Wednesday, June 27, 2007

...Pre-Flight. Zero Hour, 1am...

Ok, Since I'm as packed as I'm going to be (read: whatever I've forgotten to pack is already forgotten) and It's a bit early to head to the airport - a little more info about the trip.

This was the summer trip I mentioned a long time ago that was very pending on me finding funding. Then about 2 or 3 months ago, the main school I was heading to filled up and I was on the wrong side of the waitlist line. There was another school that I could go to (and still use the partial funding that I had finally gotten), and bonus - they accept late enrollment. Hooray for the enablers of procrastination!

Then things got weird. er. So I applied to attend a July 2nd to August 27th class, but there was a problem with my application and then I applied again, but the class I applied for was full, but then I realized the class they tried to put me in was not the class I needed to be in because I needed to be in that class over there, which suddenly also was full, but they could get me in the same class but shorter, starting July 17th.



But then, this morning I get an email saying hey - remember that class you're taking? You can take the one that starts on the 17th like we arranged, but someone canceled out of the one that starts on the 2nd. Do you want that one?

Yes and thank you I do.

Oh, but you need to be here Friday before close of business because the place you're staying won't be open to check you in if you get in late.

So. That's how I get the 1am plane tonight. So I can get there noon-ish on Friday in time to check in before everyone goes home for the weekend.

So I get a weekend in Tokyo before class starts.

Did I mention that I know nothing of Tokyo and my Japanese is awful? I'm pretty sure I haven't. I think I'd remember if that had come up in the past.

For Scrivener: The Humanities is (are) a harsh mistress. She teases me with summers in Tokyo, and then crushes me with the black patent leather spiked heel of un-hirable-ness. On the other hand, I got my poetic license on the cheap so I can make up words like 'un-hirable-ness'

For Brightstar: Well, in all honesty, a lot of it is my own blasted fault, so I really don't have a whole lot of room to be miffed. In the end, I'm going to Tokyo almost entirely on grants and fellowships (I'll still be in the red when I come back, I'm sure, but not as badly as it could have been. My department even ponied up a little bit - yeah department!). I'm pretty happy on the whole. Ask me again after a bazillion hour plane flight.

For Ianqui: I will most certainly be on the lookout for Engrish. It will be so much fun not having to hide where I am! I'll be in Japan! Can't really hide that :) On that topic. I took a really freaky-amazing photo today, but it's freaky-amazing in a 'Only in X' kind of way. Alas, I won't, because it would seriously give me away, but ah, sigh...

My apologies to all for being a bit dodgey and not talking about the trip, but it really was touch and go for a while, and I didn't want to get my own hopes up my writing too much about it.

Wow. That was a really long post. Did you actually read it all? Yeesh, especially that 3rd paragraph. Who let me into grad school?

6 comments:

BrightStar (B*) said...

ah... okay... makes more sense now. Thanks for the explanation. In the end, because you're flexible, you get to do something cool, anyhow, so that's awesome. I hope you arrive safely.

Billie said...

Tokyo! I wish I had known you were headed that direction. I know people. And they know people. And places. And lots of very cool things. Good luck there!

Ampersand said...

wow, bon voyage, and all that! can't wait for the pics.

jo(e) said...

Wow. This sounds like a fantastic adventure. I am already looking forward to the photos.

Overread said...

Thanks all! I may send you some questions Billie! :)

mrkab00m said...

And I think it's gonna be a long long time
till touch down brings me round again to find,
I'm not the man they think I am at home,
Oh no no no, I'm a rocket-man.

Good luck, man. :D