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!

WINTER!!! (and Ally wants snow ;) )

Heehee, yup, just got back from skiing in Val Thorens - and it was Ama-zing :D. Sooo much fun! I swear Varsity Trip gets better every year!!! We had clear days and snowwy days and SNOW!!! Lots and lots of Snow!!!! The skiing was amazing! Got to do some of the off piste I never got around too last year as well as improving my speed and technique on piste (thank you Ewen :D) and just yeah - soooooo much fun *grins* - oooh! and I got to go down the race course doing the combi (with gates and jumps :D ) a few times which was awesome! (even if my times weren't ;) )... heehee, yup! Ooh! and mini-snowball fights and rolling down mountains and playing spoons and silent discos and incessant jokes about every imagineable type of mump :P *shakes head* tooo funny, I so don't know what I'm gonna do without you guys next year, such a great room! (though I'm shocked at myself for not taking any pictures!!! *shakes head in despair* how come you always forget to take pictures when you're having too much fun????)

Anywho, back in Ox now to pick up all my stuff (and see Flashdance :D) on my way home! (there had better be snow *glares at the supposed raininess* grrrrr) - Stopped at Charlotte's on the way and had an awesome time baking (but not making (teehee)) a gingerbread house and just being there :D.

Awww, Overalll this was such a great term! Did loads of stuff, got to meet and chat to Moazam Begg, which was incredible and go to an 'end of the world is nigh' forum and just fool around and have fun working and writing my dissertation and hanging out with friends... yupyup, definitely an awesome term *grins*

hmm, best be off to go cook and change for the show!
Merry Chritmas/Happy Holidays to all!!!!
muchos love
xx

Obama Won, Obama Won, Obama Won!!!
*dances around in her happiness*

heehee, yup, definitely still on a high from staying up to watch on tuesday - It was Incredible.
To think that only two years ago I was convinced that none of us would ever try to do anything, that we were all just too apathetic, to see that people who had never voted before actually believed enough and to go out and reclaim their country... that was amazing.

I can't wait to see how the world changes over the next four years *shakes head* and no one can say it wont, just look at how much it changed under Bush!

*wanders off still singing and dancing*

Sooo, poor little Ally was just sitting here with nothing to do (WAIT! - wow, how often does that happen??? Ally??? nothing to do??? *shakes head*... that one's gotta be documented for the history books :P ... the most shocking bit is that she genuinely has nothing to do - not nothing she wants to do - just, nothing to do... well... I suppose she could sit around and mope about the fact that evil-scary-souless-Harper just got voted back into power to rule (read, ruin) her country in a minority government - AGAIN. But that's just not pleasant to think about now is it *shudders*) *a moments pause where the non-ramble-y bit of Ally's brain glares at the bit responsible for the seguay, before continuing on with what it was saying before* so, naturally, she decided to post. :D

*Points to bit above* Wow, that was a long title...
Right. Moving swiftly along... lesse, what is there to update in the life of Ally? Term started as-per-usual, on the Sunday of the Thanksgiving weekend - only this time, tragedy struck! There was no word from the Canadian Society about their annual Pumpkin Pie, Timmy's and Hockey-fest to start off the year! Naturally, something had to be done. So, Ally, who had at this point already been in Oxford for two weeks writing up the research from her dessertation (nope, that's not a spelling error ;) and just generally hanging around and doing stuff during fresher's week, decided to bake!!! *grins* I made four pumpkin pies last wednesday and they didn't even last a week before they were all eaten!!! In fact, most of them were gone by the end of the day :P. The best bit was definitely making them though, what with me grating cinnamon sticks with a cheese grater and Julia whipping the egg whites by hand - with a fork no less!!! Heehee *giggles* They were yummy (as my pies always are ;) Hopefully I'll be able to find some more pumpkin in Oxford so that I can bake some more for the American Thanksgiving!!!

*Shakes head* yup, other'n that, and getting rediculously ill for a few days after getting back from my travels - Oh! And Papa's weekend visit to Ox and seeing Jersey Boys (which was AWESOME! I love Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons!) with him and Charlotte in London! Nothing much has been too exciting since my return... the trips which formed my 2-month long crazy adventure, however, were amazing :D!

Morocco was really cool - well, no, actually, it was absurdly hot ;) - and it was fun to be travelling with Nal (and Ma and John) again. We went everywhere well, 'cept the Rif, which wouldda been nice to see as well. We went to Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes (sooo my fav!), Fes, Merzouga, the Toudra Gorges, Ourzazat, Imlil, the Ait-Ben-Hadou Kasbah (Awesome!), Essaouira (the happy-hippy city!) and Marrakech - it was crazyli-fun and packed with stuff - wouldda been quite nice to have some extra days in some places but, overall a very cool trip. The food though, was quite possibly the best part. It was Incredible. I never realised how much I liked Moroccan food. Yummy :D. Ooh! ANd the trip into the Sahara was amazing! I never, ever want to sit on a cammel for over 3hrs, for 2 days in a row ever again though. never :P. The heat was insane during the day! It was 50-some-odd degrees!!! *shakes head* oh! but climbing the highest sand dune in Africa at a rediculous hour of the morining and sleeping outside on the roof and under the stars multiple times due to the heat were also amazing!

I have to say, Morocco was pretty cool, but the trip just kept getting better and better! After parting from John and Nal in Marrakech, Ma and I headed off to Turkey with a one night stop-over in Madrid. It was awesome, we got to the hotel - which was rather dissapointingly outside of the city - at 8pm - only to find that it was right next to a train line leading directly to city centre!!! So off we went exploring all of the sites of Madrid - and we managed to see most of them too! - before making it back to bed and waking up to travel onwards. Madrid is an incredible city. It's just gorgeous! I so wanna go back one day!!!

Turkey was equally, if not more amazing. Instanbul was just mind-blowingly awesome. We stayed right in the sultanahmet area near to the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. It was so unreal!!! We could even see them from our window!!! Instanbul marked my first ever passing into Asia with a cruise along and then a crossing over the Bosphorous straights *grins*! Istanbul really is amazing - definitely a place I wanna go back to... I'd place it nearly on level with Rome. And the people in Turkey!!! Their soo friendly!!! and the food is yummy too! And there are so many sights! After Istanbul ma and I headed on to Ephasus and Pamukale - which had the most incredible white travertine terraces! OMG, it was hilarious, from Pammukale we headed on to Cappadocia on an overnight bus only to arrive in what we thought was the middle of nowhere at four in the morning, fall asleep on a table in a coffee shop where the bus left us and get woken up by a man who owned the travel store next door and let us sleep on his couch *shakes head* it was too funny! awww, I love Turkey! Cappadocia was indescribable - it just had the most insane rock formations you could possibly imagine, and underground cities - and our hotel was in a cave!!! Next it was back to Istanbul for the night before parting ways and the beginning of the next half of my journey.

