Saturday, October 01, 2005

fall

So when I got back from the States, I had the plan all worked out in my head - get my masters here then take that knowledge back to Cleveland and study law at Case, hopefully while teaching a class or two re migrants, refugees, etc. We'd move to Cleveland Hts (not Washington DC) and I'd be happy, healthy, wealthy and wise. Steve was very confused in the -I'm sorry where did this law thing come from?-sort of way, but as I had it all worked out, I just wasn't phased.

So I gave myself one week to catch up on sleep and figure out what continent I was on, then I spent the second week figuring out what was happening at work. I think I can be forgiven for waiting until the third week after my return to have a good look at the application procedures for Wits. So Monday I started looking and I couldn't find an admissions deadline anywhere online, so I phoned.

"Yes, the deadline for that programme is the 30th"

"Of this month?"

"Yes"

Shittttttt - "This Friday?"

"Yes"

So thats what I've been doing this week, arranging transcripts and writing an essay and asking other people to take time out of their life to write me references and updating my cv / resume and and and...

And for the past few days it has felt like fall/autumn, so it all seemed so perfect in my head: the stress, the cool breezes, sporting my new KSU hoodie, a desire to drink beers (only from green bottles though - not an overall urge). So I was feeling very confident that it would all work out.

So, somehow, today I submitted my application to obtain a Masters in Forced Migration Studies from the University of the Witswatersrand. Yeh! Being on campus was great and it felt like moving forward again. And it is such a gorgeous fall day.

Later on, I had an email from Monica (of American couple fame) who said she was working on her application to Wits and shes excited because its fall and fall always means school. I wrote back that I was feeling the exact same way.

Here's the problem. Should I be accepted into the programme, classes will only start in February - at the height of summer. Meaning - thats right - its only springtime here and fall is only in my head... I really hope that my lack of understanding re seasons doesn't stand in my way of getting in.