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Wednesday 22 October 2014

HAPPY THINGS OF THE WEEK

                         
                                

1. I've booked onto the ski trip! This year McMaster University Ski and Snowboard society are going to Tremblant in Quebec. Ideally I wanted to go back to Whistler, but I might have been aiming a little high there. So naturally this is the next best place and I can't come to Canada and not go skiing, that would be sacrilegious.

2. Clothes shopping (AND RESEARCH) in Toronto. Ok, so I may have got a little distracted in American Apparel and Anthropologie but I’m loving Toronto. I visited Koreatown and Chinatown this weekend for some early research for my dissertation and they're great places. I walked for over 3 hours around the city and didn't get bored once.

3. A new pair of winter boots! Winter is coming. You can feel it every day- the subtle drops in temperature, the early morning frost... I took a trip to the local mall last week and splurged on a good pair of winter boots- making sure they were insulated and waterproof. I now love them, they're so comfy and my feet are very snug thanks!

4. Baking autumn/fall goodies. I also attended a baking event last week! The fact my kitchen doesn't have real ovens is a bit of a downer for me, I remember baking homemade apple cider doughnuts last year! However I managed to bake some great stuff this weekend with a few other keen bakers; everything from apple turnovers to pumpkin roll and butter tarts.

5. Finding a decent coffee. It's been a struggle surviving off Starbucks and I miss my dad's coffee maker at home. But a quick trip to Dundas introduced me to Detour; a cute cafe on the main street selling quality cappuccinos and healthy soups and sandwiches. The grilled cheese with chilli chutney is a good choice FYI.

6. Mid-terms are finally over! This is both a happy and a sad thing. Yes, my mid-term exams are over. But I have three huge assignments due over the next two weeks, so you win some you lose some. Anyway I prefer coursework to exams- it means I can sit down with a cup of tea and plan it- rather than cram information into my head pre-exam day.

7. Postcards and letters from home. I have such great friends back in the UK and a few of them reminded me of that this week. I got a couple of cards and postcards which kept me up to date on the goings on back home as well as some great anecdotes. They were thoughtful and funny and I'm looking forward to sending some back.

8. Oktoberfest! Ok, I realise we're not in Germany, but did you realise the second biggest Oktoberfest celebration is in Kitchener in Ontario? Well it is. We took a trip up there just before Thanksgiving and had a dance and a drink in a big music hall (ice skating rink?) along to German music. Lots of people were dressed up in lederhosen and I kind of regret not having my own...

9. Thanksgiving itself!! I was lucky enough to be invited to my housemate’s thanksgiving this year and I was so pleased. I won't be getting a real Christmas dinner (considering I'll be in Cuba) so I was excited to have an early-turkey dinner! And I wasn't disappointed; turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and stuffing- you can't go wrong.


10. Spontaneous wine and cheese nights. I walked home late from the pub one night and managed to crash my housemates wine and cheese night. We spent the night mostly drinking the wine and catching the end of a horror movie...Wine and cheese are possibly some of life's greatest little pleasures and this is a great way to spend a chilly fall evening.

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