So the day after I come home from Montreal, not even 24 hours after, I go to the dentist to get my two upper wisdom teeth out. Fun. I hate going to the dentist. The smell, the fear and discomfort of all the steps of a dentist's checkup or filling processes, and smell of fear.. haha. But anyways, I also hate needles. I cringe thinking about it, so I shall skip all those details and fastforward to the end. When my first one finally came out, I watched him stare in absolute astonishment at my tooth out of my peripheral vision. Since I obviously wasn't going to try to talk, I was mentally sending him What?! Is there something wrong with my tooth? Complications? OMG Did you pull out the wrong one?!
Then he pulled the same expression when the second one came out, pausing while holding up my tooth! Wth?!
So afterwards, he said that it was because most wisdom teeth are supposed to have one root. How many did each of mine have? Three.
Err... I knew three was my lucky number? Lots of threes occuring- three people I stumbled upon at the airport, three roots on each wisdom tooth, three realizations that descended upon me like a wet blanket as I walked into my house for the first time in almost 5 months:
1)I missed my dog, and her fluffiness. Not necessarily in that order.
2)It was cold. Strange, coming from Montreal to Vancouver. But I remembered that my family doesn't turn up the heat up up up 'cause heating's expensive. So I can't wear t-shirts like I can in my rez apartment =S
3) I walked into the bathroom, and it was so clean, so big, so familiar, and so clean, I was almost repulsed.
===
It took me 2 days to finally complete setting up Windows 7 on my laptop. My Dell Studio 14z purchase had come with a free Windows 7 upgrade, and so it arrived at home around November.. I must say, it's actually pretty cool, and I like it better than Vista. Just maybe the slight changes to the look, of which the most significant is the taskbar at the bottom. Dunno what else is very different though, since I haven't played with it that much.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Finality.
Finally, after finishing my chem exam in the Holiday Inn, I could begin making my way home. I bused to the airport, because since it was part of the public transportation, it was free with my OPUS card. I had to transfer buses in the middle, and the ride was about 30 minutes max- pretty good, I thought. This was my first time on a bus in Montreal too! But I made it =)
It's funny, I bumped into three people I knew at the airport- once when I just entered through the doors of the airport- It was this a guy from my rez, who's going back to France. We found the "departures" area together lol. Then when I sat down in the central eating/souvenir area eating a Quiznos sub after checking in my luggage, another guy happened upon me- this time it was someone I haven't seen since.. wow, the October, I think. Then he exacerbated my wisdom teeth extraction fears by saying, "It was the most pain I've ever felt in my life." AAAAHH. Then we went through the personal belongings/person check, and I went to sit at my boarding area.
My third person was a girl from my floor, from my rez! She was mad 'cause she lost her sister's present- at the airport!- and has been wandering around searching for it for 2 hours...
The rest of the flight was boring and uneventful. I've said this many times: It's a too-long flight without the comforts of a long flight. No meals (not that they were good anyways, but still), no blankets, no pillows, uncomfortable seats and that don't really even recline...
The transfer in Toronto was interesting.. a bit. There were lots of souvenir shops, lots of people, I wondered around just for the heck of it. Watched the first episode of "How I Met Your Mother" because I ran out of things to do. There were loads of people going to Vancouver, so the boarding time was delayed an hour, and they keep blaring on the announcements, "Passenger Alexandra Wong, report to gate blah blah blah" and then gradually changed to just "Passenger Wong" and that was just annoying.
On the plane to Vancouver, I watched "Food Inc." which really made me feel a cocktail of anger, disgust, repulsion, and enlightenment.. Ugh. But you should watch that film/documentary. They really help you gain some important information and insight.
Home Sweet Home <3
It's funny, I bumped into three people I knew at the airport- once when I just entered through the doors of the airport- It was this a guy from my rez, who's going back to France. We found the "departures" area together lol. Then when I sat down in the central eating/souvenir area eating a Quiznos sub after checking in my luggage, another guy happened upon me- this time it was someone I haven't seen since.. wow, the October, I think. Then he exacerbated my wisdom teeth extraction fears by saying, "It was the most pain I've ever felt in my life." AAAAHH. Then we went through the personal belongings/person check, and I went to sit at my boarding area.
My third person was a girl from my floor, from my rez! She was mad 'cause she lost her sister's present- at the airport!- and has been wandering around searching for it for 2 hours...
The rest of the flight was boring and uneventful. I've said this many times: It's a too-long flight without the comforts of a long flight. No meals (not that they were good anyways, but still), no blankets, no pillows, uncomfortable seats and that don't really even recline...
The transfer in Toronto was interesting.. a bit. There were lots of souvenir shops, lots of people, I wondered around just for the heck of it. Watched the first episode of "How I Met Your Mother" because I ran out of things to do. There were loads of people going to Vancouver, so the boarding time was delayed an hour, and they keep blaring on the announcements, "Passenger Alexandra Wong, report to gate blah blah blah" and then gradually changed to just "Passenger Wong" and that was just annoying.
On the plane to Vancouver, I watched "Food Inc." which really made me feel a cocktail of anger, disgust, repulsion, and enlightenment.. Ugh. But you should watch that film/documentary. They really help you gain some important information and insight.
Home Sweet Home <3
Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Canned Peaches At Midnight//The World Map.......
Haha the title reminds me of a Magic Tree House title. XD
For some reason, I dislike canned things, except for corn and peaches, I suppose. You know those fruit cups or whatnot with those cherries (ew!), pears, pineapples mandarins, and peaches? I realized, I've always like the peaches for some strange inexplicable reason.. Anyways, that's why I've bought canned peaches and am now eating them while researching on the internet whether canned fruits have the same nutritional value as fresh fruits, and I must say, it has dispelled some of my beliefs about the former. First of all, let's establish that I am talking about canned fruit without the preservatives, additives, syrups, sugar and all that added stuff to the fruit that is obviously going to result in less nutritional value than fresh fruits. Now, from my browsing, it seems that there is not as much of a difference between canned vs. fresh fruit in terms of nutritional value, as most people think. There are some vitamins and stuff lost, but how much depends on so many factors, from the process, and type of fruit/vegetable being canned and so on.
Here are some of the links- of course, there are biases, esp. in the first one, so that's why there's more than one link. XP
http://www.europeachesfc.com/en/nutrition.php
http://blog.totallyready.com/our-general-storethink-fruit/02/23/
http://www.letsgo.org/resources/5210/five/CannedAndFrozenFacts.pdf
//===========================================================
So it being late at night and all, I get into all these moods and sometimes revelations and realizations and laughter fits and strange longings, meloncholy, and now sudden cravings (for Sprite(in that other post), for fruit?). Wow. Sounds like pregnancy. (O___O) Hahaha!
Well. I got up to look at my beautiful and beloved poster #2 that I bought at the poster sale back in September. It's a World Map. I was just checking out Southeast/west Asia 'cause Any posted a Sri Lanka tourist Youtube video on my wall and I'm going to go watch that soon.
