Almost time to get back to the grind

Ok I know I said I'd try to get out a mid-week post, but the key word is "try", and the fact is I didn't try very hard. So here we are on Friday and I've actually been pretty busy.

Monday was a day off from Welcome Committee, which I very much appreciated. It was Colonel's birthday and Susan was planning a surprise party for him. She asked Kelvin and I to occupy him from 2-7pm while she was setting up at home. So Kelvin and I scheduled out the afternoon. I would have a meeting with Colonel at 1:30 at the CAC to go over logistics and loose ends in the worship ministry. The meeting would likely go for an hour or so and then Kelvin would show up with some games (namely Bang, because everybody seems to be addicted to the game now) and we would play until 5pm when the boys would hit the courts 'til 7pm with some first semester students. Literally all planned out. We felt like puppet masters. Our meeting actually went a bit long so Kelvin started playing Jenga with James and Ali. Then Maulik and Jerome showed up and we started playing a couple rounds of Bang. It was James and Ali's first time playing so we figured that would eat up a good chunk of time, but they caught on really quickly, especially Ali. Everybody was enjoying the game and getting into it by the second time around, and that's when Kelvin and I lost focus. With both of us on the same team (Deputies), we killed off Colonel's character (the Renegade) at 4:30. Most people stick around 'til the end of the game, but after dying Colonel proceeded to pack up his gear. Kelvin and I just looked at each other with panicked eyes.

Kelvin: "Hey man, where ya going?"
Colonel: "I'm going to go home and change into my basketball gear"
Kirsten: "What? You look like you're wearing basketball gear now. If you leave now you might miss a good chunk of the game."
Colonel: "I have a scooter. The whole trip will take me 15 minutes. I'll see y'all later"
Kelvin rushes after Colonel and I grab my cell phone and dial Susan
Susan: "Hello?"
Kirsten: "HE'S ON HIS WAY HOME!!"
Susan: "NOOOOO! Why?"
Kirsten: "He's coming to get his basketball gear"
Susan: "Stop him! Stall him! Do anything!"
Kirsten: "Kelvin's already trying. It'd be super weird if I went out there too"
Susan: "Ok, I'll bring his gear to him."
Kirsten: "I have no idea how you're going to do that without raising suspicion, but ok"

I have no idea how she did it, but she convinced him to stay on campus and brought his clothes to him without coming off weird. She's talented. We finished off our round of Bang and went our separate ways. Did some grocery shopping at IGA, headed home, showered, then headed to their house. A bunch of people were there. The surprise was a success. He had no idea, which is in itself surprising. But hey, we'll take the win. We enjoyed dinner and cake together and then we played Fishbowl. In the end, the girls' team won by a large margin. After that we played a few rounds of Mafia. Every round I've played of Mafia here, the mafia always win. They play it differently here. You don't see the identity of those you've killed off by trial and I think that's why it makes it easier for the mafia because they won't know if they were correct or not until the game's over. Nonetheless, it's still a fairly fun game. After that, we all headed home.

Early Tuesday morning, Kelvin and I headed to IGA to buy breakfast ingredients. Amilyn and her sister were leaving that morning and since the birthday party took up the dinner slot, we'd have to do a farewell breakfast. Around 9, people started pouring into Kelvin's apartment and it got crowded and hot. A combination of lack of sleep, heat, and hunger made me a cranky cook. I'm not gonna lie, this group of friends is the kind where there's a lot of making fun of each other. Sure it's funny here and there, but when you can pin it as a trend, it's a bit sad. It makes me miss the DJ crew all the more. Not to say that the crew doesn't take stabs at each other, but it's just not as prominent as it is in this other group (and admittedly it's a bit more sophisticated in the crew, like an upper echelon of humour). I found myself having less and less patience for it which made for a bit of a strained morning. Then Angela showed up. She's like my security blanket. A level headed Canadian that I can have some good honest two-way conversations with, which has been severely lacking during this break. She kept me from losing it.

Amilyn's (front & centre) farewell breakfast

 Breakfast was eaten, pictures were taken, goodbyes were said, and then I headed home to chill out physically and emotionally. A few of us met up at the beach to waste a couple hours before the Welcome BBQ at the CAC (which I needed to be present for). There's definitely a lot of firsts. I chatted up those who went on trips and then I also caught up with some upper semesters that had returned to the island. I found out that night that about 120 from my class didn't make it into 2nd semester. So 120 is a combination of those who withdrew, those who will need to repeat 1st semester, and those who failed out of Ross. That's about a third of our class. Again, this makes me appreciate that the entire DJ crew made it through unscathed. We get to stay together. We're pretty lucky. I'll find out who else made it through when classes start on Monday. I was supposed to work until 8 but the food was long gone by 7 and the crowd had died down drastically. So Shannon said I could take off if I wanted to. I walked home with Angela and we made plans to hang out together later on with the rest of the crew at Champs. The two of us climbed up the massive hill to arrive all sweaty and out of breath to watch Ali and James take on Kelvin and Jerome in a game of beer pong. I've never played beer pong before, but I think I've seen enough games to understand how it works. It just seems a bit counter-intuitive though. I mean, if you've purchased alcohol, wouldn't you want to consume it rather than win a game that makes someone else drink it? Anyways, after a couple rounds of pong, we were joined by a few other classmates and played a different game that had us singing or dancing while spinning in circles or on our knees. One of our less glorious moments was when "O Canada" was belted out by Angela, Nadina, and myself only to be overwhelmed by an off-key "Star Spangled Banner" by Kelvin, Jerome, and James. Luckily, Champs was pretty empty that night so we didn't ruin too many people's evenings. After that, James and Ali headed home and the rest of us headed to the pool at New Avies Apartments. One of our classmates has an acoustic guitar with a pick up and you bet I spent the rest of the night with it while the others were in the pool. It's like riding a bike. You pick it up easily but after a while, you start feeling the pain, except with guitar, the pain isn't in your groin but on your fingers which no longer have the beautiful callouses that you maintained for years prior to arriving on the island. I'm glad our Sunday services only have one three-song set and then a closer. My fingers should be able to last that long. If not, we'll just sing really fast.

