Right now, it is 4.30 am and I am jet lag. I am used to long flights (it takes about 14 hours to get to and from London) and I am usually a good sleeper so I don't get jet lag. I don't know what happened this time! I went to bed at 12, and then woke up again at 3. I am currently reading _The 5 People You Meet in Heaven_ so I read for a while, then tried to sleep again with no luck. So here I am, online, catching up on the Loom and wondering when I'll be able to fall asleep!
Many of you have asked me to give a detailed account of what happened regarding university, so I might as well post that now! Most of you know that I left the university in Australia for many reasons. After doing that I came back to Dhaka for a couple of days, then flew off to London with my Mum. My family members decided that I should try to apply to a university in London for many reasons - I already know the city, the universities are very good, and I have tons of family members there (a grandmother and uncle in the same apartment block upstairs, a cousin who lives two doors down, an aunt down the road, a cousin who studies in Oxford... so I will never quite be as alone as I felt in Sydney). Anyway, there was nothing I could do till August 17th, because on that day they published a list of all the places left in universities that hadn't been filled.
I woke up at 8 am that morning to buy the newspaper and go through lists and lists of courses and universities. I'm not sure how it works in America but I think that over there you apply to a university rather than a subject. In England, you choose a subject to study at the university before you even get there. I had some idea what I wanted to study and also had some idea of what university I wanted to go to, but looked for hours at all the options I had available. Even after searching and searching, there was only one course I could find that I was really interested in (and I would rather not do something I am not interested in just for the sake of being at university). I called up the university and expressed my interest in that particular course, asking many questions about classes and lectures, trying to figure out whether or not this was what I really wanted. The first two people I spoke to were not familiar with my American AP qualifications, so I spoke to someone at an international office. He was very helpful and even offered me some other suggestions - I was interested in studying International Relations and French, but he saw that I had done well in both my AP English exams, and thought I might do well studying English. I told him that I had given it some thought and that I would rather do International Relations. And to my surprise, he offered me a place at the university over the phone! I was overjoyed that this long and continuous struggle about where I would go to university, whether or not I would get in, etc. etc., was finally over! A few days later he sent me an information pack about my course and the university, and I feel really happy with my decision. Plus I am so excited to be living in London, which is probably my favorite city in the world!
Anyway, our flight back to Dhaka was already booked for the 22nd, because we weren't sure whether or not I would get into university and Mum didn't want to stay far away from her sons for more than 3 weeks. So we flew back, and we are now making arrangements to go back to London in mid-September, because my classes don't start till the 25th I think. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I will be living with one of my brothers for a year! The two of them (twins) studied in Vancouver and just graduated with their Bachelors, and now one is going back to Vancouver to do a postgraduate course and one is coming with me to London to do his Masters - ironically at the same university that I am going to! But we are studying completely different courses so we will be at different campuses. Even so, it's good because we'll have the same holidays!
Okay, I am still not tired enough to go to bed. Maybe I should check to see if there is anything on tv. And then get myself a glass of warm milk with honey. Mmm.
Love,
~*Leia*~
Pic from July 9, 2006
2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006
Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".
After writing my last post I was up for a while longer and slept at 6 am. Then I woke up at 9.30 am, and went BACK to sleep at 11 am till 12.30. On top of that, I have been hit badly by my allergies today and am just feeling awful. I haven't even showered, changed my clothes, or brushed my hair. Today is a really blech day.
My family isn't doing very well either! Both my parents are jet lag, having travelled with me to London. One of my brothers has hurt his ankle playing soccer and can hardly walk, and the other one is starting to get a cold.
Love,
~*Leia*~
Pic from July 9, 2006
2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006
Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".
Last night I was wearing my hair in a simple braid (for lazy reasons, so that I wouldn't have to braid it for bed!) and a lady I know stopped me. She said she had seen me the previous night with my hair down and said that it was really beautiful and long. It's so nice to be back in the world of long hair compliments. I've never heard anything BAD about it, but sometimes in London I hear, "So how long are you planning to grow it? When are you going to cut it?" etc. Which makes sense, seeing as how long hair probably isn't on the top of the fashion hairdressers' lists . It's funny that males and young females (I have a 5-year-old neice) always compliment my hair, and it is just adult ladies who seem to think it is out of fashion.