Looking at the world map, it suddenly came to me that I know at least one person from every continent in the world. With the exclusion of Antarctica (Well, I know Pingu. He can be my someone =P )
It's sort of mind boggling and interesting at the same time.
For some reason, I dislike canned things, except for corn and peaches, I suppose. You know those fruit cups or whatnot with those cherries (ew!), pears, pineapples mandarins, and peaches? I realized, I've always like the peaches for some strange inexplicable reason.. Anyways, that's why I've bought canned peaches and am now eating them while researching on the internet whether canned fruits have the same nutritional value as fresh fruits, and I must say, it has dispelled some of my beliefs about the former. First of all, let's establish that I am talking about canned fruit without the preservatives, additives, syrups, sugar and all that added stuff to the fruit that is obviously going to result in less nutritional value than fresh fruits. Now, from my browsing, it seems that there is not as much of a difference between canned vs. fresh fruit in terms of nutritional value, as most people think. There are some vitamins and stuff lost, but how much depends on so many factors, from the process, and type of fruit/vegetable being canned and so on.
Here are some of the links- of course, there are biases, esp. in the first one, so that's why there's more than one link. XP
http://www.europeachesfc.com/en/nutrition.php
http://blog.totallyready.com/our-general-storethink-fruit/02/23/
http://www.letsgo.org/resources/5210/five/CannedAndFrozenFacts.pdf
//===========================================================
So it being late at night and all, I get into all these moods and sometimes revelations and realizations and laughter fits and strange longings, meloncholy, and now sudden cravings (for Sprite(in that other post), for fruit?). Wow. Sounds like pregnancy. (O___O) Hahaha!
Well. I got up to look at my beautiful and beloved poster #2 that I bought at the poster sale back in September. It's a World Map. I was just checking out Southeast/west Asia 'cause Any posted a Sri Lanka tourist Youtube video on my wall and I'm going to go watch that soon.
Looking at the world map, it suddenly came to me that I know at least one person from every continent in the world. With the exclusion of Antarctica (Well, I know Pingu. He can be my someone =P )
It's sort of mind boggling and interesting at the same time.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
More French......
So I got home after my math exam and my roomies and I engaged in a conversation which included that Quebecois French vs. France French thing again.
My roomie said that it was soooo funny to experience the differences in French culture here that whenever she felt sad, she could always be cheered by looking around, and something would make her laugh.
"bienvenue"= "welcome" in French; however, it's used here as "You're welcome", a literal translation, in lieu of "de rien".
"joyeux festin"= my favourite of all that my roomie told me today- It's what the McDonald's "Happy Meal" is- it's it's so amusing because the language is so old, so archaic and medieval, my roomie says she feels like she should've be carrying a sword to order this "jovial feast" as it is in English.
"McPoulet"- as well, Chicken Nuggets are only called otherwise in Quebec.
"char"- I already said this, it's like a medieval carriage instead of a "car"- my roomie said the first time she heard it, it was like telling her, "You can get out of the carriage now." Umm.. pumpkin, anyone?
Ahhh, I forgot to tell you about the funniest commercial ever! Because of the culture differences and stuff, it's only possible here to have commercials here that play on both English and French-- My favourite, and I smile everytime I see it: "La vie est Bell."
HAHAHA. Ii applaud whoever came up with that =)
Also, my roomie told us that construction company that was doing work on the Peel metro station was called "Pile"- a pun on Peel, itself!! Haha. I would never have gotten that..
My roomie said that it was soooo funny to experience the differences in French culture here that whenever she felt sad, she could always be cheered by looking around, and something would make her laugh.
"bienvenue"= "welcome" in French; however, it's used here as "You're welcome", a literal translation, in lieu of "de rien".
"joyeux festin"= my favourite of all that my roomie told me today- It's what the McDonald's "Happy Meal" is- it's it's so amusing because the language is so old, so archaic and medieval, my roomie says she feels like she should've be carrying a sword to order this "jovial feast" as it is in English.
"McPoulet"- as well, Chicken Nuggets are only called otherwise in Quebec.
"char"- I already said this, it's like a medieval carriage instead of a "car"- my roomie said the first time she heard it, it was like telling her, "You can get out of the carriage now." Umm.. pumpkin, anyone?
Ahhh, I forgot to tell you about the funniest commercial ever! Because of the culture differences and stuff, it's only possible here to have commercials here that play on both English and French-- My favourite, and I smile everytime I see it: "La vie est Bell."
HAHAHA. Ii applaud whoever came up with that =)
Also, my roomie told us that construction company that was doing work on the Peel metro station was called "Pile"- a pun on Peel, itself!! Haha. I would never have gotten that..
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
I'm dying I'm dying aaaaargh math will be the death of me
I took a 5 minute break 'cause I saw that there was a new chapter of the FMA manga
and
OMG ASDJLKASJDKLSADJKSALDJSKLD: THE MOST TERRIBLE THING HAPPENED IN THE FMA MANGA
(I suppose I'm being melodramatic, and no one will understand exactly what I'm wailing about anyways)
OHHH it's killing me !!! The irony of it!!ASJDKLASDJAKSLDJASLKDJLSAKDJLSKDJLKSDJLKSJDLKASJDLKSAJDLAKSJLF:JL
I took a 5 minute break 'cause I saw that there was a new chapter of the FMA manga
and
OMG ASDJLKASJDKLSADJKSALDJSKLD: THE MOST TERRIBLE THING HAPPENED IN THE FMA MANGA
(I suppose I'm being melodramatic, and no one will understand exactly what I'm wailing about anyways)
OHHH it's killing me !!! The irony of it!!ASJDKLASDJAKSLDJASLKDJLSAKDJLSKDJLKSDJLKSJDLKASJDLKSAJDLAKSJLF:JL
Monday, December 14, 2009
Of Fruit, Singapore, and Pakistan.
So a few weeks ago I went to visit a friend's apartment (couldn't follow directions, ended up on the 4th floor instead of the 3rd... ) and found her and her roomie standing in the kitching staring into an empty garbage can. Or so I thought. They stared at me and I stared at them from the doorway and finally I asked, "What are you doing?"
The answer I got? "Worms."
O-kay.............. My first thought was "vermicomposting!" and then I ran through many confusing loops and reasonings in my brain because it was unusual and weird but it was so awesome they were vermicomposting but wasn't there composting bins available in the courtyard already maybe they didn't want to walk all the way out there?
That was a proof that I was turning into a bio nerd. Haha jk.
But it turned out to be just that. Worms. UUUUUGHHH. Anyways, I met someone new that day. I love how this cycle of meeting ppl never ends. We bonded over fruit! Yes, I am talking about Far, (one who got me into the Sprite craving in the previous post). She's from Pakistan, and I'm immediately fascinated and then we bonded over fruit! I think because we were talking about a lot of stuff before, and my friend whom I came to visit reminded me that I had to share my great longing for pomegranates. The season was almost there and I was excited! Then the topic of fruit came and stayed the whole night, and Far took out her mini laptop and HAHAA all three of us spent basically the whole night googling and wikipedia-ing fruit! The fruit we didn't know much about, the fruit we didn't know existed, and did you know that list on Wiki of tropical fruits is really handy?
