OOps

Don't think I finished my last blog. Sorta indicative of how I feel about Kidding Just at the moment...about how I feel in general. Perhaps General should be a proper noun. I'm in a fabulous city, and a fabulous part of a fabulous city, but feel bored and alone a lot of the time. I think it's a product of living surrounded by people for the past year that I've completely forgotten what it was like to entertain myself, as I've done in every other city I've ever been to, apart from Toronto. I try to force myself out of the bubble that holds me back from exploring and adventuring sans roommates. Still working on it.

As I do with most things, I've tried to discover a remedy to the things that ail me, and here's what I've come up with. And, as per usual, they are fairly standard however hard to come up with slash implement. I will get out more...I will try to meet other people...I will follow my heart, responding eagerly to its call to excitement...I will say yes to every opportunity that presents itself (easier when I felt slightly more wealthy)...I will regain my academic vigour, as a month off of internalizing important information is surely long enough...I will maybe once in a while go for a run.

SO, as I often say, wish me luck.

St Laurent

I live near an extremely trendy street here in Montreal. I'd say I can't stand it, but really I revel in it, and as a result, get totally dressed up to do my grocery shopping. And it's nothing like an everything-you-need Thrifties run. No. Today, in my pointed silver flats, coiff, delightfully distressed jeans, black off-the-shoulder shirt and fabulous dangly earrings, my first stop was the bootleg dry goods store right around the corner: bananas, always 49 cents a pound; all bran for $1.99; tofu, cottage cheese, sundried tomatoes. Then, I went to the ancient grocer with the ancient cash register, who always gets peeved when I squeeze his avacados: "Les tous sont bien". His wife died recently though, so we

ARRRRRrrrrrrrrrgggggggggg!

Oh! The anguish that is missing a great plane fare online and facing the prospect of spending 200 more dollars than you thought you were going to. My insides are twisted, I'm speaking too quickly, and I find myself on the verge of lividity. It is expedited by my exhaustion resulting from full days speaking French to mostly less than accomodating customers, wrestling with my computer's wonky algorhythms, working out the details of September 2004 and beyond, and my current battle with homesickness!

So, I cry out for help...can anyone help me find a really cheap plane ticket to Vancouver from Montreal or Toronto during the first two weeks of June?

Love you all.

Decisions Decisions...

Am a bit stressed. I am at a point where I need to make a decision but don't quite have the right information. Something that has to be done now depends on something that doesn't have to be done now, and so I'm stuck. Plus, other people are in the mix, and I don't want to put pressure on them because of my inability to decide. When I speak in such general terms about a specific situation I find that it applies to more than one context present in my life. Figuring things out is hampered by my exhasution, potent deli smell, and laziness regarding dinner. It would all be okay if I could just be face to face with my parents for a moment or two! I miss you and love you both!

Thank heavens I have the house to myself.

September 2004

It is as though I've been here for weeks, months. My french is steadily getting better (Est-ce que vous voulez une sandwich saucisse douce avec de la moutard fort et du choucroute?), we now are the proud owners of a pet fish, and I'm starting to know my way around the city.

I'm starting to think a lot about what I'm going to do next year, whether I'll be at school again, or off on an adventure. How long can I prolong my undergrad degree while maintaining self legitimacy?

Sorry the blogs are so infrequent...life is fairly consistent, however delightful.

The good days keep rolling. I feel like I could just give you a blow by blow account of every day, because each is that worthy, but I also find that blogs like that tend to be rather uninteresting to read. So, i will hold out until I have a slightly profound thought, or more.

C'est la vie et la vie est belle

Life is so good. I live in Montreal, I volunteer at the local community kitchen delivering meals to elderly and handicapped, I live in an amazing apartment with two wonderful friends, I have a job at a Hungarian deli about 5 mintues from my house on St. Laurent, I play on a rugby team (maybe) and have access to a balcony, a fire escape and perhaps a roof patio (still working on that). My friends are wonderful, and their friends are wonderful (especially Adam our Filippeno nanny), and we're having a wonderful time. The atmosphere is relaxed (it takes us hours to get out of the house once we decide to go) and the food is good.

Kate always asks me "what was the best thing about today", and here there are too many to count. Yesterday, we had pain au chocolat with coffees from the nearest Portugese bakery (I picked up the coffees in my pyjamas!), while reading the french newspaper. We walked to the Bus Depot to pick up Jess's bike, which we assembled nearly all by ourselves! At one point a ridiculously goodlooking frenchman stopped to help, but alas, he was virtually hopeless, so we had to take over. We found a coffee maker (working) at a garage sale, and then on the way home ran into Terrance, who Brennan happened to tell that she wanted 100 Years of Solitude and couldn't find it anywhere...he had a copy and gave it to her! Then, we ran into Dave, who helped us eat gherkins and came home with us for slushy rum punches. Bren and Jess made individual pesto pizzas with avocado, Jess (Jess's boyfriend...hahaha) arrived. We kept going with the slushy drinks, and Adam arrived with a pineapple. At that point we had 6 of us on our balcony, and those of us that hadn't had too many rum punches feared for our lives. Brennan bailed because of an overreaction to weird Victoria connections (the movie store guy I was obsessed with is also her kickboxing instructor who she's obsessed with!). We drove to Jonah and Zev's, in the Ghetto, in a BMW convertable (refreshments-scotch mints provided), where we smoked a bowl. We relocated to Adam's other apartment, smoked a joint, and watched Super Troopers. We left, with our pants stuffed with toilet paper (we'd run out at home). Like I say, Life is good.

Much Love,
Kate

I heart Montreal.