Returning to France?

I haven't posted in ages, not so much because I've been busy though (funny enough, I'm taking a break from working on one of four papers due in this month because I'm so bored/stuck at the moment).

So, I'm more than half way finished with my second and last semester of classes before I start working hard on the dissertation. I will likely be working full time during three months of it, as the SNGMA where I'm interning (unpaid) is hiring for a temporary, three month position as a cataloguer. I'm hoping I will be a shoe in for this but you never know.

Anyway, my time in Scotland and way too frequent trips to Ireland (only one so far, but honestly that's enough) has instilled in me a unwavering desire to go back to France. I'm not into the UK, at all, there's nothing wrong with it... it just doesn't hold my interest and I don't think moving to expensive London would help that. To be honest, the thing is I am just longing for Paris... I need that city... I breathe that city... and I don't think fighting off my love for it anymore is a good idea.

So, I've hatched a plan that has a lot of 'if's' in it, but will be set into play:
if I don't find a museum/gallery job in the UK (or US, or wherever, I'd prefer, seriously, to stay abroad)
if I am able to pass this blasted language entree exam for Paris 3's program (can you believe a DU program requires you to be a minimum of B2, which I probably am in writing and reading, in speaking and listening I'm probably more like B1)
if I don't come up with a better, cheaper option
if I actually have enough bread to go in the first place

Any suggestions on programs cheaper than 750 euros for the year would be much appreciated. The program I'm interested in doing is the DUEF 1 at Paris 3 (http://www.univ-paris3.fr/51196777/0/fiche___formation/) and, for some reason, this seems to be the only cheap program say for one I saw in Toulouse, whose deadline I missed by a day. All the other courses, including one at the university of Versailles, are ridiculously expensive (I'm talking 2500 euros for the same course Paris 3 has for 750).

My only issue with Paris 3 is the minimum of B2 requirement... I don't really get the point of it if the diploma courses get you at the level of B2 and/or C1. I don't think it'll be hard for me to prepare for B2 though... so I'm really not too worried about it. I think this is a worth-it move considering I really want to work in France in a museum/gallery position, and there's no way I'll be able to do that if my French isn't to scratch.

Anyway, we shall see... back to writing about Gauguin!

please.... no more snow...

I've found a new annoyance about being in the UK (you'd be surprised at how many I have at this point). It's actually a pretty big one when the weather is bad and one has a trip planned.... there's no accurate weather forecasting!

I know, I know. Most news stations have bad weather forecasting, they get it wrong a lot of time when you'd wish they didn't. But here, they take it to a new level. I mean, take the BBC for instance: On their main live news program they talk about the weather, hardly mention Edinburgh, and only give a same day to next day forecast... ALL THE TIME. What's worse, you can actually watch a BBC weather broadcast for Scotland, but for some bizarre reason they two NEVER EVER match. So you go to the the uk weather channel website, they have a completely different forecast to both of them. It seems like the only way to figure out what the weather is going to be is to stare out the window!

Normally this wouldn't bother me. But I'm a bit annoyed to wake up in the morning, having been forecasted either to have sleet or sunny skies (an example of how the BBC can't even keep up with it's own weather forecasts) and what do I see? SNOW! Not light snow, but heavy freaking snow. The airport is closed. This is so frustrating that I'm praying to Chuck Norris and the powers of Grey Skull to come and intervene (I'll take a round house kick or evil anti-thundercat maneuver to the face of this snow any day!).

I must get to Amsterdam. It's the new place I've decided I must visit. After it I can move on to Prague, Lisbon, anywhere in Morocco or the south of France. Please.... let me go snow, ppllllleeaaassse.
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On a side note, we have a mouse problem. It's gotten pretty ridiculous at this point, to the level that I, a vegetarian, have suggested cruel and unusual punishment for these rodents that dare enter our domain! Well, not exactly, but I'm getting to the point that I'd sticky pad the whole kitchen to get rid out them. We've killed seven at this point and K has finally decided/accepted that we're fighting a one sided battled-- we can kill them as much as we want but because we live in an flat complex they're going to keep coming. So, he emailed the landlady to tell her to have her 'builders' come fix this blasted gap under the oven where they've been coming in. It's a good thing too because we got up this morning to find one of our fancy two pound plastic mouse traps vanished. It's more than unsettling to think what it caught last night, obviously something big enough to get caught and then walk away with it.. Arghhh!