I felt so full of fruit knowledge that night I went to bed dry-mouthed and craving all sorts of fantastical things.
And it got me so excited and full of longing for those tropical fruits I hadn't had in so long, which is still the same weeks later =(
Some of them are..
-starfruit (I don't even REMEMBER when I last had it, and it's been so long that I want it although I remember it wasn't my favourite fruit)
-Buddha's head- I tried to tell them about it, and it was hard and I finally found that the more common name was Custard Apple. I mean, I didn't even know about that!
-Bell Fruit- Seriously one of my favourite fruits ever. EVER. But apparently there're just so many pesticides used to grow it (dubious fact), and they're expensive! (another base-less fact, because they must be cheap where they're grown) Also, they're called Rose Apple more commonly?? It's a beautiful name and I'm drooling again, but Bell Fruit actually describes its shape! Hhhmm.
One of my dreams is to try so many different fruits- I can't believe there are so many and many I've never even seen before and just thinking about how a new fruit will taste like makes me so excited! One fruit that I know I can get, but have not actually tried to get, is durian. Lots of things I have heard about it. So that's a rare exception in which I'm not clamoring to try it. Perhaps.. one day, a tiny piece will be conveniently offered to me, because there's no way I want to buy the whole freaking stinkyness of a spiked ballon and drag it home! So we bonded over fruit!~
Just last week, at the same apartment on the 3rd floor (every single time I've tried to go up there, I end up on the 4th floor for some inexplicable reason!!!) This time, it was for a "pomegranate party"- because I bought pomegranates!! So yum! I invited Min, from my floor, and when we got up there, I met another new person! Far's friend from the MacDonald campus! Super exciting because wow, who would've thought I'd meet one of those rare, rare creatures? lol. McGill's MacDonald Campus (as opposed to the Downtown campus, where the majority of the students are) is the special Agriculture and Environmental Sciences faculty...
Anyways, her name's Mari (to differentiate from Mar), and we didn't bond over fruit. Because I found out the most astounding thing; she does not eat fruits. Apparently she was made to eat stewed apples or something when she was little? Childhood events causing aversion? But it wasn't just a slight aversion to apples- it's to every fruits she's ever tried! Because I asked her if she tried this and this and she's like yes she's tried it all and she'd just puke it back out!
Psychologically allergic to fruit! That is just.. mind-boggling to me. Alien.
Haha, then we spent the rest of the night talking about Pakistan and Singapore and going to the MacDonald campus to visit next term and having a snowfight there because it's basically all farms and beautiful pastures and cows! Min and I got excited about the cows- we want to try milking cows!
The answer I got? "Worms."
O-kay.............. My first thought was "vermicomposting!" and then I ran through many confusing loops and reasonings in my brain because it was unusual and weird but it was so awesome they were vermicomposting but wasn't there composting bins available in the courtyard already maybe they didn't want to walk all the way out there?
That was a proof that I was turning into a bio nerd. Haha jk.
But it turned out to be just that. Worms. UUUUUGHHH. Anyways, I met someone new that day. I love how this cycle of meeting ppl never ends. We bonded over fruit! Yes, I am talking about Far, (one who got me into the Sprite craving in the previous post). She's from Pakistan, and I'm immediately fascinated and then we bonded over fruit! I think because we were talking about a lot of stuff before, and my friend whom I came to visit reminded me that I had to share my great longing for pomegranates. The season was almost there and I was excited! Then the topic of fruit came and stayed the whole night, and Far took out her mini laptop and HAHAA all three of us spent basically the whole night googling and wikipedia-ing fruit! The fruit we didn't know much about, the fruit we didn't know existed, and did you know that list on Wiki of tropical fruits is really handy?
I felt so full of fruit knowledge that night I went to bed dry-mouthed and craving all sorts of fantastical things.
And it got me so excited and full of longing for those tropical fruits I hadn't had in so long, which is still the same weeks later =(
Some of them are..
-starfruit (I don't even REMEMBER when I last had it, and it's been so long that I want it although I remember it wasn't my favourite fruit)
-Buddha's head- I tried to tell them about it, and it was hard and I finally found that the more common name was Custard Apple. I mean, I didn't even know about that!
-Bell Fruit- Seriously one of my favourite fruits ever. EVER. But apparently there're just so many pesticides used to grow it (dubious fact), and they're expensive! (another base-less fact, because they must be cheap where they're grown) Also, they're called Rose Apple more commonly?? It's a beautiful name and I'm drooling again, but Bell Fruit actually describes its shape! Hhhmm.
One of my dreams is to try so many different fruits- I can't believe there are so many and many I've never even seen before and just thinking about how a new fruit will taste like makes me so excited! One fruit that I know I can get, but have not actually tried to get, is durian. Lots of things I have heard about it. So that's a rare exception in which I'm not clamoring to try it. Perhaps.. one day, a tiny piece will be conveniently offered to me, because there's no way I want to buy the whole freaking stinkyness of a spiked ballon and drag it home! So we bonded over fruit!~
Just last week, at the same apartment on the 3rd floor (every single time I've tried to go up there, I end up on the 4th floor for some inexplicable reason!!!) This time, it was for a "pomegranate party"- because I bought pomegranates!! So yum! I invited Min, from my floor, and when we got up there, I met another new person! Far's friend from the MacDonald campus! Super exciting because wow, who would've thought I'd meet one of those rare, rare creatures? lol. McGill's MacDonald Campus (as opposed to the Downtown campus, where the majority of the students are) is the special Agriculture and Environmental Sciences faculty...
Anyways, her name's Mari (to differentiate from Mar), and we didn't bond over fruit. Because I found out the most astounding thing; she does not eat fruits. Apparently she was made to eat stewed apples or something when she was little? Childhood events causing aversion? But it wasn't just a slight aversion to apples- it's to every fruits she's ever tried! Because I asked her if she tried this and this and she's like yes she's tried it all and she'd just puke it back out!
Psychologically allergic to fruit! That is just.. mind-boggling to me. Alien.
Haha, then we spent the rest of the night talking about Pakistan and Singapore and going to the MacDonald campus to visit next term and having a snowfight there because it's basically all farms and beautiful pastures and cows! Min and I got excited about the cows- we want to try milking cows!
The Day Before The Day Before The Math Final.
Okay, so Rah, Har, Any, and I gathered to watch the last 6 eps of DTB today. I shared some of that Ghirardelli peanut butter filled milk chocolate, which was amazing... I brought up a tupperware of three de-seeded pomegranates (I have a huge pomegranate craving, and ever since it came out at IGA, I've bought 9 of them all starting in the month of December). Then we ordered this pizza+poutine+chicken wings+fries combo... The delivery guy had trouble with the directions. I mean, I wonder how a McGill rez, a chocolate factory, could be so unknown?? It's by the Lionel-Groulx metro station, it's within sight of the Atwater market...
