Research on papers

This paper writing is proving to be a pain ...however I am making some headway and should meet my deadline in a timely fashion. Today I worked on the paper on 'conservatism and fear' from 11 am until just about 20 minutes ago when I decided to go heat up my pork curry. Nice and hot on rice I used Sama vegetable curry spice...got it in Kelowna at the Stupid Store...but it seems to be unavailable here...so I will only get one more batch out of the box...the curry tends  ...to counter the dreadful cold here...-34 C with the wind chill. So glad I went out yesterday to mail dad's birthday card...poor old dear turns 85 on the 6th and hardly a brain left in his head.
I still have 2 more papers due on the 9th and 10th...the one on Mexico is about 70% done and the one for my IPE class on Gender is just a critical analysis of some readings...so should be doable over a couple of days...
Had a lovely chat with Liv last evening via the land line here but used Skype to go application...we chatted for about an hours and it cost me about 1.35$....it is a wonderful feature...but made me more homesick for my kids...I will try to call about once a fort night in spite of that...I'd rather talk to Liv than not....
Tomorrow is supposed to be much warmer...and good news that is because the walk to the LRT will be horrible otherwise...I will try to get the second essay done tomorrow night or Thursday night...I am committed to the bookkeeping deal with Candas....on Friday...and so will have 3 days for any odds n ends on Mexico and the critique for the 10th...

One day left...

Tomorrow is my last day here in Oregon until May...I am going to miss the kids terribly and the animals as well...especially Pullo...
I know where I will be living...but as to classes and everything else...not a clue...so I emailed the Prof

saying stupid things

Today I tried to answer a question in one of my classes and ended up looking like a fool...a bit later though I managed to ask a question that the prof had not thought about and seemed to think was a good question...hopefully he will remember the good question and not he stupid answer attempt!

First class was cancelled due to flooding in the prof's basement...so I was up and out of Candas and Timothy's place just after 8 and I could have slept another hour or so...and tomorrow is early as well...considering I seem to have a bad case of insomnia and trouble figuring out suitable topics for my research papers...other than the one on the politics of fear in the US context and the one on women as violent actors in civil and interstate conflicts ...I am at a loss for the US foreign policy paper...though I have mulled the idea of US foreign policy as the impetus for terror attacks...and for the comparative development of Mexico something to do with my question of earlier today...regarding the corporatist nature of the drug cartels...though not sure how I might frame it in a comparative way...with drug cartels in other countries...or just with the state of Mexico itself...perhaps...anyway I must have two five page intention or outlines as to the politics of fear and the Mexico project in 2 weeks....not a happy thought....

This is not fun... 

Fear, conservatism, illegal immigration, economic crashes, and something else...

My week has been filled with realisations. First, I did not have to read everything quite so closely as I did...and I wasted valuable research time with it....I need only read sufficiently to understand each weeks theme in each of the 4 classes and make a couple of credible remarks and take notes of pertinent points...because the point is to write decent papers that the profs will consider at the next level ...something I am not so sure I am capable of...

And I have to go to Montreal for my VISA and I have zero cash...to do this...I am going to call the consulate there to postpone my appointment until the summer so I will have time to get the medical done...350$ and try to raise sufficient funds to pay for the trip...the stress involved in this is quite high...I find I lose concentration and then begin to feel very ill...if I did not have the best part of 3000$ invested in the thing I would probably end it now...but I am very close to being able to work in the US as well as Canada...and I think I need to make sure all options are available to me...

Best get back to research...I really quite enjoy that part of it though the writing is painful as always....

This day

The highlight of my day so far was the email from Olivia...
I think one of my profs was supposed to send me a file or files of some journal articles and book excerpts...the latter especially...I found all the articles on line...but the book excerpt continues to elude my search efforts...Niall Ferguson's Colossus does not seem to be available on line! I have put it on hold...so will have to go over to the Library tomorrow to retrieve it and copy the pages I need...I have read dozens of pages in just one class...thankfully I still have 2 more days to read a rather large number more...

it turns out the prof did not issue other documents..but I found all of them and the book excerpt is not avialble since he did not store the scanned images...I appreciated his prompt reply and will go ahead with plans to go a copy the pages...I have read quite a bit of what I need for Wednesday morning...class and all but one for Tuesday...but none for Wednesday afternoon or Thursday...must get on that...soon...tomorrow...I really can't read any more today...I'll get better at this soon! Funny how quickly one gets out of the habit of reading 150 pages of material each day!

So far I feel very intimidated by the shear quantity of literature i have to read...

One down and fifteen to go

Well...the week is over, I know my assignments and I can safely say I am going to be spending a great deal of time researching, reading, and trying to write at a graduate student level...I fear I am not up to the challenge...are my critical thinking skills sufficiently developed to make some kind of intelligent and insightful comment on the world...I will take my clothes out of the laundry and then go out into the cold and get some food...for supper tonight...and spend some time trying to decide what it is I want to write all these papers on...and then get started...on outlines and gathering material to reference...

why am I doing this?

Warming trend

It looks like it might be a bit warmer tomorrow...all of -19...so dry that it actually feels warmer than...oh -19 in Kelowna...or a few degrees below freezing in Oregon...

