Back!

Wow! So it's been a while since I last updated... ('cause I've never started a blog post like that before ;).) ... Lesse where to begin??? After the end of exams there were two beautiful weeks spent lazing around Oxford soaking up the sun, playing frisbee, showing Julianne around when she came to visit, not showing Linna arond when she couldn't make it (:( ), going to the pub, having schools dinner with Stan and Mark and Nick and Neil, having the final dinner with all of the ArchAnther's, watching Lisa get her top first (CONGRATULATIONS!!!) and having my results predictions vindicated ;), going out, playing in the parks, seeing all my friends and sorting out the last of what was my life in England. *shakes head* I don't think there's any way to put in words how much I loved that house (thank you paul and janice!), and the back yard and just living there and how much I'll miss it and the books and the green of the parks and *sighs happily* It was definitely three years well spent and I will miss you all very dearly - Charlotte and Tabby, Julia and Claire Reid and Phil (no David, you don't count as I will still be seeing you for the rest of the comming year ;P), Mark and Simon and Ewen (and posibly even simmo), El (even though I had better be seeing you whenever you come over to Ottawa :P!) Caroline and Lisa, Jo Salter and Claire Love, Jess Daggers and Henry Fisher, Henry Wilman, Jess Evans and Lucy, Chris Allen, Matt Ashworth and 'the History Girls' Rosie, Shaz, Anne, Leah and Hannah and so many many many more, all of the second years who formed W3, Alya, Charlie D, vicky and Sian (who wasn't in W3 'cause she was better than us but I supose we can forgive her), Qu and my adopted college families, simon-my-son, amelia and avi, my tutors, my fellow dancers (aww, Emily I'm so gonna missing laughing with you in class! and Trevor and Henry and just so many people!) and Yuka who taught me so much and helped me improve my dancing by such a great amount!!! and even still more people after that, everyone in Hertford really, both in years above an below and, :'( I really am going to miss you all so everyone had better keep in touch!!!

