I've realized recently that I miss writing here. Not that I did it so often before, but I liked it when I did. I'm going to try to do it more often when fall rolls around. I'm sure my last two semesters will provide me with plenty of fodder about GW.
I, in general, love being in Egypt. With that said, after being here for over 3 months, I am definitely ready to come home. Having never been out of the States for any real length of time before, I will definitely appreciate a lot of things when I come home. Like: fast internet (it is awful here), CVS (seriously, it would make life so much more convenient. I had a minor pregnancy scare a few weeks back and didn't know where to buy a pregnancy test. A CVS would have solved that. I wasn't pregnant, obviously), sandwich shops (I have learned to love fool and falafel but I miss Au Bon Pain), being able to drink tap water, not getting hissed at in the street, having boys in my room (even just for innocent reasons), being in the same time zone as the people I love.
My 21st birthday is coming up. I'm not sure how I'm going to spend it. Hopefully something fun and exciting without landing me in an Egyptian prison. We'll see. This will be my first birthday in my whole life where I don't see my mom. That's weird.
Ok, I'll try to post a bit in my last few weeks here. Need to get in the habit and what not.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Still alive
Hey there,
Everything is going well over in Africa. I just spent a 4 day weekend at the beach which was awesome.
As far as GW goes, I just read an article in the Hatchet about tour guides (http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2009/03/09/Life/StarSpangled.Banter-3665228.shtml) which isn't too nice. I give tours for GW and while I do sugar coat some things, what would the author prefer me to do? It is in every GW student's best interest to have lots of kids want to go to GW. The more kids that apply the more selective admissions can be, which makes GW a better school and thus our degree more valuable and all that. And what does he think tour guides at other schools do? I definitely point out all the things that I like and the cool experiences I've had and I've never lied on my tour. Also, GW doesn't even pay us like most schools do because they think it's a conflict of interest. So the author should rethink his stance a little...
Everything is going well over in Africa. I just spent a 4 day weekend at the beach which was awesome.
As far as GW goes, I just read an article in the Hatchet about tour guides (http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2009/03/09/Life/StarSpangled.Banter-3665228.shtml) which isn't too nice. I give tours for GW and while I do sugar coat some things, what would the author prefer me to do? It is in every GW student's best interest to have lots of kids want to go to GW. The more kids that apply the more selective admissions can be, which makes GW a better school and thus our degree more valuable and all that. And what does he think tour guides at other schools do? I definitely point out all the things that I like and the cool experiences I've had and I've never lied on my tour. Also, GW doesn't even pay us like most schools do because they think it's a conflict of interest. So the author should rethink his stance a little...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Taking a break
So obvi I haven't written in a while. I think I'm just going to wait until I'm back at GW and then I can complain about rich kids and red tape. Right now I'm in Cairo and while there's lots to say about that I have another blog about being abroad (so my mom knows I'm still alive) and I don't feel like posting twice. I definitely want to continue this blog, but I think it will be better in the fall!
So bye for now!
So bye for now!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Dwindling Days
Tonight is my last night in Pennsylvania until June. That is weird.
I'm done packing. I hope that I have everything I need without packing too much. But I have that sneaking suspicion I packed way too much. I realize that while things are very different in Cairo, I'm not going to a remote village in the Serengeti so I will be able to purchase things there. But I've never had to pack for 4 months before. Struggle.
What also throws a kink into my planning is that I will be spending 5 mostly chaos filled days in DC prior to flying to Cairo. I have people I want to say bye to and all the inauguration things going on so I can't even really think about Cairo yet. Lots of stress. Plus riding amtrak from Philly to DC tomorrow is going to suck.
Having spent a month at home doing mostly nothing, I feel like I'm in a funk. I sleep a lot but during the day I still feel tired and kind of out of it. For the past few weeks I mostly spend my days watching TV and playing solitaire. I'm looking forward to having things to do. Classes even. whoa.
I'm done packing. I hope that I have everything I need without packing too much. But I have that sneaking suspicion I packed way too much. I realize that while things are very different in Cairo, I'm not going to a remote village in the Serengeti so I will be able to purchase things there. But I've never had to pack for 4 months before. Struggle.
What also throws a kink into my planning is that I will be spending 5 mostly chaos filled days in DC prior to flying to Cairo. I have people I want to say bye to and all the inauguration things going on so I can't even really think about Cairo yet. Lots of stress. Plus riding amtrak from Philly to DC tomorrow is going to suck.
Having spent a month at home doing mostly nothing, I feel like I'm in a funk. I sleep a lot but during the day I still feel tired and kind of out of it. For the past few weeks I mostly spend my days watching TV and playing solitaire. I'm looking forward to having things to do. Classes even. whoa.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Television
I watch a lot of TV. As in I don't like counting how many shows I regularly watch because it makes me feel sad for my life. If it weren't for the internet I wouldn't be able to sustain my TV habits, but the internet makes it so easy to keep up with everything.
I mention all this because being home for winter break has only exacerbated this. I have started watching 3 new shows since I've been home and will probably start a 4th tonight. I've still been reading a lot but TV is more brainless (duh). I've also taken up spider solitaire, even attempting two suit spider solitaire, though that has been destroying my self-esteem because of its difficulty.
