1. If you receive a long distance phone call, do not choose to ignore it - it is probably the embassy for the visa you applied for. (Actually, I was writing an exam and had to ignore it - but it didn't click that the Calgary area code number was the Chinese Embassy... which brings me to my second point).
2. If the Embassy website states "send us a cheque" and a couple of sentences prior to that says "company cheque" - do not attempt to send a personal cheque. So ya - in this case, I should have assumed that they would not take personal cheques, ended spending 20 more dollars express posting a money order to them.
3. Has yet to come but I am sure it will involve opting for travel insurance plan A and paying the extra amount for an ease of mind - but will still keep in mind to travel smartly - which - if you are unfortunate enough to be a "ditz" - you can't exactly "travel safe" - can you?
In other news, two of my friends have safely landed in India and will begin their AIESEC internship briefly. They are there to help orphans and something to that nature. We spent their last hours in Edmonton compiling english books for these orphans :) I was quickly removed from staple duty and to the more paper-cut threatening job of compiling the books.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Two words: Stop it.
I'm not sure what angers me more - the thought of having 25 plus people die from another school shooting, or the horrible, fear-inducing media coverage of inconsiderate reporters.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3046030
What is the reporter trying to do? He is so quick to blame the police for not being there right in the moment! The interviewee said that the police came two minutes after the shooting, and the reporter asks, "so they were not outside when you jumped out the window?" What point are you trying to make? Do you think that the police can actually predict the future and be right there at that moment?
And then he has the audacity to ask the interviewee the name of his professor who was shot. That was very considerate of you, bravo for realizing that family members may not have been informed yet. I want to congratulate you for wanting to be that person who broke the news to them. You must feel special.
I feel angry at - obviously the media. But I am also angry that we as humans are feeding the media, wanting more information, granting interviews... I am also sad that I did not know about this earlier - I would not have posted my earlier post because it seems ironic that the time by time sequence of how I recorded my life is also the time by time sequence of how the news is covering the shooting.
Mass confusion: wanting to know more, angry at how the media is reporting this but am willing to sit through it to try to understand what is happening. I know, it is hypocritical.
Guilt: What if the reporter reads this - he will feel guilty. Not necessarily what I want. I just want that reporter and every reporter to realize that the media is the only source we have in these traumatic situations. A little more sense in questioning and reporting will cause less hysteria, less pain, and will give us more credibility to think on our own.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3046030
What is the reporter trying to do? He is so quick to blame the police for not being there right in the moment! The interviewee said that the police came two minutes after the shooting, and the reporter asks, "so they were not outside when you jumped out the window?" What point are you trying to make? Do you think that the police can actually predict the future and be right there at that moment?
And then he has the audacity to ask the interviewee the name of his professor who was shot. That was very considerate of you, bravo for realizing that family members may not have been informed yet. I want to congratulate you for wanting to be that person who broke the news to them. You must feel special.
I feel angry at - obviously the media. But I am also angry that we as humans are feeding the media, wanting more information, granting interviews... I am also sad that I did not know about this earlier - I would not have posted my earlier post because it seems ironic that the time by time sequence of how I recorded my life is also the time by time sequence of how the news is covering the shooting.
Mass confusion: wanting to know more, angry at how the media is reporting this but am willing to sit through it to try to understand what is happening. I know, it is hypocritical.
Guilt: What if the reporter reads this - he will feel guilty. Not necessarily what I want. I just want that reporter and every reporter to realize that the media is the only source we have in these traumatic situations. A little more sense in questioning and reporting will cause less hysteria, less pain, and will give us more credibility to think on our own.
A day in the life of Carol
Warning: a self-centered blog is about to ensue... but this is why the blog is called "Carol's blog" - so stop reading if you are looking for aha! moments!
5:00am= txt msg wakes me up - it's from my bro - "call me when you need the car." crap - I need the car at 9:30am but I fall back asleep.
8:30am = snooze button is hit
10:00am = after emails, getting ready, and calling my brother, I am off to school!
10:30am = Meeting with VP Finance about Hotel Bill that we finally got for a conference that took place way back in Dec/Jan.
11:30am = pick up ticket to China - warning: slow motion actions: as the ticket was passed into my hands, a smile crossed my face and these words, actually came out of my mouth: "yip!" Which was followed by "I'm sorry." But no worries - I made the travel agent smile and he understood my excitement.
12:00pm = As I drive, I eat my lunch that is picked up at Sunterra on my way to...
12:30pm = my dental appointment
1:40pm = starbucks with my dental hygienist (which just so happens to be my sister!)- you only need to wait half an hour before eating or drinking! LOVE IT!
