Meme time!
I haven’t had an Internet access since Saturday, though maybe it’s a good thing, since I couldn’t waste my time on the Internet when I should spend it studying. Instead, I wasted it watching Mythbusters and crappy movies. Well, what the hell. I kicked the exam session in the butt after all. Yes, you read right – I’m all through it ! I finally passed the Arabic test, got a 4 (this would be your B, I presume) from Arabic Linguistics and also a 4 from Islam and thus finished the session with an average of 4,3. On Arabic Philology, ’cause on my Romance Philology I had only one exam, Theory of Literature, and I got a 5 (an A). Yeah, I am bragging right now.
But anyway. Today was the last exam (Islam) and tomorrow start the normal classes. Because of this damn extended session I didn’t actually get any spring break, but at least it’s over now. And the Internet’s back, right on time.
So, I’ve been tagged by Polish Mama on the Prairie. This is how it works:
It all started with Scottish Mum’s post:
“I have seen lots of posts about what we struggle with, or things that we like to do, and I’d like to find out a bit more information about all of you. This is my way of doing it. I am looking forward to visiting some of you on the blog hop.”
What you cannot choose. The Rules are Simple
“We all know that blogging/facebook/twitter is in our arena of what we like to do, so I am going to rule them out as one of the 5 that you can post about. They really are not very girly. Likewise, phones, computers, ipads are all out of the running. I am challenging myself to this, as I am really not a girly girly type of person, and I want to find that within myself. It’s not all about power suits, filofaxes, ipads and designer phones.
If you want to pass this along, pick bloggers that you want to find out more about, and challenge them to write up their 5 secret passions that make them feel good. The idea is to lift our spirits this week. The fact that there is a linky added, just makes it all the more worthwhile in doing.”
So, my Top Five:
- This won’t come as a surprise, but I am absolutely nuts about literature. I read my first real book at the age of 5. It was “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. I actually don’t remember this, it’s my mom who told me about it, I think. My whole family is kinda nerdy that way. My mom used to read books under her covers when they were supposed to sleep (I tried to pulled the same stunt, but sharing a room with a 6 years older brother does not facilitate things). My father is a long-time member of the “Book World”, which requires its members to buy something from its catalogue every three months and in return, gives big discounts. My brother used to really irritate me by lighting his lamp and reading very late in the night when I was trying to sleep. Until I started to do the same. I suspect we have more books in our home than clothes. I am also kind of a writer. So far, I’ve written only short stories published on the Internet, but I also wrote a book that I’m trying to get published. Really. I didn’t get much success so far, but I have a lot of time – and, unfortunately, it’s hard to make a debut in Poland, especially with a book. It’s easier to get published with a short story in a magazine.
- This won’t be a surprise either, but I’m also absolutely nuts for the Middle Ages. I love this period, it fascinates me big time. I’m especially tuned into the matière de Bretagne, the Arthurian legends. I may not be a real expert, but I certainly know a lot more than an average passer-by. I actually read the first versions of the legend, the French one, those of Chretien de Troyes and the Vulgate (well, I haven’t read all the Vulgate, it’s much too big, but still). If you ever had a question about Arthur, ask me. Even if I don’t know the answer, I’ll know where to look for one. I also enjoy reading and watching the recent versions of the legend, though sometimes they frustrate me a lot. (I mean, come on, Merlin BBC is a crappy tv show, it has absolutely nothing to do with the legends besides names, and I still watch it and actually like it.) The best recent version of Arthurian legend? “The Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It’s not very accurate to the actual legend, but it’s very well written and very interestingly composed, ’cause everything is told from the point of view of female characters of the story, mostly Morgana, but also Guenevere and Igraine and others. It’s also very mystic and a little disturbing. Very good book. And if you’re looking for a movie, I’d recommend “Perceval le Gallois”, but I guess you wouldn’t understand it without the previous lecture of Chretien de Troyes. I know I wouldn’t. Other than that there is no really good adaptation. “Merlin” from 1998, the miniseries, is quite good at some points, but crappy at others. “King Arthur” has hardly anything to do with the legends. “Excalibur” is just plain wrong; I mean, it’s a crappy movie. It’s just boring. I can’t wait till April, when the new series starts – “Camelot”. I have high hopes for this!
- I don’t smoke cigarettes (I never actually even tried, and I don’t feel like I’m gonna ever try), but from time to time I really enjoy shisha. Usually I smoke it in the Tea Shop, when we gather with friends, get one shisha for several people and pass along the tube. But when I was in Egypt this last september, I bought my own shisha. It’s not very big, but really pretty. I smoke it once every two months, if not rarer, but I still love it. It makes me light-headed in a happy, positive way.
