Hello, internet folk!
My third year at school has been a whirlwind, such that I can hardly believe we're already a third through October! Trying to balance a full course load (all very reading-intensive) with part-time work in the lab, participating as a senior mentor in the International Relations Tri-Mentoring Program, and acting as community liaison for Fair Trade with the Engineers Without Borders UBC Chapter has been...fun? I'm only joking, it has definitely been fun and exciting to finally be involved at my university, though of course challenging. All of these endeavours are just beginning to take off for the year, so I have little doubt that my days will soon be busier!
Additionally, over the last 4 months I have been working on an application to study overseas short-term. This program is hosted by the University of Victoria who has a field school based in South Africa. What I would be studying in South Africa is the colonial impacts on urban and rural development, and though I am not well-versed in South African history or culture, I am eager to have the chance to embark on such an exciting adventure to a fascinating area of Africa in order to learn more. I have JUST completed all the paperwork and receiving transcripts and reference letters for the application, so tomorrow I will be mailing it off to UVic! Fingers crossed that my application stands out and I make a solid impression on the professor in charge during the interview process.
Just when I thought I would have a year where I stay still, something else comes up and I set my sights on the next adventure!
I think life is more interesting that way. :)
Be well!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Monday, 26 August 2013
The remainder of the summer has been quiet and low-key for the most part. No big trips after my weekend in Victoria, but it's been nice nonetheless. I've spent plenty of time lazing on the couch - we just signed up for Netflix, which has been awesome recently, but will undoubtedly prove to be a horrible temptation once school starts next week!
Having a girlfriend has definitely broken up my routine of being lazy, thank goodness. We don't do loads of exciting things as she has a real job...whereas I just pop into the lab maybe twice a week hahaha...but we do get out of the house! Mainly just little adventures like exploring UBC's campus (even after 2 years there's still much to discover), hitting the beach, or going for walks down in the Southlands where all the rich people live.
Even though it's always so sad when summer ends, I'm half ready for school to start just so I will have a regular schedule. On the one hand - things to do! On the other - hard work and the stress of university life. I'm just hoping to milk these last days of summer for all the fun they're worth and then dive into September, ready to take on everything 3rd year hurls my way.
As always, I've already got some places on the traveling menu for next summer lined up, although I have to go through an application process for one of them. Updates will follow when I find out more!
Stay classayyyyyyy.
Having a girlfriend has definitely broken up my routine of being lazy, thank goodness. We don't do loads of exciting things as she has a real job...whereas I just pop into the lab maybe twice a week hahaha...but we do get out of the house! Mainly just little adventures like exploring UBC's campus (even after 2 years there's still much to discover), hitting the beach, or going for walks down in the Southlands where all the rich people live.
Even though it's always so sad when summer ends, I'm half ready for school to start just so I will have a regular schedule. On the one hand - things to do! On the other - hard work and the stress of university life. I'm just hoping to milk these last days of summer for all the fun they're worth and then dive into September, ready to take on everything 3rd year hurls my way.
As always, I've already got some places on the traveling menu for next summer lined up, although I have to go through an application process for one of them. Updates will follow when I find out more!
Stay classayyyyyyy.
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Like going back in time
Hello, all!
Last weekend I set off to Victoria on Vancouver Island with my girlfriend for a short weekend getaway. We left early Friday morning (very-caffeinated tea in hand) to catch two buses to the ferry terminal in order to catch the 9:00am sailing. As a kid (this is actually probably still true), I loved getting to ride the ferries because it meant three things: being able to run around outside on the deck, being in the middle of the ocean, and White Spot. I swear the only reason people should take the ferries is for the simple joy of consuming an over-priced meal from White Spot on the boats! Anyway, this was a different sort of trip than the usual ones I used to take to the island for swim meets (and maybe one trip for a family vacation many years ago), because I got to be a HUGE tourist!
The voyage across the Georgia Strait was about an hour and a half of beautiful blue and sunny skies and gorgeous sights of the islands along the way. We got to our hotel around noon, and to our delight we were able to check in upon our arrival and leave our bags in the room before setting off to explore the historical city. The hotel was in a prime location - pretty much right in the middle of downtown, behind the Empress Hotel!