I was able to sleep in again as the trip scheduled for the day started at 12:45pm. Had a leisurely breakfast, packed up my gear to head to campus and put my lab gear in my newly assigned locker. I hung out in Classroom 5 until it was 12:35. I headed to Pic n' Go to grab a spinach and cheese croissant and an espresso cookie (which tastes nothing like espresso and is really just a triple chocolate cookie). Then I headed to the library where we were all meeting for the Indian River tour. I was assigned with the duty of hanging out by the docks and making sure there was an orderly flow. I hung out on the docks 'til 4 and then it was back to campus. Only one more outing after this one and it's the Sunday island tour, the longest outing. Showered, cooked up some dinner, and enjoyed the gentle cross breeze and down time.

Me with Brianna and Delon taking a break at the dock

Thursday was another day off. I didn't sleep in as much because renovations are still happening next door and I could hear Magdalene's voice outside talking to the reno crew, meaning I should get out so that she can clean. I felt bad for "making" her wait. So I quickly did the dishes, took out the garbage, packed up my stuff and headed out.
I needed to fill up my water bottles and prep my notes for school. Kelvin then informed me that we were heading to Secret Beach at noon, which gave me just under two hours to work with. Came home to find Magdalene finishing up in the bathroom in time for me to get in there and change into my bathing suit. Then I packed up the beach gear and headed out. Kelvin decided he wanted to kayak over to secret beach, so the rest of us took a motor boat out to the beach instead (it was the cheaper option). The water was great. Kelvin and I checked out the bat cave. The tide was higher than the last time I was at Secret Beach. This time, we had to swim underwater a little in order to get to the cave. I never realized how scary it can be to swim into unknown territory. Goggles would be a good idea next time. Oh and water socks. We decided we'd want to exit out the other side of the cave, but didn't know how sharp and "spikey" the rocks would be that way. So much pain. It wasn't until we climbed up to a look out point that we noticed the various scratches we had endured. I had somehow cut the back of my right heel, but it was just a minor cut. Not a lot of blood. James and then Jerome eventually joined us on the large rock that resembled extreme sandpaper. My poor swim suit bottoms are all pilled. We made our way back and the tide had risen a bit more. It's a bit harder to go from an open area of a cave into the tiny tunnel without being able to see under water. It made for an adventurous but treacherous beach outing. 

James, Ali, Jerome, "Wiz" and a forlorn pooch

On the boat ride back, the others pointed out that I had scratched up my back while surfacing from the cave into the tunnel. Upon showering at home, I discovered a few more superficial scratches and then a large gash along the sole of my left foot. I had noticed that it was quite painful at the beach but didn't see any blood so figured it was just a bruise issue. I cleaned the wound, put on some Polysporin and then used that massive bandaid that most of us never use when we buy the pack. Now I'm glad they put two in there instead of 6 more normal sized bandaids. All patched up and sore, I lay in bed to give my foot some rest and watched some tv. Then we headed to Colonel and Susan's for a potluck. There were a crap load of people there. I immediately regretted my decision to come because I knew I didn't have the energy. Judith was there and it was great to see her. We got to chat a bit in private and catch up and then we were corralled in for some Mafia. Two rounds and I was done. I headed home with Judith and Justin. It was really hot and the wasn't moving around. So I closed the doors and windows and turned on the A/C and by the time I had cooled off and decided I could pass out, I turned off the A/C and went to bed.

I'm looking forward to school starting back up. I like the routine of it and I like that I'll see my friends again. Speaking of, I'm about to meet them for some lunch and a beach date. So it's time to sign off and enjoy the rest of the break!

"I'm Kirsten. I'm a 2nd Semester and I'm Canadian"

Sorry to keep you in the dark for a few days. I'm feeling much better than where I left off at the last post. So you need not worry.

Thursday marked my first official outing as a Welcome Committee member. Prior to leaving, we all need to introduce ourselves the same way. I've been saying the subject title for the past few days and I typically get a good cheer when I say I'm Canadian, and by "good cheer" I mean a handful of Canucks give a heartfelt "Yeah!" We headed down to the capital, Roseau, for the day. I was paired up with Shannon who oversees the trips. It's nice to be taken under her wing. She's a cool person. Our bus was pretty awesome. Filled with upper semesters and one 1st with her mother, and they're Canadian. I got to chat with them a fair amount and answered her questions. The upper semesters were essentially the crew I've been hanging out with during the break, plus Angela (who I didn't realize was staying for the break) and her mother.

