The Conjuring

About a week ago today, I went out to see the Conjuring. I realize I’m a little late on the bandwagon here, but I’ve been working and dealing with some other things as well.

For those of you who haven’t seen the trailer or the movie yet, here’s a brief little overview:

(There are no spoilers) 

Basically, there are two paranormal investigators who go into a house, upon request, to determine if there is a haunting/evil spirits/a possession. It’s that sortta thing.

I was expecting a lot of jump scares – maybe a few screams. In reality, though, the movie wasn’t terribly scary when you were actually in the theatre. There were some suspenseful scenes, and some goosebumps however. And that night, when I went to go to sleep… Not a fun time.

In addition to the night time creeps, the movie itself was well done. I’ve been told that it’s similar to the style of the original Exorcist. The movie has an old time feel and look, and if I’m not mistaken the movie is actually set in 1960-1970.

My main recommendation – go see it. It’s a good scare without any swearing, blood, gore, sex, or the other things typically found in popular, successful movies today. Just make sure you’ve got a teddy bear on hand.

Summer Fun and Summer Woes

I’ve come to the conclusion that my summer break has been divided into two distinct sections – the parts where I love everything and have the time of my life, and the times where I’m burnt out, sick, and want to run back home to my Mom.

The second part doesn’t sound so stereotypical-summer-is-great-tumblr-picture perfect, and so that’s the part I’m going to recount first. There’s been a number of 12-13 hour work days, a few late night fights and panic attacks, a couple mean words and a lot of dishes, frustration and money spent on bills and parking. I’ve been working quite a bit (although, there are people who would argue that my job is pretty easy), and that’s been another whole can of worms. The kitchen isn’t too peachy to deal with some days; we get some not so pleasant guests sometimes, and I’m at the restaurant for the majority of the week almost every week. I’m not saying that all this is necessarily the worst thing that could have happened this summer, but it’s been both tiring and overwhelming at times.

But, few and far between these long working days have been amazing, summer cliché days that absolutely blew my mind and made my summer memorable. The day my boyfriend took me to see Glen Hansard on June 20th. The day spent at Bluesfest on July 10th. The day I came home and just sat with my mom until early morning talking on August 2nd. There are a few stand-out days that I won’t forget from this summer; and while sometimes I feel as though I didn’t really do much, didn’t really go out much, didn’t really laugh much, I’m able to look back on those few perfect days and remember that while I may believe that it’s been all work and no play, it’s really all about how I look at it.

That’s a Wrap

And with that, first year comes to a close. Who would have thought that the tiny, dusty residence room on the fourth floor of a strange building would become my home and filled with memories?

I have mixed feelings about first year being over; it’s nice to not be stressing about papers, tests, readings, but I honestly am a little unsure of what to do with myself. I have a job interview tomorrow, but nothing concrete lined up as of yet.

Leaving my floor was one of the most emotionally draining things I’ve done in a while. Saying goodbye, even if only for four months, was a scary ordeal. As someone who is rather terrified by the prospect of change, leaving relationships open-ended is not a pleasant thought. There were tears, no word of a lie, and the drive home was quite lonely and sad.

Fourth Russell will always be a big part of my life – the experiences I had this year has shaped me as a person, for both better and worse. I learnt how to trust again, how to adapt, how to work off very little sleep and with very little time, how to appreciate sitting around and playing cards…. I’ll miss it, but I’m looking hopefully forward to the adventures that second year and living in my own house will hold!

Music Nights and Coming to the End

Today is March 11th. I only have a month and 15 days left up here on fourth Russell.

A week ago, if you asked me if I was sad that my time in residence was winding down, I wouldn’t have hesitated. NO. This time last week, I was just done with people and stressed about a paper that I needed to get down and figuring out where I stood in a relationship and what I wanted from it. This time last week, I thought that getting out of residence would be the best thing that had ever happened to me. This week, however, the thought of leaving is actually heartbreaking.

I live in a themed community – on the arts and humanities floor. Everyone up here has some sort of musical talent, and honestly, it’s fantastic to come home after class and hear guitars and pianos and singing through the hallways. Once a month we try to have a coffee house on the floor; we all sit in our tv lounge and just put on small little performances (those of us who have the guts!). Last night was when I realized that, while I get fed up with people and while living with 49 other people all the time can be tiring, this place has become my home and these people a sort of family.

Last night, the thought of leaving the floor in 45 some days was scary, sad, exciting and shocking. Where did my first year go? Will I still see these people next year? Will the house we’re living in be as good as we imagine?

4th Russell has certainly been an important chapter in my life, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the memories made here will be some of my fondest memories of first year. But all good things must end.

Turn the page, and carry on.

🙂

Small Town Girl vs. City Culture

I’m not one for the stereotypes surrounding people who come from small towns; I’m from a little town and grew up in the country riding horses, taking my dog for walks in the woods behind my house and living across from the river. Truth be told, I thought for a small town girl I was pretty cultured. After all, I’d travelled around for the majority of my life and read a number of books about different cultures.

So, when a group of people on my floor got together and decided to go out for Chinese food, I didn’t think anything of it and agreed straight away to go.

Chinese food in my town is food court Chinese food – the likes of chicken balls, crappy fried rice and some steamed veggies. This Chinese restaurant was NOTHING like that.

