This, That, and the Other.doc

We're in week 8 of school already and I'm getting more and more excited for the Holiday break that is quickly approaching. I don't think I've ever looked forward to a term being done more than I have here. The reason is that there is a whole European playground which surrounds that I've been unable to see because, just a small detail, school is my full time job. As Zack Morris famously said, "I love school...too bad classes get in the way." Still, I think I've made the most of local UK travel on weekends which will be a good lead up to the plans for Christmas and in the 2009 summer.

1. If the library could be called my office, and I think four hours a day constitutes an office, then my place of work is highly secure! At Queen's you could wander into Stauffer and it didn't matter who you were - the security guard at the front desk was usually reading the paper. At UofT, if you want to get to floors 5-18 you need to flash your card to the student on duty (I wonder what they would have done if I had declined). Here at Warwick, the only way students can enter the library is by placing their card on a laser reader which opens the turnstyle type barricade and allows entry one by one. This makes for some lineups at the entrance. Further, you must complete the same process upon exiting. If you lose your student card in the library, I guess you're stuck here forever. There is even more security for Post Graduate students. I've chosen the PG study area as my preferred place for setting up shop (no kids around!) and this too requires I use my student card to electronically unlock the heavy door. Only postgraduate cards can open these doors. Elitist? I think so. My favourite feature of these systems is that the laser readers are so powerful, they can read my card from inside my wallet. So I simply place my wallet on the reader and everything is unlocked for me. Jason Bourne, eat your heart out.

2. Interesting British vocabulary: POSH. I'm sure all of you have about wondered the etymology of the word. In fact, Victoria Beckham was not the first to use the phrase! One of my English friends tells me that one of the possible origins of the word is actually an acronym that was used on ships that traveled to and from the colonies before the advent of air conditioning. Because there were cabins which shaded passengers from the sun on both legs of the journey, the most desirable (and naturally most expensive) ticket was the "Port Out, Starboard Home." There is debate as to whether this is the true etymology, but a neat fact nonetheless. I wonder if "Port Out, Starboard Home" Spice would have been as catchy as Posh. I'm sure she would have had sailors knocking on her door regardless.

3. Christmas bonuses aren't just for bankers anymore! If any of you were considering sending in an application for the programme of which I'm currently a part, let me give you one more incentive. I woke up this week to a surprise email from the Director informing us that they are giving every student in the program a December bonus. I was flabbergasted. The money is suppose to aid in relocating to our places of mobility and cover Holiday travel costs. Since my relocation costs are minimal, Canadians don't need visas in the Netherlands, I'm treating it like a Christmas bonus and a pat on the back for the stellar work I've been doing all term. This may be the only bonus I ever receive, so I'm going to spend it on traveling in December and January. Oh, and on pastries. Lots of pastries.

4. "Time, is on my side, yes it is." Popular lyrics to a song. They lie. I know it's extremely common to observe that "time is flying" or "time seems to be going by quicker as the years go by", but has anyone done any research on this? Does perception of time change in the brain when we mature? We're currently closer to December than we are to October, closer to 2010 than we are to 2005, and I'm closer to the end of term that I was to the middle of it. Because I can picture the going away party in Toronto so vividly, it seems like it was two weeks ago. Even crazier is the New Years 2008 party we had that feels like two months ago. Soon we'll be reading lists about "The Best _______ of 2008", Time Magazine will proclaim Barack Obama its "Person of the Year", and we'll all be writing 2009 at the top of our ledgers. On one hand it's great that time is flying (because that means coursework will soon be wrapped up), on the other it's scary because my time in Europe is ticking rapidly away even if it appears that I'm here for ages. I think this is a balcony topic.

5. Do you read your horoscope? Usually I don't. If I have a paper around and I happen to think about it I might glance and see what is suppose to be "in store" for me on any given day. Yesterday, however, I happened to be web procrastinating and wandered along a link to a horoscope site that related to careers and work. The Libra forecast for yesterday looked like this: The illusion that everything would be better if only you had a better view or a different assignment to work on is just a distraction from reality. Stick with current projects and offices. The days previous I had been bitching to everyone who would listen about how tedious this group project is. Now, I didn't take this as a sign from the divines, but rather just a reminder that I should suck it up and get on with it. Sometimes you find insight in the most unlikely places.