Roseau is a busier city as that's where the cruise port is as well as the cricket arena. They've got lots of little shops and restaurants as well as a large IGA and the equivalent to a large James Store. People often head down here on the weekend to do their grocery shopping since it's cheaper there. I watched over my 1st and her mother while they stocked up on household items and then directed them to the spice shop and areas where they could find some lunch. Then they felt comfortable to travel on their own and I met up with my upper semester friends for a late lunch. At 1:30 we all met up at the buses, checked that we had everybody, and then headed back to campus. The ride is quite long and along a windy road. By the time we arrived on campus, we were all pretty tired. I was downright exhausted, headed home, called Martha to arrange a laundry pick-up, showered, and promptly passed out 'til it was dark out. It was around 6:30 when I realized that Martha hadn't called me back regarding picking up my laundry. Since I moved, she wasn't sure where my new apartment was and was going to call me back for specific instructions. I called her back and sorted things out. Then I sorted out dinner plans with Kelvin. Laundry got picked up and then I headed to Kelvin's to meet up with the crew for dinner and Bang. Angela joined us too. It was getting close to midnight, so we finished up our game and I headed home to get rest before another big day with the Welcome Committee.

Thursday was the Cabrits Territory and Fort Shirley. The trip consisted of a few stops and inhaling lots of bus exhaust. Our first stop was Fort Shirley which is a pretty place rich with history.

Fort Shirley

Then we drove to a lookout point for some pictures. Then we drove to a cold sulphur spring. It's pretty cool because little pools of sulphrous water appear to be boiling but the water is cold. Regardless, it still smells like eggs.

Cold Sulphur Springs...with a busted platform

Then some more driving to another lookout point where you are on the Atlantic side. It's cool to see because the ocean side is so much stronger and harsher than the Caribbean Sea side.

The formidable Atlantic

The tide truly looks formidable and I would die if I attempt to surf the Atlantic. After that we drove back to campus. It wasn't a particularly long day, we went from 9-2, but we didn't have lunch and the bus ride followed a winding road. One of the biggest cons of being the last bus in the fleet is all the exhaust you inhale. It's probably why I've been so tired (or exhausted if you're feeling punny) when I arrive back on campus.

During the trip back, Shannon got a phone call informing her that 300 people were arriving on campus today. Due to the tropical storm, flights were cancelled and now they were all rushing in. It's kind of crazy and overwhelming to think of so many people flooding in within a short amount of time. Essentially, I felt like I should keep warm in the bullpen in case they needed help at Jenner in welcoming the incoming 300. Once we arrived back on campus, I stopped by IGA to get some groceries, grabbed some lunch to go at the shacks, and then wearily waddled home. I desperately needed a shower. It's funny when you're filthy and then you discover the water is turned off, and by funny, I mean horribly awful. I grabbed the water I had stored in the fridge and stepped into the shower to cool off as best as I could. Then I finished off with a wet wipe shower. I was satisfactorily clean and headed to the CAC to do early check-in which they offer to Welcome Committee members so that we don't have to check-in when everybody else is on campus in a week or so. It's nice because it means the process is 5 minutes instead of 30. I cooled off in the CAC a bit after checking in when I received a call from Martha saying my laundry was enroute. I quickly headed for home, got my laundry, found out the water was back on (which was perfect timing because I was sweaty from the back and forth trip), showered, did some laundry, and of course passed out again for another lengthy nap (consider it training, Court - I just might be able to outlast you). Got a call from Kelvin telling me what was happening for dinner.

We've been having some really late dinners. We keep saying dinner at 7 or 7:30 but dinner isn't made and ready 'til an hour later. It's kind of throwing my internal clock off. That and the napping. Amilyn baked some BBQ chicken, Jerome made a rice/bean/tofu casserole dish to accompany it, and Kelvin made some punch. It was all very delicious. It's been nice to have family/potluck style meals. Although the late hour and my weariness doesn't bode well for me. We played a couple rounds of Bang afterward and I was running out of steam. I got to the cranky child stage and had to cut out after my character died in the second round. At least I was right about sleep coming easy.

The bright sun had me up at 6:30am so the eye mask was put on to steal another hour. The trip lined up for the day was to Syndicate Falls with the nature hike afterward. No lunch provided again, meaning I had a large bowl of cereal and yogurt with granola for breakfast. Crazy to think that not too long ago, I blogged about going on this trip as a 1st semester and the unfortunate incident of a mother breaking her ankle, and now I'm on this trip again as the Welcome Committee member determined to not have any mother break her ankle. I'm pretty sure that was the goal for all of us. Mission accomplished. Everything went well and we didn't get rained on either. Probably the most successful and enjoyable trip so far.