Right, after the end of term came one of the most fun trips ever as Ju and I travelled around the balkans celebrating our finishment of degrees :D. We started off in Bulgaria stopping in Sofia and Rila for some hiking and post-finals relaxation time - such a pretty city where we met the most amazing 14-year-old with flawless english who helped us find our way. Next it was overnight train to Beograd in Serbia with it's delicious food and late night bohemian quarter. Also with it's crazy hostel workers and their stories of soft bellied squirrels who live in the citadel ;). The overnight train was soo cool!!! it was like going back in time - sooo awesome :D! Belgrade was pretty awesome too, and it was especially neat to see the confluence of the danube and sava rivers. From there, we bussed it into Sarajevo where Ju and I decided we wanted to stay forever. Bosnia-Hertzegovina has some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen in my life!!! It's such a shame that unguided hiking is nearly impossible with all of the unretrieved land mines :S. The city too is absolutely incredible and we had so many awesome adventures. Getting lost trying to find Tariq's place and calling him to come pick us up at the information centre... again..., seeing the tunnels, making it in time for the opening of the summer arts festival and watching free opera and ballet - tat woman's voice was incredible! Being bought beer and ice cream and offered dinner by football scouts from Milan (one of whom we found out later was one of Ronaldino's best friends... *shakes head*) buying pink sunglasses (to match the stuffed monkey Ju brought in Belgrade and who followed us throughout) and just experiencing all the rich history - both extremely old and extremely recent - and cultural diversity of the place. Definitely somewhere I could enjoy for a long time. From there it was south to Mostar in Herzegovine to check out the reconstructed Stari Most bridge and the beauty that is the old town there (to say nothing of the amazingly breathtaking train ride in from Sarajevo). Ooh! and it was there we met Trevor, our crazy fellow cannuck :D OOh! *cracks up* it was also at this point that Julianne managed to get herself locked in a bathroom... well, the whole closed restaurant really, while we were out one night and I had to feed her beer through the keyhole with a straw :D *shakes head* soo much fun - I'm so mad I lost those pictures! Next we headed down into Kotor on the Montenegrin coast where we got to swim in a *dundundun* fjord (thereby making up for the fact that we hadn't gone to scandinavia as originally planned :D) and it wasn't just any fjord either, it was the biggest fjord in all of southern Europe, and boy was it ever pretty!!!! The town was gorgeous too. the Stari Grad (old town) in Kotor was just stunning with medieval walls built into the cliff face and a battlements going up quite a ways (which we natuarally hiked up one morning :D oooh! And we had these adorable puppys that led/followed us the whole way up!! soo cute, Ju shared her breakfast with them. I don't share my food ;).). From there it was onwards to Dubrovnik Croatia with our new found friends Kiyo and Lara. So amazing, we stayed in a lady's house outside the old town where we could easily walk to the limestone cliffs that served as the beach and dropped of into the crystal clear waters of the adriatic. They were stunning and, even more importantly, the water was just perfect, with enough wave to make bobbing and clinging to rocks one an awesomely fun time-passing activity :D. The Venetian trading city of dubrovnik itself was also gorgeous, called by lord byron 'the pearl of the adriatic' it's extensive walls were well worth the climb and trek around for their ever changing view. Uh! and the food, so glad we found Cafe Pupo and our amazingowner/waiter/manager/food suggester - best food ever! and all made by the 16yr-old chef he tried to set Ju up with ;) (that's okay, I can't say anything, later in the trip some guy tried to set me up with the ear candler in the stall next to his at the market *shakes head*). From there were hopped on the ferry up to Split where I positively fell in love with the incongruity of the modern shops filling the winding medieval warren of streets which filled in and spilled out of Diocletian's ancient palace. Amazing! and there was another beach to boot! (and another free ballet as I got to watch the open air rehearsal of Carmina Burana by the national theatre - so good!). From there it was on to Zadar and then home with a brief stop in Ox to go to ballet and pick up my stuff. On the way to Zadar however we made a quick stopover in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. omg, I don't think I can express the beauty of the place in words. It's just an endless series of watersfalls. waterfalls after waterfalls after waterfalls of every shape size and description formed by the spilling over of five mountain lakes and their layered travetine terraces, and not only that but their are fish swimming in the clear blue and aquamarine waters flitting in and out of the calcified remains of trees and reeds and surrounded by the lushest most green boreal forests - just incredible. I spent 8 solid hours hiking around all of the lakes, it was amazing. Zadar was pretty cool too, very much an austro-hungarian feel in contrast to the mediteranean feel of the coasts but still very very neat... I especially liked how they tended to combine pedestrian and tram thuroughfares ;). All in all a very very awesome trip - and I even learnt how to count and say simple things in the Serbo-Croatian languages!!! :)

Oh, dear... hmmm I suppose I have a lot more to update given that that only brings us to about mid July, but school has now started and I seem to have been living off minimal amounts of sleep lately so methinks it is well past my bedtime...

That said, maybe I have time for one more update.

Coming home (home! I'm back in Toronto!!! For Good (-ish)!!!! if the next two years can be counted as for good and, in my case, I'm pretty sure they can ;) - oooh! In other news, I (finally) got my Italian citizenship officially recognised. Now that I'm no longer living in Europe of course ;).) I made it back in time (wow, that was one of my customary long-ish digressions) for my cousin's wedding - and what a wedding it was! It must have costed well over half a million dollars, running from 10am-2am with over 400 guests and an unending supply of food, alcohol (including some of the most expensive champagne and wine I've ever seen) and live entertainment I think Nal was right in suggesting it wasn't a wedding, it was a full on event. I think the Luncheon at the bride's family's with the delicious food, live oldies, ice cream truck and stunning garden (and that was pre the reception with the sushi bar, antipasto buffet,four course meal, extensive desserts and midnight pizza bar) was definitely my favourite part :D! That said mine and trina's tango was pretty darn awesome ;).