Upcoming: 

Thursday I spend ALL day with the First Year Aspects of Practice Students. I meet each group for an hour in blocks from 9-6pm. While I'm certain to be worn out by their energy, it will be great to dramaturg and offer directorial advice to their works-in-progress.

Friday evening I leave for a weekend in Stockholm. This will be country number four that I will have visited since arriving (Scotland counts as a spot along the way, but I'll be there again for New Years). I am really looking forward to a fun weekend in a totally new and exotic place.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Maybe it's worth taking a look at your horoscope today - just for entertainment sake. Even if you don't believe in it, I consider myself highly skeptical as well, maybe it'll give you something to ponder while you wander.

Horoscopes

I Took the Yellow Submarine Down to Liverpool.doc

Friends, if you make it to the UK, Liverpool is a must.

Previous to the weekend, I had been at the library working towards this final project and trying to lay out a road map of my final essay for the term. I was excited to head off campus on Saturday, but also a bit tired after all that time spent researching. Not only did an arrival in Liverpool prove to be re-energizing, but it was full of Beatleamania adventures!

Bec and I left Heronbank at the early hour of 8:00am to catch the International Office coach bus which was to deliver us to Liverpool - traveling in true style! Apparently the trip to LPool was a popular choice as they filled three buses of international students. We checked the list as it was passed around, Bec was the only Australian and I was the only Canadian. Andrea is the only other Canadian I've met here but I've been told there are a few others kicking around. They weren't going to Liverpool. The bus ride was three hours which was a bit long on a Saturday morning. I also had to sacrifice tea and breakfast for 15 more minutes of sleep so I was happy when the bus pulled into the city. 

The bus dropped us at the Albert Dock. The area, which reminded me of the Distillery District in Toronto, is situated on the River Mersey and was built in 1846. It was the first non-combustible dock warehouse system in the world (ohhh, ahhh). After the facilities became obsolete, it was closed in 1972 and then completed gutted and refurbished for an opening in 1984. It now is home to shops, restaurants, the Tate Liverpool, and a variety of really neat exhibits. We first stopped in at a small cafe and had some breakfast. Having not eaten that morning, I had the full English breakfast, which I'm enjoying more and more, accompanied by a really great cup of brewed coffee. 

After filling up, Bec and I were off. The unfortunate aspect of the trip is that we arrived to the city at 11:30am and needed to meet the coaches back at 6:00pm so there was limited time to see everything. We first stopped at a small Liverpool house down by the river that had been preserved, or maybe recreated, to depict conditions during WWII when families were fearful of attacks from the Nazis. The velvet ropes separating the room from the spectators meant I felt like something of a voyeur on the scene, which was a bit unnerving, but also quite powerful as what was depicted was how a family rationed food and how they prepared for the worst types of conditions. It was a really interesting look into another time period. I was impressed when the lady at the front door pinned me as Canadian. She's part of a handful of people I've met here that insist the differences between the Canadian and American accents are easy to spot. She said our best exports were Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, but that she would have been happy if Celine had never left Quebec. 

We ventured through the Liverpool shopping area, which was structured like a giant outdoor mall. Like a lot of the city centres I've visited, this mall had just about every store you could imagine and since it was a Saturday, people were everywhere. The shopping find of the day was PRIMARK which is the British Winners. The trouble is, like most UK shopping, it puts Winners to shame. The clothes are completely trendy and are at absolute bargain basement prices. I characterize this as trouble because it puts my monthly stipend in question. The lineup for checkout looked like a customs line at the airport.

Leaving Primark was easy since it was packed to the brim in there - it's nice to know if I need to pick something up (a tie, dress pants, etc.) I can get it extremely cheap and not worry. Our next stop was the Metropolitan Cathedral I checked out online before coming. It was built in the 1960s. I know what you're thinking - a Cathedral from the 60s, why even worth your time? This church is like any other I've ever visited. For one, the design is something akin to theatre in the round where the pulpit is in the centre of the building and the pews encircle around it in rings. In fact, the church has many theatrical elements in its designs - lights to illuminate various pieces of art work and the main stage, an exhibit type framing of the various rooms around the main space, and a pit for its choir and orchestra. I quipped to Bec that it felt like the Ikea of Cathedrals. Definitely worth a look if you visit Liverpool. The outer building was voted the fourth ugliest building in the world on Virtualtourist.com, but the interior is certainly inspiring. 

