Finals

Sorry I've been silent for ages, I have been very busy with studying, both catching up on what I missed whilst ill and revising for exams. This last week has been finals week in which each subject holds a final examination, in England I don't mind exams because we're given time off to study for them and have past questions to look at, but both have been deprived to me and I've been struggling to have the energy to study.

My exams were a really mixed bag, I seriously messed up Arabic but not because I didn't know the Arabic, but because I didn't know the language of learning languages, for example what is a conjunctive verb? There were two possibilities to decide from, so I just guessed. In the end I somehow passed the course, but I don't know what by due to being graded pass or no pass. I think I barely scraped by, but I did it, which I did not think I would at the start of the quarter. My religion in America exam went as well as could be expected, but anthropology was a nightmare, I realise halfway through the exam why I never do well in the exams, they want skills I don't possess - they want regurgitation. I can't do that, but I can make intelligent comments and good arguments, which is not what they are looking for at all. So I don't expect to to do to well.

But on the positive side I've now finished, but Oz hasn't. I'm writing this on Oz's kitchen table at three thirty in the morning helping him study by encouraging him to continue and looking interested whilst he explains his course to me. He has had other exams that have prevented him from studying for this one, so he's been reading over 190 detailed pages of lecture notes for almost the last twelve hours in a desperate attempt to pass. Coffee has been a very good friend to him over this time as he chatters away to himself. I've never pulled an all-nighter before because I reach a studying point of no return and have to go to sleep, but where my man (and no studying) is involved I can pull the cat out of the bag. I'm walking with him to the exam and waiting outside (or if a coffee shop nearby is open then in there) for him before we celebrate. With this exam he will have finished his whole degree, so a big celebration is in order.

Unfortunately we won't really have much time to celebrate because tomorrow I am moving apartment. I had one apartment lined up but unfortunately with less than two weeks before the end of term the person I was taking over from decided she wasn't moving after all, so I got quite stressed and desperately replied to lots of adverts. Unfortunately I was really tired as I was still recovering from being ill and was busy trying to catch up on work I'd missed out on, so I only got round to viewing one house, the one that I really wanted. Luckily I got the room and so am moving tomorrow into a room on DP, the main party street of IV that is adjacent to the ocean. I've still got a room mate, but the room is en suite, the living space is bigger and there is a balcony - outdoor space! I have no where to go in my current apartment and often look longingly out of the window at the good weather but am unable to enjoy it without a five - ten minute walk. So I'm really looking forward to moving in.

There are however a few moving related problems (does moving ever go smoothly?), I have no vehicle to move with, so its our arms and bikes to move me, will be interesting. It is also unfurnished and I have virtually no furniture at the moment, so have to buy a bed, desk and chair, as well as kitchen equipment that I don't have either. Today I tried unsuccessfully to buy furniture, the thrift (second hand) shop I went to had no beds and the desks were all heavy and expensive. I tried new desks, but for my budget (under $50) and requirements (BIG - I'm messy and like to spread out) I couldn't find anything. I've decided that the best thing to do would be to buy a table, but I'm yet to find a cheap, light table. But the desk isn't my main problem, that is a bed, when I actually move in (my rent in my current apartment runs out on the 31st, so I can continue living there for a while) depends entirely on when I can get a bed. I'm going to go to another thrift store tomorrow in the hope that I can buy one and get a taxi to get it home. On less than three hours sleep its going to be entertaining to say the least!