I think the Beatles tune I’ve inserted as the title for this entry will have more emotional poignancy when reflecting on this list in the future. The first few chords of that song never fail to make me melt into an indescribable nostalgia for the places and people I’ve known.
You had to know it was coming. I’m too much of a perfectionist to walk off into the sunset without taking a stab at collecting some of the more memorable moments of this wonderful journey. The past sixteen months have been an incredible time of growth and experience away from home. I could rattle off dozens memories from my time here, but this serves as a list of my favourites. The purpose here is to thank the friends I’ve shared these occasions with, and archive snapshots along the way. A look back…
September 2008, Train Station, Rennes, France
After six months of dreaming of Europe and making plans to meet as often as possible, my best friend, Emily, greeted me at the top of an escalator in France. I’ll always remember the freak-out we had having finally made it. The buildup to this moment was insane, and it would prove to be the start of a dozen or so similar meetings. Having Emily over here made the experiences all the more worthwhile.
November 2008, Planet Hollywood, London, UK
Bec and I hadn’t know each other all that long, but we decided to take a train down to London to join thousands of others in one of the largest cities in the world in anticipation of the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. We stayed up until 5am watching the results in Piccadilly Circus, celebrated with the revelers, and took an early train back to Leamington. Magic.
November 2008, Stockholm, Sweden
It was one of my first travel excursions booked on a whim with my friend Paul. Even though there was snow on the ground the whole weekend, we had an absolute blast—late night partying, island hopping, an abandoned swing set, and eating reindeer. The trip to Sweden was a blast.
December 2008, Alanya Castle, Turkey
Just one highlight of a fantastic week spent in Turkey with Emily. I remember the day well. We hiked up (and later down) to the castle the locals said no one walked to, took copious photos, had Turkish coffee, and explored the small fishing village. Way ta go gouys.
December 2008, Christmas Eve, Paris, France
How lucky does one have to be to spend Christmas Eve in Paris? As you can guess, Emily, Raffi, a few clowns, and myself sat before the beautiful Eiffel Tower and toasted to Christmas. If was my first holiday away from home, but it was a memorable weekend of friends and cheer.
January 2009, New Years Eve, Edinburgh, Scotland
Talia and I were just laughing about this night last week. To ring in the New Year at one of the biggest parties in the world, in the company of Talia and Alex, and in the home of my ancestors was truly special—the walk through the crags the next day was also a stellar way to spend the first day of 2009.
May 2009, Queen’s Day Weekend, Amsterdam, Netherlands
I could only pick one event from Amsterdam to throw on this list (when I could find a dozen) and Queen’s Day weekend was definitely it. I’ve never seen a country so lit up with pride before, and so genuinely welcoming of those of us who were along for the ride. The party under the bridge the night before, the Queen’s day beer and breakfast at my place, and the day spent as an “Undutchable” was incredible.
March 2009, Reading Week, Berlin and Prague
Sneaking a week out of a busy Amsterdam schedule was risky, but proved worth it. Courtney and I had a great time checking off oodles of Berlin must-sees, and Milan was a terrific host in Prague. It’s a truly a joy to have a host who knows a city, and he did not spare a detail in showing me his favourite spots.
April 2009, Brussels Weekend, Belgium
The bachelors weekend in Brussels with Michael and Paul was utterly fantastic. Among our shenanigans (a random metro station party, finding a real club the next night, and park sleeping) I think some of my favourite time was spent together pregaming in our hostel room. We tore up the city.
June 2009, Final Night, MAIPR Summer School, Finland
This whole week will go down as simply legend. As expected, the coming together of all thirty MAIPR students from twenty-two countries was epic. Add saunas, Finnish traditions, summer sunsets, and lots of late nights to the mix and you can tell why it was so memorable. On the final evening we presented our practice as research forest explorations/performances, and stayed up until 5am at the sauna and bonfire.
July 2009, Portuguese Family Day, Sesimbra, Portugal
Terry, Maria, and Jessica were such fantastic hosts in Portugal. The week spent in Sesimbra was among the most relaxing of the year. Specifically, one afternoon our hosts invited three families for a sardine lunch. As Terry predicted, lunch turned into dinner, and dinner turned into late night. Like a scene from Mamma Mia, the camaraderie was inspiring.
July 2009, IGLYO Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands
After original internship opportunities fell through, I was lucky enough to piece together volunteering with IGLYO who just happened to be hosting the largest gathering of global LGBT youth ever. The internship exceeded my wildest expectations. I was given control of an important project, the work bled into my dissertation, and I think it will lead to further opportunities. The week was a reminder about injustice throughout the world, but also inspiring displays of human courage.
July 2009, Barcelona Opera House, Spain
Jessica and I spent a wicked few days together in Barcelona. Since our hostel was a shoebox, we stayed out as long as possible and had a blast exploring all the great sights. Most memorable was our long shot tickets to Puccini’s Turandot that turned out to be BOX SEATS. Not too shabby for my first professional opera.
November 2009, berlinpad.com, Berlin
After four months of not leaving the UK and focusing on the diss, my trip to Berlin to visit Emily and Steve was much needed. In addition, it marked 20 years to the month that the wall fell. We dined on great food, shared a few drinks, and had such a wonderful few days. That trip made me realize why expats love settling in Europe so much.
December 2009, One Night Only, London, UK
The Hunters hit the UK for a quick tour. The one night with Emma was full of unspeakable shenanigans, party party party, stories stories stories, and 5am escapades. If I ever had doubts about returning home, Emma’s visit reminded me of the wonderful things I am heading back to. I was also lucky enough to connect with my friend Jono who also stopped down in Londontown the very next week.
December 2009, Holidays, Leamington Spa, UK
The MAIPR group made the most of the holidays away from our families. Though I was skeptical how great a time we’d have (since we were all the middle of very demanding projects), the holiday was wonderful. The fireworks on Christmas Eve day were a special treat.
January 2010, Finishing the Dissertation, UK
Eight months after sending in the first proposal, I had completed a substantial dissertation of which I could be proud. It was the most challenging project I’ve been attached to so intimately. The reward—one week of eating, drinking, and tanning in Tunisia—has been fitting.
Doc’s Prescription of the Day: More memories than I can count, but these ones strike a chord. Thank you to those who made it possible.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Here Comes the Sun.doc
After five months piecing together the dissertation, the vacation in Tunisia was the light at the end of a long and labourious tunnel. The seven straight weeks of work at River Island combined with unexpected and crippling amounts of snow for the UK combined to make the timing for this trip all the more worth it. I was lucky enough to be able to stay with Talia the evening before the flight in London (for fear of British transport impeding a way to the airport) and took off heading south of Europe on Sunday afternoon.
After landing in Monastir late Sunday we took a bus to Hammamet where the hotel is located. Since then I’ve enjoyed seven days of absolute relaxation. No joke. My days are comprised of sleeping in, waiting for my next meal, and tracking the sun so we can have a chance to play. This is about the height of it.
The hotel is a four-star place with all the amenities—it serves as the perfect backdrop to a week of selfish luxury. My hotel room is beyond large with an embarrassingly luxurious en suite, balcony, and desk. At the same time I was struck by the comfortableness of my hideaway, the guilt of such an overdone accommodation in the poorest continent in the world has continually hit home. I may have stepped foot in Africa for the first time, but make no mistake, I know the Africa I am seeing is far from the reality of the conditions outside the resort property, and larger Hammamet.
But I haven’t let these realizations spoil the reward this trip serves for the hard work I’ve put in these past few months, and for the whole of my MAIPR year. The food here is fantastic, the animation team welcoming, and the beach and pool stunning. Half of the days this week have been sunny (and extremely hot), and the other half have been overcast and moderate. I’ve met some really nice people this week. The hotel is made up of guests from the UK, France, and Germany but sadly the groups seem to stick to these little pockets. Unfortunately there hasn’t been any youngsters mine own age to tag around with (it’s the Turkey seniors home all over again) but there are some really nice couples and people from Britain who have enjoyed having me around. One snowbird in particular named Bob (who makes his wife’s eyes roll by telling the most hilarious stories) has enjoyed waving me over every day and chatting about Canada and the state of the world.
Other than the activities you can picture me doing (which is most likely a pretty spot on image) I’ve been doing a bit of writing—call it a MAIPR year in review—and have finished three full novels with another on its last legs. Once the sun goes down, I’ve also found time for some quality DVD time for a series my family sent at Christmas. Yesterday I ventured into the city of Hammamet for the day. It’s an incredibly beautiful place, and I was amazed at how “local” it feels. That’s about the best work I can describe it as—I had expected it to be Westernized because it’s a big tourist destination but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a 30 minute walk along the coastline to get to the city centre but there were some amazing sights along the way. The jewel of the city though was the Medina at the centre. It’s a big enclosure (hundreds of years old) that houses families in large apartment buildings with tiny shops scattered throughout. The guy I talked to (who wanted to sell me 500 pounds worth of merchandise) said there were over 4000 families living in the beautiful white and blue accented buildings. I managed to purchase two small items before walking around the grounds of an old cemetery en route back to the hotel.
This week has been just what I needed after such a stressful and complicated move out from Leamington Spa. Thankfully, while I will miss the 18 – 23 degree temperatures immensely, I have wonderful things to look forward to back home in Canada.
Doc’s Prescription of the Day: Everyone warned about how rainy England is, and it isn’t true. What England IS is overcast. It’s almost always overcast. Reuniting with the sun, which will follow me home to Canada, was long overdue.
After landing in Monastir late Sunday we took a bus to Hammamet where the hotel is located. Since then I’ve enjoyed seven days of absolute relaxation. No joke. My days are comprised of sleeping in, waiting for my next meal, and tracking the sun so we can have a chance to play. This is about the height of it.
The hotel is a four-star place with all the amenities—it serves as the perfect backdrop to a week of selfish luxury. My hotel room is beyond large with an embarrassingly luxurious en suite, balcony, and desk. At the same time I was struck by the comfortableness of my hideaway, the guilt of such an overdone accommodation in the poorest continent in the world has continually hit home. I may have stepped foot in Africa for the first time, but make no mistake, I know the Africa I am seeing is far from the reality of the conditions outside the resort property, and larger Hammamet.
But I haven’t let these realizations spoil the reward this trip serves for the hard work I’ve put in these past few months, and for the whole of my MAIPR year. The food here is fantastic, the animation team welcoming, and the beach and pool stunning. Half of the days this week have been sunny (and extremely hot), and the other half have been overcast and moderate. I’ve met some really nice people this week. The hotel is made up of guests from the UK, France, and Germany but sadly the groups seem to stick to these little pockets. Unfortunately there hasn’t been any youngsters mine own age to tag around with (it’s the Turkey seniors home all over again) but there are some really nice couples and people from Britain who have enjoyed having me around. One snowbird in particular named Bob (who makes his wife’s eyes roll by telling the most hilarious stories) has enjoyed waving me over every day and chatting about Canada and the state of the world.
Other than the activities you can picture me doing (which is most likely a pretty spot on image) I’ve been doing a bit of writing—call it a MAIPR year in review—and have finished three full novels with another on its last legs. Once the sun goes down, I’ve also found time for some quality DVD time for a series my family sent at Christmas. Yesterday I ventured into the city of Hammamet for the day. It’s an incredibly beautiful place, and I was amazed at how “local” it feels. That’s about the best work I can describe it as—I had expected it to be Westernized because it’s a big tourist destination but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a 30 minute walk along the coastline to get to the city centre but there were some amazing sights along the way. The jewel of the city though was the Medina at the centre. It’s a big enclosure (hundreds of years old) that houses families in large apartment buildings with tiny shops scattered throughout. The guy I talked to (who wanted to sell me 500 pounds worth of merchandise) said there were over 4000 families living in the beautiful white and blue accented buildings. I managed to purchase two small items before walking around the grounds of an old cemetery en route back to the hotel.
This week has been just what I needed after such a stressful and complicated move out from Leamington Spa. Thankfully, while I will miss the 18 – 23 degree temperatures immensely, I have wonderful things to look forward to back home in Canada.
Doc’s Prescription of the Day: Everyone warned about how rainy England is, and it isn’t true. What England IS is overcast. It’s almost always overcast. Reuniting with the sun, which will follow me home to Canada, was long overdue.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Bon Voyagio.doc
This post marks 150 in great blog experiment. I dig it.
So I have five minutes to steal before leaving the apartment for good. All the baseboards have been scrubbed, all the windows washed, and all 16 months of my life packed into three bags (that are bursting at the seams). This week has been an organizational killer (one of the most challenging ever) but I'm happy that I'm 24 hours from boarding the flight to Tunisia where I will do nothing but relax.
Here is the link to my resort if you feel like picturing me taking it easy. I'm keeping this one short and sweet because I literally have no time, but I'll be thinking of you all in this week of reflection. It has been an incredible ride. Uncertain whether I'll be able to post again from Tunisia, or before coming back, but I'll catch up with you all soon.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Determination.
So I have five minutes to steal before leaving the apartment for good. All the baseboards have been scrubbed, all the windows washed, and all 16 months of my life packed into three bags (that are bursting at the seams). This week has been an organizational killer (one of the most challenging ever) but I'm happy that I'm 24 hours from boarding the flight to Tunisia where I will do nothing but relax.
Here is the link to my resort if you feel like picturing me taking it easy. I'm keeping this one short and sweet because I literally have no time, but I'll be thinking of you all in this week of reflection. It has been an incredible ride. Uncertain whether I'll be able to post again from Tunisia, or before coming back, but I'll catch up with you all soon.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Determination.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
A New Year: MAIPR DISSbelief.doc
This blog post marks the moment when my online meanderings now officially span three years. Hard to believe the 16 month journey that has been set down on this thing. Still a few more travels and adventures to go, but for now...Happy New Year!
New Years 2010 was a much needed low-key night after an incredibly social Christmas celebration. Courtney came over to mine and we watched the British New Years celebrations on the BBC. We over-dined on delicious caramelized onion hummus with bread and veggies, gourmet breads and cheeses, and a host of other great snacks. I sipped on vino for the night and it was great to sit with a friend and discuss the MAIPR year in review. The BBC had great coverage (complete with Tom Jones singing After Midnight) and some year in review programs we watched in the early morning. It was great to spend the holiday was a friend, but I was also happy it was a quiet but memorable affair.
Things didn't slow down during the first week of January. In fact they got busier. After New Years I had a dissertation deadline and work at River Island to contend with. It was nice to know that each of the projects would be winding down. For the first three days of the year I plotted through my dissertation - adding parts here, editing there - for the final submission. After I added all of the necessary expansion my supervisors asked for, I went through and cut out the bulk. I managed to trim 2000 words in the final stage.
The whole of Sunday was spent at the dining room table working through each chapter and looking for ways to improve grammar or word choice. Honestly, I sat at the table from 10:00am until 5:00am with breaks for various meals. When you've got a 40,000 document it takes a hell of a lot of time to edit it. It was pretty uncharacteristic to stay up that late actively working on a paper (since I've had five months) but I've also never written anything this big before. I wanted to make sure it was the best effort possible if it's something I'll look back on in years to come. So after a few hours sleep, I woke up Monday morning and with a few minor tweaks, electronically submitted my Final Disseration. 156 pages and 40,000 words later, I've contributed something to new scholarship in the performance studies field. The feeling was euphoric. I did a bit of a dance in the living room. I think the only parallel feeling of academic joy I've had like that (and it's quite ironic in a way) is when I received the email saying I was accepted into the program. Unlike other projects, I can glance down at the weight of my bound dissertation and feel extremely proud for the effort that went into creating it. One of the more challenging, but proud achievements in life thus far. Thank you to those who have been supportive/interested along the way - your engagement kept me writing through the tough times.
After submitting the dissertation on Monday, it has been a full shift to getting all my ducks in a row for the move out on Saturday. I only have two full days in the apartment left! It's all coming very quickly, and the final details are stressful to wrap up, but I know the payoff will be a week without worries in Tunisia. And the thought of warmer temperatures couldn't come at a better time. The UK was dumped with a bunch of snow yesterday. For us, it's pretty common, but for the Brits it's a huge snowfall. My gym was closed today due to "adverse weather conditions." It's pretty amusing how the whole place shuts down.
The next two days will be a collection of lasts: my last day at River Island, my last day on Warwick campus, my last day in Leamington, and my last day among fellow MAIPRS. As much as I am SO excited to return to Canada, the reality of the program ending is starting to sink in. What a ride it has been. I'm hoping to enjoy this final push, as well as settle my debts in the UK before heading off to warmer temperatures for a week. I will post on Saturday before leaving (since internet with be scarce) to give you an idea of what Tunisia holds...