After it was over (man, it ended so randomly and weirdly, but it was promised that the watching of the second season will commence next term), I went back to stress over math =(
After it was over (man, it ended so randomly and weirdly, but it was promised that the watching of the second season will commence next term), I went back to stress over math =(
Oh, It's A Swell Time..
Tonight was the night. Of the Secret Santa and potluck. I contributed with my baked sweet potato fries, which was the only thing I could offer. We started with present openings, but I had to run back to my apartment in two 10-minute intervals because I had two pans of sweet potatoes baking at different times =.=lll So, I missed the latter portion of the present opening, so when I got back, it was all done =(
It was partly due to fact that when I went back the second time, Mich and Kir and a guy I didn't know was standing in the hallway, and I was in such a mad rush I must've looked half-crazy. Anyways, of course with my plate of hot potato fries in my hands, I couldn't just go past them without offering some! They liked it a lot, and Kir attempted to kidnap the plate. I was pleased. Haha. AND the guy I didn't know and I, we looked at each other, thinking, "Do I know you?" I asked him which floor, where he lived. He pointed. It was the apartment door to the right of mine. And where did I live? I point to my door a little of the left behind me. Err. Rob is his name.
So I finally meet one of "true" neighbours on the same side of the hallway!! Seriously, I never saw anyone go in or out of the apartments on either side of ours. It's a bit creepy, actually. But I found out that at least one dweller is human, so it's all okay XD
When I made it back, all the presents were opened except the one I had to give to him! Haha I hid it under the table, so no one knew there was one left! (You must be confused; some of the people were away, or were missed in the communication that Secret Santa was changed to today instead of Wednesday, so not everyone gave or received a gift today). I came back to the potluck and my sweet potato fries were attacked! I got compliments! *blushes* It's nothing at all though, it's almost insultingly easy to make; I shall make some for you guys when I get back?
Anyways, my Secret Santa was a successful! He liked it a lot, so yay!!
The guy Mar, from Mauritius, he brought chicken curry and this interesting coconut dessert, both of which he made himself, emphasizing the Mauritian tradition of the dishes. Haha, told you he was Mauritius crazy =D
The curry was so gooood and there was fried rice, naan (love!), a different kind of curry/stir-fry, my sweet potato fries... Mmmmmm.
After that, I went back down to my apartment, and Rah's like, Oh I'm going to introduce you to someone... and whaddya know? Tonight, I met my "true" fellow neighbours from both sides of my apartment for the first time! After 3 months! Wow. There're three girls living on the left apartment, and four guys on the right. So I met Rob from the right, and Nau from the left. She just returned from Khushali, an Ismaili (I think) celebration. So as Rah and Nau explained to me, it's a celebration of their religious leader, on his birthday- which is December 13th. Rah celebrated by going out to this amazing (apparently best in Mtl) ice cream place at Jean-Talon. I was in a dilemma, but in the end I didn't go because I was just too tired and had too much work to do (study math). There're other times... but it sounded absolutely amazing. There was masala chai flavour! Wth...! Now I'm drooling ><
Okay, so all three of us go down to meet Har, one of the guys in our Secret Santa group, who wasn't present at the potluck/exchange because he was at Harvard visiting a friend for a few days. We end up in front of his door, and Any ended up with us as well. Ooooh and hahaha he reaches into his backpack and gives in two bars of Ghirardelli chocolates!! My Secret Santa revealed, yups yups!
(See. I got chocolate after all. From Cambridge. XP I so do like things from other places)
They're rectangular bars, one of Milk Chocolate (my fav kind!!) and one w/ peanut butter in it. Yum! So we're still all standing in the first floor hallway and someone walk by. I almost let her go down the hall but I realized it was Far! And she didn't say hello, so I was like "Far___! What are you doing?" That got her attention haha. She said she was going down to get Sprite from the vending machine.
Oh no. It's happened. It was all because of her. She said something that just switched something on in my brain and from that point on, after she said that word, I had an extreme craving for Sprite. This Sprite craving led us all down to the hall (Any, Har, Rah, Nau, Far, and me). From that point on, there was proof that something out there did not want to make it easy to satisfy my Sprite craving. First, the machine beeped red and all three rows of Sprite buttons signaled "Choose another selection". Second, settling for second best, we pressed for Coke, and got the same reply. With the banging on the buttons, a Diet Coke rolled out. Which I refused to touch. Aspartame!!! And anyways, remember SPRITE CRAVING??
Since Far is the one who got us all into this, because she had to say Sprite! and I had to get this Sprite craving, which in turn led us all outside in our snow gear with the destination of the corner store which Any suggested, being closest.
The corner store was closed. Again, I had the feeling that something out there really has something against me. I felt like a (wo)man in the desert searching for water, and anything else would not do. McDonald's was closed. G-spot was closed. Damn.
And then we found a place that was still open at 11-something pm! We all went in and we all had Sprite (haha finally!!) and poutine.. It was good.
We went back to the courtyard of our rez, and a snowfight was going on between groups of people! So we get inevitably drawn in, and although I didn't have gloves and it was cold, I totally got some great hits! I got revenge on Hus for hitting defenseless observers Nau and Far (who bonded... 'cause one could speak Urdu and one could understand a bit of it? Yay- glad I intro'd someone to someone today too).
Oh, and I found out the Nau, my neighbour, is from Edmonton. It's apparently SO COLD there right now.
All in all, a fun wacky exhilarating night! (I still can't believe Rah had to introduce me to my own NEIGHBOUR! Well.. he practically knows at least one person behind every door at the Chocolate Rez, I have no idea how.....)
It was partly due to fact that when I went back the second time, Mich and Kir and a guy I didn't know was standing in the hallway, and I was in such a mad rush I must've looked half-crazy. Anyways, of course with my plate of hot potato fries in my hands, I couldn't just go past them without offering some! They liked it a lot, and Kir attempted to kidnap the plate. I was pleased. Haha. AND the guy I didn't know and I, we looked at each other, thinking, "Do I know you?" I asked him which floor, where he lived. He pointed. It was the apartment door to the right of mine. And where did I live? I point to my door a little of the left behind me. Err. Rob is his name.
So I finally meet one of "true" neighbours on the same side of the hallway!! Seriously, I never saw anyone go in or out of the apartments on either side of ours. It's a bit creepy, actually. But I found out that at least one dweller is human, so it's all okay XD
When I made it back, all the presents were opened except the one I had to give to him! Haha I hid it under the table, so no one knew there was one left! (You must be confused; some of the people were away, or were missed in the communication that Secret Santa was changed to today instead of Wednesday, so not everyone gave or received a gift today). I came back to the potluck and my sweet potato fries were attacked! I got compliments! *blushes* It's nothing at all though, it's almost insultingly easy to make; I shall make some for you guys when I get back?