It's been nice to ride in Shannon's bus for every outing. She's going into 5th semester at Roseau and is all-around encouraging and realistic. It's a combination I respond to well. I kinda think I hit the jackpot, not to mention that it's flattering too. The ride back to campus was more than manageable. Hardly any exhaust inhaling issues. I wasn't nearly as groggy as I had been on past trips. I hurried home to shower and then Skyped with Alison who is all settled in her place in Ottawa, getting ready to start her Masters program at Carleton. Big move for her and big changes, but I'm so excited for this phase in her life. She's definitely not the little cousin with the massive Playmobile collection anymore. She's this beautiful intellectual who is articulate beyond her years, who's living on her own in the nation's capital, and continually makes me proud. After our session, I did some quick laundry. The Welcome Committee provides you with two t-shirts that you are required to wear for all Welcome Committee events. Given that my duties involve outdoor adventures, the shirts get a bit sweaty and need to be washed at home to avoid scaring away newbies with my stench. After setting the laundry out to dry, I lay on the bed to relax, but didn't feel the standard need to nap. So I plugged in my tv and watched myself a combination of The Amityville Horror and Green Lantern. So basically, I plugged in my tv and watched myself some Ryan Reynolds in chiseled muscle form. It was a good day.

After eating dinner, I headed to Kelvin's where he was watching Season 1 of Dexter and I got to re-appreciate one of the shows I love. It's terribly dark, but I enjoy it. I remember my English teacher in first year college describing the difference between terror and horror. To be horrified is to run away without wanting to look back, just simply removing yourself from the negative thing in the fastest way possible. To be terrified is to be afraid, but having your curiosity win out, resulting in inching your way towards uncovering the negative thing. You know it's not going to be pleasant, but you can't help but want to see what it is. So yes, Dexter is terribly dark. It's terrific. While watching, others trickled in and we all made our way to Colonel and Susan's to play games. Around 11-something, I knew I needed to get going home as the next day would be a big one. Turned out, everybody else was done too so we all headed back home.

Alarm woke me up this time at 7:45. Changed into my bathing suit, packed up a change of clothes and a towel, ate breakfast, then headed to campus. At the main gate, I crossed paths with a newbie who's been attending all the outings so far. Her name is Dani and she vaguely reminds me of my former BackCheck buddy Dani. She's a sweet girl and seems to have a good head on her shoulders. She's enjoying her time on the island and isn't overwhelmed by the stresses of it. I think she'll do well here. The trip today is the Carib Territory and Emerald Pool trip. It's an all day thing with lunch provided. It's also one of the largest attended events, meaning I'd be in charge of a bus all on my own. I was up for the challenge. I had a stellar crew. Hardly had any problems rounding them up from all our various stops. Some rowdiness, but not out of hand and good for boosting morale. During lunch I was able to chat with my crew a bit more and answer their questions. Sometimes I feel like I'm not qualified to give responses but in some ways I'm more qualified because I just went through what they're about it go through.

The Kalinago dancers who I didn't dance with this time

Shannon asked that Andrew and I be the leaders of the pack in terms of our buses being the first to various major destinations. Again, I had a pretty stellar crew that made things possible. Nonetheless, we were running short on time by the time we arrived at Emerald Pool. Andrew and I were the first staff to get in the pool. He was manning the waterfall jumpers and I was down below watching out for those who get too shocked to swim after jumping in. Luckily, I only had one guy who struggled. When I went on this trip four months ago there were a surprising number of people who had issues, so I was pretty happy. After spending about 20 minutes in the pool, I rounded up my bus and we headed back to make room for other people that wanted to get closer or in the water. Again, stellar crew. All was going well until mid-way through the trip back, the paved road suddenly had a significant drop off into a gavel dirt road. The drop off combined with a fair amount of downhill action broke our break lines and we rode first gear 'til gravity stopped us. Admittedly, the crew was stellar, but the driver...a little less. Called Shannon and then we split up my crew into other buses and low and behold, I found myself on Shannon's bus where I was able to get some more words of wisdom.

We arrived back on campus around 6:30. Definitely the longest day I've worked so far. Although next Sunday's island tour will be longer. Oh and I didn't realize it was Sunday 'til we returned to campus. Time really is escaping me. I headed home, showered, did some laundry, ate dinner, and am now finishing this post because I feel bad for putting it off so late after leaving you hanging a bit. Truly, I am feeling better. For the most part, I've dealt with the emotions of mourning for friends back at home who have lost a loved one. It still hits me randomly during the day and I feel the somber tones, but I just say a little prayer in my head and carry on with the responsibilities at hand. In other news, my grandfather will need to start dialysis soon, which is unfortunate, but better dialysis than not dialysis. Hopefully things will work out ok. I volunteered on the dialysis unit at VGH for years and it's tough to stomach that my grandpa will go through the same thing. It's an exhausting experience. Even though it looks like they're just lying in bed, watching TV, and relaxing, dialysis makes you feel like you've got through a mild workout for the past 4 hours straight. Your energy is zapped and all you have energy to do when you get home is to close your eyes and sleep.  If you want the slightest idea of what it's like, donate platelets. It's a somewhat similar concept and experience except you'll only do it for a couple hours and you don't have to keep doing it to stay alive. Let's just say that I only donated platelets once and then decided to stick to whole blood donations after that. I have a great deal of respect for those who donate every 14 days and a greater amount of respect for dialysis patients. Definitely praying for you grandpa and grandma, and the rest of the family. 

