Baby Steps. . .

Today was the New Student Orientation at ASDoha. I've never been to one before. When we moved to Dubai, we moved in the middle of the year, so we got a tour of whatever was on the way to our class, and kinda just got shoved in with a "Good Luck!". Okay, maybe it wasn't that harsh, but I don't remember there being a whole hour set aside to welcome you. There's actually a LOT of new kids. And quite a few new seniors. I'm glad. I thought there would be like three, including me [boy that would've been awkward!], but there's maybe around 10 new seniors. The new campus for middle and high school is frickin' HUGE! Half of it isn't ready yet, including the theater [sniff!]. But the musical is next semester apparently, so I'm sure it'll be done by then. So the orientation went like this: we were directed into the dining hall [dining hall...NOT cafeteria!! - I think thta's about the only thing I got out of that tour...=S], where the principal welcomed us and then one of the counselors told us we'd be splitting up into groups, by grade, to go for our tours. I was actually REALLY nervous about it. I don't know why...I'm weird like that. Like I told Wesley, who didn't believe me, I'm actually very quiet unless I know the people I'm around. I think I'm really only ever my true crazy self around the youthies, and the few people at school that aren't youthies :P, cuz I don't feel judged around them, whereas at school, I always feel like someone or other is judging me. Maybe it's paranoia...but okay yeah, whatever. Anyways, we got assembled in our respective groups. We did an icebreaker as seniors, 'Never Have I Ever' [ooh, bad memories watching that game...] Thankfully it was kept very clean, mostly stuck with travels and skydiving. Then we went on the tour of the half-finished ginormous school. It was so overwhelming! I felt like I was on another college tour. Mostly due to the fast that our tour guide walked backwards half the time and was very tour-guidish. Everyone seemed nice though. But I'm still so very nervous for the first day of school! My mom said she got a peek at my schedule though, and she said I got what I wanted, so that's promising I guess. [ha! all you ASDubai-ers!] I think I'm most nervous for AP French. Pretty much the reason I signed up for it in Dubai was because Mr. Lemaire didn't think I could do it. So I was all "I'll show him!" And plus, I really liked how he taught, but here there is no Mr. Lemaire, so there's not really a challenge, no real incentive for me to take it. So right now I'm writing this blog as a break from going through my mom's old French textbooks in a desperate attempt to make sure I know what I'm doing so I don't embarrass myself...in French. =S But knowing myself, that's probably gonna happen anyways. They gave the parents a booklet at orientation, and in it there was a list of churches and youth groups here. I though that was pretty cool, you never really see anything like that in Dubai. I found out Solid Rock youth meets Thursday nights at 6 pm. I think it's close to our house. I'm gonna e-mail the leaders today to see if they're meeting tomorrow or not. I really hope they do meet tomorrow! I'd feel so much more comfortable in a youth atmosphere than a school one, for afore-mentioned reasons. Plus, I could meet people from school there...if there are people from school that go to youth...ooh I reallly hope so!!!! So then I wouldn't have to sit alone at lunch on the first day, cause I'll actually know someone. That's what I'm dreading the most...lunch. [dun dun dun] I can just imagine myself standing in the middle of the cafeteria..er, dining hall...not knowing where to sit. Ack! Anyways, I should go do more French stuff, then read Othello, then see if my brain will respond if I open up SAT and college stuff. Oh the joys of senior year.

Missing Dubai like crazy!
Much love,
Tach.