As I'm sure many of you know, last weekend the eagerly-anticipated Invasion of Girls (Lynda, Laura, but alas, no Michelle) descended on Halifax. The purpose of this visit, as Laura has described so well in her blog, was to sigh over Mr. Darcy in all his glory in the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice and to compare the beloved P-p-penguin biscuits with the Australian TimTam. I am proud to say that both missions were successfully completed.

However, chocolate cookies and Colin Firth were not the only excitement, so here's a rundown of all the other adventures we had over three days:

I met up with Laura on Friday afternoon, after nodding my way through my Reference class. We lugged her stuff up to my apartment, and then headed downtown through campus so she could see the Management building, where I have all my classes. She agreed with me that the open design and the floating staircases were a bit freaky for those with a thing about heights, which made me feel much less silly. (I am getting used to it though. Now I can walk up and down the stairs and I'm fine as long as I don't look over the edge.) I was also able to point out what must be the most obscene statue I have ever seen. I still can't believe this thing is on a university campus.


Laura and I continued downtown to enjoy some French fries from a chip stand in a truck, a visit to MEC, and my first ever visit to a sex shop. Yes, that's right, I have now been in a sex shop and I don't even think I blushed.

Then Lynda arrived and we headed up to Quinpool Road for a delicious supper at Quincy's. The restaurant was picked solely because of their slogan: "Like a diner, only finer." Plus their sign advertised sweet potato fries as their speciality, and us Confed Centre girls like our sweet potato fries!


Saturday morning we headed down to the Farmer's Market to check out the cinnamon rolls at Mary's Bread Basket. Then we browsed through the many, many booths (it wasn't quite St. Jacob's, but it's close), picking up a few veggies for supper that night and a beautiful boquet of sunflowers. After that we walked along the waterfront to see Theodore Tugboat!!!


And then, just in case we hadn't walked enough already, we headed up Citadel Hill for the view and to Pete's Frootique for some more Penguin biscuits. (The white building to the right of my finger and in the background in my apartment building.)


That evening we cooked up a huge spread (including the excitement of the garlic press with incredible squishing action!) and ate to the sounds of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" wafting in the window from the big concert.


Then it was back to P&P. One of my favourite moments came as Darcy removed his cravat and vest in preparation for his dive into the lake at Pemberly. Suddenly Laura burst out, "Oh yeah, take it all off!"

Unfortunately, Laura had to leave early Sunday morning, but after a little lie-in Lynda and I headed down to Smitty's for breakfast. Stuffed with waffles and hash browns, we stumbled across a poster for Word on the Street, a book festival down at Pier 23. With nothing else planned, we decided to take it in. Lynda enjoyed the discounted books from St. Mary's bookstore and I drooled over the amazing children's lit selection from Woozles.

Then it was back up to the Public Gardens with a short stopover in front of the Lord Nelson, where everyone was waiting to see Mick Jaggerm make his exit. We waited for fifteen minutes or so, but then we got bored, so we left. We walked through the gardens, which in hindsight might not have been a good idea considering Lou's fear of ducks and pigeons, and then headed back to my place for a little more lazing around. Lynda left late in the afternoon and I prepared for a week of assignments...

Laura, the Lady of A Lot

More hijinks to follow...

Today's exciting news: I have a bed!!! After sleeping on an air mattress for two weeks (which is actually not as bad as it sounds) tonight I will slumber peacefully under a fluffy duvet on a pleasantly firm mattress. Hopefully this will also help to get rid of the horrible crick I've had in my neck for the last few days....

Liam was here for a (too) short visit last weekend. We filled Saturday with a visit to the Peace Pavilion on the Dartmouth waterfront, a giant trip to the mall to get more things for my apartment, and some time spent downtown so he could ogle the camping gear at MEC and the cameras at Carsand-Mosher. As a bonus, Liam brought over some boxes from home for me that included exciting things like plates and spoons. My mom sewed me a set of curtains for my bedroom and sent me some cute pictures and a bright yellow tea tray. With little touches like these my place is looking more settled every day -- just in time for the invasion of girls next weekend!

