Visit Scotland!!!

Yes, as many of you know, I am working this summer for Visit Scotland, in the Princes Street branch. I will be a retail and connect advisor (meaning I sell stuff in the shop or in the internet cafe). I will also be selling coach and bus tours, walking tours, and various other tickets. All this means I have spent the week trying to memorise more about the range of companies doing tours to Loch Ness than I could ever imagine wanting to know!

However, it is a very good summer job - good pay, everyone's really nice, the hours are ok, and the perks are suprisingly good (including various trips and free entry to places). It is also a reasonably interesting and varied job. Oh, and best of all, they are infinitely more organised than William Hill. Not only shall I be working in just the one place rather than being sent all over Edinburgh, but they have done the rota for the whole summer, meaning I know when I'm working and when not, and can actually book things and make arrangements to see people! So I will still have a social life. :-)

I'm very tired, as it has been a week of early mornings and not being able to get to sleep until late. However, I am looking forward to work next week, and really feel pretty upbeat about everything. My resolution to try and learn Arabic still hasn't been abandoned - I've spent an hour and a half on it so far this week, and hope to do another hour today. Unfortunately, the resolution to go to the gym has proved a little less hardy, and looks like being put off until next week. On the other hand, I have been reading David Copperfield, and have mostly being enjoying it. I imagine I'll finish that this weekend as well, and will then start one of the Scott novels. After finding just how long David Copperfield really is, I've decided to give myself a bit of a break, and also try to build up my stamina, before starting Bleak House . . . :-D

Planning for the trip to Syria is going well. I now have an itinerary and a list of hotels, and am about to e-mail them to try and book. Wish me luck!

Ending On A High Note

The exams are over!!! The last one was yesterday afternoon. Wooooohooooooooo!!!!!!

It went suprisingly well. It was probably the best of my three sit down exams. I got the questions I wanted, was able to keep writing until the end, and felt that especially on the second question I really got to grips with it. I don't think it was brilliant (I just don't do well on sit down exams) but it was definitely ok.

I then went out for a meal with Ceri and Mark, then to one flat party, and then to another. I got home about 3.15am and went to bed. Thankfully I didn't drink much, so am not hungover (but very tired).

Now that it's all over, I have all sorts of plans for the summer:
-learn Arabic (half an hour a day, 5 days a week)
-go to the gym (after work)
-do dissertation (days off)
-work very hard and take all the overtime I can get
-be very careful with money and save lots towards the gap year
-plan Syria: book hotels, train tickets, set out itinerary, get visa
-clean and tidy room and kitchen, and keep them that way
-do primary reading for semester one

I'll let you know how it goes. Somehow I think a lot of it will fall by the wayside; the gym and the Arabic especially. Wish me luck!

Jabs!

I went to the travel clinic to get my jabs sorted for Syria (figured I'd like to get it done before work started). I've had another Hep A jab (am now covered for 25 years) and am in the process of having my rabies jabs. £42.00 a shot, 3 injections over 3 weeks. I think I've been lucky, as I've had no bad reactions so far. It does feel strange to pay someone £126.00 to poke needles in my arm though . . .

The exams are still ongoing. I finished the second take home paper, and while I wasn't delighted with it, it was ok. The critical practice exam was a nightmare though. I am so pissed off with this course!!! I am now revising for Metaphysics and Melancholy (when I'm not procrastinating . . .). There's plenty to learn, but at least that means I should have plenty to say in the exam. So far I've finished one large topic. I need to read all of Burke's Enquiry, then revise my notes on that . . . if the right topics come up it should go ok.

My attempts to be disciplined with my budget have broken down rather badly. I hope to get back on course over the summer. It just means I won't be able to save as much as I'd like from my wages, which isn't the end of the world. I wish stuff was cheaper!

Other than getting the jabs, I've just been doing a bit more research into Syria. I now have a list of places I could stay, and details of how to get around. I also realise I need to learns some Arabic. A helpful guy on the Thorntree forum posted a link to a site offering a free course in basic colloquial Syrian Arabic, which will be invaluable. I'm actually looking forward to getting started on it when the exams finish.

Wish me luck!

2.5 Exams and Holiday Plans (again)

Yup, I am about half way through the dreaded third year exams. Science Fiction and Medieval Dream Vision are done, I am working on the Politics of the Canon take home paper, and Critical Practice and Metaphysics and Melancholy await.

