Thursday, 26 September 2013

Paint and Poutine


Funny how when in England, ‘home’ is people who you went to school with, grew up with, family, as opposed to those from your alternative uni life.  Here, it’s pretty much anyone over that side of the great ocean.  That place where life is continuing on without you.  Lectures full of people you actually know the names of.  People who don’t give two hoots about your accent (shocking that when you sound just like them...).  Where to buy alcohol means a 2 minute walk to Saunders (rather than an hour long round trip).  Where people make tea in tea pots and have a hobnob (or four) with it (rather than an Ice-Cap and a cookie/muffin/bagel/all three).   Don’t think it’s fitting to say I’m homesick, but I also cannot deny that one epic night out in Arena would not go amiss... However, give it a few more months and I’m sure I’ll be thinking of all sorts of way to get my final return ticket back to the land of custard (apparently they don’t have the proper stuff out here.  A terrible revelation) refunded. 

Other news, I have a job! Now I can actually afford all those bagel, fro-yos and trips round this country.  Oh and don’t forget the double Ts that ensure you pay almost double what you actually anticipated the cost would be. Tips and Taxes. The bane of life out here.  Not tipping a bar man for pouring you a shot will have you waiting an extra half an hour to be served again. (Yes.  I know such an epic task is tough, but surely you don’t have to spill most of it on the bar and then expect me to give you another $2 for the honour? Please.)  Anyway, the cohort of Carleton now has the pleasure of me pouring their coffee (literally all over myself half the time.  But don’t worry, I’m not expecting them to tip me for that....) and taking their food orders (‘Bagelwich’? ‘Western’? Right. Yes.  I’m assuming that is food in some form and I’m sure it’s just splendid...).  Lucky them to have the privilege of a permanently beaming (...yes that is just my normal face.  I don’t actually want to kill something), always a ray of sunshine, British gal serving them.  (One customer literally couldn’t finish making his order he was laughing so hard at the way I said bagel.  Yes, no need to then attempt to imitate me either.  You sound far more stupid than I do.)

The paint party and homecoming.  Feeling like a slimy slug and having my clothes and hair dyed pink whilst dancing away (stunning those standing around me with quite how excited I can get and how many people I can hit when I’m ‘in the zone’).  Getting drenched tailgating, watching all two seconds of the football game and subsequently loving life on the nectar of jungle juice at a house party.  A successful weekend I would say.  Unfortunately, the jello-wrestling party was not experienced as drinking for a solid 12 hours took its toll too much for us to continue onto it.  Though the famous Canadian dish of poutine was encountered (chips, gravy and cheese curds) with a spontaneous rave to Avicci in the underground campus cafe. Memorable to say the least (both for us and the taken aback locals).

Overall, this subsequent week has been a slight struggle as I have indeed been struck down by ‘Froshers Flu’.  Now would be the ideal time to pop home for a few days to my own bed and copious amounts of that tea-pot brewed tea and those biscuits... Yet, it is not to be.  Instead, on to Montreal is the next adventure to be experienced and I’m sure I can ‘man up’ and wholeheartedly take whatever delights that city has offer/throw at me.

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