Anyways, my Secret Santa was a successful! He liked it a lot, so yay!!
The guy Mar, from Mauritius, he brought chicken curry and this interesting coconut dessert, both of which he made himself, emphasizing the Mauritian tradition of the dishes. Haha, told you he was Mauritius crazy =D
The curry was so gooood and there was fried rice, naan (love!), a different kind of curry/stir-fry, my sweet potato fries... Mmmmmm.
After that, I went back down to my apartment, and Rah's like, Oh I'm going to introduce you to someone... and whaddya know? Tonight, I met my "true" fellow neighbours from both sides of my apartment for the first time! After 3 months! Wow. There're three girls living on the left apartment, and four guys on the right. So I met Rob from the right, and Nau from the left. She just returned from Khushali, an Ismaili (I think) celebration. So as Rah and Nau explained to me, it's a celebration of their religious leader, on his birthday- which is December 13th. Rah celebrated by going out to this amazing (apparently best in Mtl) ice cream place at Jean-Talon. I was in a dilemma, but in the end I didn't go because I was just too tired and had too much work to do (study math). There're other times... but it sounded absolutely amazing. There was masala chai flavour! Wth...! Now I'm drooling ><
Okay, so all three of us go down to meet Har, one of the guys in our Secret Santa group, who wasn't present at the potluck/exchange because he was at Harvard visiting a friend for a few days. We end up in front of his door, and Any ended up with us as well. Ooooh and hahaha he reaches into his backpack and gives in two bars of Ghirardelli chocolates!! My Secret Santa revealed, yups yups!
(See. I got chocolate after all. From Cambridge. XP I so do like things from other places)
They're rectangular bars, one of Milk Chocolate (my fav kind!!) and one w/ peanut butter in it. Yum! So we're still all standing in the first floor hallway and someone walk by. I almost let her go down the hall but I realized it was Far! And she didn't say hello, so I was like "Far___! What are you doing?" That got her attention haha. She said she was going down to get Sprite from the vending machine.
Oh no. It's happened. It was all because of her. She said something that just switched something on in my brain and from that point on, after she said that word, I had an extreme craving for Sprite. This Sprite craving led us all down to the hall (Any, Har, Rah, Nau, Far, and me). From that point on, there was proof that something out there did not want to make it easy to satisfy my Sprite craving. First, the machine beeped red and all three rows of Sprite buttons signaled "Choose another selection". Second, settling for second best, we pressed for Coke, and got the same reply. With the banging on the buttons, a Diet Coke rolled out. Which I refused to touch. Aspartame!!! And anyways, remember SPRITE CRAVING??
Since Far is the one who got us all into this, because she had to say Sprite! and I had to get this Sprite craving, which in turn led us all outside in our snow gear with the destination of the corner store which Any suggested, being closest.
The corner store was closed. Again, I had the feeling that something out there really has something against me. I felt like a (wo)man in the desert searching for water, and anything else would not do. McDonald's was closed. G-spot was closed. Damn.
And then we found a place that was still open at 11-something pm! We all went in and we all had Sprite (haha finally!!) and poutine.. It was good.
We went back to the courtyard of our rez, and a snowfight was going on between groups of people! So we get inevitably drawn in, and although I didn't have gloves and it was cold, I totally got some great hits! I got revenge on Hus for hitting defenseless observers Nau and Far (who bonded... 'cause one could speak Urdu and one could understand a bit of it? Yay- glad I intro'd someone to someone today too).
Oh, and I found out the Nau, my neighbour, is from Edmonton. It's apparently SO COLD there right now.
All in all, a fun wacky exhilarating night! (I still can't believe Rah had to introduce me to my own NEIGHBOUR! Well.. he practically knows at least one person behind every door at the Chocolate Rez, I have no idea how.....)
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Place Alexis Nihon.
Today I went out to mall with the IGA upstairs where I do most of my food shopping(metro station: Atwater)to buy some Ferrero Rochers for the finishing touch to my Secret Santa present! I didn't end up buying the expensive cool thing I saw, because it just wasn't worth the money. I got something that he'd like though, I think. There was so much chocolate, I couldn't decide what to choose, but FR won out.. something it seems to do too often. I failed at staying away from the book corner at Zellers (aah.. I just can't help it! books make me giddy) and holy cows, I saw a Shonen Jump magazine! In English! It was dated 2009-2010 or something too! Wth..... It was so out of place. Haha, the book section was just a bunch of random books of everything thrown in in disarray on the shelves and carts.. But then I saw a few random manga, French and English..
Afterwards, I got the gift wrapped 'cause I saw a gift wrap booth service just like our MS Society one back at Metrotown! But there was like no one there at 11am in the morning... There was only one person there, a middle-aged lady, and I asked if my gift would be considered petit or moyen, and she said,"petit". Haha GOOD ANSWER! And also, she asked if I would like it in a box, and it was still the same price! (And they had boxes, something we were majorly lacking..)She was slow (perhaps not used to wrapping presents) and it was quiet and I was just standing there so I told her about gift wrap booths and what organization thingy this was for etc. She then asked me if it was for a guy or a girl and I was confused momentarily because why did it matter? I said guy (or "gars" haha) and it was the ribbon she wrapped around the outside. It's funny, the wrapping method (with ribbon on the outside, plus a bow on top) was the exact same as the one we used for the MS Society Christmas Wrapping.
Afterwards, I got the gift wrapped 'cause I saw a gift wrap booth service just like our MS Society one back at Metrotown! But there was like no one there at 11am in the morning... There was only one person there, a middle-aged lady, and I asked if my gift would be considered petit or moyen, and she said,"petit". Haha GOOD ANSWER! And also, she asked if I would like it in a box, and it was still the same price! (And they had boxes, something we were majorly lacking..)She was slow (perhaps not used to wrapping presents) and it was quiet and I was just standing there so I told her about gift wrap booths and what organization thingy this was for etc. She then asked me if it was for a guy or a girl and I was confused momentarily because why did it matter? I said guy (or "gars" haha) and it was the ribbon she wrapped around the outside. It's funny, the wrapping method (with ribbon on the outside, plus a bow on top) was the exact same as the one we used for the MS Society Christmas Wrapping.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
In All Awkwardness.
Last night was a first. A really, really, really awkward first. I hate it how sometimes I really feel like I'm missing a sense of awareness I seriously need, because that "omg I was ignorant to this it feels like a space that was there and gaping all along has just been filled".
Yesterday, however, had a few notable points although all I was supposed to be doing was studying for math 140.
One, my friend Yak's first snowfight and snow angel experience. AAHH I was outnumbered by internationals!! Note: ice really really hurts, so make sure it stays away from the general vicinity of your face.
Two, Thai peanut noodles (specific instant brand) are actually an amazing experience. For your tastebuds. Also, the person who made that experience happen pronounced it like "thigh"- the "Thai" pronounciation war continues.
