The One With The BUTEX Scholarship

Oh I had such a snarky title for this - but I have refrained!

And I am delighted to have won!

Back in the prehistoric past that was pre-Ottawa in that fabled land of Exeter, I applied for two study abroad scholarships. One was from the Queen, which I didn't get; and one was from BUTEX which, I discovered on Tuesday, that I did get! So happy days to £500 to spend on beaver tails and canoes. In all seriousness, I am so grateful for this scholarship and it genuinely is needed. Canada is overwhelmingly more expensive than the UK and it is so frustrating when finances impede upon adventure.

To be totally candid, I can't believe I actually won. I read back my entry on Tuesday and cringed until I could cringe no more. I mentioned Shania Twain and One Direction; that must condemn me to some writer's purgatory.

Judge for yourselves

Five things I wouldn't study abroad without (with my opinions now added afterwards!)

Optimism - official emails from Canada all start 'hey!' which means British cynicism is out and sunny disposition is in so as to make friends and not alientate people. Furthermore, I'm moving to the first best Canadian city to live in having grown up in the UK's 20th worst town - what is not joyful about that?

I forgot I was obsessed by Canadian optimism, which I'm not convinved is as prevelant out here as I assumed. Ottawa still trumps Didcot though. Much as I love the Didcot Sandwich Show, Byward Market beaver tails and Zak's Diner are culinary paradise. Sorry, Didders. I really should stop slagging you off all the time...Oh - and I've made friends! Random European from Tadoussac trip and ginger girl in Jewish Lit. aside. Obviously got a sunny disposition!

iPod - to blast Shania Twain to fit in with the locals and to quietly console myself with One Direction to remember my British roots. Actually, I'm quite a fan of Shania Twain...

I'm also quite a fan of elipses. But if you use more or fewer dots then I will find you and I will kill you with the superiority automatically inferred upon me as a grammatical master. Nice product placement for Apple (I'll take a cheque and the iPhone 5) and I've not actually listened to Shania Twain or One Direction since being out here. That must be a crime to be in Canada and not listen to Man! I feel like a woman?

Camera - as the only Exeter theology student abroad this year, thousands of photos are needed not just to emotively encourage prospective theologians to tak advantage of the study abroad program, but also to remind myself where I went and what I did when it comes to creating the 10,000 word portfolio upon my return. And I hear Mounties are particularly photogenic.

Three things: One - if no students take up study abroad with theology I will cry and feel like my interactive blog on the ELE page has been a failure; Two) apparently it's only 2,500 words for the final essay and not 5000 which is so incredibly unhelpful and I will go over the wordcount; Three) Operation Mountie Husband For Hannah is still a-go.

Skype - because even though moving to a different continent might seem like I'm trying to escape my mother, I've definitely going to miss her and will need the comfort and common sense-injection only a (blurry, often-freezing, miniscule webcam image) mother can provide.

I can't actually Skype Mumma Barr anymore, for precisely the technological inconveniences noted above. The inability to properly see her really distresses me so we stick to phone calls. Good job she loves me and also pays my phone bill. Seriously though, it actually really upsets me to Skype her and have stupid WiFi and webcam issues.



Bible - essential for any theology student if we want to pass our exams; also quite crucial with regards to my faith; and if nothing else, it is the optimum size to bat away any eager beavers that may try to befriends me!

Slide in some evangelism and quickly counteract it with some banter - smooth! On second thoughts, having just looked at the size of my Bible, it would be in trouble if it fell into the path of a beaver. Or would it? It is the word of God, after all...

And that, my friends, is worth £500. And an email from Anne Worth, which are like gold dust. Go abroad they said; you'll have all the support of Exeter and Ottawa they said; bollocks I now say. Telling her that I was chilled about my midterms because of their worth to my overall degree didn't go down to well, and she wants photos of me loving life for the study abroad Flickr page. As do BUTEX.

You can read the full article here!

And congratulations to the other winners: Hector, Emily, Mackenzie, Brian, Jack, Amar, Dominc, Natasha, Justine, Laura, John, Samuel, Devin, Wilma and Victoria.