And finally, I had a confusing ten minutes in computer class today as I listened to my prof go on and on about all the different tools in a database and he kept mentioning swords. I couldn't understand what swords would have to do with databases -- until I realized that with his thick Lebanese/French accent he was actually saying "sort". Suddenly things made sense. I'll take S words for $500 please.

The baby pigeons are gone. John, my superintendent, "eliminated" them while I was in class on Tuesday afternoon. Even though I know there was no other solution to the problem, I feel horribly guilty every time I hear the mother pigeon outside the window. It might not even be the same bird, but my conscience still translates "Squawk, squawk, squawk" into "Baby killer!" I guess at least now I can start using my balcony...

My Management Without Borders lecture today provided a reminder of just how varied my classmates' backgrounds are: When we were discussing the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and its impact of the public image of Shell, a girl spoke up who grew up in the same town as Saro-Wiwa and whose father worked for Shell. It's hard to get more first-hand that in a classroom discussion about an event that happened eleven years ago on the other side of the world! Although there are many important lessons I learned at UPEI, there really is something to be said for being in a class that isn't primarily made up of people who all have (relatively) similar life experiences. Also, it's hard not to be impressed when your professor announces that he won't be at next week's lecture because he will be speaking at a UN meeting in Paris!

And finally, Michelle has the internet! Yay!! And Liam is coming tomorrow! Yay!!

Well, this weekend was certainly action-packed!

Friday night Roisin (a friend from Waterloo) and her boyfriend, Ryan, arrived in Halifax after a week spent camping in the Maritimes. I'm pleased to report that they made it over to PEI and loved it. Ryan even got his first glimpse ever of the ocean! They stayed at my apartment Friday night, which gave me a chance to show off my new digs for the first time -- and Roisin was suitably impressed by the lack of holes in my carpet. We went for brunch on Saturday morning and then wandered through the Public Gardens for a bit. Roisin and Ryan went downtown to do some shopping and I went to the bookstore to spend $170 on two tiny textbooks. The two of them left for the airport in the later afternoon, so I did some reading and took a little nap.

This morning was brunch at The Thirsty Duck with people from SIM and then a city-wide scavenger hunt! Team Gazeebow Unit (no, that's not a misspelling) came in first place, so I am now the proud owner of a Halifax bookmark and $5 in Tim Horton's money. Both of these things will come in handy! I also finally got to see Katie, picked up a few plants at Pete's Frootique, and got to have a nice chat with Rachie.

Now for the first full week of classes...

Last night was the long-awaited Keith's Brewery tour. Most of the first-year SIMs (there are 54 of us!) and a few of the second-years toddled off to the waterfront to watch women in wench-dresses and men in suspenders explain to us how hops and grains and water become beer. Then they gave us a drink (no, I didn't have any) and sang us "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?" It was a fun half hour, but I can't believe people pay $20 for the experience.

After the Bewery we moved on to the Henry House for dinner (where I'm pretty sure I saw the guy who sold me my couch). During conversation with some girls from out west I was appalled to discover several large gaps in their knowledge of Eastern Canada: 1) they did not know PEI was famous for potatos; 2) they thought Cape Breton was a town in Nova Scotia, not an island; and 3) one Albertan thought that Nova Scotia was a three-hour FERRY ride from TORONTO! That being said, these girls are extremely nice and also excited to be in the Maritimes, so I think I'll just educate them about Atlantic Canada as much as I can. After all, it's not their fault they're from Western Canada... (I'm just kidding Laura!) Actually, I'm really enjoying getting to know my classmates, even the Albertans. ;)

In other news, the two pigeon eggs on my balcony have hatched. I thought I heard peeps last night, so I went out today to check -- and there are two scrawny, ugly little baby birds in the nest. I thought that baby birds would at least be cute! I guess I was picturing yellow chicks or something...

