All work and no play

After 6 weeks of intense studying, I am finally done with my exams. Normally this would be the turning point where my life gets back on track. After 6 weeks of basically no contact with the outside world, my friends will finally hear from me again. - And thereby establish the fact that I am still alive. I have survived yet another exam season. I am 2 shades paler than usual, a few pounds heavier and my eyes are hidden behind large blue bags of epidermis. I’ve been here before. I know the drill.

Usually, this is when I slowly start adapting to normal life again. I begin venturing outside at a higher rate. –Gradually increasing the exposure of my skin to sunlight. It is with extreme caution these steps are conducted. Too high exposure too soon will only result in pain. -Both physically and psychologically. Many people in the past have become victims of their own excitement. The thrill of finally being free has resulted in tragedy for more than one. But I have the experience. I have learned from the mistakes of others.

I can see what you are thinking from the expression on your face. You are telling yourself that this is probably the very reason why I am indoors right now…writing this, instead of being outside enjoying the sunshine (which by the way is very rare in this city). It would not be an entirely wrong conclusion. It is a very likely one, based on the information I have given you so far.

However.

The use of “normally” and “usually” above has not been a coincidence…or a matter of trying to sound mysterious. There is nothing mysterious about me. You already know that. I have used these words on purpose. I am not sitting here because I am afraid of daylight like another vampire or nocturnal being. I am afraid it is because I am still a student. A being left out in most horror stories. Everyone has heard of the vampires and werewolves that come out at night and hunt you down. -Witches and monsters eating people, drinking blood for their own survival. Few have heard of the nocturnal student. A being that never sleeps. A being with eyes so dark you can hardly see them. I guess the reason for the lack of such stories lies in the very nature of the student. The student has no time to hunt you down or drink your blood. The student is on a deadline. The student has an exam to prepare for.

I am such a being. I may have completed my exams. But I am still on a deadline. You see, I am not only a student. I am a Master student. The deadliest of all students. Although deadly only to myself. To my social life. To my tan.

So I will leave you here. With encouragement to enjoy this summer. When you are laying on a beach somewhere, drinking smoothies and recuperating from 6 months of work or school. Think of the student. Think of a summer indoors.

Enjoy life.

Pow! (ouch) Pow! *Bangs her head in the table*

I am currently in the process of killing myself with words.

The weather outside my window is very Hawaii-like, and yet I am indoors...cramming for my next exam. The heat...Oh My Goodness! It is so hot I have to regularly whipe my textbook clean of the makeup that is dripping from my face. (If that doesnt sound sexy, nothing does...) I tried to study outdoors yesterday, but it was actually too hot. Now, if you live in Idaho and are called Beatnik, you can totally relate to this heat...but if you are called Linn or something to that extent (i think i just named all the norwegians who actually read this stuff from time to time...how sad is that number?) you cannot possibly understand this weather. I guess thats what global heating and greenhouse effect does to Norway...we get sun! Which is good...I mean sun is good...but not when its a result of something really bad. I mean...ice cream is good too...but you dont want the ice cream if getting it means you have to snatch it from some baby's hands...would you? (Actually, sometimes I would. Especially when seeing how some kids eat ice cream... it can be pretty gross...)

Anyways...I will have to get back to my books...just letting you know I am still alive...although Im not sure for how long...

~Ski

When time stands still

Today has been a long day.

Usually that is synonymous with a bad day. You can seldom have a long day without it also being bad…hence long is the definition of a bad day in this case. Usually in movies when someone asks the main character about their day, and he or she answers that it has been a “long day” the audience are immediately reminded of the previous hour of the movie which in most cases included at least 3 explosions, 5-20 deaths (depending on the type of action movie in question) and/or a social dramatic situation involving a character of the opposite sex to the main character.

So you are probably reading this thinking something bad happened to me today. Perhaps I blew something up or maybe someone died by gunfire in front of me…or possibly a fight with my boyfriend? If any of this had happened, I probably would have called it a long day…so you wouldn’t be totally off if you guessed such a thing. I do think I would have maybe called it an “awful” day though…if someone had been shot down in front of me. Maybe even a “tragic” day…or “sad”. “Long” doesn’t quite describe the sensation it would be to see someone being blown to pieces in front of your very eyes…not that I have ever seen that…*knock on wood* wouldn’t want to either…but Im just saying it. To clarify.

