So.. Sudbury

Someone tell me who's girl genius idea it was for me to come stay in Sudbury, where it is freezing, and has freezing snow on the ground? I already miss the southern Ontario warmth. Sigh.. green lawns...temperatures above zero. Well good practice when I go across the ocean. That's it, the kitty and I arrived safely, after she escaped for a while at my mothers(had a brief stop over there last night). The cat went out an open door, that I didn't know was open. And I couldn't find her, and we had to leave because they are selling the house, and had people coming over to view the house. Luckilly my uncle found her just before. There would have a seen worth of the best drama queen, had we not found her. So I am in Skids, freezing my butt off.

Last post from Londontown

Well, as I sit here in my box filled room, waiting for my Dad to arrive, I am filled with a variety of emotions. I am sad because I have had to say a really hard good-bye. I don't know if I will ever see this person, again, it reminds of the last line in Shakespeare's play Love's Labours Lost " you this way, us that way"- or something to that effects. Good-byes really suck, and I have had to say a few too many, but it's part of life. It's always bittersweet closing one chapter of our lives, sad to be leaving, but hopeful as we write new chapters. This morning, I was having some serious doubts about whether I would actually be able to go through with this. I kept on thinking, who's girl genius idea was it for me to move to Europe not knowing a soul? No one told me it was going to be this hard. I still kind of think that, but I know it will be fine. I am excited, but it has just been overshadowed with the saddness, and the stress of moving. Because on top of figuring otu what I need in Europe, I have to pack up everything else. I am much more relaxed now too, because the place is offically all packed up excepted for my phone, and my computer. Although I must say although I heard my mothers voice in my head telling me to pack light, not as easy as it sounds. Plus I think I had a really good sign. I have a necklace that I bought in Stratford last fall with Sarah, and it has a celtic charm for good fortune. It's been lost since June, and wouldn't you know it, on my last day I found it while packing, hiding behind my alarm clock? So very happy. I will really miss London, when I get back from Europe, I think I will move here. I love it here, this place is home to me now, and it has been good to me. I really cherish the new friends I have made here, and hope will we remain friends. So I guess there is really nothing to say but so long, far well, auf wiedersen, good-bye. Until we meet again.

Move date

After running up my phone bill, I have established that my dad, and my uncle are moving me Saturday. So that's the latest. I feel bad for dad though, because the kitty is coming, and dad is allergic to kitty. I hope he is ok, he doesn't need anymore stress on the ticker, after the heart attack.

Fed up

Christ bloody hell! Now I am not leaving on the first. Ahhhhhhhh! I won't even get the god damn stuff I need from Wanda until Friday which means I can't send out the visa application until monday. The visa appilcation takes a week to a week and a half. I am supposed to have an address to put on the damn thing, and I don't have one, so that could delay it. I am so bloody fed up right now, and the god damn french embassy's website is not user friendly, it's hard to find information. So basically they don't know when the hell I am leaving, so I am back to bloody square one. ARGH! Wanda is so f-ing unorganized, why is she just sending me the flipping documents I need now, a week from the tentative date of depature? At this rate I might as well bloody well stay here till after Christmas. We're setting the date as the first one the forms to get the process sped up, how bloody good is that if they don't get it until then? I am so incredibly and utterly annoyed. I guess it's not her fault, she has been waiting for documents too. If I am lucky I will have left by the seventh. I just am feeling pissed off. Maybe it can happen earlier than expected.
UPDATE: 11:45 Called Wanda with a barrage of new questions. The week to a week and a half thing is from the time I send it, to when I get it back. Wanda said as soon as they know my application is approved they will send me on the next flight. She also said to use the UNESCO address.So it could happen quite quickly. Let's just hope it does. In the meantime, I will think positively to know I will have more time to spend with my friends and family, so it is not the end of the world. All of this also means no Geneva, but I am okay with that, because I know there will be another chance before April 30th.

