Registration frustrations

SO I am still not officially registered because the process at Balamand is super inefficient! I guess it doesn't help I am a new international student! haha good news is that I have my classes "ok'd" by the dean of my program, its just a matter of getting everything else in order. So, inshallah as they say here "God willing" i'll actually get to register tomorrow!! Man its just been a huge back and forth process thus far.

Yesterday we had a lovely day in my dad's village in the mountains. It is probably one of my favorite places in the entire world. It is indescribably beautiful up there. Its never been touched by war, the air is fresh, people are nice, buildings are old, and best part (in the summer) its cool there! :) I am having issues with my uploading capabilities but I promise I'll have pictures up soon...i think there are a random 5 up there already! Ugh me and technology!! :) Anyway! The boys I live with (my cousins Hani, Zouzou and Elie) and I went up with a family friend Joelle (and our neighbor), her husband and a friend of theirs. We had a nice big lunch at my dad's friend's restaurant and spent the evening at Joelle's grandparents house. The guys were all out shooting a shot gun at the mountain and I decided to give it a shot! I am a terrible shot! haha I think I was just too scared to aim it at anything other than the sky! Maybe next time I can be more purposeful with my shooting? haha I was just proud I didnt fall backwards or something silly!

I feel like I had a lot to say in this post but now that I am here I've got nothin! :) I was looking at my cousin Stacy's blog today and cannot believe how big their son Finnegan is getting!! Its so crazy how fast kids grow!! I miss them all so much!

I will try to have something more thought provoking to say next time I write! :) I am hoping that my blog will actually become interesting when I start my classes and I can use some of what I am reading and learning in my writing! :) for now my eyes are wide open and I am observing everything!!

Talk soon!

Much love,

Sash

PS Gma & Gpa I'll call this week! Love you!

Stephanie :)

Well the last two days I got to spend with my oldest cousin's first born daughter Stephanie! You may remember her from just before I left Lebanon in the spring but if you don't I'll post pictures tomorrow if I can! She is now 3 months and sooo cute! She is so full of life and smiles and laughs ALL the time! She cannot sit still either, unless she's with me of course! I have a way of putting her to sleep! hahaha She is about as big as my other cousin's son Finnegan (aka my Bestie) when I saw him for 2 weeks in July. She is the funniest little girl though (i specify girl there since Finn is the funniest little boy! of course) for instance this evening she was starting to fussy and mom was in the shower so I was holding her trying to put her to sleep (my specialty) and finally she was on the verge of all out tantrum and daddy took her when the doorbell rang and my cousin's aunt and uncle came in. Stephanie immediately lit up and was ooing and ahhing for her great aunt and uncle and laughing like crazy. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen!!! And as soon as they left she passed out! It was hillarious! She is too cute!

It was so much fun getting to play with her and get to know her a bit! She is so much bigger than when we left her, obviously since she was 3 days old!

Tomorrow Hani, Zouzou, Tony and Nancy and I are going to the village in the mountains where my grandpa used to take my aunts and uncle and dad to avoid the war. There is a hotel restaurant the family still gathers at a lot and the kids and I are going to have lunch there. It should be a nice time just us kids! Well I am going to go. I am excited that I finished my NMUN Background Guide last night but I need to finish the Annotated Bibliography...FUN!

Much Love,

Sash

PS I'll put pictures of Stephanie and lunch tomorrow or the next day!

Registration and Unpacking

Well I am really excited about school!! I am registered for 4 classes, 3 MA Poli Sci classes and one Arabic class!! I actually am really interested in all the classes offered in the program and to my surprise there is a Gender in Politics class and a class on Identity issues and one on Discrimination in Conflict!! All will be heavily focused on women which is great because that is what I am writing my big paper for NMUN on and I want to gear my thesis towards women also! And to my even bigger surprise my advisor and one of the professors told me he makes sure to include women in all the classes he teaches and was pleased to hear I will be focusing my thesis on women! I was shocked! :) The classes I am taking this quarter (because they were the only ones offered...)

Political Economy of the Mediterranean Basin

Democracy and Civil Society in the Mediterranean

Politics of Development in the Middle East

Arabic

Looks like the program will have to take 4 semesters, I was hoping to do it in 3. I have to take 3 semesters of coursework and one semester writing my thesis. If they would let me I would like to start my thesis earlier than recommended (end of second semester) but they want you to have taken classes. Wont stop me from thinking about it obviously. There was a lot to discuss since it was my first meeting with the dean, so I will work on it more. He did say depending on my performance in class maybe I could start the steps the end of the first semester. You have to have an advisor, thesis topic one semester, then do a presentation and get the idea approved (which usually requires a small sample paper anyway) then you write the last quarter. There also isnt any summer classes so looks like I will for sure be coming home in the summer. I had thought about trying to go to school thru the summer to finish early but that wont be possible I dont think. Maybe they'll let me work on my thesis? I danno.

