Routinizzle.doc

The routine is going great. From Monday to Friday I park myself in front of my laptop in the dining room, try to pound out the words, and hit the gym after exhausting quotations from Schechner and Butler and surfing the latest new posts on Facebook. It's unfortunate that Facebook is now more like Twitter - how can I not click on the link if it promises that there is one new post in my news feed? Obviously it's unimportant, but one must click it make sure.

The dissertation is going well. When I say it's going well I mean the word count is increasing. At this early stage I don't necessarily care if the connections and points are ground breaking, but rather that they are starting to be made. As I've said before, it's much easier to have a pile of crap and oodles of time to go back and revise it, than writing a 30 000 word dissertation in two months. I don't want to publish my word count since some of the MAIPRS visit this page (sorry guys). Things aren't competitive here but it's just something I want to keep to myself - people tend to freak out if the answer you give is more than them and if its less it bolsters their feeling of progress. I just don't care where anyone else is. It's like marks. I've always been one to keep them close to the cuff so the jockeying for position doesn't lead fellow students to judge and compare, but it's inevitable people always try to pry. Thankfully, I don't get satisfaction from knowing I "did better than you." It's the damn Humanities, everything is subjective. Long story short: if you're from home and want to know how I'm doing, ask me sometime. I'm climbing the mountain!

Friday night we had a party at Courtney and Jamal's. They have a really great place perfect for a gathering. It comes complete with a fantastic little outdoor patio. Both were happy to host in Leamington - Jamal was always ready to fill a glass and Courtney made cheesecake and biscuits for the occasion. We met one of the new MAIPR students who had arrived early, talked about how the work was going, and discussed post-program plans. Luckily, most are in the same boat once the program ends - a shrug of the shoulders is the usual response. We stayed at the house party late and by the time midnight rolled around I couldn't be bothered to head out on the town and pay the 5 pound cover to get into Smack. It's a pro and con of the regular gym going, but after a long day of research and then two hours at the gym I am unlikely to go out for a big night. On one hand I can save a lot of money that way, but on the other I've never been one to say no to a night on the town. It's a more mellow routine, but I most definitely prefer it.

The rest of the weekend was fairly low-key. I took Saturday off from research and slept in. I also started watching episodes of Glee which everyone has been talking about recently. I really enjoyed it - the series is officially added to the list of ones I'm currently following. Thank god for free online television. Sunday I completed some prep for IGLYO - the launch of the website we've been developing is slated for early next month. In the evening I went for two pints in town with a friend of mine I hadn't seen since Warwick autumn. It seems everyone is returning to Leamington for the start of the new school year.

Today Tory and I published plans for our birthday celebrations. We figured that two Canadians with birthdays within a week calls for a Canadian themed birthday celebration! We're having a gathering at ours on October 8 to celebrate (Tory's is on the 3rd and I'm on the 9th). For those without the benefit of facebook the event reads:

A night to celebrate Great Canadians, including: Celine Dion, Alanis Morisette, Mounties, Mike Myers, the cast of Degrassi High, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and of course - yours truly.

Please come wearing red and white, or in your best 'Canadiana' costume! Lumberjacks, hockey players, and famous Canadian songstresses are welcome.

The party will begin at ours at 7:30pm, then we'll head on out to the town. Please BYOB eh? We're polite, but not that polite.

Canadian artist playlist on loop - send in your requests.

It's sure to be a good time, and serves as a nice event to look forward to after an incredibly productive September. As the month comes to a close I can look back at subtle but really rewarding progress - a good handle on the thesis and 22 out of 27 days spent at the gym. Later this week we get to meet the rest of the new MAIPR contingent, and I'm heading to London on Saturday to visit my friend Stuart from Queen's.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: I've discovered there are a lot of negative musings on the dulling effect of a routine. But I've found a lot of structure with one. I appreciate this courtesy of Ben Nicholas: “Most of life is routine - dull and grubby, but routine is the momentum that keeps a man going. If you wait for inspiration you'll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.”

Chez Nova Lodge.doc

As promised, the subject of today's post is Nova Lodge - my third home of the year. Someone asked me recently how dating has been in Europe and I had to lament that although I had been on a few here and there, it's tough to do when you know you'll only be spending a maximum of a few months living in one spot. Thankfully, Nova Lodge, like my unforgettable place in Amsterdam, is a true home where I feel comfortable and relaxed. It makes the transitory lifestyle easy to take.

