A Tough Weekend

This last weekend before classes start was a tough one. I don't want to go into too much detail as there is a little bit of a wound there. What I will say is that I'm trying to learn from it and trying very hard to be a better person after everything that happened. It sucks when one weekend can turn the excitement for a new year into feeling like that scared Fresher again who just wants to go home, snuggle with my dog, and never look back to the adventure that could have been.

Of course I won't be doing that. I'll push myself to stay afloat this first week of classes and, come Friday night, I'll fall into bed for what will hopefully be my first full night's sleep in over a week. I feel a little shit right now, but time heals all doesn't it? One day at a time and eventually I'll feel better. That's all I can do for now.

Speaking of the first week of classes, my schedule isn't the best. I have a 9am lecture on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday it is my only class of the day. I figure what I'll do is get a gym membership and go do some "gyming" from 10am to noon. Two hours three days a week sounds like something that would both help me sleep at night and keep me from cursing the Psychology department for making me wake up at 9am almost everyday for only an hour of class.

This semester I am taking the methods course (as always) and as for theory I have Psychological Assessment, Perception, and Biological Psychology. Turns out, didn't have as much of a choice as I thought. Must have misunderstood when people were talking about it last time. Ah well. Happens sometimes I guess.

Anywho, my first class of the year is the first Methods lecture and then later this afternoon I have the SPSS tutorial. I should probably go and shower and get ready for my year to begin. I guess there's still one good thing about this year; I live so close to campus I can start getting ready an hour before I have to leave and be fine. It's something. Even if the rest of the year is seeming bleak right now.

One day at a time.

Advisor Appointment

Today was my advisor appointment. It was almost depressingly straight forward. These are your courses, you can't take any outside classes this year,here are the induction meeting times, and have a good third year. He did also say that he say that I got some good marks and some not good marks and that he hoped I would get those not so good marks up to good marks. In my defense, all of my not so good marks were in courses that were not applicable to my degree which I only took because the course description looked cool. Turns out that it wasn't and I stopped caring. Hey, if I can pass well (if not great) when not caring and putting no effort into the work then I think I can manage getting good grades on something that I actually care about.

I have four courses each semester each worth 15 credits. At this point, I have no idea what these courses involve since my class schedule is not up yet. I'm sort of hoping that it goes up before Monday...since, you know, that's when classes are suppose to start.

I'd also really like it up in the next day because guess what. That's right! The Dell repair guy never came yesterday which means that I can only schedule appointments on the days when I can be in from 9am-5pm (like that'll happen). But since they really screwed up this last appointment I'm thinking I could probably say that since there are no days that I can be in or arrange for someone to be in for that length of time and since it was your fault for not contacting me on Wednesday you should work around my schedule this time. I at least hope that can happen.

It really is beginning to look like term time again.

Freshers Week

Well, Freshers Week started on Saturday when some of the freshers arrived and moved into their halls. This means that Aberdeen has come to life in the past couple of days. I totally forgot what a college town Aberdeen really is, but when the University isn't in session there are much less people walking the streets past nine. But this Saturday when we were walking back from the cinema we saw  group of freshers walking to the pub in their silly costumes. I guess we can't say they aren't organised as most of them had probably only arrived that afternoon.

The biggest part of Freshers Week for me since I'm a committee member of a society is the Societies Fayre. This is where all the societies set up stalls in a HUGE tent on the King's Pitch and try and get the new students to join. I think it's way more fun to work the fayre than to actually attend. But that's just me. Anyway, I got up at the ungodly hour of 7:45am to shower, dress, and get to campus by 9:00am to sign in our society so we didn't lose our stall. Then I spent the next hour and a half setting up the stall which actually involved a lot more sitting around than actual set up. Then the freshers slowly started to arrive and it was time to get to work in handing out my amazing fliers (not to toot my own horn or anything). We got a whole lot of people signed up to receive emails this week as reminders for our Freshers Events. I hope that many if not most of them decide to actually join.

