Oh my good grief - I did not realise how much time has elapsed since I last wrote. That is completely ridiculous, I am terribly sorry - I've managed to get myself incredibly busy 'recently' (i.e. in the last month and a half) I found the draft of the one I started on the 4th November, which was already a late one... I'll finish what I was saying with that then just give you a quick blow by blow (waay) of what's been happening over here in balmy Calgary...
"I write this post a little bit merry but I've been meaning to get round to doing this for so long! Just about to go and check my post with ma good friend Willy, I got a package the day before yesterday from my fantastic parents containing chocolate and tea (anyone who wants to send the same please please feel absolutely free to). YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! [thank you Luke!!!!!]
Last weekend was Halloween.
[as if I haven't even told you excited people about Halloween yet!]
The whole weekend seemed to count as Halloween and it started on Thursday really. Because of the Den, Thursday is just a big night out on campus, so despite staying in- drunkenness usually occurs.
I had a nice evening with Willy, Nicola and Andy" - we had a civilised dinner together - then I went to watch The Liar - a Commedia play Linda gave up her social life for a few weeks to do the lighting for as coursework (booo) - so Vikki and I were at that for a couple of hours. As I left Willy's flat before going the last thing said to me, by him, was "We might be a bit drunk by the time you get back".
This was a slight understatement.
Picture the scene. We get into Cascade and Vikki and I part ways at the entrance, as I turn towards my and Willy's corridor I hear an approaching rumbling - eventually a longboard rolls around the corner into view with Trevor (Andy's Noca Scotian flatmate) lying stomach down on it, swimming along the ground at speed, with Andy in a clown wig and Ross (Willy's flatmate) in sunglasses, in hot pursuit. Just as my brain twists itself around this arrival the flat door between me and them is opened and Willy steps out, looking away from me at the ridiculous boys. He then turns to look at me, clutching a tea towel to his ear which I see is bleeding profusely. From smashing plates on his head. Yes. Plates. Plural. 'Ruthless'... and ridiculous.
Strangely unfazed by this I walk into Willy's flat and the big kitchen table has disappeared during my 2 hour absence and appears to have been replaced by shards of shattered crockery. Vomitting, bleeding and fighting ensued, but it was all friendly, apparently, and is even remembered fondly. Good old Time. Sweetening the most sordid of occasions...
Good thing Willy's giant hangover didn't totally clash with one of our biggest nights out in Calgary on the Friday immediately after - Major Lazor was an excellent night, back at Flames Central (STAY OFF THE GLASS CIRCLE) with brilliant people and some good old fashioned silliness. I got removed from the boy's toilets for being concerned and vocal, and got briefly tricked on the dancefloor: having been outside scavenging cigarettes from lonely looking men for my less attractive male friends (:P) I met a friendly [genuine] gay named Kyle, who told me he was visiting Calgary with his boyfriend from Vancouver. Later when I met a dapper gent in a neckerchief outside aforementioned boy's toilets he asked me to dance, and I informed him that indeed I would like to, but stressed that I would not be kissing him. He said "Oh I wouldn't want to kiss you" "Oh you're gay?" "yes"
"OH MY GOD ARE YOU KYLE'S BOYFRIEND?!"
"yeah"
*dancing. I see Kyle*
"Kyle Kyle Kyle look I found your boyfriend!"
*Kyle places a placating hand on the overexcited British girl's arm*
"No. Honey. This is my boyfriend" *pointing at rotund jolly bald fella wearing giant clock necklace dancing enthusiastically behind Kyle*
*me turning back to The Talented Mr. Creeply*
"You're not gay are you."
"No! Who's Kyle?"
"Excellent. Goodbye."
Overall it was an excellent night. Here - look how much fun we were having!
As well as all my excellent friends who were there the other clientele were a Halloween clad treat too. There was a Where's Waldo who I hilariously FOUND at the top of my voice every time he passed me, and a nativity shepherd who I adamantly accused of wearing shitty fake skinny dreads, the pulling of which (the dreads not the shepherd) revealed themselves to be firmly attached to his scalp. As they were his hair. There was also an Alan from the Hangover. And a Kenny Powers. It was a good night.
Also - my costume was bought in protest of literally every female Canadian's costumes starting with "slutty". Literally - I asked 2 calgary girls in my English class what they were dressing as for the weekend "not sure, I was going to be Slutty Peter Pan, but now I think I might be Slutty Robing Hood" Of course.
I purchased it in the most wonderful vintage/costume/fancy/magical/treasureland of a shop. And Kavanagh and Thacker, I shall be buying Glastonbury attire for us all from there with my January bursary. Possibly all of it.
Saturday saw a lovely lunch with Janice and her kids and son in law, her grandkids, Don and Don's brother - my Dad's old housemate Craig, and his wife. I was fed deliciously well and given a care package to return to halls with. I intended on resuming catching up with some sleep when I got back into Cascade, but maid-outfits clad Andy and Willy saw me arrive and had other ideas, so the party continued into Saturday night. Sunday was spent pretty much horizontally. Save the necessary fry up. Obviously.