The first major shock had to be the lack of forks – I’ve never used chopsticks before, and the thought of getting through an entire meal using them was terrifying! Out of the twelve of us who went, my friend and I were the only two who didn’t know what the menu meant and who couldn’t manage the chopsticks. The others ordered and we practised with the chopsticks, getting lessons from the rest of those at dinner .

The soup nearly killed me it was so spicy, but I was determined to finish it. Then came lemon chicken, chicken fried rice, salted fish fried rice, snow pea sprouts, sizzling dish, noodles… I tried everything, and miraculously managed to do it all with the chopsticks!

Needless to say, I was in a pretty big state of culture shock. As nervous and intimidated as I was, I’m definitely glad I went! We had lots of laughs, some great food and it was nice to see everyone after being gone for reading week.

When you go to university, as much as new things are nerve racking and scary, you need to put yourself out there and just go try them. Otherwise you’ll miss out on good times, and silly memories.

This small town girl definitely has a ways to go!

Top 5 Misconceptions About University

Having almost completed my first year of university, living in residence and moving away from home, I’ve come to realize that most of the things that I thought university would be weren’t exactly how they ended up .Here’s my personal list of the top five misconceptions about university:

1. Everyone Parties All the Time

Pretty self explanatory, no? Parties do happen in university, and it’s still pretty similar to high school. You get those people, or groups of people, who party every weekend and during the week if they can pull it off.

But the idea that people ONLY party in university? That right there isn’t true. At some point or another, even the party people sit down and crack the spines of their books. Bottom line is, university is expensive, and you’re there to learn. Partier or not, you all have to get through exams and papers, or go home.

Sidenote: If you’re not a huge partier, don’t worry about it! I have a few friends in university who don’t drink, and they’re having a great time without alcohol (and saving money!).

2. Everyone is so Much More Mature Than They Were in High School 

I wish this were true… Sadly, however, people will still be people. There will be petty fights, and those people who you just can’t seem to get along with, and gossip, and drama, and so on.

The difference between university and high school (if you’re living on residence, that is) is that you don’t get to go home at the end of the day. When you’re living on res, you don’t get a break. So, you learn to suck up and put up.

Keep yourself out of the drama as much as possible, and don’t give people a reason to gossip about you. University isn’t high school; but the maturity level doesn’t change much over the two months between graduation and first year.

3. I’m Independent; I Won’t Be Home Sick 

People told me all the time that I’d be home sick when I moved away. Stubborn as I am, I didn’t listen to them – I’m a fairly independent person, and I’m only an hour away from my hometown. Why would I be home sick?

The ultimate reality is that moving away from home is a huge change. Living with other people, being on your own, the workload, the lack of sleep; eventually it catches up with you and all you want to do is go home and cuddle your dog (at least, that’s what I always want to do). It’s perfectly normal to be home sick, no matter how far you are. And, even if you don’t think it’ll happen to you, it will.

Grab a movie, read a book, go sit with your friends, call your Mom – do whatever you need to to get through it, because things always look better once you do. [:

4. Endless Supplies of Food 

Yeah. Food doesn’t last long. And that stuffs expensive!

Wal-Mart flyers are fantastic for finding deals on food. Also, look for student discount days! Loblaws has 10% off for students on Tuesday, and Bulk Barn does the same on Wednesdays. Sounds silly, but unless you have a job, anything you can save on becomes wonderful.

5. You Don’t Have to do Chores 

Honestly, going into university, I thought chores were a thing of the past! The only difference now is that you actually WANT to the chores… When your fridge starts to smell and you gag because of how your sink looks while brushing your teeth… It ain’t pretty!

Arm yourself with some good, easy cleaning supplies. Things like a toilet brush, Lysol wipes and Febreeze are quick fixes – they don’t work in the long run, but they’re great in the moment!

February = Death by Midterms

All right, let’s be honest. Time management in high school is something non-existant. It’s pretty easy to just study for an hour or two the night before a test or exam and pull off a decent grade. Time management in university? Do or die.

I spent my night locked in a study lounge in my residence, scrambling to shove as much philosophical theories in my head as I possibly could. Was it hectic? Heck yeah! Was it my fault? Also, heck yeah…

If I would’ve just taken a bit of time to study over the weeks leading up to midterm week instead of putting it all off to be social 24/7, I probably would have slept much longer and better last night than I actually did.

I had my midterm this morning at 11:30; I went to bed at 2:00 a.m. and woke up at about 9:30 to study the last minute things that my brain wasn’t retaining last night. For those who aren’t mathematicians (lord knows, I’m not either), that’s a nice whopping of 7 and a half hours of sleep. Which, really, is quite decent.

Except that I did the same thing last week for two days, finishing a paper and getting ready for another midterm. Needless to say, February – or as we call it, the month of death – is killing me right now. My last  midterm of the semester is on Friday, and then the saving grace of reading week comes in.

People say reading week isn’t for reading…. It’s literally a week of reading for me… Mostly from the Bible. Yeah…

All that to say, university isn’t high school. It requires you to work, and care, and plan. It’s wonderful, and hard, and the best time you’ll have. Mind you, it’s not perfect and it’s not all fun and games.

High school is not the time of your life…. Neither is February.