The fayre ends at 3:00pm and even though it's only 2:00pm, I'm already home. Why? Because my new laptop broke and I'm waiting for the repair guy to come. I had a flatmate stay in this morning for me, but can't make them stay in all day and the repair technician can come any time from 9:00am to 5:00pm. *sigh* If they don't come there will be a long email written to Dell about scheduling appointments and not keeping them. Especially since the next one they'll probably make will be after classes start and I might not have a completely free day this year. They still have a few hours to get here and fix my brand new computer so we'll see.

Anyway, tonight will be Slains Castle Pub Quiz for the new people and I'm running on like four hours of sleep. Not by my own doing. I just haven't been able to sleep for the past few nights. There may be a nap in my future...or at least a gallon of coffee.

Tuition Fees and Advisor Appointment

So apparently my tuition has risen. *sigh* On Tuesday I went into campus to ask if this was correct and if it was why it had happened. The woman called the tuition department and they said that it had risen due to normal inflation and that I should have been notified when I accepted my place that this could happen. Only problem with that is that I was told I was on a fixed rate which means that I would pay the exact same thing through all four years of University. Man, someone screwed up big time there! And because I was told this I decided to check with my other Californian friend. Hers has gone up the same amount. So, I guess it's really true. But five hundred pounds seems like a lot when you think about it. I guess it's still cheaper than if I went to the University of my choice back in the states so it's really not that big of a deal. But what really gets me is that I did not receive any notification of this raise until I went into the online registration to change passwords, update personal information, and pay my tuition fees. You'd think that if they are going to raise tuition they would send out and email when it happened saying "We're sorry this has happened, but your fees have been raised." Just out of courtesy right?

All it means for me is that I have to be a little more frugal this year. I mean, I'm already very money conscious but I really don't think I can afford to have one of my fleeting and rare "spend money" moods. Especially since I'll have two or three big, expensive psychology books to buy this semester. So, it's a mild inconvenience for me and my wardrobe but I know for my friend it's a bit more. Since there was no notification she's gotta see if she can change her loan now. She's raised a little storm asking why they didn't notify he when they decided to raise the fees which is good. One of us should. Or both of us! Which is why I'm going in person today to pay the fees and tell them off a little.

But besides bitching and checking about tuition fees yesterday when I went to use the University Internet (our still wasn't set up in the afternoon but is working now!) I checked on my advisor appointment. It was finally scheduled. What a relief for me. I was beginning to get a little worried that they wouldn't give it to me until I paid my fees and I wasn't about to do that until I knew for sure that they were being raised for a legitimate reason. My advisor is the Social Psychology lecturer from first year and I remember liking his classes so I think I'll like my advisor appointment. Which is always a plus.

For the next week I am working on choosing my classes in preparation for the appointment and making posters and fliers for Fresher's Fayre!

Defnitely Back in Aberdeen

My trip home yesterday went smoothly and then not so smoothly. The first train my brother and I got on decided not to go all the way to Kastrup due to technical problems and it looked for a while we would have to wait around ten minutes or so for the next train. But they held a train there for five minutes while passengers from our train ran to get a spot on the waiting train. So, really we just lost a few minutes getting to the airport and we were able to find nice seats on the new train. And once we were there it took about five minutes to get my baggage checked and then another five or so minutes to get me through security. You know, it's funny. Every time I fly through Denmark the security people start speaking Danish to me. I could probably muddle along if they spoke Swedish to me, bu not Danish. Not at all. Of course, I knew what she was saying. They needed to re-run my bag without the Kindle in it. Happens sometimes. But I figured if I said, "Jag." and "Nej, det ar Kindle." she might get the wrong impression and start speaking more to me. So, I spoke in English. I should really wear a sign. "I may be blond, but I'm not from here." Haha!