Geneva, Switzerland

I know what you are thinkng... oh my god, has the plan changed yet again. Rest assured that it has not. I did get this e-mail from Helga though:
Dear Kristin,dear Gawan,
hope this message reaches you in time. Spoke to You, Gawan yesterday, about your plans to travel to Geneva in December,to attend a Seminar at the United Nations Secretrary for Indigenous Affairs, organised
by Julian Burger. The theme of the seminary is on Indigenous Treaty Rights (and therfore a follow up on the Martinez Cobo Report).Could you please check the information on the www of the organization DOCIP and verify the dates, to see if timewise you could attend? If Gawan travels to Geneva, there might be a way that you can attend. There might ... please verify.My kindest regards,Helga

I get a budget for conferences and stuff so I should be able to go. Geneva would be really cool. Always excited to go to a new country. This could actually be a really interesting story for Anishinabek News. Yay for international journalism!I also got a scary sounding e-mail from Amy, an intern in Austria: "So--- Vienna. It is cold, but not as cold as home--- and not too much snow. Essentially bring warm stuff, and botts if you have them. But nothing too extreme. Plus, as it is very expensive to live here, try to bring as many every-day things as possible (ie: toiletries, etc...)" Two words I don't like: cold and expensive. But she did say not as cold as home, so this is a good thing. Anyways that's the latest, I have to figure out what this www thing Helga is talking about.
UPDATE: one hour later, found the website, the last time the damn thing was updated was in March/April, so I e-mailed them asking them to please tell the me dates. In the mean time I am searching the web, trying to find this out. Oh yeah Harry Potter three comes out on video/DVD today. YAY! kind of, would have been more exciting had Alfonso Cuaron not been the wicked that this way came, and wrecked Prisoner of Azkaban. I will still buy it eventually because you can't break up the set.Anyways stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of whether or not I get to go to Switzerland.
FURTHER UPDATE: 11:45
I don't know if I will be able to go to Switzerland:
Dear Kristin,
You certainly mean the 10th session of the Working Group on the Draft Declaration? It starts on November 29th and ends on December 3rd, 2004. Indeed there is no precision on that second half of the WG on the website (which is not managed by doCip). I transfer your message to our Coordination Secretary, Patricia Jimenez, who will provide you with the necessary information, although time is short. Hoping to have been of help,All the best,Françoise / doCip Secretary
The time frame could be kind of crazy, because I don't know what time I will be arriving in Austria, and then I would basically have to immeadiately jump on a train to Geneva and I don't know if it would be worth it to just go for the last day. I am going to talk to Wanda, and she what she says. Waiting for her to call back.

Making trouble and skipping Christmas

I don't think Wanda is all to thrilled with my decision to take off to Suds, she has had to reorder a flight itinery leaving from Sudbury. So god, I hope everything goes as planned, although I am trying to get a hold of her to tell her it's ok if I have to leave from TO. I have started to get in contact with some of the other interns. There are several in Paris, and two others in Vienna, although one is apparently older. Perhaps I will have some travel companions... and someone to spend the holidays. I am seriously considering the idea of just skipping Christmas. I will miss my stocking though, that is my favourite part! It's all aways the best. Santa is always good to me. This will be a Christmas of many firsts: the first one without my aunt, the first one in Europe, and the first one completely away from any family. So it will be a different experience. I am torn I want to get going at the same time, but I would like to stay in Canada until after x-mas. My friend Val who is going to South Korea, right after christmas to teach english is lucky that she will be here. But you know it will be nice to get away from all the North American commercialism. It's every where now, stores are already playing carols, but tis the season so fa la la la la la la la la. Speaking of shopping, and commercialism incase you cared found a really cheap huge suitcase/bag ($20) so I can pack my stuff, and a cute pair of black boots for $13! It was a productive day. So fa la la la la la la la la.