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The dissertation, although we all struggled through it, has been such an incredibly rewarding experience. Write, write, write...whatever makes you happy.
New Years 2010 was a much needed low-key night after an incredibly social Christmas celebration. Courtney came over to mine and we watched the British New Years celebrations on the BBC. We over-dined on delicious caramelized onion hummus with bread and veggies, gourmet breads and cheeses, and a host of other great snacks. I sipped on vino for the night and it was great to sit with a friend and discuss the MAIPR year in review. The BBC had great coverage (complete with Tom Jones singing After Midnight) and some year in review programs we watched in the early morning. It was great to spend the holiday was a friend, but I was also happy it was a quiet but memorable affair.
Things didn't slow down during the first week of January. In fact they got busier. After New Years I had a dissertation deadline and work at River Island to contend with. It was nice to know that each of the projects would be winding down. For the first three days of the year I plotted through my dissertation - adding parts here, editing there - for the final submission. After I added all of the necessary expansion my supervisors asked for, I went through and cut out the bulk. I managed to trim 2000 words in the final stage.
The whole of Sunday was spent at the dining room table working through each chapter and looking for ways to improve grammar or word choice. Honestly, I sat at the table from 10:00am until 5:00am with breaks for various meals. When you've got a 40,000 document it takes a hell of a lot of time to edit it. It was pretty uncharacteristic to stay up that late actively working on a paper (since I've had five months) but I've also never written anything this big before. I wanted to make sure it was the best effort possible if it's something I'll look back on in years to come. So after a few hours sleep, I woke up Monday morning and with a few minor tweaks, electronically submitted my Final Disseration. 156 pages and 40,000 words later, I've contributed something to new scholarship in the performance studies field. The feeling was euphoric. I did a bit of a dance in the living room. I think the only parallel feeling of academic joy I've had like that (and it's quite ironic in a way) is when I received the email saying I was accepted into the program. Unlike other projects, I can glance down at the weight of my bound dissertation and feel extremely proud for the effort that went into creating it. One of the more challenging, but proud achievements in life thus far. Thank you to those who have been supportive/interested along the way - your engagement kept me writing through the tough times.
After submitting the dissertation on Monday, it has been a full shift to getting all my ducks in a row for the move out on Saturday. I only have two full days in the apartment left! It's all coming very quickly, and the final details are stressful to wrap up, but I know the payoff will be a week without worries in Tunisia. And the thought of warmer temperatures couldn't come at a better time. The UK was dumped with a bunch of snow yesterday. For us, it's pretty common, but for the Brits it's a huge snowfall. My gym was closed today due to "adverse weather conditions." It's pretty amusing how the whole place shuts down.
The next two days will be a collection of lasts: my last day at River Island, my last day on Warwick campus, my last day in Leamington, and my last day among fellow MAIPRS. As much as I am SO excited to return to Canada, the reality of the program ending is starting to sink in. What a ride it has been. I'm hoping to enjoy this final push, as well as settle my debts in the UK before heading off to warmer temperatures for a week. I will post on Saturday before leaving (since internet with be scarce) to give you an idea of what Tunisia holds...
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The dissertation, although we all struggled through it, has been such an incredibly rewarding experience. Write, write, write...whatever makes you happy.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009 was Mighty Fine.doc
Like all good things, 2009 is coming to an end tonight. Last year at this time I was playing monopoly with Talia, Alex, and friends in Scotland in preparation for a night out on the town. It has been an incredible 365 days filled with new experiences, new friends, and some amazing travel highlights.
2009 will be most remembered for the six month stay in Amsterdam among the canals and bikes of the Dutch capital. From joining the UVA student body, to my internship with IGLYO, with visits from close friends, and Dutch traditions and charms, the six months immersed in another culture (where English isn't the first language) was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. I also fell in love with Dutch culture, and the tiniest capital city in Europe (it's not exactly the smallest but it feels like a village). It's hard to put into words how you can feel for a city, but, like friends, there are places in this world that just feel right. I hope to get back to visit in coming years.
It will also be the year that defines my MA in International Performance Research. Six months in Amsterdam, one week in Finland, and four months in the UK. I hit all the three sites and met amazing friends from all over the world. It almost feels like a crime to get paid to study and gallivant around the continent, so I count 2009 as a blessing.
And yet there are great things to look forward to in 2010: a return to Canada the first month back, a new Toronto apartment with my best friend, and hopefully job prospects upon return (fingers crossed). Most importantly, I look forward to reconnecting with family and friends after 16 months of absence. Champagne corks to pop all around!
Tonight I'll be spending New Years Eve in Leamington where Courtney and I are going to have a low-key night in. We're hooking into Brit TV to watch the festivities on my computer. While on the precipice of a brand new year, we say goodbye to the old one. It has been a great 2009.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2010!
2009 will be most remembered for the six month stay in Amsterdam among the canals and bikes of the Dutch capital. From joining the UVA student body, to my internship with IGLYO, with visits from close friends, and Dutch traditions and charms, the six months immersed in another culture (where English isn't the first language) was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. I also fell in love with Dutch culture, and the tiniest capital city in Europe (it's not exactly the smallest but it feels like a village). It's hard to put into words how you can feel for a city, but, like friends, there are places in this world that just feel right. I hope to get back to visit in coming years.
It will also be the year that defines my MA in International Performance Research. Six months in Amsterdam, one week in Finland, and four months in the UK. I hit all the three sites and met amazing friends from all over the world. It almost feels like a crime to get paid to study and gallivant around the continent, so I count 2009 as a blessing.
And yet there are great things to look forward to in 2010: a return to Canada the first month back, a new Toronto apartment with my best friend, and hopefully job prospects upon return (fingers crossed). Most importantly, I look forward to reconnecting with family and friends after 16 months of absence. Champagne corks to pop all around!
Tonight I'll be spending New Years Eve in Leamington where Courtney and I are going to have a low-key night in. We're hooking into Brit TV to watch the festivities on my computer. While on the precipice of a brand new year, we say goodbye to the old one. It has been a great 2009.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2010!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wonderful Christmas Time.doc
I had heard the song "Wonderful Christmas Time" from Paul McCartney before, but it never really seemed to me like a classic Christmas tune. Here in the UK, it is, without a doubt, a holiday staple. It plays in bars, pubs, commercials, and on the radio non-stop. By December 22 I had fallen in love with it, and by December 26 my ears would bleed if I heard it one more time.
Still, not even over-played songs could damper the mood of a fantastic Christmas in Leamington Spa. Our group of internationals made the best of being away from family and friends (some of us for the second year in a row) at such a sentimental time of year. On Christmas Eve, Ridzal hosted the gang at his place for a cozy evening of good food, good drinks, and even better company (this is pretty much the theme of our holiday). I worked the whole day at River Island and after we closed at four, the complete staff of twenty-eight worked our butts off prepping the store for the Boxing Day sale. The whole building was overhauled in anticipation. Luckily, it only took three hours and we were out by seven. After running home for a quick shower I headed down to Ridzal's in anticipation of a leisurely Christmas Eve. He had made a roast chicken with a bunch of great vegetables and saved me a quarter since he knew I was coming from work.
The rest of the gang arrived after attending carols and a service at church and we dined on delicious appetizers - dips as far as the eye could see, warm samosas and deep fried delights, and chocolate and cookies. Like every Christmas, there was no shortage of eating. One of the highlights of the food was the warm mulled wine that Zhenya and Zoey made. It was a warm and sweet brew that went straight to your head. Since we were charting new MAIPR territory (holidays together!) we decided to try some new events instead of sticking to our usual routines. So we played two intense rounds of international/intercultural charades. It was an absolute larf. Not only did the suggestions have to be as neutral as possible, but the inter-group communication made the game extra fun. My favourite of the night had to be Joao's rendition of Lolita in 40 seconds which I was able to guess. Charade magic. As the evening progressed we listened to some Christmas tunes, continued eating, and enjoyed each other's company.
I think I had the latest Christmas Day sleep-in I've ever had. Unlike the mornings of yesteryear when my brother and I would arise at 6am, I slept in until 11am. It was a beautiful morning and the sun streamed through the windows. I made a wonderful breakfast while Tory slept and Zoey headed to Zhenya and Joce's to make a dish for the Christmas dinner. After breakfast I prepped a broccoli dish for later and got together my secret santa present. At 3pm we all headed to Courtney and Jamal's for Christmas Day festivities. Ridzal had cooked a delicious lamb roast which was enjoyed with a plethora of wonderful Christmas dishes. Honestly, the food was fantastic and filled the length of the buffet table. We partook in traditional British Christmas crackers (complete with paper hats) and finished the meal with Christmas pudding drizzled in brandy cream. After dinner we shared a few drinks and the games continued. Zhenya introduced a great group game called Mafia where the participants are killed off by secret assailants (I was part of the mafia twice and was never caught). I also suggested the Celebrity Heads game which went over well. There were a few rounds of Twister late late late into the night, and the finale was some fireworks set off in the park opposite the house that Jamal got for Christmas. My secret santa was Tory who I got some pretty socks, a 2010 day planner, and some chocolates. Zoey had me and I received a shirt from Top Man (she knows me to o well). It was a fantastic day. While I missed family back home, hanging with the MAIPR crew made for a fantastic alternative. I will remember it always.
Boxing Day was really busy at River Island (as you'd expect). We had some of the best deals on the Leamington Parade so the people just kept coming. Luckily, I wasn't on cash desk and could bop around the store all day. The busyness also made the time fly by. It wasn't as bad a day as I expected. I'm now back to work and getting ready to vacate Leamington, as well as completing the dissertation.
I fly home in approximately three weeks. I'm thrilled and terrified at the same time. SO much to do before then, and one more Tunisian adventure to be had.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Paul McCartney, paper hats, and pudding drowning in brandy cream - a British Christmas to remember.
Still, not even over-played songs could damper the mood of a fantastic Christmas in Leamington Spa. Our group of internationals made the best of being away from family and friends (some of us for the second year in a row) at such a sentimental time of year. On Christmas Eve, Ridzal hosted the gang at his place for a cozy evening of good food, good drinks, and even better company (this is pretty much the theme of our holiday). I worked the whole day at River Island and after we closed at four, the complete staff of twenty-eight worked our butts off prepping the store for the Boxing Day sale. The whole building was overhauled in anticipation. Luckily, it only took three hours and we were out by seven. After running home for a quick shower I headed down to Ridzal's in anticipation of a leisurely Christmas Eve. He had made a roast chicken with a bunch of great vegetables and saved me a quarter since he knew I was coming from work.
The rest of the gang arrived after attending carols and a service at church and we dined on delicious appetizers - dips as far as the eye could see, warm samosas and deep fried delights, and chocolate and cookies. Like every Christmas, there was no shortage of eating. One of the highlights of the food was the warm mulled wine that Zhenya and Zoey made. It was a warm and sweet brew that went straight to your head. Since we were charting new MAIPR territory (holidays together!) we decided to try some new events instead of sticking to our usual routines. So we played two intense rounds of international/intercultural charades. It was an absolute larf. Not only did the suggestions have to be as neutral as possible, but the inter-group communication made the game extra fun. My favourite of the night had to be Joao's rendition of Lolita in 40 seconds which I was able to guess. Charade magic. As the evening progressed we listened to some Christmas tunes, continued eating, and enjoyed each other's company.
I think I had the latest Christmas Day sleep-in I've ever had. Unlike the mornings of yesteryear when my brother and I would arise at 6am, I slept in until 11am. It was a beautiful morning and the sun streamed through the windows. I made a wonderful breakfast while Tory slept and Zoey headed to Zhenya and Joce's to make a dish for the Christmas dinner. After breakfast I prepped a broccoli dish for later and got together my secret santa present. At 3pm we all headed to Courtney and Jamal's for Christmas Day festivities. Ridzal had cooked a delicious lamb roast which was enjoyed with a plethora of wonderful Christmas dishes. Honestly, the food was fantastic and filled the length of the buffet table. We partook in traditional British Christmas crackers (complete with paper hats) and finished the meal with Christmas pudding drizzled in brandy cream. After dinner we shared a few drinks and the games continued. Zhenya introduced a great group game called Mafia where the participants are killed off by secret assailants (I was part of the mafia twice and was never caught). I also suggested the Celebrity Heads game which went over well. There were a few rounds of Twister late late late into the night, and the finale was some fireworks set off in the park opposite the house that Jamal got for Christmas. My secret santa was Tory who I got some pretty socks, a 2010 day planner, and some chocolates. Zoey had me and I received a shirt from Top Man (she knows me to o well). It was a fantastic day. While I missed family back home, hanging with the MAIPR crew made for a fantastic alternative. I will remember it always.
Boxing Day was really busy at River Island (as you'd expect). We had some of the best deals on the Leamington Parade so the people just kept coming. Luckily, I wasn't on cash desk and could bop around the store all day. The busyness also made the time fly by. It wasn't as bad a day as I expected. I'm now back to work and getting ready to vacate Leamington, as well as completing the dissertation.
I fly home in approximately three weeks. I'm thrilled and terrified at the same time. SO much to do before then, and one more Tunisian adventure to be had.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Paul McCartney, paper hats, and pudding drowning in brandy cream - a British Christmas to remember.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Keith's Holiday Rota.doc
I really haven't had an inch to maneuver any blog time into my schedule of the past few days. It's a right shame, but I've been jam packed with Christmas commitments. Not only has work and social events snatched up my days, but they've made it impossible to get any free time in. I am thankful, however, of two things: that the social events have been really fun and uplifting, and that it means the weeks of 'work' are flying by en route to having no more commitments, the ability to travel, and the return home.
In the UK, they call work schedules and job lists 'rotas'. I figure this is short for rotation. If I'm looking for my weekly hours at work, I check the ROTA. If I had to sign in at work, I would do it on the ROTA. To see where I am working each day, I check the ROTA. For today's blog post, I will be giving you a description of what my own personal rota looked like from the last few days as a way of catching you up. It may not be poetic and whimsical, but I'm severely lacking inspiration during this busy time.
THURSDAY
1100 - 1230: Gym
1230 - 1630: Work @ River Island
1800 - 2400: On Thursday evening, Courtney invited Adam and I over and prepared a wonderful dinner. She roasted a whole chicken and made some pumpkin pie with the left over mix from Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful gesture (to go along with a wonderful meal) and great to spend some time with two of the closer friends I've made in the program. We talked about a wide range of topics during dinner, had a few beers, and then went to the local around the corner. There, Bec and Jamal met us for a few cheeky pints. I called it an early night since I had work the next morning.
FRIDAY
0900-1800: Work @ River Island
1800 - 1900: Train to Birmingham
1900-0200: There was a MAIPR program finale dinner organized in Birmingham on Friday evening. I arrived just a wee bit late. It was wonderful to enter the restaurant and see a table full of familiar faces. I saw some fellow students I hadn't seen recently, as well as Janelle, Milija, and their partners. The restaurant served some really delicious Thai food. It was a bittersweet end to the course (even though there will be a few final 'unofficial' get togethers in the next two weeks) and it was sad to see Janelle head back to California. She has been a really inspiring professor to work with. After the dinner, we went out for a few pints in the city. We managed to nab the last train back to Leamington Spa (barely).
SATURDAY
0900 - 1800: Work @ River Island
1800 - 2100: Dinner
2100 - 0200: It was Hetta's last night in Leamington Spa with the whole gang so we hit the town. She hosted people over to her place earlier in the evening. It was a Moulin Rouge theme. Unfortunately, with so many of us busy, tired, and overworked, it turned out just to be the usual drinks and socializing (not much Kidman antics). After drinks with the girls we headed out to Moo which is one of my favourite spots in the city. Never heard of it? That's because we don't go as often as we should. The bar played really great tunes and we danced the night away until the glaring lights came up. Uber fun.
SUNDAY
1000 - 1200: Train from Leamington to London
1200 - 2200: London with Jono! I jetted out of good old Leamington Spa on Sunday to meet up with one of my good friends Jonathan Heppner who is on a three week tour of Europe (intelligence reconnaissance I think...). It was great to see him emerge from the tube with sunglasses on and a big smile. We went to Brick Lane market to check out the grounds there. We walked through some of the cozy bo-ho streets and had lunch at a place called Leon which Em and I had eaten at previous. Afterwards, we headed to South Bank (over the Millennium Bridge) and walked around taking in the sights. We jumped into the Globe theatre, the beautiful cathedral in the area (where they encouraged us to stay for carols), and then to a warm pub for a Sunday roast. Over three pints we caught up about life in Toronto, what Queen's friends are up to, and the state of the world. It was a wonderful day-trip away from home spent with an old friend. I bid adieu to Jono at Baker Street station, but I'm certain I'll see him in Toronto in the next two months.
