for class tomorrow. I feel like a bit of a wimp, but not everything works out as planned. It's been a reality check.
Thanks for your love and support!
ahh...Sunday nights
I've always hated Sunday nights. I think it stems from the dread of going to school on Monday...even though I don't have class on Mondays. I still find them depressing. I spent most of the day today hanging out with Jamie (a girl from New York who is my only friend). We went shopping for an alarm clock and she ended up having to buy a barbie pink one. That's what I learned today. British people have a problem with alarm clocks. They aren't in any hotel rooms and they are very difficult to find in the stores. Actually there seems to be a general clock shortage. If you come, bring a watch. Anyway, after that we went to her boyfriend's flat. He's English and very nice. They actually met over the internet and get along very well. He starts every sentence with "basically" and ends every sentence with "yeah?" We ate lunch and then hung out with him where he works at a video game shop. We played game cube games for a couple of hours with some of his friends and then I rode the bus home.
Last night Jamie and I went to Pizza Hut (I know...how stupid is it to go to Pizza Hut when you're in England?) and then to a movie. The theatre is brand new and has like 12 screens. It's the biggest theatre I've ever seen. It even has a bar and tables to sit at. The seats are huge with lots of room to strech out. We saw The Terminal (13 USD for one person) and I basically liked it even though it was a bit too feel good and unrealistic. It was much better than Collateral or Euro Trip, which are the only two new movies I've seen in the last couple of months. They were both plain bad.
One more day until class starts and the nerves are starting to kick in. Most of the people in my program are like 30+ years old and I'm not sure how I'll fit in. I guess we'll see!
I love and miss everyone!
I miss soap operas
That's a sad commentary, but it's true. I am going through Days of our Lives and Passions withdrawls. I got addicted to them a couple of summers back with Amy when it was too hot and we were too lazy to do anything else in the middle of the afternoon. I keep up to date from a summary and news website, but it just isn't the same. Maybe I could use this as a time to quit my shameful soap opera habit.
Heather made a comment about the "panecake" post and mentioned Haw-ai-i and I about fell off my chair laughing. I can actually see the expression on her face. We came up with some wierd-ass shit in middle school.
I finally got registered today (along with obtaining my student ID card and registering with the library), and here is my pitiful looking timetable:
Contemporary Social Policy
Wednesdays 4:30-6:30 PM
Assessment: one book review of 3000 words
"Provides an overview of contemporary social policy with a stron compariativefocus. It aims to enable students to understand both particular concepts in social policy and the workings of modern-day social policy."
Care: Values, Policy and Practice
Wednesdays 7-9 PM
Assessment: two 1500 word essays
"Critcal examination of the changing role and nature of contemporary British health and social care and considers policies for particular population groups such as older people, disabled people, and children. Cross national examples may be used to compare strategies for dealing with particular dilemmas."
Racism, Social Policy, and Social Justice
Tuesdays 1:30-3:30PM
Assessment: 4000 word book review
"Through an examination of key conceptual, theoretical, and social policy debates, this module enables students to examine the links between race, racism, social policy, and social justice"
That was probobly too much info, but it's there if anyone is interested. I'll only be in class 6 hours a week plus an odd extra class. It doesn't seem full time, but the British system is student self motivated. I'm expected to spend eight to ten hours a week reading and researching for each class...so it equals out to a full time job. Classes are called "modules" here and they are worth 20 credits each. Grading is also different and based on a number system (1-3 is an A+, 4 is an A, 3 is an A-, etc all the way to 20 for failure).
Moving on...here's an announcement! Marlena's pregnant and due on May 2nd. I'm really excited for her, but dissapointed that I won't be around for the birth. She better have a girl, because if it's a boy the name is Marvin Perry Hensly IV. That's her boyfriends name and I love Tad, but I have to say no to continuing the tradition. I knew I had something exciting to say.
What did I learn today? When you accidently bump into some one, do not say "excuse me". You must say "sorry" and avoid making eye contact...even if you aren't sorry at all!
