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

Another Day Survived

Survived is a strong word, but I do feel that it is becoming a feat for me to go a day without an emotional break or insanity attack.

Formal dinner was fun, I sat next to Olivia, from Oxy, and everyone was wearing dresses and shirts and jackets. It was very cute. We had to stand behind our chairs for a long time though. But we got some great food. They gave us a little appetizer with hummus-like dip and crunchy strips nom nom nom. And I had steak. YUM. And we had this delicious chocolate-pear cream pie thingy. I think they called it a tart, but it looked like a cream pie to me.
I sat next to this guy, Alexander, from Amsterdam as well. At the end of the night he was trying to explain to me the difference between good and bad wine and how to pick them out. He was a little hilarious. He pulled my chair out for me at the beginning. I was also towering over him in my heels.
I am really glad Olivia is here with me. At one point, she was like, "I'm really glad you're here." And I said, "I'm glad you're here too, if you weren't, I would be a little bit more lonely." And she said the same to me. I think we might skip the scheduled activities tomorrow morning, which are optional, and run some errands together. We also wouldn't have to get up so early. And I could pick up my cell phone.

The zoo was so great!!!!!!!! I saw kangaroos, and a wallaby, and wombats, and koala bears, and zebras, and giraffes, and an ostrich, and bongos, and penguins, and lions, and orangutans, and tigers, and SEALS. SEALS, I TELL YOU!!! *__* They were amazing. I love seals.
Oh my gosh, and they had a butterfly house, were you enter through a couple doors and go into a greenhouse type-building where you walk through all these butterflies just flying around your head! It was beautiful. They didn't like to stay still, though, the flew past you pretty quickly. And my camera kept fogging up because they kept it hot and humid in there because the butterflies like that climate, so my pictures do it absolutely no justice. They do have this weird ethereal fog thing going on though, like I just ate shrooms and went to a magical fairyland or something.

Well, I need to go to bed now. I don't know if I'll get much of a chance to write tomorrow, there is a lot of stuff to do. I will see. I love and miss all my friends and family! ooxxOXoxxx

Carpe Diem

Good day today!

I went to the zoo this morning, which was AWESOME, as everyone who knows me knows that I looooooove animals. I took a ton of pictures, so I will put those up.

I also went to this Skywalk tower. I think that's what it's called... Anywho, it was super high up and All the outer walls were just glass windows, so you could see all around the city. I took a lot of pictures there too, but I was a little creeped out by the height. I'm not so great with heights, or cliffs, or drop offs... Haha I stayed a couple feet back from the windows. I couldn't really look down at what was directly below the building, my little head couldn't really handle that haha.

And then we got to come home and rest!! Ahhh it's so nice to sit still every once in a while. I logged onto facebook chat and skype right away, to see if anyone was online, and I got to talk to Margaret and Mollie and Anna, my sister!! YESSSSSS it was amazing. Margaret and I skyped, so I got to see her lovely lovely face live and moving!

And so now I am sitting in my cold little room here on campus. I thought about going back to UniLodge to just bring some of the stuff from my suitcase and leave it there, because I packed waaay too much, as usual, but I got a little distracted by being able to talk to people online. Talking to Mollie is so nice because she went to Barcelona for her semester abroad and she's just giving me the best advice. She tells me to lose my inhibitions and go out of my comfort zone, because that way I will have the best time. She inspired the title of this post. :)

So tonight I am going to the formal dinner. I think it might be weekly, but I am not sure. This is the only one I'll be going to. We have to dress up. ... Women wear dresses and heels, men wear ... shirts and ties? i don't know about ties, but at least shirts and slacks. Then we all go to the dining hall and stand beihnd our chairs, waiting for the head table people to show up or something. I don't really know what happens, I just know we get wine and dessert, which I am psyched for. I will write an entry and describe all of it later. I heard sometimes the dinners require you to wear robes like Harry Potter. HOW COOL IS THAT. I want to go to that dinner. But I am running out of time now, and should probably get ready, so I will post later about it and the rest of my day.

Oh, and thank you to moin and mom! I am so glad people can comment. I love hearing from people I love! :)