Well, tonight is wash night. For the past few weeks I have been washing twice weekly instead of once, and I am actually really happy with that. I don't have immensely greasy hair when it comes to wash day! And I love the feeling of freshly washed hair. I may just go back to twice weekly washing, even if just for the summer. Wet hair on my back would be awful in the London winter! Tonight is meant to be herb night, but I feel like doing something more exciting. I've done two kitchen conditionings in the past two weeks; maybe I'll put henna in it tonight for a change.
Love,
~*Leia*~
Pic from July 9, 2006
2bMiii
Current length: 41" on July 8, 2006
Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".
My hair is still drying. I used my Ozone henna, which is a mixture of both henna and other herbs that add in extra conditioning. I am hoping it turns out well!
Love,
~*Leia*~
Pic from July 9, 2006
2bMiii
Current length: 42" on August 27, 2006
Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".
I trimmed a little bit on August 29th, the MM day for beautification. I also applied a conditioner that night (just one that I happened to pick up, I think it was by L'Occitane) and, after my morning exercise, shampooed my hair and rinsed the conditioner out. I think my 2x weekly washing is a good idea this summer, especially because I am exercising 6 mornings a week. I don't get very sweaty - it's light exercise, really; yoga followed by 20 minutes on the treadmill, sometimes 15 mins on the bike, squats, and crunches - and my scalp doesn't seem to sweat, but I don't like to take any chances. Besides, I don't think it is doing me any harm, and the cool hair feels nice in the summer heat. I'm sure that in the freezing London winter (anything is freezing compared to the Dhaka winter!) even washing once a week will make me freeze! I'll have to ask on the Loom for tips on staying warm with wet hair in the winter season.
On a funny note, my 12-year-old cousin was reading an article on WikiHow, and I came across this:
"Hair is your personal trait. Do whatever you want with it...almost whatever. Keep it healthy, be sure to get regular trims, and wash daily. Use hair serum to get those frizzies, and use mousse to get a certain style, and use hairsprays to seal a certain style. If you ever decide to color, or perm or whatever go to the salon. They're professionals they know what they're doing...they'll reccommend some styles, and some health tips for your locks so listen and take notes if possible."
Wash daily! Use hair serum/mouse/hairspray! Haha. I didn't find that to be very good advice, and my cousin didn't either! (Guess I've trained her well! )
Love,
~*Leia*~
Pic from July 9, 2006
2bMiii
Current length: 42" on August 27, 2006
Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".
This style was created by Emily B. Here are her instructions:
"Okay, so, you'll need a scarf, or a piece of fabric at least 60 in. long for this to work. First I part my hair (center or side; doesn't matter) and then put my hair up in a bun in the middle of the back of my head; it'll stay longer if the bun sticks out a bit. Then I take my scarf and lay it across my head like a headband, making sure that the center of the scarf is in the center of my head. Then I wrap it around my head crossing it UNDER the bun. Next, bring the ends up around the bun and tie in a half-knot (like starting to tie your shoes) at the top of the bun. Then I just tuck the ends in amongst all the overlapping stuff at the bottom, and voila! It's kind of cool. It looks vaguely Grecian or Regency in style, and it's a lot more stylish-looking for greasy-hair days than a hat or a bandana!"
I did this without a parting in my hair, and I used a wirey piece of fabric rather than a scarf. Here are my pics:
At the bottom of this page, there is a pic of a similar style.
Love,
~*Leia*~
Pic from July 9, 2006
2bMiii
Current length: 42" on August 27, 2006
Growing since January 2003; found TLHL at the end of June 2003 and was at 25". I am 5'4.5".
.
. It's funny that males and young females (I have a 5-year-old neice) always compliment my hair, and it is just adult ladies who seem to think it is out of fashion.