My Egyptian shisha
- From time to time, I like to play some computer games. I don’t do it much, because I don’t have time for this, but it’s a great way to relax sometimes. I play RPGs mostly, my favorites being Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, Neverwinter Nights II, Planescape Torment and Knights of the Old Republic II. I like Civilisation, the Settlers and Heroes of Might and Magic too, though they are not RPGs. Usually, I prefer RTS to TBS, but Civilisation and Heroes are really great.
- I love to wake up in the morning, look at the clock and realize that I don’t have to get up. I love to just lay in the warm bed in the morning, on the verge between the dream and the reality, not quite conscious yet, but also not sleeping anymore. I love the feeling that I don’t have to do anything, I can stay there, in the warmth, and daydream as long as I want. It’s fabulous.
(Ok, I talk way too much.)
And now, I still don’t have all five people I could tag (not with PolPrairieMama tagging me and Ewa), so I’ll tag the two I can ;)
And tomorrow I’m going home, at last, to see my parents for the first time in month, so I’m quite excited. I’ll get back to you after the weekend then, if Internet will work, of course. Have a great end of the week :)
This week sucked.
It really did. I had an Arabic test on Monday, which I blew completely; I’ll have to retake it. I did completely nothing on Tuesday, which was very lame, because on Wednesday I had an exam on Theory of Literature (which was held in French). I got up at 4 a.m. to study for this exam, wrote it at 10 a.m. Then did nothing for the rest of the day.
And then Thursday came. I had another exam on Friday, so I really wanted to study. But. My flatmate, Bastet (this is not her name, of course, but a nickname; we met on the Internet, been friends for two years in real life and then moved together when the option presented itself), ahs been sick for some time before. I told her on Sunday that she should go to see a doctor, but she didn’t want to waste time. She, too, has to pass her exam session. She’s already certified dentist, but she wanted to do something else, so she started studying ethnology. It’s pretty darn impressive, if you ask me.
And Thursday, at last, she went to the doctor. She was feeling so bad that she asked me to accompany her, because she was afraid she could collapse. Of course, I went with her. We waited some time, but once she got into the doctor’s cabinet, it was quick. Doctor said it was an abscess of tonsil and told her she had to go to the hospital. The ambulance was called in and we were gone to the hospital. (Fortunately, paramedics let me come with her in the ambulance.) This was a first for me – I was never in the ambulance before.
Of course, once we got to the hospital, from the movement we came to sudden stop. We had to wait. And so we waited. Bastet wasn’t feeling so good, but at last she was examined by the specialist. The laryngologist said it wasn’t as bad as the first contact doctor said. Bastet didn’t need to stay in the hospital, but the doctor prescribed her some really strong medicines. We got back home by taxi, I made her some tea – since she was dehydrated – she took the meds and went to bed. Next day she was a little bit better and today, she speaks normally at last and can swallow everything without pain. Thursday, she was in such pain when she was speaking that she couldn’t even call her mom to tell her what was going on; I did all the phone calls for her. T’was a crazy day, let me tell you.
And of course, we got back at 9 p.m., so there went my all-day learning. I stayed up all night, though, studying. I chose to at least try to pass it, and I made the right choice, because the professor said he wouldn’t put the bad grade to my index (since, of course, I screwed up the exam) and let me retake it with still a chance of a good grade. (Because normally if you fail and retake an exam, the grade you get is an average of the two, so you can’t really get anything better than 3+, which is C+ in America, I guess.) Let me tell you, it was a tough night. I studied History of Islam (that was the subject, “Introduction to Islam”, meaning its history and most important rules) while drinking South American beverage called Yerba Mate (it’s the only thing beside Energy Drinks that wakes me up; coffee doesn’t work on me. And Energy Drinks are not healthy, while Yerba is!) and listening to Maccabeats and Loreena McKennitt and other Celtic music. That was a real culture mixture!
But I’ve blown the exam anyway. I went back home and went straight to bed. And ever since, I haven’t done a single constructive thing. Right, I’ve been with my friend to the lecture about Chinese superstitions connected to their calendar (I know now why I wan born on 23rd; the world’s supposed to have a very bad luck this day, so that explains it). And we went to the shop with soap bubbles. And the to the best cafe I’ve ever seen (they have a round table. And the throne it men’s restroom. And waiters and waitresses wear medieval clothes. It’s absolutely fantastic!). But still, it wasn’t anything really constructive. And today? Today I’ve done a big, round ZIP. Nothing. Null. Zilch. Ech.
How lame.
