Having contemplated it several times over the past week, I decided that today shall be the day I finally get around to blogging - it just seemed like such a lovely blustery morning to do it (that having been said, morning somehow appears to have escaped me and afternoon is fast approaching). I just love blustery mornings (particularly when I'm all cosy and warm inside) they remind me of fall (which it is quite clearly not at the moment, Oh my gosh, the weather we've been having lately has just been phenomenal, so gorgeous and sunny and summery! Well, apart from the minor blip where it snowed in between two days in their gorgeous teens and the hail storm we got on my birthday (Yay! Hail!). I even have a tan already! And I didn't even try!). The best part of blustery days though, is that they remind me of Winnie the Pooh and the several stories about him which begin that way, and that makes me happy :).
So odd. The amount of time I spend talking of the weather... *shakes head in distress* I noticed this the other day. It's like ever since having spent so long in England, I feel like it's the only appropriate topic of conversation! I've totally forgotten how to converse with people!!! Gah! I used to be so good at drawing people out and asking the right questions and making conversation so that no one ever felt awkward but I've totally forgotten how!!! I'm just too scared to broach any potentially dangerous topics! Why? I don't know. *wrinkles nose* Oh, I'm still perfectly capable of playing a crowd in social situations and mingling quite happily and talking with long established friends is still easy enough - though I do find myself awkwardly looking for topics of conversation more often than I used to... People here are perfectly content to give you their opinion on anything/everything the second you meet them so why I should expect them to be as reticent as the Brits, I have no idea... urgh. So difficult! *shakes head* must work on this. Talking is what I'm good at.. must regain former competence!
*laughs* ah well, what can you do... right! Updates :D! Let's see, where did we leave off... Ah, yes, reading week & the Olympics! After spending some time in the basement with our skeleton - he was an adorable old man who lived for a remarkably long time (I think the documents, once we were finally allowed to see them said 87!) giving the extent of the pathologies on him! His poor collar bone! and sternum! and ribs! and left hip socket! and spine! and elbow! and, omg *shakes head* I do not want to see what my skeleton is going to look like when I'm that old... for that matter, I'm kind of scared to know what it looks like now! - it was time for the Olympics to begin :D! We kicked of the event in proper style with an Olympic openning party at our place during which we somehow managed to fit 20-some-odd people in our teeny-tiny living room -thank you Evan for fixing the tv so we actually got ctv :D! Omg, sooo good! I lovew the olympics soo much!!! and these ones were just so magical despite the tragedy they started off with and the general lack of snow. So many great stories, and wins, and near wins, and performances and Jamie Sale and David Pelletier terrorising tourists and the Brian Williams meat Brian Williams thing. lol! The last few days especially were just incredible! and winning that Hockey Gold (or both of them rather :) ). Well let's just say I still get shivers just thinking about it :). Aghh! most intense game ever... so many near heartattacks there! So great though :). It really was just incredible - even if I did have to suffer through Jess and Em calling me repeatedly from various venues around vancouver to brag ;P - just kidding, I love you guys, really. Oh! and Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's dancing! Incredible!!!! so was Yu-na Kim's. but really Virtue and Moir were just breathtakingly gorgeous *sighs happily* and Moir's antics in general were great "we came in second - no I'm just kinding, we won!" lol. Sooo good! The Olympics just make me so happy! I love them so much :D. Our closing ceremonies on the other hand... lol. I swear the rest of the world was sitting there watching going 'I don't get it...' but I really did like how they had the mime bring up the last arm of the cauldron so Catriona LeMay Doan could finally get to light hers :) - so happy making!
In the midst of all this, it was time to head off skiing with the gifted boys and Wendy (who is leaving for vancouver for ever and ever on wednesday - noooo, Wendy, don't gooo!!!!) up at Blue. Sooo much fun, with lot's of hilarity ensuing :). Honnestly, I think Wendy and I may have been the only people NOT to blow dry our hair *shakes head* plus. trying desparately to lose at poker so I could go to bed and still managing to clean most of them out was pretty fun - as was the rediculousness of watching them get up early in the morning so that they could play computer games :P.
Next it was time for a crazy few weeks involving getting all my work done, presenting at the Medusa series, marking proposals, tests and papers, attending various seminars, going to the movies, hanging out with friends, dancing and playing soccer as per usual, end of term/year parties and just generally having fun :). My 22nd birthday was fairly uneventful (apart from the hail!) as I spent the time writing an 20 page essay, but all in all, it was still pretty good :). I have to say, I really really enjoyed TAing - yes, even the essay marking. In fact, I kinda really enjoyed the essay marking part too :D. And I really hope I get to do it again next year! Anyhow, all I have left now is my MRP/thesis-y thing (which I still haven't settled on - no worries, there's still time ;) ) and one more IR course and then I'm done - YAY!!!!. The best of the seminars was definitely the one organised by the other MAIR students (which took place on a crazy filled weekend which also included protoring an exam and seeing Jane Goodall speak live - she's so very British!!!). The conference was on negotiation in IR and there were some really great speakers - may favourite two of which were Brian Stewart who gave the key note address (I swear nothing major has occured in the last 50 years without his being there!) and Paul Heinbecker, former Canadian ambassador to the UN. Very interesting.
Yup, so, that brings us up to now :). OOh! I also got to re-see Kudelka's Swan Lake with Ma... I think I like it better now that I've gotten over my blind hatred for his choreography... I still say that this one has no emotion though... it's just... beautiful but not heartwrenching in any way really... it's so much less emotive than Bruhn's version. Linna and Ma both agree. The patterning is absolutely Stunning though! Oooh! also saw the mixed program they did in March with Ju... man is 24 preludes by Chopin weird... it was kinda cute in an awkward way though... and a number of them made me laugh. Suite of Dances was adorably good though :). And four Seasons was stunning as always... though I swear they added more intricacy too it and made it even better! Soo ecited for Onegin in June now! they have the pictures from the model sets up in the studios down at walter carson and they look amazing! Just took ma to see GlenGary GlenRoss by Soulpepper as an early morther's day present since I wont be around (aka she blackmailed me into it ;) ) last night and the acting was incredible - so believable! Hmm what else? can't remember if I mentioned it before but Sound of Music with Papa earlier this year was also amazing! there was one scene in which the captain looking bashful did exactly what Langan does when he's nervous - so unnerving!! Speaking of which, Congrats to all the boys for getting their engineering rings!!! and to everyone else who is now officially done their undergrad for that matter!!!! Yay-ness :D! I'm no longer alone!!!! Well... not that I've technically graduated yet, but neither have they ;).
Uhoh! Time to get dressed and head out to Wendy's going away lunch (Noooo!) and then Nal's (and my) belated b-day dinner (Also, why is it now raining? I said lovely blustery day, not rainy day. Ah well, I suppose rain can be good too :P). Then it's off up north to re-cert my wilderness first responder this coming weekend, and then to England (with a minor 3 week stopover in Budapest, Vienna and Prague prior and some sticking around and travelling to as-of-yet unplanned destinations with Charlotte afterwards ;) ) in order to graduate the next :D. Wish me luck and the best of summer to you all!