The last few weeks since Claire's departure from Morocco (and Madrid) have been occupied with LSAT studying, failing to keep warm and staying as involved in the village as possible to prevent the never ending "Why don't you come over?" and "When are we going to see you again?" questions that follow a few days in my house.
In general, the LSAT studying went well. I wrote a plan, stuck to my schedule and felt like I made great strides and improvements over the few weeks leading up to the test. As I told my Dad today on the phone, I set myself up for success as best as I could and if success comes, then wonderful, all of my hard work will have paid off in the end. If the test did not go well, then I guess it just wasn't meant to be.
I should know my LSAT scores in 3-4 weeks. I think I am ready for them, maybe.
I took the test on Saturday afternoon in London. I left in plenty of time, grabbed a coffee and a sandwich and really wanted to be able to get to the testing site and relax a little before the test. As fate would have it, and as I somewhat expected, my plan fell into the toilet hole, just like my phone.
After my coffee and sandwich, I headed to the nearest Tube station. As it turned out, all of the Underground (Tube) stations on the pink line, which I needed, were closed for repair. Unfortunately that information was not posted clearly at each stop so every time I got off the Tube at a new stop to transfer, the sign would say that just that particular station was closed, not the entire line.
After many switches and a great deal of confusion, I got off the Tube and decided to try my hand at the bus. With only about 30 minutes left before the test, I got on a random bus, that dropped me off on a random street, nearer to where I needed to be and then I started walking. I I must have asked every person in London within earshot of me where to go. Thanks to the help of some nice construction workers, a Subway sandwich shop owner and some helpful maps posted around London, I made it to the testing site, with 10 minutes to spare and little air left in my lungs.
About 70 people in total took the test with me, many more than I expected. Most were American study abroad students, a few were interns or employees in London and only one was from the UK and she had a boyfriend in Canada whom she was moving for.
Unfortunately, the girl behind me in line did not print out the correct paper or follow the instructions on the website for testing registration and rules so she was rejected from the check-in desk. I cannot even imagine how she was feeling. I would have been devastated.
The test itself wasn't too bad. I wouldn't say it was the time of my life, but it also wasn't nearly as miserable as I expected. It didn't feel like it was as long as it actually was. The one downside was that my desk was so short, nearly sitting on my lap, so after an hour or so of bending over, my back started to cramp. It was however, ironic that my desk at home was so tall, too tall actually to study comfortably and my desk at the test was too short to answer comfortably. I sort of figured this would happen, on some level.
The good news is that it's over and I can get back to resuming life in Morocco, free from the stress of studying and hopefully motivated to practice my Tashlheet. I feel good about that, very good.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Days Like These
The months just seem to fly by these days. When it was 110F this summer and I didn't speak a word of understandable Tashlheet, I could not make my days possibly pass any slower. It seemed like each day took a whole week just to end.
Nine months later and about 60 degrees cooler, the days seem to fly by, like minutes on a clock in a race against time. As I am quickly speeding up to the one year mark of moving to Morocco, I am not so sure I want time to fly past anymore. I was listening to this great song by Jason Aldean the other day that captures that feeling of not being sure I want the days to pass.
Life is short, so lets go live it.
Ain't no time for wasting time.
Days like these, they go by way too fast.
Yeah, days like these, you wanna make 'em last.
-Jason Aldean, Days Like These
I will be doing a celebratory one year post coming up shortly, but for now I will tell you it has been a crazy and fast year full of fun, adventure and quite a few challenges but I only have 15 more months to go. Crazy, I know.
Nine months later and about 60 degrees cooler, the days seem to fly by, like minutes on a clock in a race against time. As I am quickly speeding up to the one year mark of moving to Morocco, I am not so sure I want time to fly past anymore. I was listening to this great song by Jason Aldean the other day that captures that feeling of not being sure I want the days to pass.
Life is short, so lets go live it.
Ain't no time for wasting time.
Days like these, they go by way too fast.
Yeah, days like these, you wanna make 'em last.
-Jason Aldean, Days Like These
I will be doing a celebratory one year post coming up shortly, but for now I will tell you it has been a crazy and fast year full of fun, adventure and quite a few challenges but I only have 15 more months to go. Crazy, I know.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
"Conversations" - Peace Corps Public Service Announcement
I love this video and I think you will too. Check it out!
Rabat, Congratulations and a Pending Vacation.
I have not been able to form coherent thoughts and opinions recently, at least ones of sufficient length or quality to post on this blog so you will have to suffice with random bullet pointed thoughts. Sorry.