MONDAY
0900 - 1800: Work @ River Island
1800-2000: Gym
2000 - 2300: Ridzal's birthday. A friend in the course from Singapore was celebrating his birthday last evening so we joined him for some celebratory pints. It was the fifth consecutive holiday social in a row, but it was important to acknowledge his special day. I'm sure the revelry will carry over into Christmas.
Thank you to the great friends that have sent me Christmas cards (you know who you are). I am thankful that they thought of me this holiday season. It's going to come super quick, but I'll be spending the holidays with the MAIPR group with great food, a few drinks, and some Secret Santa. It's not the family Christmas I wish for, but it'll be unique in its own way.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The holidays are a BUSY time of year (see above), but make no mistake, I will stop to remember what means most to me this Christmas. You should too.
In the UK, they call work schedules and job lists 'rotas'. I figure this is short for rotation. If I'm looking for my weekly hours at work, I check the ROTA. If I had to sign in at work, I would do it on the ROTA. To see where I am working each day, I check the ROTA. For today's blog post, I will be giving you a description of what my own personal rota looked like from the last few days as a way of catching you up. It may not be poetic and whimsical, but I'm severely lacking inspiration during this busy time.
THURSDAY
1100 - 1230: Gym
1230 - 1630: Work @ River Island
1800 - 2400: On Thursday evening, Courtney invited Adam and I over and prepared a wonderful dinner. She roasted a whole chicken and made some pumpkin pie with the left over mix from Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful gesture (to go along with a wonderful meal) and great to spend some time with two of the closer friends I've made in the program. We talked about a wide range of topics during dinner, had a few beers, and then went to the local around the corner. There, Bec and Jamal met us for a few cheeky pints. I called it an early night since I had work the next morning.
FRIDAY
0900-1800: Work @ River Island
1800 - 1900: Train to Birmingham
1900-0200: There was a MAIPR program finale dinner organized in Birmingham on Friday evening. I arrived just a wee bit late. It was wonderful to enter the restaurant and see a table full of familiar faces. I saw some fellow students I hadn't seen recently, as well as Janelle, Milija, and their partners. The restaurant served some really delicious Thai food. It was a bittersweet end to the course (even though there will be a few final 'unofficial' get togethers in the next two weeks) and it was sad to see Janelle head back to California. She has been a really inspiring professor to work with. After the dinner, we went out for a few pints in the city. We managed to nab the last train back to Leamington Spa (barely).
SATURDAY
0900 - 1800: Work @ River Island
1800 - 2100: Dinner
2100 - 0200: It was Hetta's last night in Leamington Spa with the whole gang so we hit the town. She hosted people over to her place earlier in the evening. It was a Moulin Rouge theme. Unfortunately, with so many of us busy, tired, and overworked, it turned out just to be the usual drinks and socializing (not much Kidman antics). After drinks with the girls we headed out to Moo which is one of my favourite spots in the city. Never heard of it? That's because we don't go as often as we should. The bar played really great tunes and we danced the night away until the glaring lights came up. Uber fun.
SUNDAY
1000 - 1200: Train from Leamington to London
1200 - 2200: London with Jono! I jetted out of good old Leamington Spa on Sunday to meet up with one of my good friends Jonathan Heppner who is on a three week tour of Europe (intelligence reconnaissance I think...). It was great to see him emerge from the tube with sunglasses on and a big smile. We went to Brick Lane market to check out the grounds there. We walked through some of the cozy bo-ho streets and had lunch at a place called Leon which Em and I had eaten at previous. Afterwards, we headed to South Bank (over the Millennium Bridge) and walked around taking in the sights. We jumped into the Globe theatre, the beautiful cathedral in the area (where they encouraged us to stay for carols), and then to a warm pub for a Sunday roast. Over three pints we caught up about life in Toronto, what Queen's friends are up to, and the state of the world. It was a wonderful day-trip away from home spent with an old friend. I bid adieu to Jono at Baker Street station, but I'm certain I'll see him in Toronto in the next two months.
MONDAY
0900 - 1800: Work @ River Island
1800-2000: Gym
2000 - 2300: Ridzal's birthday. A friend in the course from Singapore was celebrating his birthday last evening so we joined him for some celebratory pints. It was the fifth consecutive holiday social in a row, but it was important to acknowledge his special day. I'm sure the revelry will carry over into Christmas.
Thank you to the great friends that have sent me Christmas cards (you know who you are). I am thankful that they thought of me this holiday season. It's going to come super quick, but I'll be spending the holidays with the MAIPR group with great food, a few drinks, and some Secret Santa. It's not the family Christmas I wish for, but it'll be unique in its own way.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The holidays are a BUSY time of year (see above), but make no mistake, I will stop to remember what means most to me this Christmas. You should too.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Bring on the Contenders.doc
So I drop-kicked that cold faster than you can say vitamin C. I think it was the combination of working 30+ hours last week with the sudden drop in temperature (which for here amounts to a lot of frost). All it turned out to be was three days of stuffiness and the mild headache. I'd like to think I willed the thing away, since I need every once of strength to get through the next four weeks of work, but I'm sure it just took its course.
This week has been pretty low-key thus far. I've put my head to the ground and worked through a whole bunch of little issues that didn't get the attention they deserved last week. These challenges, like the cold, are my opponents in the coming weeks. I'm hopping to go toe-to-toe with each of them and rack up some KO's.
1. Revision Shmision. Well, it's official. I've received my feedback from my two supervisors and now have a clear path towards finishing the dissertation. As was the same with Milija's feedback, Kati was really complimentary and excited about the work I have completed thus far. She suggested some really key points to consider that will inevitably make the paper stronger. At this point the notes aren't too difficult to integrate, but it just feels a bit tedious to be wading through all of these arguments and trying to find new interventions. I think I've 'added' all of the expansion that both supers have asked for - or least I am hoping. The beast now clocks in, are you ready for this, at 150 pages with bibliography. I mean, staggering. I stare into this monstrosity and wonder where and how it came to be. It feels especially nice to have a table of contents for something I'v written.
2. Load up the truck, we're moving out. I've moved a few times in my life, with large scale furniture and what-not, but this one in theory should be pretty simple. If I trim the baggage I intend to I should only have two pieces of luggage to take with me out of Nova Lodge. That being said, the hassles are starting to mount. The housing company would like us to have the carpets cleaned as required in the lease. I had originally planned to aid the girls in doing a bang up job of the carpets and telling the company we had them done, but they want the receipts attached to the move out papers. Burn. My next idea was to give the carpet company 20 pounds to make us a fake receipt, but I've thought better of it (I think what goes a wee bit too far in terms of deception). But I mean, we've only been here for four months. The carpets look fine. I think the compromise will be that they'll do the living room and hallway but not the bedrooms. We also have to cancel the cable and pay the bills into the future, as well as pray and hope our secure deposit is returning in one lump sum. It's just a lot of crappy details to sort out. It's not going to be as easy as wheeling my two suitcases off into the sunset.
3. British Bureaucracy. I applied for a National Insurance Number four weeks ago. Sounds important? Yes. It's the number that allows me to get paid as a working employee in the UK. River Island isn't able to process my pay cheques until they have this number. And get this - they only pay their employees ONCE A MONTH in a big lump sum. What is this organized crime? No, in fact, I bet organized crime does it a little better (a little here, a little there). Cement shoes can be expensive. I called the office three times yesterday and after three reconnections, I was foisted upon Sandy who was delightful. She assured me that my NIN number (Trent Resnor fan club?) is in the mail. Success. I am looking forward to my monthly payment immensely.
4. Social, what social? Is there something social going on? I've felt like a hermit the past few days. A 30 hour work week plus all these extra details have kept me focused. But thankfully there are a few wonderful things to look forward to. Courtney has invited me over tonight for dinner - roast chicken and pumpkin pie. How on Earth could I say no to that? And on Friday we're going to have a final program dinner in Birmingham. It promises to be a little bittersweet, but I'm looking forward to sharing a last meal with the larger group. And finally, on Sunday I have a day of merriment scheduled with Mr. Jonathan Heppner in Europe. He tells me the Convertable Jono to GBP was just too great to pass up so he's over in Europe for a few weeks. Because of the busy work schedule I won't be able to spend an extended visit with him, but I'm looking forward to bopping around London for the day and taking in the sights.
5. There is life after Europe? Add to all these details my affinity for forward thinking (I curse it sometimes), and I'm running on all cylinders. I've got my fingers in a number of Canada based projects - finding an apartment and the early job search. Admittedly it's the last thing on my list most times, but I've done some leg work on getting settled once moving back. I don't want to divulge too many details just yet (in case I jinx anything) but applications for apartments are hard to complete from over here. I also am not optimistic about landing a job from here for February, but will work on and try to send off my resume in the coming weeks. "Sorry, can't come in for that interview, having my carpets cleaned in the UK"
Doc's Prescription of the Day: From one Doc to another, I must join the Jays fans back home in Canada (those that are left) and lament the loss of the best starting pitcher in baseball. I remember watching Halladay's second every start as a Blue Jay against, I think, the Detroit Tigers when he took a DEEP into the ninth. Early signs that he would blossom into the stoic franchise leader that everyone admired so much.
This week has been pretty low-key thus far. I've put my head to the ground and worked through a whole bunch of little issues that didn't get the attention they deserved last week. These challenges, like the cold, are my opponents in the coming weeks. I'm hopping to go toe-to-toe with each of them and rack up some KO's.
1. Revision Shmision. Well, it's official. I've received my feedback from my two supervisors and now have a clear path towards finishing the dissertation. As was the same with Milija's feedback, Kati was really complimentary and excited about the work I have completed thus far. She suggested some really key points to consider that will inevitably make the paper stronger. At this point the notes aren't too difficult to integrate, but it just feels a bit tedious to be wading through all of these arguments and trying to find new interventions. I think I've 'added' all of the expansion that both supers have asked for - or least I am hoping. The beast now clocks in, are you ready for this, at 150 pages with bibliography. I mean, staggering. I stare into this monstrosity and wonder where and how it came to be. It feels especially nice to have a table of contents for something I'v written.
2. Load up the truck, we're moving out. I've moved a few times in my life, with large scale furniture and what-not, but this one in theory should be pretty simple. If I trim the baggage I intend to I should only have two pieces of luggage to take with me out of Nova Lodge. That being said, the hassles are starting to mount. The housing company would like us to have the carpets cleaned as required in the lease. I had originally planned to aid the girls in doing a bang up job of the carpets and telling the company we had them done, but they want the receipts attached to the move out papers. Burn. My next idea was to give the carpet company 20 pounds to make us a fake receipt, but I've thought better of it (I think what goes a wee bit too far in terms of deception). But I mean, we've only been here for four months. The carpets look fine. I think the compromise will be that they'll do the living room and hallway but not the bedrooms. We also have to cancel the cable and pay the bills into the future, as well as pray and hope our secure deposit is returning in one lump sum. It's just a lot of crappy details to sort out. It's not going to be as easy as wheeling my two suitcases off into the sunset.
3. British Bureaucracy. I applied for a National Insurance Number four weeks ago. Sounds important? Yes. It's the number that allows me to get paid as a working employee in the UK. River Island isn't able to process my pay cheques until they have this number. And get this - they only pay their employees ONCE A MONTH in a big lump sum. What is this organized crime? No, in fact, I bet organized crime does it a little better (a little here, a little there). Cement shoes can be expensive. I called the office three times yesterday and after three reconnections, I was foisted upon Sandy who was delightful. She assured me that my NIN number (Trent Resnor fan club?) is in the mail. Success. I am looking forward to my monthly payment immensely.
4. Social, what social? Is there something social going on? I've felt like a hermit the past few days. A 30 hour work week plus all these extra details have kept me focused. But thankfully there are a few wonderful things to look forward to. Courtney has invited me over tonight for dinner - roast chicken and pumpkin pie. How on Earth could I say no to that? And on Friday we're going to have a final program dinner in Birmingham. It promises to be a little bittersweet, but I'm looking forward to sharing a last meal with the larger group. And finally, on Sunday I have a day of merriment scheduled with Mr. Jonathan Heppner in Europe. He tells me the Convertable Jono to GBP was just too great to pass up so he's over in Europe for a few weeks. Because of the busy work schedule I won't be able to spend an extended visit with him, but I'm looking forward to bopping around London for the day and taking in the sights.
5. There is life after Europe? Add to all these details my affinity for forward thinking (I curse it sometimes), and I'm running on all cylinders. I've got my fingers in a number of Canada based projects - finding an apartment and the early job search. Admittedly it's the last thing on my list most times, but I've done some leg work on getting settled once moving back. I don't want to divulge too many details just yet (in case I jinx anything) but applications for apartments are hard to complete from over here. I also am not optimistic about landing a job from here for February, but will work on and try to send off my resume in the coming weeks. "Sorry, can't come in for that interview, having my carpets cleaned in the UK"
Doc's Prescription of the Day: From one Doc to another, I must join the Jays fans back home in Canada (those that are left) and lament the loss of the best starting pitcher in baseball. I remember watching Halladay's second every start as a Blue Jay against, I think, the Detroit Tigers when he took a DEEP into the ninth. Early signs that he would blossom into the stoic franchise leader that everyone admired so much.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Under the Weather.doc
I've been feeling a bit sickly this weekend. For anyone who knows me well you'll know how seldom this tends to happen. I feel sick (cold/flu like symptoms) about once every year and a half. I'm blessed with a really strong immune system so it seems. But Saturday I woke up with an incredibly stuffy nose and a headache I just couldn't shake. Thankfully, I had decided to devote the weekend to dissertation revision so I wasn't planning on leaving the flat for much anyways. Item number 28 on the list of 100 things I am looking forward to back in Canada: indulging in some Timmy Ho's treats (double chocolate chip cookies) when feeling under the weather.
It got me thinking though. Where the heck does the phrase "under the weather" come from? I did a bit of research (one of my marketable resume skills) and I found that it's a term originating from the British Navy. When a sailor was ill, he was kept below decks, and thus, under weather. The last time I posted a grammatical tidbit I received a correction from Doc Walker, so let us see if this one goes unscathed. It makes sense to me. Whenever I feel sick I just want to crawl under the covers (away from everything including the weather) so the phrase seems to fit. This evening I marched out of the house to head to the gym. I hear a 30 minute sauna does wonders for a cold. But low and behold, the one time in the four months I've been going they closed early for some sort of repair. It just wasn't my weekend.
In any event, I didn't let the sick feelings get me down. I managed to add 2000 words more to the dissertation in response to supervisor feedback. At this point it's really difficult to dig up passages written two months ago, but I'm trying to just power through and overwrite it before going back with a machete to chop and clip it into shape. I have to work out submission dates later on this evening, but I'm hoping to part with this thing in two weeks. I'll be happy to say bon voyage to my little project.
Thursday evening we had a bit of a surprise party for Courtney's birthday. We had all planned to pretend it was just a regular get together like our usual MAIPR jams (since it was the night before her birthday). Around 10pm we surprised her with a cake made by our resident expert Bec, and some merriment. There have been an abundance of birthdays in the first term here in Leamington, so it was nice to share in yet another. Courtney has been a great friend in the program this past year, and like Bec, Tory, and Zoey, it will be a sad goodbye in the coming weeks. Thankfully we all have a unique holiday celebration to look forward to later in the month. It may not be the homey Thorold Christmas I'm use to, but I'm sure it will carry its own memorable moments.
I've made a to-do list that puts the last five weeks of Europe in perspective. It's a lengthy list, but I'm really looking forward to the one week of travel at the end of my hard work as a reward for the busy schedule. I cannot believe how fast everything is coming. I'm commissioning just about everyone I know to help me decide just how I should be spending this last week. These are my two options:
A) Head to Amsterdam for three nights to see some friends one final time and then go somewhere like Austra, Switzerland, or Hungary.
B) Head to Tunisia in Northern Africa for a week (where the temperatures are 18C) and chill on a beach at an all inclusive.
Both would cost about the same amount of money, and because everyone is heading their own way I'd likely be traveling on my own. Thoughts?