Anyways guys, I'm pretty tired and this seems like a good time to sign off. I'll try to get a mid-week post out with some more pictures that feature my smiling face as I hear that you'd rather see that than the scenery crap.

Feeling...I Don't Know

Well I was terribly lazy last week which was great. I grabbed some more swag off Amy Friday and then we said our last goodbye on the island. Off to Michigan excellence for her. I also met up with Colonel and we had a mini worship meeting. It felt all too familiar when I brought out my notebook and started taking minutes. We covered a lot of stuff and it gives me a better idea of what I'll be getting involved with.

I have no idea what happened on Saturday. I know I had to walk around campus a lot to find an open area where I could chill out. I finally found a multi-purpose room outside the library. The student network wasn't working on campus so I had to Skype from my smart phone. I got to chat with Justin for a while after my parents. The big move took place that weekend for them. Hopefully the next two weeks will fly by and they'll find themselves relaxing in a new home. 

The new work space

The kitchen/dining area

Sunday, was the big move for me. I managed to score a couple free boxes from IGA which helped immensely. Colonel managed to help me out. I called a cab, Colonel loaded it up while I went through final inspection got my security deposit back, and then a quick trip to my new apartment to unload. I had heard that taxi companies could charge you around $100EC if you're moving, which makes sense if they're driving a long distance and actually helping you move. In my case, I had Colonel to help and so I only had to pay $20. Definitely worth it because it'd take all day to go back and forth lugging around various things. When I got into the apartment, it looked like someone was already living there. Steve left me behind a bunch of stuff including dry food, tupperware, kitchen utensils, textbooks, binders, speakers, drumsticks, school supplies, hangers, and a Canucks car flag. As a result of getting other 4th's gear and bringing in my own, I have an overwhelming amount of textbooks and hangers (all plastic, no wire hangers, ever). I'll be looking to unload all the duplicates with the newbies coming in. Unpacking took a while and then it was definitely time for a shower.

People were heading to Colonel and Susan's place to watch a movie at 6:30. So I quickly dressed and headed to essentially where I used to live. I literally walked by my old apartment. It was a good walk though. I was starving by the time I got there though and so I ordered delivery. It was nice to be able to sit, watch a movie, and eat some good food with the company of friends.

Monday, I got up early to do some grocery shopping so I could stock my fridge again. It started pouring rain when I exited IGA so I waited outside 'til it died down. I should have waited inside because I got bit five times. Grrrrrrr. Made the long trek home, unpacked and washed the dirt off my legs to reveal the red welts in their localized inflammatory splendor. Li'l buggers! After enjoying the standard breakfast, I hooked up the speakers to the laptop and blasted a little Hey Ocean while doing some reading. Then I headed down to the CAC for Welcome Committee orientation. Then I went to the bank, put more money on my phone in preparation for the outings and the numerous texts and calls I'll be making and receiving, and checked the mail again. They still haven't updated the list, so I keep getting false hopes that I'd have a letter waiting for me. Apparently, my Toms should arrive in a couple weeks. I definitely miss them and can't wait to slip into the comfortable confines of the canvas. The hole in my ash ones is probably wondering where the heck my pinky toe is. Soon they shall be reunited. After my errands, I headed back to the CAC to charge up my phone and laptop, and respond to an important email from an important person. The tv was on one of those 24/7 news/politics channels. Obama had a press conference and people had a lot to say about it, and then there was something about a Republican who made a stupid comment on a TV interview where he said that females develop responses to prevent them from getting pregnant when they're raped. All of us within ear shot of the tv all yelled "WHAT?!" when they played a clip of the interview. Just in case you weren't sure, that's a huge load of crap (you don't need to be in med school to know that) and that politician is an idiot. I eventually changed the channel and watched Everton beat Man U 1-0.

Then I checked Facebook and there was a mad frenzy of action going on from the Ross front. Grades were up. I quickly logged into my student account and saw a mess of numbers and tried to make sense of them. When I found my bearings I knew that I passed, and found myself looking at 75% overall. So I was right, my average took a bit of a dip. True to form, block two material was my worst. I had filled the gap on the things I really didn't know (plasma proteins and clotting) but evidently there was more I didn't know. Unfortunately, this isn't the type of program where you can say "Oh well, it's done with now and you don't have to worry about it ever". It's going to come back up in 3rd semester, except they'll have assumed that you already know everything front and back from 1st and so they build on top of that in more detail. That means I need to fill the gaps before 3rd. Nonetheless, it's nice to know that I'm done the first step. Within a matter of minutes, I learned that the whole DJ crew passed. Definitely happy about that. Looking forward to seeing them in a couple weeks.

Some classmates (Amilyn, Kelvin, Jerome, and Amilyn's visiting sister) joined me by the couches to use their laptops and watch tv. Eventually, Kelvin and Jerome decided to borrow the Wii from the cac staff and started playing Super Smash Bros. Then James and Ali joined us. At some point, Connect Four was brought out and Kelvin showed his true calling as Connect Four Master. He went on a rampage beating everybody until finally Jerome beat him and we played Mafia instead. We only got a couple rounds in before it was 8 and the CAC closed. Walked home, ate a late dinner, then wrote out my orientation schedule on the white board because I have a white board and a crap load of markers and when you have those readily available, you use them for shiggles. Took a quick shower and then cooled off in front of the fan while writing this blog. I needed to be up fairly early Monday morning so I went to bed before 11.