Jordan was amazing!!! And I got to go swimming in the dead sea!!!!!! *grins very very very widely* Aman was pretty cool. Travelling with Charlotte was awesome - so much fun!!! OOh! and going into Petra extra-early so that we had it (and the beduin) all to ourselves for several hours. and being led on top of the monastery because of it *grins innocently* and getting fee rides 'cause we were two girls and lots of yummy tea and *sighs* soo good. We also went to Wadi Rum for a night, which was equally as neat, before heading on to Aqaba for our crossing into Egypt! OMG! The Red Sea is amazing!!!!! I spent over 5 hrs snorkelling one day and saw fish and coral that I never thought I'd see without being able to scuba dive!!! Stunning. Oh! And we also got to climb Sinai for sun set, and see the burning bush, and the Suez Canal, and head onto Cairo to see the PYRAMIDS!!!! (to which I became rediculously addicted) and the Cairo Antiquities Museum which held the treasures of Tutankhamum and the mummy room and the Narmer Pallette - the Narmer Pallette!!! *jumps up and down excitedly*, and on to Aswan where we went swimming in the Nile, and played with baby crocodiles, and saw Abu Symbel and Philae, Onwards was 2 days on a feluca down the Nile (Ama-zing!!) and KomOmbo, and LUXOR (Thebes *grins*) and the West Bank!!!! and the Valley of the Kings, and Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, and Dier el Bahri and Dier el Madina and the Ramasseum and the Seti I temple and the Collosi of Memnon and Medinat Habu and Gurna, but most importantly, the Winter Palace!! Into which Charlotte and I managed to get, be allowed to explore all of the famous fancy dinning rooms and have high tea *grins and sighs* sometimes I just love being a girl! Oooh! Next was Alexandria and her mediteranean charms (and pompey's pilar and her (new) library and her catacoms and numerous other sites ;) and then on to Siwa Oasis with the melted 13th century fotress of Shali and the Mountain of the Dead (Bones!!! :D) and the Temples of the Oracle and Amun, the innumerable springs and gorgeous saltwater lakes - and yummy yummy yummy dates :D!!! and then onto Bahariya and the Black and White Deserts, which were absolutely unbelievable, for some more camping out - they were incredible!!! Lastly, it was back to Cairo where we met up with Fady and had an awesome day with him visiting all of the Coptic sites and I managed to drag Charlotte to Saqarra and Memphis and Dashur!!! Dashur was awesome!!! And we even got to climb halfway up the Bent Pyramid (with a little bribing and some nicely directed smiles ;)!!!! Sooo much fun!

YupYup! So that was my crazy 3 continent-wide adventure! Marking my first entry into both Africa and Asia (Middle East really). It was just sooo amazing! And I've absolutely fallen in love with the Middle East- I want to go back!!! Travelling around during Ramadan was really neat too, lots of fun in the evenings! I'd just love to get to Syria! and more of Turkey, and Africa, and well, everwhere really, so that doesn't mark much of a change ;P.
Next adventures should be finishing my degree and skiing in the alps... after that, we'll see ;)!


PS. Links to Charlotte's videos of of our trips are at http://www.youtube.com/user/cisterland
PPS. She made me be serious! I was giggly most of the time (hence the shakiness of some of the filming :D)

It's Update Time!

lol, no really... actually, it was probably update time a few months ago... but slacking's always just so much more fun :P.

So, what has happened in the wonderfully wacky life of Ally? hmmm... good question
*insert moments pause while previous postings are rifled through*
Started off last term travelling 'round Ireland (both South and North - the Antrim Coast was definitely my favourite :D - though Blarney, County Claire and the Burren are up there - oooh! and bog jumping, how could I have forgotten bog jumping???) with Andy. Saw lots of cool stuff, met lots of grat people and overall just had an awesome, awesome trip (thanks for letting me drag you everywhere around Belfast on a wirlwind non-stop morning-long tour btw Andy - you definitely made it more fun :D!) ... Oh! And while in Dublin I got to see Josh!!! YAY! also, had guiness at the storehouse :). Next was term with many essays and readings (though not nearly as many as last term), beginning with a fun tantrum-and-song-filled collection *grins* (I beleive I wrote a page long rant about feeling as though I was talking to myself despite writing about stuff I didn't care about (and neither did the examiner most likely) before moving on to writing poem about viking raiders-turned traders *sheepish smile*) ... *coughs* moving right along, I ended up deciding (with Tabby's blessing *shakes head* I can't believe you became our coach :P, it was undeniably fun and you were undeniably good tho) to quit rowing so that I could actually have time to breath (inhale, exhale). It was actually probably a very wise descision given that I everntually wound up dancing about four hours a day on top of everything else, but that's for later ;P. Em's visit was fun, took her punting (YAY! Punting :D!!!), had formal hall, attended Hertford Ball, dragged her everywhere around Ox, went to Blenheim on a holiday weekend and watched jousting, had pims on the lawn and acted like kids, went in to London (where we saw the aforesaid-ly awesome Avenue Q) and took a lovely 5 day trip up to Scotland *grins*. Edinburgh's AMAZING :D. I loved it. Just as I loved loch ness and the highlands - especially the part where our bus broke down for a few hours and Em and I discovered the 'Loch of the Legend of the Lost Sword' (no joke!) as we hiked along the West Highland Way :D.
OOOH! Before Em's visit came Alan with his friends involving another good fun-filled punting adventure and D&G's sorbet in ChristChurch College! Oh! And later in the term was Nal's visit with Hertford Sports-day (Go Bouncy Castles!!!), formal hall, frisbee in the parks, (no punting sadly due to river overflowage), tree Climbing with Chris Black and many other food and fun filled adventures ;).
Nal's visit came just after the performances of our Ballet show (we did Elite Syncopations, a bunch of russian pieces including parts from La Bayadere and Cygnets - both of which I was in :D). The shows were just sooo much fun and sooo worth it - I loved every minute of it, both onstage and off, rehearsals were too much fun, you guys were awesome and I so wish I had the time and energy to do it again next year! As if that wasn't enough dancing for one term, Ollie and I decided - a week before they were set to happen - that we were gonna do our Ballroom and latin gold exams :S - How we passed them I'll never know, but pass them we did (with a commended in Ballroom :D!!!), thanks in no small part to Bruce and all of his last minute teaching :D.
With that, five-a-side football games and fun times at the pub with the boys, term was coming to an end... oh! and I also saw Alan Rickman somewhere in there! and crahsed many MCR BBQ's with the american visiting students *grins*... but yes, aside from that... hung around for a bit after term ended and had wayyy too much fun just hanging about, baking up all of the left over food ingredients (those chocolate things we made were yummy! *grins*), playing mafia until 5 am... the highlight of the term though definitely has to go to our crazy double punting trip up the cherwell which we spent reading shakespeare in otrageously funny accents (Much Ado About Nothing :D) drinking pims and laughing at the boys when they decided to jump off the punts :D!!!!!!

Yup, so that about covers my term, *grins* it was a fun one... trinities are definitely turning out to be my favourite - hopefully I'll be able to say the same about next year! Oh! and congratulations to all the Hertford Arch&Anth grads, you guys did amazing!!!

I guess that brings us up to summer then... hmmm... well let's see, I've pretty much just spent it doing the reading for my dissertation and splitting my time between hanging out with all my friends and family and chilling out at home - Basically just enjoying being home for a decent length of time for my first time in a long time :D... Canada day was muchos fun, as was seeing everyone again at Winnie's and hosting our party at Jess's :D. Cottaging and Wonderland with the cousins were definitely also high points! (the New Behemath with Trina was Awesome!!!)... what else??? Much reading and catching up on movies with friends was also fun - wanted rocks!!! as did Get Smart, WallE, 21 and Penelope! (Oooh! I still need to see Ironman and Highschool musical!) I also managed to go see a play and go to dinner with Mrs B., spent a few long but fun nights in Jess's hot tub, got to see Marc :D! who we dragged to the science centre, found awesome drop in Ballet Classes and got to have lessons for a bit with Kimberly Glasco (former NBC principal) while she was filling in *grins very, very excitedly* and got back into Flying :D!!!!!!! (very excited about that one, can you tell???... I also did a silks class (finally!) which was fun, but which we wont talk about as it took me an hour to figure out how to climb all of four feet :P)... also finally gave into peer pressure and read the Twilight series - definitely wasn't as bad as I'd feared, and each book definitely gets better than the last... if pressed, I might even admit to driving Ju and I out to the midnight madness sale of the fourth book last weekend *looks innocent* What?! it was 11:30 at night and we'd already watched 2 movies ;D... actually, I just saw a sneak peek of the Twilight movie on the penelope trailers (honestly, I can't escape!!, it's everywhere)... it actually looks like it might be decent despite how it's trailers have made it look! (don't tell Ju I just admitted to that!). What else - oooh! Football with the boys on Saturday!!! It was soo great to get to run around and see everyone again - even if they have all grown into oversize monsters :P, honestly, you'd think a bunch of gifted asian boys would be properly nerdy and scrawny! Nope, you guys are like tanks! *wrinkles nose* ;)...