From there it was up to the cottage for a week with Papa where I got to play on the Water trampoline with Vanessa and Keith and their friends and relieve my childhood with Matt as we went tubbing for several hours straight (and didn't try to kill each other. What do you know, we may have learnt civility with age after all... nah, he just wanted his cookies ;)). Since then, summer's continued on it's pretty awesome trend, learning economics (totally still falls under this category...), spending time with nick and kat (though not nearly enough), going to Wonderland with the cousins, hanging out with Ju (who then disappeared to get even more tanned in Jamaica :P), seeing Jessiann (and Marc!!! ), spending time with Em B (yay!, I've missed you, have fun in BC!), having indian food with the gifties, moving in with Em H (our place is soooo awesome!!! she has the best taste in appartments ever!!! so loving it! especially our orange and pink and blue and green and brown and white living room :D), playing football (but only one game, what's up with that??), playing in the wadding pool with El when she came and going to Niagra Falls with her and Jess Daggers and meeting up with Jon there and going on the Maid of the Mist (Yay! finally!!!) and introducing Jess to all the joys that are Candian things and taking Jess and David hiking along the Bruce trail up in Collingwood and going to the Ex and watching the airshow and seeing Elvis Stojko skate (*still in shock*), seeing Natasha and Rebecca off to university - I can't believe they've gone, younger cousins aren't supposed to grow up! and, yeah, just generally having an awesome time of it. *sighs hapily* and, so, I suppose that brings us up to now, with summer winding down and school starting and, yeah daunting but exciting, I think I'm looking forward to it, but I may be a little to tired to know.

G'night and much love,
~Ally

To Finishing

AKKKKKKK!!!!! OMG, I feel so OLD!!! I can't believe I'm done my undergrad!!!!! Done, finished, finito!!! I swear it was just yesterday I was finishing high school!!!! (which would completely explain why I seem to keep thinking I'm 18, but fails miserably at explaining where on earth the past three years have gone!!)

lol, it's been great! This term has been awesomely fun so far, North Wales with Lisa and the British Prehistoric Society in 1st week (man are there ever a lot of Neolithic stone cairns in Wales!) then up to the Welsh Borders to film a mini doc on Offa's Dyke for the National Geo website with the Back to Africa team (so much fun, if pretty darn cold) and then just chilling around Ox, enjoying the sun, playing some frisbee, having a few BBQ's, practicing handstands in the park, punting - the usual :D (and, of course, revising - lying on the lawn tanning with my notes beside me totally counts, right? ;) ) Sooooo much fun though, I really am gonna miss it when I'm gone (despite it being England... and the rain.) Can you beleive that after weeks and weeks of non-stop nice-ness and warmly heated temperatures it has the termitity to rain today?!?!- Today of all days!!! The day I finish my finals!!! Lol, S'ok, I might be a little more genuinely mad if I hadn't been taking advantage of it the whole time ;). *Shakes head* - whoops that sent some baby/talcum powder flying!!! lol, finishing was definitely fun as Lisa and I got trashed with heart shaped confetti, silly string, glitter, leies, flowers and balloons when we came out with our red carnations :D. we also got covered in talcum pwder and hot chocolate though *wrinkles nose* Teehee...

But yeah, this term's been fun - the whole thing has been really - Awww, I can't believe it's almost over! 2 more weeks and we're officially done!

*sighs* ah well... something tells me I should probably go shower and get all the white out of my hair :P. Muchos love!!!

