matricula-shon

/* Note: I tried to post this around 1:00 PM today, but LJ was ganking on the database connection. Thus, the backdate. */

I finally got through the matriculation process today. Whoopee! I'm officially a student now. What a stupid, ass-backwards process. My basic observation of this country so far is this: Scottish people as individuals are wonderful, fun, generous people. However, Scottish institutions are bureaucratic, obstructive, inefficient, & callous.

We're finally having some stereotypical Scottish weather today too - raining, misty, cold, windy. But I bundled up & grabbed my unbrella & life's OK. I'm off to get some groceries, then I'm going to find a place to buy an answering machine so I don't have to tangle with that STUPID voice mail "service" any further.

One other task accomplished - I joined the student gym (the Centre for Sport & Exercise). So now I can start SWIMMING! Hooray! I'm also considering cross-training on weight machines, but it's been so long since I've lifted, I kind of want to talk over a regimen with a trainer.

Update on the back: it's a little better but not much. I'm getting along without any more Valium, since I simply cannot take that stuff & remain functional. I'm also still saying "No" to codeine. I'm doing my stretching exercises, so hopefully a couple more days will see me through this. I also think swimming will help, by getting my shoulders stretched out.

international students

I just had a very long conversation with a Syrian woman who lives on my floor named Aliaa. Naturally, we talked politics.

I find it very difficult to discuss politics with people who are from the Middle East. First of all, I'm almost overwhelmed with some diluted feeling of guilt - I feel like saying, "I'm SO SORRY for what my government is doing ..." But another problem is that often I feel like we're dealing with two completely different sets of information, & both of us consider our set of information to be "the Facts". Aliaa doesn't believe any Arabs were involved in the 9/11 attacks: "I've met Arab religious fanatics. Believe me, they aren't organized enough to do something like this." I asked her why Palestinians were happy to hear about 9/11; she said they weren't. I said, "But CNN showed celebrations on the West Bank the day the news was received." She said the video of celebrating Palestinians was actually a year old, & that Fox News had issued an apology for showing it. I don't know if this is true or untrue. She also told me that American soldiers in Iraq are committing suicide in large numbers. I have heard NOTHING about this (hollyinpa, did your brother say anything about this??).

So - I'm not enough of a news junkie to have hard data at my fingertips to refute things she says, but even if I did, I sense that her reply would be, "The American media is not presenting all of the truth" or somesuch.

As a counterpoint, Ingrid & I met an Iraqi man in London who told us that we should be extremely proud of our nation's actions & that the overthrow of Saddam was the best thing that could've ever happened to Iraq.

Anybody have some insight/advice here? Please, serious comments only (this means you, Hiveboys).