Ch-Ch-Changes!!!

Are happening to me. A LOT. I am now living in Queen’s, I have my awesome new room, and I am going to meals in the college. Most of my stuff is here now, I do have to go back and get more though. I also need to pay a termination fee for my contract, so they can advertise my UniLodge room online. Some people need to get better at emailing, * cough cough parents* so that I know what I should do with all the stuff that I bought for cooking or heating my room that I no longer need now. I think I may see if I can return my heater, actually. It would be pretty big to ship back home, and I don’t have any reason to have it back home.

ANYWAY

My thoughts keep wandering all over the place because there is so much happening to me and so much I think I need to take care of. Bleeaaggghh. I guess it’s good that I have a lot to do, though, I still feel a little loner-ific with the Queens folks, because I am still new and I don’t really know anyone other than Olivia. Like I went to this netball game this morning, which I guess is a sport here (by the way it is SO early. Like 9:30 right now. I woke up at 7… that’s how dedicated I am to meeting Queens people and becoming integrated into friend groups etc, etc) and on the walk back, I was pretty much alone, because Olivia went off to work out at the gym. So I walked back to Queens on my lonesome, with a big group of Queeners (yes, they do call themselves that) ahead of me and a couple stragglers behind me. So yeah, still feelin a little awkward here. I did just move in though. I have to keep that in mind. I have this need to get to know everyone and make friends, but I still have a lot of time. Just gotta take it slow.

You know what’s the best invention EVER in the history of the WORLD?!?!

I present to you: BENTLEY’S BOX. It is a magical place on the Queens internet network where there are television shows and movies galore that you can just download to your computer and it only takes a minute! And you have it forever! HUZZAH!!!!! I just downloaded 3 episodes of United States of Tara, 3 of Weeds, 3 Flight of the Conchords, 4 Wallace and Gromit movies, and 3 Angry Beavers episodes. (don’t judge me on the Angry Beavers, I loved that show as a kid!!) I plan on downloading more. Bentley’s Box goes in and out sometimes, like sometimes you can’t access it, so I am making sure to stock up in case of trying time ahead. I’ll have to move on to movies now. :D

YEAAAAGGHHHHH GIANT DISNEY COLLECTION!

I was just glancing, just now, and I came across it. Ah, sweet, sweet life.

Ok so, where did I leave off? Oh, I have to tell you guys about the formal dinner! And the turn! And Australian “dancing!”
Alright, my first night here was Wednesday night, and I came to the Queens office after they called me and Olivia a couple times to try and tell me I could move in that day. My phone was on silent, so once I actually checked it, I had like 3 voicemails and 3 texts. Sheesh! Ok, so I ran over to Queens at about 4, skipped my Aboriginal Writing class, because I found this a wee bit more important, and filled out my forms and got my key! And I went to my room right then! And then I ran over to UniLodge, packed a 2 dresses I could possibly wear that night for the formal dinner and some heels, and all my bedding so I could stay the night there. And that was it. Bedding takes up so much space!!! It pretty much filled my suitcase! I wanted to bring more so I wouldn’t have to later, but there was no space. But then I ran back to Queens and dragged my suitcase up a flight of stairs to my room.
Then I super quickly put a dress and tights on for the formal dinner, because I had to be there in ten minutes. But then I found out I wasn’t seated at a table with Olivia (they told me I had been, but for some reason they switched it) so I had to go to a “coffee party” with the people from my table. I thought I had to go to dinner at 6, but really I had to go to a “coffee party.” I didn’t hear it called a coffee party til later in the night, but Olivia was trying to explain to me what to do, and she said “so you go to this guy’s room and meet all the people you’ll be sitting with and drink! Then you walk to dinner together!” I was like… this will be majorly awkward for me, won’t it? Then, in a stroke of luck, I heard the people down my hall! Hooray, neighbors! Hooray open-door policy! Now, the floor I’m on only has like 5 people on it. It’s the East Mezzanine, which I guess means it’s a little tiny floor that doesn’t really connect to anything else. And it’s much quieter because of that. I can’t tell if that will be a good or bad thing. With the floors that have 15 or so people, like Olivia’s, it’s always kind of busy and everyone’s doors are open. But I guess I will be visiting a lot.
Ok, so I just grabbed life by the balls and I went into my neighbor’s room. I did the whole “I’m a new Queener! And American! Help me and be my friend!” speech, and of course they were super nice. Andy Cam (I think that’s his nickname…?) lives across the hall from me, and Jennifer (Jen?) is two doors down. They were both hanging out in her room, getting ready for the dinner. Andy offered to help me find where to go for my coffee party, because I have no idea how to get around, especially from the mezzanine, so I put my shoes on and he took me up to the room. !!!! but then the room turned out to be very close, and I realized they put you in that person’s room for a reason. They choose someone from each table that’s really friendly and probably knows everyone so that no one feels awkward showing up at their door. I showed up at Tom’s door. And Hellooooooo, Tom!! DREAMY. Super dreamy. So I felt a little bit better about my situation, haha. But I was the first person to show up, so it was a little weird. Luckily Andy was really sweet and introduced me and all that. Everyone here is so very nice. Tom was really nice, obviously, if he was the coffee party host, or whatever. And then more people showed up, and he always introduced me to them, because I am a newb, and they were all nice too. I don’t remember any names though, except Tom and Lucy. Errggghhh I feel bad because I really liked some of the people whose name I forgot! It’s ok, I will just be super apologetic when I ask them their names again. Oh, and you definitely don’t drink coffee at coffee parties. Just beer, wine, or soda. I guess whatever the host (Tom) has. But he had a lot, so…
Ok the dinner! Oh, by the way, you have to wear a robe. Or they call them “academic gowns” here. It was like Harry Potter. But then after all the people sitting at the head table walk in and sit down, you can take them off. Really, pretty pointless. Some people left theirs on, though. Maybe they like to wear them. I guess if I could pretend I was at Hogwarts, I would totally like to wear the robes. I should fashion myself a wand from a stick to hide under my robe. Dinner was good, they actually serve it for formal dinner, instead of buffet style. Oh and this was “black-tie” by the way, so people had to actually dress up, guys had to wear suits and black ties. It was cute, seeing as guys look nice in tuxes.

