So I decided to start off my exam study with seeing how I am sitting with my cumulative grade as it was. Turns out for the exam I had on Tuesday I was already on 50% so didn’t even need to sit the exam to pass. Since my grades only show up as pass or fail with my exchange program, I threw studying out the window. Instead I hung out with Carly and Josh and Andrew. Josh stayed over on Sunday night in my room.
A lot of this week was spent saying goodbyes to all the great friends I have made here. It turned out to be much tougher than I originally anticipated it would be. Just as I start to develop really great friendships and find a home away from home I have to say goodbye.
I gave myself a new challenge this week. Pity I didn’t think of it earlier. To walk down the length of the hallway… on my hands. I have made it nearly half way but the end of the hallway seems far far off. Have had fun trying though.
On Monday night, I went over with Sofia and Lachie to visit Helen at her place. We played Pictionary telephone, ate popcorn, wedges and KD and hung out which was fun. Later that night I went back and chilled with Josh and Carly again.
On Tuesday I had my first exam, which was in the huge auditorium filled with about 1000 seats and desks. I managed to get lucky and get a rickety uneven desk. Lucky my grades weren’t riding on this exam. Mulit choice exam - I was out in an hour. Hit up the gym which luckily was pretty empty. On Tuesday night I went out with about 15 people from our floor to Kelsey’s for all you can eat wings. I took the football along and we had fun throwing that around in the carpark. Every time I threw it pretty much the ball ended up under a car and Andrew had to crawl on the cold wet snowy ground to get it. Haha. The waitress was named Dusty.
After dinner, Andrew, Andrew, John, Carly and I went to the cinemas to watch the Tourist with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. The movie was alright. Andrew and Carly hated it so much that they walked out with half an hour to go haha.
So after my first exam I went on to study for the next exam. But I found out for this exam I was sitting on 60% so didn’t need to do this exam either.
Wednesday I had my job interview on the phone for next summer as either a Wake X or Ski/Wake instructor. On Wednesday night, I went to Boston Pizza with Taylor and Jasmine. Gave them a couple of gifts, which was a laugh. I had a hair in my soup and for a change I told the waitress, she snapped up the dish went out back. Then the manager came and apologised profusely, gave me a new soup for free, and a voucher to a free pizza. Very good service!
After dinner I went shopping with them to get some gifts to take home. So hard to shop because I don’t wanna buy tacky souvenirs. After arriving back, I went over with Adam to hang out at Lisa and Jess’. We played some cards and had a jolly old time. We tried beating a few impossibilities, like eating a dry piece of bread in under a minute, and eating a spoonful of cinnamon. Lachie got the piece of bread in 30 seconds which was impressive.
On Thursday I had my exam. It was so weird going into an exam and knowing barely anything, not having studied at all! I knew a few questions though, and will probably get about 30-40% on the exam anyway. On Thursday night, I hung out with Jasmine and Taylor again, then went to Lisa’s 21st for a couple of hours. After that I went back to res and hung out with Taylor and Jasmine, Andrew and Carly and we watched August Rush. Taylor and Jasmine gave me a shirt that belonged to Taylor as well as some Maple Leaf undies haha.
Then on Friday, at 3pm, Charlene and Shaphan picked me up from uni with my snowboard and we headed off with Charlene’s little brothers to Horseshoe valley for some night snowboarding. We only got 2 hours in, but it was so great to have the first run of my new board. Not 100% sure about the new equal stance of my feet. When we stopped for dinner at Tim hortons down the road, my phone dropped out of the car. I didn’t realise till we arrived at the mountain. So we checked back at the carpark on the way home 3 hours later. To be honest my hopes weren’t very high, but it turns out that it was still working in the freezing wet snow and in one piece. What a miracle!!! Arrived back in residence
On Saturday I played squash for a couple of hours with Lachie and Ben. Then I went back to res to do some relaxing and chatted to Lisa and Eric. Said goodbye to a bunch of people on my floor and hung out with them. Early that night I watched Jingle all the way, then had dinner, watched the leafs game – they lost. Then later on I went to a party with the internationals at the Village – it was a girls birthday who I didn’t even know. But I was there. A true gatecrasher. Stayed there till fairly late, then walked back to res. On the way I bumped into Tyler and Kristen on their way back from a late night mcdonalds run. So chatted to them until my toes got numb so I ran back and jumped into my cosy bed.
On Sunday morning I went to church at the Pen which was great. Said a bunch more goodbyes. Jaime bought me the Central CD as a going away gift which was very generous of him. After church I went for a drive with Lisa, Jess, Ariel (Jasmine) and Elly to Niagara falls. We took some photos in the snow then went to a place called nightmares. Which was like a haunted house. It was a walk through thing and was pitch black. Then things would jump out at us. Even though the girls made me go in the front I didn’t get the full scare and arms grabbing me which was lucky. I did drop to the floor in fright at one point. There was a freaky part where we had to get down and crawl and then a guy jumped out with a electric handsaw and made sparks fly out in front of us. Somehow my pants stayed pretty dry for that occasion.
Later on, Taylor Gillard from camp picked me up from Brock and we drove to the MW Xmas get together. It was pretty much just a room and we all just caught up and chatted whilst eating snacks. It was really great seeing everyone though! After that, a bunch of us went back to Coombs’ house for Hilary’s birthday. We ate a bit more, then just chatted. It was great to hear some of Craig, Justin and Steve’s Europe stories.
Taylor picked me up from Coombs’ house and then we drove back to St Catharines. In the morning I got into some study for my 2pm exam. Said goodbye to Taylor who gave me his hockey jersey as a departing gift which was very generous.
So I did my final exam of my degree. It was pretty hard, but I would have gotten enough marks to get me a pass so im a happy chappy. The rest of the night was spent packing my bags – very tightly, and saying goodbyes to all the great friends I had made here.
That night, the buffalo crew – Andrew, RMD, Becca and myself went out for another adventure, this time to Niagara, to see the falls, the beautiful xmas lights, and then wander around the city. They dressed me up as a Scottsman for our outing and they had to wear my Australian hats. We went into an arcade and played some games, with my last token I decided to use it to try and get some tickets. I wanted to go big or go home so found the machine that offered the most tickets. It was a jackpot game where you could win 641 tickets if you stopped the light on the right spot. I got it!!! We were all so bewildered! Spent the prize tickets to get a few dodgy little gifts worth only a couple of dollars, but it was good fun and brought back some childhood memories. On the way home we stopped at a UFO restaurant, and got some late night Pizza Pizza.
So this chapter of my life is coming to an end but its been a phenomenal experience and God has blessed me with so many amazing experiences, memories and most of all friendships that I will certainly never forget.
No comments:
Post a Comment