For the rest of the day on Friday, we simply wandered around the Inner Harbour area and ate lunch from some food trucks that were there. If you're ever visiting Victoria, I highly recommend Taco Justice and the Hungry Rooster food trucks! Eventually we made our way to the Maritime Museum, which was interesting, but as I have no particular interest in ships, the wonder was sort of lost on me. Still, it was an excellent museum, AND, like many other places in Victoria, it is housed in a historic building (formerly the courthouse). Later that night, we caught up with an old friend of mine from high school, Kristen, and her roomie Nicole at the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner (Bellinis on special, whaaaat). After dinner, we decided to wander a bit around the Empress grounds, but I forgot how chilly it gets in Victoria when the sun goes down, so we rushed to an interesting old restaurant we had seen earlier, called The Soda Shoppe, to warm up with tea, from which we continued on to wander tacky tourist shops along Government St.
Saturday was a pretty full day from the get-go, but we moved at a relaxing pace at first so it didn't feel too rushed. It was nice to wake up and have the option to wander down the street with a hot cup of tea, grab a delicious morning BLT from Sam's Deli on Government St. (right beside the Soda Shoppe), and have our breakfast with a view of the Inner Harbour. It was fairly early so the streets were less busy with tourists. Next on the itinerary was the Royal BC Museum. This museum is incredible! It has two sections - natural history (which includes phenomenal exhibits on wildlife all around British Columbia and prehistoric fossils), and human history (which includes exhibits on Victoria's historic Chinatown, different environments around BC according to industry [such as fishing, mining, etc], artifacts from the olden days [20th century], First Nations artifacts, and a temporary exhibit on the race to the South Pole). It took us probably about 3-4 hours in total to take in the whole museum, but we did take a break in between the two sections in the museum's cafe. Needless to say, after that monster round at the museum, we needed a nap to rest our feet! In the evening, we took part in a Ghost Walk tour, of which there are many different tours you can choose from! It was fun, but chilly. I recommend wearing warm clothes as you are walking/standing and listening to haunted tales for about an hour and a half.
On our last day, we started the morning with a leisurely walk, breakfasting at Sam's Deli once again. We rented bikes (as you can from many places in downtown Victoria!) for a couple hours and took a leisurely ride through Beacon Hill Park which was gorgeous! We stopped along a trail that looked over a dog beach - so many puppies I could've died. Eventually, we made our way to Craigdarroch Castle, a historic site in Victoria. I love castles and old architecture, which is probably part of what draws me to Europe, so I couldn't pass up being in Victoria without seeing the castle! It was such an interesting place and I definitely recommend it. The castle, once the residence of the incredibly wealthy Dunsmuir family, has also played roles as a military hospital, Victoria College (predecessor to UVic, at the time a branch of McGill University), and a music academy!
The entire weekend was an adventure - hardly relaxing! But after three days full of so many adventures, it was time to head home and fall asleep in our own beds...but I'll be back to Victoria and other areas of the island for sure in the future!
Last weekend I set off to Victoria on Vancouver Island with my girlfriend for a short weekend getaway. We left early Friday morning (very-caffeinated tea in hand) to catch two buses to the ferry terminal in order to catch the 9:00am sailing. As a kid (this is actually probably still true), I loved getting to ride the ferries because it meant three things: being able to run around outside on the deck, being in the middle of the ocean, and White Spot. I swear the only reason people should take the ferries is for the simple joy of consuming an over-priced meal from White Spot on the boats! Anyway, this was a different sort of trip than the usual ones I used to take to the island for swim meets (and maybe one trip for a family vacation many years ago), because I got to be a HUGE tourist!
The voyage across the Georgia Strait was about an hour and a half of beautiful blue and sunny skies and gorgeous sights of the islands along the way. We got to our hotel around noon, and to our delight we were able to check in upon our arrival and leave our bags in the room before setting off to explore the historical city. The hotel was in a prime location - pretty much right in the middle of downtown, behind the Empress Hotel!