-One of the most talented and capable people I know just got hired on as a Chapter Development Consultant for Kappa Delta Sorority for next year. I am so super excited for her. It is a REALLY difficult position to get and she is going to be great. I just know it.
Megan Ogar at Disney World for Kappa Delta convention.
-I think I am the only person in the Western world who doesn't own boots, like dressy boots. I am definitely the only person ANYWHERE that isn't wearing skinny jeans. I didn't know that being gone 11 months could put me so far behind on life.
-I may be the only person on the planet to say this but I love meetings. I love sitting around a large desk with lots of other people talking. I love the schedule/ agenda and how productive I feel during them. These past few days I was in Rabat meeting with the Safety and Harassment Working Group to discuss harassment related trainings for trainees and PCVs as well as ways Peace Corps Morocco can help support volunteers faced with harassment. Harassment (sexual, religious, gender, sexual orientation, race) is a huge issue in Morocco and something volunteers face on a weekly (if not daily) basis and this group was a great step forward in providing support. I am extremely impressed by the meeting we had and the things we got accomplished. It was great to be in Rabat, meeting with other smart people to talk about an issue that challenges me. I love problem solving and this was a whole day of that and I loved it.
-Today at the bus station I was starving after my 4 hour train ride and only had 5 minutes before I had to start my 4 hour bus ride and I wanted to get some food. After buying a Snicker's bar I headed to the cafe to get a soda. The guy at the counter told me it was 11dh (which is EXTREMELY expensive) but I only had 7dh on me so I politely told him it was kind of expensive and I didn't have that much money on me. The guy laughed and then out of no where this waiter from the cafe took my 7dh and paid the difference. Needless to say I got a free soda from a nice Moroccan (non-creepy) man. I felt like it was a big step forward in my life.
-Today my petit cab driver asked me if we could go to school and pick up his son before heading to my hotel. I happily agreed and realized that I live in a place where this sort of behavior is approiate, even encouraged. I also got to see a new "suburban" part of Agadir.
-After my phone fell into the toilet hole and every person in my village tried to save it I finally admitted defeat. The Moroccan women in my co-op couldn't handle the thought that I would be without a phone so they started a quest to locate me a new one. Only 2 days after my phone fell in the hole and a day after I pronounced it dead, I had a new free phone in my little hands. The only payment, lunch at the family's house. I love living in and being a part of a community that actively seeks to support its fellow members. I also love living in a place where my company at a free meal is "payment" enough. Its pretty cool.
-The ladies of my co-op cooked a "going-away" dinner for me before I left on Sunday. They wanted to get together and wish me luck on my LSAT test. I thought that was pretty cool.
-For the Super Bowl a bunch of my fellow PCVs who were in Rabat, along with the Ambassador and his family and a bunch of American's that work in Morocco (at the Embassy or otherwise) went to a party at the Marine's house in Rabat. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs with real condiments and Kraft cheese, drank American beers and watched the game on the Military channel. I did miss the cool Superbowl commercials but I got to see lots of "pep" messages from the Joint Cheifs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense and even President Obama thanking us for our "service". Since it's a military channel I know whom it was directed at but it was still pretty cool. I sincerely enjoyed and appreciated the company of so many native English speakers, so many Americans and loved the selection of American beers. It was one of the better Superbowl parties I have ever been to, even if the game didn't start until 11:30pm.
-My sister Claire was accepted the number one graduate program for Student Affairs this week at the University of South Carolina. She is going to have to bust out her Sperry Top Siders, Croakies and Conferedate flag apparel for her journey from Columbia (MO) to Columbia (SC). I couldn't be happier for her!
-My Dad starts his new job this week so I wanted to wish him the best of luck. I know its going to be great!
-I got peer-pressured/ forced to purchase these Indian looking mocassans at the last festival in Tiznit and I have fallen in love with them. They aren't the boots that are so popular but they are super comfortable for places not in my village (the rocks cause problems with soft soles).
-I got a new book in Rabat that I am so excited to read. Its called "A Man on the Moon" and its nearly 700 pages about our journey to the Moon. I am really that nerdy.
-Just saw the commercial for the new Transformers movie coming out July 1st. I cannot wait. I love the movies so much.
-Finally, my May vacation/ adventure to the land of the free and home of the brave was approved yesterday so its official. I will see everyone in May.
I love this photo of my friend Maria dressed in traditional Berber attire.