I had not realized how long ago my last post was so here's a new one!

I am, of course, in Edinburgh which is a lovely city. The cold, I hope, has taken a way some of its excitement, so I'm looking forward to the Spring already. Anyway, what I've been up to since my last post (from LA or on my way to Dubby? can't remember):
I went to Spain, Barcelona was soo beautiful and warm and cheap. Had a good four days there and then headed down to Malaga for K's sister's wedding in the mountains. To be honest, Malaga or Gaucin or whatever was not, in any way shape or form a southern copy of Barcelona, it was more like an evil opposite to it whose mission was to dampened my fun as much as possible during the wedding (with the help of the literal assholes that were invited, you would not even believe... -_- ).

But anyway, after that we came back to Edinburgh and here we have stayed. Classes have been fairly easy, actually exceptionally easy, with only two essays due at the end of the semester (one done, now I've only got half of the other to write). The semester ends on December 3rd, soo early I know!

The most exciting thing though is K and I will be going for a wonderful three days and four nights in Amsterdam and Brussels a week after the semester ends. I'm so excited, so happy to finally make it to Amsterdam. I'm hoping to see my friend who's in Brussels at the moment as well, and maybe I'll be able to smuggle some magical Dutch chocolate over the border for later enjoyment. Haha! HOORAY FOR THE END OF THE SEMESTER, TRAVEL, AND THE NEW YEAR (I know, getting ahead of myself there but it's only a little more than a month away) !

I come to thee from my handy iPod touch, two hours before departure.

Getting to this point has been one hell of a struggle and has thoroughly pinched my wallet. I got the letter I've been bitching about super late, decided to fly to LA to do an in-person appointment, got the visa after walking around santa Monica for six hours, came home, was charged again for a second bag by United airlines because no one in IAH 1) has heard of airline that actually flies into their air port 2) has common sense. I had to endure a two hour flight next to two jittery parents and their out of control obese child.

Aside from that crap, my feet hurt, my purse that I attempted to repair with electrical tape is about to die( no supprise there), and and and! Most importantly, I will have finally, after all the ridiculous obstacles, have made it to europe in less than ten hours.

Unlike the rest of my entry the last one is defo not a complaint!

A french post...

Alors, j'ai pense que maintenant j’aurais été ravie pour la fin de la semaine, et mon stage, et pour mon voyage qui est en moins que dix jours. Mais non, car je n'ai ni mon visa ni la lettre de crédit (?), je suis plus angoissée et énervée que je suis enthousiaste. J'aimerais si je pourrais rêver d'être en Irlande une semaine avec mon copain, puis en Edimbourg la semaine prochaine, et ensuite en Barcelone et puis à Malaga. C'est surtout ce problème avec le visa qui s'éternise dans ma tête. Je suis attriste à penser que peut-être j'aurais besoin de changer mon billet. Bon, je sais, ce ne sera pas la fin du monde si cela se passer, mais je suis une anxieuse je n'ai rien à faire mais penser de cela.

foiled again! but happy either way...

I just got an email from Edinburgh saying the letter was sent today, not last week. Oh those scoundrels!

Well, at least I have confirmation I suppose. Now I'm just wondering if I should change my biometric appointment from tomorrow to later next week or just go ahead and do it now? Next week is going to be so busy that I'd prefer to get it done tomorrow...

but what if the letter does not come next week?

Can I truly TRUST Edinburgh *queue music of incertainty*. I hope I can now that I've actually gotten emails from two people saying it was sent out. Please don't make me regret not changing if I decide not to!

So, aside from that halfway good news, I have full good news: We have an apartment! K went to Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday to look at places. At first things were looking bleak (places that are dumps, too small, no light, etc.). By the time the day was nearly over yesterday he had found NOTHING! But, of course, the last place he looked at happened to be a gem: completely and newly refurbished, new furniture, appliances, the works; a twenty minute walk to the city center (and my department!), right next to free theaters. Only downside is that it's next to a football stadium. All of this for just 25 sterling more than what we'd hoped (a total of 475, which I can deal with for all the new stuff we get!). So K did good, real good. :)

Where oh where can my loan letter be....