From there we ventured to the other notable cathedral in the city (yes, there are two cathedrals). The Liverpool Cathedral is much more traditional in design and is actually the largest Anglican Cathedral in the world. Before venturing inside we walked around the grounds of St. James' Garden which was the original quarry where the stones for the city of Liverpool were excavated. The park was lined with enormous gravestones from the 18th and 19th centuries. You don't often see such old gravestones in Canada, but they can be found all around the UK. We were stopped by a strange man asking for change because he claimed had lost his wallet at a karaoke bar and needed to catch a train - a likely story. I think it's the type of park that is gorgeous in the day but attracts a different crowd once it gets dark. The cathedral itself was beautiful, opulent, and humbling. I've seen a few Abbeys since arriving (although not of the Westminster variety), but the Liverpool cathedrals were much more impressive. The enormity of their design often overwhelmed.

At this point Bec and I had a problem, we had just under an hour and a half before we had to catch the coach back but we still had to get back to the Dock to visit The Beatles Story, the top Beatles attraction, find some food and drink before the three hour ride home, and of course check out the Beatles merchandise in the store. A tall order in the time crunch we faced. After kicking into a higher register we bolted back to the Dock and checked with the attendant about the Beatles exhibit. His name was Jim and he actually looked a bit like John Lennon. I wondered if he was hired because of this, or if his job environment had bled into his physical features. He said it usually takes about an hour and a half to two hours, when you listened to the audio guide. We told him we had forty-five minutes. He offered to let us in for a child's rate and we were more than happy to accept. Score! Maybe it was because we received child's tickets, but Bec and I were positively floating with excitement as we ventured through the exhibits (much quicker than the people around us, and yet with enough time spent interacting with the different sections). 

It was definitely the highlight of the trip and of an unbloggable nature but I'll do my best to give you an idea of why is was so exciting. The exhibit goes chronologically from the forming of the group to their final rooftop performance. Throughout there is memorabilia on display (George's first guitar and a pair of John's glasses that fetched 1 million pounds at auction), interactive recreations (the place they played their first gig, a Liverpool street, the Casbah), and really neat additions reflective of their music (a Yellow Submarine, a psychedelic room, and a Lennon inspired Imagine space). I think Beatles culture is so much a part of the everyday, at least for those of us that love their music, that you sometimes forget the incredible journey of four adventurous boys from Liverpool.

True to our word, we explored the exhibit in 45 minutes taking a plethora of cool photos along the way. We had just enough time to pick up some Beatles merchandise, some buttons and a John Lennon guitar pick, and do the essential Starbucks run before boarding the coach back to Warwick Uni.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: It's a pretty simple one. Turn on, tune in, and drop out with your favourite Beatles tune. Although it's difficult, my two picks would probably have to be Hey Jude and Let It Be. What might yours be?

Convocation Imagination.doc

In four hours I'm due to convocate at, where else, Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto as a member of the school of Graduate Studies. I'm thinking of appearing "live via hologram", but I don't know how I'd put on the gown. I think this ceremony would be a little lackluster in comparison to the June 2007 marathon at Queen's University. Still, today is the culmination of eight months of intense coursework spent at the Graduate Centre for Study of Drama. To be completely honest, my current schedule at Warwick makes the MA year at UofT look like boot camp. I had double the amount of courses, they lasted a full twelve weeks as opposed to five, the essays were longer and there were more of them, and I didn't have nearly the same time off as I do here. This made for a really draining eight months, but also the most rewarding challenge I've ever faced in the classroom.

If convocation closes the chapter on UofT (at least for the time being) I think it beneficial to highlight some of the highs and lows.

High: Orientation Day! Emily and I decided that since we were officially 'grad' students we wanted to set the right impression and fly under the radar that first day. However, by the end of the 'pub crawl' our best laid plans were long gone and we let loose with our new academic friends. A leopard never changes its spots.