It was a nice cool evening and silent. The only noise was from the pouring rain. It's what I fell asleep to and what I woke up to. Definitely a refreshing change to construction and screaming kids. Leisurely breakfast as per usual, changed, packed up my gear, and headed to the library to meet for our snorkeling outing. About 2 minutes away from campus, we were notified that the trip was cancelled due to the rain and that tomorrow's trip is in limbo due to a tropical storm headed our way. So I headed back home, changed, and lounged around in the cross breeze. That's one of the beautiful things about this apartment. The front and back doors both have screen doors and they're quite nearly in line with each other from one end of the apartment to the other. After an early lunch, I headed to the CAC to read and relax. I happened to sit near the phone because that's where the nearest available electrical output was so I could plug in my laptop. Unfortunately, it meant that I had to overhear some conversations from former classmates calling other med schools to figure out their options. So many conversations revolving around the same thing made for a depressing mood. I didn't know these individuals, just recognized their faces. I just kept to myself and continued reading the book Joy gave me. It's a quick read (just 150 pages) and I really enjoyed it. I knew I'd be messaging her to thank her for the book by the end of the day.

Kelvin came in and we made some dinner plans with the group from yesterday. So we hit up IGA and then headed to our apartments to relax until 7 when we congregated at Kelvin's for tacos. After dinner, Malik asked if we wanted to play a cool card game that was like Mafia. Someone asked what the name of the game was and he responded with one word, "Bang". It's funny how one word can make my heart light up instantaneously. Bang is a game that the youth would play quite nearly every night in the annex. It's really a game that I associate solely with them even though I've played it with adults before. It was so fun to play it and think of the kids back at home. We had a big group and only two of us knew the game so it made for a long night.

I got home, showered, relaxed in the cool breeze, checked the email as per usual and signed on to Facebook. Since living in Dominica, I've received about a total of three emails that made me really wish I was home. I received the third one tonight. I wish I could articulate what I feel. My heart hurts and I'm praying for people back home. That's really all I can say. It's a horribly ironic feeling when you're happy you've earned your stay for the next semester and yet have stuff happen back at home that makes you want to give all this up just so you could go home, hold someone and cry with them. It's not even about trying to comfort. It's so beyond that. It's just about being there, being physically present. It's a whole other kind of frustration.
I really have nothing left to say at this point. I really just need to pray, deal with the emotions, and tire myself to sleep.

A Hodge Podge With Little Sleep

I can't wait to move. It's impossible to sleep in here with construction and screaming kids running about outside. I set my alarm for 10am because Harper and I made plans to spend Tuesday together, but that was overly optimistic as I was awoken at 7:30. I lay in bed hoping that I would go back to sleep, but that was overly optimistic as well. I rose from the bed and proceeded to do the morning ritual followed by cleaning my place. I'm someone who likes to clean a bit before the maid comes in. I feel like if I do some of the work, then she'll have more time to do the other things better. So I'll do the dishes, sweep, clear off the table, take out the garbage, and set out clean bed sheets. It's a system that's worked well so far. After breakfast (~10:30), I texted Harper to see if he was awake and what he wanted to do for the day. He texted back to ask me to go on Facebook so that we could chat there instead of using up our cell phone meters. Such a smart man. We decided that the sun demanded that it be a beach day and so we hit up the beach and got our tan on. As I left, the maid was on the upper deck and asked what day I was moving out. I told her Sunday and then met up with Harper to head to the beach. Neither of us slept well the night before and were woken up early in the morning, meaning we were completely content to lie in the sun and say nothing.

Tried to even the tan out, but I think this is permanent

Harper and I glowing with sweat

The sun was out in full force and it made it hard to get much sleep. We'd stand in the water multiple times to cool off. After spending a few hours there, we went to Schwarma King to pick up a late lunch. Then we headed to campus to empty his locker and eat in an air conditioned environment. We were covered in a salt silt and sand. So we quickly ate, walked home, and said our goodbyes.

So I'm guessing the maid asked when I was moving so that she would hold off cleaning until moving day, because the place was as I left it. Oh well.  I turned on the A/C, hopped in the shower, discovered my sun burned areas as I scrubbed my skin with my bath glove (one of those moments where you're singing is abruptly interrupted by a "GAAAAA! Great Zeus that hurts like a female dog" - sorry Caroline), dried off, and passed out on my bed for I don't know how long. I didn't pay attention to time. I woke up around 5 though. Very disoriented and tired and aware of the fact that I spent too much time in the sun.

