I guess this is what I'm hoping my evenings will look like once my exams are over. Haha. Just a couple fingers of whiskey with chilled soap stones, backgammon and the sunset. No more reading, quizzing, self-testing or sitting at a desk for six to seven hour stretches just thinking and thinking. Always thinking.
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Recently, I was asked why it has taken me so long to study for my legal assessment exams. I'm aware that some people are able to just study for like three months and then take the exams (while also daring to do multiple exams in one sitting). I'm not sure what their circumstances were. I know some people already have jobs lined up, so there's time pressure. Other people know former test takers and have the benefit of their outlines and notes. Some people take courses at a law school or private prep courses.
I decided that I didn't want to spend the money on a prep course. I also didn't feel like I needed that kind of help. I've already been to law school. I've already done this once. Hehe. So, I decided to just do the self-study route. I also don't have any time pressure. The books and exams already cost a couple thousand dollars. This is an expensive endeavour. If I'm going to put myself through this, I might as well take the time to do it right. So, I read thousands of pages of required reading (textbooks, case law, legal articles, etc). This took about 8 months. Then the last 3 months have been review and self-testing.
Soon, I'll be taking my actual exams. I decided to do five exams over the course of five days on a 9 to 5 schedule. Needless to say, I've never felt more ready. I've never been the kind of person to just study the day before an exam and pass. I have no desire to memorize a bunch of stuff and regurgitate it. I have an incessant need to understand the mechanics of what I'm doing. This is why I became so good at Japanese. Once I understood how the language worked, it became easy and a lot of fun. Canadian law is no different. I'm excited to show the examiners how well I understand the material. :D
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All I'm saying is, if I were in legal trouble, I'd want to hire a tireless, fastidious bastard such as myself. Haha. I've been feeling the great pangs of exhaustion, though. So, I'm excited to soon be done with everything (even though the assessment exams represent a mere 1/3 of the full licensing process---let's not get into that, right now, hehe). So, I've tried to get my jollies here and there. Anything to take my mind off of things and do a little less thinking, thinking, thinking. Always thinking. Fortunately, I've had some spare moments here and there to see the city and spend time with friends. I actually only know one person in the city and I met him when I was an exchange student in Japan over a decade ago.
I still think it's amazing that we've kept up with each other after all these years and now we live in the same city. Whenever we hang out, it's like we never left Japan. It's incredible. Going to Japan is still one of the best decisions I ever made. It gave me a sense of adventure. I look forward to rekindling that. My partner and I have been talking about taking a trip to Montreal in a month. I would love that so much!
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November of last year, we got a new addition to our little family. Her name is Winsome (top photo) and she's sooooooo sweet. The sweetest cat ever. I think her presence has somehow managed to tame Bonaparte, our Maine Coon, because she seems a little less feisty nowadays. Haha. It's also really adorable watching them play and chase each other around the house. When we got Winnie, I was terrified that Bon Bon might be really nasty toward her. Even though Winnie is older than Bon by about a year, she's so tiny in comparison. Maine Coons are big cats! All's well that ends well, though. ;P
It has been 10 months and you'd think that Winnie and Bon grew up together. Two peas in a pod. <3 I'm a total cat mom, now. I worry about them all the time. I'm loathe to even think about going on a trip for more than a few days, because I'm a big ball of worries. Haha. I guess we'll see how it goes if I end up taking the trip to Montreal. At least, they'd have each other for company. Hehe. Yep. Total cat mom.
In case you haven't already heard, I recently put out a special 1-hour indie, shoegaze, tropical pop mix! It's my first ever indie mix and it was really challenging. The slower the track, the more difficult it is to mix. I always had a bourbon handy to soften the pain of a bad transition. Hehe. Anyway, I put in a lot of hours in front of the decks to make this as perfect as possible. I learned a lot and I really enjoyed putting it together. This one should be very accessible, since I know electronic music is an acquired taste and I like to listen to rather...eclectic genres, hehe. This mix should feel familiar and danceable.
I plan to continue recording mixes while I'm on hiatus, so be sure to check my music blog periodically, if you're into that sort of thing. ;P I try to post quarterly, so my next mix will be available sometime around October 2018. You can also keep up with me on Instagram. I'll be most active there. <3 ^_^ <3
Sooooo, yeah. I don't think this is "good bye." I'm just taking a (much needed) break, is all. :D Once again, I'm super grateful for your readership. I don't really have that many people to talk to, to be completely honest. I live a rather quiet life, so creating this blog was a huge step in the right direction for me in terms of trying to be more open and more social (in my own way). Thank you for your kindness over the years. Hopefully, if and when I start up the ol' blog, again, I'll have positive news to share!
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