A couple months ago I mentioned that an intercity coach line was going on strike in New Brunswick and PEI. At the time I was worried that it would affect my Christmas plans with J. And it did a little bit but everything worked out.
Unfortunately that bus line is still on strike. So I usually have to book a train ticket well in advance if I plan on visiting J. Just so I can get the cheapest price.
Anyway, as if that wasn't enough, the Metro bus system in Halifax is possibly going to strike this Thursday. Which pretty much will leave me completely stranded. See, when I was searching for apartments prior to my big move here, I looked for places closest to my school. Which is outside the city a bit. It's not overly far, but to get to the downtown area, it takes about 40 minutes. I'm sure that's nothing for those that live in bigger cities like Toronto or NYC, because I know commutes through bus and subway can take hours at times. But, on the small scale of cities, I think that 40 minutes is still a lot. That translates to about a 2 hour walk. I google mapped it out using the walking directions feature.
I'm close to school which is good. I won't have to miss classes. But I'll be stranded when it comes to going to my dance classes, which are in the downtown core of the city. And as a student with not a whole lot of cash, taking a cab will definitely hurt me financially each time I use it. The buses were so convenient as I have a bus pass as part of my student i.d. It's included in the tuition and I took full advantage of using it.
There's still 3 days before the strike is about to happen. So send me well wishes that an agreement will be made.
I joked the other day that I'd either be really poor by the end of the strike or have legs of steel from walking so much. I might try and do a happy medium with walking and taking a cab. Walk as far as half way, and then take a cab the rest of the way. It'll cut down on costs, and I'll be getting my exercise.
I guess it's the best I can do for now.
Monday, 30 January 2012
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Location Location Location
In 19 days my Spring Break begins! I can't wait. This break I'm heading to J's for almost a week, and while I'm there I'm going to get my second tattoo.
Now I've given a lot of thought as to what I want. Sent the tattoo artist the rough sketch that J drew on a random Pizza Delight cutlery wrap thingy. But now I'm debating with myself where to put this tattoo. At first I wanted to put it on my forearm. But then talked myself out of that for many reasons including:
- pain factor - skin tends to be a little more thin in that area, so having that area scratched with a tattoo needle is a little more painful there.
- job interview factor - I know it's more common now for people to have visible tattoos, but I think employers still judge. I want a public health position so not sure if having a big tattoo on my forearm would make a good impression.
The thing is, I want to be able to see this new tattoo without looking in a mirror and twisting around to actually see it.
So then I thought that maybe I could get it on my side. I went with that idea for a few months. But tonight I thought about it more and decided to figure out a new location.
I have reasons behind scratching the side idea too including
- pregnancy - while it's not something I'm currently experiencing, it is something I do hope to experience in the next 5 years at most. And I know a woman's body stretches in that area. I don't want this tattoo to be completely distorted in just a few years after getting it.
So I think I'm going to get it on the side of my right calf. Above the ankle.
That way it will be visible to me without looking in the mirror and I can easily cover it when needed, such as for job interviews and such.
Not sure how constantly shaving my legs will affect it, but at least it won't get stretched or distorted there.
Do you have any tattoos? Did you put a lot of thought into the location of them?
Now I've given a lot of thought as to what I want. Sent the tattoo artist the rough sketch that J drew on a random Pizza Delight cutlery wrap thingy. But now I'm debating with myself where to put this tattoo. At first I wanted to put it on my forearm. But then talked myself out of that for many reasons including:
- pain factor - skin tends to be a little more thin in that area, so having that area scratched with a tattoo needle is a little more painful there.
- job interview factor - I know it's more common now for people to have visible tattoos, but I think employers still judge. I want a public health position so not sure if having a big tattoo on my forearm would make a good impression.
The thing is, I want to be able to see this new tattoo without looking in a mirror and twisting around to actually see it.
So then I thought that maybe I could get it on my side. I went with that idea for a few months. But tonight I thought about it more and decided to figure out a new location.
I have reasons behind scratching the side idea too including
- pregnancy - while it's not something I'm currently experiencing, it is something I do hope to experience in the next 5 years at most. And I know a woman's body stretches in that area. I don't want this tattoo to be completely distorted in just a few years after getting it.
So I think I'm going to get it on the side of my right calf. Above the ankle.
That way it will be visible to me without looking in the mirror and I can easily cover it when needed, such as for job interviews and such.
Not sure how constantly shaving my legs will affect it, but at least it won't get stretched or distorted there.
Do you have any tattoos? Did you put a lot of thought into the location of them?
Saturday, 28 January 2012
What's your number?
Tonight I watched a super cute chick flick movie. I didn't think I'd end up watching it ever because wasn't sure about the content. Seemed like it would be one of those stupid comedy movies that are either a hit or miss. Like Napoleon Dynamite.
It's called "What's Your Number" starring Anna Faris.
The premise of the movie is that 20 is the acceptable number of lovers a woman should have before she is deemed hopeless. And the main character, Allie had already hit that number. So instead of looking for a new guy, she wanted to track down all her exes for a second chance.
I won't give the whole synopsis of the movie but I will tell you that I found it to be absolutely hilarious. Sure it was a typical chick flick and followed the general chick flick plot line with a few twists. But it was just what I needed. And of course at the end I got warm fuzzies on the inside because everything worked out for the character in the end. It's not a spoiler alert kind of thing, because let's get real here: everything works out for characters in the end of chick flicks ;)
But that was just what I needed to lift my spirits tonight. Every once in a while it's nice to indulge in watching a romantic comedy.
What do you do to lift your spirits when you're feeling down?
It's called "What's Your Number" starring Anna Faris.
The premise of the movie is that 20 is the acceptable number of lovers a woman should have before she is deemed hopeless. And the main character, Allie had already hit that number. So instead of looking for a new guy, she wanted to track down all her exes for a second chance.
I won't give the whole synopsis of the movie but I will tell you that I found it to be absolutely hilarious. Sure it was a typical chick flick and followed the general chick flick plot line with a few twists. But it was just what I needed. And of course at the end I got warm fuzzies on the inside because everything worked out for the character in the end. It's not a spoiler alert kind of thing, because let's get real here: everything works out for characters in the end of chick flicks ;)
But that was just what I needed to lift my spirits tonight. Every once in a while it's nice to indulge in watching a romantic comedy.
What do you do to lift your spirits when you're feeling down?
Friday, 27 January 2012
Invisible
So yesterday I mentioned how I had a long day and most of that was due to the fact that I ended up being in a meeting for an hour and a half discussing issues with some classmates for a certain class.
Today I was thinking more on that meeting and couldn't help but feel like I was almost invisible during the meeting.
I don't know why. But I just got that feeling. It could be that because one of my previous group members was asked her opinion and she mentioned that she had a great experience working with International students on a particular project. Then someone else piped up and agreed that our presentation was awesome, and proceeded to say that the presentation was made awesome by the first person that mentioned it, and another person in the group. And no they didn't mean me. They either forgot I was in the group, or forgot I was in the room. But I couldn't help but think "Oh gee thanks".
