Home 6.059 km away...

As Sunday evening is drawing near, another weekend has passed in Toronto. I am taking a break from my translation here in St. Michael's College Library at St. Joseph Street (I always have the impression that Canada and Toronto in specific must have had - and maybe still has- a very pious population. I think nearly every saint is honoured with either a street or a college over here!). Medieval French Language really isn't my strong point, but when I compare my situation to that of my fellow students, I think I'm in a privileged position for having studied Latin and Greek. When professor Kullmann mentioned the case system of Old French, it came as quite of a shock to most of them to find out that there even was such a thing as case-use, let alone they understood what the poor woman was talking about... Anyway, I struggled through most of it, so I think I deserved a few minutes of carefree writing!
Friday evening presented the Exchange Students with a BBQ and drinks. Quite ok, I had some interesting talks with some French and Dutch girls. It's always amusing to hear each other's stories and little problems. The Amsterdam girls for example were absolutely horrified by the fact that most of the shops are open 24/7, while Bram and I agree that that is one of the most convenient thing about Canada so far!
On Saturday the ISC had organized a trip to Chudleigh's Apple Farm and Rattlesnake point. At 8.45 am -according to some of us an indecently early hour ;) - we left in a bright yellow 'schoolbus' (yes, like the ones in all American high school films ) for Chudleigh's Apple farm, which is, as its name more or less announces, a farm that grows apples. Now, we have plenty of those in Belgium, I hear you think. True enough, but we are in Canada and that changes things a bit. Those of you who have ever been at my house in good old Limburg know what apple orchards look like, they didn't look any different over here. But, add to the rows of trees and the actual farm an unsensible twist of downright American commercialism and we're getting closer. Believe it or not, but people here actually manage to commercialise an apple farm! How do you do that? Fairly easy actually: put a blushing, quite round and smiling woman in a red apron at the entrance, saying ' Welcome to Chudleigh's farm! Here's your bag to pick 3 pounds of apples! Enjoy yourself!', build some children's facilities (playground, animal farm, a hay maze and birthday party facilities) organise tractor-tours around the premises, open a shop selling home-mad apple sauce, apple pie and apple-cake, install a BBQ and Bob's your uncle! I could not believe my eyes! This is something you just don't encounter in Belgium, or anywhere in Europe, I think because we are too down-to-earth for such practices!
In the afternoon the yellow bus took us to Rattlesnake point, some sort of natural domain to go hiking, camping or walking. Quite comparable to De Ardennen but not half as beautiful. We had an interesting walk through the woods, got back on the bus in time and drove back to Toronto. Some of us (A Swede, a French girl, a German girl, an English 'chap', Bram and I) had a meal in a Thai restaurant, which actually was the first real Asian meal of my life. Quite ok, but I think I prefer good old European cooking (nothing better than ne patat en e goei stuk vlees) Anyway, it was a pleasant evening and a good day in general.
University work and assignments obligated me to spend most of my Sunday writing my Swift-paper and struggling with Le courronnement Louis. This evening I will do some laundry and cook dinner with Bram. Nothing exciting, the regular every-day duties we all have to face!
Most of you are heading back to Leuven this evening... I have to say I will miss being there during the ever interesting first weeks. Keep in touch, so I can at least picture you all in your regular student lives!