Doc's Prescription of the Day: I'm not a happy sicky - it impedes progress too much. It's a reminder that we take tip-top health for granted.
It got me thinking though. Where the heck does the phrase "under the weather" come from? I did a bit of research (one of my marketable resume skills) and I found that it's a term originating from the British Navy. When a sailor was ill, he was kept below decks, and thus, under weather. The last time I posted a grammatical tidbit I received a correction from Doc Walker, so let us see if this one goes unscathed. It makes sense to me. Whenever I feel sick I just want to crawl under the covers (away from everything including the weather) so the phrase seems to fit. This evening I marched out of the house to head to the gym. I hear a 30 minute sauna does wonders for a cold. But low and behold, the one time in the four months I've been going they closed early for some sort of repair. It just wasn't my weekend.
In any event, I didn't let the sick feelings get me down. I managed to add 2000 words more to the dissertation in response to supervisor feedback. At this point it's really difficult to dig up passages written two months ago, but I'm trying to just power through and overwrite it before going back with a machete to chop and clip it into shape. I have to work out submission dates later on this evening, but I'm hoping to part with this thing in two weeks. I'll be happy to say bon voyage to my little project.
Thursday evening we had a bit of a surprise party for Courtney's birthday. We had all planned to pretend it was just a regular get together like our usual MAIPR jams (since it was the night before her birthday). Around 10pm we surprised her with a cake made by our resident expert Bec, and some merriment. There have been an abundance of birthdays in the first term here in Leamington, so it was nice to share in yet another. Courtney has been a great friend in the program this past year, and like Bec, Tory, and Zoey, it will be a sad goodbye in the coming weeks. Thankfully we all have a unique holiday celebration to look forward to later in the month. It may not be the homey Thorold Christmas I'm use to, but I'm sure it will carry its own memorable moments.
I've made a to-do list that puts the last five weeks of Europe in perspective. It's a lengthy list, but I'm really looking forward to the one week of travel at the end of my hard work as a reward for the busy schedule. I cannot believe how fast everything is coming. I'm commissioning just about everyone I know to help me decide just how I should be spending this last week. These are my two options:
A) Head to Amsterdam for three nights to see some friends one final time and then go somewhere like Austra, Switzerland, or Hungary.
B) Head to Tunisia in Northern Africa for a week (where the temperatures are 18C) and chill on a beach at an all inclusive.
Both would cost about the same amount of money, and because everyone is heading their own way I'd likely be traveling on my own. Thoughts?
Doc's Prescription of the Day: I'm not a happy sicky - it impedes progress too much. It's a reminder that we take tip-top health for granted.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Working 9 to 5.doc
My good friend Erin Schachter is fond of singing the Dolly Parton tune at karaoke (among a host of other classics). It's good that Erin has so much vocal training to be able to pull it off. Item number 27 on the list of 100 things I am looking forward to back in Canada: karaoke with friends.
I really am working 9 -5 for the most part with 30 hours this week devoted to River Island. Oddly enough, the longest days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday seem to fly by quickly while I'm always waiting for my short shifts on Tuesday and Thursday to be over. Yesterday was the FIRST day in the two and a half weeks I've been there where I felt like every job and every task was doable. I think yesterday marked the point where I turned the corner and now know how to complete just about every requirement quickly and efficiently. Admittedly, when I'm the product guy on these long days I don't have to interact with customers much and all and all am the store gopher. It means that I can work independently, and I that I traverse the store's three flights of stairs at least forty times a day. It's not too bad at all.
Sunday was the official submission date for the first draft of everyone's dissertation. After heading off the train in Leamington I joined the group at one of my favourite pubs in Leamington, Benjamin Satchwells. It was great to see everyone (for the most part) jovial and less stressed. It has been a bit of a trying time for most of us in tackling these beasts so it was good to relax and revel in the reality that they will be sign, sealed, and delivered in less than four weeks. We shared a few pints (where else in the world can you get a cold pint of Guinness for 2 pounds 30) and indulged in the Sunday roast. That evening a few of the program mates hit the town hard to celebrate, but I stayed in to gear up for my first 9 - 5.
This next phase of things until the holidays is pretty standard: work weekdays at the store and spending the weekends in full revision mode. Right now I've booked Saturday and Sunday for delving into the document and expanding, cutting, and editing the work I currently have. Thankfully, the demands of me in regards to the dissertation are not insurmountable. There are a lot of small points that need attention, but nothing that keeps me up at night. It means that the next three weeks I will always have something to be doing (and will be working 50 hours a week) but it means that December is flying by.
This doesn't mean to say there isn't time to relax! Courtney and I went to the movies last night to take advantage of the 2-4-1 deal of which we're so fond. We saw 2012. It was a treat to watch things blow up on the big screen. You can't really be bothered by the implausibility of it all with disaster films, but there were a few plot moments that made me roll my eyes. All in all though, I'm a huge "end-of-the-world" film fan. Courtney made a delicious peanut stir fry before the film that reminded me of great food in Amsterdam. After returning home from the film, Tory and I shared a glass of wine and caught up (I feel like I haven't been home much this week). We looked through old MAIPR photos from Warwick and summer school and I couldn't help much feel a first pang of nostalgia for the crazy, zany program and its students which I will be saying goodbye to in four weeks. The reality is starting to set in, and it's going to hard to say goodbye to the sixteen months of brilliant uncertainty that has been my European adventure.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Congrats to my fellow blogger Miss Emily Hyland Hincks on the 136 chapters of her captivating adventures in France and beyond.
I really am working 9 -5 for the most part with 30 hours this week devoted to River Island. Oddly enough, the longest days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday seem to fly by quickly while I'm always waiting for my short shifts on Tuesday and Thursday to be over. Yesterday was the FIRST day in the two and a half weeks I've been there where I felt like every job and every task was doable. I think yesterday marked the point where I turned the corner and now know how to complete just about every requirement quickly and efficiently. Admittedly, when I'm the product guy on these long days I don't have to interact with customers much and all and all am the store gopher. It means that I can work independently, and I that I traverse the store's three flights of stairs at least forty times a day. It's not too bad at all.
Sunday was the official submission date for the first draft of everyone's dissertation. After heading off the train in Leamington I joined the group at one of my favourite pubs in Leamington, Benjamin Satchwells. It was great to see everyone (for the most part) jovial and less stressed. It has been a bit of a trying time for most of us in tackling these beasts so it was good to relax and revel in the reality that they will be sign, sealed, and delivered in less than four weeks. We shared a few pints (where else in the world can you get a cold pint of Guinness for 2 pounds 30) and indulged in the Sunday roast. That evening a few of the program mates hit the town hard to celebrate, but I stayed in to gear up for my first 9 - 5.
This next phase of things until the holidays is pretty standard: work weekdays at the store and spending the weekends in full revision mode. Right now I've booked Saturday and Sunday for delving into the document and expanding, cutting, and editing the work I currently have. Thankfully, the demands of me in regards to the dissertation are not insurmountable. There are a lot of small points that need attention, but nothing that keeps me up at night. It means that the next three weeks I will always have something to be doing (and will be working 50 hours a week) but it means that December is flying by.
This doesn't mean to say there isn't time to relax! Courtney and I went to the movies last night to take advantage of the 2-4-1 deal of which we're so fond. We saw 2012. It was a treat to watch things blow up on the big screen. You can't really be bothered by the implausibility of it all with disaster films, but there were a few plot moments that made me roll my eyes. All in all though, I'm a huge "end-of-the-world" film fan. Courtney made a delicious peanut stir fry before the film that reminded me of great food in Amsterdam. After returning home from the film, Tory and I shared a glass of wine and caught up (I feel like I haven't been home much this week). We looked through old MAIPR photos from Warwick and summer school and I couldn't help much feel a first pang of nostalgia for the crazy, zany program and its students which I will be saying goodbye to in four weeks. The reality is starting to set in, and it's going to hard to say goodbye to the sixteen months of brilliant uncertainty that has been my European adventure.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Congrats to my fellow blogger Miss Emily Hyland Hincks on the 136 chapters of her captivating adventures in France and beyond.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Heaven in London.doc
An attempt to sum up the weekend will only given 5% of an indication of the amount of fun I had. There are just some events that cannot be done adequate justice through an insufficient collection of nouns and verbs. Yet, we soldier on in the face of challenge. I spent the weekend with two of my favourite girls, Emma Jane Hunter and Talia Radcliffe.
Emma's visit has been the light at the end of my November tunnel for a solid month now. Even though I was lucky enough to see her twice in Toronto during the visit in June (like all of my other besties back in the city) I haven't had one on one time with her in thirteen months. For friends who have spent the past six years close at hand, this is much too much time apart. The excitement was unbearable. I was smiling uncontrollably on the train and tube ride into the city. When we finally were reunited in the lobby of the Hunters' Trafalgar Square hotel room, it was pure bliss. I was glad to see that, as I expected, my best friend hasn't changed much. We can go a year without talking, but all it takes is a snap of the finger to fall back into our old patterns.
We sipped on a drink in the lobby bar and visited with her wonderful parents. The Hunters were incredibly generous in asking me to join them for the night. Mrs. Hunter was really keen to hear more about my dissertation topic, and Mr. Hunter's subtle comic genius always makes me laugh. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the National Portrait Gallery. I learned that Emma now likes to drink dirty martinis (a Megan Deeks favourite as well). The restaurant overlooks a lot of wonderful city landmarks. It is the type of place characters in a film would eat in as the backdrop screams Londontown. The dinner was delicious and visiting with the Hunters was a special treat - they are such a generous family. From there we went to a production of Othello just down the street featuring British comedian Lenny Henry. The show has received much critical acclaim and is running for only three months in the city. It was a really impress show. Henry's commanding voice (with one of the deepest registers I've ever heard) exuded authority. The guy playing Iago was deliciously good. Emma, myself, and her parents discussed the merits and drawbacks during the intermission and again at the play's conclusion. It was a wonderful dinner and show combination in one of the best city's in the world for that type of one-two punch.
After Emma's parents retired to the hotel, it was wonderful to catch up with my best friend. We sat for just over an hour in a pub and dished about everything and anything going on in our lives. I was so happy to hear about the latest happenings from Toronto, and it was great to tell my friend what I had been up to for the past year. We laughed and laughed like old times and shared a bevy of "ideas" as we are want to do. An interesting side story: [When we left the table to get another round of drinks, I returned to find my new scarf had been pinched. I deeply suspected a man in a table behind us so I inquired with no success, realizing his bag was practically overflowing with bulk, and kept giving him "cut-eye". He eventually pulled a Houdini and "found" the scarf on the opposite sit of his table like it had jumped over there. When it actual fact he removed it his bag and pretended to find it. He left promptly to avoid a further confrontation since he knew I knew he was lying. He was already wearing a scarf]. After ensuring we had our fill of one-to-one convo we HIT the town. I chose a bar named Heaven for the following reasons:
1. It was right around the corner from Emma's hotel and the major intersection for night buses.
2. Open 11pm - 4am.
3. 5 pounds cover
4. Three rooms of pop: 2000s, 1990s, and 1970 and 80s.
I know my friend pretty well and figured this criteria was more than appropriate. To say we had an unbelievable time would be a substantial understatement. We bounced like pinballs between the three rooms, danced our faces off, and enjoyed every moment of the short visit. Since we figured no one in the club knew who we were, Em and I created a scenario for ourselves (I guess this is what theatre students do on the weekend). If anyone asked, and surprisingly they did, we said we were contestants from So You Think You Can Dance Canada who had been kicked off 6th and 7th respectively and were blowing our appearance money on a week in London. Emma enjoyed approaching dancers in the club and inquiring if they were pro. We danced to choice tunes until 4am when the lights came up. It was heaven. After the bar, we sat in Trafalgar Square (which has a massive Christmas tree) and talked for an hour. The visit was a reminder just how much I miss my friends back home. I wish the whole group could have been here to share in the insanity of our night, but having a one-on-one adventure with Emma was extremely special. If I had to have said goodbye to her indefinitely I don't know how I would have been able to, but it's only seven weeks or so until I'll see her again. It was an absolute blast.
Talia, who I've shared some incredible moments with over the past few months, was SO generous in welcoming me to her place for the weekend. After hitting the night bus home, I arrived on her doorstep at 5:30am and she didn't bat an eye. Not too many friends who would open their arms that wide. After a nice lie-in, Talia and I spent a leisurely morning catching up and chatting. I told her about the adventures of the night before and she let me know about the excitement in Berlin after I left. From her place we went to the Old Vic for a production of Inherit the Wind starring none other than Kevin Spacey. I was blessed to see two professional shows in one weekend. The show itself was really entertaining and well done. Looking back, I think it was the perfect show for Tal and I to see together. Our discussions always tend to be about ideas, social action, and the state of the world on some level. The debates at the centre of the show (evolution and religion, ideas and free speech, progress and thinkers) are themes that ring true for just about any kind of intellectual inquiry. Spacey was brilliant and so was the majority of the cast. It was a special treat to see a "celebrity" up close and following a love of theatre.
That evening we went back to Tal's place for a cosy pasta dinner and some wine. From there we had grand plans to check out a winter fair in Hyde Park. But upon arrival the whole place was closed. Instead we walked around and sipped on roadies before heading into a lively little pub. We caught two songs of acoustic guitar, and continued our discussions, before heading home for the evening. After a PERFECT little breakfast (a decadent pastry and coffee) at Paul in the train station, I made my way back to Leamington Spa.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The weekend was one of my favourite all year. It doesn't where you are, as long as you have best friends to share the space, you're set. Great theatre doesn't hurt.
Emma's visit has been the light at the end of my November tunnel for a solid month now. Even though I was lucky enough to see her twice in Toronto during the visit in June (like all of my other besties back in the city) I haven't had one on one time with her in thirteen months. For friends who have spent the past six years close at hand, this is much too much time apart. The excitement was unbearable. I was smiling uncontrollably on the train and tube ride into the city. When we finally were reunited in the lobby of the Hunters' Trafalgar Square hotel room, it was pure bliss. I was glad to see that, as I expected, my best friend hasn't changed much. We can go a year without talking, but all it takes is a snap of the finger to fall back into our old patterns.
We sipped on a drink in the lobby bar and visited with her wonderful parents. The Hunters were incredibly generous in asking me to join them for the night. Mrs. Hunter was really keen to hear more about my dissertation topic, and Mr. Hunter's subtle comic genius always makes me laugh. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the National Portrait Gallery. I learned that Emma now likes to drink dirty martinis (a Megan Deeks favourite as well). The restaurant overlooks a lot of wonderful city landmarks. It is the type of place characters in a film would eat in as the backdrop screams Londontown. The dinner was delicious and visiting with the Hunters was a special treat - they are such a generous family. From there we went to a production of Othello just down the street featuring British comedian Lenny Henry. The show has received much critical acclaim and is running for only three months in the city. It was a really impress show. Henry's commanding voice (with one of the deepest registers I've ever heard) exuded authority. The guy playing Iago was deliciously good. Emma, myself, and her parents discussed the merits and drawbacks during the intermission and again at the play's conclusion. It was a wonderful dinner and show combination in one of the best city's in the world for that type of one-two punch.
After Emma's parents retired to the hotel, it was wonderful to catch up with my best friend. We sat for just over an hour in a pub and dished about everything and anything going on in our lives. I was so happy to hear about the latest happenings from Toronto, and it was great to tell my friend what I had been up to for the past year. We laughed and laughed like old times and shared a bevy of "ideas" as we are want to do. An interesting side story: [When we left the table to get another round of drinks, I returned to find my new scarf had been pinched. I deeply suspected a man in a table behind us so I inquired with no success, realizing his bag was practically overflowing with bulk, and kept giving him "cut-eye". He eventually pulled a Houdini and "found" the scarf on the opposite sit of his table like it had jumped over there. When it actual fact he removed it his bag and pretended to find it. He left promptly to avoid a further confrontation since he knew I knew he was lying. He was already wearing a scarf]. After ensuring we had our fill of one-to-one convo we HIT the town. I chose a bar named Heaven for the following reasons:
1. It was right around the corner from Emma's hotel and the major intersection for night buses.
2. Open 11pm - 4am.
3. 5 pounds cover
4. Three rooms of pop: 2000s, 1990s, and 1970 and 80s.
I know my friend pretty well and figured this criteria was more than appropriate. To say we had an unbelievable time would be a substantial understatement. We bounced like pinballs between the three rooms, danced our faces off, and enjoyed every moment of the short visit. Since we figured no one in the club knew who we were, Em and I created a scenario for ourselves (I guess this is what theatre students do on the weekend). If anyone asked, and surprisingly they did, we said we were contestants from So You Think You Can Dance Canada who had been kicked off 6th and 7th respectively and were blowing our appearance money on a week in London. Emma enjoyed approaching dancers in the club and inquiring if they were pro. We danced to choice tunes until 4am when the lights came up. It was heaven. After the bar, we sat in Trafalgar Square (which has a massive Christmas tree) and talked for an hour. The visit was a reminder just how much I miss my friends back home. I wish the whole group could have been here to share in the insanity of our night, but having a one-on-one adventure with Emma was extremely special. If I had to have said goodbye to her indefinitely I don't know how I would have been able to, but it's only seven weeks or so until I'll see her again. It was an absolute blast.
