The 'real' Capital City

You know you’re acclimatising to life out here when you get overexcited at it being 0 degrees rather than minus 9 (practically the return of summer).  The joy of a day when your face and brain don't actually freeze while battling the wind tearing through campus.  However, I am now fully equipped up with a proper winter coat (coat envy is definitely a thing out here.  £1145 was just slightly out of my price range, though it was a thing of utter beauty and I’ll be hating on anyone with it).  Snow boots have also been purchased.  Designed to keep my toes toasty until minus 32.  Good but that's just a slightly depressing thought...

However, on a positive note a ski season pass has been purchased (for the equivalent of £220 which is just a little bit great).  So the plan is to return home an absolute pro skier, breaking no bones, reducing the number of slopes which I slide down on my face and not falling off any mountain somewhere. 

More winter related activities have included going to see my first ice hockey game.  Loved it.  Total new convert to the sport.  Team4life = Ottawa Senators.  Always a good introduction to the sport when your team wins.  Just a lot of shoving and fights really, with one guy being smashed in the face by the puck.  The ‘sin bin’ is just hilarious, the players being put in there for a few minutes if they misbehave.  Naughty. Classic Brits getting lairy and nearly starting a fight with the opposing team (they were French Canadians so it’s not exactly surprising).  Subsequently, another aim of the year is to come back knowing all the players, having my personal favourite and owning at least one item of Sens fan kit (actually understanding the rules may just be an incidental consequence).

Travels in the last few weeks have taken me what has been referred to as the New York of Canada. (Another of those place which people always assume is that country's capital - New York, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro etc).  Anyway, I am a fan.  It’s very different from Ottawa so was a refreshing change.  Also it seems like pretty much everyone at Carleton is from 'near Toronto' (basically 5 hours away is near here) - The 'GTA' to those in the know - 'Greater Toronto Area' - So it obviously had to be visited.  Full of skyscrapers and just the classic city buzz.  With that naturally came a mix of very interesting people but what can you do (cross the road to escape pretty much).  Our three day mini-break started with having a gorgeous Thai curry (something which the Caf here does not do to my sadness), delicious crepes, ending up in a random bar place with live music (the punk/rock style was a little different to my usual kind of place and taste but all about new experiences...). 

As with all city visits, the amount of walking we did was impressive (in my mind at least).  The ‘hip’ Kensington market had to be ticked off.  However I think we went too early so all we really saw was closed shops and a lot of homeless people and had a random man following us on a bike singing/shouting out Top 40 classics.  Envy was felt towards the University of Toronto campus.  Buildings that were built before the architecture disaster that was the 1970s and don’t hurt my eyes?  Something of dreams (The memories of Oxford’s spires seem oh so far away out here). 

Yonge and Dundas Square = a Times Square wannabe. But St Lawrence food market (apparently one of the world’s best) was a delight.  We got chatting to an English lady and pretty much everyone can talk about here is the cold.  All about the face mask to survive apparently. Excellent.  Anyhow, a little ferry trip later and we were on Toronto Island gazing at the city’s iconic skyline (after a session of skimming stones on the beach. Natch).  Probably the highlight of the trip watching it all light up. Classic tourist life.

Overall a great weekend with Sunday spent eating more crepes and then moving onto the nachos in a sports bar, listening to die-hard fans prepping (i.e. drinking up) for some Canadian football game (awful game, just saying).  Finally, a glimpse of the ‘Santa Claus Parade’.  Cue  marching bands and good old Mr Santa Ho-ho-ing everywhere, with lots of excitable little children walking just everywhere, getting all up in my path (I’m the one with the suitcase. Move. Please otherwise I will trip you up... See? I did tell you...).  The whole thing was so North American...

Gradually colouring the map in and this week getting my Carleton Raven’s spirit going again (oh the return to the Frosh week joys...) with seeing the school’s basketball match and who knows what else.

Practically Canadian

Four days in the Canadian wild, in sub-zero temperatures, with warnings of attracting bears if one wore deodorant.  Most definitely one of my highlights, if not at the top of the list. 

The scenery was just classic Canada.  Lakes, trees, campfires and even snow.  Stunning.  I had expected a hardcore couple of days, up early, paddling until dusk.  However, we were pleasantly surprised by a lie past 10am the first day and the whole trip turned out to be far more chilled which was appreciated! (It was only students doing it so that makes sense really).

The main negative aspect of the trip was the fact I felt like I had lost my toes for four days.  And waking up with ice in the tent and frozen water bottles made a change from the overheated bedrooms and corridors back at university.  My woolly hat never left my head and there were at least 4 layers constantly worn (increasing to about 7 one of the nights).  Furthermore, I have never experienced such exceptional spooning.  Five girls in a tent, the middle person crushed by those either side squishing in to escape the icy walls, every so often a group shift and turn to numb the alternative leg.  Cosy.

In regards to the canoeing, on the first day we were against the current with strong winds and waves blowing against us, resulting in slight concerns about coping with the next 3 days.  However, someone decided they liked us so we then got sunshine, blue skies and calm waters, i.e. we were just loving life. So we paddled most of the day, had a portage or two (i.e. carrying the canoes and bags practically the size of us. Great fun...), then set up camp at a picturesque site, taking about 6 attempts to build the tent, collecting wood (or whole trees in the case of some people), then feasting on a delight of food.  We did become slightly animalistic in regards to the eating but hey, what can you do.  (And having expected boring, plain camping food, getting American pancakes, bacon and eggs, bagels, brownies and cookie dough who can blame us?  There was the point we were literally scooping sugar out of the jar and eating it which was just plain classy.) 

So absolutely gorgeous campsites, generally on little islands, with a fire pit and views all around.  There were about 25 of us on the trip all from Carleton, divided into three groups with whom we cooked and slept.  Star gazing, games of mafia, fireball and marshmallow roasting was the evening entertainment.  On the last night we were serenaded the Canadian national anthem.  Pretty epic.  We also had an award ceremony.  I ended up with the prize for ‘Queen of Sass’.  Shocking that.  Only took four days to realise that of me... (not sure how to feel about the fact I’ve been called ‘sassy’ within minutes of meeting people here.  I thought it was just being sarcastic but perhaps this is the Canadian take on it? Who knows.)

Anyways, I’ve never felt so Canadian in my life.  I’ve also never said ‘eh’ so much at the end of every sentence before.  My room still smells of campfire smoke.  My poor wind-burnt nose is still recovering.  However, the feet have defrosted so that’s just lovely.  (Though not seeing a bear or beaver was slightly heartbreaking.  In the four days I saw a bird (a ‘loon’) and an otter or some of creature like that.  Not exactly overwhelming but we were probably enough wildlife to deal with).

And Halloween has also been experienced here.  People literally said ‘Happy Halloween’ to each other at the cafe, with some dedicated customers having dressed up for the day.  A host of costumes were witnessed (some slightly more disturbing than others...) and a ton of glitter was used (terrifying stuff I know).  

So I think this marks my halfway point in my first term out.  Just mental.  Not too sure what more trips and excursions are going to occur, but all I know is that my ski jacket is not going to be warm enough for what is to come.  Goodie.