Or maybe they didn't think I belonged at that meeting. There were times in one of my classes that my other two group members decided to meet without me and not even tell me when or where they were meeting. Who knows really. But I did belong there, even if I didn't really want to be there.
I don't want to make this seem like a pity party, because it most definitely isn't. It's just the facts. I don't fit in with these particular girls. But that doesn't mean I don't fit in elsewhere.
I fit in with J. I fit in with my friends from Acadia. I fit in with my two best friends. And I fit in with the new friends I made while I lived in Moncton last year.
I guess it just bothers me more right now because I'm currently surrounded by these other people that I don't really fit in with. And the ones I do fit in with live in other areas of the province/country. It's hard to not feel invisible.
So near the end of the meeting yesterday. I decided to pipe up a lot more and input my opinion. So maybe people would take note of what I had to say and think that I don't just sit on the sidelines watching.
Hope it worked a bit. We shall see.
Have you ever felt invisible before?
Today I was thinking more on that meeting and couldn't help but feel like I was almost invisible during the meeting.
I don't know why. But I just got that feeling. It could be that because one of my previous group members was asked her opinion and she mentioned that she had a great experience working with International students on a particular project. Then someone else piped up and agreed that our presentation was awesome, and proceeded to say that the presentation was made awesome by the first person that mentioned it, and another person in the group. And no they didn't mean me. They either forgot I was in the group, or forgot I was in the room. But I couldn't help but think "Oh gee thanks".
Or maybe they didn't think I belonged at that meeting. There were times in one of my classes that my other two group members decided to meet without me and not even tell me when or where they were meeting. Who knows really. But I did belong there, even if I didn't really want to be there.
I don't want to make this seem like a pity party, because it most definitely isn't. It's just the facts. I don't fit in with these particular girls. But that doesn't mean I don't fit in elsewhere.
I fit in with J. I fit in with my friends from Acadia. I fit in with my two best friends. And I fit in with the new friends I made while I lived in Moncton last year.
I guess it just bothers me more right now because I'm currently surrounded by these other people that I don't really fit in with. And the ones I do fit in with live in other areas of the province/country. It's hard to not feel invisible.
So near the end of the meeting yesterday. I decided to pipe up a lot more and input my opinion. So maybe people would take note of what I had to say and think that I don't just sit on the sidelines watching.
Hope it worked a bit. We shall see.
Have you ever felt invisible before?
Freaky
Lately I've been having freaky and weird dreams. I don't know why.
But I'll wake up from them a little bit scared and paranoid.
I mentioned the dream from a couple weeks ago about being chased by a man with a knife. Last night I was being followed/chased by a man with a gun. And this time I was a Pan Am Stewardess right off the show. Which I absolutely love. I think in this dream I was Laura (if you're not familiar with the show, she is the blonde one of the main 4). And Kate (she's the red headed one, also Laura's sister in the show, and a spy for some intelligence agency, I think the CIA?) was being followed by one of her contacts from overseas. I think in this dream I actually got shot in the chest near the beginning, but still lived through it. Surprisingly.
Anyway I won't go into much more detail. But I woke up scared. And it was 8am by then. So luckily it wasn't still dark at that point or I would've been slightly more afraid. I was able to go back to sleep for another 3 hours afterwards but the dream was still fresh in my mind when I woke up later.
I wonder what it means?
Have you had any weird dreams lately? Do tell!
But I'll wake up from them a little bit scared and paranoid.
I mentioned the dream from a couple weeks ago about being chased by a man with a knife. Last night I was being followed/chased by a man with a gun. And this time I was a Pan Am Stewardess right off the show. Which I absolutely love. I think in this dream I was Laura (if you're not familiar with the show, she is the blonde one of the main 4). And Kate (she's the red headed one, also Laura's sister in the show, and a spy for some intelligence agency, I think the CIA?) was being followed by one of her contacts from overseas. I think in this dream I actually got shot in the chest near the beginning, but still lived through it. Surprisingly.
Anyway I won't go into much more detail. But I woke up scared. And it was 8am by then. So luckily it wasn't still dark at that point or I would've been slightly more afraid. I was able to go back to sleep for another 3 hours afterwards but the dream was still fresh in my mind when I woke up later.
I wonder what it means?
Have you had any weird dreams lately? Do tell!
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Long day
Today was a pretty long day for me. I woke up and started doing laundry right away. I had a specific outfit picked out in my mind for today but half of that outfit was sitting in my laundry hamper.
After the laundry was finished and I had eaten breakfast/lunch. I took a nap. I've been having weird dreams at night, so they sort of wake me up in the middle of the night and it takes a little while to get back to sleep.
Anyway. In one of my classes, the instructor called a meeting with a select few of us in the class. He identified us as being strong students and wanted our help to figure out a situation. Currently in the class there are 10 girls that speak English as a first language. Then there are the international students who don't. There is a group work component to our class and for the most part groups have been chosen. But they were chosen by the students and apparently the International students want to work with us. I don't have a problem with that, as my group consisted of two girls from Saudi Arabia. It was a group I had worked with previously last semester and everyone pulled their weight for that occasion. So it was a good experience for me.
But others in that meeting today have had terrible experiences with working in groups with International students. They've had to do all the work and still ended up with the same mark as those that didn't put any work into the assignment. So they were frustrated.
And we had to figure out how to make things fair for everybody in the class for this project. We ended up spending an hour and a half discussing this. An hour with the teacher there, and then when he left to prepare for the lecture we had that evening, we still stayed for another half hour to think of a possible solution.
It was a long drawn out process but I think we figured it out. Everyone will have to compromise in one way or another. I'm possibly going to lose my awesome group I had formed for this project.
Some of what we talked about had to do with the school being really slack with their admissions. Not everyone can necessarily go to Grad School. Some simply don't have the marks. But they get in anyway... why? Because of MONEY. The school I go to has become a business. They want more income so they'll take more students in. And sometimes with group projects, some people don't pull their weight (that most definitely includes NON international students too), everyone in a particular group for a project leaves with the same mark. And not everyone deserved that mark. But they find a way to still stay in the program.
In all honesty, I didn't think my GPA was high enough from my undergrad but I still got in. I'm not sure I would have at another school if I had applied. But since I did get in, I made sure to work my butt off so I could get good grades and feel like I've actually earned them.
But anyway. We had to think of a solution that would help the current issue we were having in that particular class.
Then we had class. Which wasn't too bad. But I was starting to get hungry.
And following this class I had to attend a seminar given by Dr. James Painter. A food psychologist, registered dietitian and motivational speaker. It was a great talk and made a lot of sense to me. I suggest you look at the documentary "Portion Size Me". It may just hold the key to losing and maintaining weight!
I didn't get home until after 8:30 tonight though. And I had left the house at 2:30ish. That's a long time to go without a hearty meal. I did have some dunkaroos, but that wasn't much to keep me full.
So it made for a long day.
I realize this post is all over the place. But I just felt like blogging tonight about something, anything. And what was fresh on my mind was today.
How was your day?