So yeah... I guess that brings us up to now... hmmm... and I should probaly go to bed! Off in two days to Morocco, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt before term starts and I am once again in Oxford - I'll keep you posted! (or at least I will after the fact ;) )
Lot's o' Love!

PS.

Avenue Q is ridiculously, hysterically and pretty freakin' awesome!!! :D.

Wait! Hold it up! HALT!!!

*somehow imagined to the sound of screeching tires*
heehee... sorry... right, (back to serious mode) so, what was that all about you ask?
I think I've decided to institute a strict policy of agnosticism in regards to the future: I can't possibly know, I don't really need to know and, trufully, there's no point in worrying about it 'til I get there, I can't do anything before then :P. I mean, knowing just takes all the fun out of life! where's the surprise in things? The shock in finding out about something about to occur and the adrenaline in making it just in time? The horrifying realisation that you've just remembered you forgot about your last tutorial, have an essay due in 3 hours and haven't started yet? Now that's living (well... maybe the last one not-so-much :P)
I just feel like I've been rushing my life the past two terms (possibly due to the fact that I've been doing ridiculous amounts of stuff *wrinkles nose*) and there's really been no need to. It's not as though I actually have a plan or any solid incling of what I want to do with my life when I graduate - why should I???
Gah! I should just focus on learning as much as I can while I'm here and enjoying it to the fullest!
Worrying about what comes next and how this pertains to it is exactly what I swore I would never do! (am I just letting other's questions get to me? Why am I felling so insecure about it..?) Even thinking about it makes me feel as though this is just a step on the way to something else - and I've never wanted that. I've always maintained that university should be for learning's sake the way it was orriginally intended and not just some step on the ladder to a career or job.
Only I seem to have forgotten that at some point... When did I lose track of that thought and begin to think of this as something I just had to 'do' in order to get on with my life??? I don't want that. It needs to stop. Not that I haven't been taking advantage of all the oportunities and all the enormous libraries and craziness to learn... I've just sort of being doing it because I'd programed myself to, rather than conciously doing it. It was like part of me was working on autopilot while the rest worried away and planned what it would do in the future...
It's not right, I haven't taken enough advantage - must rework strategy from now on :P.
At any rate, agnosticism worked in highschool :P. I just sort of enjoyed life as I lived it, did what I wanted to do or felt was right, and overall just didn't worry about the future - and look where I ended up :D. See, it all ended happily *grins*. That said, in large part I suppose that was more because I had faith that I could do anything with my life based on the marks I was getting and the range of courses I was doing... faith I just don't seem to have now (look! The wellspring of insecurity has been found :P). I mean I know that's ridiculus given that I'll have an Oxford degree... but it's only in Arch&Anth and it will only be a 2:1 at best... is that good enough to give me complete freedom of choice?... not really...
Ah well, nothing to be done about it now (look! *grins* I'm putting my preaching into practice!) 'cept of course to enjoy myself and take advantge of the rest of this term and all of next year without worrying at all where it will lead. Just having faith that life will turn out all right in the end. It always does anyway, because it will be lived in whichever direction it goes, and that's all that really matters. It's never too late to change course and it's never too late to begin accepting what's been learnt in the interim as acceptible and enjoyable.
Yup. so that's it. Agnosticism regarding the future is the way forward ;).

Flibbertygibbet!

(I donno, it just seemd like a good word to start with :D!!!)
just an update before I head off to the land of the little green men (otherwise known to most sane people as Ireland ;) ). Rent was fun - as was Dinner with Ju and Kimmy and Stefan! OOH! Easter was hillarious! Em flew in from BC to surprise Marc and Jess for their b-days (and me - although she had to tell me beforehand to help with the surprise :D!!)! So that was awesome. The looks on their faces were Priceless *grins*!!!!!! heehee. The rest of Easter was good too, spending time with family and being run around (and over) by my cousins. Overall a good break, fairly relaxing - got to hang out with most of my friends - more than once too! (which is always shocking)! Visited Woburn - also more than once *nods* - and the chiropractor's two!!! (yes, :P, that was intentional... yeah, I know. I realise that it officially makes me a nerd *wrinkles nose at anyone who's ever doubted it before*). heehee. so, yup, fairly good break over all - and now, it is time to take on the world Muah-muahahahahahaha... *coughs* uh, yeah, not entirely sure where that one came from... sorry about that... not a really feminine sound, was that?... anyhow! It's off to Ireland with Andy for me (and I get to see Josh, YAY!!!) for a week before heading back to Ox for the most wonderfullest term that is Trinity :D.
Enjoy your Springs (and darn you to all my friends who get off just as I'm going back :P).
Lot's of love!
Me ;)

Post Scripts

PS. On a side note. that was my 100th post... so, yeah, Congratulations to me I suppose ;)!

PPS. heehee... was just re-reading some of my old posts *shakes head* there was definitely one of the earlier ones where I was absolutely disgusted and unconvinced of the prospect of me ever being in mud *laughs uncontrollably* who wouldda thought I'd go into archaeology??? *grins*

*shakes head again* and I couldn't've been more right when I said I that woburn was never gonna be rid of me *laughs* I definitely only intended to visit for a few minutes yesterday after going to Dr. Gammie's - instead I ended up going on a field trip to see "Stuff Happens" (it's by studio 180 at CanStage and it's amazing, if a bit wordy) with Mrs B and the lit classes!!! It was fun ;P! And now I'm going back next week to watch the play projects!

Wow.

 It's been a while!
hmmm... lesse, not too much to report I guess. Term was good and I'm now 20 - AH!!!!! Ally as an adult is quite the terrifying thought :P.

Christmas and New Years were fun (if not overly exciting in the case of the latter - silly boys and preferring to watch ratatouille over going to Nathan-phillips :P - it is a good movie though :D!) OOh! Saw Dirty Dancing with Papa and that was really good too!!!
Term was fun, a bit overfilled with Dance and Rowing - but still good *grins*. Managed to work in some baking (and the subsequent eating of the cookies *wrinkles nose*;) ). A good walk into the Countryside with Lisa and an awesome bump right in front of the boathouse! on the last day of torpids - which was AWESOME :D!!!! OOOh! Pancake cooking for MardiGras and Charlotte's birthday were also tons of fun - as was my, Charlotte and Chris's excursion to the skating rink in 8th week :D. YupYup. Celebrating my bday after term with those who were left over was also good and hanging around to enjoy the serenity of reading for pleasure and exploring (heehee, namely claire and my expedition to 'map' out how the colleges fit together ;P) in a much quieter out-of-term Oxford was also really really nice :).

Home in time for my birthday (and Zia's, and Nonno's 80th!) where there were 152 candles on the cake, and then spending time hanging out with friends - And toboganning with Ju :D!!!!!!!!!! were also awesome... *Nods* Yup, so now it's off to see the Darwin exhibit at the ROM with Evan, Em, Ben and Alan and then to see Rent (YAYAY!!!) with Ju today!!! Then Easter with the Family - And Marc and Jess :D! and yeah.. then I have no clue what my plans are before term - hmm.... ;)

HAppy Easter & lot's of love everybody!

