Bloody horny teenagers...

Well, I've found out who it is I can hear having sex. Unfortunately for me, it's someone I know. Unfortunately for them, they know that I know. Haitham reckons I should file it as a noise disturbance. It's not them that I hear, per se, it's the bed squeaking.

In other news, I have my exam schedule. My exams are on the 7th, 13th, 17th and 18th of December. The ones on the 7th and 17th are at 8:30am. WTF, mate? The 13th is at 7pm and the 18th is a Saturday. Hmm. Thought about leaving drinks on the 18th but Martin is going home on the 15th, so thinking provisionally the 11th instead. And by leaving drinks, I mean a leaving meal with optional consumption of alcohol pre, post, and during the meal.

To my family: I forgot to remind you that I'm seeing the Dr tomorrow so I probably won't be online before midnight your time, if you'll still be up?

Vanier Vibe

My photo is the cover photo, my poem's on the back page and I have an article in the middle. Better than all of that, I totally snaffled the COLOUR copy to send back home.

I am cool, no?

Thanksgiving

I don't agree with many of the historical aspects of this holiday, however, as a way of bringing people together, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will blog properly tomorrow. I've been running around all day. I may delay blogging until Wednesday as I have much work to do tomorrow.

There are many funny photos and videos. Honest.

FML.

You know how the university in NZ have managed to screw me over already? They've done it again.

I decided to have a look on their website because I haven't heard a damn thing from them (not surprising because my application isn't even due at UEA yet, although it's already been handed in.) Here I discovered that the deadline for applying for housing was October 1st. Cheers! Thanks for that, you useless bunch of *insert expletive here* So, I've just applied for housing (their housing site is ridiculously confusing) and now I have to hope that I'll get a place. Apparently they keep a small number of places available for international students until December. They also charge 1 term only students more money.

I can not adequately express how pissed off I am. I think *headdesk* sums it up.

New Zealand had better be damned good after all of this.

EDIT: Another part of the website says that the deadline for international/exchange people who're only there for 1 semester is Dec 1st. Will they even have any places left? I can see me ending up in the U. Vic equivalent of Mary Chapman Court...or worse.

Putting the British into British Columbia

Ha, Yahoo! answers has told me how to get stuff from the internal memory to my memory card. I no longer need worry when I forget the memory card. Good stuff. So, here we have a picture of us taken at the Brits dinner at White Spot on Thursday. There are two Canadians but we forgive them. Starting from the front left and working round we have Tess, Kyle, Ed, Tom, me, Henry, Allanah and Kai. Kyle and Kai are the Canadians and myself, Tom and Allanah are the UEA crew (sans Rebecca.) Yay!

The dinner was really nice and it was good to hang out with fellow British people. We'll have to have another meal later on in the semester. Over the course of dinner I learned that Henry's father is a lord. I've never met anyone with a title before. Despite being the youngest, Henry looks the oldest and we all got served without being ID'd. During a conversation about bad chat up lines I got into a conversation with Tom about Rammstein. I was impressed that he knew what I was referencing. Afterwards, myself, Henry and Tom decided to have a drink and a natter in Henry's room (which is over mine and across one) and on the way I stopped off at Tweedsmuir and saw Tom's room. I had a 1960s/UEA flashback.

Yesterday I'd planned to go to UBC Pride but ended up going to Mahoney's which is an 'Irish' bar on campus. I had a frozen cocktail because the price of cider was ridiculous. A pint of Strongbow was $8.75 :O I went with Martin and Ian. Ian went clubbing downtown afterwards but it was raining so we went back home instead.

In other news, I have a completed provisional travel plan. No doubt it'll end up getting changed at some point. My brother may be coming to join me on my travels so we will have to see what he wants to do too.

There's word on the street that the waltz is a dance we should dance to, it's not all it's cracked up to be...

Today I learned that there was some confusion over who was in the wigs in the picture from this entry. Just to clarify, it's a picture of Jack and his friend Richard when they were still at school in Witney. It seemed appropriate to put it in seeing as I was talking about Witney. That, and it made me laugh. So for this entry I have decided to include an actual picture of me in a blonde wig. Laugh away people, laugh away...well, they do say that people are attracted to people who look like them, hence why you see separated siblings meeting later in life and falling in love.