Three, I found out that during the winter holidays, if I'm leaving, I have to turn the heat to a minimum of 10C. Instead of turning all the heat off. This makes me shiver.
Four, hot chocolate is amazing, and it's even better if you put mini marshmallows in it and it puffs up and eventually melts in your cup.
Five, wet jeans are not the most comfortable things to wear.
Six, I went inside my first pub. It was heaven because it was roaring cold outside.
Seven, that wasn't the "first" I was referring to in the first sentence.
Eight, late last night, I went to bed at 2am. It was because somehow, I ended up entangled in this immersion of childhood nostalgia and changed perceptions- and it was search, discovery, nostalgia, and SUCH an ache of longing and remembrance and a bunch of other things it stirred up... my insides felt like they were squirming.
My French roomie and I... we really had a moment. I suppose I shall divulge some of this when I come back.
Yesterday, however, had a few notable points although all I was supposed to be doing was studying for math 140.
One, my friend Yak's first snowfight and snow angel experience. AAHH I was outnumbered by internationals!! Note: ice really really hurts, so make sure it stays away from the general vicinity of your face.
Two, Thai peanut noodles (specific instant brand) are actually an amazing experience. For your tastebuds. Also, the person who made that experience happen pronounced it like "thigh"- the "Thai" pronounciation war continues.
Three, I found out that during the winter holidays, if I'm leaving, I have to turn the heat to a minimum of 10C. Instead of turning all the heat off. This makes me shiver.
Four, hot chocolate is amazing, and it's even better if you put mini marshmallows in it and it puffs up and eventually melts in your cup.
Five, wet jeans are not the most comfortable things to wear.
Six, I went inside my first pub. It was heaven because it was roaring cold outside.
Seven, that wasn't the "first" I was referring to in the first sentence.
Eight, late last night, I went to bed at 2am. It was because somehow, I ended up entangled in this immersion of childhood nostalgia and changed perceptions- and it was search, discovery, nostalgia, and SUCH an ache of longing and remembrance and a bunch of other things it stirred up... my insides felt like they were squirming.
My French roomie and I... we really had a moment. I suppose I shall divulge some of this when I come back.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
La neige, partout!
This is more like it! It started snowing hard today, and for most of the day- now the snow truck ppls are out, and the snow's still going!
However, I'm inside studying bio 'cause my exam's tomorrow =(
Oh! I received a box of black vanilla-flavoured tea from Mar today! It was really so nice of him- the tea's from Mauritius, and he's a Mauritian crazy about Mauritius! lol. It's a b-day present, too. Which reminds me..... the first time I met him, he asked if I wanted some Mauritian fried rice! So my first impression was that he's super nice, and he cooks! Haha. XD I shall bring the box back if you guys would like to try some Mauritian tea, lol.. (if I remember.. I'm so scatter brained, I'm so scared that 203 bad and unexpected things are going to happen to me from now to the time I need to get on that plane to Toronto!! I think I'm busing to the airport... but I have AJSDK:JSK:JIW things to do but I need to just study for my exams! ><)
I'm part of a Secret Santa w/ around 16 other people... I drew my person/name out of the hat this morning. Getting things for guys are so hard.. =( but as Any was complaining, I realized that there're only like.. 6 girls. So the chances weren't so good anyways Haha. But I saw something at the mall when I was IGA-grocery shopping the other day that made me go "Wow that's cool!" so perhaps I'll go for that.. although it's not exactly an unperishable. Gahhh gifts. I always long to find something interesting/unusual and hopefully useful, but that's a damn hard combination to get right =(
Think I'm going to shop on Saturday (why do my intentions to study my ass off always waver..?) and AAAH FEAR MY MATH 140 FINAL ON WEDNESDAY!!
Bio is the least of my worries, since it's multiple choice... although they always manage to be damn tricky =0
However, I'm inside studying bio 'cause my exam's tomorrow =(
Oh! I received a box of black vanilla-flavoured tea from Mar today! It was really so nice of him- the tea's from Mauritius, and he's a Mauritian crazy about Mauritius! lol. It's a b-day present, too. Which reminds me..... the first time I met him, he asked if I wanted some Mauritian fried rice! So my first impression was that he's super nice, and he cooks! Haha. XD I shall bring the box back if you guys would like to try some Mauritian tea, lol.. (if I remember.. I'm so scatter brained, I'm so scared that 203 bad and unexpected things are going to happen to me from now to the time I need to get on that plane to Toronto!! I think I'm busing to the airport... but I have AJSDK:JSK:JIW things to do but I need to just study for my exams! ><)
I'm part of a Secret Santa w/ around 16 other people... I drew my person/name out of the hat this morning. Getting things for guys are so hard.. =( but as Any was complaining, I realized that there're only like.. 6 girls. So the chances weren't so good anyways Haha. But I saw something at the mall when I was IGA-grocery shopping the other day that made me go "Wow that's cool!" so perhaps I'll go for that.. although it's not exactly an unperishable. Gahhh gifts. I always long to find something interesting/unusual and hopefully useful, but that's a damn hard combination to get right =(
Think I'm going to shop on Saturday (why do my intentions to study my ass off always waver..?) and AAAH FEAR MY MATH 140 FINAL ON WEDNESDAY!!
Bio is the least of my worries, since it's multiple choice... although they always manage to be damn tricky =0
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Red Dip Down.
My computer weather moniter thingy has just given me an all-time low. According to it, it is now -10C in Montreal...
Monday, December 7, 2009
Snow... FIGHT! [1]
Just had my first snow fight of the season! XD The snow's enough to make everything white, but it's thin enough that the grass pokes out of it like a few days' worth of facial hair. Hahaa.
Funfunfunfunfun! ...I looked at the 14-day trend and it forecasts 2 days of snow/flurries, then nothing until the weeken of the 20-21st.. the weekend I'm leaving =( damn! It's so weird that the snow's so late...
Haha, we fought around the rez, in the courtyard, and everyone was mauled down at least once XD I got snow rubbed in my hair and into my face =/ lol. Any made her first snow angel, and it was Rah's first snow-fight- We were shouting, "Get the Kenyan, get the Kenyan!!" while running after him haha!!
Anyways, very unproductive studying going on tonight... tomorrow, I'm going to watch those online lectures for my Bio exam on Thursday- all 15 lectures, yups! See if I can do it? ^.*
...I know people see "student" all over me when I line up at Zellers balancing a 12-pack of toilet paper on my right, and 6 packs of Mr. Noodles on my left. My excuse: It's backup! Just in case I really am hungry and am incapable of finding the time or ingredients to cook something for myself.
Funfunfunfunfun! ...I looked at the 14-day trend and it forecasts 2 days of snow/flurries, then nothing until the weeken of the 20-21st.. the weekend I'm leaving =( damn! It's so weird that the snow's so late...