So…if nothing blew up…and no one got shot…and I didn’t fight with my boyfriend…why has it been a long day? I honestly cant tell you. I slept till noon…almost…which is the longest Ive slept in weeks and maybe months. I watched TV till about 3pm…3 hours which pretty much felt like at least 6. Then I went for a walk…I guess I might have been out a short hour…50 minutes perhaps? Felt longer…but it was only about 4pm when I got home. Ive watched 3,5 movies today, painted my toenails, eaten everything eatable in the apartment…probably gained a few pounds…and still its only 8.45 pm. Time have been standing still. Perhaps I got abducted by aliens. Ive heard time is supposed to stand still when that happens…but I doubt the aliens would have made me watch bad movies all day. I did get to watch one good one though. I re-watched “Lucky Number Slevin”. I had forgotten how much I enjoy that movie. The one-liners follow each other one after the other through the entire movie. It’s a definite “must see” if you haven’t already. Great film.

Hmm…it is now 8.53 pm. So I have killed about 15 minutes of time by writing this blog entry. Perhaps I should just go to bed…start tomorrow early and maybe get something out of the day. But I can pretty much bet my entire fortune (which isn’t very big Im afraid…) that tomorrow will race by like some secret force have stolen time from you just to mess with your head. “You got a long day yesterday, so today and tomorrow will go by quicker than you can say; hang on a sec!” I already know it. Life is too ironic. But you gotta love it.

Why I love Alanis

Thanks for the link, "dommeku"!

Finally some days off...

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Paperwork hell

I am a firm believer of violence towards administrators at university level,- and politicians. I think it should be allowed to slap them around a little…Action without an equal and opposite reaction. Newton go home. You are not wanted. The world would be a much better place without all the damn paperwork…For instance; if you wish to study abroad for a semester or two…something our dear politicians (I actually wrote “dead” as a typo there…I fixed it, but might as well have left it in there) encourage us to do, you have to first apply using a form that consists of a certain number of pages. If you get consent, you have to fill out an additional form to the school in question (at which you already have applied to once through your own university). If you get consent here as well, they send you a 3 pound envelope filled with different forms that need to be filled out. These forms include; a medical examination form from your doctor, a bank statement form from your bank (telling them you have money saved up), a government form telling the school in question that you will receive financial help, a vaccine form, a family history form, a personal interest form, an acceptance form from the embassy of the country you wish to go to, and so on…By the time you have filled out all the forms in question you are so damn tired of the country you wanted to go to in the first place you actually start doubting whether or not you wish to go…And our politicians shake their heads and call students lazy and uninterested. Who wants to go abroad if you have to complete 10 exams on personal matter before you can go?

Which brings us to the subject matter I actually wanted to talk about. The midterm exam. This completely and utterly unnecessary piece of paperwork that modern students are forced to fill out. – Within a time limit even. Somewhere someone decided that it was a great idea to split up exams so that hard working students have to go through two exams instead of one during a semester. I will admit that the idea might have been good initially. I am sure the point of it all was to give students two chances to show what they are good for instead of that one dreaded final exam at the end of the semester…The thought was probably good. But it doesn’t work. It gives us twice as much to do in half the usual time. I recently had one of these so called midterm exams, and the only midterm about it was the date of the event. 9 of 15 book chapters, including the laboratory course as curriculum…Can someone please tell me how half of 15 can become 9? Ive never been really good at math…but Im pretty sure 15 divided on 2 is not 9. –And how are you supposed to get any studying done for an exam that comes 4 days after you finished the “all-day”-lab part of the course?

I am not lazy, but I have started to become uninterested. My interest would however increase substantially if I could show my “gratitude” towards this paper-work happy person with a little slapping…or a kick or two…maybe an innocent shot in the leg?

Life has endless possibilities…too bad Im a follower of rules and regulations.

And yes, that completes the complaining for this month.

from www.spookyland.com