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!! (& Ally's Back :D)

heehee... wow... lot's has happened since I last posted (not all that surprising I s'pose seeing as how I haven't posted since September ;P)... lesse... Flew in to Paris to spend some time with Nal and had fun running around to the Chateau de Vincennes and climbing Notre Dame (finally!) and just generally wreaking havoc on the city with her and Yves *evil grin* before I took off to go a-s'ploring on an epicly wirlwind (6 days :D!) train journey through Germany ;)! Met up with Claire and Zuzanna in Munich (where Zuzana hosted us :D!) - it was amazing!!!I love Munich!!! Bavarian culture is crazily-awesomely-the-best-thing-on-the-planet!!!! Heehee, everyone wears dirndle and leiderhosen!!! It's great :D! It was even especially greater as we were there for Oktoberfest *grins*!!!! People there are Crazy!!!! They start drinking at like 7 in the morning!!!! It was amazing though and the Beer Tents are sooo cool!! The beer even tastes good!!!!! (not that I can finish a Mass on my own though :P) heeheee... we even managed to get a place in one of the tents with Zuzana and her friends! - and Claire and I made loads of new friends on our roamings around town. awww Munich really is a gorgeous city! After that it was off home for Claire and up to Berlin for a couple of days for me. Berlin is a really nice city too... too young and ... new?... for me though... I just don't feel the history to it in the same way I do Rome and Paris. It is really nice though... wouldda been nice to have more time to wander through museums - even so, I miraculously managed to see everything in the day and a half I had there :D! OOOH! and I did this really amazing fre-bikie-tour of the city! It rocked! I highly reccomend it! Next I was off to Heidleberg to visit the fabled town and its pictoresque castle - and to see the jaw bone of Homo heidlebergensis :D!!!!!! It was cool!!!! and the town and castle definitely lived up to their reputation :D!!! Next was back home (or Nals home at any rate :D) to Paris for a night before I headed back off (to my home) in Ox :D!!!. Awww man, I love traveling by train! It just, being able to see all the scenery with not other cars and dirty roads blocking the window makes you feel as though you properly are covering ground and travelling. All in all it was a really beautiful trip.

School was really good this term too :D! Possibly one of my favourite terms yet. It was filled with work, but loads of other stuff too *grins*. I'm now international student rep for Hertford. OOOH!!! And I took up rowing! It's actually really really fun, I was on the Novices C's due to my crazy schedule - but I think that we were arguably the best crew *grins madly* We had the most fun at any rate ;)! Christchurch, the big novice regatta was unfortunately cancelled (again) this year due to massive ammounts of rain and high water levels - but we still managed to race and do well earlier in the week ;)!!!! After all our training in the rain too :P! lol!!! We would get soooo wet! One day was amazing though as there was a sun shower (the rain was still pelting down though!) and there was a double rainbow over christchurch meadow as we were rowing past :). heehee. lesse, what else? Still dancing as much as ever - only ballet and jazz though now, no time for ballroom. OOOH! And I just bought new point shoes (I'm back on point :D) - they're all pretty and Grishko 2007s :D!!! Still playing (european-soccer) football - OOOOHHH!!! ANd I went Kayaking in South Wales one weekend, so that was fun!!!!!! heehee, being me, I managed to fall in on a flat bit :P. What else?... OH! Watching the rugby world cup and the reactions of the english was amazingly fun ;)! As was Hallowe'en baking :D!!!! oooh!!!! And pumpkin Carving!! heehee... I got some weird looks when I had to buy the pumpkin early and bring it into the library with me before bringing it down to South Oxford for carving *grins* It was fun carving though! Especially as it was Qu's first!!!!! *shakes head laughing* I also got the sign of the cross made at me for wearing my devil horns around town on hallowe'en day *shakes head again*. OOOH!!! And X-mas baking :D!!! (not at home, though I did that with Kat at Nonna's all day on Wednesday :D!) But in Ox!!! I got a bunch of us together and we made and decorated X-mas choc-chip and rasin cookies :D!!! They were amazing!!! And they disapeared really really fast ;)!

hmm... yup, so, all in all, a very very good term :D!. Afterward Charlotte and I hung around Oxford with all those who were helping with interviews for a few days before we headed to her place so I could see her family for the night before heading off to Paris to stay with Nal again (and pack the extra suitcase of pressies she gave me to bring home for people ;P!) before heading off skiing :D!!! heehee. Paris was, once again, awesome, as I tagged along with her to some of her classes - one of which, on french comparative literature, was downright amazing! - and just hung out. OOh! We also went to a special x-mas party for Quebec-ers in Paris with her cousin and her boyfriend and friend on the last night which was loads of fun (even if I did finally develop the ear infection that had been threatening - luckily I also had anti-biotics on me ;)!) OOOH!!! and I Also got to go See Tante Janine in Louveciennes again!!! Aww I love her sooo much! So we got to share and enjoyable afternoon of Fooding anf chatting (no walk unfortunately as it was raining.)! Yupyup *nods*

Heehee Next was Skiing in Val Thorens in the French Alps :D! the largest and highest ski area in the alps! It was amazing!!!!! one of the best ski trips I have ever been on :D!!! I totally wish I had taken more pictures!!! There was just incredible amounts of powder, it was AMAZING :D!!!!!!!!! It was over my waist in places!!!! heehee, there was no visibility for the first three days, but the last three were perfectly clear - oooh! and they opened up the passes into the other 3 valleys so we got to explore there and I got to ski GLADES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippeeeeeee :D:D:D:D!!!! heehee... awww.. a bunch of us did advanced lessons and our instructor was Great! heehee he was fun, basically got a kick out of burying us in the deepest powder he could find off piste *shakes head* It was awesome! And I now know how to ski powder as well as packed snow :D!

Heehee after that snow filled adventure I headed back to Nal's for the night so we could have X-mas dinner and exchange gifts and, then, it was off home to land in the biggest snow storm of december 'since '45 :D!!! heehee it was great to arrive in (even if ma refused to come to the airport to pick me up *wrinkles nose*), everything was all White! *grins* yupyup.

So now it's the day before Christmas (for me... eve for everyone else *wrinkles nose*) and I've finally managed an update! Heehee... decorated the house as soon as I arrived and got to see a bunch of the gifties on friday when we all turned up to see Woburn's x-mas assembly (and Mr. Rooney who was subbing for the day :D!!!) so that was all good and fun *grins* and I got to play football in the snow on the back field which was even mpore fun :D (even if I did end up in the splits at one point :P). But yeah, it's great to finially see everyone again!!! I missed you all sooo much *hugs* *plus more hugs just 'cause I've missed you all*

Went up to Burlington yesterday to have an early x-mas with Papa's side so that the Uncle Peter's could be there. It was fun *grins* aww man, Vanessa and Keith have grown sooo much, they're still adorable though ;D! And it was really good to see everyone after not getting to go cottaging this summer *pouts*

So, yeah... that's about it! Update completed I guess ;)!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Hope you all have Happy Holidays!
~Ally

Back!