So far it could have been a lot worse. I've been lucky with the questions so far, although the one I'm working on now is hard. I can't even come up with a first sentece for my introduction because of all the issues involved. Thank goodness it's a take home exam - I would not have liked to be faced with this in a 2 hour sit-down test!

Now onto much more interesting matters: my first and second attempts to go on a tour of the Middle East having failed due to tour cancellations, I have decided that "if you want something doing properly do it yourself" shall be my moto. I have therefor purchased a return flight to Syria, made a list of other things to organise once the exams are done, and am preparing to go it alone! This is quite scary; solo travel in Syria is probably going to be one of the more challenging (if not overwhelming) things I will have done in my life to date. However, the place looks worth the effort, and if I can't cope with Syria then I certainly can't go round the world on my own! Though if I can cope with Syria, I can probably handle quite a lot . . .

So here's the itinerary so far:
20th August - depart Gatwick (late pm)
21st August - arrive Damascus (early am)
Places to visit: Damascus - Palmyra - Hama (including Crac des Chevaliers) - Aleppo - Damascus again
3rd September - depart Damascus (early am)
- arrive Gatwick (am)

It's kinda basic at the moment. I know I want at least one full day in Palmyra, two in Aleppo, one to visit Crac, but other than that I don't know yet. I'd like enough time to really get a feel for Damascus, and maybe do some day trips to southern Syria.

I'll be sure to take lots of photos and write up a report for my website: DeborahAJB Go there to check out my travels to date (including Iran).

Other than that, the summer will be dominated by work (I have a job at the Tourist Info place on Princes Street). I am getting to go back to Sheffield for a week at the end of May, and will be going to a Meat Loaf concert while I'm there!

I get this tingly feeling in my stomach every time I think about my trip. It really will be incredible in so many ways.

We Are The Champions!!!

I got back from Newcastle yesterday, having completed a six-day hike from Carlisle to Newcastle. We (myself, Kathryn and Anna) carried a tent and stoves between us, camping for five nights, and walking between 70 and 80 miles in 6 days. Ok, not Everest or anything, but definitely a bit of a challenge, and we now feel very tough and pleased with ourselves.

For more photos of the trip, check out Kathryn's photos on facebook. I've just included a couple here:



We walked over those not-so-little blighters!










We were very lucky in the weather - this is late afternoon on the first day.

I've done 63 out of 132 things (they mostly weren't stupid)

Do this and repost it with the title:
I've done --- out of the 132 stupid things.

(x) = have done
( ) = have not done

Level 1
(x) Smoked A Cigarette
(x) Smoked A Cigar
() Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex
(x) Drank Alcohol

SO FAR: 3

Level 2
(x) Are / Been In Love
() Been Dumped
() Shoplifted
() Been Fired
(x) Been In A Fist Fight

SO FAR: 5

Level 4
(x) Had A Crush On An Older Person
(x) Skipped School
() Slept With A Co-worker
(x) Seen Someone / Something Die

SO FAR: 8

Level 5
() Had / Have A Crush On One Of Your Face book Friends
(x) Been To Paris
(x) Been To Spain
(x) Been On A Plane
(x) Thrown Up From Drinking

SO FAR: 12

Level 6
() Eaten Sushi
( ) Been Snowboarding
( ) Met Someone BECAUSE Of Facebook
() Been in a Mosh Pit

SO FAR: 12

Level 7
( ) Been In An Abusive Relationship
(x) Taken Pain Killers
() Love/loved Someone Who You Cant Have
(x) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By
(x) Made A Snow Angel

SO FAR: 15

Level 8
(x) Had A Tea Party
(x) Flown A Kite
(x) Built A Sand Castle
( ) Gone mudding (offroading)
(x) Played Dress Up

SO FAR: 19

Level 9
(x) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves
(x) Gone Sledging
(x) Cheated While Playing A Game - its only cheating if u get found out!
(x) Been Lonely
() Fallen Asleep At Work / School

SO FAR: 23

Level 10
(x) Watched The Sun Set
(x) Felt An Earthquake
( ) Killed A Snake

SO FAR: 25

Level 11
(x) Been Tickled
(x) Been Robbed / Vandalized
() Been cheated on
(x) Been Misunderstood

SO FAR: 28

Level 12
( x) Won A Contest
( ) Been Suspended From School
(x) Had Detention
(x) Been In A Car / Motorcycle Accident

SO FAR: 31

Level 13
() Had / Have Braces
() Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) Danced in the moonlight

SO FAR: 32

Level 14
(x) Hated The Way You Look
() Witnessed A Crime
( ) Pole Danced
(x) Questioned Your Heart
(x) Been obsessed with post-it-notes

