Christmas Craziness
November in North-America probably inevitably comes with a more than healthy dose of christmas 'seasoning'. Over the last week, I have witnessed Toronto getting herself ready for another Christmas. Starbucks and The Second Cup changed the every-day colour of their paper cups to christmas green-and-red, which I realised, was the symbolic start of the holiday season. The rest of the city soon followed: they put up the Christmas lights over Yonge Street, Eaton center - the mall- now has reindeer dangling from the ceiling, display windows excessively use powdery snow that's supposed to remain there until January and jolly christmas trees are put up in the main shopping centers. Even the 'Hablamos Español' hotdog seller that I walk past every morning put a bit of christmas decorations up. Of course, this is only a start, there's undoubtedly more to follow! Unfortunately, the snow that would match this scene is absent, instead we just have real downpours and foggy and very humid weather. (Not good for the hairdo! My chain of bad hairdays hasn't been interrupted for weeks now.)
I don't know whether it's the weather or just the time of year, or maybe even the Christmas season arriving, but I have noticed some abnormal behaviour among the squirrel population. I don't know whether it's mating season for my little furry friends, but sexual activity, I have noticed, is more than healthy these last two weeks. They run around like crazy, chasing each other, they even abandon their nuts, which (believe me) is a big thing for a squirrel. They just don't mind where or at what time of day. On Monday, two of them were more or less blocking the passage to Emmanuel College, running around in circles for a minute or so, to end up doing what they were obviously there for. They had a whole audience too, but that was really the least thing Mr and Mrs Squirrel paid attention to.
On campus, things haven't really changed. My crazy paper rush is finally over. I managed to complete and hand in all my papers by their due dates, but feel completely exhausted now. I need a good night's rest today and a relaxing weekend. The last two weeks have just been a bit too busy. I found myself running from one class to another, using every free minute to read or even write on - yes of course - my papers. I hope I at least did reasonably ok. A couple of weeks of anxious waiting for the grades now, I guess. But today, at 4pm the hassle just ended and I felt so carefree when I walked home! I had a good day by the way. A very interesting Swift class, mainly because of the people I sat next to. To my left, a very jet-lagged Glenn, who spent the weekend in London for a photo shoot for his record label. To my right, Alexandra, always in the mood for some fun and folly. We heard some good presentations and I realised that Swift appeals to me more every week. I even like his poetry! A rare but perfect combination of formal mastery and diction and raving satire or hilarious parody. Unrivalled, without a doubt. Good and interesting, but quick lunch at Hart House at 1, followed by Francophone Literature at 2. I handed in my paper and just felt on top of the world for bringing this to a good end (so far!).
Tomorrow will be quite relaxing too: ISC pancake breakfast at 10am, some reading (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, by Mordecai Richeler for my Can. Lit class), women writing class at 3 and cooking dinner with a friend in the evening. On Saturday morning, we are leaving for the Algonquin park. I hope everything goes well, because I was the one who arranged the whole trip and if something goes wrong, I'm sure I will be the one everyone will come to...
I am going to turn in soon; for the first time this week, I am going to sleep for 8 hours on end, without obsessive dreams about deadlines coming a day sooner than I thought. Just some well deserved rest!
I don't know whether it's the weather or just the time of year, or maybe even the Christmas season arriving, but I have noticed some abnormal behaviour among the squirrel population. I don't know whether it's mating season for my little furry friends, but sexual activity, I have noticed, is more than healthy these last two weeks. They run around like crazy, chasing each other, they even abandon their nuts, which (believe me) is a big thing for a squirrel. They just don't mind where or at what time of day. On Monday, two of them were more or less blocking the passage to Emmanuel College, running around in circles for a minute or so, to end up doing what they were obviously there for. They had a whole audience too, but that was really the least thing Mr and Mrs Squirrel paid attention to.
On campus, things haven't really changed. My crazy paper rush is finally over. I managed to complete and hand in all my papers by their due dates, but feel completely exhausted now. I need a good night's rest today and a relaxing weekend. The last two weeks have just been a bit too busy. I found myself running from one class to another, using every free minute to read or even write on - yes of course - my papers. I hope I at least did reasonably ok. A couple of weeks of anxious waiting for the grades now, I guess. But today, at 4pm the hassle just ended and I felt so carefree when I walked home! I had a good day by the way. A very interesting Swift class, mainly because of the people I sat next to. To my left, a very jet-lagged Glenn, who spent the weekend in London for a photo shoot for his record label. To my right, Alexandra, always in the mood for some fun and folly. We heard some good presentations and I realised that Swift appeals to me more every week. I even like his poetry! A rare but perfect combination of formal mastery and diction and raving satire or hilarious parody. Unrivalled, without a doubt. Good and interesting, but quick lunch at Hart House at 1, followed by Francophone Literature at 2. I handed in my paper and just felt on top of the world for bringing this to a good end (so far!).
Tomorrow will be quite relaxing too: ISC pancake breakfast at 10am, some reading (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, by Mordecai Richeler for my Can. Lit class), women writing class at 3 and cooking dinner with a friend in the evening. On Saturday morning, we are leaving for the Algonquin park. I hope everything goes well, because I was the one who arranged the whole trip and if something goes wrong, I'm sure I will be the one everyone will come to...
I am going to turn in soon; for the first time this week, I am going to sleep for 8 hours on end, without obsessive dreams about deadlines coming a day sooner than I thought. Just some well deserved rest!
posted by Anouk | 3:39 AM
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