Anyway, past security is when it started to go not so smooth. By this point I was super hungry. It was about half past one and all I could think about was food. Unfortunately for me, I had to get through passport control and there was a long line. I've decided something. I hate people when they're travelling. Why? Because they are inconsiderate to everyone else around them. I got into this line which was one line that broke into two smaller lines. And I was standing there when this couple comes up right next to me and starts pushing me out of the way. Kinda like, "We're gonna make sure that we get in the faster line before you!" I eventually just sort of gave up trying to hold my spot in the line because...well, everyone was doing something like that. After I resigned myself to being a doormat these two women came up behind me and started bumping into me. It was like they had never heard of personal space. So every time I moved a little further so they wouldn't be bumping into my bags they moved twice as much as me and were practically on top of me for the whole thing. They finally opened two more lines for EU passport holders and the lines went quicker after that. Unfortunately, I still made it through after both rude families. That's what it pays to be nice and considerate I guess.

At this point my plane was due to start boarding in twenty minutes and I still didn't have anything to eat. I figured that the flight was less that two hours so I could just wait and eat when I got home. You know what the Universe did to prove me wrong? They served a meal to those in business and economy extra class. So, this is how SAS designs their cabins. There are no curtains or anything between the cabins which I usually really like. I always hate being separated from the "rich" folk. It just feels so...classist. But yesterday I would have loved curtains instead of little signs above the seats saying, "in front of this seat economy extra". Everyone was eating and I'm sitting there with my tummy growling away. Then the guy next to me pays for a sandwich! So absolutely everyone around me was eating. I thought about ordering some tea to sort of trick my stomach into thinking it had some food. No tea on the plane. Water for Erin's grumbly tummy.

Instead of trying to read while my stomach growled in envy I slept. And when I woke up the captain said something about it not really being summer in Aberdeen because it was raining and only about 15 degrees. From what I saw of Swedish people this past week, they don't do rain really well. I figured it was only a little rain and some minor wind. Well, I was wrong. Landing was not a fun experience. But I'm very impressed with the pilots on SAS because he landed pretty smoothly all things considered.

I'm home now and all in one piece so I should be glad. But I have so much to do today. The joys of being an adult right? I might update about it tomorrow since what I'm doing today actually involves University. For now though, please enjoy some pictures of the animals I met in Sweden.

A white ostrich we met on the hike

These little, brown frogs were everywhere on the hike!

When we were passing by some one's field we met this pretty black and white horse

And this gorgeous brown horse with black legs, mane, and tale and a white stripe down his face. She was really curious about my brother and me.

Lucifer the kitten. Astrid's sister had kittens around and I got to play with them. They were grey tabby coloured but super fluffy!

Elvis the kitten with his arms stretched out like he's giving me a hug. He was my favourite and I would have bought him and taken him home if I could.

Chess the kitten. She pointing one paw to the camera.

James Bond the kitten. He's a chubby guy!

This is Parus the Momma cat. She was a kitten three years ago when I went to Sweden for Christmas.She was the kitty of Astrid's parents' cats Sirius and Sasha. I wanted to take her home with me if I remember correctly.

A Swedish sheep. I like sheep!

And Lyka the dog. I really like Lyka. She's big and furry and oh so sweet!

Sweden in the Summer

Here I am in Sweden again. I got here last Monday and will leave this Monday. It's not a long visit, but getting to see Sweden in the summer was worth it! And, I gotta say, I really like living in a place where I can just pack up and go to Europe for a week and it not be a big deal. Flying all the way from California to Europe for only a week is kind of a waste and it causes a lot of sleep issues.

I'm sure you new readers out there (there are a few of you aren't there?) will wonder why I'm in Sweden again. Well, my brother lives here. One of my favourite things to do when I'm flying from Aberdeen to Sweden is to look at the face of the TSA agents as I tell them why I'm coming to Sweden. A typical conversation goes something like this;

Agent: Where are you travelling from?
Me: Aberdeen, Scotland
Agent: And why are you entering Denmark (I fly into Copenhagen since my brother lives in South Sweden) today?
Me: I'm visiting my brother.
Agent: *looks again at the American Passport with a confused look* ...
Me: Yes, we're both American, but I'm studying in Scotland and he's studying in Sweden
Agent: Ah, I see!

