Culture Shock -- it's all in those damn small things

I don't know how foreign students in America do it. But I'm certainly not succeeding at the whole details bit here...

I feel like ripping my hair out, screaming, crying... SOMETHING that would at least result in what it's supposed to result in.

I made myself a schedule this morning. A full crazy day, filled with everything I needed to do. Well... how much have I accomplished? Practically zip. And I'm skipping class right now because I could find any FRICKIN' INTERNET ANYWHERE for me to use to try and find the information that I need to inscribe in sports classes.

The wireless cafe right next to the building where I'm supposed to have my classes? Oh, wait, my computer SAYS I have wireless but it doesn't work.

Oh well, I think, I'll find some place on campus. Well, maybe there are places, but they're all PASSWORD PROTECTED and how am i supposed to know any frickin passwords yet????

So I skip class to come to the only internet place I know, near to school at least, but MY WIRELESS IS MESSING UP here as well, so I have to plug in. FINALLY I get on and get to the sports website to inscribe in the dance class I want (and all of the sports classes fill fast) and what do you know, it asks for my NAME AND PASSWORD... well, I try every variation of every thing written on my newly acquired student card... to no avail. So I can't even sign up.

More than that, I wasn't able to find the schedules for ANY of the regular university departments, because you have to go to the secretaries office... so I trudged around in frickin -4 degree (celsius) weather, having forgotten my gloves this morning... and of course they're all either closed or, in the case of the philosophie department, I stood in the room for a good 5 minutes, trying to look as confused as possible, but the no one working would give me the slightest glance... and I KNOW I have to be assertive, but frankly I'm sick of being the confused foreign student, so I just left instead of demanding their attention for a task I KNEW they'd look at me weird for (everyone else who has asked for schedules get questioned, since all the other students have already been taking regular classes for a week). Sometimes I'm just really not in the mood to be wrong, to be out-of-the-know, to feel fucked over and small and insignificant and unable to do just about ANYTHING because I'm so used to the facility of the internet, and at a university of about 18,000 they may have 30 computers with internet, for which you have to make an appointment the day before.

FR(*@#%*@(#%()CK!!!!

I have to run to class, my backpack heavy from carrying around my computer and getting no where with it... I still don't have a schedule to give Mme Zehr and I have an evening ahead of me of trying to get through more beaurocracy.

There's a reason I chose not to go to a large university, and trying to navigate one in another language is seriously making my head spin out of control. If only we didn't have to take classes. If only I didn't WANT to take extra classes, outside of the foreigner's program. If only I chose the simple life.

*sigh*

I"m going to be late.

MOre exciting and uplifting updates later... sorry, I just had to rant.