Oh what a world

As if I am coming up to Skidsbury voluntarily! What is wrong with this picture? You Sudburians, Garsonites, and Copper Cliff people need to move somewhere else like Ottawa or London. So I am still working on the details, but since my uncle(s) is (are) being gracious enough to help me move sometime next weekend, I figure may as well come up to Sudbury with (him) them, because I won't have anything here, or if I were to keep linen and stuff what would I do with it after when I bus it to Toronto to catch my flight? I would have to leave it here or ship it upto Sudbury. As per usual I will be staying at the Chateau Grandparents. Anyways, so that is the plan. I figured this way I will have an opportunity to see my friends and family before I leave. I still haven't recieved confirmation on the 1st, yet, it may be tinkered with by a day or two, so there is no itinerary as of yet. I might only be up overnight, on the 28th or maybe from the 27th to the 30th. I don't know yet, as soon as I do, I will let you know. Unfortunately I won't be able to surprise you guys this time, by chucking rocks at your bedroom window at 11pm scaring you in the process. Another time. But.... maybe we can all go for lunch or dinner or something. As always keep checking the blog for details. Oh yeah, I don't think I have mentioned this before, you don't need to register or sign up to comment.

Potentially good news for you Potter-heads

I saw this on mugglenet:
"HBP publication date rumors: June 2005
Someone in a position to know (whose name we obviously can't reveal) has given us word that Scholastic is planning for a mid-June 2005 release for book six, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. More specifically, they are considering June 11th and June 18th - both Saturdays.As always, treat this as a rumor until we can get real confirmation, which in this case will most likely come from JK Rowling's official site. My two cents: Call it wishful thinking, this time frame seems pretty logical to me. Consider: a June 2005 release would be 2 years after book 5 - ample time to finish a story that is supposed to be significantly less than OOTP (many estimates have it at half the length). She wrote GOF in 1 year, if you remember, and had to re-write half the book because of a gaping plot hole. Granted, that was under different circumstances, but it just shows that we shouldn't underestimate her. It took JKR 3 years to write the monster that is OOTP and that was with extremely long breaks from writing. Jo does have a baby due this spring, but she has said repeatedly that it will not delay the book's release. At the Edinburgh Book Festival last August (3 1/2 months ago) she said she was more than half-way done.I guess all we can do at this point is speculate and hope, but I'm optimistic."
All I have to say is yay, and I hope it's true!

planning exploring

So I have decided on a definate trip for when I am in Paris. I was doing some reading about the European Rail system at this cool travel bookstore called Novacks- if you are in London, I recommend it- and have sorta began forming a trip. I found out that Barcelona, Spain is only 8 1/2 hours away, so I will like be able to leave on a Friday night, arrive early saturday morning, and then I can come back sunday night. I am still working on making it to Athens from Vienna. I will try and go to Milan from Vienna, its only like 7 hrs. I am getting excited at the prospect of travelling. I want to go to Geneva, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Athens, St. Petersburg or Moscow, Madrid and London. My friend Anne showed me this website all about last minute trips where you can sometimes even get flights and accomodations for around 100euros, probably more, so we'll see where I get to go. This is the best time to travel there, because I can take advantage of the cheap youth prices. Really not liking the fact the Frommer's guide book has changed from Europe from $70/day to $85/day. I read somewhere that in Vienna it's 3 euros for a can of coke, which is about $4.95 Cdn!Apparently wine is cheap there, cheaper than water. Upon my return to Canada: Kristin= Lush. The enormity of this whole thing is starting to hit me. OH MY GOD I AM MOVING TO EUROPE! It's feeling realer now that I have begun to slowly start organizing to pack. I think I may try to find a job in London, England at the end of May.Gosh this has been a really heavy blog posting day, you'd think I am writing a novel! Who knows maybe I will publish this one day!