Wow, It feels like it's been forever since I last posted!!!! (Prolly 'cause I've done so much since, considering the length of most of my posting breaks, it really hasn't been all that long :P)!!

hmm.. lesse... Peru was awesome;y amazingly fun! - although digging in the desert at the same site for seven weeks straight did get a little boring/tiring after a while!! as did not having a really shower for the great majority of the time!!! we went in to town a couple of times just to be able to get clean! We were sooooo dirty - I have pictures of me where it looks like I have a mustache!!!!! lol! Needless to say, when a bunch of us stopped in Trujillo the night brfore our flight most of us took about 3 showers in a row... and I woke up early the next morning to have another one!!!!! heehee... We were digging 6 days/week so we didn't have all that much free time, but I did make it up to Casma to see the ruins over there (which are really really cool and awesome btw and involved a crazy moto-taxi ride into the wilds of the northern peruvian desert :D!!!) with a couple of the others!!! and one weekend a bunch climbd this mountain named huasiquito (without any equipment :S and, although it wasn't overly high, it was high enough and rediculously steep/sheer/crumbling that we prolly shouldda died a number of times(eeek!)), so that was amazingly fun *grins like an idiot*!!!!! ... yupyup.. what else... we fund some cool stuff like a stone necklace, 9 baby camelid skeletons (9! -do you know how long those things take to get out of the ground?!?!), a number of pottery shards, a human tooth, caches of spondylus (v. cool!), some scorpions (;D!)... it was pretty cool!!! and, although our site wasn't this magnificent temple or anything that tourists would love, it was really cool archaeologically 'cause it was really strategically placed and had evidence of occupation by nearly all of the cultures in the area from the ealy pre-ceramic on down!!!! and it was HUGE!!!! it covered an entire floodplain! heehee... every day was an adventure too, 'cause we'd have to take a 45min combi (broken down - non shock absorpbant van) ride up valley (before a 30 mins treck into the desert) to get to the site everyday and, not only did you never know what would be riding along with you (live turkeys...), the thing often broke down in exterly entertaining ways (seriously!!! once, not only did the wheel fall off, the entire axel went with it!!!!! I have pictures!!!!) leaving us to push it!!!!! *shakes head* it was great!!!! :D! OOOH!!! and I got to practice my Spanish!!! awww, I'll miss Francisco!!! He was the Peruvian archaeologist (who reminds me of a 46yr old version of my grandfather) that I was digging with in one part of the site for a large part of the trip ... he was awesome!!!!

lol! So yeah, that was Peru... after that, I came home for a week (- and hosted the gifty reunion party the night after getting home :P) *shakes head and grins* It was awesome!!! I'm sooo glad I got to see (almost *glares at Linna especially*) everyone again :D!!!!! I miss all you guys soooo much *sniffsniff* and then spent the majority of the week hanging out in Scarborough (SCAR-BRO!!!) so that I could see everyone and spend time with Em before she left me and headed out to UBC *sniffsniff* and so I could help (or try to) with Megan's wedding. It was great!!! Megan's dress was absolutely beautiful and the wedding was really nice!!! (omg, on another note, I can't beleive Megan is married!!!!!!!!!!)...

After that, it was off to Hawaii!!!!! (oooh! wait, with a night at home to go see the new cirque show KOOZA! which is really good... different from most cirque shows in that the characters often spoke English, but still very, very good. OOOH! And while I was home I went with Nal to see Medeival Times 'cause she worked there and I had never been... so, yeah, that was fun too :D!!! .. oh! and that was the night I found out that Ma and John had changed the keys to the front door and forgotten to tell me... honestly, sometimes I think that they don't love me ;P! And they did it to Nal too!!! *shakes head*)

Yupyup! Hawai'i was AWESOME!!!! We were on Kuai'i, 'the garden island' and we managed to travel all over it and see things from all angles!!! We took a Helicopter ride all around the island and into Mt Wai'ale ale, the collapsed in crater of the old volcano and the wettest spot in the northern hemisphere!!!!, we went to the Waimea (little grand canyon of the pacific) Canyon and Akala'i swamp (the highest swamp in the world) :D, went kayaking on the Wilua River, horseback riding on the North Coast, swiming everywhere... heehee, it was sooooo much fun!!!! I checked out the lava pools and reefs... ooh!!! and we took a Catamaran tour of the Na Pali coast and I went snorkelling and saw a reef shark!!! Oh! And at the cliffs near where we stayed the sea turtles would come right up during hightide to feed!!!! It was sooo great!!!! OOOH!!!! And we went to a luau!!! and made Leis!!! OH!!!! And I learnt how to surf!!!! And got addicted (and burnt my bum, so now it's peeling *pouts*) It was amazing!!! And I learnt how to Hula!!!!I love it so much! I wanna go back and live there for a summer and work in a hotel and learn more Hula (and surfing)!!!! And maybe go see the big island of Hawai'i so I can see an active volcano!!!! :D!!!!

On our way back we stopped in San Francisco for a few days, so that was pretty cool too :)! Nal and I had loads (wayyy too much :D!) fun riding on the cable cars - they're sooooo cool, especially with a of the hugely steep hills in San Fran - it's like a roller coaster!!! And you don't even have to go inside!!! you can just hang on the outside!!!!! So, yeah, we saw all the sites there like the golden gate bridge, lombard street, postcard row, etc... AND we got to go to Alcatraz (at night too :D!!!!) before heading home last week!!!

So yeah... now I'm at home and working at Canadian Tire doing data entry to make some money before I go back to school in a couple of weeks :D! That said, life's not all boring *grins* I just got back from spending the weekend in Northern Quebec for the 10th aniversary celebration of the engineering company where my dad works (translating for the ontario contingent :P). It was great!!!! *shakes head while grinning* I'd forgotten how crazy engineers could be and how much les quebecois like to party!!!! Heehee... we got split into teams and there were a bunch of crazy challenges and games - one of which was to build a boat in 2 hours out of 8 8' planks of wood, 5 40lbs buckets and some nails!!!! We then had to test them on the (very, very cold :P ) lake and see how many ppl the would carry and have races. It was GREAT!!!! :D!!! Even if I did get completely soaked!!! It was beautiful up there too (bloody freezing though!)! It was far enough North that the leaves had already begun to change... and the water was just soo blue!!! and the rolling hills *shakes head* living in Toronto, it's just so easy to forget how beautiful northen Ontario and Quebec can be...

Yupyup! So now it's back to school in a couple of weeks - well... not quite *grins*. Nal's heading over to Paris to study, so I'm gonna go over and join her for a bit next week before heading up to Germany ('cause I've never been - I also don't speek the language, eeeek!) for a couple of days... and then, it's back to school :D! heehee...
*nods* so.. yeah... I guess that's it!
Lot's o' love!

Awwww....

It's so weird... I can't beleive first year is done already!!! In some ways its just flown by... and in others it... I donno... I guess it really was just about the right length.

It was kinda weird staying long for exams and having sooo many people leave... college just seemed soooo much quieter without them - despite the fact that all the medics, PPE-ists, mathmaticians, E&M-ers, biologist, linguists, historians and Arch & Anthers were still around... I donno... It's actually been kinda fun. More relaxed almost - even with Exams :D! *grins* exams were pretty fun... I had two days of six hours solid writing 12 essays total. Yeas, Oxford is insane. The the last one wasn't exactly my favourite and I ended up leaving early (though I did that for most of them... or finished early and then got trapped in the exam room unable to leave due to the fact that I had finished one minute after the half-hour-remaining mark *wrinkles nose* Gah! I swear I was more distracting to have around with all of my squirming than my departure would have been :P)! It was still fun though since I came back to college and deposited my stuff before heading back to the exam schools to join the crowd waiting to attack and congratulate all those wearing red carnations :D!!!! OOOH! and our flutes of champagne - particularly the chocolate bottle - on the lawn afterward were also fun! *grins*

*shakes head* still feels weird to think I'm leaving Oxford in an hour... (AHHH!!! I'm leaving in an hour!!! EEEEKKK!!!) I had soooooo much stuff packed to leave in storage that it was insane!!!! I have no idea how I've managed to pack it for all of the other breaks!!!! Awww... soo strange to think that this is the last time we'll properly be living in Hertford *pouts* I'll miss it! - Just Like I miss Amanda *grins* Amanda was back last weekend and it was awesome!!!!! Punting with her, her friend Lee, Henry and Ewen was especially entertaining *grins* heehee... drunken Amanda and Henry (who totally deserved it for getting a destinction in his exams :D) are faaarrr too much fun - insane, but fun too!!!!