For the rest of the day on Friday, we simply wandered around the Inner Harbour area and ate lunch from some food trucks that were there. If you're ever visiting Victoria, I highly recommend Taco Justice and the Hungry Rooster food trucks! Eventually we made our way to the Maritime Museum, which was interesting, but as I have no particular interest in ships, the wonder was sort of lost on me. Still, it was an excellent museum, AND, like many other places in Victoria, it is housed in a historic building (formerly the courthouse). Later that night, we caught up with an old friend of mine from high school, Kristen, and her roomie Nicole at the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner (Bellinis on special, whaaaat). After dinner, we decided to wander a bit around the Empress grounds, but I forgot how chilly it gets in Victoria when the sun goes down, so we rushed to an interesting old restaurant we had seen earlier, called The Soda Shoppe, to warm up with tea, from which we continued on to wander tacky tourist shops along Government St. |
| Woolly Mammoth in the museum! |
The entire weekend was an adventure - hardly relaxing! But after three days full of so many adventures, it was time to head home and fall asleep in our own beds...but I'll be back to Victoria and other areas of the island for sure in the future!
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Mon été français en Nouvelle Écosse
Ooookay, so I know I'm horrible at keeping up to date with posting about my travels, but let's just go with "I wanted to completely immerse myself in French so I didn't want to blog in English until I could speak English again"...yeah, that sounds about right...
Anyhow, my 5 weeks in Nova Scotia were quite possibly the best 5 weeks of my life! I went into the program incredibly nervous because: a) I hadn't spoken ANY French since Grade 12, b) I was so far away from home, and c) I didn't know anyone else in the program.
The first few days were transitional and eased us into the program nicely. We were allowed to speak English, which facilitated friend-making within the house. For 5 weeks I lived in residence on campus in Belliloise, with 23 others. Turns out, Belliloise was party central for the campus, and every weekend (and sometimes weekdays) we played host to everyone else on their way to the bar on campus, Château.
Before we completely immersed ourselves in French, we wrote placement tests which sorted us into the different levels: Débutant, Intermédiaire, and Avancé. In the evening, there was an opening ceremony introducing the students to all the animateurs/animatrices (RA's) and professors. By the end, we signed up for our daily ateliers (workshops) and signed "The Contract", with which we pledged to speak only French until the end of the program.
The first week was pretty quiet. I settled into my class (Intermédiaire 2) with 2 girls who also lived at Belli with me. Settling into a new language entirely was a little difficult, and the process included many hand gestures and charades. Yet, with each week that passed, it became easier and easier to articulate my thoughts in French. Both within Belli, my atelier, and my class (every day 9-12:30), I've met so many people who I'm sure I will continue to be friends with for a long time, despite wherever they reside in Canada. Our house was very close-knit and I was nearly always hanging out with somebody.
My atelier, called "Atelier de P'tit Bois", was the largest of the session. Surrounding the campus of Sainte-Anne is a forest they call Le Petit Bois, and with the strong winds off of the Atlantic Ocean and common storms, many trees get blown over. Our job was to restore the campus and the forest for future students to enjoy. These tasks included clearing broken branches/trees out of the forest, replanting flowers along pathways, and cleaning up the beach. The ateliers were an extra way to keep us immersed in French and meeting new people while having a (decently) good time. At the end of the session, it is usually tradition for l'Atelier de P'tit Bois to jump into the frigid waters of the Atlantic, but this year the weather was horrid (more rain and wind than ever before apparently!), so the whole group didn't do it. A small group of us (maybe 20?) decided to do it anyways, so, with beers and towels in hand, we headed for the beach. I was in the water for MAYBE 30 seconds before it was WAY too cold to handle, but I'm glad I did it!
In the end, being away for 5 weeks in Nova Scotia was simply amazing. U. Sainte-Anne wasn't even one of my choices for the institutions I wished to study French at with the Explore program, but I am so glad I got placed there! I had the opportunity to meet so many awesome and fun individuals from all over Canada, and I am certainly considering applying and returning to Sainte-Anne for next year's spring session if I can! Not only did I learn more about the language and how to converse/think with it, but I also learned a little about the history of Acadia and of Acadians. Church Point, Nova Scotia is probably one of the smallest towns (is it even a town?) I've been to, and coming from Vancouver, it was a huge change. Yet, being in such a small area made such a difference when it came to learning French because I was forced to continue using the language with everybody - and it was worth it. The Maritimes are so underrated, yet they are one of the most beautiful places in Canada in my opinion. Make a trip out there if you can!