Talia, who I've shared some incredible moments with over the past few months, was SO generous in welcoming me to her place for the weekend. After hitting the night bus home, I arrived on her doorstep at 5:30am and she didn't bat an eye. Not too many friends who would open their arms that wide. After a nice lie-in, Talia and I spent a leisurely morning catching up and chatting. I told her about the adventures of the night before and she let me know about the excitement in Berlin after I left. From her place we went to the Old Vic for a production of Inherit the Wind starring none other than Kevin Spacey. I was blessed to see two professional shows in one weekend. The show itself was really entertaining and well done. Looking back, I think it was the perfect show for Tal and I to see together. Our discussions always tend to be about ideas, social action, and the state of the world on some level. The debates at the centre of the show (evolution and religion, ideas and free speech, progress and thinkers) are themes that ring true for just about any kind of intellectual inquiry. Spacey was brilliant and so was the majority of the cast. It was a special treat to see a "celebrity" up close and following a love of theatre.
That evening we went back to Tal's place for a cosy pasta dinner and some wine. From there we had grand plans to check out a winter fair in Hyde Park. But upon arrival the whole place was closed. Instead we walked around and sipped on roadies before heading into a lively little pub. We caught two songs of acoustic guitar, and continued our discussions, before heading home for the evening. After a PERFECT little breakfast (a decadent pastry and coffee) at Paul in the train station, I made my way back to Leamington Spa.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The weekend was one of my favourite all year. It doesn't where you are, as long as you have best friends to share the space, you're set. Great theatre doesn't hurt.
Friday, December 04, 2009
The Good, the Bad, the Fugly.doc
I struggle to post today because it doesn't even feel like a week has gone by. But low and behold I turn around and it's Friday. I've finished my duties at R.I. (River Island) for a week and I'm about to jet down to London for two nights of frivolity. I think most of the weeks are going to be like this from here on out. I'm squeezing this post in before departure because I want to give you a look at the good, the bad, and the fugly events from my week.
The Good
Work at River Island is going really well. What I like most about the job is that the hours fly by. I have been doing 7 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays in addition to five hours a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Next week, and for five weeks until the contract is over, I'll add 7 hours on Friday to working approx. 30 hours a week. Not so part time anymore. I've actually been given lots of responsibility there (especially for a Christmas temp). I think it would have been much more advantageous of them to promote one of their current staff to the Product positions I am learning (rather than giving me all these skills and having me leave the first week of January) but it's not my place to question.
On my third shift at the store, I was listed on the day rota as the Ladieswear Product Manager. A surprise to me too. I've slowly learned what this role entails, but I feel that once I finally grasp it I'll already have one foot out the door. Aside from this, I work with some really fun people and I'm enjoying working outside of academia. I probably won't be singing the same tune come Boxing Day (when I hear the Brits shop 10 times more insanely than we do) but I think it'll create some memorable moments if I'm stuck here for the holidays: "let me tell you about the Christmas I worked retail in the UK". I'd rather be chilling out in my final month in Leamington, but it means I'd come to Canada penniless. This way I rake in a load of pounds that DOUBLE once I cross the border. It makes securing that Toronto pad all the more possible. As a reward for my diligence I'm going to take advantage of my 30% staff discount in the form of 150 pounds of merch per month. Thankfully, River Island is one of the top three hip shops in the UK.
The Bad
There wasn't a lot of bad news this week, but the realization did hit me that my time in Europe is winding down. Having submitted the dissertation draft I've taken a week off from even looking at it - I tell myself it's a good thing, but there still is a lot of work to do be done. It's just hard to give it attention after running around on my feet for seven hours. Add to this the fact that I'm slowly but surely starting to plan a return to Canada and the inevitability of leaving hits home. On one hand I am 100% ready to return home. I'm accomplished everything I set out to do here. But on the other, sixteen months is a long time to be away. I know I'm not coming back to the same Canada, but I'm hoping the transition back is seamless. In any event, I have one more week left of fantastic traveling. I've set aside a nice portion of my R.I. funds to do it on a comfortable budget so I'm not scraping by. I've researched a few options but nothing is solid yet. I guess if I was to label this "bad" section it's all the planning I have to do. So much to figure out and so little time! I have a Toronto apartment application on my desktop begging to be filled out with little means to answer all the questions they need. Planning, planning, and more planning.
The Fugly
The ugly event of the week happened when I was at work. Actually, I think it happened as I was walking home from work. Our oven exploded. What? You've never heard of an oven exploding? Neither have I. The girls had put a pizza in for ten minutes on a moderate temperature. After it just turned golden brown, the innner layer of glass covering the oven door exploded against the outer wall of glass and shattered all over the floor and inside the oven. Thankfully the girls were in the dining room when the oven decided to shed its layer of glass. I wasn't home for these fireworks but the girls said the sound was like a gunshot and that the oven door actually propelled outward. We were nervous that the landlord would be furious with us for some sort of wrongdoing, but he was completely understanding. I mean, how could we have done anything to make an oven door explode? The oven looks brand new in the past two years so hopefully he can have it sorted. It was completely strange. Photo previdence:
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The chef's special tonight is BBQ chicken and spinach pizza sprinkled with Swarovski crystals. Enjoy.
The Good
Work at River Island is going really well. What I like most about the job is that the hours fly by. I have been doing 7 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays in addition to five hours a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Next week, and for five weeks until the contract is over, I'll add 7 hours on Friday to working approx. 30 hours a week. Not so part time anymore. I've actually been given lots of responsibility there (especially for a Christmas temp). I think it would have been much more advantageous of them to promote one of their current staff to the Product positions I am learning (rather than giving me all these skills and having me leave the first week of January) but it's not my place to question.
On my third shift at the store, I was listed on the day rota as the Ladieswear Product Manager. A surprise to me too. I've slowly learned what this role entails, but I feel that once I finally grasp it I'll already have one foot out the door. Aside from this, I work with some really fun people and I'm enjoying working outside of academia. I probably won't be singing the same tune come Boxing Day (when I hear the Brits shop 10 times more insanely than we do) but I think it'll create some memorable moments if I'm stuck here for the holidays: "let me tell you about the Christmas I worked retail in the UK". I'd rather be chilling out in my final month in Leamington, but it means I'd come to Canada penniless. This way I rake in a load of pounds that DOUBLE once I cross the border. It makes securing that Toronto pad all the more possible. As a reward for my diligence I'm going to take advantage of my 30% staff discount in the form of 150 pounds of merch per month. Thankfully, River Island is one of the top three hip shops in the UK.
The Bad
There wasn't a lot of bad news this week, but the realization did hit me that my time in Europe is winding down. Having submitted the dissertation draft I've taken a week off from even looking at it - I tell myself it's a good thing, but there still is a lot of work to do be done. It's just hard to give it attention after running around on my feet for seven hours. Add to this the fact that I'm slowly but surely starting to plan a return to Canada and the inevitability of leaving hits home. On one hand I am 100% ready to return home. I'm accomplished everything I set out to do here. But on the other, sixteen months is a long time to be away. I know I'm not coming back to the same Canada, but I'm hoping the transition back is seamless. In any event, I have one more week left of fantastic traveling. I've set aside a nice portion of my R.I. funds to do it on a comfortable budget so I'm not scraping by. I've researched a few options but nothing is solid yet. I guess if I was to label this "bad" section it's all the planning I have to do. So much to figure out and so little time! I have a Toronto apartment application on my desktop begging to be filled out with little means to answer all the questions they need. Planning, planning, and more planning.
The Fugly
The ugly event of the week happened when I was at work. Actually, I think it happened as I was walking home from work. Our oven exploded. What? You've never heard of an oven exploding? Neither have I. The girls had put a pizza in for ten minutes on a moderate temperature. After it just turned golden brown, the innner layer of glass covering the oven door exploded against the outer wall of glass and shattered all over the floor and inside the oven. Thankfully the girls were in the dining room when the oven decided to shed its layer of glass. I wasn't home for these fireworks but the girls said the sound was like a gunshot and that the oven door actually propelled outward. We were nervous that the landlord would be furious with us for some sort of wrongdoing, but he was completely understanding. I mean, how could we have done anything to make an oven door explode? The oven looks brand new in the past two years so hopefully he can have it sorted. It was completely strange. Photo previdence:
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The chef's special tonight is BBQ chicken and spinach pizza sprinkled with Swarovski crystals. Enjoy.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Weekend Update: Americana Thanksgiving.doc
It has been a jam packed few days. Peanut butter and jam packed. There are so many worthy items of news that I need to order them into a news broadcast. Picture me sitting in front of a desk letting you in on the latest happenings. Weather advice not included. Without further ado, the weekend update...
Dissertation Colloquium
On Friday, the inaugural group of MAIPR students presented the fruits of their research at the University of Warwick. The assembled guests included the first and second year students, as well as some of the faculty from our course. Each student was given 15 minutes to describe their research and walk through what they have been working on for the past five months. It's hard to whittle 130 pages into 15 minutes, but it's part of the challenge of being able to present your ideas. All in all the presentations went really well - the professors were extremely complimentary, question period was harmless, and the free lunch was much appreciated. I was really proud of the speech I prepared as a reflection of my larger paper. Yet one more hurdle that I've vaulted over on the road to being finished the MA. Slowly but surely closure is coming. I could feel it hovering in the room.
American Thanksgiving
I attended my first ever American Thanksgiving. It proved to be one of the highlights of my fall in Leamington. It was on the same day as the colloquium so we were all deserving of some good food and good company. My two previous thanksgivings had been great: Turkey sushi with Andrea last year and two nice dinners with Hinckster at Canadian thanksgiving this year. But I really hadn't feasted on a true turkey dinner with all the trimmings in over two years. Cue Courtney! My American friend volunteered to cook a proper turkey with some of thanksgiving's most signature dishes. I arrived to see the 15 pound bird had been expertly cooked alongside a table full of wonderful things: biscuits, green bean casserole, and stuffing. I brought ale infused mushrooms to add to the table. Since I was a fellow thanksgiving enthusiast I was given the honour of carving the bird. Me, in charge of cutting up the turkey with a knife and fork for 15 hungry guests. I think I did a pretty decent job stripping just about every slice of white and dark meat off the thing. The meal was absolutely delicious. I had three helpings of turkey and a big slice of incredible pumpkin pie.
Thankfulness
It might have been the combination of tryptophan and three glasses of wine, but there was a really touching moment at the end of the meal. After playing a few games with the group I suggested we go around the room and say what we were thankful for. This is a game that some friends like to play back home. It will always illicit an eye-roll from someone in the room, but once it starts it's an instant sentimental hit. I told the group that I was incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to share one of my cultural events with them. It seems straight-forward but it's true. 80% of the people at the party (from Europe, Australia, Russia, Asia, and India) had NEVER celebrated thanksgiving, one of my absolute favourite holidays, and I was able to help Courtney in showing them what the day means to us. It was incredibly humbling. We forget how special and unique thanksgiving is. The rest of the circle was also touching. The great meal plus the colloquium earlier in the day made people pretty nostalgic. It joins some of the other parties as one of the most memorable of the last sixteen months.
The Mercy Seat
On Saturday night Courtney and I went to see a production of Neil LaBute'sThe Mercy Seat on Warwick campus. The show was put on for free by the Capital Centre, a production company that shares the theatre space with us. The real draw in seeing the production was that I directed the last thirty minutes of the play for my 422 directing class at Queen's. I had a fantastic time working with friends Megan and Graham on that one. The production was alright. I was reminded of the mastery of the dialogue that originally drew me to the play - it's Mamet like in it's sharp, slick style. Unfortunately, as a full length show it really isn't appropriate for the university setting as the actors just don't have the life experience. The stakes just don't seem as high as they should be. The American accents were well done (I had to remind myself these were British actors) but the staging and acting fell a bit flat. Still it was nice to sit in a theatre after a lengthy absence in service of the dissertation.
Dissertation Submission
Woopdie freaking do! I've submitted the first draft of my dissertation to my two supervisors. Originally we were asked to prepare a draft for December 6, but my primary informed me that my two readers would like it as soon as possible in an effort to avoid the backlog that's going to come next week. So yes, I've ended my silence about where I'm at with it, people are just going to have to deal. I've worked hard and won't apologize about my progress. It feels incredibly great to see it all as a document (complete with acknowledgments, table of contents, and an eight page bibliography). Granted this doesn't mean I'm done. I've still got a lot of revisions to make before copying and binding later next month, but it feels good to send it off.
So yes, it has been an incredibly busy but fruitful weekend. Tomorrow I head back to work in anticipation of some fun, fun, fun in London on Friday and Saturday. It's what's getting me through the retail life. Although it's not all bad, did I mention I get to wear a headset at work?!
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Games where you offer what you're thankful for may not be as crowd pleasing as flip cup, but they provide memorable moments of honesty and reflection.
Dissertation Colloquium
On Friday, the inaugural group of MAIPR students presented the fruits of their research at the University of Warwick. The assembled guests included the first and second year students, as well as some of the faculty from our course. Each student was given 15 minutes to describe their research and walk through what they have been working on for the past five months. It's hard to whittle 130 pages into 15 minutes, but it's part of the challenge of being able to present your ideas. All in all the presentations went really well - the professors were extremely complimentary, question period was harmless, and the free lunch was much appreciated. I was really proud of the speech I prepared as a reflection of my larger paper. Yet one more hurdle that I've vaulted over on the road to being finished the MA. Slowly but surely closure is coming. I could feel it hovering in the room.
American Thanksgiving
I attended my first ever American Thanksgiving. It proved to be one of the highlights of my fall in Leamington. It was on the same day as the colloquium so we were all deserving of some good food and good company. My two previous thanksgivings had been great: Turkey sushi with Andrea last year and two nice dinners with Hinckster at Canadian thanksgiving this year. But I really hadn't feasted on a true turkey dinner with all the trimmings in over two years. Cue Courtney! My American friend volunteered to cook a proper turkey with some of thanksgiving's most signature dishes. I arrived to see the 15 pound bird had been expertly cooked alongside a table full of wonderful things: biscuits, green bean casserole, and stuffing. I brought ale infused mushrooms to add to the table. Since I was a fellow thanksgiving enthusiast I was given the honour of carving the bird. Me, in charge of cutting up the turkey with a knife and fork for 15 hungry guests. I think I did a pretty decent job stripping just about every slice of white and dark meat off the thing. The meal was absolutely delicious. I had three helpings of turkey and a big slice of incredible pumpkin pie.
Thankfulness
It might have been the combination of tryptophan and three glasses of wine, but there was a really touching moment at the end of the meal. After playing a few games with the group I suggested we go around the room and say what we were thankful for. This is a game that some friends like to play back home. It will always illicit an eye-roll from someone in the room, but once it starts it's an instant sentimental hit. I told the group that I was incredibly thankful to have the opportunity to share one of my cultural events with them. It seems straight-forward but it's true. 80% of the people at the party (from Europe, Australia, Russia, Asia, and India) had NEVER celebrated thanksgiving, one of my absolute favourite holidays, and I was able to help Courtney in showing them what the day means to us. It was incredibly humbling. We forget how special and unique thanksgiving is. The rest of the circle was also touching. The great meal plus the colloquium earlier in the day made people pretty nostalgic. It joins some of the other parties as one of the most memorable of the last sixteen months.