I cooked up some chicken in preparation for dinner because the sun was still out. Then put it in the fridge. Then I packed up my stuff and headed to the annex to get out of the house and into an air conditioned environment. Definitely fewer people there. Checked the email and Facebook where I was already starting to see posts from classmates about how they're so happy they're home. Admittedly, a little part of me was bitter and wished  I could post the same status (without lying). I started reading a book that Joy McConnell gave me for my birthday. It's called "A Woman Jesus Can Teach" by Alice Matthews. It's like a study book where each chapter has a few questions at the end. Each chapter is dedicated to a woman or women in the New Testament. Some pretty interesting stuff, but like I said, the sun really did a number on me and I had to re-read paragraphs to stay focused. Eventually around 7:30, I headed home forgetting what I was going to eat with my precooked chicken. So I called up Golden Dragon and ordered some string beans with steamed rice. With the chicken, I had a full meal and leftovers. It felt weird to have nothing to do after eating. I felt like I needed to pack up and head to the annex to squeeze in a couple more hours of studying. So I just sat in the darkness of the kitchen, illuminated by my laptop screen, and proceeded to check out music.

I ended up buying the latest Hillsong Live album, "Cornerstone" on iTunes. It's pretty awesome. I'm normally not an iTunes purchaser because I prefer having the CD (as I'm sure Tara can attest to given that she has my massive CD collective). But since there aren't any retailers out here, iTunes is the alternative. The first album I bought on iTunes was Schuyler Fisk's "Blue Ribbon Winner" which is quite the winner by the way. I like it better than her first album "The Good Stuff". The second album I bought is "Cornerstone". I anticipate that the count will continue to grow as Joshua Radin's released a new album, Mumford and Sons' sophomore album is coming out at the end of September, and We Are the City are recording their next album. And of course, all of this makes me want to have a guitar handy. I messaged Colonel from RCF as he's in the know about things on the music/tech side of RCF. I asked if there was a guitar that I could jam on during the break and hoped I'd get a promising response. Eventually, weariness from an early morning and dehydrating day caught up with me and I hit the sack.

Wednesday, cue construction and kids at 7:30. Not cool. I closed the window and my bedroom door, turned on the A/C, and put on my eye mask to steal a couple more intermittent hours of sleep. Finally at 9:30, I got up, opened my window and went to the bathroom to wash my face when I heard a loud incessant knocking at my door. I quickly put on my glasses and ran to the door unaware that I was still in my boxers and tank. Luckily, it was one of the landlords kids telling me to take my shoes off my balcony. It was a weird request, but there was no sense in asking a kid "WHY??". So I said "ok", closed the door, and brought my runners back inside. They were dry which was the goal anyways.

I carried about the morning routine, fixing myself a bowl of cereal when while I was stirring up my milk, another knock at the door happened. This time it was the landlord's eldest son asking me to close my bedroom window and bathroom window because power washing was happening. Ahhhh it's all making sense now (though I'm still too groggy to notice that I'm still in my pjs). I close the windows and change into some proper clothes and carry on with my breakfast. While I'm enjoying second breakfast (yogurt & granola), what should happen, but another knock on the door. This time it's the landlord asking if I plan to leave any time today so that he can come in and power wash my balcony. All this interrupting my favourite meal of the day nonsense made me decide I'd be out in 30 minutes. I quickly finished, brushed the teeth, packed up, and headed to the annex. As I neared the entrance, an upper semester asked "What are you doing here? Aren't you done?". It's a bit neat when you recognize the people that study at the annex and figure out what semester they're in as time goes on. This guy was obviously a 4th and he had concluded during our studies that I was either a 1st or 2nd. I went in and found the annex essentially empty, save for a handful of 4ths in their usual spots. I set up camp in my usual spot and started reading again, this time far more focused than the day before. I had "Cornerstone" playing on repeat to get acquainted with the songs. It's growing on me. Finally, I got a bit restless after a few hours and decided to head down to main campus to check my mail. I was too late though. The post office was already closed. So I headed to the CAC to cool off and use the phone to give Alison a quick call and wish her a safe flight as she left on Thursday for Carleton. I wasn't expecting her to pick up, but she did and so we had a quick chat before letting her finish her last few preparations. Then I headed home to cook up some dinner.

I had some red peppers that need to be used up so I cut those up and threw them in the pan with the green beans, chicken and rice. While eating I checked my phone and noticed that I missed a couple texts from Colonel. There was a "jam session" going on at 6:30 at the CAC and he wanted me to come out so that he could talk more about worship leading. It was just past 6 so I let him know that I was probably going to be late, which worked out to be a good thing as the rest of the crew was out for dinner and running late as well. At 6:45, I packed up and headed back down to the CAC. They weren't done dinner yet so I hung out on the third floor watching the TV and playing Sudoku on my smart phone. At 7:30, Long came by to say hi and ask what I was up to. I told him about Colonel and he said "Oh man, sorry for making you wait so long. But they're on their way and then we'll watch Captain America at 8:30". Sounded completely agreeable to me. I helped Long set up the room on the 2nd floor and finally held a guitar for a brief amount of time to strum a few chord progressions. Long doesn't know how to play guitar, but his mother gave him a beautiful hollow-body electric Ibanez to mess around on. Lucky! I set up the drum kit and Colonel brought out the bass. In a few short minutes, it became obvious, that neither gentlemen knew how to play any of the instruments present, making the jam session quickly turn into a music lesson, which is completely fine. The truth is I find little satisfaction in playing with people who don't know how to play. I would rather play on my own and that's not what this time was about. Eventually Judith, Christina, and the Loys showed up too. Christina brought out the keyboard and rocked out on the keys. I started giving Judith some drum lessons. She caught on quickly, learning the basic beat in 10 minutes. Things went a bit downhill when I introduced a different bass drum variation on the basic beat. So we opted for snare variations instead. Then the rest of the crew wanted to play through the bridge of "The Stand" and I quickly taught Colonel the notes to play on the bass, then went back to Judith to keep her on time with the music. April got in on some lessons too and then eventually Colonel. It was pretty fun, but also a bit exhausting, not to mention noisy. Everybody was playing their own thing. Finally it was 9:30 and we decided it was movie time. It all made for a late night and I was in bed after 12:30.