clothes.. clothes and more clothes

Yes, I sound like an airhead, but this is my first professional type job, so I need to look good. I have never needed work clothers before, and this is like the UN for heaven sakes! I was in the bathroom for like the past two hours, trying on different combinations of clothing. I have 45 items, which will all fit in one suit case- I know I tried it-, but I still need a big suitcase for my otherstuff.I made sure that each shirt can be worn with more than one bottom, and vice versa, to help give me more wardrobe choices. I have to admit though I kind of cheated a bit by saying this shirt goes with my jeans and my jean skirt(s), as opposed to goes with my jeans and beige pants. Is three pairs of jeans and three jean skirts too many? But each has a different property and purpose .. like one pair of jeans has cute embroidery on the legs, and one jeans is for looser fitting tops, another pair are for tighter tops. Similar things with the skirts. I mean I do need some more casual clothing for weekends and traveling. I wonder if I can wear jeans at Unesco? It's not such a concern in Vienna, because I will be attending classes, and Helga doesn't actually have an office. I wonder if I will get my own office or desk at Unesco? But then again, they wear black in Paris. Although I should point out this does not include my bathsuit, pjs, or undergarments. Do you think it's too much if I bring two coats? My shorter blue peacoat, and then my long beige suede one with fur on the neck and wrists? I also think I need a pair of black winter boots. The shoes I am planning on bring are a pair of black dress shoes, my blue winter boots, my beige uggs, and my black backless pennyloafers (and then the black boots when I buy them). These all goe with my wardrobe pallete of beige/brown, blue, white and black, although there is some colour in there. If anyone has any suggestions of clothing items or other things I should bring, please let me know. I know it sounds like I am bringing a lot of clothes, but I mean I have to pack for the spring a bit too... plus in Austria it's colder than Paris.. it's like plus 1 or 2 in February, but in Paris it is like 7 or 8 degrees. Plus if I travel to Spain or a warmer climate, I'll want to have wearable outfits. I am not even bringing a 1/4 of my wardrobe, maybe even less, so this will be a shock in itself, but hey, there's always Milan and Paris, the fashion capitals. and London. Look out the shopaholic is going abroad! And thanks to Stacey and Clinton, I know now what not to wear, well maybe I have a better idea anyways. God, I never realized what I clotheshorse I am!

So much stuff not enough room....

So I got an interesting e-mail in my junk e-mail box:
if i might to intoduce myself - my name is Alexander Köhler, student of social- and cultural anthropology at the university of vienna. A few days ago i was informed by helga , that you would give us the honour to visit our city for some weeks in the course of the YPI, before you´d move on to paris. if i am allowed, i´d like to ask you for some further information concerning your project etc.; i would really be pleased, hear from you, greetings, alexander

Not quite sure what to respond, as I don't really know the nature of my project yet. Right now I am focusing on what to pack, and figuring out what to do with my stuff. Plus unless I want to pay like $175 I can only bring two suitcases, and a carry on. AS IF! I am going to Europe for five months, I need a variety of clothes, and my Shopaholic and Harry Potter books, maybe my Helen Fielding books.I need my books, because if I can't watch Gilmore Girls, I need something to do at night,when I get home from exploring. It's a source of stress in itself. All the things I need to bring in limited space. Not to mention shoes take up alot of space, but I think I have decided on which four pairs to bring. Maybe 5. I want to bring my cd's and a photo album. The cd's will be taken out of their cases though, and put in a wallet to save space. And the photo album will be a small one. I know the trick for clothing is to pack versitial items, that can make tons of out fits... and I don't need 5 black shirts maybe 1 or 2. I am not quite at that stage, I will start packing soon, so I am starting to think about it. I bought a really great pair of pants yesterday that can be worn with many things.

We have a departure date!

If everything goes according to plan, I will be shipping out to Vienna on the 1st, two weeks today! Yikes! So much to do! I will be in Austria until mid January, then I will be going to Paris until.. are you ready for this? April 30th! Yay! I am so relieved I don't have to get an Austrian visa, because it so complex, and in German, so I don't need the longform of my birth certificate or a police check! I am getting a french visa, will allow me to go to Austria first. I didn't know that the classic painting The Kiss resides in Vienna so I will be able to go see it. It sucks I won't get to see you Sudburian people, but I am so excited to finally be going after cooling my heels for three months. When I go to Paris, it will be by train so that means I could be travelling through either Germany or Switzerland!