The Mercy Seat
On Saturday night Courtney and I went to see a production of Neil LaBute'sThe Mercy Seat on Warwick campus. The show was put on for free by the Capital Centre, a production company that shares the theatre space with us. The real draw in seeing the production was that I directed the last thirty minutes of the play for my 422 directing class at Queen's. I had a fantastic time working with friends Megan and Graham on that one. The production was alright. I was reminded of the mastery of the dialogue that originally drew me to the play - it's Mamet like in it's sharp, slick style. Unfortunately, as a full length show it really isn't appropriate for the university setting as the actors just don't have the life experience. The stakes just don't seem as high as they should be. The American accents were well done (I had to remind myself these were British actors) but the staging and acting fell a bit flat. Still it was nice to sit in a theatre after a lengthy absence in service of the dissertation.
Dissertation Submission
Woopdie freaking do! I've submitted the first draft of my dissertation to my two supervisors. Originally we were asked to prepare a draft for December 6, but my primary informed me that my two readers would like it as soon as possible in an effort to avoid the backlog that's going to come next week. So yes, I've ended my silence about where I'm at with it, people are just going to have to deal. I've worked hard and won't apologize about my progress. It feels incredibly great to see it all as a document (complete with acknowledgments, table of contents, and an eight page bibliography). Granted this doesn't mean I'm done. I've still got a lot of revisions to make before copying and binding later next month, but it feels good to send it off.
So yes, it has been an incredibly busy but fruitful weekend. Tomorrow I head back to work in anticipation of some fun, fun, fun in London on Friday and Saturday. It's what's getting me through the retail life. Although it's not all bad, did I mention I get to wear a headset at work?!
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Games where you offer what you're thankful for may not be as crowd pleasing as flip cup, but they provide memorable moments of honesty and reflection.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Fast Times in Leamington Spa.doc
There's a saying that goes, "if you want something done, ask a busy person." After a year of being occupied just by school (and enjoying the privileges that come with the schedule) I've switched back to my old habits. In the Queen's uni years of old I could have five different commitments going on the side in addition to attending classes and working at Lonestar. This type of schedule demanded that each task was alloted its own due and nothing more. Currently in the Spa, I'm balancing three part time jobs: dissertation revisions, retail work at River Island and going to the gym. It means that I'm working seven days a week for the next seven weeks, but also that I'm more focused now than I have been at any time in the program.
I started at River Island on Monday. I really like the feel of the store and the attitude of the overall image. It's one of the most popular high street shops in the UK. Admittedly, after working at the ultra-organized and corporate Lonestar in Kingston, most other places of employment seem chaotic. It's kind of the feeling I've gotten at River. I like the co-workers and the hours, but I don't really know what I'm suppose to be doing yet. I'm hoping this will become more clear in the coming weeks. You can only coast the floor for so long and fix and fiddle with clothes. Maybe this is the real secret of retail employment?? At the very least, whatever the job might entail, it's a great stop gap for seven weeks. The four hour shifts on Tuesdays and Thursdays are a breeze - my full days there are Monday and Wednesday. For the first two weeks before I hand in my dissertation draft I'm pulling twenty hours a week, but this will increase to 29 after December 6. I'm ready for it. My favourite perk is the 75% discount on two pairs of jeans at the start of your employment. I think I'll be cashing this out tomorrow. From then on I get 30% off of the regular priced stuff.
This week hasn't allowed me to pine for Berlin, which is probably a good thing. While the visit seemed oh so brief I jumped into a 24 hour schedule with little room to miss the life of leisure. On Monday after work we had a boys night in Leamington. Poker, beer, and chips. How much more stereotypical can it get? I headed over to Jamal's and joined Adam, Stu, Ridzal, Nik, and Matt for a friendly game. My playing usually rolls out the same way. I'm in the middle of the pack for the whole game flip-flopping between third and fourth place since I play really conservatively. Ultimately my defensive play (only acting on really strong cards) lets me down once things get aggressive later on in the game. Ah well, it's still loads of fun. The game went from 9pm until 2 in the morning until we finally had a winner crowned. It was nice to take a break from evening revisions and let loose with the guys.
This week has absolutely flown by. With four days of work, keeping up the gym visits, and whatever time left over spent on dissertation revisions and socializing, I have had little time to catch up with correspondence and generally chill. But I like it. I also have a bevy of great things to look forward to in the coming days: week one of seven at work finishes tomorrow, Courtney is hosting American thanksgiving on Friday, we're presenting our dissertation research to the department on Friday, and I have the weekend totally free and clear. I'll need the time to finish this second draft to send to my supervisor. Next week I keep the busy schedule, but with a little less urgency in terms of hitting my deadlines.
I also am BURSTING with excitement to meet with Emma Jane Hunter and her parents in London town next week. The Hunters are hitting the city for four glorious nights and Em and I have plans in the works to take the city by storm. It's a wonderful gift to look forward to. More on that in the next post.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Poker was loads of laughs, and a good workout for the brain. Card games are fun.
I started at River Island on Monday. I really like the feel of the store and the attitude of the overall image. It's one of the most popular high street shops in the UK. Admittedly, after working at the ultra-organized and corporate Lonestar in Kingston, most other places of employment seem chaotic. It's kind of the feeling I've gotten at River. I like the co-workers and the hours, but I don't really know what I'm suppose to be doing yet. I'm hoping this will become more clear in the coming weeks. You can only coast the floor for so long and fix and fiddle with clothes. Maybe this is the real secret of retail employment?? At the very least, whatever the job might entail, it's a great stop gap for seven weeks. The four hour shifts on Tuesdays and Thursdays are a breeze - my full days there are Monday and Wednesday. For the first two weeks before I hand in my dissertation draft I'm pulling twenty hours a week, but this will increase to 29 after December 6. I'm ready for it. My favourite perk is the 75% discount on two pairs of jeans at the start of your employment. I think I'll be cashing this out tomorrow. From then on I get 30% off of the regular priced stuff.
This week hasn't allowed me to pine for Berlin, which is probably a good thing. While the visit seemed oh so brief I jumped into a 24 hour schedule with little room to miss the life of leisure. On Monday after work we had a boys night in Leamington. Poker, beer, and chips. How much more stereotypical can it get? I headed over to Jamal's and joined Adam, Stu, Ridzal, Nik, and Matt for a friendly game. My playing usually rolls out the same way. I'm in the middle of the pack for the whole game flip-flopping between third and fourth place since I play really conservatively. Ultimately my defensive play (only acting on really strong cards) lets me down once things get aggressive later on in the game. Ah well, it's still loads of fun. The game went from 9pm until 2 in the morning until we finally had a winner crowned. It was nice to take a break from evening revisions and let loose with the guys.
This week has absolutely flown by. With four days of work, keeping up the gym visits, and whatever time left over spent on dissertation revisions and socializing, I have had little time to catch up with correspondence and generally chill. But I like it. I also have a bevy of great things to look forward to in the coming days: week one of seven at work finishes tomorrow, Courtney is hosting American thanksgiving on Friday, we're presenting our dissertation research to the department on Friday, and I have the weekend totally free and clear. I'll need the time to finish this second draft to send to my supervisor. Next week I keep the busy schedule, but with a little less urgency in terms of hitting my deadlines.
I also am BURSTING with excitement to meet with Emma Jane Hunter and her parents in London town next week. The Hunters are hitting the city for four glorious nights and Em and I have plans in the works to take the city by storm. It's a wonderful gift to look forward to. More on that in the next post.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Poker was loads of laughs, and a good workout for the brain. Card games are fun.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Ping Pong Merrily on High in Berlin.doc
It has been just under a week since my last blog post, but it feels like a mere cup of coffee since I was last sitting in front of my laptop. The trip to Berlin was a wonderful holiday, but went by oh so quickly. After the whirlwind weekend with Talia I collected my wits on Monday and set off for the German capital on Tuesday morning.
What exactly can I say about my trip to Berlin? It was one of the most relaxing vacations of the past year. Because I was lucky enough to visit the city and see the tourist spots in March, I was uber content to just hang out with two of my good friends and explore the parts of the city they have been enjoying. Steve and Emily were unbelievable hosts - I was happy to see a piece of their reality in Berlin.
Emily met me at the airport on Tuesday night. I don't want to get to nostalgic about it yet, but this will be the last European meet-up for Hincksy and the Doctor. This means that there won't be those fantastic best friend transport moments when we see each other after months of doing our own thing. I never tire of locking eyes and greeting with a big old smile and hug. We caught up on the train ride into the city and I heard the play by play of the wonderful adventures her and Steve had been getting up to. Upon arriving at berlinpad.com, I was shocked at just how beautiful the place is. The complex is secure and large, and the flat is spacious and homey. My hosts had prepared a wonderful soup in my honour (the first of many stellar meals to come). That evening we stayed in and caught up over a few glasses of wine.
We stuck to a pretty basic pattern for the three days I was there. In the mornings we would leisurely sip coffee and welcome the sun, the afternoon was reserved for walking through the city, and the evening was spent preparing dinner, eating dinner, and sipping on red and white. This type of existence is the stuff dreams are made of. It was nice to check out from the world and spend quality time enjoying the comforts of life. Wednesday we visited the East Side Gallery which is over 1km of the Berlin Wall that has been preserved as a reminder of its significance. It is an international monument for freedom. The wall is covered in over 100 paintings done in 1990 by a collection of international artists. For the 20th anniversary, the paintings have all been restored. In addition to the gallery we checked out the Turkish section of the city which is Emily and Steve's favourite area. Thursday was a busy excursion day. We hit the major spots in the city (Potsdamer and Alexander Platz) and then went to the larger shopping centre in continental Europe - Ka De We. This is the German Harrod's. They had all kinds of impressive and expensive displays and collections. Friday was the weekly Turkish market trip where we stocked up on a bunch of delicious veggies and meat. We usually would stop for a coffee to break up our walking tour.
As a reward for our diligent and determined afternoons of walking, Steve and Emily continually cooked up a series of delicious meals. It's one thing I'll remember most about the trip - the coming together over good food, good wine, and great company. When I say the food was good, I'm not lying. We had a pork roast with carrots, onions, and red cabbage, in addition to spinach dumplings smothered in cheese and butter. This was one meal! The next night we had traditional sausage and sauerkraut with caraway seeds. The final night was piri-piri chicken with broccoli and beets. In the afternoon we'd snack on delicious platters - the highlight of which was four different types of hummus Emily had made. Steve's interest in cooking is infectious. I'm definitely inspired to get more creative in the kitchen after seeing an expert like him at work. Emily is also a creative wiz with experiments and great dishes. I just wish we could make those leisurely evenings last longer.
After dinner most evenings we would either stick in and play a game or two, or hit the town. Thursday night was probably the biggest night of the bunch - we had a bit of a pub crawl. We started at the flat and then went to three bars in the neighbourhood. The first was called the Living Room; it resembled just that. After a round of beer we then proceeded to the Pink Bar which is a really hip place with a DJ. We stayed for two drinks there before venturing to Doctor Pong which Steve and Emily hadn't set foot in yet. What a place! Inside it resembles an abandoned butcher's with a front room and a back room with no decoration on the concrete walls, aside from some chairs scattered here and there. The feature of the place is that it houses a large ping-pong table in the centre of the front room where the assembled crowd (of rag tag hipsters) play ping pong. However, it's not just one game of ping pong, it's like a co-op ping pong. After you reserve a paddle, you join those gathered and form a rotating circle around the table that keeps a game going back and forth. As you run around the table and contribute a shot, the game widdles down to two competitors who play a five point match. It all starts again, over and over. We met some really friendly people there who welcomed us with open arms. I've never seen a place like this. It felt typically European - funky, alternative, hip, and quirky.
The final night was spent with Talia and Rob Macnamara (yet another Queen's friend) who overlapped visits by one night in the city. The five of us had a wonderful time catching up. After lengthy discussions we finally left the flat at 2am and went for a drink in the neighbourhood (things are open LATE in Berlin). We ended the night with a delicious shwarma (spinny meat delight). Not only was it great to have a Queen's gang in Berlin on the final night, but the four days with Em and Steve were fantastic. I reconnected with the city without running around with my head cut off, ate delicious meals with friends, and spent time with people I really admire.
It was the third visit I've had with Steve in Europe, and something like the dozenth time Emily and I have connected somewhere on the continent. While it signaled the end of visits in foreign lands with my best friend (for the time being), it was the perfect end to sixteen months of sharing travel and excitement.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: I can't say I'm a huge fan of ping pong. We never had a table and I think the first time I played was two years ago. But at Doctor Pong there is no question you get in on the action. Ping Pong merrily on high.
What exactly can I say about my trip to Berlin? It was one of the most relaxing vacations of the past year. Because I was lucky enough to visit the city and see the tourist spots in March, I was uber content to just hang out with two of my good friends and explore the parts of the city they have been enjoying. Steve and Emily were unbelievable hosts - I was happy to see a piece of their reality in Berlin.
Emily met me at the airport on Tuesday night. I don't want to get to nostalgic about it yet, but this will be the last European meet-up for Hincksy and the Doctor. This means that there won't be those fantastic best friend transport moments when we see each other after months of doing our own thing. I never tire of locking eyes and greeting with a big old smile and hug. We caught up on the train ride into the city and I heard the play by play of the wonderful adventures her and Steve had been getting up to. Upon arriving at berlinpad.com, I was shocked at just how beautiful the place is. The complex is secure and large, and the flat is spacious and homey. My hosts had prepared a wonderful soup in my honour (the first of many stellar meals to come). That evening we stayed in and caught up over a few glasses of wine.
We stuck to a pretty basic pattern for the three days I was there. In the mornings we would leisurely sip coffee and welcome the sun, the afternoon was reserved for walking through the city, and the evening was spent preparing dinner, eating dinner, and sipping on red and white. This type of existence is the stuff dreams are made of. It was nice to check out from the world and spend quality time enjoying the comforts of life. Wednesday we visited the East Side Gallery which is over 1km of the Berlin Wall that has been preserved as a reminder of its significance. It is an international monument for freedom. The wall is covered in over 100 paintings done in 1990 by a collection of international artists. For the 20th anniversary, the paintings have all been restored. In addition to the gallery we checked out the Turkish section of the city which is Emily and Steve's favourite area. Thursday was a busy excursion day. We hit the major spots in the city (Potsdamer and Alexander Platz) and then went to the larger shopping centre in continental Europe - Ka De We. This is the German Harrod's. They had all kinds of impressive and expensive displays and collections. Friday was the weekly Turkish market trip where we stocked up on a bunch of delicious veggies and meat. We usually would stop for a coffee to break up our walking tour.
As a reward for our diligent and determined afternoons of walking, Steve and Emily continually cooked up a series of delicious meals. It's one thing I'll remember most about the trip - the coming together over good food, good wine, and great company. When I say the food was good, I'm not lying. We had a pork roast with carrots, onions, and red cabbage, in addition to spinach dumplings smothered in cheese and butter. This was one meal! The next night we had traditional sausage and sauerkraut with caraway seeds. The final night was piri-piri chicken with broccoli and beets. In the afternoon we'd snack on delicious platters - the highlight of which was four different types of hummus Emily had made. Steve's interest in cooking is infectious. I'm definitely inspired to get more creative in the kitchen after seeing an expert like him at work. Emily is also a creative wiz with experiments and great dishes. I just wish we could make those leisurely evenings last longer.
After dinner most evenings we would either stick in and play a game or two, or hit the town. Thursday night was probably the biggest night of the bunch - we had a bit of a pub crawl. We started at the flat and then went to three bars in the neighbourhood. The first was called the Living Room; it resembled just that. After a round of beer we then proceeded to the Pink Bar which is a really hip place with a DJ. We stayed for two drinks there before venturing to Doctor Pong which Steve and Emily hadn't set foot in yet. What a place! Inside it resembles an abandoned butcher's with a front room and a back room with no decoration on the concrete walls, aside from some chairs scattered here and there. The feature of the place is that it houses a large ping-pong table in the centre of the front room where the assembled crowd (of rag tag hipsters) play ping pong. However, it's not just one game of ping pong, it's like a co-op ping pong. After you reserve a paddle, you join those gathered and form a rotating circle around the table that keeps a game going back and forth. As you run around the table and contribute a shot, the game widdles down to two competitors who play a five point match. It all starts again, over and over. We met some really friendly people there who welcomed us with open arms. I've never seen a place like this. It felt typically European - funky, alternative, hip, and quirky.
The final night was spent with Talia and Rob Macnamara (yet another Queen's friend) who overlapped visits by one night in the city. The five of us had a wonderful time catching up. After lengthy discussions we finally left the flat at 2am and went for a drink in the neighbourhood (things are open LATE in Berlin). We ended the night with a delicious shwarma (spinny meat delight). Not only was it great to have a Queen's gang in Berlin on the final night, but the four days with Em and Steve were fantastic. I reconnected with the city without running around with my head cut off, ate delicious meals with friends, and spent time with people I really admire.