Anyhow, I should probably head off... I'm at Charlotte's for the night so that I can say bye for the summer and then off home for two days before I leave for Peru (ahhhh! - which means I am unfortunately going to miss Janet Evanovich doing a book signing at Indigo *cries* soooo unfair!!! I'm missing it by like 8 or 9 hours... and I keep getting emails about it *dies*)

So yeah, that's pretty much it! Hope everyone has and awesome and Amazing summer. I'll miss you all greatly!!!!
Lot's of love!
~Ally

AHHHH!!!! *runs for cover*

... ... ... what? it's only safe to run and hide. It's quite obvious that the world must be ending... I mean, come on, I'm posting twice within the same month *grins*

anyhow... lesse... what've I been up to lately? Went in to London after ballet 2 weeks ago to meet up with Ma and John so that we could go see Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral and Bath... It was really neat!! I really wish that you could still go right up to stonehenge... being roped off from it just doesn't give you the same feeling as you would get being up close. It would be awesome if you could still climb on ... *looks sheepishly toward her fellow archaeologists*... uh.. I mean carefully investigate without any climbing what-so-ever it *nods*... it was still pretty cool though and Salisbury was really pretty. Bath was amazingly incredible. It just doesn't feel like you're in England at all! You can almost feel the Roman-ness oozing out of the very stones *sigh* it felt like home almost in the same way that Rome does... I so just didn't want to leave... *grins* ah, well... I'll get 'round to heading back there one of these days... Ooooh! And despite the fact that it rained for the majority of the time that Ma and John were here, it was nice and sunny on all of our touristy days *grins* must just be a reflection of my wonderful-ness - unfortunately it was also sunny for the entirety of their trip up to the scottish highland without me *grumbles*

what else is new??? hmm... this is sad... I'm not entirely sure what I've been up to... finnished all my essays a while ago, had my last tut this morning... now all that's left is to study... hmmm... all of the physicists have been slowly dying from their exams this week.., I'm not entirely sure whether it's funny or depressing... *chuckles*... ah well... oooh! I know what I totally forgot to mention! The fact that I did a little miny Jazz show in the park for Oxford (the city's) 1000 year aniversary. It was fun! I think I may kind of actually miss performing *shakes head* ... s'weird, I totally never thought I'd say that... awww... and I missed recital for the first time ever!!! It feels sooooo weird! especially since I've seen every show that Jess and Sophie have ever done except this one!

*giggles* On another note, I appear to be doing a lot of new and exciting(?) things this term. Punting... um... other stuff-ing... Playing Rounders (a bizare form of baseball)... breaking my nose while playing rounders.... yup... I think that's about it *grins* heehee - what? I wasn't wearing my glasses so I couldn't see the ball when Sam threw it ... and it kinda hit me in the face... yup. Not to worry though! *grins* being me, I accidentally-on-purpose managed to re-align it while trying to stop the bleeding before going to the hospital (which is a good thing since I then had to wait 2 and a half hours... at which point my nose would've settled in the wrong place - ick.). So it's still all pretty and straight and the only way you can tell is by the slightly black left eye. *nods*... ah well... *shakes head* Honnestly... I don't know what to do if these things didn't happen in my life... it would just be so boring :P!

Heehee... anyhow... I should prolly head off.. to ... uh... do something I s'pose...
lot's of love!
~Ally

BOO!

*little kiddish innocent voice* Guess what, Guess what?!?!... okay, fine... I'll tell... I should be writing an essay right now :D! (so what else is new :P).

hmmm... I don't actually know what to say... the urge to blog just suddenly came upon me - as it so very often does when I'm supposed to be writing an essay... although that really doesn't explain my lack of postage... what with the 12 essays I've had per term :P.

Where to start?? It's so strage how everyone else back home is done already and getting to meet up without me *sobs* awww, man you guys are soooo great and I totally miss you so much... Mr Dick was totally right when he said we would/were all go/going through gifted withdrawal *shakes head*... I've never known a crazier group of people.

This term has been awesomely fun so far... might not have been the start I hoped for, but I know that Tsz would be pleased to know that we were enjoying ourselves and eating well! Thank you Tsz, by the way, for being such an awesome friend to all and for just demonstrating the way that life is supposed to be lived - to it's fullest, with every moment enjoyed and taken advantage of - you were an incredible person and I know that I will, and do, miss you... dance was just so much more fun with you around to run into people :P... and to drag me all over town in search of food during competitions (and then have me drag you to the beach in blackpool at 9 at night 'cuase I'd never seen it)!!! Wherever you are, I hope that you are having as much fun as you always did dancing, mahjong-ing, eating and doing everything else that you were so fond of doing and that made us all love you so dearly...

In spite of that (or possibly because of Tsz's influence) term's been awesome since first week!!! Filled with playing frisbee and basking in the sun in the university parks, five-a-side football with the hertford womens team, taking looong fun walks around Oxford (and getting locked into Christ Church meadows after hours and have to climb the (very high) gates (three times!) late at night to get out), Late night BBQs, fooding and fun with the girls and training the hertford dancesport cuppers team - which btw came in 5th!!!!! Yay!!!! GO US :D! The competition was actually loads of fun... especially since I had just gone with the intention of captaining and, instead, ended up making it to 6th place on a Jive routine made and learnt 10mins before the start with one of the other hertfordians who had danced last year and turned up to cheer :D!!!!!! It was good fun! (AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! English-ism *runs screaming*)... *calms doan a bit* anyhow... WAIT!!! Punting!!! How could I have forgotten punting on my list of fun things I've done this term?!?!?! OMG! Punting is amazing!! It's like gondoleiring except in shallow English rivers with a long pole rather than a paddle... and it only took me two crashes into the trees/bank to learn to do it *grins widely*!!!! The bank crash was mildly scary though... there were cows standing right at the edge with no fencing to hold them back... cows are scary I tell you! Never mind all that mumbo-jumbo written about their warm intelligent eyes... I saw those eyes, they were clearly judging my punting (in)ability :P.

So yeah... this term's been pretty awesome so far... and then Ma and John were visiting this week so I got Yummy food bought for me (which is always important) *grins*. and I took them 'round to the uni parks and taught them to punt and sent them 'round a visiting things ('cause y'know they wouldn't've done that on their own :P)... ooooh!!!! and we went to Warwick castle and it was all pretty and medieval and they had a trebuchet that they actually shot off... and lots of pretty historical information and if I had lived in Victorian times I totally would have been Daisy, Countess of Warwick 'cause she was awesome and pretty and smart and broke convention ... and yeah... so that was fun too... and now they're visiting Charlotte's parents (eeek!) and have been for the past *checks clock* 7? hours... wow!... yup... OOOH! And frisbee cuppers was this morning!!! We managed to loose every single game with the exception of the one that we won by default 'cause the other team failed to show up... it was pretty impresive ;P!!!! Oooh! and we saw Guys and Dolls... it was really good... I quite like the whole fun simplicity of the story... it's very... refreshing almost.. and the music and dancing were really good too!

And... well... yeah... I should prolly head off to bed to get some sleep so that I can actually write my essay tomorrow morning before my tutorial, 2 football games, ballet class and late night trip into London so that I can go to Stonehenge, Bath and Salisbury Cathedral with Ma and John on Tuesday... hmmm... I hafta remember to bring my camera for that one...

See you all soon (and by that I mean... uh soon-ish...)...
Lot's of Luv,
~Ally

Wow... can't say that last post was my most articulate, well-ordered or coherent ever, but then *shakes head* when was I ever coherent, well-ordered or articulate *grins*?

Anyhow, thought I'd do a short update-y post-like thing before I headed off to England *nods*.

