20 ST: DS9 icons of Kira Nerys for startrek20in20. Credit and comments are <3.

( That's the thing about faith. If you don't have it, you can't understand it, and if you do, no explanation is necessary. )

So yesetrday I needed to run to the campus bookstore. In AUC's infinite wisdom, the bookstore with the BOOKS needed for classes is just outside the gate. The bookstore with leisure books, AUC memorabilia, etc., is on campus and therefore you need an AUC to get in.

Anyway, I go out the major gate, which I never use. Well apparently there's three huge American flags right outside the gate (along with Egypt and an AUC logo printed on a flag). It looked so weird--I stopped and stared at it for a few seconds. It's not like I've completely forgotten what an American flag looks like during the last two months, but it was just weird.

In my Political Anthropology class we're reading Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" which is basically a study of nationalism. This whole flag incident happened right before class, so I brought it up in discussion, and how essentially you don't realize you're part of a community until you leave it (either temporarily or permanently), even if you might not necessarily always feel a part of that community when you're there. Hmm. Just random food for thought.

They have replaced the old, crappy computers (Guy A: "Wow, these things are the same kind of computers I used in Pakistan...in FOURTH GRADE!") in the common lounge computer lab AND the girls' dorm lab! And they are brand spanking new! I can't believe AUC finally did something right. They actually are really nice and WORK. I can have four windows open without it freezing! This is good because before the only nice computers were the ones in the library but it was only open till 9:30 and limited hours on Saturday (not open Friday at all). So let's all take a moment to yell hallelujah for Egypt showing competence.

My friend and I went to City Stars mall in Cairo last night. She got hit on by a creepy janitor who wanted to marry her and tried to kiss her on the mouth. Fuck you, too, Cairo...

It has been about two weeks since my laptop died. I'm strangely okay with it and I think I've finally made peace with Cairo and Egypt in general. When absolutely ridiculous things happen to me or my friends now that would never happen back home, I'm much more to the point of shrugging it off. I think it took a little longer because of the fact that we didn't go to school for two weeks after we first got here, so we were really removed from the culture both of the administration and Egypt (and I have learned the two are not synonymous!)

( But then I have those days where I want to hurt someone at AUC )

My computer, Apollo, died for good yesterday. His hard drive is fried. Not going to bother replacing it here in Egypt. It's probably 200-300 dollars in the US, and I was going to buy a new computer when I graduated in May, which would be about $1000 or so, $1200 if I want to soup it up a little bit. I think it's probably a better idea to 'invest' in a new machine rather than putting money into a 3 1/2 year old laptop.

That being said, this laptop was super impressive. I mean, I'm an internet junkie, it's pretty much my crack. I would get home from class or work, and turn on the computer and work it pretty hard for the rest of the night (so four hours at a time or so)--and that was pretty much daily, really. The fact that it has lasted for essentialy 3 1/2 years without having to spend too much on it I think is a testament. I don't usually talk to a lot of people who put their laptop through a lot and had it last so long without problems. Granted, the problems that older machines have tend to happen like mine--one day it works and the next day you have a catastrophic system failure. But in reality I think that's better than constantly worrying whether or not your comptuer will work and always put money in.

So the next two months that I'm here, I'm relying on the ghetto labs. These computers are trying to run Windows XP with 256 MB of RAM. It's a jolly old time. I wish I was living in Zamalek now and not on the new campus...because New Cairo is the end of the line. Nothing to do here and buses (even from the school!) and taxis downtown are expensive. This means I must READ or DO HOMEWORK. This is completely unacceptable. :P Oh well. I'm sure I'll survive.

I can't believe all the little things that have gone wrong since I got here. There are days where I have a lot of fun with friends but then there are others where I just want to jump on the next flight home. In the past two weeks:

( Cut for Ranting and Unabashed Ethnocentrism )

I made it to Cairo! It was 4 a.m. by the time I got to my dorm. I hadn't slept in 36 hours, by that point my body went "You don't want to sleep? Fine." and I was all ready to go. *sigh* So then I didn't really get a good's night sleep...been napping on and off throughout the day today. I don't have an alarm clock, I hope I wake up in time for orientation tomorrow morning.