After the laundry was finished and I had eaten breakfast/lunch. I took a nap. I've been having weird dreams at night, so they sort of wake me up in the middle of the night and it takes a little while to get back to sleep.
Anyway. In one of my classes, the instructor called a meeting with a select few of us in the class. He identified us as being strong students and wanted our help to figure out a situation. Currently in the class there are 10 girls that speak English as a first language. Then there are the international students who don't. There is a group work component to our class and for the most part groups have been chosen. But they were chosen by the students and apparently the International students want to work with us. I don't have a problem with that, as my group consisted of two girls from Saudi Arabia. It was a group I had worked with previously last semester and everyone pulled their weight for that occasion. So it was a good experience for me.
But others in that meeting today have had terrible experiences with working in groups with International students. They've had to do all the work and still ended up with the same mark as those that didn't put any work into the assignment. So they were frustrated.
And we had to figure out how to make things fair for everybody in the class for this project. We ended up spending an hour and a half discussing this. An hour with the teacher there, and then when he left to prepare for the lecture we had that evening, we still stayed for another half hour to think of a possible solution.
It was a long drawn out process but I think we figured it out. Everyone will have to compromise in one way or another. I'm possibly going to lose my awesome group I had formed for this project.
Some of what we talked about had to do with the school being really slack with their admissions. Not everyone can necessarily go to Grad School. Some simply don't have the marks. But they get in anyway... why? Because of MONEY. The school I go to has become a business. They want more income so they'll take more students in. And sometimes with group projects, some people don't pull their weight (that most definitely includes NON international students too), everyone in a particular group for a project leaves with the same mark. And not everyone deserved that mark. But they find a way to still stay in the program.
In all honesty, I didn't think my GPA was high enough from my undergrad but I still got in. I'm not sure I would have at another school if I had applied. But since I did get in, I made sure to work my butt off so I could get good grades and feel like I've actually earned them.
But anyway. We had to think of a solution that would help the current issue we were having in that particular class.
Then we had class. Which wasn't too bad. But I was starting to get hungry.
And following this class I had to attend a seminar given by Dr. James Painter. A food psychologist, registered dietitian and motivational speaker. It was a great talk and made a lot of sense to me. I suggest you look at the documentary "Portion Size Me". It may just hold the key to losing and maintaining weight!
I didn't get home until after 8:30 tonight though. And I had left the house at 2:30ish. That's a long time to go without a hearty meal. I did have some dunkaroos, but that wasn't much to keep me full.
So it made for a long day.
I realize this post is all over the place. But I just felt like blogging tonight about something, anything. And what was fresh on my mind was today.
How was your day?
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Cyber Bullying
We all know it exists in one form or another. But what can be done to stop it?
I recently got myself in the habit of watching the evening news online from the Maritime news centre since I no longer have cable and am curious of what is happening in my area.
There was a segment on cyber bullying covered tonight. The headline actually caught my eye because it said "Anti-bullying advocates fuming over "dirty" website". My first thought was that the news was somehow clued into the website that I witnessed a lot of cyber bullying taking place. But in fact, it was mentioning a site which might be much worse.
I think of it as a real life gossip girl. A man owns a site called "The Dirty" in which people can submit photos and blasts of other people they may know. Most of the girls in the photos dress provacatively, but is that a reason for their names to be slandered across the internet? No. Some may have had children at an early age. Or may have done drugs. Or have family drama going on. But that's still no reason to spread it across the internet. That's their business and they should deal with it themselves.
It disgusts me that this is going on.
How can we protect ourselves and others from this happening? I don't think we can, as sad as that may be.
Do you have any solutions?
I recently got myself in the habit of watching the evening news online from the Maritime news centre since I no longer have cable and am curious of what is happening in my area.
There was a segment on cyber bullying covered tonight. The headline actually caught my eye because it said "Anti-bullying advocates fuming over "dirty" website". My first thought was that the news was somehow clued into the website that I witnessed a lot of cyber bullying taking place. But in fact, it was mentioning a site which might be much worse.
I think of it as a real life gossip girl. A man owns a site called "The Dirty" in which people can submit photos and blasts of other people they may know. Most of the girls in the photos dress provacatively, but is that a reason for their names to be slandered across the internet? No. Some may have had children at an early age. Or may have done drugs. Or have family drama going on. But that's still no reason to spread it across the internet. That's their business and they should deal with it themselves.
It disgusts me that this is going on.
How can we protect ourselves and others from this happening? I don't think we can, as sad as that may be.
Do you have any solutions?
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
This is ridiculous
Not sure if I mentioned it here, but I have a love/hate relationship with the show "Gossip Girl".
I read ALL the books in the series and it's nothing like the show.
The books were good, if you like reading Upper East Side teenage drama. Which as a teenager, I loved. And had to finish all the books in the series.
Anyway, I keep watching the show because I'm curious as to what the latest drama will be and how outrageous it'll be. It's like a train wreck I can't stop watching.
The mid-season finale was amazing. It sort of followed the same track as the Princess Di scandal/death from 1997... her being chased in a car by paparazzi until the car crashed. Only in the show, the two people that were in the car were Chuck and Blair. And they lived through the accident. And because of it Blair has turned to God for guidance. Which isn't what bothers me.
What bothers me is that there's a character on the show who plays a priest. A scheming priest. I'm not really big on religion myself, but, I think priests do a lot for their church and wouldn't really scheme against people.
Sure some do end up betraying the church by doing bad things. Most of what we hear is about those stories. But for the most part, they're pretty good men and are passionate about what they do for God. I get that. But that doesn't mean I'll be part of it. That's beside the point though.
I know the writers of this show just thrive on drama. They did write for the show "The OC" back in the day... so they try to throw in as much drama as possible. But this is too much. This crosses the line a bit.
So the latest developments in the show currently have me back to hating it. I'll still watch it though. But just wanted to get that mini rant out.
Not sure if I'd recommend watching the show. The books are much better in my opinion. But the show just happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine.
Wonder what they'll come up with next...
I read ALL the books in the series and it's nothing like the show.
The books were good, if you like reading Upper East Side teenage drama. Which as a teenager, I loved. And had to finish all the books in the series.
Anyway, I keep watching the show because I'm curious as to what the latest drama will be and how outrageous it'll be. It's like a train wreck I can't stop watching.
The mid-season finale was amazing. It sort of followed the same track as the Princess Di scandal/death from 1997... her being chased in a car by paparazzi until the car crashed. Only in the show, the two people that were in the car were Chuck and Blair. And they lived through the accident. And because of it Blair has turned to God for guidance. Which isn't what bothers me.
What bothers me is that there's a character on the show who plays a priest. A scheming priest. I'm not really big on religion myself, but, I think priests do a lot for their church and wouldn't really scheme against people.
Sure some do end up betraying the church by doing bad things. Most of what we hear is about those stories. But for the most part, they're pretty good men and are passionate about what they do for God. I get that. But that doesn't mean I'll be part of it. That's beside the point though.
I know the writers of this show just thrive on drama. They did write for the show "The OC" back in the day... so they try to throw in as much drama as possible. But this is too much. This crosses the line a bit.