Lesse - the gifty thing was a fun success... man, I love Woburn, it was awesome... Em, Jess, Marc and I all had fun on Friday, despite the fact that we stood outside in the freezing cold for an hour before deciding we were lazy (and frozen solid :P) and returning home for yummy warm tea :D! Which, of course meant that people got in as soon as we left *shakes head in amusement*... I swear my life is constructed on the premise of a sit com... heehee, Jess's on thurs was also fun, as was the hot tub time in the snow before we went to meet marc at the train station:D! - which, I might add, I missed due to the fact that I had developed a drysocket and had to stop at the dentist's on the way *sigh* - see, sit com!!! Even more entertainingly however, as soon as I took my departure and headed toward the dentist, Em chipped her tooth *giggles*...

Then, it was off to the great white north - literally! it snowed the entire week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Still very fun though! Our group of 15 was an awesomely amazing mix of diverse people and our instructor, Robb, was incredible!!! I am also very proud to say that we are now all regestered Woofers *grins madly* ... that is, of course, that we are all Wilderness First Responders (WFR- pronounced Woofer) and can do crazy first aid stuff (like clear spines, fix certain dislocation and give injections *pause for evil smile*) so long as we are in the back country 2 hours away from diffinitive care (at which point you are all at my mercy *evil cackle*) *clears throat* right... so, yeah... that brings us up to now... hmmm... I suppose I should really go pack...

See you!
the ever-insane, Ally

Right...

*sighs and shakes head* I sooooo do not have time to be blogging right now but *shrug* blogging I am 'cause I really really really do need to do an update before I forget all that has happened in my life - sad ain't it? You know you're getting old when you can't remember your own life!!! (on a complete and utter side note: OMG! I can't believe I'm nineteen!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHAHHHHAHHHHAHHHHAHHHAHHHAHHHAHHHAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! okay, now I feel better *grins*)

hmmm... I suppose I should prolly start of with what's new... hmm... what is new????
lesse, I found out on wednesday that I would have to get my wisdom tooth (yes, tooth. I for some reason only had one *shrug* who knows, no one ever said I was wise :P.) taken out on thursday... I just got it back today (my dentist said I could keep it as a souvenir :D) The thing was huge!!!!! I have no idea how there isn't a masive gapping hole in the back of my mouth!!!!!! The strange thing is that I didn't swell up at all - so, of course, I took this as permission to run around visiting ppl, write essays and run errands in the days imediately following its removal in typical me fashion *grins (with a gapping hole)* *shakes head again* that thing was bloody gigantic!!!!
- speaking of bloody, I do not have an English accent :P!!!!!!!! *looks innocent* It's not my fault that I now occaisionally speak with a slight English lilt.... and that I say Bah-naah-nah.. and trousers rather than pants ... and toilet or loo rather than... okay, fine :P.

hmmm what else is new... I've been home for what? Almost three weeks now (6wk long breaks between terms are nice :D) so I've been visiting the Uof T-ers nearly everyday ('cause however much you deny it Ting, I know you miss me terribly *grins*). And I visited the York-ers on monday which was tons and tons of fun.. never made it to waterloo or western (I'm sorry you guys, I really do love you too!!!! Look, It even took me nearly 3 wks to visit york!!!!!). Visited Woburn, and Miller and yeah... man.. I can't believe I'm in Uni - or that the York ppl are almost done first year! That's just crazy!!!! OOOH!!!! I went up to Queens with Em and her mum to see Megan's recital which was AMAZING!!! and got jumped by Kav and Raza which was equally as Awesome and Cool and I'm sooooo glad they ran (quite litterally :P) in to me :D!!!!!!!!! And MIT came home for a visit too :D!!!!! lesse... what else... got run over by a little chinese man in a car last monday(???) which was incredibly funny (and painful) as he insisted on stopping and apologizing profusely WHILE HIS CAR WAS STILL PARTIALLY ON MY FOOT!!!!! *shakes head* it was quite the funny scene...

OOOOH!!!! And Em and Gillian and I went down to see Al's band and they were AMAZING!!!! Omg! I had no clue Al could sing!!!! I'm totally looking forward to hearing them again!!!! I also saw the Taming of The Shrew In ballet form which I love for my birthday and we saw the Canadian production of We Will Rock You for Nal's which was also incredibly good... OOOH! and ma and I saw Blood Brothers when she droped me off in England... And yeah... now I should totally be preparing a speach-ey thing to give at woburn before I head off to Jess's for the night... but yeah... when have I ever been known to write something when I was supposed to...

Heehee... I suppose that since I am (finally) doing the update I promised I should start off where my last update ended.... hmmmm... for that, we must travel back in time *erie time-travelly music comes on* to the beggining of the school year *dundundun*

it was a bright and early morning with all of the birds chirping and the - what?! I'm not allowed to get creative with my life??? :P lol. Nah. while my first couple of weeks in oxford were bright n' sunny (despite the prevailing view point, it does not always rain in England :P), it prolly makes more sense to discuss the nights - and no, don't go yelling at me - I didn't do anything naughty :P (just ignore all of those pictures of me with poles up on facebook* wide-eyed innocent look*). Freshers (that's frosh for most normal people :D) week was incredibly insanely fun - and the endless nightly clubbing and packed days were a great prelude to the lack of sleep that is the 8 weeks of term time in Oxford *grins* But yeah, Hetford is a great college and boy do we know how to party *shakes head* Anyhow, loads of experiences and many friends later (and all in one week too), term started... and My God! There are just too may experiences to recount *sigh* I knew I shouldda updated sooner :P!!!! lol! Suffice it to say that Oxford during term time is loads of fun. My Tutors (profs - oxford speaks its own language) are great. I love my Ballet teacher despite the fact that I think she's insane. Ballroom is... fun? interesting to learn though I don't know how much longer I can cope with having to work with a partner :P (I'm far too independant aren't I... *shakes head* ppl should really start picking up on that one... hmmm) . OOOH!!! my team (I'm on the oxford ballroom team) won the F team competition at Sheffield (yes, I know, it was F team... *shrug* It was still a pleasant surprise *grins*) this past term. OH! And Odin (a fellow dancer and exchange student from Germany) and I came in the top 10 out of 40 in Rock and Roll at Nationals after only 3.5 hours of practice (which included teaching me the style and choreographing the routine) - so that was pretty cool :D!

Hmmm... what else? I really do need to try rowing next term and I can't wait to go punting on the river!!!!! OOOH! and I'm now playing on the college women's football (aka soccer) team - which should be really interesting due to how much I suck *shakes head and grins* Who knows... hmmm.... what else... on top of getting everyone addicted to Timmy's, I've gotten them addicted to peanut butter cookies made with canadian peanut butter - which of course means that I am relegated to the kitchen at least 3 times a term to bake :P.

