Ottawa Update #2 (Or: My Most Creative Title To Date)

I've been in Ottawa for nearly two full months now. I've gained and lost a roommate, had two paycheques, assisted in cooking a moderately-successful Thanksgiving dinner, and made and deleted an online dating profile, so I think it's time to check in.

These upcoming two weeks are the busiest on my academic calendar. Between being a TA and marking assignments, writing and editing and re-editing grant proposals, reading endless complicated articles, and preparing essays and presentations, I legitimately don't know how I'm going to finish everything I need to get done. And here I am, writing a blog post at 11:37pm. As you do.

I am frequently asked how I'm liking Ottawa, or how Ottawa is treating me, so I will tell you: I love it here. I like the weather; I have made new, wonderful friends; I like my room mates; I like the shopping and the food. In part because of Steve's connections and friends here, and in part because the sort of zeitgeist of Ottawa is suited to me, I am happy here. I feel at home.

All that said, I'm at a point now where I'd like to go back to Newfoundland. Not forever; just for a weekend trip. I was homesick, sort of, on Thanksgiving weekend, but I had a lot of wonderful people around me for two amazing turkey dinners, so it was impossible to feel lonely or sad. I remember being away for Thanksgiving in BC and, while I had two lovely Thanksgiving celebrations with two very kind and warm families, I was completely miserable. I was homesick in the worst way and all I wanted to do was leave Vancouver ASAP. I didn't feel that way at all this year, which makes me think I've either a) grown up, or b) found a place that suits me well.

School is also often a topic of conversation, so I will tell you: I love Carleton. I love my program. Every day I legitimately learn something new and interesting and makes me feel less and less intelligent, which is how I know I'm learning some quality stuff. Two weeks ago, my prof outlined the end of mass media and the rise of many smaller more intense groups, which are essentially fandoms, and I was like: THIS IS WHO I AM! THIS IS WHY I AM THE WAY I AM! And I stared at the board and quietly told him how I had just had "my moment."

I also need to talk about how great my cohort is. Like, seriously. Everyone is smart and interesting and we all have entirely different backgrounds and research interests, and it makes our classes interesting and full of lively discussion. Everyone is friendly and kind and I am so thankful for such supportive, creative, and intelligent classmates. I was sitting in class the other day, day dreaming a little bit, and I thought: "I can't wait to graduate with these people; to walk across the stage and get a picture of all of us in our robes with our diplomas."

(Is all of this a re-hash from a previous post? I am too tired to go and check. If it is, I am only plagiarizing myself, so that's totally legal, etc.)

In other news: I've been reading a lot. I've finished three autobiographies (Jian Ghomeshi's 1982, James Corden's May I Have Your Attention, Please?, and Michael McIntyre's Life & Laughing: My Story). I will probably review a few of them soon, as part of my autobiography series. Here's a sneak preview: I need to stop reading autobiographies, because they just make me hate the authors. I'm also soon going to be a book reviewer and critic on the website criticsandwriters.com, so when my account goes live I'll be sure to post and let you all know!

Well, as it's 12:09am and the images on my screen are starting to move (and they aren't gifs), I'm going to bed now. I might not even brush my teeth, I'm that tired.

(omg j/k that is gross of course I will I am afraid of halitosis)

Goodnight,
Jillz
______________________
Number of books read in 2012: 20
Current TV series: The West Wing season 4
Current nail colour: nail's inc.'s "hampstead gardens"

Comments

Anonymous said…
When you said " hate the authors" you didn't mean Jian Ghomeshi right? and.....go brush your teeth! Xo.
Marion said…
I love reading your blog. Glad to hear things are going well. When I get back to Vancouver, we should make plans to meet halfway. Or something. Maybe Jason can do a show in Ottawa and you can force all your friends to come.
Anonymous said…
V-Ron (nevah B-Ron) says the following:

Why is your book count always so much higher than mine? You are making me feel inadequate, J. Sex. I read three books last week and I am still like seven behind you.

Glad you are liking Ottawa and Ottawa is liking you. Well, of course it would, it is silly to even think it would not. In other news, I just realized I've been misspelling Ottawa all these years. Imagine my surprise and embarrassment.

Nice to see you enjoying all your program has to offer, including--- TA-ing. Have we ever had a convo about teaching? I feel that we have, but briefly. Well, now we will have even more about which to convo! When we are both back in town, of course. Preferably with trifle.

Miss you! Write more.

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