So the latest developments in the show currently have me back to hating it. I'll still watch it though. But just wanted to get that mini rant out.
Not sure if I'd recommend watching the show. The books are much better in my opinion. But the show just happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine.
Wonder what they'll come up with next...
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Yeah... I was desperate
Believe it or not, I'm a chocoholic. Yeah me, a nutrition student, addicted to chocolate
It's actually a lot more common than you would think as most of the girls in my undergrad and a lot of the girls in my Master's program absolutely love chocolate as well.
But anyway. Since I'm on the journey to lose weight, I've been trying to cut back on Chocolate. Christmas certainly didn't help as I received tons of chocolate in my stocking, and as a gift. My dad actually gave me a box of "Pot of Gold". Which I ate half of and left the rest in Moncton with J so I wouldn't be tempted anymore.
But temptation exponentially rises when it's PMS time. And last night I was desperate. It was sort of late, or more like dark and I don't like to go up to the grocery store when it's dark out. Sketchy area. So I was homebound.
I didn't have any chocolate bars in my apartment. All I had was a jumbo bag of semi sweet chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Perfect actually. I took a small sauce pan, threw in some chocolate chips and a little peanut butter, melted it all together and put it in a dessert dish. I let it freeze for about 20 minutes and then voila, I had a homemade chocolate bar. It's not the best thing ever to do. But it hit the spot as far as chocolate cravings go. Now hopefully that'll hold me over for a bit.
It's actually a lot more common than you would think as most of the girls in my undergrad and a lot of the girls in my Master's program absolutely love chocolate as well.
But anyway. Since I'm on the journey to lose weight, I've been trying to cut back on Chocolate. Christmas certainly didn't help as I received tons of chocolate in my stocking, and as a gift. My dad actually gave me a box of "Pot of Gold". Which I ate half of and left the rest in Moncton with J so I wouldn't be tempted anymore.
But temptation exponentially rises when it's PMS time. And last night I was desperate. It was sort of late, or more like dark and I don't like to go up to the grocery store when it's dark out. Sketchy area. So I was homebound.
I didn't have any chocolate bars in my apartment. All I had was a jumbo bag of semi sweet chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Perfect actually. I took a small sauce pan, threw in some chocolate chips and a little peanut butter, melted it all together and put it in a dessert dish. I let it freeze for about 20 minutes and then voila, I had a homemade chocolate bar. It's not the best thing ever to do. But it hit the spot as far as chocolate cravings go. Now hopefully that'll hold me over for a bit.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Love
I was chatting with the boyfriend of the girl who died today.
Poor guy, he's feeling so lost over this sudden death of his girlfriend. She was the yin to his yang, and they were a great couple.
It's how I feel about J. We are two very different people but we fit together so well. I'd feel the same way if I lost him suddenly. Only I really don't want to think about that.
After this morning happened, I found myself texting "I love you" a lot to J. We say it multiple times a day as is, but, I don't know, I just wanted him to really know that I love him. And I don't ever want to lose him. I know eventually I will, but I hope it won't be until a long long time has passed.
It's been a long day, so I'm off to bed.
I have to head to the train station tomorrow and purchase my ticket for this weekend. I've decided that J needs me there with him this weekend. Even though the wake and the funeral will be before that, I feel like he still needs someone to hold onto and console him. He lost a pretty good friend today. I'd want him to be there for me if I lost a friend suddenly, so I'm being there for him. It's the right thing to do.
Poor guy, he's feeling so lost over this sudden death of his girlfriend. She was the yin to his yang, and they were a great couple.
It's how I feel about J. We are two very different people but we fit together so well. I'd feel the same way if I lost him suddenly. Only I really don't want to think about that.
After this morning happened, I found myself texting "I love you" a lot to J. We say it multiple times a day as is, but, I don't know, I just wanted him to really know that I love him. And I don't ever want to lose him. I know eventually I will, but I hope it won't be until a long long time has passed.
It's been a long day, so I'm off to bed.
I have to head to the train station tomorrow and purchase my ticket for this weekend. I've decided that J needs me there with him this weekend. Even though the wake and the funeral will be before that, I feel like he still needs someone to hold onto and console him. He lost a pretty good friend today. I'd want him to be there for me if I lost a friend suddenly, so I'm being there for him. It's the right thing to do.
Sad news
This morning my phone rang at 5:53am. It took a while for me to clue in that it was the ringtone I have set for J. I was wondering what he was calling for because we both went to bed after 2.
Anyway, he called to tell me that one of his gamer friends who lived right around the corner from him, had died.
She was only my age too.
I'm very saddened by this news, I didn't really know her all that well, but I had spent time with her and the rest of the people that lived in that house a few times.
Apparently she had a seizure while taking a shower and landed face first into water. It was the middle of the night so the shower had run for hours. One of the housemates realized this and then checked on her, and called an ambulance but I think it was too late by that point.
It just puts everything in perspective how someone so young can be met with this fate so suddenly. I actually deleted the post I wrote yesterday about the gamer code I was annoyed with. Because after this, that just seemed to petty.
I'm torn whether I should head to Moncton at the end of the week for support for J. I guess we'll see.
Rest in Peace Joline.
Anyway, he called to tell me that one of his gamer friends who lived right around the corner from him, had died.
She was only my age too.
I'm very saddened by this news, I didn't really know her all that well, but I had spent time with her and the rest of the people that lived in that house a few times.
Apparently she had a seizure while taking a shower and landed face first into water. It was the middle of the night so the shower had run for hours. One of the housemates realized this and then checked on her, and called an ambulance but I think it was too late by that point.
It just puts everything in perspective how someone so young can be met with this fate so suddenly. I actually deleted the post I wrote yesterday about the gamer code I was annoyed with. Because after this, that just seemed to petty.
I'm torn whether I should head to Moncton at the end of the week for support for J. I guess we'll see.
Rest in Peace Joline.
Friday, 13 January 2012
The Book of Jennifer
Also known as the book of me.
For Christmas, my best friend gave me this "do it yourself memoir" and I've started to fill out a few pages already. I'm hooked. It starts by asking questions about the very beginning of one's life. How your parents handled being pregnant with you. What the reactions were when you were born. I had a little help with those questions because a person doesn't tend to remember their infancy. I think my mom enjoyed helping me when I was filling this section out. I asked her most of the questions I didn't already know by email and she sent a lovely reply, recounting how she and my dad dealt with my birth and the first few days at home.
For the most part, I remembered my early childhood so I was able to fill that out without much help. So many memories I had stored away were being brought up again.
I'm currently working on my adolescence. A lot of the questions for that I have to write that that stuff actually happened in my 20's. First kiss? First steady relationship? Yeah, all that stuff happened about 2-3 years ago.
But I'm having a fun time writing about me. I keep a journal that I write about current events in my life, but this memoir will be my entire life from beginning to end. Something for my future children and grandchildren to read and know my entire life. Not just from the time I turned 21, which is what my journal currently is. My whole life. It's kind of scary because there are some questions that might bring up answers that I'm embarrassed to talk about, but I don't want to leave any blank page or a question unanswered unless it's not applicable to me (like adoption).