OOOH!!!! Speaking of baking! I flew home for the weekend back in october for my comencement (graduation) - (yes. I am insane. but, then, we already knew that didn't we :P! *grins*) Which was loads of fun 'cause I got to see everyone again :D!!! And I got to bake pumpkin pie!!!!! Fall just isn't fall without pumpkin pie :D! Or the smell of fall... england doesn't know what it's missing!!!!!!! I also came home and baked again at christmas. But, not before staying at Charlotte's just outside of london for a week and seeing The Producers before going skiing in the Alps :D!!!! It was pretty interesting. It's really weirdly different from the rockies 'cause there are virtually no trees!!!! (which meant no glades *pouts*) It was pretty cool though 'cause we were at Les Deux Alpes and there is a glacier at the top!!!! Not the hardest thing to ski (it's blues and greens) but fun anyhow. The fact that there are no trees makes it really interesting though 'cause the equivalent of double blacks are "off piste" which is steep and rocky and involves many cliffs (one of which I watched a friend go over - all the while having no idea who he was and thinking him an idiot :P - he survived perfectly fine... his skis and poles didn't though :P). So, of course, being me and having skied with Tash and Beck all my life, I spent the first two days skiing off piste :D! ... luckily, I also spent those days skiing the other open blacks and blues on the mountain since, on the last run of the second day I was skiing the flat part of a blue run at virtually no speed when I fell over and sliced my knee open to the bone *wrinkles nose* ... all in all, it was a pretty fun experience... the french rescue ppl thought I was nuts and teased me mercilessly for how excited I was about the gurney ride down (what?! It was fun!!!!) and by my attempts to describe a roller coaster (I forgot that it was a montagne rousse *pouts*) and the doctor and nurse were equally as entertaned by my watching them stitch my knee closed... the trip also wasn't a complete loss as the doctor let me ski again 2 days later for the last two days of the trip :D! Although he did bind my knee so that I couldn't bend it and made me promise to stay on easy hills *pouts again* Skiing with a straight knee is hard!!!! *shrug* it was still fun, and an experience :D! And it meant that I had an excuse to explore the glacier and ski with my not-so-adept-friends :D!!!!!! It also made the plane flight home interesting.. if somewhat uncomfortable...

I stayed at Charlotte's again for a couple of days after this term ended, I love Charlotte's family! They are totally awesome :D!!! and we went in to London for my bday and spent the day playing on a Heath!!!! It was soo coool!!!! I'd never been to a heath before!!!!!!!! afterward we left Hampstead Heath and headed into London central where we met up with a couple of the guys (after being hit on by a random british-canadian *weird look* and charlotte being propositioned by an old man at the market :P) and went to see Blood Diamond (which was really really good) and had yummy frozen yogurt :D.

Home at x-mas was also fun! The gifted family dinner at frankie tomatoes that we planned the night before (as per usual :P) and Baldwin's New Years Party and living at everyone's house but my own for 2 weeks :D!!! and... yeah... *nods* I'd say that was a pretty good summary... especially 'cause I really, really, truly do need to be going to pack now... oh, yes! and write that speach (eeeeekkk!!!!) we're running a gifted intervention since all of the younger gifties are apparently thinking of dropping out *shakes head* they have no idea what they'd be giving up.

OMG!!!! How could I have forgotten!!!! I'm a member of the Oxford Union, which is a debating and speaking society and, among others, I have seen Emma Watson (Hermione) speak (she's surprisingly intelligent and articulate, a lot like her character actually) and met Natalie Portman!!!!! She was amazing!!!!She's extremely intelligent and down to earth (she was giving a talk on micro-economics). OOOH!!!! And through the Canadian Society, I got to meet Paul Martin. Paul Martin!!!!!!He is an incredible man. the reason he always seems so slow is because when he is asked a question is because he actually Thinks about his answer! And he is willing to take criticim afterward in order to improve. He also doesn't balk at admitting to not kowing something and has no problem asking the advice or opinions of those who know more!!!! He was just amazing and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to shake his hand.

Anyhow, I suppose I must be off... My luguage is calling me (eek). I'm out clubbing with Jess and Em and Marc (YAY!!!! Marc!!) tomorrow night before heading up north to burks falls for 9 days in a wilderness first aid course (and it's supposed to snow this weekend!!!!!!!!) before I head straight back to England for trinity term (I told you that Oxford had it's own language :P)... and then, after exams and Amanda's visit (and our suggested vagrancy), I fly to Peru where I am digging for 6wks :D! .. after that it's home for a week or so for Megan's wedding before I fly off to Hawaii... *shakes head* sometimes I love my life - other times I think I'm insane *grins*

See you all in August!

Heehee.

*Does a little dance* It's snowing! It's snowing!!! Snowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnow!!!
*giggles* I always know I'm home when it's -10 C and snowing :D!!! Especially when it starts the day I come home and celebrate my birthday. After all, it has to. It always snows on my birthday. I think it's some sort of commemorative thing for the ice storm that proclaimed the calamity that would follow my birth ;)!

wow... it's been a while (not the longest I haven't blogged in... I don't think...) but I really truly must do an update! Now, unfortunately, will not be the time (I know *sniffsniff* heartbreaking isn't it???) I have however, updated my bio to proclaim that I have succeeded in surviving the evil machinations of my friends (*cough*Evan*cough* ;P) and am now a whole year older *Grins* - And all of this despite the fact that I still act like I'm about six :D!!!! Pretty impressive, eh???

Anyhow, I really must be off but, if anyone is still bored enough to want more reading (and even if they aren't!!!) I recommend Tempozine. An amazing, student run, professional looking, online magazine about world affairs. The link to which is conveniently placed on the sidebar beside this post :D! (Wow!!! I should totally get Jen and Linna to let me do their advertisements from now on ;)!!!) Ok, Ok, I do have some vested interest in telling ppl to read it (beyond the fact that it is just plain amazing) - but you'll have to read the next issue to find out why *mischievous smile*

kk, I really am going now. Really, I am! And I do promise to post an update sometime soon (in the relatively near future at any rate *wrinkles nose*).

OOh!!! But before I go! You know what's funny?... The whole Timmy's thing!!! Any Canadians who meet while abroad seem to inevitably end up discussing Tim Horton's, what they love about it, how much they miss it, the first things they're gonna eat when they get home, etc. While I was myself, engaging in one of these conversations the other day at Uni, I was asked if That was the only topic we Canadians were capable of discussing abroad (to which I, of course, answered "NO!" since, as we all know, Canadians are also quite capable of discussing things such as Hockey and the many and varying types of different Snow and Ice :P). However, I was also asked if this constant discussion of Timmy's was an "abroad thing" to make us feel at home... and I realised (to feelings of mixed horror and delight) that, no, it wasn't! I'm pretty sure that Canadians discuss Timmy's equally as much at home with about 5 of them in a mile radius from us as we do when we are outside of the country and are missing them terribly...
... I'm not entirely sure what that says about us as a country... but it can't be bad... after all, I (along with El and Stephen) have managed to get the majority of Hertford addicted to Timbits!!!!!!!!! *Grins*

Lot's of love,
from the ever Timmy's loving,
~Ally

And We're Off!!!

... or, at least I am! *grins*

So, yeah, I leave tomorrow... how weird is that??? I totally don't feel like I'm going anywhere... well, maybe on vacation... I'm kinda excited about rez shopping and being all touristy in London :D

Heehee... lesse what have I done to update on..? Ummm... went to visit Woburn... and Miller... and uh... well ran around alot getting ready... OOOOH!!! I finally saw Miss Kim and her new baby!!! He's sooooo cute!!! and uh... yeah, basically ran around alot and saw people *grins*

And then, on Friday night I had an "Ally's Leaving Party" which was awesome 'cause Jess came in from Windsor and Ceilidh was down from Queens and Alan from Waterloo... and all the people from T.O. were there!!! It was really great to see people again before I left... OMG! it was so funny I only made reservations for 20ppl.. and at first only 5 of us were there, so the wait staff were looking kinda nervous... but then people slowly started to trickle in... until there were 30 of us!!! *shakes head* It was awesome 'cause more ppl showed up than originally thought they could make it... it was actually quite a nice surprise!!!

*shakes head* You guys are sooo crazy, I'm gonna miss you all over there in England... the trip back to my place was wayyy too funny! Taking over the subway and me being 'teacher Ally' on the Woburn field trip... and then taking over the bus with the boys kareoke-ing (horribly out of tune I might add :P) at the back... *sigh* It's times like this I realise that we all really are insane and that we sooo belong together *big watery grin*

I love you all and I'll miss you all muchly (even if I'm having fun :P).
Much love,
From the fittingly insane
Ally