The Settling in of Old Age

*glances upwards* well now, that's a rather ominous title... *shakes head* It's strange really though... I'm starting to find I can't remember at all what it was like to be younger than I am now (that being said, I keep forgetting how old I actually am and seem to continuously think I'm 18 - odd given that when I was 18 I kept forgetting that I wasn't 16 :\.... hmmm, maybe I just mature slower than other people, after all, I apparently don't look any older than 16 (and act no older than 4 :P - a fact which was recently pointed out to me by my wonderfull and oh-so-loving friends at UofT *lovingly wrinkles nose in their general direction*) *nods sagely* yes, that must be it. The explanation is merely that I am a slower maturing brand of human. Which naturally means that, not only will I live longer but, according to the latest palaeoanthropological research suggests the development of a larger cranial capacity overall (well, if I were my own species that is... which I'm not *stares down all her friends who were about to suggest that that would explain a lot about her :P* ... It would be pretty cool to be your own species though wouldn't it??? well, apart from the fact that you wouldn't be able to interbreed with other people... on the other hand it does mean that you could safely assume you'd never have to go through pregnancy or labour... assuming of couse that you were a diferent species based on the biological species concept and not the - okay, I'll shut up now... ) lol, but I digress - and wildly so) *shakes head to clear some space for her previous line of thought*
It just seems so strange I remember not that long ago being able to remember clearly not only what I had thought at previous stages in my life, but how... I also remember thinking fiercely that I would never forget and wondering how anyone ever could... and now I barely even remember what I was thinking about. I look at my younger cousins who are now nearly 16, 13 and 12 and I just feel as though I have absolutely no concept (I feel significantly closer being able to place myself in the place of the nearly-18-year-olds but even that seems nearly foreign)... I don't really get it... they just seem so young and yet I know they're not, not really anyhow... not when I look back at all the stuff I was doing at that age, what I was capable of and what I know/vaguely remember thinking at those ages... it's so bizarre how something can just change you so much... but have I changed really? and what is it that's changed me? being away from younger kids for so long, surrounded pretty much only by people my age (and older) while at university, when I used to interact with people of all ages on a daily basis? Or is it the effects of the English culture? You know, it's funny. When you first meet the English people the stereotype of making sure to 'keep a stiff upper lip', of a cold and proud people on the aristocratic side, a hospitable one on the poorer (with aspects mixed in to some degree on both sides of that devide) and one which only really lets loose with the aid of alcohol in evenings spent with friends at the pub does seem somewhat apt, but then you get to know the people (once you get past the inevitable conversations about the weather, but even then there's still a buffer, people never really go for the truly personal - in contrast to Americans who seem to want to give you every grimey detail the second you meet them, therby truly offending many of the English ;) ) and they don't seem so bad and you start to think that it is really only a stereotype - and a potentially wrong one at that - based on past traits and not reflective of the present condition at all. The thing is, once you're here long enough, or you travel between the cultures enough times, you realise that it is a fairly accurate representation... oh, the truth is much more subtle than the stereotype but it is a distinctively different culture (especially in contrast to the mediterrenean cultures I grew up with and the Indian and Asian cultures I was constantly surrounded by) and one which I don't find to be altogether healthy (not that I'm advocating the spill-it-all-over america culture, 'cause really that's just scarily over the top in the oposite direction) No, I think what has been truly been brought home to me (not that I didn't know it before, so maybe it was more re-afirmed than brought home) is just how much I love the more calm and middle-of-the-road Canadian culture - especially the amazingness of the Torontonian culture which allows for such an incredible mix of everything without somehow forcing anything to be lost - oh there are cultural compromises but they seem to be on a case by case level so that most things are preserved somehow, even if only in taught memory... *smiles* I donno, I guess I miss the mediterranean cultural aspects as well but at least I can escape to places like Portugal in Europe to get those ;)...

...I guess, overall, what I'm trying to say is that even though Oxford has been amazing - the access to books (it's been like some awesome three-year-long-reading-and-dancing holiday *sighs happily*) and the sheer volume of available knowledge in the form of tutors, friends and visiting speakers has been incredible; I can't even begin to express how great it's been to having Yuka's ballet teaching for the past three years, being constantly surrounded by the beauty of the architecture and the gardens, meadows, rivers and other gorgeous features (the nicely temperate weather hasn't been too hard to cope with either ;) ), or how awesome its been to be able to run around playing sports from football to frisbee, punting and learning how to row; and all the friends I've made and how much I'm going to miss them (and despite the English 'cold fish' stereotype, I have made quite a few - there are always exceptions to the rule, and even when there aren't, some people are still pretty cool *grins* ) - I am going to be really glad to be going home in the fall. It'll just be so nice to be able to settle back in to a culture I'm used to, one which I understand and one in which everyone is expected to be different, to have different cultural mores and attitudes *sighs* I guess that's why it's home :).