Three of Four

Might as well just dive in. I have attended 3 of my 4 classes..they are all seminars with 3 being 3 hours once a week and one 2 hours twice a week and all on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

I have not driven my car since I arrived last Saturday night...it is much too cold to try to start her...so I walk and take the LRT over to the university...so much easier than trying to find parking and paying for it and probably having to walk further than the 15 minutes from the house to the Brownlee building where the ped way is over to Churchill LRT station. If it warms up in the weekend I may venture out to buy a little chicken or pork and a few vegetables...as it is I walked up to the Asian super market after class and got some veggies to make a curry with.

It was so cold that by the time I returned to the house my eyelashes were freezing my eyes closed...but I do have sufficient clothing to keep me warm except for the aforementioned eyes...my fleece scarf over my wool scarf, long johns, warm trousers, woollen sweater, hat and socks along with the Cowichan sweater that Terry gave me. Dressed in wool from top to bottom I stay lovely and warm outside then cook in the overly warm buildings...and have to shed many layers...and then worry that I may forget a critical layer and freeze on the walk back to the house...believe me 15 minutes in this cold would not be pleasant...if missing a layer of wool...

My prof in the US Foreign Relations seminar is quite right wing...it will be interesting...I hope not a mistake to remain in his class...sometimes if one is not like minded...I shall reserve judgement...Julian seems very nice so having him for 2 classes is nice I hope...and then Siobhan in the IPE class will be interesting as well as she seems to be looking at it from a feminist POV...judging by the reading material she is requiring....

So I cooked a veg curry and rice and ate...not bad ...Candas and Timothy ate too...as I made more than enough...hope they enjoyed it...

Arrival in Edmonton

So on Friday I left my sister's place stopped to visit with Heather and ask a bunch of questions regarding a Master's program....got some useful information. Then on to Vernon where Sal and I caught up a bit before the party...indulged in a little wine and good conversation with her friends...a nice bunch of women. On Saturday morning I left around 9 stopped for a coffee at the local Timmys then began an 11 hour drive to Edmonton. Vernon to Calgary was pretty easy...a couple of stops for tea and arrived in Calgary at 5:30 local time. Stopped for fuel just before the turn north on HWY2.
This 275km highway was just awful...blowing snow and white out conditions for 245kms and then treacherous icy conditions for the last 30 odd kms. This relatively easy drive under normal conditions should not take more than 2 and 1/2 hours however, on Saturday evening I was just over 5 hours driving. Between not being able to see due to blowing snow and the rather odd sensation on driving on an extremely glassy like surface, I could not exceed 80km /hr though most of the time I was creeping along at 40 and 50 km/hr. I did make it though the number of cars in the ditch was astonishing...and at one point I almost drove into the deep snow in the median when a swirl of snow blinded me. Luckily I stopped before dropping into the drift and was able to reorient myself and continue on.
Candas and Timothy met me after 11 pm and welcomed me with hot tea and curry...most welcome. In the two days that I have been here I have felt most welcome.
Today I went to the University of Alberta here in Edmonton and got registered, my student card and my loan papers signed and mailed... tuition is high so my money is sure to run out before classes do...so must find a job...since I have classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...and the rest of the week off...it would be nice to find a part time job to supplement the loan money...
Back to the ordeal today....I put several layers of warm woollen clothing on before leaving and walked over to find the Brownlee Building.  I found the LRT entrance with little difficulty (Candas gave me an excellent map) and made my way via the underground over to the campus...only 30 minutes from the house via this nice rapid transit! upon arriving on campus I found the admin building to get student loan papers signed...but discovered that I needed my 'one card' fancy language for student id card...so over to the Cameron Library building basement for the card...where i found out that because I was NOT registered in any classes...I could not get the card...so...over to the HUB...and the long walk to the other end and into the Tory Building and up to the 10th floor where I found Jane, the Political Science Administrator, who took me to Ian, PoliSc chair, who got me registered in the necessary classes...rather 3 of the 4 required and suggested I speak with Greg about getting into his class...though full (5 students). Once that was accomplished I headed back to get my student id card...where they put the train/bus pass sticker on. This was a big relief because I did not want to have to then go to the SUB to get that...though I needed it to return to my room...anyway I got my loan papers signed and mailed then from guess where...the SUB!
I went back to the HUB and found a panini to eat when the pakoras at the Indian place were sold out...I also had a nice cuppa tea and rested briefly. I walked back to the SUB to the book store and found that I will only have to spend about 75$ on books...so far...that is very good....
I went back to the HUB and went down to the LRT and returned to Churchill station. After stumbling around for a good 30 minutes I finally found my underground ped way to the Brownlee Building. I decided to walk up 97 to Chinatown and discovered a few nice places to get food cheap before returning to my place.
Nice visit with Candas and Timothy once he returned from teaching then I came up to my room to contact Greg about the class I need ....he told me to come Wednesday at 9...so I probably will just have to get some kind of override so I can register for it...and have my 4 classes...all on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...so I will have 4 days to try to find a small job...to offset my expenses....
On another note...my interview to get my 'green card' (an almost 12 month odyssey) is 9 March ...in Montreal...Liv is attempting to postpone and change the location to one more appropriate...say Vancouver...or Seattle even... though I suppose a road trip to Montreal in May would be nice....so if all else fails ....a postponement so I may finish the term here...before heading east..