-One of the most talented and capable people I know just got hired on as a Chapter Development Consultant for Kappa Delta Sorority for next year. I am so super excited for her. It is a REALLY difficult position to get and she is going to be great. I just know it.
Megan Ogar at Disney World for Kappa Delta convention.
-I think I am the only person in the Western world who doesn't own boots, like dressy boots. I am definitely the only person ANYWHERE that isn't wearing skinny jeans. I didn't know that being gone 11 months could put me so far behind on life.
-I may be the only person on the planet to say this but I love meetings. I love sitting around a large desk with lots of other people talking. I love the schedule/ agenda and how productive I feel during them. These past few days I was in Rabat meeting with the Safety and Harassment Working Group to discuss harassment related trainings for trainees and PCVs as well as ways Peace Corps Morocco can help support volunteers faced with harassment. Harassment (sexual, religious, gender, sexual orientation, race) is a huge issue in Morocco and something volunteers face on a weekly (if not daily) basis and this group was a great step forward in providing support. I am extremely impressed by the meeting we had and the things we got accomplished. It was great to be in Rabat, meeting with other smart people to talk about an issue that challenges me. I love problem solving and this was a whole day of that and I loved it.
-Today at the bus station I was starving after my 4 hour train ride and only had 5 minutes before I had to start my 4 hour bus ride and I wanted to get some food. After buying a Snicker's bar I headed to the cafe to get a soda. The guy at the counter told me it was 11dh (which is EXTREMELY expensive) but I only had 7dh on me so I politely told him it was kind of expensive and I didn't have that much money on me. The guy laughed and then out of no where this waiter from the cafe took my 7dh and paid the difference. Needless to say I got a free soda from a nice Moroccan (non-creepy) man. I felt like it was a big step forward in my life.
-Today my petit cab driver asked me if we could go to school and pick up his son before heading to my hotel. I happily agreed and realized that I live in a place where this sort of behavior is approiate, even encouraged. I also got to see a new "suburban" part of Agadir.
-After my phone fell into the toilet hole and every person in my village tried to save it I finally admitted defeat. The Moroccan women in my co-op couldn't handle the thought that I would be without a phone so they started a quest to locate me a new one. Only 2 days after my phone fell in the hole and a day after I pronounced it dead, I had a new free phone in my little hands. The only payment, lunch at the family's house. I love living in and being a part of a community that actively seeks to support its fellow members. I also love living in a place where my company at a free meal is "payment" enough. Its pretty cool.
-The ladies of my co-op cooked a "going-away" dinner for me before I left on Sunday. They wanted to get together and wish me luck on my LSAT test. I thought that was pretty cool.
-For the Super Bowl a bunch of my fellow PCVs who were in Rabat, along with the Ambassador and his family and a bunch of American's that work in Morocco (at the Embassy or otherwise) went to a party at the Marine's house in Rabat. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs with real condiments and Kraft cheese, drank American beers and watched the game on the Military channel. I did miss the cool Superbowl commercials but I got to see lots of "pep" messages from the Joint Cheifs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense and even President Obama thanking us for our "service". Since it's a military channel I know whom it was directed at but it was still pretty cool. I sincerely enjoyed and appreciated the company of so many native English speakers, so many Americans and loved the selection of American beers. It was one of the better Superbowl parties I have ever been to, even if the game didn't start until 11:30pm.
-My sister Claire was accepted the number one graduate program for Student Affairs this week at the University of South Carolina. She is going to have to bust out her Sperry Top Siders, Croakies and Conferedate flag apparel for her journey from Columbia (MO) to Columbia (SC). I couldn't be happier for her!
-My Dad starts his new job this week so I wanted to wish him the best of luck. I know its going to be great!
-I got peer-pressured/ forced to purchase these Indian looking mocassans at the last festival in Tiznit and I have fallen in love with them. They aren't the boots that are so popular but they are super comfortable for places not in my village (the rocks cause problems with soft soles).
-I got a new book in Rabat that I am so excited to read. Its called "A Man on the Moon" and its nearly 700 pages about our journey to the Moon. I am really that nerdy.
-Just saw the commercial for the new Transformers movie coming out July 1st. I cannot wait. I love the movies so much.
-Finally, my May vacation/ adventure to the land of the free and home of the brave was approved yesterday so its official. I will see everyone in May.
I love this photo of my friend Maria dressed in traditional Berber attire.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Co-Op Collaboration Event.
Sami, Dave and I got our co-ops together and exchanged ideas, ect. It was a fun event!
The craziest member of my co-op and myself at our event.
The craziest member of my co-op and myself at our event.
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