lol, and after another long digression, I return once again to the topic of age-empathy :P. *shakes head and laughs* I'm not really sure where I was going with that one, It just seemed so strange to me to suddenly feel so distant from my youthful self. Though I guess it wasn't really sudden, but that change does seem to have happened over the past three years or so *shakes head* ah well, maybe I'll regain it if I imerse myself in children when I get home :P... the weirdest part about it is that in some ways I do feel like exactly the same person, that I haven't changed... or at least I feel that way when I go home... here I feel slightly more... withdrawn? individual? english?... lol, maybe it is the culture... or maybe it's that over here I'm alone without a network of friends and family built up through infancy so it's almost as though I don't have a history or established place to link back to... I don't really know but it's interesting to think about... I guess I know I have changed in someways, I can see it in my demands for more... personal freedom? that's not really right... it's more like freedom from societal obligations... it's like I refuse to want or recognise any obligations/responsibilities of that sort... almost as though I feel them pressing on me so much more than I ever did before... that I see them as being something unwanted, bad, not related to the self in a way I never would have before... in a way that's almost dissengaged... it must ultimately be a product of completely uprooting and restablishing myself in a new network without so much depth though... same as anyone establishing themselves individually elsewhere I guess... I suppose self:society should never be a dicotemy. It should always be a balance... yeah, it'll be nice to re-sink my roots *grins* maybe it'll make me slightly less esoteric in my blog-topic choices as well ;)

I suppose that brings me on to updates, what with all the cryptic comments about returning home in the fall ;)? Ooh! Speaking of updates (last digression, I promise!) I love how I went from obsessing about the fact that I wasn't updating daily in the blogs first year (*looks sheepish* yeah, I was rereading old blog posts... vain in someways I admit, but it was in an honest attempt to remember what was going through my head in those days (answer = not much it would seem, I sound like a whiney spoiled brat... which I supose in some ways I was but, ultimately I think that's more a reflection on what I chose to blog than on what exactly was going through my head :P) ... actually it's kind of interesting when you think about what people choose to blog about, the tone they choose to take and when they choose to blog... what does that tell you about them? Does an analysis of that sort actually tell you more about them than the the actual content? Or does the choice of the reader to read certain blogs tell you more about them than the blog tells about it's actual writer? Or does not of this really even matter given that it's a digression of a digression (and thus doesn't count toward my digression count :P)?) right, returning to the topic of postage (not that it actually matters) I love how I went from nearly weekly postage in the first year to barely biannual postage in the subsequent years (hey, I have been getting better though!) *shakes head* possibly because no one actually cares, but then, who says you have to post for someone anyhow ;). (on a side note, a happy very belated 6th birthday to my blog!)

Hmmm... I should probably get dressed for dance shortly... and have done work at some point this morning (whoops!). Ah well, it was only me wanting to work and not a deadline anyhow :P.

But yes, I did return home for a brief spell during the Easter break (and got snow! in April *shakes head* remind me again why I'm going back to toronto? Not that I don't love snow... and not that I'm not thankful to whoever it is that controls the weather for saving it up over March so that I could have just a little snow as a delayed birthday present when I got home in April (yes, that is why it snowed in April :P, nothing to do with random chance and weather patterns, nothing at all... ) but still!) lol, Easter was lovely (english-ism!) though and I got to see/spend time with all the family as well as hanging with friends, getting to go to my first jewish Seder (thanks Jess!), buying new books and managing to catch up (to some degree) on missed movie-watching oportunities :D. Portugal prior to that was also awesome. Lisbon was Gorgeous! I loved the absolute hilliness of it, the rediculously golden-gate-like bridge, the small winding streets with tiled and pastel-coloured houses, the sea-food, the beach at cascais (the Atlantic is cold! -unsurprisingly really :P), the rediculous butchery-like prunounciation of a romance language, the old castle with it's piroscope thingy for sieng the whole city, the wonderful kindness of the people, everything about Belem and, of course, the three pasteis do nata (aka custard tarts) we ate each day :D. Porto was pretty darn amazing too with its steep cliffsides bordering the river Douro, medeival semi-alpine village feel and endless supply of free Port at the Port lodges (we didn't get drunk in the middle of the day on free Port, 85cent pink Pink Port and a cup of really yummy port (white for me, tawny for Charlotte) with chocolate... oh, no, of course not :P). *grins* Portgal is absolutely incredible though, *sighs dreamily* I would love to live in Lisbon :), and I would definitely recomend it as a place to go! and their signs!!! The archaeology department in Lisbon has done such an incredible job at putting clear and descriptive signs up in both Portuguese and English; and the level of the language used is just incredible!! *sighs again happily*

Anyhow, after that and before heading briefly back to Oxford to pack and get home, I spent another day at Charlotte's baking cookies and figuring out how to make the Pasteis do Belem that we loved so much. *grins* They were yummy.