So, last night I went to a free ballroom dancing lesson with Frances. It was so much fun and if I were here for a whole year, then I would join the club but it's too much money for me to join for the remainder of this semester. We learned a basic cha cha cha and a basic waltz. We learned the steps on our own and then found a partner to dance with for a minute or so before swapping partners. They also had members of the club exec. there who danced with us and I waltzed with one of them and he said I was an excellent follower. I don't know if he just said that to be nice though. You'd think I'd be a good dancer all things considered but as I proved in Bedford's Crypt with Shaun, I can't dance for shit. Just as well I didn't go into ice dance really, even though I think I would've enjoyed it more.

I'm meant to be going to White Spot this evening for a Brits dinner. If nothing else, it'll be good to hear a familiar accent again! I was going to write something else but it seems to have escaped me...obviously wasn't important!

I remember a time when you kissed me instead of just walking away...

Last night I had my war lit. midterm. I don't think it went very well. I knew the answers but the format of the exam confused me. We'll see how it went lol.

Yesterday was October 5th. October 5th 2009 was a good night. I went to see Witchers for the very first time and I got in for free because Jack paid for my ticket. Sadly this trend didn't continue! Not only was it my first time at a Witchers gig, but it was also my first gig at the Arts Centre in Norwich and also the first time I tried Norfolk Cider (if you haven't tried it, you really are missing out. It's also available at the Ribs of Beef.) This is all very fine and well but the bit about that night that has the most importance to me is that after the gig, Jack asked me to be his girlfriend. Ah...that doesn't seem like it was that long ago. I've been listening to Witchers and not feeling too meh over the past couple of days, so I think some progress is being made.

Anyway, through my listenings I realised that I am in love with a song. Or am I? Am I in love with the voice I hear in the background and the person I know it belongs to? Or am I in love with it because very few people have listened to it live and it makes it more special, the fact that it was played for me or the circumstances in which it was played? I don't know. What makes your favourite song? I have a favourite song. Unfortunately this song has been somewhat ruined for me after I was informed that a certain vile person in Norwich and their new squeeze have adopted it as 'their song'. Hmm. The dopey c u next Tuesdays probably don't even know what the song is about. My favourite song, for those who don't know, is 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers. I am perfectly aware that it is a song about heroin as well as a song about a woman. The lyrics aren't what's important to me, it's the time signature. Yes, I have a love for 3/4. This probably explains many of my other favourite songs. Do all couples have a 'song'? I have had songs with people, some I haven't been in a relationship with. There's always been a reason behind why it was that song. With Jack it was 'Rock Lobster' by The B-52s because the night we first met, this song was being played. Inigo and I have a 'song' which is 'The Guns of Brixton' by The Clash because one of the first conversations we ever had was about that song. I fail to see what connection that parasite has to 'Golden Brown.' Seeing as the song has already been ruined for me, if anyone can enlighten me as to the connection, I am all ears.

EDIT: Just tried to transfer money from my TSB account to my RBC one. It says I need a sort code. I don't have one. Any suggestions?

Damn you, Vermont!

Ok, sweet! My blog now has 3 official followers, and only 2 of them are my relatives!

Today I got my third piece of post. It was a thank you card from Mark! Thank you, Mark. This has made my day. No really, it has.

So, I've decided that Vermont sucks and unless I suddenly remember someone who lives there or finds someone who isn't too far away who is willing to drive me there, the Ben and Jerry's trip isn't happening. Sad times. So, I've been working on a provisional itinerary and I've got a general plan up until January 14th. From here I have several options but I thought I'd throw it out there to people in case they would like to see me. I realise that with having room mates and whatnot, it may be tricky to stay with you and I am more than happy to stay in a hostel nearby and hang out with you during the day or whatever. Mainly because spending two months travelling on my own without seeing anybody I know and then moving to another country where I know nobody will suck. So, umm, yeah. If you'd like me to visit you, please do let me know.

