The sky is falling

There's just so much to do! I'm nearing the final week of my current three week semester, in which I'm taking a Canadian Lit course and a film studies course, and I'm about ready to either give up or explode. Or maybe curl into the fetal position and hope that no one notices that I'm no longer a participating member of society.

For awhile, everything seemed to be coming together nicely. I got my criminal record checked, got my visa application and contract for employment in the mail, got immunized and all my prescriptions in order, bought my ticket and insurance, all the while whilst I kept on top of my schoolwork and even managed to tutor a few times a week. However, now everything seems to be crashing down around me.

I had a bad reaction to my Yellow Fever vaccine, which made my left arm swell up around the injection site, spreading a red ugly rash down my arm. It didn't really hurt (it was itchy as hell, though!), but my doctor was at a loss on how to deal with it, so I went back to the travel clinic and they told me to wait it out. Meanwhile, it continued to spread for a few more days (9 days in total!), but now, thankfully it's starting to lose it's angry red colour and heal from the inside out. Now it looks like I have a gigantic sour soother candy tattooed on my arm. It's pretty badass, if I do say so myself.

I also realized while trying to figure out my visa requirements that my passport needs to be valid for 6 months on my return date. People, take note. My passport expires in August 2008, and I'm coming back in April or May. I thought that was plenty of time, but apparently not. So, two months before I leave, I'm frantically trying to get a new passport in time that I can apply for a visa as well. Gong. Show. It was a whole day wasted in the passport office, jumping from queue to queue, until finally, after much deliberation as to whether my Guaranteer was acceptable, I was finally told that my passport will be in my hands within a few weeks. Learn from my mistake. Check your passport if you are planning on traveling anytime. Some countries won't even let you in if your passport isn't valid for 6 months on your return.

Other than that, I think I've fallen behind in school, despite my best efforts, and will be frantically trying to make up the work over the next week. I haven't yet missed a deadline, but next Thursday I have two essays and a term journal due. If anyone wants to send in reinforcements, I will be accepting them gratefully.

Always,

Emily