The Aftermath.

Now, here’s the first time I’ve been able to sigh with deep-enough contentment in such a loooo…ng time. Those exams went terribly! I’m almost ashamed of myself and I’m very scared to see what my results turn out to be like. Usually, I surprise myself and do much better than I expect. THIS time, it would be a huge surprise if that happens.

Anyways, while the exams were on, I found time to dissemble at the Nigerian consulate – so I could get my passport on time; and, I hurried over to the Consulate of the Arab Republic of Egypt to try to get a visa. My trip to Egypt’s Consulate was an exercise in diplomacy. Not being a U.S. citizen, I had to make a case on why they should not send my visa to Cairo first for screening! It was almost absurd. Naturally, fellow Cairo-bound travelers of American extract only had to pay a small fee, fill a light form, and leave their passports for stamping and collection. No questions were asked; no dramatic conversations were undertaken. Anyways, I have my visa now and everything else is water under the bridge. Now that I’m done with finals, I’m all set to hit the Land of the Pharaohs!

Everyone seems to wonder why I’m going to Cairo. The reason is simple. Everywhere else, I can visit in good time and in due course. Cairo, on the other hand, is not a place I’m likely to do a reprise of unless I am old and grey and in the fondness for a second honeymoon. Is it out-of-the-way? Certainly. Am I apprehensive? To an extent, yes. Should I have gone to London, Paris, or Rome? Maybe. But I have not chosen the cities of light. I have chosen the desert of the Pharaohs. There is little more to be said about it. I certainly won’t become more sophisticated from going to Arabia, I imagine. But that an epiphany of sorts will take place, is undeniable. And it beckons. Just be happy for me, and expect fun pictures!

I wonder if I’ll be able to blog from Arabia?! Be expectant. I know I can’t wait!

Odds and Ends.

I finally picked up my passport today. I looked at my schedule and realized that there was no way I could wait until my assigned date to go get the passport from the Consulate. Well, I sorta gate-crashed the place and told them I had an emergency. Interestingly, noone asked me what the emergency was but the man there was helpful and a bit polite. He took me upstairs to the eight floor and spoke to the man in charge of preparing the passports. That was yesterday. Today, I picked up the old and new passports. Phew! Now, I'm relieved from that until 2011!

International Tax I & II finals is tomorrow. I finally understand some of the greek we did in class. I sincerely hope it's enough for more than a B. I need to get a job and making Bs is not a good way to establish myself. Somehow, I've tied myself into reading 30 pages of corporate tax and 28 pages of tax procedure, while finishing 15 pages of writing for transfer pricing! Damn, I can't wait for this semester to be over.

Isn't it remarkable the number of people that are getting married? Almost all my conversations these days have something to do with someone getting married. I guess I must be that age! [...when all your friends start getting hitched up...except you, of course.] One thing is interesting though, from a personal point. Nowadays, as I listen to my favourite songs, I consciously decide which will, or will not, play at my wedding. If my wedding has nothing, it will have good, emotional, sensual music.

So, what are you doing for Christmas? Do you have some elaborate plan or are you going to keep a low profile and pretend that the season is not as important as it really is? On Christmas day last year, I was shuttling between Baton Rouge (I miss that city) and New York. It was my first trip to the Big Apple. Now that I live here, I shall have to think of something more inspiring to do for Christmas. I already know I shall spend most of it in Times Sq. wondering where the Love of my Life is lurking...LOL. As though I were really looking....

Anyways, if you can, commit to do something special. Light a candle. Pray for someone that hates you. Speak to a stranger with excitement in your eyes. Think of when you were happier, merrier, richer, less worried, more hopeful, than you are today. Do something that is more than yourself.

You may bless yourself more than you think. Enjoy!

Midnight Music...

It's 2.50am.

I'm sitting up in my bed for two reasons. Firstly, the weather channel predicts it will snow tonight or early tomorrow. I'm very excited about that because I want to see the snow fall. It's not a weather feature I'm too familiar with...and it's the first snow this season in New York.

Secondly, I found a lovely website where I can download MP3s for free. And I'm using the opportunity to dig up my favourite tunes in all the world. As is characteristic of music, it soothes me. At least the type that I listen to does. And considering how weary I've been of all the reading and the extensive commuting I've had to do this semester, I'm treating myself to the littlest pleasures I can find. So, I've reacquainted myself with Eye of the Tiger, Streisand's 'Tell Him', R. Kelly's 'I'm the greatest'.... This is all very enticing...it actually makes studying tax bearable!

I met an old friend online a few minutes ago. I haven't heard from him in a while. We grew up together and he's been there for me many times. He's working in the South Africa and has been incommunicado for a while. He just mentioned that he's getting married and has fixed a wedding date...sometime next year. I would have imagined that I ought to be upset that I have only found out today. I guess I should be piqued that I have not been part of his plans, part of his life, or shared in his dreams. But I am not upset. I believe that the world is a strange place and that friends are strange too. It is difficult not to blame him for not trying enough to stay in touch. [I am perennially available, apparently.] However, blaming him would be pointless. He has life to deal with. So have I. We are making the best of the cards that life has dealt us. I cannot blame him for playing in silence. Indeed, it is the way of the world and I pray that he finds a deeper peace from merging his soul with another's. It is what marriages should be about.

Talking about marriages, a couple of my friends are on the marriage train. At least, they would be if they could firm their minds up to the prospect of spending the rest of this beautiful life with not-so-ideal men. You see, they are hopeless romantics. They wish he would come - in shining armor - and sweep them off their feet. They want to find him - and for him to make their hearts skip every other beat. They want to be secure in his arms; hang unto his words; spice every meal with the taste of his lips. They want to be in love. Yet, my friends have made committments to others less-than-romeo. It is not easy to live one's life waiting for the ideal to arrive. The history of love is strewn with the ghosts of those who have waited in vain.

I wish I had advice for anyone in this situation. Unfortunately, my recklessness with love is well entrenched in the minds of those who know me. Nevertheless, the soul of the matter is this - are you willing to settle for someone who is, no doubt crazy about you, but with whom the deepest part of your heart will never touch? Is the ecstacy of life important to you? Are any of these things important in any way whatsoever? I really wish I knew.... Hopeless romantic, I am indeed. Well, when I know better than I know now, I shall make another attempt at these questions. Or perhaps, I shall ask better ones.

For now, I'll continue to wait for New York's first snow. Let me return to the sounds of midnight music....

Weary

...that's how I feel. Studying for exams has me totally worn out. I was going to panic a few days ago but I've decided to take each day as it comes. I really have no other choice.

I have refused to worry about the future. I'm not sure if this is good or bad; I'm not sure if I care.

So much has happened in the world of recent and I've just been unable to keep track of them all. For one, and this may be the least important, Matt Hughes lost his UFC belt to George "Rush" St. Pierre. Matt had beaten him before so I am not as gutted as I'd ordinarily feel. Hughes needs a break anyways. Vladmir Kramnik [the World Chess Champion] is playing Fritz - a computer program - in this year's installment of the "man v. machine" sampling. I think the computer will whop his a... but he's been doing great so far. There really is a lot to be said for machines that have no passion, nor initiative.

I'm looking forward to Egypt. I reserved my hotel this week and I hope everything else goes smoothly. I doubt that I have looked forward to anything like this before. I can't wait to free myself from these books!

My weariness bears upon me.... I'll have to take up this post at a more auspicious time, deal?

...like you could disagree! Cheers!