Haha, we fought around the rez, in the courtyard, and everyone was mauled down at least once XD I got snow rubbed in my hair and into my face =/ lol. Any made her first snow angel, and it was Rah's first snow-fight- We were shouting, "Get the Kenyan, get the Kenyan!!" while running after him haha!!
Anyways, very unproductive studying going on tonight... tomorrow, I'm going to watch those online lectures for my Bio exam on Thursday- all 15 lectures, yups! See if I can do it? ^.*
...I know people see "student" all over me when I line up at Zellers balancing a 12-pack of toilet paper on my right, and 6 packs of Mr. Noodles on my left. My excuse: It's backup! Just in case I really am hungry and am incapable of finding the time or ingredients to cook something for myself.
Midnight Shopping Cart Frenzy.
So it's around December 7, 12:08am, and there's frantic knocking on my apartment door, when it should be the normal time of zzzzz's. And I rush to the door (I've been answering doors a lot today (well, technically yesterday)..) and I see a red shopping cart parked right in front of me. Any was there, and her roommate Ag and another guy, one at each end of the cart, and they say to me, "Get in, get in!" and Any leaps out of the cart and I'm standing there with Who-what-why-whaa flitting through my head like a broken movie reel, baffled beyond belief AT MIDNIGHT, and Ag demands, "Just get in the goddamned cart" (she swears a lot) and I go "O-kaayyy.." (a bit apprehensive even as I do it) and then whoooosh we're off down the carpeted halls, we're rushing past the doors, one, two, three... and Any's saying something like, "Asians are half price!" (it's a Super C shopping cart)and we end up at the elevator at the end of the rez and they asked me to pick a floor, and I said the 3rd, and they wrestle me n' the cart into the elevator and we burst out into the 3rd floor and rush down the hallway like hooligans and I think Any was on a sugar rush and so was I from that hot chocolate earlier and we rushed through the air and ended up at Jul's (our next.. victim, since I'm part of this now) and I they go on another round of knocking, and finally Jul opens the door (hilarious, in his sleep-wear) and I leap out and collapse, laughing, against the wall while he gives the same expression I gave when they arrived in front of my door, and I convince and tug him towards the cart and off we go again........ anyways, in the end I make it back to my apartment... I was in pajamas the whole time too!
I think I just wrote a bunch of grammatically incorrect, run-on sentences.. aaah!
(haha names are so funny when you cut them short, and I noticed that the shortened names I write aren't that easy to guess..)
I think I just wrote a bunch of grammatically incorrect, run-on sentences.. aaah!
(haha names are so funny when you cut them short, and I noticed that the shortened names I write aren't that easy to guess..)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
It descended, a gentle embrace, a white revelation...
The snow came tonight, on my birthday, and it fell in slow spirals, lazy white tufts nestling in between hair and the folds of cloth...
I ran out into the courtyard when it first happened, and it actually gathered and stuck for the first time... we raised our hands to the sky and watched the white falling to meet us, and it was beautiful.
Later, when I went back to my apartment, my neighbours came knocking with excitement at the snow, and I went out for a second time. When I went out, I discovered that there was enough to make mini snowballs, and it covered the sidewalks in a thin dusty layer of white! Running around in the dark, with the white falling silently through the darkness, illuminated by the yellow lamp-lights, was one of the first joys of the winter season. More people were peeking through their curtains and sticking their heads out at the noise we were making, and so more people started coming out into the courtyard to play. When we finally came back from our little excursion in the neighbourhood, back to the rez courtyard, quite a group had gathered, and they took a grand photo right there under the lights and snow. Haha, someone said "Happy Birthday" to me and suddenly the they all started singing Happy Birthday to me *wriggle* There's just some things that makes you feel like the world is a better place, and one of them, I discovered, is hearing a group of mostly strangers suddenly singing Happy Birthday to you in the night (with the first snow descending upon us, a blessing from the sky)...
I ran out into the courtyard when it first happened, and it actually gathered and stuck for the first time... we raised our hands to the sky and watched the white falling to meet us, and it was beautiful.
Later, when I went back to my apartment, my neighbours came knocking with excitement at the snow, and I went out for a second time. When I went out, I discovered that there was enough to make mini snowballs, and it covered the sidewalks in a thin dusty layer of white! Running around in the dark, with the white falling silently through the darkness, illuminated by the yellow lamp-lights, was one of the first joys of the winter season. More people were peeking through their curtains and sticking their heads out at the noise we were making, and so more people started coming out into the courtyard to play. When we finally came back from our little excursion in the neighbourhood, back to the rez courtyard, quite a group had gathered, and they took a grand photo right there under the lights and snow. Haha, someone said "Happy Birthday" to me and suddenly the they all started singing Happy Birthday to me *wriggle* There's just some things that makes you feel like the world is a better place, and one of them, I discovered, is hearing a group of mostly strangers suddenly singing Happy Birthday to you in the night (with the first snow descending upon us, a blessing from the sky)...
Chocolate High.
Aftermath of my nightly bday excursion? A chocolate high, and two boxes of chocolate in my cupboard.
The Quays of the Old Port, lit up specially at night, was breathtaking. Walking to the Quays, through the Old Port with the beloved cobblestone streets and trees hung with stringing halos of light, was beautiful.
The rink was pretty busy, the night was clear and the glow of multicoloured lights emanated from the surrounding buildings and played across the ice. Then, the fireworks started at 8pm and it was spectacular- the music was amazing (in my opinion, no matter how flashy fireworks can be, I cannot be impressed without the element of music to bring it out). The fireworks, though, were impressive not because of the music accompanying it, but for itself. I've never seen the wide variety of fireworks as I saw tonight- there were blooms that reminded me of golden wheat, and fountains of stardust that stayed in the air for so long it must have been melting gold, and little streaks of chirping from these tiny light torpedos that flew upwards in every direction. And the way the fireworks lit up the sky and it reflected off the white of the ice landscape? Omg. Nothing like it. It was just happiness in the chill air amidst the bursts of light and sound, and the presence of living, breathing, loving around me.
We skated, and I fell, and I got up with a big-ass bruise. Then 10pm was the shut-down of the rink, and we went walking through the cold to Juliette Chocolate, which was so small and crowded and quaint and there were around 20 of us and it was cold and it seemed like there was no way we'd be able to get in. It closed at 12am today, and it was 10:30pm. We made it though, by admitting us in two separate groups, one first, then the other. The waitresses were SO NICE, as was the waitress at Nickel's from last time, and before as we were debating what we should do since there were too many ppl inside the small place, and we didn't know how long we had to wait, they called me over 'cause the waitress wanted to talk, and whoa rapid French! Hahaa, but I understand most of it- basically about accomodating us and how we're to split into groups of 6 or 7, and have one group in first, and I asked if it's possible to have a time estimate, she said it was crazy (il est fou) to be able to tell how long etc. So yay, I felt happy I could understand her (more or less) hahaha!