It was the third visit I've had with Steve in Europe, and something like the dozenth time Emily and I have connected somewhere on the continent. While it signaled the end of visits in foreign lands with my best friend (for the time being), it was the perfect end to sixteen months of sharing travel and excitement.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: I can't say I'm a huge fan of ping pong. We never had a table and I think the first time I played was two years ago. But at Doctor Pong there is no question you get in on the action. Ping Pong merrily on high.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Let's Warm this House.doc
Blimey, what a weekend. I had been looking forward to my London visit for a few weeks now. It had been a month since I left Leamington and hit the city. I was also happy to extend my visit with Talia that began the previous weekend. This time we had two nights together, and we enjoyed some pretty excellent adventures.
I arrived on Friday afternoon. London was dreary, rainy, and the sun had already set as the train sailed across the sheepy fields. Of all the places Talia could be living in London, she's positioned around the corner from Marylebone Station, which is where all the trains from Leamington stop. It happens to be my favourite train station in London for this reason, also because it's pretty tiny and manageable. Thankfully, now that I've got a handle on the dissertation, I am able to read for pleasure once again. I spent the whole two hour train ride engrossed in a novel. Tal and I hit a local grocery store that stocked all kinds of wonderful produce. Upon arrival at her place (a really great sized flat with TWO outdoor terraces) we had a coffee and caught up. Talia then cooked a wonderful dinner consisting of soup, broccoli, and a delicious tomato chickpea dish from the Panchancho cookbook. Because it was Friday evening, it was shabbat dinner - so we enjoyed the meal alongside candles and wine. It was really nice to share in one of Tal's family traditions.
After dinner we sipped on wine and talked and talked. We talked so much that we lost track of time. There was a bar called Flavela Chic where one of Talia's classmates was celebrating a birthday. By the time we arrived the line was extremely long and not moving. After waiting the obligatory fifteen minutes we decided it was best to just hit the town and see what we could get up to. Bar 1: Free cover and really sick beats. We started with a few drinks and blended in to the hip East London crowd. Three rounds of OPD later and Talia and I were all over the place scouting options and plotting schemes. Unfortunately this bar turned the lights on abruptly at 1:30 so we decided to migrate down the street. Bar 2: Free cover and a DISCO theme. Not only were the beats authentic 70s throwback (not even mainstream) but the decor and the clientele all looked like something out of that decade. Tal and I felt a bit out of place but enjoyed ourselves immensely. There was one real character there in a wild frilly disco suit, apparently there by himself. Even in the disco club it looked a bit odd - I couldn't help but picture him on the tube heading home. We jumped on two night buses (making incredible timing with each) and arrived home in the wee hours. We had a proper "lie in" (britcabulary) the next morning.
Saturday, we left the flat after breakfast and made our way to the Barbican Museum which was featuring a poster exhibit on the fall of the Berlin Wall. Before arriving we stopped in at a Costa and had a delicious coffee - I treated myself to a hazelnut latte. The Barbican Museum is a wonderful place. It's divided into six floors of different rooms, galleries, and performance spaces. On Saturdays it seems they have a free stage devoted to musical acts. There had to be two hundred people milling around, listening to free music, and enjoying the museum. We listened to a really smashing jazz quartet and then checked out the Berlin exhibit. Since we're both heading there next week (with one night overlap!) it was a wonderful reminder about the kind of history we'll be surrounded by in the city. I'm excited to be there twenty years to the month the wall fell. We enjoyed a bit more music (some Indian inspired beats) and checked out a WWII bunker reconstruction at the museum. It was extremely impressive. They have converted a neutral space in the museum into an authentic WWII bunker complete with train tracks and all kinds of furnished rooms. It was a spectacular exhibit. Tal then took me to a radical left bookshop. Apparently there are only about three of them in London - in a city that big! It has a great vibe and contains all kinds of really amazing reads. If I was in a permanent place I would have picked up a gaggle of used books.
That evening Talia and her flatmates were throwing a housewarming party. Talia admitted to me earlier in the week that she wasn't sure if a lot of people would show up. Since it's a big flat, the group was hoping that over fifty people would come so the place looked full. The party was part of the reason for going down this weekend. Apparently word got around - there had to be close to eighty people that went through the house on Saturday night. I can't say I've been to a house party that size (with that kind of atmosphere) in such a long time. Talia and Rob Macnamara were the only two that I knew at the party so everyone else was someone new to meet. Because of the international makeup of the house the party consisted mainly of Canadians, Aussies, Americans, and Brits, but there were students there from all over. I talked to a lot of fellow Canadians about life in the UK, and met some really great friends that Talia goes to school with. At one point we were like sardines in the kitchen. Talia and I shared a lot of laughs about the crazy connections at the party (friends of friends of friends of friends...). One of the more interesting and bizarre happenings (that actually became quite depressing) was the arrival of a 54 year old woman named Kristina who "heard the music from down the street" and came on down. She requested a stiff drink, and we were more than happy to oblige. At that point she was very polite. I felt a bit sad for her so I spent some time listening to her stories (mostly depressing) on the terrace. I naively thought she'd join "the kids" for a drink or two and hit the road, a moment of generosity and genuine interest shared between strangers. I was wrong. She was the last one to leave, and turned belligerent when we asked her to head home. It by no means ruined the fantastic party, but was a reminder about how much sadness there is in the world. We shared some delicious pizza before heading to bed. It was one of the best houseparties I have ever been to.
This morning we had grand plans to head to Hyde Park before I jumped on my train, but because of the late night we had yet another "lie in" this morning. Hyde Park (which Talia and I were really keen to see) will have to wait until the next visit. It was a whirlwind of a weekend with two extremely late nights of true London partying - it was comforting to know that at 25 I've still got it. Talia was a wonderful host. I'm now home for 36 hours before jumping off to Berlin. Sooooo excited. Jetset.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: If you have nine frozen pizzas for a housewarming party and you place them in the oven at 3:00am, it doesn't matter how many people are left, they will find the pizza and eat every last bit. Also, for Talia, there are starving drunks all over the world.
I arrived on Friday afternoon. London was dreary, rainy, and the sun had already set as the train sailed across the sheepy fields. Of all the places Talia could be living in London, she's positioned around the corner from Marylebone Station, which is where all the trains from Leamington stop. It happens to be my favourite train station in London for this reason, also because it's pretty tiny and manageable. Thankfully, now that I've got a handle on the dissertation, I am able to read for pleasure once again. I spent the whole two hour train ride engrossed in a novel. Tal and I hit a local grocery store that stocked all kinds of wonderful produce. Upon arrival at her place (a really great sized flat with TWO outdoor terraces) we had a coffee and caught up. Talia then cooked a wonderful dinner consisting of soup, broccoli, and a delicious tomato chickpea dish from the Panchancho cookbook. Because it was Friday evening, it was shabbat dinner - so we enjoyed the meal alongside candles and wine. It was really nice to share in one of Tal's family traditions.
After dinner we sipped on wine and talked and talked. We talked so much that we lost track of time. There was a bar called Flavela Chic where one of Talia's classmates was celebrating a birthday. By the time we arrived the line was extremely long and not moving. After waiting the obligatory fifteen minutes we decided it was best to just hit the town and see what we could get up to. Bar 1: Free cover and really sick beats. We started with a few drinks and blended in to the hip East London crowd. Three rounds of OPD later and Talia and I were all over the place scouting options and plotting schemes. Unfortunately this bar turned the lights on abruptly at 1:30 so we decided to migrate down the street. Bar 2: Free cover and a DISCO theme. Not only were the beats authentic 70s throwback (not even mainstream) but the decor and the clientele all looked like something out of that decade. Tal and I felt a bit out of place but enjoyed ourselves immensely. There was one real character there in a wild frilly disco suit, apparently there by himself. Even in the disco club it looked a bit odd - I couldn't help but picture him on the tube heading home. We jumped on two night buses (making incredible timing with each) and arrived home in the wee hours. We had a proper "lie in" (britcabulary) the next morning.
Saturday, we left the flat after breakfast and made our way to the Barbican Museum which was featuring a poster exhibit on the fall of the Berlin Wall. Before arriving we stopped in at a Costa and had a delicious coffee - I treated myself to a hazelnut latte. The Barbican Museum is a wonderful place. It's divided into six floors of different rooms, galleries, and performance spaces. On Saturdays it seems they have a free stage devoted to musical acts. There had to be two hundred people milling around, listening to free music, and enjoying the museum. We listened to a really smashing jazz quartet and then checked out the Berlin exhibit. Since we're both heading there next week (with one night overlap!) it was a wonderful reminder about the kind of history we'll be surrounded by in the city. I'm excited to be there twenty years to the month the wall fell. We enjoyed a bit more music (some Indian inspired beats) and checked out a WWII bunker reconstruction at the museum. It was extremely impressive. They have converted a neutral space in the museum into an authentic WWII bunker complete with train tracks and all kinds of furnished rooms. It was a spectacular exhibit. Tal then took me to a radical left bookshop. Apparently there are only about three of them in London - in a city that big! It has a great vibe and contains all kinds of really amazing reads. If I was in a permanent place I would have picked up a gaggle of used books.
That evening Talia and her flatmates were throwing a housewarming party. Talia admitted to me earlier in the week that she wasn't sure if a lot of people would show up. Since it's a big flat, the group was hoping that over fifty people would come so the place looked full. The party was part of the reason for going down this weekend. Apparently word got around - there had to be close to eighty people that went through the house on Saturday night. I can't say I've been to a house party that size (with that kind of atmosphere) in such a long time. Talia and Rob Macnamara were the only two that I knew at the party so everyone else was someone new to meet. Because of the international makeup of the house the party consisted mainly of Canadians, Aussies, Americans, and Brits, but there were students there from all over. I talked to a lot of fellow Canadians about life in the UK, and met some really great friends that Talia goes to school with. At one point we were like sardines in the kitchen. Talia and I shared a lot of laughs about the crazy connections at the party (friends of friends of friends of friends...). One of the more interesting and bizarre happenings (that actually became quite depressing) was the arrival of a 54 year old woman named Kristina who "heard the music from down the street" and came on down. She requested a stiff drink, and we were more than happy to oblige. At that point she was very polite. I felt a bit sad for her so I spent some time listening to her stories (mostly depressing) on the terrace. I naively thought she'd join "the kids" for a drink or two and hit the road, a moment of generosity and genuine interest shared between strangers. I was wrong. She was the last one to leave, and turned belligerent when we asked her to head home. It by no means ruined the fantastic party, but was a reminder about how much sadness there is in the world. We shared some delicious pizza before heading to bed. It was one of the best houseparties I have ever been to.
This morning we had grand plans to head to Hyde Park before I jumped on my train, but because of the late night we had yet another "lie in" this morning. Hyde Park (which Talia and I were really keen to see) will have to wait until the next visit. It was a whirlwind of a weekend with two extremely late nights of true London partying - it was comforting to know that at 25 I've still got it. Talia was a wonderful host. I'm now home for 36 hours before jumping off to Berlin. Sooooo excited. Jetset.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: If you have nine frozen pizzas for a housewarming party and you place them in the oven at 3:00am, it doesn't matter how many people are left, they will find the pizza and eat every last bit. Also, for Talia, there are starving drunks all over the world.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Decisions, Decisions.doc
I'm happy to announce that the future is starting to look a bit clearer. There's nothing groundbreaking to report but some decisions have been made in the last week in effort to get a better hold on just what I'll be up to in the coming months. The muddy waters are starting to settle.
The first task was to make a decision about the rapidly approaching holidays. This was the toughest call of them all. One of the kickers of the program is a Dec 31 final submission for our dissertations. I don't know if there could be a more inappropriate choice for the formative conclusion to the program. What this has lead to is utter uncertainty about the month of December - Will I be free and clear by mid-month? Will I have the dissertation approved by Christmas day? Or will I be revising alongside getting ready to ring in the new year? I hope the last option isn't anything I'll encounter, but it's all unclear. Add to this the fact that when I board the plane home to Canada I want to have my second MA (over-qualified much?) all wrapped up. I want to be reading for pleasure on the plane, not thinking about revisions. Add the third ingredient, one more week of Euro fun and traveling before heading home and I think a mid-December departure would be too rushed - hell, it'd be in four weeks.
Unfortunately, this means that I'll be missing the holiday season for two years in a row. It's the worst time of year to be away from my family. BUT, what we both have to look forward to is a return home a few weeks later. Hopefully turkey and a few Christmas themed dinners can be had in the new condo in January. That's right, as you might have guessed, I'm staying the holidays but then making a prompt return to Canada in mid-January. I've even been eying a few flights. What this allows me to do is get the dissertation wrapped up by the end of December, travel for a week or two in the new year and bid adieu to Europe for the time being.
As much as I was originally interested in exploring the possibilities of work over here, in addition to bleak job prospects and huge starting costs, I realized that deep down I want to return home. Staying over here and starting to blaze a new path would mean moving to a new city, making new friends, finding a new job, and generally starting from square one. I've started from square one three times already in the last year and I'm ready for some stability. So you're on alert - the Doctor is returning to Canada mid-January. The hope is that an apartment in Toronto will follow, as will some sort of employment by the month of March (fingers crossed).
With this tentative plan mapped out, I've managed to secure some holiday work to tide me over for the month of December! After interviews at H&M and Bank Fashion (both of whom balked at my student visa restrictions in one form or another) River Island (one of the more popular stores here on the High Street) recruited me on for the Holiday season. I head into the store tomorrow to learn more about what exactly I'll be doing, but I think it will make for a productive December (and make the time before homecoming go by much quicker). I searched out a small job for three reasons: a) I need a bit of money to travel in January before the trip home b) Forty hours a week on revisions is just ridiculous - I'd rather do 20/20 and c) British Pounds just about double when crossing the border and are converted into Canadian dollars (a little start up money is desired). It may not be the most glamorous, but it'll pay some future bills. I can also finally add retail clothing to the LONG list of other jobs I've had in addition to school.
A tentative date home: CHECK
Holiday work to make some cash: CHECK
A plan for the first quarter of 2010: CHECK
Plans for one last hurrah before the journey home: CHECK
It's hard not be home for the holidays, but after a lot of soul searching, this is the way to do this chapter justice. Loose ends get tied, the dissertation is finished properly, and I hit two or three more spots before touching down on Canadian soil. I am looking forward to it immensely.
Tomorrow is a whirlwind day. I've got a huge to-do list before heading off to London to visit Talia for the weekend. Berlin isn't far off!
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The visit to Coventry this past week brought home the reality of the atrocities of war - the city was decimated. The journey to Berlin next week will be yet another time for reflection. The ghosts of young innocent men and women lurk around every corner in Europe. Lest we forget.
The first task was to make a decision about the rapidly approaching holidays. This was the toughest call of them all. One of the kickers of the program is a Dec 31 final submission for our dissertations. I don't know if there could be a more inappropriate choice for the formative conclusion to the program. What this has lead to is utter uncertainty about the month of December - Will I be free and clear by mid-month? Will I have the dissertation approved by Christmas day? Or will I be revising alongside getting ready to ring in the new year? I hope the last option isn't anything I'll encounter, but it's all unclear. Add to this the fact that when I board the plane home to Canada I want to have my second MA (over-qualified much?) all wrapped up. I want to be reading for pleasure on the plane, not thinking about revisions. Add the third ingredient, one more week of Euro fun and traveling before heading home and I think a mid-December departure would be too rushed - hell, it'd be in four weeks.
Unfortunately, this means that I'll be missing the holiday season for two years in a row. It's the worst time of year to be away from my family. BUT, what we both have to look forward to is a return home a few weeks later. Hopefully turkey and a few Christmas themed dinners can be had in the new condo in January. That's right, as you might have guessed, I'm staying the holidays but then making a prompt return to Canada in mid-January. I've even been eying a few flights. What this allows me to do is get the dissertation wrapped up by the end of December, travel for a week or two in the new year and bid adieu to Europe for the time being.
As much as I was originally interested in exploring the possibilities of work over here, in addition to bleak job prospects and huge starting costs, I realized that deep down I want to return home. Staying over here and starting to blaze a new path would mean moving to a new city, making new friends, finding a new job, and generally starting from square one. I've started from square one three times already in the last year and I'm ready for some stability. So you're on alert - the Doctor is returning to Canada mid-January. The hope is that an apartment in Toronto will follow, as will some sort of employment by the month of March (fingers crossed).
