Registration and Administration paperwork #1

(I wrote #1, because there might be more, it's China, they love paperwork)
As you know, I arrived Monday at 23h30 and since, it's mostly have been paperwork and running from an office to the other.
There are several things to take in account: the University registration, and the Chinese administration registration. which makes a lot of paperwork.
First, I had to register to University. Fortunately, Lea was here to help me (let's be honest, it it was not for her, I might have punched someone, ditch the whole thing and came back to France. Paperwork is really not my strong suit). She showed me from an office to the other and translated when necessary (we're in China, people generally don't speak English).
It was mostly a question of having the right number of photocopies of all my documents. because you have to give the same documents to the administration, then to the accountant, then go to the scholarity service to give the exact same papers, and then go to the public registration administration, and again hand those papers. It was a good thing I had brought everything with me. So except for a thing or two (I was missing official pictures) I made my registration to university in one day!
and Today, after bringing back the missing picture and waiting for the right person to arrive with the right stamp, I finally got my Student Card!

Me learning the art of selfies.

But it's FAR from being over! I still have loads to do before getting my Resident Permit! And for this, I need, to go to the medical examination, then find the right police station to get registered, then finally go to the Resident Permit service to get mine!
So there will definitely be a #2

China - Two days after arrival

Oh good lord! I can't believe only arrived two days ago. It feels like a week already. (Because of the way brain register more information on something that is new to it and it's way to process everything give the impression that time is passing slowly.)
My registration at Wuhan University is almost done, thank to Lea, who helped me throughout the process. China is a bureaucracy and you've no idea the amount of paper involved in my registration.
That was yesterday's program: my registration, and then going to the supermarket so I can buy the basic necessities that I couldn't put in my luggage (a mug, some pillows, etc etc)
And today I went to my first class!
Lea had negotiated for me to be in an intermediary class, saying that I'd die of boredom in the beginners' class. It was a nice idea... but definitely not a good one!
I haven't practiced my Chinese in two years, after I passed my first year of Chinese under-graduation. with my marketing master degree and all the rest I hadn't time to keep on working on it, so... I sort of lost most of my Chinese.
So this was a complete failure! I tried, and the result is crystal clear. I don't have the level.
I took 10% of the class, maybe slightly more. I couldn't read most of the characters of the text we studied and felt utterly stupid. which was not pleasant. At all.
I don't often lose faith in what I can do, but in there, I understood that if I stayed in that class, there was no way I could make real progress. I'd just get drowned while the rest of the class goes on.
So the smart move is to change class, go for a lower level, to strengthen the basis, put all the odds on my side, work as hell to make sure I'll go back in the intermediary class next semester feeling like I own the place.
So it will be a studious semester! I finally have a nice challenge to feed my brain with and you've no idea how I missed it!

my life for the next weeks

A new story begins #2

After crying myself to dehydration and making it through the the border control, I can officially say: I left France!
I still don't register I'm leaving the country, like not for some holidays. I can't get my head around the fact that I will be living there, not just visiting!
I cried more or lest helplessly, called everyone, but it's too late to turn back now!

A new story begins

So this is it. After talking about it for months, I am finally moving to China. To Wuhan, to be precise.
Luggage? Done (1 of 23 kg, that gave me heart attacks as I had to carefully select what I was going to bring with me). Saying goodbye to everyone? Done.
I don't even realize that I'm leaving. I know someone is, and it is breaking my heart, but I haven't registered that it's me yet.
I am leaving. No more talking with my dad after dinner, no more afternoons in my mother's veranda, no more smiles at the end of the platform while I arrive to see some friends all over France.
I'll be living with my awesome friends Lea and Carine, I'll make new friends, try new things and meet new people. It will all be brand new.
I decided to move to China more than a year ago, and I had decided that despite my job, despite my oh so hated master degree, I'd enjoy my last year in my home country, as if there were to be no tomorrow. And I did!
I pushed away my fears and dived in. I met new people, tried new things, made new friends, had tones of fun and forged some definitely strong friendships.
I will definitely miss you guys. I will miss you dearly and keep in touch as often as possible. Not being there to enjoy things with you will be a pain.