We've had a few gatherings at this place already. Everyone seems to really like the furnishings - black leather couches, a faux fireplace, beige waffle carpet, and a beautiful dining room. It's not the type of Queen's house you'd throw a big jam in, but rather a swanky pregame place before hitting the town. We hosted a few friends the Saturday night Emily was in town and on Tuesday night we celebrated Jamal's return to the Spa with a few beers. We're planning to have a potluck in the upcoming weeks, and I'm sure once the group is ready to let off some steam this place will see some action. There's also an enormous backyard, at the centre of which is a gigantic tree that must be over eighty years old. It's the type of backyard you could throw a wedding in.

One of my favourite things to do in the new pad, after a day staring at the laptop waiting for inspiration and following two hours at the gym, is cooking up a really nice meal. The brand new oven and stove (gas operated) are brilliant for culinary delights and Em and I have both started experimenting this year. In the pictures below you will finally get to glimpse the "Rolly Polly" which Emily has been serving up in France for the year. She brought me two pastries for the new place and we put them to use when she visited - both times we made bacon, cheddar cheese, and rosemary pastries. They were to die for. In addition, I usually enjoy a grapefruit for breakfast, and most recently I cooked a full chicken in the oven. Tesco (the local grocery) had full chickens on for 2 pounds! I bought two and threw them in the freezer. If I ever see them on again I'm going to load up - I think they may be a good choice for Canadian thanksgiving in two weeks time.

WIthout further ado, the lodge and some eats:

Rolly Polly before Wrapping

Before 2

Rolly Polly After

Rolly Polly Dinner

Breakfast

Full Chicken

Full Chicken 2

Living Room

Fireplace

My Room

Suitcase Living no more

Mantel

Kitchen

Kitchen 2

Dining Room

Silent Discoers

The Infamous Beaded Wall

Morning Detox

Unfortunately, I took the photos in the evening so the quality isn't the best. And yes, to be clear, my bedroom is small. But for 225 pounds a month it's a steal. The girls and I have made the dining room our thesis desk.

This week has been up and down. On the down side, I've lost a little momentum of the past month, but I think that's to be expected. I just need to find a new angle to keep plugging away. It's not the word count or the length that scares me anymore, it's being able to have a coherent and convincing argument that lasts for the 120 pages. I know this is something that'll work itself out in revisions, but until I have some sort of product I won't know how it stands up - it's like I need the frame of the building before I can tell you if it'll be a Victorian, a semi, or a houseboat. Tomorrow I set firmer goals for the rest of September so that hopefully by month's end I'm in a position of strength.

On the up side, Tory returned back from Amsterdam so the household is complete! It's nice to have the three of us under one roof and most of the contingent back in Leamington. By all accounts we're operating really well as a unit - we spend time together working on the thesis, share the occasional meal, and talk about each other's day. I really enjoy living with others again - how I've missed it. Tory also joined the gym so I'll have a buddy to go with. We've already signed up for a spin class next week. Also next week we welcome the new MAIPR group to Warwick and take part in (yet another) Warwick-Amsterdam-Finland telematic conference. Should be jokes this time around.

Good Luck to Queen's University and the Kingston community who will not be hosting the annual homecoming festivities, but instead will be faced with the condensation of the yearly event in the form of unauthorized, unapologetic, and unwieldy partying. The Globe and Mail's coverage called Police ready for fall booze-up at Queen's is a bit laughable in building hype for the event - it's almost like they want to be the ones to predict something will go wrong: "see, that's what we insinuated would happen!" My favourite part is the unnecessary map outlining the Queen's ghetto - someone spent way too much time on this.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Nothing is more important than having a home or a room that you call your own - I hope you're reading this from someplace comfortable.

Pure Bliss.doc

So after a a summer of traveling - a trip back to Canada and an exhilarating July - I've settled into a more mundane routine here in the Royal Spa. While the next month's posts won't include descriptions of wild adventures spent around the continent (as I try to complete the first draft of the dissertation) they'll still touch on the hits and highlights in this quaint little village.

To give you an idea, I'm treating writing like a job. Granted, there is no Michael Scott to make sure I arrive by nine and clock my hours, but I still try to put in a day's worth of work. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it) it means I'm still able to sleep in until 10am - although I'm on my way to changing this - and but in 7 hours of reading, writing, and general attachment to my laptop until about 5 or 6pm. With this type of schedule, writing the dissertation isn't that hard. If you sit down for 35 hours a week in front of your computer, words will come. The proof is in the putting...of facebook on hold. It may not be exciting work but in a month I should have a draft which will put me way in front of where I thought I'd be. It's a strategic move really - two months of dedicated work (with obvious breaks and slips here or there) will pay off in the long run when I want to job search and soak up more of the sights if indeed I head back to Canada at Christmas.