It's terribly funny. Well, at least my brother and I both get a kick out of it. I guess the rest of the world sees Americans as people who don't like to get out of their own little bubble. And, in some ways, I guess that's kind of true. But, I suppose that's a debate for another day.

This is the third time I've been to Sweden, but it's the first time I've been here over the summer. I have to say it's absolutely beautiful. I like snow and all that sort of thing, especially since I grew up in the desert, but it's lush and just brimming with life.

The plan was, since it's summer and lovely outside, for Greg and I to take a hiking trip for three days and two nights. Well, for a multiple of reasons, our backpacking trip ending up being two days and one night. I'm not complaining much as it was my first time backpacking and my hips were wondering what the hell I was doing to them. Even though we only did two days (well really about 7 hours the first day and 2 hours the second) we still walked close to 14 miles. I felt no guilt as I munched on a chocolate bar the day we got back to the apartment. And the scenery was beautiful! Just take a look!

Small trees opening up into a small clearing.

The beginning of the trail with evergreens on either side.

The remains of an old rock wall.

A little field with a rock wall. It's mostly yellowish here. This was actually someone's field. You know, with horses and cows and all that stuff.

The forest. You can see the remains of an old wall made from large rocks. Now they are covered with the greenist of mosses.

I'll be posting more pictures up tomorrow morning before I get on the plane. But the forest reminded me of something out of a fairy tale. I expected a small, gorgeous, winged humanoid to pop out behind the trees and take me away to Neverland. Or for a nasty troll to climb up from under the bridges. It was just like walking through the forests that you hear about in books like King Arthur. As we were walking through my brother said, "It makes you understand why they believed in things like dragons and trolls and fairies way back then. It's beautiful, but there's almost something sinister to it." And he's right.

After getting back from the wilderness, we've been doing a grab bag of other things. I'm sure there'll be a post about our visit to Lund yesterday. But today is going to be a lazy day. It's Sunday and there isn't much to do in my brother's little town on Sundays.

A Wet Walk Home

I've been pretty busy these past two weeks I've been back in my home of Aberdeen. Besides moving, which is a story all in itself, I had my home visit with Guide Dogs for the Blind and have been to the doctor's twice. My home visit included having a puppy stay with me for a few days and both doctor's appointments were pretty exhausting.

So, when I woke up yesterday morning at half past four in the morning and couldn't get back to sleep I decided to take the day off...from everything. There was no taking things to the charity shop, no errands to run, and no responsibilities. Yesterday's relaxation included seeing the film Brave, eating dinner out, and then going to the pub quiz. It was a pretty good day, but by the time the scores were announced I was so, so tired. Luckily, everyone wanted to leave then because the pub was so warm.

Now, in these past two weeks I have forgotten why I keep telling people that Aberdeen has horrible weather. There have been very few days where I actually have to wear a sweater of any kind and a few where I was uncomfortably warm in jeans. So, when we stepped out into the misting summer night my body was a little shocked. It wasn't particularly cold, but I was chilly. But at least it wasn't raining.

I really should have knocked on wood.

We were outside for about five minutes before the rain started coming down in ernest. I really, really hate wet feet and this is the one time that I didn't wear my boots. As I was slowly and cautiously manuevering my way around puddles the men fold decided to be about six years old again. They stomped in any puddle they could find and started splashing about with no other intention that to get themselves and everyone else as wet as they possibly could get. I was able to stay out of the way when the whole group was still walking because I hung out in back, but when we got closer to home I started feeling the splashing rage.

AND when someone kicks a puddle in my general direction is it any wonder that I would kick the puddle right back? So...I got home very, very wet. Peeling off your socks and shoes and jeans is never fun. We actually had to turn on the heaters for a little last night so that some of the soaked items would kinda sorta dry by morning. And I'm still trying to fix a book that, whilst being in the safest part of my bag that would not have normally gotten wet, got hit full force with puddle and rain water.

But at least I had fun right? Also, today is absolutely gorgeous.