As Stuff White People Like brings up, it is very hip to not watch TV and even cooler to not own one. I am already going stir crazy. Without TV I would go insane. I will hand in my cool white person card if it means I get to watch my shows. hah.
I've forced myself to wake up at 9:00 instead of 11:00, but I still spend most of the day sitting around watching TV or reading. Consequently, I forget what it is like to be in school/do productive things with my life. On the 25th I start orientation abroad and then classes start on the 1st. I guess it's good that break is so long because it actually makes me look forward to going back.
In other news,that boy I've been writing about texted me today for the first time in like a week which is the longest we've gone without talking for all of break. And he said some pretty nice/cute things. Which is weird. Because I leave the country in 9 days. ahh boys are so weird.
I mention all this because being home for winter break has only exacerbated this. I have started watching 3 new shows since I've been home and will probably start a 4th tonight. I've still been reading a lot but TV is more brainless (duh). I've also taken up spider solitaire, even attempting two suit spider solitaire, though that has been destroying my self-esteem because of its difficulty.
As Stuff White People Like brings up, it is very hip to not watch TV and even cooler to not own one. I am already going stir crazy. Without TV I would go insane. I will hand in my cool white person card if it means I get to watch my shows. hah.
I've forced myself to wake up at 9:00 instead of 11:00, but I still spend most of the day sitting around watching TV or reading. Consequently, I forget what it is like to be in school/do productive things with my life. On the 25th I start orientation abroad and then classes start on the 1st. I guess it's good that break is so long because it actually makes me look forward to going back.
In other news,that boy I've been writing about texted me today for the first time in like a week which is the longest we've gone without talking for all of break. And he said some pretty nice/cute things. Which is weird. Because I leave the country in 9 days. ahh boys are so weird.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Problems with GW
I haven't posted in a while, as few notable things have occurred. I've read approximately 10 books since I've been home. I've watched a lot of TV. There were some shenanigans on New Years but nothing too exciting. Oh, and last week I went clubbing in Philly for the first time (not that it's that different than clubbing in DC).
Anyway, as much as I like GW (and obviously I do if I've stuck around for 2.5 years) there are some issues. These are my principle complaints:
1) Sometimes GW acts more like a corporation than a college. And thus it buys all sorts of random real estate around the city. The first problem with this is that GW could probably find something better to do with that money. The other problem is that then I have to trek over to these random places for class. Going from 1957 E St to 2020 K is no fun when you have 20 minutes.
2) Tuition. Now I'm not going to complain about GW being expensive (though no longer the most expensive school in the country!). While GW is super expensive, it also gives the most financial aid of any school in the country. So what I don't understand is why GW doesn't lower both tuition and financial aid. I feel like there should be some math genius who can figure out how to do this without changing how much we ultimately pay. Because the sticker price scares off a lot of people. I pay about a quarter what GW costs, which I explain on my tours but I think people would feel better if GW didn't cost more than some Jaguars.
3) There is a giant lack of communication about things. Last spring I was content having the room to myself because my roommate went abroad, until a girl showed up at my door saying she was my new roommate. It ended up working out well, but GW could have fired off an email letting me know (especially when they told her they would inform me). Also, I'm going abroad which is kind of stressful right now because there are a lot of little details to figure out. I emailed my study abroad adviser right when I got home for break asking a kind of important question. I have yet to hear back. I get that it's the holiday now, but I wrote him around the 18th. And this is an important time for a study abroad adviser to be answering questions. I leave in 2.5 weeks.
Those are my top three complaints with the bureaucracy right now. I'm sure I have more but this is getting kind of long. Perhaps I'll soon write about my favorite things so I don't sound so miserly.
Anyway, as much as I like GW (and obviously I do if I've stuck around for 2.5 years) there are some issues. These are my principle complaints:
1) Sometimes GW acts more like a corporation than a college. And thus it buys all sorts of random real estate around the city. The first problem with this is that GW could probably find something better to do with that money. The other problem is that then I have to trek over to these random places for class. Going from 1957 E St to 2020 K is no fun when you have 20 minutes.
2) Tuition. Now I'm not going to complain about GW being expensive (though no longer the most expensive school in the country!). While GW is super expensive, it also gives the most financial aid of any school in the country. So what I don't understand is why GW doesn't lower both tuition and financial aid. I feel like there should be some math genius who can figure out how to do this without changing how much we ultimately pay. Because the sticker price scares off a lot of people. I pay about a quarter what GW costs, which I explain on my tours but I think people would feel better if GW didn't cost more than some Jaguars.
3) There is a giant lack of communication about things. Last spring I was content having the room to myself because my roommate went abroad, until a girl showed up at my door saying she was my new roommate. It ended up working out well, but GW could have fired off an email letting me know (especially when they told her they would inform me). Also, I'm going abroad which is kind of stressful right now because there are a lot of little details to figure out. I emailed my study abroad adviser right when I got home for break asking a kind of important question. I have yet to hear back. I get that it's the holiday now, but I wrote him around the 18th. And this is an important time for a study abroad adviser to be answering questions. I leave in 2.5 weeks.
Those are my top three complaints with the bureaucracy right now. I'm sure I have more but this is getting kind of long. Perhaps I'll soon write about my favorite things so I don't sound so miserly.
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