paraphernalia

My long trip away from Vancouver began with a fantastic home-cooked breakfast and teary farewell from Clayton, Rob, Craig, Sebastian and Isaac. Sebastian left that morning for Provence, so we had our farewell very early on. As usual, I was running late, with my last-minute packing proving difficult. These bags are HUGE! I’m worried they’ll split on the plane. At least I’m flying a full-service airline and I should be able to get through without any problems.

Chris offered to give Nick and I a lift to the airport, and so it was that I left Vancouver. I know I’ll be back in a few months, so it wasn’t all bad news. Leaving then will be even harder. I’m trying not to think about that now!

Usually flights originating in Canada ‘pre-clear’ US Customs in Vancouver. However, because I was joining a Cathay Pacific Hong Kong-NYC flight, they did not do that, and so I was left with quite a bit of spare time in Vancouver. It’s not a particularly interesting airport. All the good food outlets (Tim Hortons, I’m looking at you!) are on the US side. All this meant I was destined to clear US immigration and customs at JFK. I had thought this would be a fairly painless procedure, but clearly I was wrong.

I consider myself to be fairly adept at this travel thing. I have travelled to most continents, both by myself, and with friends or family. I’ve crossed borders in developing and developed countries, with visas and without. But NEVER, ever, have I encountered a system as convoluted, discriminatory and painful as the new US Visa requirements.

Basically, for those of us lucky ones from Visa Waiver countries (think EU, Australia, NZ and very few others), we are meant to be able to arrive to the US, fill out an I-94 form and receive a 3-month visa. This visa is slightly different to most others as you can’t just leave the States and start again. You have to leave the continent – i.e. for most people go home.

So here beginith my ordeal. I arrived with the wrong form (Cathay’s fault, not mine!), and the man working behind the desk was being a knob. Instead of saying, ‘here’s the right one, go fill it out and come back’, he thought he’d be a bit “hilarious” and replied ‘oh no, well we’re going to have to send you back to Canada then!”. Ha ha, fucking hah! Wanker! Then he proceeded to tell me that I wasn’t staying in NYC, I was staying in Jersey City (true) and that it was a really unsafe part of town and I should buy a flack jacket. What a great introduction to the US, eh? I miss Canada!

So after all that rigmarole, I made it to Ange’s terminal and we made our way to the hotel. It took AGES, what with the SuperShuttle, the PATH and then the walk. At least it wasn’t that cold (about 8 degrees). The hotel itself (Candlewood Suites, Jersey City) is really nice with a full kitchen and bathroom, although it’s now 2am and I’m just plain TIRED! Seeing Angela though has made this whole day worthwhile. All the goodbyes, the crap at the airport, all of it. Yay to NYC and Ange!

After our whirlwind trip to Whistler I had big plans for the last few days in Vancouver. Obviously I wanted to say a proper farewell to everyone, but I also still had some necessary sightseeing to do! It’s surprising, looking back, how little we actually did during our time here! Bad exchange students!!

So, within hours of being back in Vancity, I went with some friends to see Kate’s final gig this term. This time it was at Trees café, home of the best cheesecake in Vancouver. It was really great seeing everyone again (although it had only been a few days, so much had happened!) and as usual Kate was awesome!

Saturday night was Tamlyn, Natasha and Hanako’s last night, so we all went out to dinner at an Indian place downtown. The food was pretty good, but overpriced, so I didn’t bother to remember the restaurant’s name. From there, we went to the Irish pub above the Cellar (on Granville) for Jagerbombs and back to Tamlyns’ place, where her roommate introduced me to the “walk of shame” (the song, not the concept!!). It was really sad to say bye to these ladies, as they were some of my best friends here! At least Tamlyn is in Aus, Hanako has pledged to come visit, and Natasha is coming via Indonesia sometime soon. Yay for discount airlines!

Sunday was the day I finally got around to taking photos of the UBC campus. I’ve been taking some photos throughout term (especially the view from my room over the seasons), but not of campus as a whole. So I walked the long way to Vanier and got some of the various residences and all the buildings I studied in. I’ll post them online soon enough

Later that afternoon I met with Preeti – a friend I met randomly in my last POLI370 class who is going on exchange to NUS next term. Small world, eh!? So we had the ‘you’re going to Singapore, I’m SO jealous’ talk. I miss that place so much, so it was great to tell someone who was going what to do etc. Gets it out of my system for a while!

Sunday night, instead of going to The Living End as planned, Maybelle, Lauren and I went to see the old Christmas displays at Canada Place and the gingerbread competition. Oh, and the obligatory Timmy’s. I even scored a new hat too boot! Go me!

On Monday I began the enormous task of packing all my stuff. I always fail to do this properly, and this time was no different. I am fine packing away clothes, but it’s all the miscellaneous crap that one accumulates on exchange that cause all the problems. My bags are PACKED already. What am I meant to do with the stuff I’m sure to buy over the next two months?! Oh dear!

Monday night was the final, final night out for Term 1 exchangies, and we went to Lola’s. My roommates and I (old and new) went out to dinner at the local Cactus Club first, which was fantastic. It also gave me a chance to say bye to Sean properly – as he was heading to Toronto that night. Lola’s is a club on West Broadway that everyone keeps on raving about, but that I had yet to visit … so what better time than now? It was an excellent night and I kept on bumping into people I hadn’t seen in a long time. Even Rob and Craig came! The $3 drinks didn’t help those in our entourage who hadn’t had dinner though, and Hanneke fainted and twisted her ankle! Hope you get better soon!!!