The highlight of my routine here in Leamington has been finding the Pure Health Club and Spa. So picture 10am - 5pm spent at the dining room table looking out the picture window to the beautiful backyard tempting me outside. After slagging though a day tied to the laptop, I needed an outlet to clear my head. Bec recommended I check out the club and I took them up on the free day membership before immediately committing to the month of September. I've had my card for seventeen days and been to the gym thirteen of those days. I'll be honest, at 50 pounds a month (90 Canadian) it's an expensive purchase, but it's proving to be an invaluable investment.

So picture this club at Yonge and Bloor or on the Upper East Side - this would be where the Nate Archibalds and Chuck Basses sip their vitamin-enhanced smoothies. The genius behind the design is that you don't feel that you're at a gym to work out. There are expensive furnishings, crazy light fixtures, and all kinds of modern touches. My typical work out will feature 40 minutes with the free weights (depending on the day of the week), a 10 minute row, crunches, and then a 20 minute treadmill run. Not only do I get to work out, but I get to catch some TV which is broadcast on the treadmill. Since the club is a bit more pricey the clientele is older people and young professionals. This means I NEVER have to wait for a machine and everyone is really nice.

After the challenging stuff I make my way to the pool which looks more like a nightclub. This is where the membership really pays off. I usually spend 40 minutes going back and forth between the main pool, the jacuzzi, the steam room, and the sauna. After 7 hours of brain power, the 40 minutes spent relaxing restores me to a complete state of equilibrium. Also, the water pressure in the shower is double that at home, they have powerful hair driers, and plastic bags to pack up your swimsuit. This place takes care of every possible need. Upon leaving I feel refreshed and healthy. I've also started to hike up my protein intake with shakes and research the proper way to work out. I wouldn't trade the membership for anything, and it's proving to be a great second job to make the dissertation all the more manageable.

I've never really been a fan of working out (too much work and not enough enjoyment) but Pure is changing that. They also have yoga and all kinds of classes included in the membership, so I'm looking to make that part of the routine next week. I'll be giving you a taste of Nova Lodge in the next post.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: A bit of fitness never hurt anyone - routine is how to make it happen.

One Year Later.doc

This will be a short post to commemorate 365 days since setting sail. That's right, this time one year ago I was camped out at the Hamilton International (a bit of an oxymoron) waiting to board a flight to Europe - my first over the Atlantic. That next day I touched down in London, rushed around like a mad man, wrote the first ever Doc's Prescription, and expediently made my way to France to see Emily.

It's hard to believe a whole year has passed and that I'm just three months shy of a dual MA degree to go along with the one from U of T. I've seen so many amazing sights, befriended peers from all over the world, and learned an incredible things about myself and life. I'm going to save all kinds of deep perspective searching for a time in the future (when I'm closer to coming home) but here are some interesting statistics after a year abroad:

Countries visited: 15.

Flights in a Year: 17.

Blog Posts: 121.

Photos snapped: Well over 7000.

Pints of beer consumed: Also well over 7000.

It has been an incredibly important year, and I'm sure the truth of that statement will be proven again and again as time passes. I've learned about life over here and will bring lessons and confidence back with me, but I've also come to appreciate how great a country Canada is. We truly live in one of the best places in the world.

I've of course had lonely times and homesick nights, but the experiences over here far outweigh any hesitations about taking time out from the places and the people I know. I may miss all of you, but I'll come back a better person because of it. Through it all I've made some wonderful friends through MAIPR and while living in the UK and Amsterdam. Special highlights include visits with Michael, Jessica, Bronwyn and Cynthia, Graham and Leslie, Raffi and Viktor, my whirlwind ten days in Canada, and a plethora of amazing adventures with Emily who makes it feel like home isn't so far away when I see her.

These are the moments I wish I could celebrate with you all, but know that you're wishing me well from so far away. Don't worry Mom and Dad, I haven't really put away 7000 pints.

Best Wishes!


Doc's Prescription of the Day: 355 days outside the Canadian border makes you appreciate our true north strong and free. Take a look at what's going on south of us concerning health care and appreciate where we're from.

Party like a Hinckstar.doc

For the over 40s in the reading crowd there was a popular song of recent memory called Party like a Rockstar from which I've crafted my witty title. The last five days have been Hincks crazy. I kicked the thesis to the curb for the past four days and trading it in for hosting duties. We had an amazing visit.

I met Emily on Wednesday at the train station (after picking up some flowers at a little stand on my way from the gym). It was probably the shortest time between seeing each other - it had been less than 48 hours. We walked up the parade and I gave her a bit of a tour of the main sights. I introduced her to Nova Lodge and all its poshness. After a bit of relaxing we went about making a feast of a dinner. Here in Europa, Emily and I have both developed an affinity for making delicious food. I think it's the fantastic collection of cheeses, spices, and influence from people who love to cook. We had some piri-piri chicken, rosemary potatoes, and I experimented with some tea and guinness infused button mushrooms. Everything came out pretty stellar.