Shock

It is amazing how much a day can change. This afternoon, I went downtown to look around, I had a really good time. I checked out this really funky travelbook store, met a cute guy there. Checked out the galleria mall, it is such a beautiful mall too bad it is practically empty. Checked out the beautiful main branch of the London Public Library (way nicer then Skidsbury). All in all it was a good afternoon checking out places I hadn't been before. I went into this one store Speedcity Records, trying to find a used Dixie Chicks and Madonna cd since mine have mysteriously disapeared to no avial. As I am looking around I hear CHRW playing so I talk to the clerk, and ask him if they listen to it all the time, because I do newscast theres thursdays and fridays, and then he says have you heard about Kaarlo who is the general manager, I say no, and he procedes to tell me that he has died, and that Grant the program manager had found him yesterday. I was/am in shock, so I go straight to the station to see if this guy is telling me the truth, and Jimmymac tells me it is. We don't know what happened, it could have been a heart attack or something to do with this diabetes. Apparently it happened thursday night, but he wasn't found until Monday when Grant went to his place after he didn't show up to work. It just seems so surreal that Kaarlo could be dead. He is only 38. He was such a nice guy, the station won't be the same without him. An unexpected death can really make you appreciate the sanctity of life, and how precious it really is. No funeral arangements have been made as of yet, his mom is coming in from Finland. So that was my day. Oh yeah I have a phone conference with Wanda tommorow, so I will hopefully have more news.

Dodged a bullet

My landlord came down and told me that some one was coming to look at the rooms in a hour, and that she was quite desperate that she might be moving in today. My "roommate" never actually moved in, and she told Bob that she would be gathering her stuff some time before December 1st. Weird, she has been paying rent the whole time I have been living but I am not complaining I love having the place to myself. So he was telling me that this woman is like 50 and from Grenada, and that she would be moving into my roommates room. Which would have sucked big time, I wouldn't have been able to have certain people over until 2:30am on any given night, or have the run of the place to myself. But she called and said she thought it was too far away from downtown so she changed her mind about coming to look at it. Honestly, beggars can't be choosers. So I have my place all to myself again! Bob brought me boxes today so I could start packing, because he had wrecked all mine in the summer with out asking me. Some of these boxes I've had since first year when I moved away from home, I have to admit it kind of pissed me off, I just wished he would have left them well alone. He didn't even bring me good boxes, they have openings in the top and bottoms, and I am like I need to store my stuff in them. What was he thinking? So glad I am out of here! I don't think I would come back here after all even though the rent is cheap, and I get cable.

And I thought the Austrian government had red tape

Although I am really not liking the Austrian government's bureaucracy (it's delaying my trip), it is nothing compared to the new US restrictions being implimented. I was watching the CTV news and they were talking about how all landed immigrants in Canada wanted to go visit the US, now have to be finger printed, and have their picture taken, they also have to be interviewed. Apparently some government officials wanted all people entering the states to go through that process, it's still not guaranteed that it won't change. For the time being Canadian citizens are exempt. By the end of next year all border crossing will have this finger printing stuff. This means longer delays at the border, which sucks because my dad's trucking company does moslty of cross border trade. But hopefully it will all get sorted out.

