this evening instead of going out for sunday roast dinner, Meagen- the goddess in room number 7 made us (from scratch) a roast chicken dinner- complete with homemade foccacia bread and this monstrous chocolate cake. She used no mixes or anything like that- she just cooked us food (all 16 of us) from scratch. She's amazing. We're trying to figure out a way to keep her happy all the time so that she'll be inclined to make us roast every week, or every other week.

I don't care that I don't have a job. And i've finally booked my Trans-Siberian trip. Paid for and everything. I will have circumvented (i think thats the word) the globe when i get back to reno. Which includes a visit to 3 continents that i haven't previously explored. Lovely Kristen from Kansas is talking about taking time off after we both graduate in 2005 and going to south america, as besides antartica it will be the only continent we won't have been to. Sounds good to me.

I dont' want to admit it, but I've been fighting off somekind of bug for the past week. Something about admitting an illness gives it strength somehow.

I had classes this week- well two to be specific, of the five. This week students and lecturers alike were protesting fee's the government is trying to impose upon them- so three classes were cancelled. I can't say i was broken hearted about this. In fact it's made this week quite nice. Oh and happy leap year.

I need to lie down so my stomach can settle, so happy birthday dad (yesterday) and i hope all is well elsewhere.

i'm hillariously inconsistant. I actually quit that job i mentioned last post the day after i started it. Aweful things they wanted us to do. Right now I've sort of applied for another position within the same company and we'll see how that works out.
I start school on tuesday and have just finished reading the golden notebook, by doris lessing. So good. I love when that happens- when i'm made to read good books. It's much better than the alternative. I can never think of anything to write in here. I could talk about my adventures - however i haven't really been having any and if i did write about what i'd been doing it would go a bit like this.... woke up hung around the flat a bit- thought i should read, went into town, got bored walking around, hate walking around with people who want to be shopping ( it's their right to want to shop- i just hate that feeling of pressure when you're having a nice walk) went to the grocery store, came home, watched television- you've been framed (like america's funniest home video's), weakest link and the simpsons, made dinner, asked what everyone was doing that night- if they say they're going into town i stay home, if they're goign to the uni bar i think about it and most likely agree, we go to the bar, play a couple of games of pool, chew the fat and never really talk about anything, enjoy one another's company, come home when the bar closes, stay up checking my e-mail and waiting/hoping for people from home to be online, read a bit more, check on flight prices from beijing to los angelos, go to sleep etc.

i want to be going to movies- independent ones and talking walks in the fields behind my flat, and having good conversation about things that matter without feeling like i'm going to allienate or offend someone, i want to be reading faster and more efficiently, and exercising more, writing more and better, but for so many of those things i feel like i need someone else to do them with me or someone to coax me into doing it. Even though i put up a sign above my bed last week that says "no one is coming" i'm still waiting, for whomever to come make me have fun, make me do the things i want to do, make me grow and learn and make me happy. it's really quite stupid, but this is something i struggle with all the time. and the solution is just for me to get up and do things- but instead i wait.

the next thing i'd like to do is write about all the new american's who've moved in and how i feel about them- etc, what we've been doing and past adventures. but not right now- right now it's bedtime. thanks to everyone who is still reading. g'night

start a new job on monday and found out i am still employed by the university although not necessarily at the bar. they will give me work whenever possible. I bought a book on egypt and have been reading. also been reading the golden notebook by doris lessing. a brilliant book- if you're interested in literature you should definitely check it out. thats about it. reading and being lazy and not celebrating valentines day. hope everyone has a lovely weekend

egypt is confirmed and paid for. I'm going to see the great pyramid, the sphinx, float down the nile (from south to north) spend my day in what used to be the city of thebes and explore a country whose civilization lasted longer than any other thus far. I'm buying the histories tomorrow by herodotus and a book on egypt- so that I can understand further where I am going. I will admit that for a moment I was scared. Scared to go to egypt because I am an american, scared because I am white, and scared because I know so little about modern egyptian culture. But i am learning- or soon to be. Just thought I'd update.

still no job, but hopefully I'll have one soon.

so the big news is I lost my job. Apparently the bar is owned by the student union who hasn't been managing money very well for the past three years...so they had to cut 5 people from the bar staff, and because i'm not going to live here after june they just figured that it'd be a waste of time to keep me on.

and now i move on.

job hunting tomorrow. hopefully a good paying one that will finance a new venture of mine.

been fantasizing about africa a lot.

if all goes well I'll be employed and on my way to egypt for spring break. this of course is weighed heavily on the fact that without job there will be no egypt, for me at least.

if it does work out though I will have been to four of the seven continents in the world when i get back to the states. it's a pretty exciting idea for me.

I'm glad to be working though- the idea of having a job that happens more than just twice a week is pretty exciting. I don't mind work when I'm working for something that I want.

Don't know if I'll stick to bar work (several places are looking for bartenders) or if I'll try something totally new.

as of right now I have absolutely nothing to do- i.e. no school and no work. for a month. oh and fixing my computer- which died late last night for some reason. fun fun stuff.

and my phone will send me voicemail messages but won't ring.

the past couple of days have been HIGHLY enjoyable, despite the loss of job, broken computer and potential thwarting of my travel plans.

i really enjoy that word...thwarting - couldn't tell you if it's spelled correctly or not, but man it's fun to say.

one extremely good thing that happened was I discovered that if I book my trans siberian trip before march uh 15th I think it cost's about one thousand us dollars less than if i book it later. YAY. Oh and I filled out my fafsa and my university scholarship application ON TIME. which seems amazing to me.

oh and I'm delighted to not only, be missing the superbowl, but to not even know who's playing. it's a good feeling. puts things into perspective.

Happy anniversary Matt and Nic and happy birthday tomorrow Matt.

well I love and miss you all. Hope you're all doing well.

-from another country