SO FAR: 35

Level 15
() Squished Barefoot Through The Mud
(x) Been Lost
(x) Been To The Opposite Side Of The World
(x) Swam In The Ocean
() Felt Like You Were Dying

SO FAR: 38

Level 16
(x) Cried Yourself To Sleep
( ) Played Cops And Robbers
(x) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers
( x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid For A Meal With Only Coins

SO FAR: 42

Level 17
(x) Done Something You Told Yourself You Wouldn't
() Made Prank Phone Calls
() Laughed Until Some Kind Of Beverage Came Out Of Your Nose
() Kissed In The Rain

SO FAR: 43

Level 18
(x) Written A Letter To Santa Claus
() Watched The Sun Set/ sun rise With Someone You Care/Cared About
(x) Blown Bubbles
( ) Made A Bonfire On The Beach

SO FAR: 45

Level 19
() Crashed A Party
() Have Traveled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People
( x) Gone Rollerskating / Blading
(x) Had A Wish Come True
( ) Been Humped By A Monkey

SO FAR: 47

Level 20
() Worn Pearls
( ) Jumped Off A Bridge
() Screamed "Penis" or "Vagina"
( ) Swam With Dolphins

SO FAR: 47

Level 22
(x) Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole/Freezer/ice Cube
( ) Kissed A Fish
(x) Worn The Opposite Sex's Clothes
( ) Sat On A Roof Top

SO FAR: 49

Level 23
(x) Screamed At The Top Of Your Lungs
(x)Done / Attempted A One-Handed Cartwheel
( ) Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours
() Recently stayed Up for a while talking to someone you care about

SO FAR: 51

Level 24
(x) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree
(x) Climbed A Tree
() Had/Been In A Tree House
(x ) Been scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone

SO FAR: 54

Level 25
(x) Believed In Ghosts
() Have had More Then 30 Pairs Of Shoes
() Gone Streaking
( ) Visited Jail

SO FAR: 55

Level 26
() Played Chicken
() Been Pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
(x) Been Told You're Hot By A Complete Stranger
( ) Broken A Bone
(x) Been Easily Amused

SO FAR: 57

Level 27
( ) Caught A Fish Then Ate It Later
() Made A Porn Video/got asked to make one
(x) Caught A Butterfly
(x) Laughed So Hard You Cried
(x) Cried So Hard You Laughed

SO FAR: 60

Level 28
( ) Mooned/Flashed Someone
() Had Someone Moon/Flash You
() Cheated On A Test
(x) Forgotten Someone's Name
(x ) French Braided Someones Hair
() Gone Skinny Dipping
() Been Kicked Out Of Your House
(x) Tried to hurt yourself

SO FAR: 63

Level 29
() Rode A Roller Coaster
() Went Scuba-Diving/Snorkeling
() Had A Cavity
() Black-Mailed Someone
() Been Black Mailed

SO FAR: 63

Level 31
(x) Been Used
(x) Fell Going Up The Stairs
( ) Licked A Cat
() Bitten Someone
() Licked Someone

SO FAR: 63

Level 32
() Been shot at/or at gunpoint
( ) Had sex in the rain
( ) Flattened someone’s tires
() Rode your car/truck until the gas light came on
() Got five pounds or less worth of gas

TOTAL: 63

The End is Nigh

Well, the end of semester has happened, and the end of third year is only a month and a half away. I can't say I'm sorry to see it pass so fast; first semester was great, but this semester has frankly been miserable. I'm now trying to motivate myself to revise for Medieval Dream Vision.

The one good thing about the semester has been Politics of the Canon, a reasonably interesting course with great people. We've had fun, and I really really hope I manage to keep in touch with some of them (that means YOU Klaudyna and Amy!)

I'm trying to get the last bits and pieces organised for the Hadrian's wall trip (leaving on Wednesday). The trangias are in the post (always worrying) and I still need to get in touch with the first campsite. Other than that, I think we're sorted - fingers crossed! Oh yeah, we still don't have a map . . .

My trip to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan has been cancelled. I'm trying what to do instead. I could go just to Syria and Jordan (and take advantage of the 5% discount offered to make up for the cancellation) or I could go round Syria independently with a friend. I'm waiting to hear from the friend, and also waiting to hear from explore about how I get that discount. I am dissapointed, but I'm also determined that I'm going to get out to that part of the world somehow.

Yup, that was my life ;-)