I cross all the seas, it's fine by me...

As fi vrut sa va dau informatiile astea "la cald", dar dupa cum o sa vedeti in continuare, miercuri chiar nu mai eram in stare sa fac asta...


Am inceput ziua pe fuga, ca de obicei..Dormisem putin, pt ca voiam sa imi termin prima "tema" (era chiar ceva neimportant, puteam sa nu o fac, dar am zis sa nu incep cu stangul si cu obiceiuri proaste), plus ca nu reuseam sa adorm cu o noapte inainte (desi chiar nu era vorba de emotii). Am incercat sa iau un mic dejun cat mai consistent, stiam ca va urma o zi lunga. A fost si momentul primei cafele in noua mea casa, iar mirosul raspindit in bucatarie la deschiderea pungii mi-a amintit de diminetile cand obisnuiam sa imi beau cafeaua cu Kaisa si Lidia (mai putin cu Lidia, ea nu se trezea prea devreme in mod normal :D). Cred ca de fiecare data cand voi bea cafeaua dimineata, la micul dejun, imi voi aminti de acea perioada. Pur si simplu mireasma cafelei la ora 7-8 asta imi evoca...Cu ele am invatat sa beau cafeaua si atunci a devenit o obisnuinta (ce a urmat dupa intra in categoria "trebuie sa beau o cafea ca sa rezist azi")...
Se spune ca o zi buna incepe cu o cafea buna...Ma rog, nu intotdeauna - trebuie sa recunosc ca nu a fost cea mai buna cafea din viata mea, pentru ca mi-am amintit si am realizat destul de tarziu ca nu pusesem zahar. Se vede ca mi-am iesit din mana...

Am ajuns la timp la facultate, de fapt chiar mai devreme cu 5 minute, la fix cat sa imi scot la imprimanta "tema". Sala unde se tinea cursul, Research Methods, era plina la ora 09:00, pe multi chiar nu ii cunosteam, dar era vorba de tot departamantul de de Humanities and Social Science. Cursul e interesant, desi nu are nici o legatura cu subiectul studiilor noastre. Practic, te invata cum sa scrii o lucrare: cum sa te documentezi, cum sa faci referintele critice etc. Notarea se va face pe baza unei lucrari despre ce vrem noi din aria noastra curriculara (deci va fi folositoare), caci scopul evaluarii este sa observe daca stim sau nu sa facem o cercetare. Ma rog, nu prea stiu cum sa va explic, nici eu nu sunt tocmai lamurita acum, mi se pare cam abstract in anumite privinte.

A urmat o pauza de doua ore, in care am stat de vorba cu Mihai, romanul din program, si am facut un "schimb": ne-am povestit unul altuia ceea ce fiecare nu reusisem sa citim in totalitate (caci ne-am potrivit la chestia asta). Am descoperit o cantina mica (nici macar nu se numeste asa), unde am luat "pranzul" (era abia 12 si mancasem cu 4 ore inainte)...

Alt curs (International Terrorism), alta cladire...ne-am inghesuit vreo 20 de persoane intr-o sala cam mica (pentru data viitoare profesorul a vorbit pentru o alta camera). Am cam pierdut putin timp cu detaliile despre modul cum e structurat cursul, cum vom fi evaluati si altele, dar am discutat putin si despre topicul seminarului. Cam acelasi lucru s-a intamplat si la urmatorul curs, International Organised Crime, doar ca aici discutiile au fost ceva mai ample (pentru ca am avut mai mult timp la dispozitie). La un moment dat, profesorul (italianul de care v-am povestit deja) a adus in discutie traficul de persoane din Romania, iar eu am vrut sa il completez ca reteaua era mai mare, cu femei din Moldova si Ucraina, iar el probabil ca a inteles ca am fost ofensata de ceea ce spunea si nu mai stia cum sa dreaga situatia si se scuze intr-un fel...iar noi am inceput sa radem! :D

Am mai avut cateva momente de respiro, pe care l-am petrecut la o cafea in compania unui tip din Kenya, apoi am mers la receptia organizata pentru tot departamentul. La inceput toata lumea statea mai mult alaturi de cei care erau in acelasi master, abia spre final am inceput sa ne amestecam. Colegii mei s-au dat la fund si au plecat destul de repede (asta si pt ca majoritatea nu stau in Coventry, asa cum am mai spus), deci a trebuit sa ma multumesc cu persoanele ramase pe acolo hahahaha. Asa se face ca la un moment dat m-am trezit inconjurata numai de persoane de culoare (nu sunt rasista, stati linistiti, dar asta am constatat atunci), dar cel putin am socializat intens. Oricum, intr-un fel sau altul toti erau interesati de mine: unul, din Nigeria, vrea sa ma scoata in oras (o sa imi folosesc toate instrumentele diplomatice ca sa il refuz), altul, din Congo, isi face doctoratul pe tema serviciilor de inteligenta din noile democratii si a ales ca studiu de caz Congo si Romania! Chiar vrea ca la anul sa obtina bani de cercetare si sa mearga in Romania, dar pana atunci vrea sa obtina contacte (ce m-a nimerit! hahahaha).

Intr-un final, "gasca" s-a spart, asa ca dupa 12 ore am ajuns si eu acasa, culmea!, nu foarte obosita (desi am carat dupa mine toata ziua doua suporturi de curs foarte "serioase"). Acasa deja lumea (francezi, normal!) se stransese pentru bauturile premergatoare iesirii in club. Au vrut sa ma ia si pe mine, dar i-am refuzat politicos si oricum au inteles ca statusem foarte mult timp la facultate...