Lots to learn!! I am going to go try to finish up my NMUN paper....

Much love

Sash

New trip, new attitude

Hey everyone!

I have made it to Lebanon! I was concerned I would get here and want to come home right away or regret the decision to leave my family and friends back home, but I got here and felt like I never left, which I think is a great sign! I already feel busy which is a new thing for me! :) Tomorrow I have to actually wake up (ugh) and go register for classes at the university then come home and get settled. I also have my big NMUN Background Guide final draft due by Oct. 3rd so I really need to sit down with that and make my final edits. Its so important to me because its really close to the topic I may write my thesis on and its published so its kind of a big deal to get it perfect! I have lots of stories about my last day in NYC...the General Assembly 64th session started this week and I was able to happily watch diplomats and heads of state arrive at the Millenium Hotel across from both Kristina's work and the UN! UGH I Was in Sasha heaven!! And Barack Obama was in the city also! EXCITING NEWS!!: My friend Kristina that I was staying with works for the NGO Working Group on Women (which is cool) and she and her boss were invited to the Security Council Meeting on Women on Wednesday next week and none other than THE HILLARY CLINTON is going also!! HOW EXCITING!! Congrats Kristina (im sure she'll read this eventually!) I was osooooo excited for her (and a wee bit jealous of course)! ;)

Lebanon is great and I am happy with my choice. I am sure I'll have rough days but overall I am pumped for this adventure. I am going to bed! I'll write about my classes tomorrow! Hope they have some good ones! I CANNOT BELIEVE I am about to start my MA! wow!

Much Love,

Sash

Addicted

So, I have to live in NYC. I realize I make new life plans about once every 2-3 weeks, but it is going to have to be a done deal! I love everything about NYC. So I have decided to focus on trying to live here after Lebanon just for a couple years to get started in a diplomatic career....UN?! We'll see I suppose....

We had a great staff training weekend. It was great to see old faces from last year again and also to meet new friends that I will be working with this year and I am sure in years to come. It is my first year at this level of staff where I am in charge of my committee--Commission on the Status of women so I call the shots so its a little nerve racking. BUT Training eased a lot of nerves that I had so thats great. Tomorrow Kristina, Sameer and I will be hanging out in Brooklyn (where she lives) and Manhattan doing random stuff. And I think I'll get to go see her work on Tuesday (which is where I'd like to work if I move out here) so we'll see!!
I leave Tuesday night for Lebanon so I am excited to have 2 whole days to hang out, its been awhile since I've had that, cus usually when I come to NY I am soooo busy. We are thinking about walking across the Brooklyn Bridge because I've never done that!! Well I gotta run!

Much Love,

Sasha

PS I have a temporary NYC number because my cell is shot it is: 1-347-497-1731 if you need me call me there!

First Step...

Well, I am in New York City with my friends Kristina and Sameer getting ready for our staff training for National Model United Nations. I am excited because this is the first time of all my trips to NYC since 8th grade I am here for a week but am not totally swamped with planned activities!! We have training stuff at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square (such a nice hotel, Times Square is annoying tho) Friday-Sunday but thats it!!! All day tomorrow the three of us are chillin in the City and at Kristina's place in Brooklyn and then Monday and Tuesday during the day we're hanging out!

I have a red eye flight out of JFK Tuesday night so I'll even have all day then! I am just soooo excited! It definitely hasnt hit me that I left home yet though. I am with one of my best friends from college, hanging out in my fave city (and hopefully my home for a year or two after my MA), going to see the UN again...definitely hasn't sunken in yet! Not to mention I was so stresesd before I left, could hardly get a tear out saying goodbye to the fam! When I left for 3 months I was water works at the airport!!

I am pretty excited to get back to Lebanon and back into school. (wow did I just say that?!) Kristina gave me all sorts of awesome materials on women, peace and security for my MUN background guide (aka a paper Im writing) but it also is going to help a TON with my MA Thesis! Kristina works for an NGO that works with the UN On trackign the Security Council and women's issues! SOOO COOL! So I was really excited about that (we're such nerds I KNOW) ;)

ANYWAY Time for bed!!

Much love,

Sash

Tickets have been bought...

It is official, last night dad bought my plane ticket to Beirut from NYC! So, September 16th I am going with Carly and Sonia to the Miley Cyrus concert in Seattle, then flying out to NYC for training the 17th-22nd and hanging out with my NMUN friends and celebrating Kristina's birthday a day early, then heading to Lebanon from NYC! I am pretty excited I finally made a concrete decision!