With this tentative plan mapped out, I've managed to secure some holiday work to tide me over for the month of December! After interviews at H&M and Bank Fashion (both of whom balked at my student visa restrictions in one form or another) River Island (one of the more popular stores here on the High Street) recruited me on for the Holiday season. I head into the store tomorrow to learn more about what exactly I'll be doing, but I think it will make for a productive December (and make the time before homecoming go by much quicker). I searched out a small job for three reasons: a) I need a bit of money to travel in January before the trip home b) Forty hours a week on revisions is just ridiculous - I'd rather do 20/20 and c) British Pounds just about double when crossing the border and are converted into Canadian dollars (a little start up money is desired). It may not be the most glamorous, but it'll pay some future bills. I can also finally add retail clothing to the LONG list of other jobs I've had in addition to school.
A tentative date home: CHECK
Holiday work to make some cash: CHECK
A plan for the first quarter of 2010: CHECK
Plans for one last hurrah before the journey home: CHECK
It's hard not be home for the holidays, but after a lot of soul searching, this is the way to do this chapter justice. Loose ends get tied, the dissertation is finished properly, and I hit two or three more spots before touching down on Canadian soil. I am looking forward to it immensely.
Tomorrow is a whirlwind day. I've got a huge to-do list before heading off to London to visit Talia for the weekend. Berlin isn't far off!
Doc's Prescription of the Day: The visit to Coventry this past week brought home the reality of the atrocities of war - the city was decimated. The journey to Berlin next week will be yet another time for reflection. The ghosts of young innocent men and women lurk around every corner in Europe. Lest we forget.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
A Rad Visit.doc
This weekend I was blessed with the gift of a visit from my good friend Talia. We've known each other since my second year of university at Queen's. I met Talia through Walkhome where I worked for a year. Tal didn't exactly work at the service but any given night I could expect to see her in the JDUC. From there on we became fast summer friends, worked together at the Lonestar Texas Grill, and bonded in our mutual drama crew. Talia is over here to study an MA in Social Policy and Planning at the London School of Economics. I was lucky enough to watch the New Years Eve fireworks with her over Edinburgh Castle this past year.
Tal arrived on Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful weekend weather wise in Leamington. It reminded me of those autumn weekends in Niagara spent visiting the Pumpkin Patch in Welland. The leaves are vibrant, the temperature is brisk but not cold, and the air smells of burning wood. We walked from the train station to the apartment to drop bags off. We sat and caught up for an hour before heading out into town to catch the last moments of sunshine (the sun is setting around 4:30/5:00 these days). This whole catching up chat was the defining quality of our time together. It felt like we chatted a whole day away going back and forth about our respective experiences and observations about the UK. We'd continually start a conversation, divert into fourteen different tangents and try to navigate ourselves back to the original question. Impressively, I think most times we were able to return back to the topic at hand. What I appreciate most about talking with Talia is that I respect and admire her opinions immensely - it was intelligent conversation (without being overly academic) the whole weekend.
So before the sun totally set we made our way down the parade and into Leamington. Tal, like most people, is surprised at how big the town is. When people describe it they usually say its a posh little place without really giving its size justice. I took her to one of my favourite places in Leamington: the sweet/milkshake shop. Tal and I couldn't resist the 100 milkshake flavours offered in the shop so we indulged in quite the treat. The really wild thing about the shop is that they don't recreate the flavours with syrup or through imitation flavour but through actual ingredients (they blend in Reece Peanut Butter Cups for instance). Talia settled on Peanut Butter and Jelly and I got a dark chocolate Bounty Bar. Really decadent choices. We perched ourselves in the Gardens and snacked on hummus and veg alongside our milkshakes.
After the sun set in Leamington we headed back to the flat where I cooked up a pretty standard dinner - piri piri chicken with rosemary potatoes and carrots. Tal and I sipped on some wine as we cooked the leisurely dinner, and chatted about our respective programs, future life plans, and all that jazz. After a wonderful dinner we marched on down to the Clarendon to meet the MAIPR gang for some pints. It was a pretty low-key affair but nice nonetheless. I always like it when Canadian friends of mine meet the program mates over here. We called it a somewhat early night and headed back to the flat after two pints.
After a short sleep in today, we had a quick breakfast and morning chat before heading off to Coventry to see some sights. You see, Talia has family in Kenilworth which is just around the corner from me. The family invited her for Sunday dinner and were more than happy to extend the invitation. We joined her family, Fiona and Richard, that afternoon and they took us on a tour of Coventry's more interesting sights: the bombed Cathedral maintained as a memorial of ruins, the new Cathedral built in commemoration, and an interactive art gallery. I had seen the ruins of the old Cathedral before, but the new Cathedral was a first time visit. The museum also provided oodles of fun for Talia and I, and we managed to catch a live music act in the cafe. It was a really well spent afternoon.
Fiona and Richard took us to their place in Kenilworth for Sunday dinner. Fiona's parents and Richard's great aunt joined us for the meal. Talk about an enjoyable group of people! We had a fantastic time. Fiona cooked lamb for dinner and we had it with all the trimmings and sauces. I'm going to miss Yorkshire pudding when I head back to Canada. It was the leisurely type of meal that included wine, an abundance of desserts, and even after dessert chocolates. It was so nice to have a homecooked meal after a month of my own cooking. The house also had a fire going which was a wonderful surprise. Tal's family was so warm and welcoming!
All in all the weekend with Talia went too quickly, but it was such an enjoyable way to spend two days. I'd be disappointed at just how fast it flew by if I wasn't heading to London next weekend to visit her! There is a housewarming party at her place that just couldn't be missed.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Remember, remember the 5th of November. It was Guy Fawkes night this past week. There were fireworks for seven days in a row. That's a bit excessive, yes? "Penny for the guy?"
Tal arrived on Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful weekend weather wise in Leamington. It reminded me of those autumn weekends in Niagara spent visiting the Pumpkin Patch in Welland. The leaves are vibrant, the temperature is brisk but not cold, and the air smells of burning wood. We walked from the train station to the apartment to drop bags off. We sat and caught up for an hour before heading out into town to catch the last moments of sunshine (the sun is setting around 4:30/5:00 these days). This whole catching up chat was the defining quality of our time together. It felt like we chatted a whole day away going back and forth about our respective experiences and observations about the UK. We'd continually start a conversation, divert into fourteen different tangents and try to navigate ourselves back to the original question. Impressively, I think most times we were able to return back to the topic at hand. What I appreciate most about talking with Talia is that I respect and admire her opinions immensely - it was intelligent conversation (without being overly academic) the whole weekend.
So before the sun totally set we made our way down the parade and into Leamington. Tal, like most people, is surprised at how big the town is. When people describe it they usually say its a posh little place without really giving its size justice. I took her to one of my favourite places in Leamington: the sweet/milkshake shop. Tal and I couldn't resist the 100 milkshake flavours offered in the shop so we indulged in quite the treat. The really wild thing about the shop is that they don't recreate the flavours with syrup or through imitation flavour but through actual ingredients (they blend in Reece Peanut Butter Cups for instance). Talia settled on Peanut Butter and Jelly and I got a dark chocolate Bounty Bar. Really decadent choices. We perched ourselves in the Gardens and snacked on hummus and veg alongside our milkshakes.
After the sun set in Leamington we headed back to the flat where I cooked up a pretty standard dinner - piri piri chicken with rosemary potatoes and carrots. Tal and I sipped on some wine as we cooked the leisurely dinner, and chatted about our respective programs, future life plans, and all that jazz. After a wonderful dinner we marched on down to the Clarendon to meet the MAIPR gang for some pints. It was a pretty low-key affair but nice nonetheless. I always like it when Canadian friends of mine meet the program mates over here. We called it a somewhat early night and headed back to the flat after two pints.
After a short sleep in today, we had a quick breakfast and morning chat before heading off to Coventry to see some sights. You see, Talia has family in Kenilworth which is just around the corner from me. The family invited her for Sunday dinner and were more than happy to extend the invitation. We joined her family, Fiona and Richard, that afternoon and they took us on a tour of Coventry's more interesting sights: the bombed Cathedral maintained as a memorial of ruins, the new Cathedral built in commemoration, and an interactive art gallery. I had seen the ruins of the old Cathedral before, but the new Cathedral was a first time visit. The museum also provided oodles of fun for Talia and I, and we managed to catch a live music act in the cafe. It was a really well spent afternoon.
Fiona and Richard took us to their place in Kenilworth for Sunday dinner. Fiona's parents and Richard's great aunt joined us for the meal. Talk about an enjoyable group of people! We had a fantastic time. Fiona cooked lamb for dinner and we had it with all the trimmings and sauces. I'm going to miss Yorkshire pudding when I head back to Canada. It was the leisurely type of meal that included wine, an abundance of desserts, and even after dessert chocolates. It was so nice to have a homecooked meal after a month of my own cooking. The house also had a fire going which was a wonderful surprise. Tal's family was so warm and welcoming!
All in all the weekend with Talia went too quickly, but it was such an enjoyable way to spend two days. I'd be disappointed at just how fast it flew by if I wasn't heading to London next weekend to visit her! There is a housewarming party at her place that just couldn't be missed.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Remember, remember the 5th of November. It was Guy Fawkes night this past week. There were fireworks for seven days in a row. That's a bit excessive, yes? "Penny for the guy?"
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Time Bomb.doc
The first song that played when I flicked on itunes was Beck's Time Bomb. It's a great song, and a coincidental jam for this current blog post. You see, I'm feeling the time ticking away and I haven't made solid plans yet as to the holidays, a return to Canada, further travel plans, and the like. A decision and a flight must be booked within the next two weeks, but it truly is like a time bomb. I can hear the seconds wind by in the kick-back reverberation of that ever moving sweep hand (n.b. - a sweep hand is the thin red one that joins the other two - now you know).
Bottom line, the clock is ticking. If I had it my way there's a plan I'd set up right now and follow through with. But like everything else, it's dependent on a lot of variables - the one I'm currently considering applying for is an early January internship. I don't think I'd get it, since it's not theatre related, but it would be a piece of the puzzle that would help determine everything else. I couldn't even interview for it because I would be in the UK. Maybe they'd do skype? What is that pop culture expletive I'm looking for at this critical juncture?! Ah yes, BLERG. Trying to get a Canadian life in order from Leamington Spa is like trying to fit an elephant into a negligee. I've started using the word variables a lot to describe those outside circumstances that decide the next move. There really isn't a more appropriate word. Hindering my decision is the fleeting hope that I can control exactly how each phase of this will go down. The key to my success in plotting out the next twelve weeks will be sacrificing control of a variable or two and throwing caution to the wind.
In the spirit of keeping all my options open, I had two very funny interviews last week for holiday work in Leamington. Note: Don't panic. I have not decided 100% to stay in the UK for the holidays yet, but I'm leaning towards it. The real desire comes from wanting to board the plane with closure on my Euro chapter and I don't think I'd be able to do that with the dissertation not 100% over. So the thought is to spent December here and wrap up the whole MA in the last week of the month instead of returning to Canada and having to work from home. I'm still unsure. But anyways, I figured if I was here I might as well explore my options. The first interview was at H&M. I was under the impression it was for temporary holiday staff - my first misconception. They were looking for a part-timer for long term. So in true interview style I told them I planned to be in the UK as long as possible and then sort it out if I was offered the job. I pretty much aced the interview (six years of customer service and an MA tends to help) but they seemed a little hesitant once they realized my visa expired in April. See they thought they might get only six months out of me, when I knew it would only be two max. Strike three and you're out. I received a nice call the next day saying they would love to recruit me but the length of the visa makes me ineligible. The second interview was at Bank Fashion, a pretty hip brand in the UK. The interview was a joke and the manager seemed too cool for school. I have to much pride to work for someone like him. Fortunately/unfortunately, my visa only allows me to work twenty hours a week during term time and that wasn't enough for him.
So it has been odd to say the least. To keep all my options open I've been looking for Nov/Dec possibilities while here but also browsing Jan/Feb jobs back home. It makes my head hurt sometimes. Thankfully I know that it will all work out in the end and come March I'll find myself settled somewhere again (hopefully for longer than four months as has been the norm over here). Thankfully, I can get lost in the dissertation and not worry too much. I'm back at it this past week and will be sending the Canada chapter to Milija on Friday. Last evening Courtney and I took in a film here in Leamington. As part of a mobile promotion we got two for one tickets! How's paying 2.60 pounds for a film sound? How about awesome?! We saw Wes Anderson's newest Fantastic Mr. Fox with George Clooney and Meryl Streep. Overall it was really well done considering it was stop animation. I still prefer his earlier stuff but it's hard to compare that to a Roald Dahl classic. I don't think the adaptation could have gone any better though, and it seemed distinctly Anderson. A solid recommendation.
This weekend I have a visit from Talia to look forward to. I'm going to show her some of Leamington on Saturday and then we'll catch up over a few pints that evening. And her family in the area has generously invited me along for Sunday dinner. It should be a relaxed weekend, after a week that has FLOWN by.
Doc's Prescription: Time bomb ticking, the time bomb ticking, got a, time bomb ticking going tick, tick, tick.
Bottom line, the clock is ticking. If I had it my way there's a plan I'd set up right now and follow through with. But like everything else, it's dependent on a lot of variables - the one I'm currently considering applying for is an early January internship. I don't think I'd get it, since it's not theatre related, but it would be a piece of the puzzle that would help determine everything else. I couldn't even interview for it because I would be in the UK. Maybe they'd do skype? What is that pop culture expletive I'm looking for at this critical juncture?! Ah yes, BLERG. Trying to get a Canadian life in order from Leamington Spa is like trying to fit an elephant into a negligee. I've started using the word variables a lot to describe those outside circumstances that decide the next move. There really isn't a more appropriate word. Hindering my decision is the fleeting hope that I can control exactly how each phase of this will go down. The key to my success in plotting out the next twelve weeks will be sacrificing control of a variable or two and throwing caution to the wind.
In the spirit of keeping all my options open, I had two very funny interviews last week for holiday work in Leamington. Note: Don't panic. I have not decided 100% to stay in the UK for the holidays yet, but I'm leaning towards it. The real desire comes from wanting to board the plane with closure on my Euro chapter and I don't think I'd be able to do that with the dissertation not 100% over. So the thought is to spent December here and wrap up the whole MA in the last week of the month instead of returning to Canada and having to work from home. I'm still unsure. But anyways, I figured if I was here I might as well explore my options. The first interview was at H&M. I was under the impression it was for temporary holiday staff - my first misconception. They were looking for a part-timer for long term. So in true interview style I told them I planned to be in the UK as long as possible and then sort it out if I was offered the job. I pretty much aced the interview (six years of customer service and an MA tends to help) but they seemed a little hesitant once they realized my visa expired in April. See they thought they might get only six months out of me, when I knew it would only be two max. Strike three and you're out. I received a nice call the next day saying they would love to recruit me but the length of the visa makes me ineligible. The second interview was at Bank Fashion, a pretty hip brand in the UK. The interview was a joke and the manager seemed too cool for school. I have to much pride to work for someone like him. Fortunately/unfortunately, my visa only allows me to work twenty hours a week during term time and that wasn't enough for him.
So it has been odd to say the least. To keep all my options open I've been looking for Nov/Dec possibilities while here but also browsing Jan/Feb jobs back home. It makes my head hurt sometimes. Thankfully I know that it will all work out in the end and come March I'll find myself settled somewhere again (hopefully for longer than four months as has been the norm over here). Thankfully, I can get lost in the dissertation and not worry too much. I'm back at it this past week and will be sending the Canada chapter to Milija on Friday. Last evening Courtney and I took in a film here in Leamington. As part of a mobile promotion we got two for one tickets! How's paying 2.60 pounds for a film sound? How about awesome?! We saw Wes Anderson's newest Fantastic Mr. Fox with George Clooney and Meryl Streep. Overall it was really well done considering it was stop animation. I still prefer his earlier stuff but it's hard to compare that to a Roald Dahl classic. I don't think the adaptation could have gone any better though, and it seemed distinctly Anderson. A solid recommendation.
This weekend I have a visit from Talia to look forward to. I'm going to show her some of Leamington on Saturday and then we'll catch up over a few pints that evening. And her family in the area has generously invited me along for Sunday dinner. It should be a relaxed weekend, after a week that has FLOWN by.
Doc's Prescription: Time bomb ticking, the time bomb ticking, got a, time bomb ticking going tick, tick, tick.
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