Pentru curiosii din voi, cam asta a fost prima mea zi de facultate! Acum ma pregatesc intens pentru petrecrea de maine seara, sper sa iasa bine, evident ca sunt foarte stresata, caci stiti ca mie imi place sa controlez orice detaliu :D Azi am primit din Romania si niste "materie prima" numai buna pentru petrecere. "Mirosisem" eu ceva cand am vorbit cu tata aseara...sincer, la toata experienta ta, tata, ma mir cum poti sa te desconspiri asa usor!!! hahahaha

Probabil ca zilele astea nu o sa am timp sa mai scriu ceva, stiti si voi foarte bine ce urmeaza: party, Alex si Gabel in Coventry, luni mergem la Stonehenge (da, da, ati citit bine! hai, recunoasteti, am idei geniale! :D), marti e cu adevarat ziua mea, miercuri iar la cursuri...Sper doar sa ma pot bucura cu adevarat de perioada ce vine...

Gata, va ajunge!
Pupici!


...........................

12 Hours

I wanted to provide you the following information as soon as possible, but you'll probably be able to see next why I couldn't do that on Wednesday..

I started my day in a rush, as usual...I slept a bit, because I wanted to finish my first assignment (nothing too important, I could've not done it, but I didn't want to get a bad habit since the beginning), plus that I couldn't manage to fall asleep the night before (and it wasn't because I was nervous). I tried to have a big breakfast, I knew what was coming ahead. It was the time of my first coffee in my new house and the smell that spread around the kitchen when I opened the bag reminded me of the mornings when I used to have my coffee with Kaisa and Lidia (less with Lidia, she never used to wake up too early normally :D). I think that every time I'll have a coffee at breakfast I'll remember those times. It's just what recalls the smell of coffee at 7-8 in the morning...With them I learnt how to drink a coffee and it had become a habit back then (what followed was just a "I-have-to-drink-a-coffee-if-I-want-to-resist-today" mood)...

It is said that a good day starts with a good coffee...Well, that's not always valid - I have to admit that this wasn't the best coffee that I've ever had, because I realised pretty late that the sugar was missing. I noticed then that I'm losing my habit...

I got on time at Uni, even 5 minutes earlier, just perfect to print my assignment. The classroom was quite full at 09:00, but this course, Research Methods, is designated to all the students of the department of Humanities and Social Science. The course seems interesting, although is not topic-related. Basically, we are being thought how to write a paper: how to do the research, how to do the reference etc. The assessment consists of a paper about anything in our field (so it will be useful), since the aim of this is to observe if we can or cannot do a research. Well, I can't really explain more, it's not too clear for me either, it seems a bit abstract in some aspects.


After that we had a 2 hours brake, when I've chatted with Mihai, the Romanian guy, and we made an "exchange": we told each other what the other didn't get to read (we "matched"). I also discovered a small canteen (it's not called like that), where we had "lunch" (it was only 12 o'clock and I had eaten 4 hours before that).

Another course (International Terrorism), another building...we all (about 20 persons) crammed in a small room (for the next time the professor already arranged to have another room). We've lost some time because the professor had to fill us with details about the structure of the course, the assessment method and some other stuff, but he got to talk a bit about the topic itself. Kinda the same thing happened at the next course, International Organised Crime, just that now the discussion have been a bit broader (we had more time). At a certain moment, the professor (the Italian that I've already talked about) pointed the human traffic from Romania and I wanted to expand the idea telling that the network was actually bigger, including women from Moldova and Ukraine, but I assume he felt he was offending me by what he was saying and he was trying to make it up and to apologise...and we started laughing! :D

We still had some spare moments after this and I spent them in the company of a guy from Kenya, the we went to the reception organised for the whole department. At the beginning, everyone stayed among the familiar ones, only later we started to mingle. My colleagues left pretty early (because most of them don't actually live in Coventry, as I mentioned). so I had to switch to those who still remained there. So at a certain point I got surrounded by black people (I'm not racist, don't get me wrong, it's just what I realised that moment), but at least I socialised intensively. However, one way or another, they were all interested in me: a guy from Nigeria wants to take me out (I'll use my full diplomatic instruments to refuse him) and another one, from Congo, is doing his Phd on Intelligence Services in the new democracies, opting for Congo and Romania as case studies! He even wants to get some funding in order to go to Romania to do some research, but until then he needs to find some contacts (he got me wright on this one! hahahaha).

In the end, everyone started to leave so i got home after 12 hours and, strangely, not that tired (though I had been caring all day two heavy handbooks). At home there was a lot of people (French, obviously!) already, having the warm-up drinks. They wanted me to join them in the club, but I refused in a polite manner and they understood that I've been to the Uni for a long time...

So for your inner curiosity, this has been my first day of lectures! Now I'm getting ready for the party tomorrow night, I hope it ends up well, I am a bit stressed out, of course, you know I'm a bit of a control-freak :D Today I got from Romania some "raw materials" just perfect for the party. I actually "sniffed" something when talking to dad last night...honestly, with all your experience, dad, I wonder how can you betray yourself that easily!!! hahahaha

Probably that the next days I won't have time to post something new, you know very well what's coming up: party, Alex and Gabel in Coventry, on Monday we are going to Stonehenge (yes, you've read well! C'mon, admit it, I have brilliant ideas! :D), on Tuesday it's my real B-Day, On Wednesday I've got courses again...I just hope I'll be able to truly enjoy all the up-coming moments...

OK, that's enough for you now!
Kisses