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I'd like to speak more on AP exam stuff, and my pretty eventful week beyond just tests.
But I'll start with that. Every day for the last three weeks, I must have studied for an hour or so a day for European History - recopying notes into timelines and lists, etc., which I found was an easier way to go about studying and memorizing than simply re-reading all of my notes half a bajillion times. So I took the exam on Wednesday, and I think I did pretty well - at least on the multiple choice. The written is iffy, but I wrote one of the questions on England, which I know really well (I'm a British citizen as well as a Canadian, so I've always been interested in the country), and the document-based question was on Feminism, so it wasn't completely unknown to me.
I also wrote a French AP exam, which I challenged, as I've taken French immersion classes since second grade. >_<; It was so.... pompous! And frustrating, because the questions were all on CD, so we had to listen and answer, which wouldn't be too bad if the voices were trying to speak in the most high class France-French as possible - and failing at the cost of their coherancy. I'm not saying I didn't understand (although it was hard as many of my teachers have been Québecois), but when you test someone on their fluency in a language, shouldn't one use people who speak actual French, as in what you'd hear on the streets of Paris, or something? >_<; And don't even get me started on the stupid recorded vocal question - it took forty minutes for me to record a fourteen-minute tape, because the instruction CD kept skipping.
But in a more positive light, this week we also hosted two girls from Konodai school, Chiba, Japan! Their names were Chihiro and Yukie, and they stayed for a week, leaving this morning. They cried when they had to get on the bus. We had so much fun together! ;_; I wish they could have stayed. They were so polite, nice, smart... and cute! They were very shy at first, and their English was adorably bad when they did speak ("My father works as the car salesman"), but after a week, they were much better. We also jumped at the chance to make real breakfasts every morning instead of the usual milk and cereal. I love pancakes! :D
Yesterday, mum was feeling ill, and she and dad were supposed to go to a ball - so I was drafted to go with dad. I threw on my ball gown (I wore it to the Battle of Trafalgar Ball a few years ago, and will wear it again next week for graduation), brushed my hair, and went with him to the Consular Ball 2007. I'm actually glad I went, though.
The food was very good. We were all impressed by the carved ice sorbet dishes and the decorative deserts, and apparently the wine was very good; I had some of the white wine (I'm eighteen, w00t!), but I don't yet have a taste for alcohol, so I wouldn't know.
Also, I had to sit up at the head table! It was sort of scary - we were on a rectangular table on a dias, on display, facing three dozen or so circular tables with six or seven people seated at each. And I couldn't even sit with my father for the dinner - I was seated to the right of a nice italian gentleman named Minuti, who was very happy that they were serving italian wines. On my right was Mr. Sweeny, who was the Deputy Commissioner (I think that was his title...) of the RCMP for pretty much the entire Western Canada. He made for good dinner conversation, and was very nice.
Just to the left of Mr.Minuti was Premier Ed Stelmach, though! The head honcho of all of Alberta! We were introduced (I as the base commander's daughter), and we chatted a few times throughout the evening (once on Alberta beef, actually). He has a nice smile.
There was a band, and some polish dancers. After their first dance, they walked up to the head table and we weren't sure if they were their to shake our hands or what, but they then dragged us all down to the dance floor to lead us all in the first dance! I danced with a fellow in a purple outfit (I confess that when they first walked on stage, with their bright outfits, some of them red, and all with white trim - I thought "Santa Claus"), who was very nice about the fact that my dancing was absolutely horrible.
We left at around 11:15, which was good because I was quite tired. Thank-you, long-suffering Corporal Neil, for your wonderful driving!
But I'll start with that. Every day for the last three weeks, I must have studied for an hour or so a day for European History - recopying notes into timelines and lists, etc., which I found was an easier way to go about studying and memorizing than simply re-reading all of my notes half a bajillion times. So I took the exam on Wednesday, and I think I did pretty well - at least on the multiple choice. The written is iffy, but I wrote one of the questions on England, which I know really well (I'm a British citizen as well as a Canadian, so I've always been interested in the country), and the document-based question was on Feminism, so it wasn't completely unknown to me.
I also wrote a French AP exam, which I challenged, as I've taken French immersion classes since second grade. >_<; It was so.... pompous! And frustrating, because the questions were all on CD, so we had to listen and answer, which wouldn't be too bad if the voices were trying to speak in the most high class France-French as possible - and failing at the cost of their coherancy. I'm not saying I didn't understand (although it was hard as many of my teachers have been Québecois), but when you test someone on their fluency in a language, shouldn't one use people who speak actual French, as in what you'd hear on the streets of Paris, or something? >_<; And don't even get me started on the stupid recorded vocal question - it took forty minutes for me to record a fourteen-minute tape, because the instruction CD kept skipping.
But in a more positive light, this week we also hosted two girls from Konodai school, Chiba, Japan! Their names were Chihiro and Yukie, and they stayed for a week, leaving this morning. They cried when they had to get on the bus. We had so much fun together! ;_; I wish they could have stayed. They were so polite, nice, smart... and cute! They were very shy at first, and their English was adorably bad when they did speak ("My father works as the car salesman"), but after a week, they were much better. We also jumped at the chance to make real breakfasts every morning instead of the usual milk and cereal. I love pancakes! :D
Yesterday, mum was feeling ill, and she and dad were supposed to go to a ball - so I was drafted to go with dad. I threw on my ball gown (I wore it to the Battle of Trafalgar Ball a few years ago, and will wear it again next week for graduation), brushed my hair, and went with him to the Consular Ball 2007. I'm actually glad I went, though.
The food was very good. We were all impressed by the carved ice sorbet dishes and the decorative deserts, and apparently the wine was very good; I had some of the white wine (I'm eighteen, w00t!), but I don't yet have a taste for alcohol, so I wouldn't know.
Also, I had to sit up at the head table! It was sort of scary - we were on a rectangular table on a dias, on display, facing three dozen or so circular tables with six or seven people seated at each. And I couldn't even sit with my father for the dinner - I was seated to the right of a nice italian gentleman named Minuti, who was very happy that they were serving italian wines. On my right was Mr. Sweeny, who was the Deputy Commissioner (I think that was his title...) of the RCMP for pretty much the entire Western Canada. He made for good dinner conversation, and was very nice.
Just to the left of Mr.Minuti was Premier Ed Stelmach, though! The head honcho of all of Alberta! We were introduced (I as the base commander's daughter), and we chatted a few times throughout the evening (once on Alberta beef, actually). He has a nice smile.
There was a band, and some polish dancers. After their first dance, they walked up to the head table and we weren't sure if they were their to shake our hands or what, but they then dragged us all down to the dance floor to lead us all in the first dance! I danced with a fellow in a purple outfit (I confess that when they first walked on stage, with their bright outfits, some of them red, and all with white trim - I thought "Santa Claus"), who was very nice about the fact that my dancing was absolutely horrible.
We left at around 11:15, which was good because I was quite tired. Thank-you, long-suffering Corporal Neil, for your wonderful driving!
