It's So Close

Wow. So here we are... end of April. This was the period I was worrying about, this was the part I knew would be hardest before I left. It's taken a lot of work already to get to this point, and it is definitely not over yet. Having just about finished off the last of my major assignments for school, I am now in the middle of exams. I wrote my first this last Friday and now I have one Monday, three Tuesday and two Thursday left. Now, the only trouble is that studying for exams is extremely difficult when you are this excited. I've managed to make sure I am medically prepared for the trip by getting stabbed in the arm with multiple vaccines and making sure I bring all the backup I can find in case I do get sick. The most complicated part of getting out of here has been getting my visa. I am happy to say I have officially been approved by the Directorate General of Immigration in Indonesia and therefore am ready to process the visa here in Canada. Through the help of a person I have not met yet, but have already developed a great respect for, Ms. Yulis, we were able to sort out all the paperwork. My sponsor Ms. Naning as well as others behind the scenes (who I have not spoken to directly but have seen their efforts through forwarded emails) have also helped me get to this point.

What's next? Well, I should probably be studying for my exams... but right now I'm actually looking up flight quotes. I'm just about ready to book my flight, and that will confirm the date of my departure. I'm hoping to book it this week, right after my Tuesday exams. I have to admit it has been a lot of hard work to balance school, work and preparations, however; I know it will be worth it. After several trips to my bank and Passport Canada, I have a new passport and a credit card. The stipend cheques are in, and I will pick mine up during my exit meeting with York. I'll probably schedule that right after I get the visa stamp from the Indonesian Embassy here in Toronto. Another great help has been the Indonesian people. Through the website www.CouchSurfing.com I have been welcomed by many friendly locals. They are willing to help me out upon my arrival and show me around Jakarta. It really is a great place to sign on to if you are interested in travelling, and I thank Michael (my fellow intern) for showing me it.

It's 3:30am so I should probably head to bed. I've left myself a fair bit of History of Warfare readings to catch up on tomorrow, so I could use the rest. I'll update you at the end of the week once exams are done, flights are booked and Laszlo is ready.

**Oh, and in case you were wondering about the name of my blog, himynameislaszlo, it's because my favourite band member, Mark Hoppus has a famous blog at www.himynameismark.com so I copied him.**

Selamat Tidur!