There are loads of things that piss me off. Some of them are fairly minor annoyances, while certain others -- like animal cruelty and environmental irresponsibility -- anger me on a greater scale. For some reason, though, there's this one particular small annoyance that just really gets me the wrong way.

Why do people consistently write and speak grammatically incorrect English, when it's their first language? Why!? It's not even the use of slang that bugs me. It's the constant mix up of "your" and "you're", made-up words like "funner", run-on sentences, and the forgotten use of the period and/or comma. GRRR!! Go take some English classes or read some goddamn books!

On a lighter note, I was shortlisted for the JET Programme! :D :D I suppose I should start using this journal as a record of things going on in my life in Japan. For the moment, I'll concentrate on my French Linguistics class, eating as much spider maki as I can stuff into my mouth, and drinking as much TenRen's BBT as I can. It turns out the spider roll was invented by the Iron Chef, so I won't be able to find it anywhere in Japan. :(

I climbed the CN Tower on Saturday. It was utterly exhausting, and I'm glad it's over. I was a little disappointed, though, 'cause it took me about 40 seconds longer than last year to complete the climb. Darnit. I won't be able to do it again for some time though. The long school break in Japan won't be until the summer. >_<

Scott asked me again today if I had gotten results from JET yet. Again, I told him not yet, not until April.

I'm. Going. NUTS. Absolutely insane!! If I get rejected, I know I'm going to go into a state of shock and depression, before I'll be able to pick myself up again. I also know that I'll be applying to GEOS if I don't get in. I don't know why I feel this looming sense of doom. I'm either being pessimistic or simply realistic.

An article on CNN stated that there was a 15% increase in American applicants this year, and yet JET claims that they're accepting approximately half the amount they accepted last year worldwide. Japan's English program is very American-orientated, so I'm assuming that most of the cuts are going to be made outside of the U.S.

I've always appreciated that Canada followed British grammar and spelling rules, but at this point, I'm really, really hoping that JET understands that Canadians are very, very adaptable to following American grammar and spelling rules. Really, we are!!

Last year, approximately 200 Canadians were selected (in comparison to about 800 Americans). This year, I'm not so sure considering this huge cut, but I'm guessing perhaps 150 Canadians. Oh dear God, please let me get accepted!

I don't think I've ever wanted anything more in my entire life. I need to calm down.

I'm at Serissa Caté again and I just completed my French composition (780 words as opposed to 1000, but oh well). The girls sitting across from me are loud, obnoxious, and immature. I know I was never like that when I was their age.

Last night, I had a dream that I was at work. Chapters now has a new clock-in system where, instead of swiping a card, you log into an account on a computer instead. Somehow, I dreamt that all the computers in the store had a special store password that we all shared, but had forgotten it and couldn't clock myself in, so I paged Scott, our general manager, and he informed me that he had no idea what the mysterious password was. I ran around the store, I can't really remember why, attempting to log in to all of them, but to no avail. By this time, 15 minutes had already past, so I was hence, late. On top of that, I went to work accidentally wearing one of my pink tops, which is inappropriate. Somehow, I was trying to chase down co-workers around the store, but I would miss each and every one of them. Finally, Kevin found me and helped me log in (always helpful, Kevin is). Then, I woke up.

This morning, Kevin really did call me to do a last minute evening shift. :D

Bonnie, of course, was disappointed I'm not going karaoke after all. I honestly thought it would take me longer than it did to complete my composition, but I was able to complete it within an hour, even with the ruckus the juvenile, high school girls were making.

I'm just biding my time, waiting till I need to go to work. What I should be doing, though, is memorizing pg. 234 in my textbook for my dictée tomorrow, and I shall do that after I get off this thing.

A couple of days ago, Paula from work showed me a clip on YouTube of these two men in the 70s reuniting with their once-domesticated lion, Christian. I say once, because after they realized Christian was just too big to care for in a city like London, they asked George Adamson, a.k.a. the Lion Whisperer, to rehabilitate him into the African wild. It was a beautiful story and their reunion was extremely touching. I cried the first and second time I watched it.

Maisa sent me a message on Facebook. I miss her so much. :( I don't remember the exact day she's coming back from Israel, but I know it won't be till sometime in mid-April. Time has been flying by. I can hardly believe we're already in the middle of March, but at the same time, April is forever looming by. I spoke to Eileen on the phone yesterday, and we're both extremely nervous about the incoming JET letters. I know I should be concentrating on school to keep my mind off it.

I think I'm going to use this journal a little more often from now on. I need a place that allows me to unleash some of my thoughts and Facebook doesn't seem very appropriate. For the past couple of years, I've become more involved with animal rights and welfare issues, so anyone who finds themselves reading this and who (for some odd reason or other) will be continuing to read it, will be seeing a lot of animal-cruelty related reports here.

I'm also going to need a place to vent some frustration as I slowly but surely go insane from waiting for JET's response. I applied to the JET Programme this year for the first time and although I walked out of my interview with confidence, the wait is driving me insane and I'm no longer as confident as I was before. These next few weeks are going to be torture.

A man in Montreal was accused not too ago of leaving his 12-year-old Miniature Poodle in his car, unattended and without food and water, for 19 days. Here in Canada, we care so little for the well being of animals that the man was fined a mere $100. Shortly before that, a middle-aged woman in Nova Scotia was fined $5 for drowning two new-born kittens.

I don't know what upsets and angers me more; the fact that there are two human beings in this country who could even think of doing such heinous acts, or that the government doesn't think them serious enough crimes to give them any more than a slap on their wrists. Both fines combined were less than the standard $150 fine if you're caught not paying your bus fare. What this country needs is a huge wake-up call.

On another note, a man in Toronto died this morning in an attempt to rescue his two dogs. Some people may read this and wonder what sort of man would risk his own life for mere dogs. To me, this man was nothing short of brave. I'm saddened that he was even in that sort of dangerous situation, but what he did was something to be admired.