Welcome Back Students

It's scary to admit that it is now the middle of July. I have no idea what happened to the first two weeks of July, nor do I know whatever happened to June. I also don't understand how fast May disappeared, wherever it decided to leave me.

Up until this weekend, Downtown Madison created the illusion of being an abandoned, desolate city, with a few souls hanging onto a decaying city. Even on a Saturday night, State streets had been nearly empty, unusually empty. Coffee shops attendees have been scarce (I would know), libraries have become my private, privileged sanctuaries where only I seem to spend time in.

This weekend, Madison seems to be returning back to it's original state of chaotic, busy, partying students that likes to over drink, fight in the middle of the streets, and pretty much party until four in the morning (much to my despise, considering we live in Downtown, next to a known party house, where it drives my life miserable, every weekend night)

The house, turned into apartment building we live next to has three floors and there were parties in its two floors, The building across them had a party in it and it seemed to me, there was a party at least in one unit, in all the apartments in the neighborhood. It's hard to hear one another even in the house, there are people constantly knocking on our doors, windows, trying to get in, or pooping in your front yards, sometimes we've caught them peeing too. Some are passed out in their pukes, where we call the cops so that at least they get some sort of attention in the middle of the night. Some people think it's a neat spot to have public sex. Beer bottles are thrown out of higher floor balconies and people keep screaming various things, I've never been able to understand.

Welcome back, underage drinking Students!

Fullbright and J-1

Fullbright is a wonderful program for serious scholars to do some serious works that enables them to live financially worry free as they are living in the United States.

They're professionally done that take serious interest in candidates and truly select the best students from across the globe and give them an opportunity to study in U.S. No doubt, for many, allowing these students to achieve their long held dreams that have sustained their imaginations and become their motivations to study harder each day.

Fullbright takes care of these students by sending them to language institutes in the country which allows them to better their English writing and speaking skills and also giving them a chance to live through their culture shock and adapt at an easier environment without a great consequence to their studies.

Fullbright advisers assigned to each student seems well trained, informative and knowledgeable about anything one can think of. The said foreign student has with great accessibility with these advisers to such life saving knowledge.

But it sucks when you fall in love, marry and would like to stay in U.S. for a few years until everyone catches up to the same page before you go back to your home country to fulfill your promise of two year home stay requirement and to disseminate positive information and experiences about staying and studying in the U.S.

S came with the plan to return to Turkey and find a job there and better the Chemistry of Turkish Scientists in any way he can. Being a help, creating something new for the government is one of his biggest desires and goals.

What we wanted to do was that I would go back to school--whenever that was going to be--finish my undergraduate degree, go for my masters and have a year or two of working experience which I could use to land prosperous jobs within my industry. That now feels like a nostalgic and shattered dream at best. Until then, S would finish his school and also would gain some industry experience, create and solidify his network and begin looking for jobs that he would be interested in. Eventually, when we felt we were ready to go and begin the next chapter of our lives, we would return to Turkey permanently, at least on a trial bases, after applying for spousal green card for S which would eventually turn into a citizenship.

It seems, those with Fullbright sponsors cannot do that. Before they could change their visa status to anything but a J-1, they must return home and finish their two year requirements, no matter how detrimental those two years might to one's life, career, marriage, loss of wages and family life.

I can understand why the Congress would be so keen on making it near impossible for any J-1 Vis holder to stay more than the required time to finish their degree, go back to their country and enlarge the circle of prestigious network of Fullbright alumni. But, they have to be able to make exceptions. This no exception clauses are a pain.