On my final full day in Vancity, Maybelle, Hanneke, Amanda, Dan, Melissa and I went to see Bodyworlds3 at Science World on the Rudolph Bus (see photos for what I mean!). FINALLY! It was a great exhibition, although a little small. Basically it is displays of plastinated dissected bodies. It became a little polemic at parts (very anti-smoking for example), but it was really interesting and definitely unique. They also had a kids exhibition - one of those hands-on science type ones - which was great! Apparently they used to have a giant piano that you walked on (a la Big), but it's gone now! Afterwards we went downtown to do some last minute shopping and I got a Roots toque (beanie). It’s so nerdy – has ear flaps and everything. But boy is it WARM!

And that’s it. Tomorrow I fly to New York City to see Ange! Yay!!! It’s been an amazing semester, one of my best ever easily, and I’m going to really REALLY miss everyone here. Especially my roomies – the best bunch of guys I’ve ever met!

See you in the US!

Kerensa and I didn’t wait any time to go on holiday after our finals. I finished my final at 11am, and by 3 I was on a bus to Whistler. Kerensa had an even more crazy plan. She finished at 7 and by 9 she was on a bus!

This was my first experience in a ski resort and it was SO much fun. We had booked into the UBC lodge (which is really social and nice, just a fair way away from the Village), and booked three days worth of lessons as well. The lessons started on Tuesday, so that left me with the rest of Monday to sort out what was where and meet up with Daniel (and Michele). We ended up wandering around the Village, which is a great little purpose-built town, complete with supermarkets and cinemas, as well as loads of restaurants and clubs. We had dinner at the always good Old Spaghetti Factory and met up with Kerensa before heading back to the hostel.

Tuesday was our first day of lessons, and my first ever day on the slopes. Kerensa has skied once before, but that was many years ago, so I guess for all intents and purposes we are both absolute beginners. The day started slowly, as we were just finding out feet and our instructor was also new, but soon progressed to the point where we could ski down the learning area slopes, turning as we went.

That night, Kerensa and I were so buggered that we didn’t go out at all. We had bought some food to cook and just ate that. It was something we repeated throughout the week as the skiing just took too much out of us! Ryan and his friend Diane also arrived and taught us how to play Settlers of Catan. As you can see we were definite party animals!!

Day two brought with it its own challenges. Kerensa had progressed to Level 2B, whilst I was on 2A. This meant we had different coaches, but covered predominantly the same material. Our 2A coach was very intent on having us ski down the mountain by the morning of Day 3, so it was pretty fast-paced. To be honest I’m fairly thankful for that, because otherwise I would’ve felt that I didn’t get a lot out of the whole trip.

Our final day of lessons was amazing. With the same teacher as I had had on day two, both Kerensa and I managed to ski down Whistler Mountain from the mid-station. Twice. It was awesome and I’m SO glad we did it. Despite the weather and everything (which was both good and bad – good because we got so much fresh snow every day, but bad because it meant poor visibility and high winds), I really enjoyed it and now I can cross ‘learn to ski’ off my ‘must-do’ list. Check out the photos!

Our original plans for Friday morning involved snow-shoeing around the area, but as it turned out we were completely tired after 3 solid days of non-stop skiing (in those stupid boots!), that we just bummed around with Diane and Ryan. We had a leisurely breakfast (sooo good) and bought some souvenirs. Then it was time for our bus home with Michele and her Mexican friend. Good times indeed!

Given the partying of the last few weeks, you’d be forgiven for thinking that I had finished term already. Hah! No such luck. This week was finals, and I had one on Tuesday, one Thursday, a paper due on Friday and one more to go – next Monday.

Tuesday’s exam was always destined to be the hardest. POLI370A – International Law and Politics of Military Force – with Michael Byers was always an interesting class. Full of personalities and an egotistical Prof, the course content was really interesting and engaging, but it should never have been taught with 260 people. Byers always raves on about how it ‘worked’ but realistically it never did. A few people dominated the talking and serious debates could not take place. It NEEDS tutorials! The final was half MC, half essay. Both were worth equal amounts, which was ridiculous. The MC tested most aspects of the course and were fairly rigorous. Actually, scrap that, they were really specific! The essay was nice and broad.

Thursday’s final was POLI365 – Asian IR. Like the course it was fairly descriptive, and fairly derivative of the midterm. I got to talk about the whole course though, which is surprising for a final. Went out for a great debate and beer with some mates from that class afterwards though – that was fun!

Friday’s paper was mammoth. 3500 words for HIST402 on the effect of the media on violence and trauma in Bosnia, Rwanda and East Timor. REALLY interesting to research and write, but I didn’t start early enough and the result will show that I fear. I mean, it’s done and all, but it wasn’t my best work

Friday night I took a break and went to Bright Nights at Stanley Park. This place is a winter wonderland – loads of lights, a petting zoo, a miniature train and fake snow! So much fun – what Christmas should be! We went to Tim Hortons afterwards (obviously!) saw the Gingerbread House competition at the hotel next door (Marriot?).

On Saturday a small group of us went to Richmond for Yum Cha and shopping. The Yum Cha place had awesome food, but no trolleys. And really, that’s half the fun. So we ordered all these Dim Sum dishes from a menu! That’s not right!! And I ended up being the only one who bought anything shopping. I got 2 sets of thermals, 2 gloves, 2 scarves and a hoodie! Such a good day! Oh, and all of it was on sale!

Monday was the last final (the final final if you will), for POLI321A – Chinese Government and Politics. This class was a lot of fun, and I met many cool people in it! The content was always interesting and I learned a lot. The final was a bit so-so. I think I answered everything correctly (although in the short answer I had to bullshit a bit), but the main problem was we had too much time, so I waffled in the essay. Hope they don’t notice!