I'm in that weird interval between the previous chapter and the new one and it's really weird.
Tomorrow night, I'll be in China.

Nanowrimo, all over again

The Nanowrimo started to send some email to remind us, crazy writers that November will be here soon, and that we'd better start to think about what we're gonna write this year.
44 days!
No idea yet about what I'm going to write about. I'll try and thing about in in the coming days.

Officially free

I am officially free from my master degree.
My blond collegue and I had our oral presentation early this afternoon.
We started to work on it thursday, and I have to admit that since I had no motivation at all for it, she did most of the job. Relunctantly, but she did. And she did it well, so I don't regret this decision. I was in no shape to work on it anyway. The emotional roller-coaster of the week-end left me exhausted, and to make it worst, today was also the first day of my period. I was in too much pain to really be angsty about the presentation.
Positive thought: at least, I won't be on my period in the plane, and I won't have to think about it during my first weeks in China.

I feel empty now. No more job, no more master degree. I said good by to everyone.
One by one, I'm cutting all the things that link me to this country.
And now there is only the waiting left.
I am in the gap between my two lives and I feel empty.
I still have some stuff to take care of before leaving, but I am mostly left to wait.

I feel exhausted.

Saying Goodbye

Today, I said goodbye to most of my friends. It was honnestly a heartache to be so close to everyone for one last evening.
First, I was a bit angsty (meaning totally freaking out)about letting all my friends meet. It  has always been a huge mess for me, because of the way I compartmentalise every aspect of my life.
But I wanted to see everyone, and time is running out, making it impossible to plan several small parties. So I had to let go and let all my friends meet.
I have always been afraid that my friends might not like eachother, or that they might like eachother a bit too much and forget me. Keeping thinks away from one another made it easier to keep control on situations.
But for once, I broke my usual pattern, gor bold and invited people from everywhere.
To anyone, it might mean nothing. but to me, it was a huge event.
I had picked very carrefully who was going to come. I might have hurt some people's ego in the process, but I couldn't care less.
I had people I've known for years, and people that have only been  around for a year or so. My favorite Larpers, my two awesome gymnastics teammates, some Parisian Steamers.
Unfortunatly, none of my friends from Charly came. They all cancelled more or less at the last possible moment.
I was angsty about bringing people to my safe place, my house. It was accepting to show them a bit more that my usual self and it was quite a challenge for me.
Lucky me, I have awesome friends who've been absolutly perfect about helping me to calm down, either by leaving me some space and a quiet time alone in my bedroom, or by being positively adorable and making sure I was alright.
To those, thanks.
I had decided not to put myself through the usual ordeal of cooking and cleaning the house. I had decided to make it simple, and just ask people to bring whatever they wanted to eat or drink.
Needless to say, we didn't lack anything.
I had a perfect evening. I talked with everyone, I laughted, I sang.
I'm still quite an introvert, so at some point I took refuge in my bedroom to escape the noise and the agitation, but elsewise, it was a perfect evening.
I was extremely self conscious, because of the dress I was wearing, but it was worth it.

I also received presents. They all knew I have a very limited luggage weight, but the kept on giving me new things. nice bottles to drown my pain, small objects to remind me of home, should I feel down.
And some pictures. Oh so many pictures. I complained about not having pictures to bring with me to China, so my Sweet Monster brought a printer and had pictures printed out for me.

Saying good bye to everyone was hard. Every person I walked to the door, I knew I wasn't going to see the before long. A year, maybe more. I don't know if all those frienship will survive and if I'll even see all of them again.
It was a small pinch to my heart.
I gave as many hugs as I could. enjoyed people's present as much as I could, drowning in their perfume, recording their voices, their laugh, the way they talk and they move.
I will miss them. I will miss you. All of you.

I had decided that I wouldn't cry. Whatever could happen, I wouldn't cry. And I managed to make it 'till the last car left my street, and then tears started to run down my cheeks.
My heart ached and I wanted nothing more than to see you come back.
I suddenly felt the loss of what I'm leaving behind me.