After that, there was a turn! Turn means dance. Or party. I’m not really sure, maybe it means both. Maybe “themed party with dancing.” Because that is what it was. The theme was “what you want to be when you grow up.” I had no idea what to wear, because I just brought my bedding, toothbrush, and 2 dresses, not knowing which one to wear to formal dinner. One dress was black though, and I had black tights, so I went as a spy. I borrowed Olivia’s black sweater and Simon’s black fedora. He’s a really nice guy that lives on Olivia's floor.

*side note: all the guys here have girlfriends!!! Agh, it’s so annoying! But it does mean that they’re not skeezballs. But it also means they are all taken. Womp wooommmp.

So yep, spy outfit complete! Haha, no spy would wear what I was wearing. But it was black, so that works out. Olivia went as a hippie, with a tie dye shirt and headband. People LOVE dressing up for these things, by the way. It’s not like a Mean Girls thing, where all the girls will “dress up” by wearing a black spandex body suit and ears and call themselves some kind of animal. People will dress up. Let’s see, that night I saw a MILF, a surgeon, a dinosaur, lumberjacks, construction workers, a rich and successful Arts graduate (Ha!), a librarian, and a pyrotechnic with a GIANT flame lighter. It was really fun! Ten bucks to get in, though. But the awkward Australian dancing happened again! I get so into it, but they do their shuffle head nodding and look at me funny. It’s just so sad, to see a good song wasted like that.
Then that night I slept at Queens! It was nice. My new home.

And yesterday, I had a whole lot of class, like I always will on Thursdays, and last night I brought over more stuff from UniLodge to Queens. And then Olivia and I went to Pugg’s to check out if anything was going on. We went to Dan O’Connell’s first, which is supposed to be the place where all the Queens folk go on Thursday nights, but no one was there! So we ended up at Pugg’s, which was fun. There was this guy singing songs from the nineties who was really good and a DJ upstairs. It seemed like an event, but maybe it’s just a big college night because there are discounts on drinks. So the DJ was really, really good, but that meant that I want to full on dance my booty off, but I couldn’t! People stare at me! So Olivia and I finished our $4 pints and danced to one song, “Get Low” by Ying Yang Twins and Lil’ Jon. And then we couldn’t tell if people were making fun of us or pointing at us, and then this photographer started taking our picture, so we took that as a sign to leave, haha. We got back relatively early, so we could wake up early today, and then today I just went to the game and am now downloading tons of movies and tv! It’s awesome. I can’t wait to watch all of it. I just skyped Margaret, which was really nice, as always, and I think I’ll go to lunch soon. I want to get the rest of my stuff from UniLodge today, and I think I’ll go to the Queens footie game. Other than that, I kind of want to relax. My brain and my body both need a break.

I love and miss everyone! Please do leave a comment or send me an email anytime! I love hearing from home. xoxo