Low: Our dreadfully painful Slavic Drama class which looked engaging in the course description but proved to be taught by an actual dinosaur with spectacles (think the old man at the television station in Mrs. Doubtfire) We shared the class with undergrads and had NO idea what the prof was lecturing about most days. I never expected to fill out weekly quizzes in an MA class.

High: The first term Commedia workshop. Though it was an early trek to campus for a three hour workshop, I learned a lot (shoom-shoom-shoom!). Emily and I had great fun thinking of innovative new scenarios for improvisation...

Low: Too many essays! I wrote seven 20 page essays in eight months which far eclipses the length of an MA thesis. Now I have no trouble fulfilling requirements, and did so for all the coursework, but I often felt hard pressed to submit my best work when I had two other projects waiting to get started. It was hard not to spread yourself thin.

High: Creative Practice - Source of Gravity and Boulevard of the Brave. While it complicated an already rigorous schedule, I was thankful for the creative practice requirement. We met a lot of great friends and worked on some cool projects.

Low: Robarts Library. While the amount of material is staggering, I've never been surrounded by such an uninspiring building. Concrete, concrete, and more concrete. I think it's also in the shape of a peacock - the architect must have been doing some crazy drugs in the 60s.

High: The Holiday Party. We made a ham. There was a reindeer head.

Low: Having no time to party or socialize with friends. We were chained to our desks. Riiiiiight.

High: The Drama Centre volleyball team. We might not have won many games, but it definitely was a welcome highlight to the week. It also was good primer for the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Volleyball team in the summer.

Low: Lunches spent at Hart House over Mr. Noodles cursing the decision we had made to pursue grad school and expressing fears of academic inadequacy. We usually got over feeling sorry for ourselves quite quickly, but these shared lunches (originating in the servant's quarters) were the lowest of the low.

High: The completion of eight challenging months in which I was required to think beyond that which I had learned at Queen's. I don't know what is expected of me now that I officially can write M.A. after my name, but I'm sure those letters will acquire more value as the years go on. 

High: A whole year spent with Emily - a partner in crime who I don't think I could have survived without. One of our fellow students expressed concern that we weren't going to the same country in Europe. She had assumed we were married the whole year. While we laughed at her mistake until our sides hurt, we really did support each other throughout the challenges at UofT.

As you can see, the highs (of which there were many more) outnumber the lows. I have no regrets about the year at UofT and can look back and laugh at the lunches spent fretting at Hart House.

I've pulled these photos off the UofT convocation website to help you picture just what tonight would look like:

What a party! Wow, look what we're missing!

Emily and I on stage! So academically trendy right now.

Picture Time! We need one for the mantle.

If we were in Toronto and attending convocation, Emily and I would be waving to each other and making faces separated by a sea of students with last names beginning C-J. There may even be an occasional text message sent. Our parents would be as proud as ever, but probably wondering if they didn't do all this just a year ago. We'd take pictures outside Convocation Hall looking as distinguished and academic as possible, but then descend into goofy faces. We'd host a small (large) jam at 1.3.5 Isabella and invite all our closest friends to celebrate our acceptance into the MA-dom. And that is how we'd convocate.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Just because we're in Europe, doesn't mean you don't have to throw us a party back home! I know where there are some fine establishments that would welcome a graduation party for Hincksy and the Doc.

Don't (Heron)Bank On It.doc

I spend the next five weeks of term working on final group presentations and prep for the essay due in January. This means only five more weeks at Heronbank before I jet around for most of December and then arrive in Amsterdam in the new year (Yolansa, my maid, is beside herself with grief). Since I won't be returning here in the summer - I'll either stay in Amsterdam or rent a place with friends in Leamington Spa - I figured it was time to document the stay with some photo previdence.

Heronbank: Named to commemorate the tragic 'Heron Bank Incident' of 1926 in which a flock of herons were killed after they tried to knock off the Coventry Bank.

+

= My Residence

Outer Heronbank  (Calm Waters)

'Ding Dong', I think our neighbour's death...

Looks comfortable eh? Riiiiight.

The Reading Nook

Where the magic happens...

Important items and notes from home

I don't have enough clothes to fill the shelves

No lion, no witch, but I've got a wardrobe

The Corridor - Institutional Much?