Wow. Forgot how much there was just about Halloween! Since that I got cast in a play - another scene like the previous one I was cast in, but it was a Greek scene and [fortunately? actually happened] - I was leader of the Eumenides, which was nice. Got to be all evil. The show was last Thursday, Linda was in one of the featured scenes too so Janice came to watch and we had dinner together after.
Was fun doing drama again even if the end result wasn't very prepared... BUT AT LEAST AMON TOBIN'S BEAUTIFUL MUSIC WAS FEATURED. yes bru.
We went to Jasper to ski at Marmot Basin a few weeks ago and it was just AWESOME - had such a brilliant weekend
Remembered how much I love skiing - got back into the swing of it a bit, feeling so much more confident. was so pretty as well!
Managed to hit a rock and flip and smash my head on the ground at one point on our last run on the first day, ended up on the mountain with Andy where it was literally just the 2 of us and the slope staff closing it down cos we'd been on one of the last lifts up and then I had to sit in the snow for a wee bit. It was epic and so nice compared to how rammed it was earlier in the day! As a result of that stunt I've bought a sweet helmet now so it's alllll goooood! I realised when I got it home that it has a picture of a soldier wielding an AK47 or something on the back - but luckily my shiny new sweet goggles cover it up at the back.
It was lucky I bought this sick gear, cos it meant I looked superfly when I tried Snowboarding for the first time at Lake Louise the following weekend on the Ski Club trip. Which is all I can do as far as boarding goes, pose. Because I sure as hell can't control what I'm doing.
After 2 midterms and a presentation the (A, 71% and 84%:A respectively wooooo) I was very excited about this trip.
It was really fun having lessons with Louise - then on Sunday Hanne and Ash joined us - god my wrists and bum took a beating- and our instructor was from Skewen, where my Grandma used to live in Wales until she moved in with us, which is just ri-goddam-diculous. I borrowed Linda's skis to head down one run on Saturday, just to remind myself what it's like not being debilitatingly slow and uncoordinated. Then a wonderful night out on Saturday, with some small dampeners, resulted in a slightly less go-getter and undefeatable-feeling Sunday, first I picked up the wrong board, then couldn't stay on my damn feet, borrowed Lauren's skis when I'd stropped out of boarding and got taken out twice by boarders on one run within about 2 minutes of each other, stacked it numerous times, then nearly burst into tears numerous times coming down the mountain past closing with Lukasz - the most kindest and patient polish angel I have ever had the fortune to befriend, shitting it on a snowboard the whole way, with Ookie holding my hands and helping me up every 2 seconds when I was on my arse or face. I got to a point where I stopped feeling anything cos it was all cold and pain (oh yes, it was also -24oC or something absurd, literally hair freezingly cold) and during this interval I got more bruises than I've ever had, scratched my hands and face up, tore my gloves, and seem to have dislocated my little finger knuckle. I was playing with it today, it hasn't hurt before, it just sticks out in an odd and disconcerting way, then I think I freed a nerve cos the pain arrived a little, and the finger moved further out of place. I think I need to test out my health card and get that checked out!
Ok brief last bits - Last weekend was aussie Hanne's bday which was great (after a 9am rehearsal. following a 6.30am one on friday. yes. I know. pardon me?) and we went to see John Butler Trio (with an intact ticket!!! hallelujah. the first copy went the same way as the glastonbury return train ticket... which i luckily never needed) which was AMAZING!!! at one point 3 people were playing one drum kit. then they picked up marching drums and marched into the middle of the crowd and got us all to sit down around them [right next to us] and sing stuff back to them. It was beautiful. We partied throughout Cascade afterwards, sock party! (laundry was too involved...) and eventually crashed out ready to wake and recover in time for BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH on sunday evening, which was MINT I SAY.
Since then my group and I nailed our presentation in Detective Fiction (just got 2 big essays left to see me out to the otherside), a girly night and Love Actually celebrated the beginning of December, and today Vikki, Lauren and Linda and I went to West Edmonton Mall (on a bus without heating. 3 hours. -12oC) which is mind blowingly large and extravagant. We stumbled across a sea lion show by chance, after lunch at Hooters. And I bought 2 dresses. Birthday treats for me. What a surreal day.
AND NOW I DO BELIEVE I'M UP TO DATE!
I should really gush at you all about Christian Bok who came in to read some of his mindtwisting poetry in my CanLit class, but that deserves more time.
If you get a chance look him up. There's an umloute (or however that's spelt!) over the o so it's said 'book'. He's a genius, I don't just mean an amazing artist. I mean a full on Rain Manesque genius.
And now I bid you all good night as I must sleep so I can rise and read and conquer these 2 papers.
OH AND IT'S MY BIRTHDAY NEXT WEEK AND WE'RE GOING OUT SO I CAN DANCE TO DRUM AND BASS AND I'M PANTWETTINGLY EXCITED!!!!
final note
it reached -35 degrees centigrade here mid last week.
Humans.
Are not.
Meant to live here.