Not much is new

The plan hasn't changed since last time I posted about the trip. Still waiting to hear from Wanda, I e-mailed her last week saying I needed an e-mail from her showing me a date so I can have proof of urgency for my long form birth certificate for the visa. That is all I really need, but it a long process, that will take 10 business days, then I can apply for my visa, which takes 2 days apparently. But the way things are going I am going to be moving to Sudbury on December 1st for a week or two. Depending on how quickly things go. I got a letter from Helga, which was really nice.I had to send her and Wanda a bunch of my essays, and my thesis. I also have to fill out a participant self accessment thing, before I go. Oh yeah, and I found out because of the time change Austria and Paris are actually 6 hours ahead of us now, not 7. I have a feeling that Paris is warmer than Vienna (it's 7 degrees in Paris and 2 degrees in Vienna) In Sudbury or London it's 5 degrees, right now. It's colder in Vienna then Sudbury- scary. Mind you it's like 2am there, but still it's also 2 am over in Paris too. Sigh. Anyways that's it, here's the e-mail:

Dear Kristin,

thank you so much for your letter and your papers.I am looking forward to work with you, and help you in Austria or in France during your internship time to complete the program successfully.Please know, that I will help you as muchas you need it in order to feel secure, and most comfortable on a differentcontintent, such as Europe. Please advise, when you would like to arrive.Would you like to spend X-Mas in europe, or have you developed own plans of visiting somebody over the holidays? Where would you like to stay? Firstly I can offer you to stay with me in the country-side for some days, to help you settle in.You are always welcome in my family. Furthermore, as an intermediary solution,I can offer my old student appartment in Vienna, which is ok for European standards. The only tiny detail to remember is, you have to heat with fire-wood.Furthermore, we can try to find your own place.Thirdly, please check, when you would travel to Paris.You know, Douglas at Unesco can receive you around Jan. 22-23rd 2005.Please verify your time-schedule very well, so that you can have the best out of your two placements.Awaiting your kind reply, I remain mit herzlichen Gruessen Ihre Dr. Helga

Lest we forget

I am sitting here watching the rememberance day ceremonies on CBC (don't get to excited Heids, I am still not a convert), and it always makes me sad. It's so weird to think that people who were younger than me, fought and sacrificed for future generations. Some of them even lied about their ages. I am having trouble expressing my feelings. It feels so surreal to imagine my guy friends enlisting, and going off to war. I guess now and days they would probably be conscripting men and women. I don't know if I could make that kind of sacrifice. I can't even imagine what horrors they have seen. But it's not just the soldiers that are making the sacrifice, it's the families that have been torn apart by the ravages of war. Although the first world war wasn't the war to end all wars, I don't believe it was in vain, nor do I believe the second world war was in vain. But the announcers on TV said more people seems to be coming to the ceremony, which makes me happy. We must never forget, and it is so important that we instill this into future generations.

Shoulda woulda couldas and Yasser Arafat

So it looks like a date is slowing creeping to the picture 3 or 4 weeks, it all depends on my birth certificate, because I need to show proof of urgency in order to get in 10 days, other wise it could take 6-8 weeks. (Let's hope everything goes smoothly.)I really wish I was in Paris now, because I could get a jump start on internationa journalism by covering Yasser Arafat's hospitalisation, and his death, and the removal of his body for burial in Cairo. I am totally sure Jimmymac would have loved to have had a few international voicers, as well I bet the Toronto Star or the Globe would have been interested, and I could have been on the front page nationally... okay back to reality. I am not there yet, and there is no point in the shoulda woulda couldas.

