That means TOEFL is the devil in German, I thought it was clever.
I registered Amina for the exam this morning ($165 from the US), finally, after a bunch of stressing out about it because the passwords were wrong and I locked myself out of the system and the automated phone operators were so crazily condescending. I feel bad for people who aren't born speaking English, the world is so tilted against them in every way I can think of. If you want any upward mobility in these developing countries, I feel as though you have to be dealt the right hand and go to a school where teaching English was a priority. I suppose that having an 'international language' so to speak is a positive overall, but I can't help but feel awful for those disadvantaged millions (billions?) who just don't have that chance. There are so many bright young people who just never have a chance to express themselves or their worldview, and we never think of it. Just never ever think of it. Well at least I don't really, call me ignorant.
You know, I know I'm not really one of those people who are all "be so gracious that you have running water" and "you live such a privileged life," but sometimes, and especially since I returned from Africa, I've just been happy. Happy that I was dealt this particular hand of cards, born into a first world country, arguably the country to make your future into what you desire, and into not only this country but this state, and to these parents, and ended up having this life.
So, after all that preachy crap I will continue to say that just because we lead privileged lives doesn't mean that problems aren't problems. Our lives (well, I can't really speak for all of you, so my life, then) are so complicated and stressful it's really hard not to get down sometimes and troubled and all that. Depressed and anxious. I feel that way often, especially with all this bad luck business in my family. But lately and I hope for the rest of my life, I really have been making a stronger effort to put all that shit to the side.
There are so many worse fates than being lonely on a Friday night because all your friends have significant others.
And that's that.
*like*
ReplyDeletei wonder if college students in germany say that all the time.
and yeah, language barriers suck. i'm sure i'd have a much closer relationship with many members of my extended family if only i'd been born in china and learned a more expansive vocabulary, or if china was officially bilingual like india.