It seems only fitting to begin my time in Halifax by reflecting back on my year in Waterloo. Those twelve months in 2004 and 2005 were filled with a lot of firsts -- my first time living on my own, my first experience with graduate school, my first time navigating a public transit system, my first tornado warning. I learned a lot while I was in Ontario, and I'd like to share some of what I consider my most interesting discoveries. Be warned though: just because I thought it was exciting or significant doesn't mean it actually was!

1. No matter what Ontarians might think, a creek on campus is not a substitute for the Atlantic Ocean.
2. The thrill of being able to visit The Gap whenever you want never wears off, even if the only thing you buy there in a year is a pair of jeans.
3. There are stables in the parking lots of most grocery stores in Waterloo so that Mennonites who have to do a little shopping have a place to tie up their horse and buggy.
4. A podium makes a good place to hide your shaking hands on your first day as a teaching assistant; however, never underestimate the authority that comes from being the one writing on the chalkboard.
5. It is possible to sleep for 20 hours in a row.
6. It is also possible to function for two days on three hours of sleep. (I think Michelle knew that already.)
7. Rosie O'Donnell is extremely polite.
8. Never wear a new skirt out in public without first checking if you need to wear a slip.
9. Don't let your boyfriend drink unattended with your classmates from Ireland.
10. Getting mail instantly makes your whole day better, especially if it's not a bill or a pizza flyer.
11. It says something about your neighbourhood when the closest stores are Mario's Pizza, a porn shop, and Lucky Super Convenience.
12. It is possible to pick up the instrument you haven't played in six years and make music again.
13. Thunder storms are not as enjoyable when you're by yourself.
14. Never order furniture online from Sears, unless you're prepared to spend hours on the phone trying to find a human to complain to when you've been sent the wrong-coloured couch. Stupid Sears.
15. After the first five minutes of terror, riding on a motorcycle is surprisingly fun.
16. In graduate school you sometimes have to curse as part of a seminar. Try not to blush.
17. When Mel rubs my head it makes my headaches go away.
18. Always have an air-conditioner for your tiny, top-floor apartment. When it hits 40 degrees outside your body will thank you.
19. There are cats that live behind the Parliament Buildings!
20. Having friends drive across three provinces to visit you makes you realize how lucky you are to know people like that.
21. When you're in a Greek restaurant and someone lights something on fire behind your head and yells "Opa!" it's not necessary to scream or duck.
22. If you're ever going on a car trip with Catherine and Mike be prepared to sing gospel music.
23. Meeting your neighbours in Ontario isn't impossible; it just takes longer.
24. Open the steam vents on your pots before you try to boil carrots.
25. When your carrots have exploded and your fish has turned to ashes, waffles make a good supper.
26. Big cities are filled with wildlife (for example: foxes, bats, rabbits, eagles, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, swans, ducks, geese).
27. Some students will cheat no matter what you do to try to prevent it.
28. The architects of Hagey Hall didn't believe in windows.
29. The combined malevolence of a literary theory class can actually cause the death of a famous French philospher.
30. No matter how cute your red Mary-Janes are, they should not be worn to walk long distances if they cause mammoth blisters because then you'll end up walking through downtown Toronto in barefeet -- and that's just gross.
31. Smiths Falls is a chocolate-lover's heaven.
32. The inside of Mr. Dress-Up's treehouse is a little disappointing.
33. The oranguatangs at the Toronto Zoo have been known to use their food bowls as boats in attempts to paddle across the moat of their enclosure to escape.
34. It is possible to create a wall of Shreddie boxes over 5 feet tall when you eat an average of one and a half boxes of Shreddies a week for a year.
35. There's no place like home, but sometimes another place can come pretty close.

I've made it through the first day of SIM orientation, and with these tips in mind, I think I'm going to make it through the next two years too.