I sort of wish that my grandmother had something like this to share with us. It'd be interesting to know how life was in the late 30's and early 40's, and so on. I might give a book like this for my mom to fill out about herself. Both her parents have passed, so it might be hard to recount things about her infancy, but she will be able to keep her memories alive.
Would you ever keep a book about your life? Who would you let read it?
For Christmas, my best friend gave me this "do it yourself memoir" and I've started to fill out a few pages already. I'm hooked. It starts by asking questions about the very beginning of one's life. How your parents handled being pregnant with you. What the reactions were when you were born. I had a little help with those questions because a person doesn't tend to remember their infancy. I think my mom enjoyed helping me when I was filling this section out. I asked her most of the questions I didn't already know by email and she sent a lovely reply, recounting how she and my dad dealt with my birth and the first few days at home.
For the most part, I remembered my early childhood so I was able to fill that out without much help. So many memories I had stored away were being brought up again.
I'm currently working on my adolescence. A lot of the questions for that I have to write that that stuff actually happened in my 20's. First kiss? First steady relationship? Yeah, all that stuff happened about 2-3 years ago.
But I'm having a fun time writing about me. I keep a journal that I write about current events in my life, but this memoir will be my entire life from beginning to end. Something for my future children and grandchildren to read and know my entire life. Not just from the time I turned 21, which is what my journal currently is. My whole life. It's kind of scary because there are some questions that might bring up answers that I'm embarrassed to talk about, but I don't want to leave any blank page or a question unanswered unless it's not applicable to me (like adoption).
I sort of wish that my grandmother had something like this to share with us. It'd be interesting to know how life was in the late 30's and early 40's, and so on. I might give a book like this for my mom to fill out about herself. Both her parents have passed, so it might be hard to recount things about her infancy, but she will be able to keep her memories alive.
Would you ever keep a book about your life? Who would you let read it?
Thursday, 12 January 2012
A Strange Dream
Last night I had a very strange dream.
I don't normally remember my dreams and I don't remember everything that happened in this one, but I do remember some key points.
I was staying with this family in a house that really resembled my mother's place. I think I had run away because I was a bit upset my sister got engaged before me in the dream. Anyway, things were going well, but suddenly I had to leave the house because I was getting kicked out and my life was being threatened. The man who was going to kill me in my dream still allowed me to go back into the house to use the bathroom and collect a few things. On my way back out, I noticed my grandmother sitting on the sofa, so I went over to talk to her. I remember having a brief conversation followed by a big hug and telling her I loved her. Then I was on the run, with the man chasing me with a set of sharp kitchen knives.
Out of all the events that happened in my dream, the one that stuck out the most for me was the fact that my grandmother was there. She's the one who passed away over 9 months ago. And this is really the first dream I've had with her in it since then.
So today in a PMS-induced frenzy, I started thinking about last night's dream and had a little cry fest as it dawned on me that the hug that felt so real in my dream, was just a dream and I'll only be able to have those kind of hugs from my grandmother in my dreams from now on. I still miss her very much. I don't cry as often as I did right after her passing, but I still do. And probably will continue to from time to time.
Is that normal?
As a tribute to her I have decided I'm getting a new tattoo in about a month. I think I wrote about it before. It will be a large heart embracing a smaller one in a hug. The larger heart will have a halo and wings. And then the dates of my Grandmother's life will be written underneath. Hugs were always something I associated with her, as I would always ask her for one when she visited. And if she needed a hug she would ask me for one.
I really do hope that one day I will be able to look back on the memories of her and not feel the pain of losing her. But it'll be a long journey to get to that point.
I don't normally remember my dreams and I don't remember everything that happened in this one, but I do remember some key points.
I was staying with this family in a house that really resembled my mother's place. I think I had run away because I was a bit upset my sister got engaged before me in the dream. Anyway, things were going well, but suddenly I had to leave the house because I was getting kicked out and my life was being threatened. The man who was going to kill me in my dream still allowed me to go back into the house to use the bathroom and collect a few things. On my way back out, I noticed my grandmother sitting on the sofa, so I went over to talk to her. I remember having a brief conversation followed by a big hug and telling her I loved her. Then I was on the run, with the man chasing me with a set of sharp kitchen knives.
Out of all the events that happened in my dream, the one that stuck out the most for me was the fact that my grandmother was there. She's the one who passed away over 9 months ago. And this is really the first dream I've had with her in it since then.
So today in a PMS-induced frenzy, I started thinking about last night's dream and had a little cry fest as it dawned on me that the hug that felt so real in my dream, was just a dream and I'll only be able to have those kind of hugs from my grandmother in my dreams from now on. I still miss her very much. I don't cry as often as I did right after her passing, but I still do. And probably will continue to from time to time.
Is that normal?
As a tribute to her I have decided I'm getting a new tattoo in about a month. I think I wrote about it before. It will be a large heart embracing a smaller one in a hug. The larger heart will have a halo and wings. And then the dates of my Grandmother's life will be written underneath. Hugs were always something I associated with her, as I would always ask her for one when she visited. And if she needed a hug she would ask me for one.
I really do hope that one day I will be able to look back on the memories of her and not feel the pain of losing her. But it'll be a long journey to get to that point.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Age connection
I realized something as I left my class I had this evening for the night: I tend to connect more with those that are older than me. With the exceptions of my two closest friends who are only a few months younger than I am.
But I was thinking about last semester when I had to work with two different groups for the same class. Different projects. But one group had individuals who were slightly older than me by a few months or years, and one group consisted of individuals who were about my age or younger. I found that I got along better with the two in the former group as opposed to the latter.
When we would meet to do the work required for the class, we always met well in advance to prepare for what needed to be done. The other group would meet the day before the assignment was due. Plus the conversations differed in both groups but I felt more involved in the conversation with those who were older, than the other group in which I felt more like I was the third wheel and intruding on their meeting.
Tonight for a new class, there was an assignment presented to us that will be worth 30% of our marks. We have to put on a 50 minute seminar for the class on an issue in food security. Right away the group I had worked with last semester who were about my age and younger teamed up with those closer in age to themselves. They didn't even ask me to join. But I was okay with that. I instead asked the other group of individuals who were older than me if they wanted to be a group with me. And they graciously accepted and actually seemed excited about it.
I think I act older than most my age. Whether I intend to or not, but I have most definitely noticed that I get along better with those that are older than me. Maybe it's partly the way I was brought up, and partly from being on that other site. Most of the people there were older than me. Even J is 8 years older than I am, and we have one of the strongest and relationships ever.