Yes, I am still waiting for that blasted loan letter. It's been a month of "it'll be out in a few weeks," says one guy, "it'll be out next week," says a woman a few days later, "we're sending letters out today and tomorrow," says the same woman to K when he called, "I can't give you a specific date as to when they'll be out," says the same woman to me a day later.

So, I figured I'd give them a week before I started berating them. K insisted I start immediately pestering them nonstop. Thursday I cracked. I called and got the first guy on the phone who was way more helpful than the woman I talked to. I think that conversation is a pure and simple example of how USELESS financial aid departments are/can be (this is me paraphasing):
him: Ok, so let me look at your information on our system and I'll see where we are with your application.
me: ok.
him: um... alright so we have all your information and it looks like we're waiting to hear back from the states for verifying your MPN. I can't tell you when we'll hear back from them.
me: ah, alright but the problem is, I've got a flight booked for mid-August...and I can't apply for my visa until I get that letter.
him: ummm... mid-August, eh? hmmm... hold on, I'm going to talk to my colleague and get back to you.
me: alright.
I sat for about two minutes listening to that horrible hold sound... it's just as irritating and disconcerting as the sound French phones make when you call someone.
him: ok, we'll it looks like we can go ahead and use that MPN we have for you and get your letter out today or tomorrow with the next batch [of letters].
me: !! oh great! Does that mean I'll get it by next week?
him: yeah, it usually takes 5 to 7 days or so (blah blah blah lightly accented scottish mummbles).

Now, why did I have to lie about the date of my flight (I just said I was leaving a few days earlier) to get some fucking progress? It's ridiculous. I'm assuming I'll get it in the mail by Thursday at the latest. FINALLY I won't have to move my biometrics back again!

Now, on to work related shananagins.

Everytime I talk to an artist (today I telephoned M. Sontheimer about a work he did for the museum, so nice!) I have remorse for not taking more art classes. Now I know me and I know I am NOT an art class person (at least at this point). I couldn't stand taking classes where I'm told what to draw and how to think about art. Now I've got no with being taught the things all artists should know (different types of composition, color, lighting, values, or how to best use certain mediums). I understand the importance of the basics. BUT! Beyond that, I'm a all about experimentation, which is why I did not apply to MFA programs. I like the idea of opening up a students mind to artists, to concepts, requiring reading, requiring we look at different artists. I know that's too personal an approach for a class of something like twenty+ students. That's the stuff that inspired me to make art, gives me ideas, and helps me move forward in my art production. I mean, I made a huge leap in making art when I went to Paris, started reading tons of French literature and art criticism/theory, went to museums and galleries, and sketched, a lot. That's when it hit me what I wanted to do artistically. Obviously, for me, studio classes weren't going to do that for me.

So why do I feel so guilty for not taking more of them??

K's sister C just graduated from Central St. Martins (she did her final show, a live art piece, and had two galleries approach her about doing it again for them). She now HATES arts schools, mainly because of the number of rich wankers that go there. I can imagine I would feel the same. To me the most obvious benefit is the number of contacts one gets when doing a degree and the experience (whether in museums or exhibiting on campus). Now THAT I wish I'd not missed out on. I did enter exhibitions (and got into one) my first semester of college and then stopped, as I was researching where I wanted my work to go and what I wanted it to say for about two years. I mainly stopped because I didn't like the work I had.

I think now I just worry about whether people take me seriously when I say "I'm getting masters in Modern Art history but I'm also a studio artist/painter?" I think I'm afriad there's a biased in the eyes of artists for those who don't do art history instead of studying art route. There's a method to my madness... I promise!

My artistic goals for this year (Sept-Sept):
Rebuild my portfolio (I'm leaving my recent and most beloved paintings here in Texas because it's too expensive to ship them, so I've got to make a new portfolio of work) with at least fifteen paintings and drawings-- maybe less if I do some more big paintings
-participate in local art shows and become familiar with art scene (i.e. GO to gallery opens and stay on top of what's going on in the art world).
-keep exploring the use of pastels/ink on paper
-experiament with unprimed canvas and ink/staining (I've always used primed canvans, now I'm switching over)
-STRETCH MY OWN FUCKING CANVAS DAMNIT! It'll save me tons... maybe.