Soirée Belge and official opening of Toronto's Holiday Season

Last Thursday, Bram and I joined our culinary skills and prepared a nice Belgian dish for the Algonquin group at the French girls' place. We prepared witloof met kaas en hesp with potatoes à l'ail, which admittedly was Lydie's idea. We had to peal potatoes for 12 people, which took us quite a while. Everything, even the cheese sauce, worked out really well and they all seemed to like it. By midnight, people started to help themselves to seconds (or thirds or forths!) and by the time we all went home we had finished everything, rather to the disappointment of Jessica and Lydie who had hoped to survive on leftovers the next day! It was a fun evening, because everyone was in a good mood, we had nice food and wine and all together a great and relaxing night.
We exchanged Algonquin pictures and films and amasingly enough, everyone paid me the extra part of the trip! I guess I am an intimidating person, when it comes to asking people to pay :)

This evening, Toronto officially opened the Holiday Season with a beautiful Light Cavalcade and fireworks. A concert to precede it and the lighting of the Christmas tree and the fireworks as highlight of the evening. This all took place next to the City Hall (the 'old' one) and in front of the Parliament building, probably one of Toronto's most famous sights. The fireworks really were one of a kind, as they were even set up on the rooftop of the Parliament! There was a skating rank and everyone just was in a holiday mood, Lydie taking pictures as if she were one of those obsessed Japanese people Toronto seems to be full of. I'll probably get her pictures tomorrow and I will put them on my photo-site for you to taste a bit of America's Christmas craziness! I find myself going happily along with the Holiday groove, I even put up the Christmas featured cup holders of Starbucks and the Second Cup on my noteboard by way of bringing the spirit into my small room! Christmas Carrols merrily play on my computer and I am so much looking forward to spending Christmas in a real Canadian family! Laura Grace, one of my friends, invited me to spend a week with her and her family in Ottawa, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which I am very grateful for! We will visit Ottawa and surroundings and wrap ourselves in the goodwill and peace that are typical of the end of December! When I get back, there's only a few days left to clean up here, say hi to everyone and leave for New York.

Lately, I have been writing on a Swift paper, which is actually very interesting and I even dare say that I am enjoying myself writing it. I'll have a presentation to do on it this Thursday. I have been spending a lot of time in Robarts' library, 4th floor ('la quatrième'!!!). There nearly always is someone of the gang performing his or her duties as a zealous student, and it's always nicer to study together than on you own. After this paper, I'll have about 5 days to get ready for my race of exams and then, on December 7th, it will be over! My term will be finished and there will be nothing to worry about anymore! (well, not exactly nothing, but far less anyway!) Quite a nice and calming thought to wrap up this post! Enjoy the Holiday Season everyone!