Contemporary Social Policy
Wednesdays 4:30-6:30 PM
Assessment: one book review of 3000 words
My spelling is horrendous
I'm a college graduate, and I know it's spelled pancake. However, the two year old inside of me still says pan-e-cake and I can't seem to spell it correctly EVER.
I don't think I accomplished anything today
I refused to attend any more orientation today. Instead, I opted to go grocery shopping for some necessary items. The most interesting thing I bought was a package of already made "American panecakes" with little packages of maple syrup. I have been having panecake withdrawls because I'm so used to having them at Denny's whenever I want. They don't sell panecake batter, so these are as good as it's going to get. I'll give my verdict after I eat them for breakfast tomorrow. I'm confused about one thing though...the package says they're good toasted. I don't know how I feel about putting panecakes in the toaster.
I also bought a serrated knife. Mom bought me a normal one and I tried to cut a tomato with it last night. It slipped right on and gave me a nasty painful cut on my left middle finger. I have to be more careful, because I'm not registered with a local doctor yet. It's on the to-do list. Since I'll be here for longer that six months, I automatically qualify for British National Health Insurace. I don't have to pay anything for my medical care or perscription drugs. I'm anxious to see how this system compares with the American one. It seems that health care in the US is increasingly geared towards the rich.
There was an option to go on a riverboat disco on the Thames tonight, but I don't think I want to go. I have met some people, and they are mostly very nice, but they're all fresh out of high school and ready to party. I like to go out and have a drink, but preferrably in a place conversation is possible and the main goal is not to get fall-down drunk. Most of the pubs close at 11:00, so that makes the alcohol situation even worse. People go out at 9 and have to speed drink to catch a buzz before closing time. When class starts, I will hopefully meet people with similar interests. Maybe I'm just a wimp...who knows?
What did I learn today?
Nothing in England is open for 24 hours. If you want to do anything other than grocery shopping, you better do it before six, because that's when the shops (clothing, electronic etc.) close. And if you want groceries on Sunday...the stores close at 5. I leared that when I needed milk, walked all the way down there, and it was abandoned at 6 on Sunday. Brits are simply on a different schedule.
It's drawing closer
I am ready to start school. Enough of this orientation/induction bullshit, let's get on with it. I swear if I have to attend one more group session or outing I may just jump on a plane and fly home. Ok...that might be a bit dramatic. The orientation for international students (I'm an "international student"--strange) has been going on for almost a week, and I don't attend my first class until next Tuesday night. There have been club and pub nights, city tours and outings, and countless stupid lectures on the same shit over and over.
I did attend one worthwhile lecture today on volunteering. I feel completely worthless because I haven't done anything since I left Missoula for Great Falls in late July. I haven't worked at all...just prepared to come over here. I can't get a paying job because my student visa will not allow me to without an exemption, and I don't want to go throught any more drama than necessary. So I want to get back into the contributing to society mode and volunteer somewhere with the elderly. I just need to find somewhere to do it
Friday, I actually sign up for classes (they call them modules) and get my student ID. Excitement. I can finally get a discount on the astronomically expensive public transpot system. Right now it would cost me 4 pounds to get into the center of town. That's almost 8 dollars--one way. Everything is expensive in London. Apparently, it's the most expensive city in the world outside of Tokyo. It's almost 4 USD for a beer (it does have double the alcohol content though). I found that out the hard way after 4 beers on Friday night which almost killed me.
And now for something I learned today!
In England, pants are called trousers and underwear are called pants. So don't go around telling people your pants are dirty.
Maybe I'll share something I learned everyday...there's plenty to talk about.
Let's see if this works...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/amandaoasis/d6f72e23.jpg
that should be a link to a picture of a building downtown.
My very first post!
I decided to follow in the footsteps of my very good friends--Kristen and Sara--and create a blogspot. It has taken me the better part of 3 hours, but I think I may have figured this out. I still don't understand how to upload pictures, so if anyone cares to enlighted me it would be appreciated.
Hopefully, this will lessen my need to send out mass emails and create a space where I can keep my thoughts to look back on when I'm old and gray. Well, I will now email my address to those who may be interested and post again later.
