134. Monday Night Musings
I've just realized that I have almost no reason to go back to Saint Mary's when I return, aside from its merits. And it's a meritorious school.
But now just about everyone I've had connections with has moved on.
I have to stay in the Halifax area - it's the only place that's near enough a full-service university / full-service city where I can live basically for free. Dalhousie is starting to look pretty good, but I don't want to get lost among the proto- lawyers and doctors, and other budding professionals. I just don't know. As uninformed a notion as it seems, it's Big Bad Dal until proven otherwise. I'll get to test drive the place this coming spring and summer, and if I like what I see, I may stay.
I got my voting kit in the mail today. I think I know who I want to vote for, but I don't feel quite well-enough informed just yet to punch the ticket (actually, I'll just be writing in the candidate's name) and mail it to Ottawa. I'll wait until after the leadership debates. They're not completely relevant - only the people who live in the leaders' ridings will have an opportunity to vote directly for any of them, but it will give me a better grip on how things are going party-wise, especially between the Liberals and the New Democrats.
* * *
We went to kaiten Sunday night - A.'s pal Mrk. - oh the heck with it - Mark was in for a stopover on his long travels. He taught in Korea (the ROK, I take it) for two years and then he started travelling. He went back to England, then came back here overland via Eastern Europe and Russia. Holy crap.
Anyway, I mention kaiten because since we weren't drinking, we spent a lot less than we usually do - most of us got out of there for less than ¥1,000. Of course, my clothes still smelled like fast-food-fish. As it always goes after kaiten, into the laundry pile they went.
Some of the other foreign teachers got their Foreign Buyers' Club order in today. Also, E-sensei had houseguests this past weekend, and she brought the surplus omiyage to school and shared it with us. That was our excitement for today. Also, my hotel in New York has been booked. It looks like a dive. =) "All standard guestrooms at Super 8 JFK Jamaica include complimentary wireless Internet access, cable TV, and windows that open." (!!) This is going to be fun, I can tell. I'll be packing overnight stuff in my carry-on and leaving my suitcases at Terminal 4 - no sense hauling them halfway into a sketchy part of Queens.
It's getting cold here now. They're keeping the classroom doors and windows shut to hold in the warmth. I'm still using my fan in my room, but it's probably out of habit. My balcony door doesn't need to be left open anymore to let the air circulate. It's sweater weather now - the children resumed wearing their turquoise pullovers today, and one needs a coat when going outside at night.
OK, back to election trolling!
But now just about everyone I've had connections with has moved on.
I have to stay in the Halifax area - it's the only place that's near enough a full-service university / full-service city where I can live basically for free. Dalhousie is starting to look pretty good, but I don't want to get lost among the proto- lawyers and doctors, and other budding professionals. I just don't know. As uninformed a notion as it seems, it's Big Bad Dal until proven otherwise. I'll get to test drive the place this coming spring and summer, and if I like what I see, I may stay.
I got my voting kit in the mail today. I think I know who I want to vote for, but I don't feel quite well-enough informed just yet to punch the ticket (actually, I'll just be writing in the candidate's name) and mail it to Ottawa. I'll wait until after the leadership debates. They're not completely relevant - only the people who live in the leaders' ridings will have an opportunity to vote directly for any of them, but it will give me a better grip on how things are going party-wise, especially between the Liberals and the New Democrats.
* * *
We went to kaiten Sunday night - A.'s pal Mrk. - oh the heck with it - Mark was in for a stopover on his long travels. He taught in Korea (the ROK, I take it) for two years and then he started travelling. He went back to England, then came back here overland via Eastern Europe and Russia. Holy crap.
Anyway, I mention kaiten because since we weren't drinking, we spent a lot less than we usually do - most of us got out of there for less than ¥1,000. Of course, my clothes still smelled like fast-food-fish. As it always goes after kaiten, into the laundry pile they went.
Some of the other foreign teachers got their Foreign Buyers' Club order in today. Also, E-sensei had houseguests this past weekend, and she brought the surplus omiyage to school and shared it with us. That was our excitement for today. Also, my hotel in New York has been booked. It looks like a dive. =) "All standard guestrooms at Super 8 JFK Jamaica include complimentary wireless Internet access, cable TV, and windows that open." (!!) This is going to be fun, I can tell. I'll be packing overnight stuff in my carry-on and leaving my suitcases at Terminal 4 - no sense hauling them halfway into a sketchy part of Queens.
It's getting cold here now. They're keeping the classroom doors and windows shut to hold in the warmth. I'm still using my fan in my room, but it's probably out of habit. My balcony door doesn't need to be left open anymore to let the air circulate. It's sweater weather now - the children resumed wearing their turquoise pullovers today, and one needs a coat when going outside at night.
OK, back to election trolling!