The lyf so short

I really, really don't know why people pay good money for illegal substances when you can easily get high and ruin your health on legal foodstuff.

*just spiked three oranges with cloves and is beginning to feel the effects of the 2-Methoxy-4-allylphenol, whee*

PS: Thank you for your card, tuxedo_elf! No, it wasn't late ;)

PPS: Happy Yule/Winter Solstice, you all! - Now the days are getting longer again and we still haven't had snow. Strange little world.

*Yes, this mistyping of "altered states" is intentional and stolen from Pat Cadigan's novel Mindplayers.

The institute of Japanese studies has a new sign over the door. It says "Japanese studies" in German and Japanese. Surrounded by Hello Kitty! characters.
I hate my institute.

So, when I checked the university calendar last week to see whether my schedule still workjed out, everything was peachy. Intermediate Japanese, Thursdays 12:00-14:00, no problem.
Today I get there at 12, and what do I see?
It has been re-scheduled to 14-15:30 and 15:30-17, respectively.
I had signed up for the Students, Teachers and Professors: Academic Self-Reflections seminar from 14-16, and for Creative Writing from 16-18. They must have done that very recently; when I was there on Tuesday (to find out that the Tuesday seminar won't start before next week :P) the note proclaiming the new time wasn't there yet.
I HATE MY INSTITUTE.

Now I don't really need the Intermediate Japanese, as it's only my secondary subject, but, you know, I did want to go there because I'm never going to study any Japanese again if I don't get my ass into some seminar forcing me to do it. Instead...

... well, I went to the English seminar. But I was only on the waiting list there, and unfortunately, even though I apparently have gotten from place 40 to place 10 there, I didn't make it into the class. Which is sad. (See, that would've been that seminar. ROCK.)

Oh well. I suppose I'll be going to Intermediate Japanese next week after all, but damn. On top of the whole hassle, I missed the first class, and you're only permitted to miss two times, and the next time will be for Ring*Con on Nov. 9th, so basically, just because they fucked up the damn schedule, here goes any flexibility I might have had otherwise.

And just after I signed off from the other Hauptseminar, Canadian Women Writers, because it was on Thursdays from 12-14 and I thought until a few hours ago I'd be having Japanese then. Sure, I was only on the waiting list there, too, but I was number 30 or so when I signed in and probably number 5 or so when I signed off. NOW I'm number 88.
Bugger.

At least Creative Writing was fun, even though I don't need Aczel's advice to carry a notebook around at all times. Since I'm working at a place that doesn't allow other distractions even when there's no work to be done, carrying a notebook and pen around at all times has become compulsory, so I can at least do something intelligent. Namely, writing secretly. Most of the stupid Sir Gawain short story was written hiding in the washrooms at the company. Heck, most of my NaNovel will probably come to life there. Depressing, isn't it.

ladymiriamel: Sorry I ran away so quickly after the seminar! It didn't have anything to do with you; I just wasn't thinking and just ran home. I'll be better next time ;)

1. Referring to the three Unifyers of Japan as "Nobby, Yoshi and Toki"* is NOT FUNNY.

2. Except it totally is.

3. Pretending that you have to do a presentation on the bakufu and preparing accordingly actually helps a lot in trying to remember all that shit. Yes, it took me 22 years to find that out. Sue me. Because I prepare for presentations better than I do for exams, go figure.

4. I have somehow developed the ability to pick books at random because they sound useful and later find out that they're on the "suggested reading" list. Yay me.

5. If you read too many books on modern Japanese literature, they begin to be hilarious. Especially if you have to jot down on the list stuff like "original?" - This is the fifth book I've read on that topic, so NO. Oh wait, it's older than the others. Ok, MAYBE. "complete?" - how am I supposed to know that?! "good arguments?" - It's a fucking encyclopedia, THERE ARE NO ARGUMENTS!

6. Somehow, you've heard it all before. If only you had paid more attention.

7 Which Is THE Magic Number: It is perfectly possible to finally tidy up your workspace for the first time in six weeks and to sew the dress you meant to sew back in March if it means you don't have to read books on Japanese society.

- - -
Things Lyra Did Not Learn:

Kanji.

*Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Give Nobby some love, he needs it. Poor ickle much-maligned kinslayer.


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( Was Lyra beim Lernen für die ZP alles gelernt hat )
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