So since it took so much to get all the way here, and finally seated and everything, I said to hell with it and ordered the traditional hot milk chocolate, and a crepe of fruit, chocolate, and ice cream. OMG this place is CHOCOLATE HEAVEN. Seriously. And my crepe? I was asked what KIND of chocolate for my crepe (dark, white, milk?) and what kind of ice cream. I mean, "fruit" crepe is pretty general, so I wasn't expecting much, and you wouldn't, really, from a crepe. BUT when it came, it was mindblowing. The fruit on the crepe was totally out of my expectations. It had SO many varieties: pineapples, baby blueberries, raspberries, apples, grapes, omg I don't even know what else, all together and colourful and drizzled with milk chocolate and also over the yellow vanilla icecream in the middle,which made the milk chocolate drizzle harden into this pretty snowflake network of milk chocolate... heaven. And the milk hot chocolate was like melted chocolate in a cup, it was thick and creamy and it reminded me of the time Mme Rainaldi gave us this article to read about chocolate and the Queen of Spain or something loved to drink this Italian hot chocolate or something where it was basically thick, melted chocolate in a cup. OMG. I'm definitely taking you guys there!! I feel like I have some touristy experience I can actually put to use now (I mean, usually people go to school, then home, then school, and occasionally to clubs/pubs.... it's university. So that doesn't leave students that much time to explore every nook and cranny of the city). And then when we left, it was 12:10am and they sang Happy Birthday in English, and in French as we were crossing the street, and then in German haha as we passed into the metro station. Lol.
Oh, p.s. JYT, I did get that "authentic French kiss" (twice, actually)- but from a Mauritian, which sorta counts??
The Quays of the Old Port, lit up specially at night, was breathtaking. Walking to the Quays, through the Old Port with the beloved cobblestone streets and trees hung with stringing halos of light, was beautiful.
The rink was pretty busy, the night was clear and the glow of multicoloured lights emanated from the surrounding buildings and played across the ice. Then, the fireworks started at 8pm and it was spectacular- the music was amazing (in my opinion, no matter how flashy fireworks can be, I cannot be impressed without the element of music to bring it out). The fireworks, though, were impressive not because of the music accompanying it, but for itself. I've never seen the wide variety of fireworks as I saw tonight- there were blooms that reminded me of golden wheat, and fountains of stardust that stayed in the air for so long it must have been melting gold, and little streaks of chirping from these tiny light torpedos that flew upwards in every direction. And the way the fireworks lit up the sky and it reflected off the white of the ice landscape? Omg. Nothing like it. It was just happiness in the chill air amidst the bursts of light and sound, and the presence of living, breathing, loving around me.
We skated, and I fell, and I got up with a big-ass bruise. Then 10pm was the shut-down of the rink, and we went walking through the cold to Juliette Chocolate, which was so small and crowded and quaint and there were around 20 of us and it was cold and it seemed like there was no way we'd be able to get in. It closed at 12am today, and it was 10:30pm. We made it though, by admitting us in two separate groups, one first, then the other. The waitresses were SO NICE, as was the waitress at Nickel's from last time, and before as we were debating what we should do since there were too many ppl inside the small place, and we didn't know how long we had to wait, they called me over 'cause the waitress wanted to talk, and whoa rapid French! Hahaa, but I understand most of it- basically about accomodating us and how we're to split into groups of 6 or 7, and have one group in first, and I asked if it's possible to have a time estimate, she said it was crazy (il est fou) to be able to tell how long etc. So yay, I felt happy I could understand her (more or less) hahaha!
So since it took so much to get all the way here, and finally seated and everything, I said to hell with it and ordered the traditional hot milk chocolate, and a crepe of fruit, chocolate, and ice cream. OMG this place is CHOCOLATE HEAVEN. Seriously. And my crepe? I was asked what KIND of chocolate for my crepe (dark, white, milk?) and what kind of ice cream. I mean, "fruit" crepe is pretty general, so I wasn't expecting much, and you wouldn't, really, from a crepe. BUT when it came, it was mindblowing. The fruit on the crepe was totally out of my expectations. It had SO many varieties: pineapples, baby blueberries, raspberries, apples, grapes, omg I don't even know what else, all together and colourful and drizzled with milk chocolate and also over the yellow vanilla icecream in the middle,which made the milk chocolate drizzle harden into this pretty snowflake network of milk chocolate... heaven. And the milk hot chocolate was like melted chocolate in a cup, it was thick and creamy and it reminded me of the time Mme Rainaldi gave us this article to read about chocolate and the Queen of Spain or something loved to drink this Italian hot chocolate or something where it was basically thick, melted chocolate in a cup. OMG. I'm definitely taking you guys there!! I feel like I have some touristy experience I can actually put to use now (I mean, usually people go to school, then home, then school, and occasionally to clubs/pubs.... it's university. So that doesn't leave students that much time to explore every nook and cranny of the city). And then when we left, it was 12:10am and they sang Happy Birthday in English, and in French as we were crossing the street, and then in German haha as we passed into the metro station. Lol.
Oh, p.s. JYT, I did get that "authentic French kiss" (twice, actually)- but from a Mauritian, which sorta counts??
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Of ice skates, fireworks, and hot chocolate.
Today is December 5th. The day I was officially declared "widowed" on facebook, did no studying for a whole day, and had, for lunch, triple-decker nutella sandwich made for me.
My plans for tonight? Oh, what plans.. Skating and fireworks and chocolate!!!
Where: Quays of the Old Port, metro station Champ-de-mars, then walk down to the Old Port
When: Leaving 6:30pm from [chocolate factory rez]
What: http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/en/activities/list.aspx
1) Quays of the Old Port Skating Rink
2) Telus Fire on Ice Fireworks by the St. Lawrence(8pm)
3) Juliette Chocolate
http://www.julietteetchocolat.com/chocolat.php
Maps!
(google map) http://www.quaisduvieuxport.com/fr/infos/restauration.aspx
(quay map) http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/FR/documents/Quays-Old-Port-Map-2009.pdf
hey you know what's funny? watching people fall on the ice in real time! hahaha JK............ rowling! -->
http://www.quaisduvieuxport.com/fr/services/glace.aspx
My plans for tonight? Oh, what plans.. Skating and fireworks and chocolate!!!
Where: Quays of the Old Port, metro station Champ-de-mars, then walk down to the Old Port
When: Leaving 6:30pm from [chocolate factory rez]
What: http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/en/activities/list.aspx
1) Quays of the Old Port Skating Rink
2) Telus Fire on Ice Fireworks by the St. Lawrence(8pm)
3) Juliette Chocolate
http://www.julietteetchocolat.com/chocolat.php
Maps!
(google map) http://www.quaisduvieuxport.com/fr/infos/restauration.aspx
(quay map) http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/FR/documents/Quays-Old-Port-Map-2009.pdf
hey you know what's funny? watching people fall on the ice in real time! hahaha JK............ rowling! -->
http://www.quaisduvieuxport.com/fr/services/glace.aspx
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