What?... Wait, Why?... Oh, yeah! Of course... going home ;), well, y'see, looks like I will be heading to UofT in the fall to do an MSc in BioAnthro alongside a collaborative program in International Relations (MAIR) *grins* I've already turned down my Oxford acceptance so now all there is left to do is finish my degree here (aka, do my exams) and get a 2.i (hopefully as easy as it sounds...) :D!

SPRING!

(Or that's what it feels like anyways :) 'sides, I thought I'd continue on with the seasonsal theme)

It's all nice and sunny and May-like here *grins* soo not conducive for the finish-ment of work - something which fortunately isn't a problem for me since I'm finished *grins even wider* Yup, that's right, done, completed, finito! (well, bar my exams in May which count for 100% - but those hardly count do they? :P)

SO, naturally as I was lying on my desk (what?! it's the perfect sunning spot!) wondering what on earth to do with myself (such a difficult life, I know -teehee) the thought 'hmmm... Whoops, it's been a while since I last updated' came meandering through my head like a refreshing stream on a warm summer's day (an entirely appropriate analogy, I assure you *looks severe and English teacher-like (though why that should necessarily be a severe look given that the last 2 English teachers I had were much more fun than severe I don't quite know - never-the-less...)*)
So, yeah, Here's to updating!

Christmas was fun - there was, in fact, snow - beginning just as I got home and morphing into several large and powdery snowfalls perfect for some skiing up north in collingwood with friends over New Years :D - soo much fun (even if Langan was there ;) ) and for playing football in the snow with the guys (and having your wrist practically broken 'cause they 'forgot you were a girl' *wrinkles nose and glares* heehee, I still miss you guys though :P).

Lesse, what else was there. Not that much to report really... had fun while at home, wrote my applications, hung out with friends and just generally relaxed...

This term has been absolutely awesome soo far - Sooooo Much Fun :D! Performed in a week-long run of a dance show last week (and had an awesomely fun party/going out dancing evening after the last performance on the saturday :D) got out to London to see Quidam (soooo amazing *sighs* I love cirque). Performed dance in a mall last weekend for the launch of the Oxford Dance Festival (soo funny, have not done that in forever). Had finalists fling (which I joined late due to performing - ahhh!!! I can't believe I'm a finalist!!! I can't believe I'm practically done!!! Noooo, I'm too young to not be a student!!! I still love learning and and school and fun and not working and just studenty things. Must. Not. Leave. Yet!!!!) Got invited to CJF Dinner with the other Arch & Anther's for the first time ever and had an awsome time dancing on tables in Hall and just generally keeping up Charles James Fox's impeccable reputation for druken debauchery *grins*. OOOh! Finally made it to a Union Ball, this one 50's themed (Perfect!) at which I consumed copious amounts of fairground food (including cotton candy) and had a great time dancin' the night away to oldies and.. yeah... have just had a generally great term hanging out with friends, having free time to actually go about doing things (like listening to and meeting Dunbar!!! Yay!) and soaking up/enjoying my last bits of time here at Oxford *sniffsniff* It really has been awesome and I'm soo gonna miss it here when I leave!!! That said, term's not quite done yet and I am staying here for the great majority of the break so I don't need to worry yet!

But yeah, the rest of term is looking like it should shape up well, I have to bind and hand in my thesis, enjoy my time reading educational books and spend my time soaking up the sun - OOOh! and going to portugal for a week with Charlotte for our 21st Birthday presents to ourselves *grins*!!!

Hope everyone's having an awesome time!
Much Love!