After dinner we went to Bec's house for a gathering. Adam and Lotte were there and it was the first time I had seen them since splitting for the summer. We all shared our holiday pursuits and (thankfully) avoided talking about thesis writing. If I spend six to eight hours in front of my computer with it, the last thing I want is for it to accompany me to my social events. It was also nice to socialize with Bec's housemates again. Bec, ever the impressive hostess, had such wonderful cheeses; we sampled away even though we had had a big dinner. After a few drinks at her place we went out on the town for a pint before closing.

The next day we went window shopping and picnicing. We browsed though all the high street stores on the parade and stopped in for a leisurely coffee. To the Leamington gardens we brought leftovers from the night before and snacked on the chicken. I also introduced Em to my favourite yogurt (I'm nervous it might be laced with a drug because it tastes so darn good) that has bits of wholegrain inside. We spent a good two hours in the park chatting and snacking before returning home. After some message catch up we made a caesar salad to accompany our rollie-polly. That's right, rollie-pollies in England. Em was lucky enough to bring me two pastries. We stuffed this one with bacon, mature cheddar, and all kinds of spices. It was delicious. That evening we stayed in with a bottle of wine and watched a few episodes of a TV show that was recommended to us the evening before at the party.

Friday I made my way to Warwick campus to help Zoey move into Nova Lodge. She had booked an extended stay at Heronbank originally so she moved in a week after Tory and I. It was a quick and effortless move. Emily relaxed in the apartment during the morning while I went to campus. After Zoey was settled here, and Emily was finally able to meet her, we went to the gym for some afternoon activities. Emily claimed a free guest past for the day and we made ourselves at home. We worked out in the main room for an hour and a half - the highlight of which was chatting while rowing a 2000 m together. Afterwards we hung out in the sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and went for a small swim. It was a really relaxing afternoon. That evening we joined Adam and his girlfriend and Bec at my favourite pub in Leamington, The White Horse. It was packed and there was a really cool energy. An OPD was had, as was a good time by all (insert cliche phrase here).

On Saturday we met Courtney at the local Tesco to get supplies for an amazing picnic. We grabbed a cucumber, hummus, cheese, bread, and some veggies. It was a scorching day in the UK, probably the last hot one we'll see. We sat near the river and watched amateur boaters make their way through, a dog interested in sticks but not food, and a rapidly dwindling feast. Courtney brought some delicious cupcakes. It was a beautiful afternoon. That evening, after a wee nap and the second of the two rolly-pollies, we hosted the gang at our place before heading on the town. We sat round and shared some stories before heading to the biggest nightclub in the city called Smack. The low light of the week was the just over an hour we waited in the line before getting in. There wasn't much method to that madness. You can't always say it, but the wait was actually really worth it. The silent disco proved to be even better the second time around - I knew it was a theme the Hinckster would get in to. We switched back and forth on the two music channels, posed with the beaded wall in the club, and sang our hearts out at the songs we knew. It was a late night, but one of the most memorable of recent memory.

Sunday we packed up Emily and her and I made our way to Birmingham for dinner with the Hincks. It was a nice relaxing Sunday after four really energetic and jam-packed day. Doug and Shelia took us through an arts festival taking place in downtown Birmingham and then we went back to their place for a wonderful roast dinner. It had been ages since I had lamb so it was a welcome treat. We visited after dessert and snuck in a bit of tele before heading to bed. Like the Hincks family in Toronto, the Birmingham contingent is also very warm and generous. In the morning we had breakfast and then headed to downtown Birmingham for some shopping. Emily was purchasing the infamous half boot for Portugal and I picked up some sweat pants which I haven't had since Canada. We said an extremely sad (yes Em, s.a.d.) goodbye. It was a bit sad for a number of reasons: we won't see each other for four to six weeks, we both are on the threshold of intimidating and new adventures on our own, and we've been really close the past month trying to fill the void of not having best friends in our new surroundings and not hearing much from our busy friends back home. Emily has been a true constant these past few months, and during the year in general.

What makes the end of the visit also a bit of a downer is that it signals a return back to work. As much as I'm optimistic about what I need to do, I've really enjoyed five days off. It's now back to the grindstone. Thankfully, I can add Leamington Spa to the list of places in the world in which Hincksy and the Doctor have caused a bit of trouble.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Too much from this weekend to prescribe to you - delicious food, nice wine, and best friends.