Italy! Oh, Italy!

Why did I have to do a Google search about teaching English abroad? Oh, why? Now I want to go, and my Master's doesn't seem all that attractive to me anymore. I can go teach in Italy! In ITALY! Which most of you can't, because you usually have to be an EU citizen. I, can, go, teach, English, in, Italy! Or in Greece! Or in China!

Or...oh, boy, my head is spinning.

Well, I think I know what I'm doing *next* year. Does anyone know if it's a big deal to put a Master's on hold for a year right in the middle of it?

Nobel Prize 2040

My niece is nothing short of a genius. She is now slightly short of 18 months old, but she has by far the hugest vocabulary of any of her playmates. She can say around 200 words, including most animals accompanied by the sounds they make. She repeats every word you ask her to repeat, and she gets most of them right. She can even say my name! Most other kids' vocabularies at her age are somewhere in the low double digits, and she has already started to form two word sentences. For example, today, when my sister Tina poured spaghetti sauce over the spaghetti, she pointed and said "Mommy sauce!"

Expect great things from her. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I went to Whyte Avenue to find my dignity.

Unfortunately, nobody seemed to have any, especially not the guy who called me 'uptight' for ignoring his advances. You don't even know how good that felt after last Wednesday, Buddy!

I'd post some pictures, but I can't find the cable to go with my camera.

Have you ever come out of the shower...

...and dried yourself off, only to discover that there suddenly seem to be two-inch-long black hairs growing on your chest?

No?

Well, I guess you don't have a shedding black cat that sleeps on your towels.

Have you seen my dignity? I lost it on Whyte Avenue somewhere.

Yeah, that was bad. Luckily, it's now almost a week ago and I have recovered psychologically. So, screw all of you. Especially Roman, who ran into me, saw that I was so drunk that I thought people's phone numbers had 3 digits, and then left me to my misfortune. Way to go, Roman! The next day, though, he made up for that lapse in judgment by spreading the news about my drunken escapades fast among anybody who knew me. And no, I'm not on bluemile.ca- not even on somebody's cell phone camera.

On the upside, I totally improvised my storytelling assignment in my Drama class today and I think I did well. Who could have known that you can cut 75% out of the middle of a fairy tale and it *still* makes sense?

Also, my Chinese Zodiac sign- the Rooster- says that I always think I'm right, and that I usually am, which can cause problems in relationships.

They should have told me that 4 boyfriends ago!

Life To Do-List

As some of you might already know, I'm having something of a third-life crisis. Ever since I've turned 25, I've had this feeling that it's time for some reviewing. You know, the old "where am I coming from, where am I headed?" kind of thing. The bad news is that I still have no idea. I have no idea what I'm going to do "when I grow up". On some days, I want to be an academic, and on others, I think I must be crazy to even consider myself suited to this sort of career. I have a whole lot of debt. I don't know whether I'm going to be living in this country, my home country, or someplace completely different a year or two from now. Pretty much the only thing I've learned from life so far is that you shouldn't get too attached to plans you've made. It's of course possible to make plans and then follow through on them, but I think it's important to stay openminded and flexible lest you miss amazing opportunities which are presenting themselves to you. On the other hand, it's also important no to be too much of a leaf blowing around aimlessly in the wind, because otherwise you'll end up a couch potato.

This is why I think everyone should have a list of things they want to do before they die, and never quite lose sight of them. A list like that can't be completed, ever, by its own nature, because unless you die, you should be adding to this list- otherwise you've given yourself up. And, by God, should I get old, prepare for an extremely high-strung old lady.

Here is mine:

1. Learn how to scuba-dive and then take a scuba-diving trip somewhere nice and warm.

2. Go whitewater rafting.

3. See the pyramids in Egypt.

4. See some of the pyramids in Central America.

5. Go on a several months-long eco-tourism trip across the African continent.

6. Own a tortoise.

7. Get a novel of mine published.

8. Get a play of mine produced.

9. Audition for a movie or a play.

10. Have a child.

11. Own a home with a large garden in the backyard.

12. Learn how to play an instrument-preferably piano.

13. Live in a French-speaking area for an extended period.


As you can see, my list isn't terribly ambitious. Some of the goals are longer term, and some are short term. Some I just have to do, while others are going to be more of a challenge. I'm also sure I've forgotten a whole lot of things, but I'll be sure to edit this post to keep track of things.

Anyone who reads this is hereby tagged to make a similar list. Just do it- it's good for you. It'll keep you accountable to yourself.