Whoops!

First off, sorry this blog is so late in coming out! There's a nasty flu bug going around and I seem to have caught it at the beginning of the week and am finally feeling better...well a bit anyways. Since I'm still not feeling up to speed, this will be one of my shorter blogs and it will be a list. It will be a list of things I love about MTA, where to go, what to do, and 'the haps'. So here goes:

• George's Roadhouse - one of my favourite places in Sackville. I haven't been for the food yet but the concerts are always mind-boggling. They have artists from all over Canada and the atmosphere is always really relaxing yet invigorating. It's the perfect size for a concert and when it's packed, boy does it get loud (which is what a concert is supposed to be though).
• Fish and Chips - I've only been there once but it is delicious! Everything they have is homemade and they even have...get this...mozzarella sticks. I kid you not. Granted, there's not much greenery available so make sure you eat something healthy before you go!
• Free the Children Fashion Show - It's tomorrow night actually and EastLink is coming to record it so it will probably be on TV! Very exciting and the models have to be there at 5 though the show starts at 8:30! The hair and makeup do take awhile apparently!
  
• Skating on Swan Pond or Waterfowl Park - it has to be done. At least once in the four years you'll be here. Enough said.
• Cuthbertson House - if you can, attend one of their potlucks where they include the community. The food is always good and very very healthy, the house is gorgeous, and the people there are all amazing individuals. It's the environmentally-friendly house on-campus and it's even coloured green (how fitting!)
• Tantramar - every year, a bilingual play is put on by students from MTA, written by themselves and it is amazing. It's usually quite different from the norm and it's sometimes hard to follow but the characters are always unique and it's just darn funny!

Good grief, there's so much to describe that I don't even know where to start! The ones I've mentioned are ones that just popped into my mind and just because I didn't mention others like Bridgestreet Cafe, or the Vogue Theatre, or Society of All Nations, doesn't mean they're not worth talking about! I'll most likely continue this list as the weeks go by, so keep checking it out!

Busy, busy busy bees

Tomorrow, it will be two weeks that I've been back at MTA and I'm already looking at a pretty busy calendar. For example, this weekend was packed with fun events and there's even more to come.

On Friday, some friends and I celebrated two of my friend's birthdays. About 20 or so people came and more people drifted in and out as the evening wore on. We began with loads of food - chips, salsa, candy, drinks, etc. Nothing healthy of course. Then the cakes came out and the birthday girls blew out all the candles (and refused to tell us what they wished for). Then we danced for about two hours and then we all watched MAMMA MIA! Yes, I know it's a complete chick flick and has no real point to it but it just makes you happy! Especially when you watch it with other girls who'll sing just as loud as you. The boys of course left, except for two who were brave enough to stay behind (though one of them mentioned today that they still have 'Mamma Mia' stuck in their head). At the end of the movie, we replayed our favourite scenes and danced along. It was great exercise and we were all gasping for breath at the end. Good times. (In the picture above, that's me holding the cake - you can slightly see my arms)

Then on Saturday, there was a pool party for our house but I couldn't make it unfortunately. I heard it was a lot of fun though! That night, there was a concert at George's, which is part of Stereophonic. Stereophonic is an annual event put on by CHMA Radio (MTA's radio) in which various artists and bands come to sing and play in Sackville for about 5 days. None of the concerts overlap so you can go straight from one to the other! I only managed to attend the one on Saturday and it was fantastic! Groups like The Stance, Shotgun Jimmie, The Stolen Minks and the Tom Fun Orchestra came and played. It was pretty much a full house and the atmosphere was definitely invigorating.

It was a great weekend and this weekend, there's more stuff coming up! Like 'FAME! The Musical!' Which is put on by the Garnet and Gold Society and is always something to see. They put on a show every year and it's usually worth going if you can! Last year, it was Cinderella and they did an awesome job. Then on the 30th, there's the Free the Children Fashion Show which I'll be in, modeling and posing (I have to learn how to walk all over again apparently).

It seems that no matter how small Sackville seems to be, there's always something going on! Keep posted for more updates!

Return of the Jedi (well, the students at least)

After around a 18 hour trip to get back to Sackville, I finally arrived in Edwards last Sunday afternoon. It took a two hour car ride to the airport, a three hour delay, an hour flight to Vancouver, an hour delay, a four and a half hour flight to Toronto, four hour wait, a hour and a half flight to Moncton and then a half hour taxi ride to Sackville. WHEW! And I get motion sickness. I would choose one of the farthest universities from my hometown.

Picture above is winter in Osoyoos (view from my house)

But I survived the trip and survived the first week of classes! It's nice to start fresh and to have everything finished and put behind you. My calendar looks so clean and white but already is filling up fast with concerts, plays, meetings, etc. I'm only taking two courses and am applying for a part-time job....somewhere.

Way back in November I hit my head on my bookshelf (yes my bookshelf) and since then I've felt dizzy pretty much 24-7 and occasionally pass out. Luckily, when I first hit it, a friend was there and he was able to phone 911 and I spent the next 16 hours or so in the Sackville and Moncton Hospital. I got a CAT Scan, an EEG and in December, an ECG as well. I even saw a neurologist but he's not sure what's wrong with me so I'm getting an MRI this semester. But I did see an alternative medicine doctor in Vancouver over the holidays and he was able to give me some homeopathics for my dizziness and he balanced my energy pathways. Yes, I realize it's a bit weird and that it's not exactly conventional but I am definitely seeing improvement these past two weeks. I haven't passed out for awhile and my dizziness is going away which means I can start swimming again!

BUT unfortunately, reading makes me dizzy. Hmm mm. Which is why I'm only taking two courses so I can take my time doing the reading and hopefully not pass out. And thankfully my professors last term were unbelievably supportive. They let me take the time I needed to complete my assignments and I wrote my exams when I got back.

Anyways, the point of all this long explanation is just basically to say that that's why I'm only taking two courses so if I mention more about the social life than the classes, there's a legitimate reason for it! I did have an awesome Christmas at home though. Travelled to Vancouver, Victoria, Qualicum Beach and Comox to see friends and relatives so I slept in nine different beds over the holidays! Anyways, till next time!

My brother and I cooking Christmas dinner (though maye he wanted something?)


We even got to see my older 'brother' - our Twainese Exchange Student from about 5 years ago with his wife - it's always good to see the two of them looking happy. (From left to right: Me, my dad, my adopted grandmother, my mum, Andra, Ambrose, and my brother)