I was never one to go out and party every weekend throughout highschool or even my undergrad. Sure there were times I would go out, but that was usually once every few weeks or even months. Alcohol was never a requirement for me to have fun, as it seems to be now for individuals between the age of 16 and 25. I found other stuff to have fun with. I'd much rather a semi quiet evening at home watching a newly released DVD with some friends. Or playing rockband with friends. Maybe a few drinks would be involved but like I said, it's most definitely not required. So maybe in a way I would seek those that have grown out of the partying every weekend ordeal. And yes, most of them happen to be older than me. Except for one of my closest friends, she and I differ in age by a few months, but we are most definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to having fun without alcohol involved. I should clarify that this is a general observation, and doesn't exactly mean that all that are older have grown out of that phase, or that all that are younger are still in the partying phase, because I know of people who are older who still like to party on a weekly basis and those that are younger that prefer to save their money.
I have also noticed that I don't really seek those that are older, it just tends to happen that way
If you met me on the street, would you guess that I'm 23 which is my age? I'm just curious. Because I feel like I act like I'm 25 or older.
But I was thinking about last semester when I had to work with two different groups for the same class. Different projects. But one group had individuals who were slightly older than me by a few months or years, and one group consisted of individuals who were about my age or younger. I found that I got along better with the two in the former group as opposed to the latter.
When we would meet to do the work required for the class, we always met well in advance to prepare for what needed to be done. The other group would meet the day before the assignment was due. Plus the conversations differed in both groups but I felt more involved in the conversation with those who were older, than the other group in which I felt more like I was the third wheel and intruding on their meeting.
Tonight for a new class, there was an assignment presented to us that will be worth 30% of our marks. We have to put on a 50 minute seminar for the class on an issue in food security. Right away the group I had worked with last semester who were about my age and younger teamed up with those closer in age to themselves. They didn't even ask me to join. But I was okay with that. I instead asked the other group of individuals who were older than me if they wanted to be a group with me. And they graciously accepted and actually seemed excited about it.
I think I act older than most my age. Whether I intend to or not, but I have most definitely noticed that I get along better with those that are older than me. Maybe it's partly the way I was brought up, and partly from being on that other site. Most of the people there were older than me. Even J is 8 years older than I am, and we have one of the strongest and relationships ever.
I was never one to go out and party every weekend throughout highschool or even my undergrad. Sure there were times I would go out, but that was usually once every few weeks or even months. Alcohol was never a requirement for me to have fun, as it seems to be now for individuals between the age of 16 and 25. I found other stuff to have fun with. I'd much rather a semi quiet evening at home watching a newly released DVD with some friends. Or playing rockband with friends. Maybe a few drinks would be involved but like I said, it's most definitely not required. So maybe in a way I would seek those that have grown out of the partying every weekend ordeal. And yes, most of them happen to be older than me. Except for one of my closest friends, she and I differ in age by a few months, but we are most definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to having fun without alcohol involved. I should clarify that this is a general observation, and doesn't exactly mean that all that are older have grown out of that phase, or that all that are younger are still in the partying phase, because I know of people who are older who still like to party on a weekly basis and those that are younger that prefer to save their money.
I have also noticed that I don't really seek those that are older, it just tends to happen that way
If you met me on the street, would you guess that I'm 23 which is my age? I'm just curious. Because I feel like I act like I'm 25 or older.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
An unexpected adventure
Yesterday I had quite the day.
When I first woke up, I checked my bank account online, hoping for my student loan to be deposited. There was still nothing. So I browsed around the internet and eventually ended up calling the student loan office in New Brunswick to see if I had to send anything in for the 2nd semester.
Turns out I did, and it was waiting for me at my school. So I got ready and headed to campus for a bit. I received my student loan certificate and headed upstairs to talk with the Canadian student loan representative. I presented my ID and my SIN to her and she checked over my certificate.
Only thing I was missing was my banking information. And silly me, I thought that since I gave my information to them in October, that they would already have it. But no, that was not the case.
And to add insult to injury, I had run out of cheques back in late October. I ordered more from my bank but have yet to receive them. I even put another order in back in December because I didn't receive anything yet. Watch in a few weeks I'm going to end up getting 100 cheques in the mail.
So the representative told me I could go call my bank to get my information like the transit number and the bank ID. So off I went. I stayed on campus and tried to look up the number for my bank on the mobile browser of my phone. But that was taking forever. I didn't know where I could access the internet anywhere else around there, so I trekked on home to get it from my computer.
After I filled out the rest of the form, I had to walk back to campus again. I was seriously sweating by the time I got back to campus, after having to climb the hill twice. I didn't even realize that it was supposed to be -10 degrees with a windchill of -16.
Anyway, the student loan representative was gone by the time I got back to campus. Well, gone on her lunch. So I had to wait around for a half hour before she got back.
After my loan stuff was sorted out, I headed into the city to meet up for lunch with one of my best friends. We went to a restaurant that I absolutely love, since it reminds me of another place I would frequently go to when I lived in the Valley. We had a wonderful lunch and continued to walk around the city for a few hours. I had to stock up on diet pepsi as I had run out the night before, so we made sure to get some before it was time to get home.
Around 5 oclock, it was starting to get dark so we each waited for our buses. Hers came first, and she asked if I minded waiting alone. I had called the line to see when my bus would be and was only expecting it in a few minutes so I told her it was fine. Her bus came and went, and after a few minutes, my bus came.
Or so I thought.
I got on, took a seat, and got settled for my half hour ride home.
Now sometimes the metro bus system will take alternate routes for certain things, like too much traffic someplace due to a certain event. So when the bus I was on took a turn before it would normally do, that's what I thought it was doing: taking an alternate route. It wasn't until it was too far past where it would be appropriate to back track that I realized I was on the wrong bus. I didn't double check the number when I hopped on. It was an older looking bus and I really thought it was the 80. But I think it was either the 20 or the 34.
I stayed on the bus until the end of the route. I was all the way out in Spryfield, which I had heard was a sketchy place. It was fully dark by then so I was nervous. I asked the bus driver how I would get back into the downtown area and he told me which side of the street to be on and which number to catch.
I had to wait about 20 minutes before that bus arrived and I was more than ready for it. I took it back into the downtown area.
After about 10 minutes my bus arrived. And this time I double checked before I got on to make sure it was the 80. And I was finally able to come home.
I think I need to get my vision rechecked. lol
The whole time this was happening I was texting my friend who had left just minutes before. She has now vowed to never get on a bus before me so she can make sure I get on the right one, since I ended up in Spryfield and made her worried.
Although I was nervous when it happened, thinking about it now gives me a good laugh. What an unexpected adventure that was.
Have you ever hopped on the wrong bus before?
When I first woke up, I checked my bank account online, hoping for my student loan to be deposited. There was still nothing. So I browsed around the internet and eventually ended up calling the student loan office in New Brunswick to see if I had to send anything in for the 2nd semester.
Turns out I did, and it was waiting for me at my school. So I got ready and headed to campus for a bit. I received my student loan certificate and headed upstairs to talk with the Canadian student loan representative. I presented my ID and my SIN to her and she checked over my certificate.
Only thing I was missing was my banking information. And silly me, I thought that since I gave my information to them in October, that they would already have it. But no, that was not the case.