2:00pm = my second lunch :)
3:00pm = So part of my trip to China requires me to raise internships while in China. The next two hours is a continuation of emailing for contacts that I spent 5 hours doing yesterday... some meetings have been set for my last weeks here, yes! Tomorrow's goal? - you mean besides studying for finals? - I am going to pick up the phone and call contacts in Edmonton who may have contacts in China. When it comes to marketing calls, no matter how many I've been on, I am still intimidated.
As for the rest of my day tonight? - I predict dinner, reading up on China (did you know that they are 92% atheist? I thought they were Buddhist), and maybe reading a book that was written by a chinese author - but I shall be reading the translated english version.
...this is the procrastination before the study hurdles and cold calls that begin tomorrow...
eww, I can still feel some grit from the dental appointment... but for all you DH peeps out there - my sis did an amazing job and tolerated my continuous whining/faces I made.
5:00am= txt msg wakes me up - it's from my bro - "call me when you need the car." crap - I need the car at 9:30am but I fall back asleep.
8:30am = snooze button is hit
10:00am = after emails, getting ready, and calling my brother, I am off to school!
10:30am = Meeting with VP Finance about Hotel Bill that we finally got for a conference that took place way back in Dec/Jan.
11:30am = pick up ticket to China - warning: slow motion actions: as the ticket was passed into my hands, a smile crossed my face and these words, actually came out of my mouth: "yip!" Which was followed by "I'm sorry." But no worries - I made the travel agent smile and he understood my excitement.
12:00pm = As I drive, I eat my lunch that is picked up at Sunterra on my way to...
12:30pm = my dental appointment
1:40pm = starbucks with my dental hygienist (which just so happens to be my sister!)- you only need to wait half an hour before eating or drinking! LOVE IT!
2:00pm = my second lunch :)
3:00pm = So part of my trip to China requires me to raise internships while in China. The next two hours is a continuation of emailing for contacts that I spent 5 hours doing yesterday... some meetings have been set for my last weeks here, yes! Tomorrow's goal? - you mean besides studying for finals? - I am going to pick up the phone and call contacts in Edmonton who may have contacts in China. When it comes to marketing calls, no matter how many I've been on, I am still intimidated.
As for the rest of my day tonight? - I predict dinner, reading up on China (did you know that they are 92% atheist? I thought they were Buddhist), and maybe reading a book that was written by a chinese author - but I shall be reading the translated english version.
...this is the procrastination before the study hurdles and cold calls that begin tomorrow...
eww, I can still feel some grit from the dental appointment... but for all you DH peeps out there - my sis did an amazing job and tolerated my continuous whining/faces I made.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Jeepers Creepers
Yes. An update to my life is needed. Everyone has heard a version of this story - depending on the day they approached me - my life plan adjusted on a daily basis :)
BUT - final plan set in stone for the summer of a life-time!
1. No NLDC - I will not attend the conference in Toronto because I need to:
2. Spend a minimum of two months in China which will be May 3 to July 8 (I fly May 2). I will be doing my CEED (cultural Envoy for Exchange Development) there - basically - training students on AIESEC and going on some marketing calls. I leave July 8 because:
3. From July 8 to August 10 I will be learning french in Montreal through the Explore program.
4. I will then fly home because I have a court date on August 23 for "parking on the sidewalk" -BS - I was partly on the sidewalk and partly on a driveway - IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA!
5. In September I plan to do my last coop away from Edmonton (hopefully) and will most likely be away from home again! (p.s. I will probably be doing phone interviews while in China for this).
Some may call me mad for doing all this in one year and are confused. To them I say, opportunities come and go - if I die tomorrow, I do not want to regret anything.
BUT - final plan set in stone for the summer of a life-time!
1. No NLDC - I will not attend the conference in Toronto because I need to:
2. Spend a minimum of two months in China which will be May 3 to July 8 (I fly May 2). I will be doing my CEED (cultural Envoy for Exchange Development) there - basically - training students on AIESEC and going on some marketing calls. I leave July 8 because:
3. From July 8 to August 10 I will be learning french in Montreal through the Explore program.
4. I will then fly home because I have a court date on August 23 for "parking on the sidewalk" -BS - I was partly on the sidewalk and partly on a driveway - IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA!
5. In September I plan to do my last coop away from Edmonton (hopefully) and will most likely be away from home again! (p.s. I will probably be doing phone interviews while in China for this).
Some may call me mad for doing all this in one year and are confused. To them I say, opportunities come and go - if I die tomorrow, I do not want to regret anything.
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