Some of these are new-ish, some of them I've been slowly letting collect dust in the folder after I make them. 15 TOS/XI, one lonely TNG, and 23 DS9 icons.



( Icons Here )

Stargate + Star Trek = Epic win.

http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_startrek/534062.html

I'm stuck at my parents' house for the next month until I leave for Egypt. When I first moved to college I went down a month earlier than most people (in August instead of September) so I could find a job, etc. So, my lease ran out July 31st. Which means I'm stuck for the next month with no job and very few ways to escape my parents. Woe. This is the longest I'll have been at home since I moved out. It's only been 5 days and now I remember why I was so anxious to move out in the first place lol. Oh, family. Thankfully, WeFest is today, Friday, and Saturday, so that's three days with my sister and not my parents. This makes me slightly happier.

COMEDY CENTRAL IS BRINGING FUTURAMA BACK FOR 26 EPISODES.

I AM SO EXCITED.

Link!

I remember when the term "C's get degrees" scared me when I was a senior in high school. How could someone take so little pride in their work.

ROTFLMAO. Amazing how 3 years of college will change your outlook on life, no?

I got sick this weekend for like the 3rd time this school year, and I was intending to write this minimum 6-page essay for my South African Postcolonial Lit class (he e-mailed us a choice of six topics). I finally decided on one at about 9:30 tonight, the essay is due by 3:00 tomorrow (but I work at 2:45 so it has to be earlier). Thankfully I have 3 pages, but I just want to be done. I remember when I was a good student.

Ironically, what's the topic? The problems that the authors of the books we've read see with education in South Africa. *snort*

Just one more real semester in Cairo, and then in the spring just my senior paper...the light at the end of the tunnel, I see it!

So, as you may or may not have heard in the news, the Fargo-Moorhead area (ND and MN) and many of the small towns within a 25 mile radius are in some serious trouble. I'm originally from West Fargo (yes, it's a real town :P), but I moved to Minneapolis to go to school. Thankfully when my mom retired my parents moved out of the area, so I don't have any personal stake in the area at this time.

I was only 9 in 1997 when the last "Flood of the Century" happened. The river crested at 39 and some odd feet, way above major flooding. The Red is currently at 40.7 feet, above the record of 40.1 in 1897. It's forecasted to go as high as 43. You might hear people saying that it's our own fault for building in a flood plain, but so many of the neighborhoods that are in danger now, at almost 41 feet, weren't in danger even in 1997. Fargo-Moorhead is flat. And I mean flat. Someone gave the example of pouring a glass of water on your kitchen table. The water just goes everywhere--and that's exactly what is going on in the FM area right now.

Many of the dikes (both earthen and sandbag) that have been built this past week were only built to 41 or 41.5 feet, because the prediction then was a crest of 39-41, so volunteers are scrambling to save homes and even entire neighborhoods. Please, if it's your thing keep this area in your prayers and if it's not just think warm and fuzzy feelings about the area. If things really turn south and many lose their homes (which let's hope it doesn't), please consider donating through reputable org's like Red Cross or Salvation Army. It doesn't have to be money, when people evacuate and lose their homes, it's like any other disaster: they take very little with them in terms of clothing, and even personal hygiene products become a commodity.

Anyway, thank you for listening, and best of luck to any in the area reading this!

Again, spoilerage!

( The Disquiet That Follows My Soul )

Spoilers Below

( Sometimes a Great Notion )

Icons This way...various Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Stargate.

Just a note, Photoshop is lame sometimes, so some of these are older and therefore I may have forgotten to check to see that they are under 40 KB for LJ. If you are taking one and it doesn't work, please leave a message in the comments and I will grab the original PS file and re-size it for you. :)

( Read more... )

My New Year's resolution: actually use LJ for blogging and more than being annoying on frak_spoilers

I sat down tonight to make a sig banner from KLG opera house for a friend. I decided to rewatch the ending just for old time's sake, and I found something VERY suspicious Gaeta does in The Scene.

( The Evidence )