Ann-Marie MacDonald

Although this blog is supposed to be about my European adventures, I reserve the right to deviate occasionally, and today is one of those occasions. Had I been in Paris like I was supposed to be I would not have gotten to meet author/actress Ann-Marie MacDonald.(She wrote Fall on your knees, and The way the crow flies, and was also in the movie Where the Spirit Lives, for all of you asking who the hell is she?) (For plot summaries click on the book's names)Still giddy with euphoria. I was front row centre, right in front of the podium. Well there is a bit of a story, as some of you know I get a wee bit crazy trying to get up right up front (First Nickleback concert- need I say more Sar?). So when I first arrived, they said the first two rows were off limits to everyone, so I sit right in the middle of the third row. So many people show up, that they begin to allow people into the second row, so I am all there is no way in hell I am letting anyone sit ahead of me, so I move to the centre of the second row (I reserve a seat by throwing my bag and coat on the seat infront of me). So when I am settled again they begin to allow people into the front row, I repeated the process.(I was the only one,sure I looked like a jackass, but hey it was worth it)Ann-Marie (as some of the audience called her) read the beginning few pages of her latest book The Way the Crow Flies, and then she read from several chapters (Welcome to Centralia, Swinging on a star, Morning, Have you ever considered therapy?) As well she read this interlude between chapters on page 199. (I looked them up on the bus on the way home so I would remember (I just finished the book today, but I had read her first book in second year).Anyways, it is just incredible to hear an author read their own work, you get a real sense of what they are trying to get across as well as their sense of humor,etc. After the reading she and this other author (Wayson Choy- who I felt sorry for because he had to go first, and people -namely me- weren't really interested in what he had to say, because we wanted to see A.-M.M.), anyways they answers questions, but I was all shy. And then we all queued up for a book signing. I only bothered with Ann-Marie. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but when it was my turn to go up I just gushed, saying that it was a pleasure to meet her, and that I had seen her in Where the Spirit Lives (which I used to watch when I was a kid), and I had read her book with out knowing that that was her. Then she said so you didn't make the connection. I also said that my mom was a big fan, and then she said thanks, and then I left. I wanted to ask if she had any feed back from Stephen Truscott family, because there are paralells, between the case and her book. I wanted to ask how much of the character of Madeline was based on her (It seems like a lot- both are lesbians, both lived in Centralia during early 60's -army brats-,(Random note Centralia is near London) both lived at the same military station in Germany, both persued acting in their twenties, both have lived in Ottawa). It's amazing how autobiographical authors can be (Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter is also very autobiographical.) I digress, I also wanted to ask what she considered the themes of her books. Maybe next time.I am now the proud owner of an autographed copy of The Way the Crow Flies, although no one but me will no because her signature is indecipherable.But I totally like her, she is so cool, and funny. When she first came on stage, she made this cute Romper room reference with mirror - you know the whole wanting to name us all in the mirror-and she said because we laughed she knows we're old. So all in all, it was good. She brought the snow with her, because today London had its' first snow fall, and now the ground is covered with the cold white stuff, I know I didn't order it.

Plans could be changing again.... this time for the better.

I just got off the phone with Wanda, and she says that I might get to go to Paris at the end of January after all. The main reason she didn't want me to go, was because Doug (the person who would be my supervisor at Unesco), wouldn't be able to give me the level of cultural support she would like. But Helga (my Austrian supervisor) might be going to Paris, so if she did, I could go to Paris and work for UNESCO again. Helga, would be there to give me that level of support need while in France. If all goes as planned I would still being going to Austria for a while. So that is what is going on today. I am so happy, although Wanda said not to get my hopes up to high, but keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.

Drowning in bureaucractic red tape

Who knew applying for an Austrian Visa would be so complicated! I have a birth certificate, but oh no it's not good enough. They need the long form of my birth ceritifcate, that shows my parents, they don't consider the other one a real birth ceritificate. The birth certificate could take as long as 6-8 weeks, but with proof of necessity, I could get it done in 10 business days, unless I make the trip to Toronto, and that would have a 48 hr turn a round period. And then they need proof of more health insurance then just the basic OHIP, which I do have. They need proof of accomodations. They need a letter from both Wanda and Helga (who would be my supervisor over there). They also need a police record check, the only thing that would show up there is acouple of traffic violations. And each thing is so f-ing annoying, you can't pay this way, you have to pay that way.. UGH! Okay enough whinning for now. Might I just point out that the Parisian visa form would have been signficantly less complicated, I know I checked. At least I think I can claim most of these expenses the police check is $40 can you believe it? And then the b/c is $35. I have e-mailed Wanda and told her the lastest development, and asked about the expenses. So that is all for now. What's the betting the US election doesn't end today, and that Bush will whine until he "wins" again?