Magenta Common Room

Kitchen - one fridge and freezer for eight people

A bit clinical, but at least it's all mine

The Skype Station (Visitor 1)

The Skype Station (Visitor 2)

The Skype Station (Visitor 3)

The Skype Station (Visitor 4)

Doc's Office at the Library (I'm there so often it should be my office)

Heronbank is pretty comfortable as far as residences go - my own en suite, new furnishings, and a kitchen that's cleaned every day. The drawback is the quietness which is a feature of postgraduate setups. Still, I can add it to the tally of places I've lived in my time testing the various uni campuses - Amsterdam will be my fourth.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Friends who have promised to visit will be coming either while I'm in Amsterdam or during the summer spent elsewhere. This is the closest you'll come to Heronbank. Can you now picture how I go about my days?

Reminders from Home.doc

On this Remembrance Day, I'm thankful for the efforts of all those who bravely fought for the freedom of our glorious country. I think I've said it on here before, but it really has taken a departure from our borders to gain perspective on the aspects of Canadian life that are unique to our section of the world. As much as today is a lament for the lives lost in the fighting and a reminder of the horrors of war, it's also a celebration of the values we've defended and the freedoms we're privileged to hold. As the famous Canadian poem goes, "To you from failing hands we throw / The torch; be yours to hold it high."

I've received a few messages from home in the past two days and they couldn't have come at a better time! The move from a rigorous class schedule to group work has meant a less structured work week. While this means more time for blogging (cheer!) it also means more time spent at the library and researching on my own for our presentation in three weeks. So the reminders from home were welcome.

My parents sent me six months worth of new contact lenses which refill the current ones I have. For those of you who are skype regulars, this means I'll be wearing my glasses less and returning to the comfort of lenses. I've endeavoured to wear the specs more than my last ones though - I'm much more of a fan of the thick frames. The package also contained two packets of Tim Hortons coffee and two Laura Secord chocolate bars. Oh man, how Canadian eh? I'll have to figure a way to filter the coffee since the majority over here is instant (which is abhorrently second rate). I've also been drinking more tea than coffee over here, go figure, but I'd do anything for a sip of a true double-double. The Laura Secords are also a nice reminder of home. My grandmother spoiled us rotten when we kids and a trip to LS was usually a feature of any mall excursion.

Last night I spent a glorious hour and a half on the Skype Train chatting with Erin and Meg. Today I've got an evening slot 'penned' in with Jess. I received a full Toronto update - who's doing what, how jobs are going, and what the future holds. I'm constantly amazed by the achievements of my friends. There really is something to be said for the necessity of keeping in good correspondence while over here. It's easy to fall into the trap of telling myself I'm too busy but it's simply not true. You always decide how you allocate your time, and keeping updated is simply just high on the priority scale. Meg and I agreed that wherever the Holiday party is this year, there will be a laptop set up on the mantle for Em and I to join the group. In addition to the package and skype chats, I received a post card from Paris from you know who! I've also never had to respond to so many facebook messages! It's really great to hear from everyone.

As much as this year is a selfish opportunity to travel in Europe and have some wonderful experiences, it's also meant to guide me towards something more professional upon a return to Canada. If I'm having a prolonged chat with my DSC friends we usually end up talking about future career options - probably inevitable when you've just turned 24. Being my sixth straight year of uni, I'm ready for a a more structured schedule that doesn't involve only 15 hours of contact time and so much independent work. As liberating as the uni schedule is, it has become almost too free flowing for my liking. Hopefully my internship in Amsterdam, which I've started to negotiate with a prof there, will bring the more professional change I'm seeking and lead to something in Toronto. I'm suppose to spend at least 280 hours as an intern so it'll definitely be like having a job in addition to classes.

Bec and I are heading to Liverpool this weekend. The International Office is organizing a bus trip (excuse the lameness of that statement) and we're taking advantage of the cheap return ticket to get up to our own devices in the city. This means you can look forward to copious Beatles shots. Liverpool is currently the 2008 European Capital of Culture which is "a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development." Sounds prestigious. I'm glad to get the opportunity to visit LPool while it has this status. Maybe I'll try to get to the 2009 EU Capital of Culture as well. Wheels are turning...

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Even if you don't get the chance to hear the trumpet, listen to the poem, or observe an official silence, take a moment to reflect and remember.