I kept busy and loved every one of the sweet messages you sent me.

I will miss you guys. Miss your company, Miss the way I felt confortable, having you all around. the way you all brought me something different. I will miss sharing thos precious moment with you.
And I will cherish every memory I have, hoping you'll allow me to buid new ones with you, even from afar.

The signs ultimate weakness when it comes to a partner

Aries: when they whisper sweet and dirty things in your ear.

Taurus: when they try really hard to impress you

Gemini: when they start kissing your neck

Cancer: when they are as clingy as you are

Leo: when they make funny faces at you during serious situations

Virgo: when they giggle during sex/ while making out

Libra: when they smile involuntarily when you laugh

Scorpio: when they act like they feel safe and protected around you

Sagittarius: when they are a giant dork who loves what you love

Capricorn: when they are super smiley and never fail to be happy

Aquarius: when they are in love with cuddles and always want to squish

Pisces: when they are as weird and dorky as you

James Sirius Potter Is Entering HOGWARTS today!

THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
As every 1st Septembre, Today young wizards and witches are back to school! ANd today is a special day!
James Sirius Potter, first born of Harry Potter and  Ginny Weasley is entering HOGWARTS!

J.K Rowling even posted some more information about the event on Twitter:
James Sirius has been sorted into Gryffindor, just like his parents! And Teddy Lupin, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonk's son is Headboy of HufflePuff, which is so cool! He is in the same house as his mother and he's intelligent and kind.

This sounds like the perfect moment to start reading again the whole Harry Potter serie!

I'm a crazy Potterhead, everyone knows that. It's been so important in my life that I can't even give you an idea of the impact it had on me. I mean, Hermione Granger being the most badass girl possible! Proud, ans strong, and so intelligent! She was serious and curious, and she made it cool to be the smart kid of the class. She made being serious at school cool. She made reading and studying important (Harry and Ron would have died if she hadn't read so much). McGonagall was the best of All, Molly weasley the perfect mother, The whole universe, while not perfect taught kids so many important things: Adults are not always right, the gouvernment doesn't always know better, you have to work and fight for things if you want the to happen. It taught us that friends should stick together, that everyone has his own strengh (Neville might not be the best student, but he is dedicated, brave and a genius in herbology).

To every one:

 Enjoy one more year of magic

An afternoon by the sea

PM and I have been friends for 8 years.  We met when I was 16. And since, we've done quite a huge amount of crazy things. We took the bus to Anwerp, to see our favorite band, we went on holidays together.
So when we decided to suddenly decided to go on a roadtrip to Normandy, I knew we were going to have fun.
After some administrative obligations, we finally left my town. The car doesn't accept any USB keys or whatsoever, so we decided to dig in our CDs to select our adolescence love.
Korn, Rammstein, Within temptation, Evanescence, System of a down.
We were both dress as respectable young ladies going, and I like to think that people might have been surprised of the music we were listening.
As it happens, people often assume that you're listening to a certain type of music because of your look. Which can be quite misleading with PM and I. It's always so fun to imagine the reaction of people if they knew what we're listening. It feels like being spies under cover.

So we arrived at my Place in Normandy. My grandparents had made lunch for us, and thats definitly something I'm going to miss, once I'll be in China. I always loved my grand mother's cooking.
Then we left the house to go to the beach.
Sea, sand and sun. I missed it so much. Seeing that place where I have so many great memories had some kind of bittersweet taste. I have learned to walk there, to swimm, it was also where I went on a boat for the first time, and then where I learnt to sail and, where I sailed, all by myself. I ran at dawn or at dusk, clearing my head. I looked at the colours of the clouds above the sea, never getting bored of it.

PM and I even went to swim. The water was cold. It's always cold. I like it. It make you feel alive, your sking tingling, hair raised, shivering. we didn't stay in the water very long, just until we were too cold to enjoy it anymore. Then we went on walking along the beach, before going home.

It was the only time I managed to get to see the sea and go swim in the whole summer. But I really didn't wan't to leave the country without going back to Normandy first.