somewhat interesting day.

i got my test marks back for the French test we took a couple weeks ago. i see now why my French teacher is not a math teacher...i got 59/80 on this big written grammar test (not bad for a language i haven't spoken in a year...), apparently that equates to 6/15. i get that their marks out of 15 are not distributed normally by percent, but still, i got 74% and i got a 6. less than 5 is a failed assignment. what...the hell. and one chunk that i lost lots of marks on was simply because i didn't write my indirect speech in first person, which was not asked of me on the test and logically made no sense to do.
i do however know exactly what my problem was on the test. gender nouns are pointless and suck. i got pretty much all of the wrong in my composition, and they dock marks several times even for the same mistake, in this case most of my grammar marks. on a grammar test, that's a lot of marks. good thing my marks here don't matter...

after school, i took the bus home as usual, only Björn was at the dentist so i was alone. i get off the bus and arrive at the house to find that i forgot my key. alright, i ring the bell. i then find that there is also nobody home. awesome. so i played some basketball (not a great sport but entertained me for a half hour) and went for a run when i got bored of that. i went up the dirt road to the forest behind the house, where i found a bench and a great east-facing view of Kathus and the surrounding area. this weekend i'll head up there early to catch the sunrise. might do that a couple times. but the view from there would have the sun rising right over fields and low hills nestled between larger hills. should be great, hopefully it actually is. more details on Saturday.

we had a pretty crazy Wing Tsun class today, my knees and forearms hurt. pretty much all my limbs hurt. awesome class though, did lots of take-downs and counter take-downs.

< discussion of my reflections on my life plan, could be interesting if you're interested. includes martial arts, my proposed schedule, and employment >

but after this class i began thinking. what happens about this when i return to Canada? i know i could continue Wing Tsun in Canada, my mother and i browsed quickly around Edmonton for clubs when Bjorn came to Canada. then  i though, why Wing Tsun? I have Taekwondo, several years of training, but it has always been my intention to build up my skills in multiple areas, maybe develop some ground game. Wing Tsun ,great as it is, is a self defense art. there is no sparring, there are only drills and techniques to learn. the art is outstanding, but does full knowledge of Wing Tsun really help me reach my goal? so i got to thinking. what else could work? could do Judo. Jujitsu. hell, Karate (vetoed immediately after thought, too similar to TKD and no ground game...). MMA. hmm...MMA.that could be interesting. but then the issue arises of time. I already have TKD up to 3 times a week, usually Mondays through Wednesdays. i help teach on Wednesdays (children 5-8). but then that leaves me with Thursday, Friday, and the weekend for MMA (theoretical situation building in my head, to be thought out over the next while before i do anything for sure...). now if i take a weekend day, lets say Saturday, as a static class day, that'd take a time block of about 2 or 2.5 hours. every Saturday, a specific time. This would naturally affect my work availability negatively. plus the time lost during the week. before this exchange i was working 16-20 hours a week. This could cut that down significantly, not to mention, practicing two martial arts several times per week would be very, very tiring (but potentially very physically rewarding). now let's change the days up a bit. make MMA Friday and Saturday (evenings). I could work Saturday mornings and Sundays, but what time for my social life that i plan to build upon my return? i might as well take Saturdays off completely. That leaves Sunday and Thursday for work, max of 14 hours a week. assuming a minimum wage of $9.40, that makes me about $500 a month. not bad cash. but, this is assuming i find a job willing to work in such limited availability (thinking about chapters, more on that later) and a MMA dojo with classes exactly when i'd need them (actually, that's not too unlikely, Friday and Saturday?) and i just did a quick google search, there is an MMA dojo just up the road from my TKD dojang (Eye of the Storm Martial Arts). only one review, but it's a damn good review. no class schedule or costs either. costs. another issue. Taekwondo costs are high. they are reduced considerably by the family rate, but it still costs an average $62.50 per month, or $750.00 per year for my TKD training. add in MMA, presumably just me, so no family rate. any required gear. additional club fee? fundraising? lots of extra work associated with this. not to mention, next year i have almost all core classes, so lots of studying and homework. this should still be manageable, but i don't want to be putting too much on myself.

so this would be my week.

*note - i do few chores, it is simply added because it is a time consuming variable. (mother, i do plan on helping more with the chores upon my return, yet as you can see my schedule is filling rapidly. i will accommodate in any way possible)
Sunday - work (morning or evening), homework / chores / socialization / free time.
Monday - school, TKD, homework / chores / free time.
Tuesday - school, TKD (double or triple classes), homework / chores / free time.
Wednesday - school, TKD (double class and teaching), homework / chores / free time.
Thursday - school, work (up to 6 hours), homework / chores / free time.
Friday - school, MMA (unknown length), socialization, free time.
Saturday - MMA (unknown length), socialization, free time.
and back to Sunday.
that sounds almost manageable.

so to sum up:

issues - cost, physical abilities, time restraints, work availability suffering
solutions -
cost - i have money, if cost is an issue i can assist.
physical abilities - i could cut down on Monday TKD if i'm dying, or just work on my endurance and recovery.
time restraints - i'd have little free time, not sure i'm fine with that. i plan to look into polyphasic sleep cycles, not the major ones but a simpler one, perhaps gain a couple hours in the night for homework or free time. again, i could cut Monday night TKD, it's Wednesdays and Tuesdays that are absolutely crucial. I could also cut my hours down further at work, i have a fair amount of money saved.
work availability - this is the biggest foreseeable issue. i need a job. i absolutely do. i got my first job at 12, they are important until i have a steady non employment related income (AKA a business). hopefully i can find an understanding manager, perhaps a fellow martial artist?

my schedule raises a rather interesting sidenote. I have about 150 movies sitting in my room at home. as my schedule at home sat when i left, i had a ton of free time and watched these movies frequently, if not constantly. now, however, i have less time. i may sell my movies. anyone want a package deal? :p

and now, my employment plan. i have been thinking of working in a book store, cause i keep buying books and i could really use a discount on them. yeah. i'm thinking that near my house there is a Chapters and several small book shops, perhaps i could work in one of those places. sounds like a plan to me.


and now the night comes to a close. it is once again late, i have tarried too long writing, as i always do. good thing i have no real classes tomorrow... :p

but i digress.

as always, input is welcome, if you see a hole on my schedule that i have not mentioned or a solution to an issue i have not as of yet seen, or you have souvenir ideas for people (i have no ideas whatsoever other than candy - it's different here.), let me know. i welcome input via the comment section or facebook.

(note about facebook - there are a ton of people named James Shipley. if you are trying to contact me and are unable to, leave a comment and i'll find you.)

and always,
bis später.