Modestry, Honestry, and the Private Sfaere

No, I'm not drunk. Nor have I lost the ability to spell. These are genuine mistakes that my lecturer wrote on the board today. I think we should all be concerned for the education system of Canada.

So, I've been over here for exactly a month today. Which means that I have two and a bit months left living in Vanier before I am homeless. I am really tempted to record a charity-style video plea for places to stay. In the meantime, I will do it here:

PLEASE HELP! FRAN NEEDS PLACES TO STAY AND WOULD RATHER NOT BANKRUPT HERSELF IN THE PROCESS. SHE IS FULLY HOUSE TRAINED AND WILL COOK/CLEAN/GENERALLY ATTEMPT TO BE USEFUL IF SHE CAN STAY ON YOUR/YOUR FRIEND'S/YOUR RELATIVE'S FLOOR/SOFA/BED. ADOPT A FRAN INTO YOUR HOME. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A CREDIT CRUNCH BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE, ADOPT A FRAN!!!

Ok, so that last bit was actually stolen from Creep when we were on the tube after the Sisters of Mercy gig. I'm sure the passengers on the Northern line were suitably like 'wtf?!' Anyway, that's the gist of what I want to say. Not that I can really walk up to people and say this to them. It'd be rude. As some of you may know, I have to leave my residence by noon on December 22nd and I'm not due in New Zealand until mid-February, so I have a bit of time to wander about. I sort of have a plan but this plan is getting fucked up by the fact that the entire state of Vermont seems to have nowhere cheap to stay that is easy to get to. Goddamn it. So my options, should I still remain determined to go to Vermont stand as follows:

- Pay for expensive accommodation.

- Pay for cheap accommodation but fork out for taxis everywhere.

- Be homeless.

- Couch Surf.

So, for those of you who don't know, Couch Surf is a website where people offer their couches for other randomers to stay at. It's not as dodgy as it sounds and I've only heard one bad story about it. I'm too lazy to describe the concept properly, so here is a link to their site.

Please enjoy. Also, I have messed about with the settings on this thing so that you can leave comments. Isn't that nice?

The Words Don't Fit The Picture

From the top we have:

- Bad picture of me wearing my 'The Eh Team' top.

- Equally bad wearing my new jacket on top.

- A pile of the things I acquired today.

- Nelson Street.

- Leaves in the pavement.

- Quotes around the trees.

- The sign by the library.

- Robson Square.

So, today was bus day. Before I set off, I caved and bought myself a full price copy of 'Paterson' from the bookstore because my Amazon one still hasn't arrived and I'm going to find myself in pretty deep shit next week if I don't have it all read. I also bought myself a UBC duck keyring. It can be friends with the magnet. Then I set off for the city. I decided to make for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory because a chocolate factory sounded like fun. It turned out to be a chocolate shop that I smelled before I saw it. On the way there I was handed a free Burt's bees sample which made me happy (posh cosmetics stuff as bought by my old boss.) I got to see the sweets being made in the shop, which was cool and had a sample of a smores caramel apple (smores is chocolate and marshmallow.) I decided to buy some maple syrup fudge, which is damned nice.

I wandered up and down a bit before coming to Lush, which bizarrely I saw before I smelled. I picked up some things in there and it was interesting talking to the staff as they still had some products that have been discontinued in the UK and had some I'd not seen before but on the other hand, they didn't have a lot of the new stuff I saw before I left. It's arriving next Saturday and I've been invited to join them for a Lush party lol.

I then stopped to eat my sandwich and had my first encounter with a homeless person here. They're really aggressive and intimidating, I don't like it at all. Afterwards I stuck my head into Bang On which I had heard about but had no idea where it was. It's awesome. You pick your top. You pick your design. They print it for you then and there. It was $22 I believe. I will probably go back there. I decided to get one which says 'The Eh Team' because it's funny and Canadian. I saw some very apt ones for people back home so if you want any, send me monies and tell me what you want and I can get it for you.

From there I went to Sears. They were having a sale but they also had a discount outlet floor. So I went there and got the black jacket for just over $20. The original tag says it should have been over $70. Big yay. I wandered some more but kept getting disorientated by the tourist map points. They showed where you were but didn't say which direction you were facing...I then came home and chilled.