And to add insult to injury, I had run out of cheques back in late October. I ordered more from my bank but have yet to receive them. I even put another order in back in December because I didn't receive anything yet. Watch in a few weeks I'm going to end up getting 100 cheques in the mail.
So the representative told me I could go call my bank to get my information like the transit number and the bank ID. So off I went. I stayed on campus and tried to look up the number for my bank on the mobile browser of my phone. But that was taking forever. I didn't know where I could access the internet anywhere else around there, so I trekked on home to get it from my computer.
After I filled out the rest of the form, I had to walk back to campus again. I was seriously sweating by the time I got back to campus, after having to climb the hill twice. I didn't even realize that it was supposed to be -10 degrees with a windchill of -16.
Anyway, the student loan representative was gone by the time I got back to campus. Well, gone on her lunch. So I had to wait around for a half hour before she got back.
After my loan stuff was sorted out, I headed into the city to meet up for lunch with one of my best friends. We went to a restaurant that I absolutely love, since it reminds me of another place I would frequently go to when I lived in the Valley. We had a wonderful lunch and continued to walk around the city for a few hours. I had to stock up on diet pepsi as I had run out the night before, so we made sure to get some before it was time to get home.
Around 5 oclock, it was starting to get dark so we each waited for our buses. Hers came first, and she asked if I minded waiting alone. I had called the line to see when my bus would be and was only expecting it in a few minutes so I told her it was fine. Her bus came and went, and after a few minutes, my bus came.
Or so I thought.
I got on, took a seat, and got settled for my half hour ride home.
Now sometimes the metro bus system will take alternate routes for certain things, like too much traffic someplace due to a certain event. So when the bus I was on took a turn before it would normally do, that's what I thought it was doing: taking an alternate route. It wasn't until it was too far past where it would be appropriate to back track that I realized I was on the wrong bus. I didn't double check the number when I hopped on. It was an older looking bus and I really thought it was the 80. But I think it was either the 20 or the 34.
I stayed on the bus until the end of the route. I was all the way out in Spryfield, which I had heard was a sketchy place. It was fully dark by then so I was nervous. I asked the bus driver how I would get back into the downtown area and he told me which side of the street to be on and which number to catch.
I had to wait about 20 minutes before that bus arrived and I was more than ready for it. I took it back into the downtown area.
After about 10 minutes my bus arrived. And this time I double checked before I got on to make sure it was the 80. And I was finally able to come home.
I think I need to get my vision rechecked. lol
The whole time this was happening I was texting my friend who had left just minutes before. She has now vowed to never get on a bus before me so she can make sure I get on the right one, since I ended up in Spryfield and made her worried.
Although I was nervous when it happened, thinking about it now gives me a good laugh. What an unexpected adventure that was.
Have you ever hopped on the wrong bus before?
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Decisions to make
I'm considering getting a job this semester that will run throughout the summer. If this semester is anything like last semester, it means I won't have final exams in April, so will pretty much have a 5 month summer as opposed to 4.
Plus I could use a little extra money. Cash is tight as I'm depending on student loans right now. I applied for bursaries through my school back in November, and received a general bursary from that. I'm also going to apply for in program scholarships, since I have an A average, and that will help me be considered for a scholarship.
But I still could use extra money. Only thing is that I don't quite know how my term at school is going to go. I've only been to two classes so far for the winter semester, and while they don't seem to be too much work, I still have another 2 classes which might require more time and work to be put in. So I'm going to wait until next week before I apply to a job.
There's a place my brother works that he said I'm almost guaranteed a job there. It's in the fast food industry, and since I have almost 7 years of experience in fast food from the time I first got a job, then they will be more likely to hire me. I also have some supervisor experience which will be a bonus on my resume.
My brother said the place isn't all that bad to work for either, he seems to enjoy it, as does his girlfriend since they both work there. But I'm hesitant, since it is fast food and I generally try to stay away from that particular place when I choose to eat away from home. So we'll see how everything goes. The money will be useful that's for sure, and I know beggars can't be choosers, so I may just end up with a job. lol
Plus I could use a little extra money. Cash is tight as I'm depending on student loans right now. I applied for bursaries through my school back in November, and received a general bursary from that. I'm also going to apply for in program scholarships, since I have an A average, and that will help me be considered for a scholarship.
But I still could use extra money. Only thing is that I don't quite know how my term at school is going to go. I've only been to two classes so far for the winter semester, and while they don't seem to be too much work, I still have another 2 classes which might require more time and work to be put in. So I'm going to wait until next week before I apply to a job.
There's a place my brother works that he said I'm almost guaranteed a job there. It's in the fast food industry, and since I have almost 7 years of experience in fast food from the time I first got a job, then they will be more likely to hire me. I also have some supervisor experience which will be a bonus on my resume.
My brother said the place isn't all that bad to work for either, he seems to enjoy it, as does his girlfriend since they both work there. But I'm hesitant, since it is fast food and I generally try to stay away from that particular place when I choose to eat away from home. So we'll see how everything goes. The money will be useful that's for sure, and I know beggars can't be choosers, so I may just end up with a job. lol
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
A Great Start
Today was the first day of Winter semester and I have to say it's off to a pretty good start. I finally received my last grade from Fall semester and I'm quite pleased. The mark was an A, so that gives me an A average and a GPA of 4.0 :D
That's the best I've done ever in all my years of school. I figured getting my Master's would be hard. Well, the work IS hard and there's lots of it, but I'm managing quite well.
Plus I think I'm going to like my classes. Mind you, I've only had one so far. I have another one tomorrow evening and then it's the weekend. But the class I had tonight is going to be interesting. It's all about Nutrition and Population Health assessment. Basically teaching me how to assess populations in order to create policies and implement programs. Right up my alley when it comes to interests in a career. I want to be in Public Health, and this class will teach me all about it. I'm quite enthusiastic to start learning more. Plus most of the projects for this class will be individual based, which gives me a break from group work. In all my classes last semester, everything was group work based, except for a few things. I like group work once in a while, but sometimes I just like to work on my own and not have to worry if someone's not pulling their weight or trying to synchronize schedules in order to meet up to actually do work. It's extra stress throughout the semester. So far that one class will help to avoid that.
I'm hoping I get more good news in the next week when I attend more classes.
Seems like 2012 is off to a good start :)
That's the best I've done ever in all my years of school. I figured getting my Master's would be hard. Well, the work IS hard and there's lots of it, but I'm managing quite well.
Plus I think I'm going to like my classes. Mind you, I've only had one so far. I have another one tomorrow evening and then it's the weekend. But the class I had tonight is going to be interesting. It's all about Nutrition and Population Health assessment. Basically teaching me how to assess populations in order to create policies and implement programs. Right up my alley when it comes to interests in a career. I want to be in Public Health, and this class will teach me all about it. I'm quite enthusiastic to start learning more. Plus most of the projects for this class will be individual based, which gives me a break from group work. In all my classes last semester, everything was group work based, except for a few things. I like group work once in a while, but sometimes I just like to work on my own and not have to worry if someone's not pulling their weight or trying to synchronize schedules in order to meet up to actually do work. It's extra stress throughout the semester. So far that one class will help to avoid that.
