I'm pissing all of my bullets about...

I'm afraid the next 3 months is going to perfectly depict hell for me. I have nothing to do, and it's getting quite irritating. I already volunteered to help out with the schools yearbook (ran into the teacher in charge/ she asked for my help/ she'll give me a call after Ramadan) which is great but it wont exactly fill up my days. Two other friends of mine in the same fix wanted to help out at the local animal shelter here too, but the only problem is the distance between them and us. So we're/I'm at a loss. What luck.

And it appears a sibling of mine has found her way into the blogging world. Not the first I assure you but surely the most clueless out of the two. Her first post was a basic 'introduction' and she practically spilled her life story on there (names of family members, her current school, etc). I had to sit her down and talk her through the 'rules of the blogging world'; a task which I never foresaw myself doing but found quite amusing (apart from the objections to why I won't link her to my 'nonexistent' blog [i lied, sue me. Honestly, just because I know things doesn't necessarily mean I'm involved in them too. Hah. It was a valid argument!]). Strictly speaking, it's fine if you want to pour yourself all over the pages (after all, your life story is up for grabs on facebook) but there is a limit, and you can't cross it. Especially in Kuwait.

As for family, I finally added that brother of mine on Skype. I haven't talked to him willingly in the past year so let us see how long this lasts. At the moment he's simultaneously complaining about the workload and praising the parties at his university in the US. This most likely being his sad attempt to sell me off to his large state university. Not my type of thing at all. He knows it, yet he never stops.

Seven.

Time is running out and I have about 3/4 months to finish everything and anything that is required of me for University.

In terms of applications, I'm going to have to rely on the MOHE to apply to the universities I want. Here's to hoping that they don't screw up! The reason for this is that even if I decide to apply to a university on my own from the credited list up at Kuwait Culture, I have to tell them which university I'm applying to so they apply too. Which honestly, is ridiculous because I don't think any university accepts two applications from one student. And I'd really rather not take the risk and have a confusion (and thus, delay) in the whole process, so I might as well go with them. A friend of mine turned in the needed documents a month or so ago and already received his acceptance into the American University in D.C. So they can't be that bad.

Basically everything is done on my part but the personal statement, medical (which I shall sit through tomorrow morning) and getting my recent A Level grades credited by the British Council cause I might as well use them. I'm still a tad dodgy about the personal statement though. I wrote along to Earlham's description of what they want in a personal statement, and I'm content with it, but I'm afraid summer drained any ounce of creative and intellectual muse I had in me within the school year. I guess that is what happens when you go from writing a mix of history/literature/geography essays every day to nothing for months. I'd post my statement here and ask for your opinions, but I'm afraid it'll be run through some processor for plagiarism and be caught. Any thoughts on this?

So, In This Hour...

Why aren't you making this easier for me? I wish you would. You're suppose to. It's what you do best, isn't it? Just get fucking settled there and come back to me. I need you.

28 days later and I still feel as if the air has been knocked out of me.

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Kuwait Culture has not made my applying to university any easier. Out of the 17 universities I'm permitted to apply to, 7 are only applicable for a Masters degree. The rest are either shit, or require me to enter in fall '09. Which I do not want. Leaving 3, which are:

Earlham College: Indiana
Guilford College: North Carolina
University of Missouri- Columbia: Missouri

I'm practically in love with Earlham College. It's a national, selective Quaker liberal arts college with a small student body. Its Peace & Global studies program is one of the best in the nation. And about 70% of its students study abroad (they have amazing study abroad opportunities.) I've read nothing but good reviews about the College, its primary con being that the College itself is in the middle of nowhere (Richmond, Indiana). Which honestly, I'm fine with as I believe the people make the place and if luck permits, I'll find the right crowd. Earlhams campus is breathtaking. Words enough can't describe how beautiful it is. Honestly.

Best of all, International students cannot apply for Spring term. After sending an email to them explaining my situation, I was permitted to apply for Spring '09! Which I'm in the process of doing!

As for Guilford and Mizzou. They're hopefully safety/backup schools I wont have to ever attend. Especially after coming across Earlham.

I apologize

Sorry about the unexpected hiatus. I've just moved into a new house and it's been quite hectic. Thanks to the highly reliable Global Direct, the internet has just been administered to us rather than the promised 28th of July. Apart from that, plenty has happened but I prefer not to get into that just yet.

Spin another bottle in a low-lit room

Truth? Dare? Either way, we have ourselves a winner instead. This game of luck has luckily ran out. I'd rather receive than ask.

2:10 this afternoon. I received an sms from the MOHE congratulating me on my acceptance into their scholarship program. My major? The first (and only) choice I put down because I thought to myself, it's this or nothing. They deemed me crazy for doing so, and I even had to write down 'I only registered for one major' and sign it... apparently it has never happened before. I guess there's always a first. Destination? US of A.

I would have to say apart from getting what I wanted, I'm happy I didn't play dirty and work up some wasta. Not that we would anyway but there is something in that. My dad, like any other Kuwaiti, does have connections but he, unlike them, dislikes wasta immensely. Simply because he does not like granting favours for people and so chooses not to ask for any to begin with. He prefers to play by the rules and believes you will get what you want/deserve in the end if you work for it. For once, I agree with him.

What's next? I'm not quite sure, but I believe it involves a series of vaccinations and form/application filling. Yippe.

Cut! Print It

After running about for hours collecting documents here, getting some stamped and signed there, I am finally done with opening a scholarship account with the ministry.

The private education building was a joke. Three hours was spent there. The first to convince them that the school I attended abroad actually exists, the second was to do more of what was mentioned above, and the third to get photocopying done. Only in Kuwait will you find grown men shoving a 17 year old girl aside and 'slipping' the photocopier guy KD0.250 to get some copying done ahead of everyone. It was pathetic. I waited 'in line' (alone, my father is out of the country) for 30mins and they just kept cutting ahead. When I spoke, they simply ignored me. After that the guy handling the machine went away because clearly he was getting annoyed. You then had a bunch of alpha-males throw themselves at the machine trying to work it. They ended up jamming it and then staring at the thing for 10 mins, pressing buttons, banging the machine... basically not knowing what they were doing (oh no! apparently removing the plug from the wall socket and putting it back in didn't work the damn thing!) I politely asked to get through, fixed the thing up, ended up copying a dozen or so papers for this sweet old man who was behind me the whole time (who also kept speaking up about 'letting the little girl who was waiting forever copy her stuff' but was ignored as well) and then my stuff. Afterwards, the alpha-males shoved papers at me to copy, expecting me to do it for them. No pleases. Nothing. Just a 'copy yallah'

Boy, were they wrong.

Almost... lovers?

Pushing the cover aside, her fingers lightly brushed over the glossy paper. Her eyes devoured the vivid colours that brought her pain and pleasure. Pleasure in the talent and devotion taken to create them. Pain when her mind turned to reflect on the past, and the period in which she acquired the works of art.

Familiar names sprang to life. She did not know them, they were merely familiar in the sense that she could match the artist with the piece. As the pages turned, one particular name caught her eye.

In bold blue font, was the name of a man she had come to know so well. Too well.

And then, it hit her. She was dumbstruck.

Years ago, the name before her was one of a complete stranger. She did not know who he was, or where he was from. Whether he enjoyed summer days, or winter nights. How old he was, or how he liked his tea. At present, the name printed on the paper struck something within her. Something deep, surreal, and extraordinary. Something she could never think to live without. He use to be a nobody, a nothing. Now, he meant the world to her.

A smile touched her lips as she sacredly closed the booklet.

His work once swept her off her feet. As it appears, he has as well.

The irony of it all.