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| Bienvenue! |
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| The huge church beside the school |
Anyhow, my 5 weeks in Nova Scotia were quite possibly the best 5 weeks of my life! I went into the program incredibly nervous because: a) I hadn't spoken ANY French since Grade 12, b) I was so far away from home, and c) I didn't know anyone else in the program.
The first few days were transitional and eased us into the program nicely. We were allowed to speak English, which facilitated friend-making within the house. For 5 weeks I lived in residence on campus in Belliloise, with 23 others. Turns out, Belliloise was party central for the campus, and every weekend (and sometimes weekdays) we played host to everyone else on their way to the bar on campus, Château.
 |
| Le drapeau acadien |
The first week was pretty quiet. I settled into my class (Intermédiaire 2) with 2 girls who also lived at Belli with me. Settling into a new language entirely was a little difficult, and the process included many hand gestures and charades. Yet, with each week that passed, it became easier and easier to articulate my thoughts in French. Both within Belli, my atelier, and my class (every day 9-12:30), I've met so many people who I'm sure I will continue to be friends with for a long time, despite wherever they reside in Canada. Our house was very close-knit and I was nearly always hanging out with somebody.
 |
| P'tit Bois one day - catching a ride back from the beach! |
In the end, being away for 5 weeks in Nova Scotia was simply amazing. U. Sainte-Anne wasn't even one of my choices for the institutions I wished to study French at with the Explore program, but I am so glad I got placed there! I had the opportunity to meet so many awesome and fun individuals from all over Canada, and I am certainly considering applying and returning to Sainte-Anne for next year's spring session if I can! Not only did I learn more about the language and how to converse/think with it, but I also learned a little about the history of Acadia and of Acadians. Church Point, Nova Scotia is probably one of the smallest towns (is it even a town?) I've been to, and coming from Vancouver, it was a huge change. Yet, being in such a small area made such a difference when it came to learning French because I was forced to continue using the language with everybody - and it was worth it. The Maritimes are so underrated, yet they are one of the most beautiful places in Canada in my opinion. Make a trip out there if you can!
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| The Belliloise gang at the beach we found |
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| Fiona, Oscar, Bella, Scott, Rima |
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| The beach at the school |
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| Art? |
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| Smuggler's Cove |
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
La Francophonie!
Bonjour, tout le monde!
Actuellement, je suis à Pointe-De-L'Église, Nouvelle-Écosse, avec la programme <<Explore>>. Ici, je parle en français toujours et je ne peux jamais utiliser l'anglais! Mais, je peux parler en français si je veux appeler ma famille ou ma petite amie. Je suis à Pointe-De-L'Église, à Université Sainte-Anne pour les prochaines 5 semaines! J'ai hâte mais nerveuse aussi.
À bientôt!
Actuellement, je suis à Pointe-De-L'Église, Nouvelle-Écosse, avec la programme <<Explore>>. Ici, je parle en français toujours et je ne peux jamais utiliser l'anglais! Mais, je peux parler en français si je veux appeler ma famille ou ma petite amie. Je suis à Pointe-De-L'Église, à Université Sainte-Anne pour les prochaines 5 semaines! J'ai hâte mais nerveuse aussi.
À bientôt!
Friday, 11 January 2013
Weeeeeeeeow! I've been away from the blogging community for far too long. And by "away" I mean lazily reading other blogs and not partaking in any blogging myself. I guess there just hasn't been a lot to write about lately? Regardless, I've decided to dedicate this blog MOSTLY to travel, which means I'll be updating it less. Although, if I wind up doing something particularly interesting around Vancouver, I'll be sure to write about that experience here! I don't plan on doing any major trips in the near future - at least none across the pond. As far as I know, the following is what lies ahead for me:
- Palm Springs
- San Francisco
- Portland
- Quebec City (tentative)
- Alberta (Edmonton, Calgary)
- Parksville
There may or may not be a spontaneous road trip with my oldest brother along the west coast down to California for some annoying sibling bonding time, but that's so far into the future that I can't be sure! I do hope it happens, though.
- Palm Springs
- San Francisco
- Portland
- Quebec City (tentative)
- Alberta (Edmonton, Calgary)
- Parksville
There may or may not be a spontaneous road trip with my oldest brother along the west coast down to California for some annoying sibling bonding time, but that's so far into the future that I can't be sure! I do hope it happens, though.
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