I'm hoping I get more good news in the next week when I attend more classes.
Seems like 2012 is off to a good start :)
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Quirky traditions
Does your family have any Christmas traditions that others might find strange or quirky?
I was thinking about a tradition my family does that I never really noticed until J spent Christmas with us.
See, every year, we receive hygiene products in our stockings. Everything from shampoo and conditioner, to deodorant, to toothbrushes and toothpaste, and sometimes even pads and tampons. It's not as a joke, it happens every year.
Between my parents combined and annual dentist checkups, I never have to purchase my own toothbrush or floss, as I receive about a years supply every Christmas lol. I also get some pricey shampoo that I absolutely love but would never buy myself.
We also put chocolate and other little trinkets in the stockings but for the most part it's hygiene products.
This year as J was spending Christmas with us, I put together a stocking for him. I decorated a plain stocking with fabric paint, labelling his name and everything. Then I filled it. And as I'm used to receiving hygiene products, that's what I mostly put in. I know what kind of shampoo, soap and deodorant he uses, so that's what I bought for him. Plus, he is allergic to most scented products so I know which is safe for him to use without breaking out in hives. What I didn't know was that in my mom's gift to him, she did a stocking/big gift combined in one huge bag, so he also received some toothbrushes and other hygiene products from her.
After all the gifts were opened and we had a bit of time to ourselves, J brought up that he received a lot of hygiene products. I had to assure him that we weren't trying to send him a message and that everyone receives a bunch of that sort of stuff every Christmas. lol It's just what my family does.
I guess I sort of take that stuff for granted and don't realize that people receive different things in their stockings in other families. Actually, I don't think J's family does the whole stocking thing, so this was a way different experience for him. It's quite interesting to be hit with a reality check like that. Not everyone does the same thing for Christmas. I must have been living in my own little world for me to not realize that.
What do you receive in your stocking? And if you're the one filling the stockings every Christmas, what do you put in them?
I was thinking about a tradition my family does that I never really noticed until J spent Christmas with us.
See, every year, we receive hygiene products in our stockings. Everything from shampoo and conditioner, to deodorant, to toothbrushes and toothpaste, and sometimes even pads and tampons. It's not as a joke, it happens every year.
Between my parents combined and annual dentist checkups, I never have to purchase my own toothbrush or floss, as I receive about a years supply every Christmas lol. I also get some pricey shampoo that I absolutely love but would never buy myself.
We also put chocolate and other little trinkets in the stockings but for the most part it's hygiene products.
This year as J was spending Christmas with us, I put together a stocking for him. I decorated a plain stocking with fabric paint, labelling his name and everything. Then I filled it. And as I'm used to receiving hygiene products, that's what I mostly put in. I know what kind of shampoo, soap and deodorant he uses, so that's what I bought for him. Plus, he is allergic to most scented products so I know which is safe for him to use without breaking out in hives. What I didn't know was that in my mom's gift to him, she did a stocking/big gift combined in one huge bag, so he also received some toothbrushes and other hygiene products from her.
After all the gifts were opened and we had a bit of time to ourselves, J brought up that he received a lot of hygiene products. I had to assure him that we weren't trying to send him a message and that everyone receives a bunch of that sort of stuff every Christmas. lol It's just what my family does.
I guess I sort of take that stuff for granted and don't realize that people receive different things in their stockings in other families. Actually, I don't think J's family does the whole stocking thing, so this was a way different experience for him. It's quite interesting to be hit with a reality check like that. Not everyone does the same thing for Christmas. I must have been living in my own little world for me to not realize that.
What do you receive in your stocking? And if you're the one filling the stockings every Christmas, what do you put in them?
Monday, 2 January 2012
Back to Reality
Tomorrow is the day I head back to Halifax. In other words I'm heading back to reality.
As expected, I'm dreading it a little bit. Don't get me wrong, Halifax is a nice city. But it's not for me. I don't really enjoy living this. Partly because I don't really have anyone to share it with, and partly because to plan something, you have to plan hours in advance to account for transportation times.
I would never do well in a bigger city. I'm definitely used to being a small town girl. Or small city girl, because I enjoyed living in Moncton and that's considered a city.
Anyway back to the point.
I had a wonderful Christmas vacation once I was around more people than just myself. Going to the hometown was enjoyable since I had a chance to spend time with my mother and siblings. And then eventually I had the chance to reunite with J after almost 6 weeks of not seeing him. It's going to be another 6-7 weeks before I see him again, and maybe that's why travelling back to Halifax is so daunting.
There's also the part that I haven't quite made any new friends while living in Halifax. Sure I've hung out with some girls in my program, but those events were Nutrition student group events. I don't get invited out with them if they plan to go out for dinner or drinks. And I haven't quite found a group to fit in with. So that bothers me.
I even cried about it a few times while on vacation as tomorrow drew closer and closer. J knew something was bothering me so just held onto me as I cried. That's something I'll miss the most while in Halifax. The feeling of his arms around me, just being him and there in the flesh.
Oh well. I will survive. I always do. It'll just take many tears, and maybe trying a little harder to be more outspoken around my classmates.
I do have other friends in the city, but I don't get to see them often as they are students as well at other universities or have busy jobs. But I do see them every few weeks/months. So it's not all bad. I'm just being a bit mopey right now.
Maybe it's time to cuddle with J for a little bit before bed. It'll be the last time for a while and I've got to make every minute count :)
As expected, I'm dreading it a little bit. Don't get me wrong, Halifax is a nice city. But it's not for me. I don't really enjoy living this. Partly because I don't really have anyone to share it with, and partly because to plan something, you have to plan hours in advance to account for transportation times.
I would never do well in a bigger city. I'm definitely used to being a small town girl. Or small city girl, because I enjoyed living in Moncton and that's considered a city.
Anyway back to the point.
I had a wonderful Christmas vacation once I was around more people than just myself. Going to the hometown was enjoyable since I had a chance to spend time with my mother and siblings. And then eventually I had the chance to reunite with J after almost 6 weeks of not seeing him. It's going to be another 6-7 weeks before I see him again, and maybe that's why travelling back to Halifax is so daunting.
There's also the part that I haven't quite made any new friends while living in Halifax. Sure I've hung out with some girls in my program, but those events were Nutrition student group events. I don't get invited out with them if they plan to go out for dinner or drinks. And I haven't quite found a group to fit in with. So that bothers me.
I even cried about it a few times while on vacation as tomorrow drew closer and closer. J knew something was bothering me so just held onto me as I cried. That's something I'll miss the most while in Halifax. The feeling of his arms around me, just being him and there in the flesh.
Oh well. I will survive. I always do. It'll just take many tears, and maybe trying a little harder to be more outspoken around my classmates.
I do have other friends in the city, but I don't get to see them often as they are students as well at other universities or have busy jobs. But I do see them every few weeks/months. So it's not all bad. I'm just being a bit mopey right now.
Maybe it's time to cuddle with J for a little bit before bed. It'll be the last time for a while and I've got to make every minute count :)
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