I do hope that I shan't miss you, your bombs, your polar politics or your vernacular.

Adieu!

What occurs now can shape the rest of my life. Come September, I’ll be living it up in Belgium (if the current political situation sustains itself that long) and the Autonomous Community of Galicia in Spain. It’ll certainly be an interesting experience: not only in terms of way of life in a different country, but also in the effects that it will have (hopefully for the better) on my studies and prospects for the world of work.

With this Année intercalaire, one cannot be left in any sense of doubt as its bureaucratic nature: there are currently dozens of forms awaiting completion, from both Ulster and the Universities of Mons and Vigo, ranging from timetables, travel and health insurance, money, to notifications of departure.

While this cannot obviously be avoided, it should be the case that bureaucracy takes the high road, while I’ll take the low road, to quote that song, in order to effect an improvement in my written and spoken French and Spanish through the various modules in which I am either currently or to be enrolled. On reflection, I’m not sure it was such a good idea to enrol in one in the Faculté de Traduction et d’Interprétation - Ecole d'Interprètes Internationnaux ("Faculty of Translation and Interpretation -  School of International Interpreters") concerning Judicial and Administrative Translation (at Post Graduate level). :S

Oh well, bring on the challenge!

Given the joint nature of my degree - BA Hons French and Spanish (Applied Languages) – it was necessary to choose two locations where both languages are the de facto/ de jure ones of the Countries in question. I have hence chosen the towns/cities of:

• September – January: Université de Mons (Belgium, Province of Hainaut)

• January/February – June: Universidade de Vigo (Spain, Autonomous Community of Galicia)

Both choices are subject to University approval, so we shall wait and see if I am to be placed there...

While I have not denied in the past that I have had some apprehension about the Year Abroad, I think I'm starting to be at ease  with it all, so fingers crossed I'll get to go where I want and that it will be an enjoyable experience!

UPDATE: I've been provisionally granted a place at the Université de Mons, so it just remains to see whether I get a place in the Universidade de Vigo!

A bit of background: I boarded the 1710GMT Garvagh 116 service from the Station in Coleraine, and presented my Translink Student Discount Card and gave the driver the regular fare for the journey.  I was then handed my ticket and change.  After a few seconds I went back to the front  and queried it with the driver.  He looked at the ticket again and admitted that he had made a mistake and undercharged me (the student fare should have been £2.70, but I was charged £1.65).  He then said to keep the surplus £1.05, which I offered to add to make up the proper cost, seeing as it was nearly Christmas and sent me on my way.  This time happened to be the complete opposite of my last dealings with Ulsterbus where I was grossly overcharged for the reverse journey.

It isn't often that when someone makes a mistake they let it pass - some in the same organisation would have acted in a completely different manner.

To the Ulsterbus driver, the name of whom I do not know, I tip my hat.

A few things have happened since then, most notably that the summer holidays are nearly 2 months old (well for me, at least!) and there’s 69 days left until the start of Semester I of Year 2 – can you tell that I’ve been counting the days?!

I haven’t been very active on HF or VHF of late, I don’t know why though as I have been known to say “I’m bored” a tad too often.  I finally got HRD installed onto the laptop and it makes a pleasant change from one of the very early v3.4 builds I used until fairly recently on a desktop and got a USB to dual RS232 9 pin serial converter so I can plug in the ZLP interface and have CAT control for the FT-857 on the go at the same time

I’ve also been footering with MS Train Simulator with the Irish Enterprise Route pack and designing a very simplistic NI route, in no way related to the MakingTracks Irish Enterprise Belfast-Dublin route, for my own amusement, the only difficulty is trying to lay the track graphically as close to the actual coordinates of the Larne, Londonderry/Derry, Bangor, Knockmore-Antrim, and Newry lines.

And in future I must remember to update here and my YouTube vLogs more often as I have yet to publish my 2^nd vLog after publishing the first in January past, whoops!

At leas there's only 10 full weeks left of Semester