Alarm went off at 6:45. It was quiet which was nice to wake up to (the hour sucked, but the ambiance was nice). Quickly ate some cereal and then headed down to Classroom 4 where half of the 4ths would be writing their final. Priya and Amy were both writing there along with other RCFers. Judith and Christina showed up eventually and we all prayed together. I headed back home to take things easy and maybe get some more sleep, but the walk home gets the blood going such that sleeping isn't really possible. So I ate a banana, called Martha to request laundry pick-up, and relaxed at home until the laundry was taken. Then I ate an early lunch and headed back down to campus. The mail-list showed that I had mail, but I guess it wasn't updated for a while (since receiving the wedding invitation) because there was no mail for me. I headed to the CAC to relax in some free A/C, charge up the laptop battery, and watch whatever was on TV. Well TV happened to be the little league world series. I watched one inning and it became obvious that Japan was going to kick the Caribbean's ass. So I put in the ear buds, cued up "Cornerstone" and did some reading.

I got a few messages while I was there. The first message I received was from Amy around 1:30 asking if I wanted to get a couple textbooks off of her. I told her I'd be more than happy to take them off her hands, but that she should be relaxing now since her final ended around noon. I told her that I would be around and that whatever time worked best for her would work best for me. The next email was from the Welcome Committee letting me know which events I was scheduled for. All outings. Awesome sauce! This means I get to go on the trips I went on last semester and some extras (i.e. snorkeling, Red Rock, Cabrits, Island Tour). Pretty stoked, although I'll be pretty exhausted when it's all done. I'll be getting a fair amount of exercise. I'll be sleeping well, that's for sure.

Around 4, I decided to pack up and head to IGA to get some beef. The moment I entered and picked up a grocery basket, my phone started ringing. It was Amy. I did a 180, put the basket back in the pile and exited through the doors to head in Amy's direction. She was in the midst of cleaning her place as her landlord was doing inventory for the departing tenants. What a stressful day! First a final, then packing, and prepping the apartment. She had a lot of stuff to give away. I figure I'll find some 1sts (who for whatever reason I keep calling "the kids") who'd want the free swag. I tried my best to mule up, but couldn't get everything in my backpack and grocery bags (I could picture myself as a bag lady). Then the landlord arrived. So we decided that this would be a two day affair, which I'm not going to complain about given my lack of a schedule this week. And given what my next two weeks will look like, I should try my best to not over exert myself this week. I really should try to get a 9 hour night, but I think as long as I live here, it's not going to happen. I think I'm the only tenant left in the building, so there's really no reason to be quiet, which is why construction's probably starting so early. Oh well, we'll try again tonight.

Insert witty or sarcastic or underwhelming title here

Is it bad that I didn't want to do a blog post and just wanted to stand naked in front of the A/C unit while eating mini oreos? In all fairness, I've already done those two things, so I might as well do this too.

You all know that the final was today. If you didn't know, you don't deserve to read this blog. I don't think I failed it. I don't think I've kept my GPA up. I think it'll take a hit. We'll just see how much of a hit it'll take. The week leading up to this day has been MOTS but to a more unbearable level. I was relaxed throughout the entire week and I appreciated the peace and tried to calm my other friends' nerves. But there are those times where you find yourself sick to your stomach because your days are exact replicas of each other. There's morning, noon, and night; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; studying and sleep. The monotony becomes exhausting.

Because I had done relatively well on the minis and practicals, I had set myself up with a fair amount of wiggle room with the final. That's probably why I was calm. That and your endless support and prayers. However, given the consistency I had, it's always a bit frustrating to know that a final exam can and likely will bring it down. Oh well, such is the life of a med student. As you move on, you stop caring about the high marks and focus on passing. At least that's what I'm told by my upper semester friends.

For our exams, the class is split up between the Annex and the St. James Centre. My half of the alphabet was in the Annex this time. The spot to the left of me was empty and near the beginning of the exam, a proctor came by to collect the question booklet and scantron to further enhance the void. Someone obviously had decided within the last week, between mini 3 and now, that this wasn't worth sticking around for. Someone had decided they were done. Someone left. After the final, I found out that a girl fainted over at the St. James Centre shortly after the exam started. It's safe to say that we all took a mental and emotional beating in our first semester and it's been tough to keep up our stamina. It really is a bit heartbreaking to hear/see people crumble under the weight, but you hope for the best as they move on, and hope to God that you can endure it all. To be honest, I don't think I've ever prayed the same thing so much for so many different people - "God give them the strength to get through this. Give them peace of mind. Please"

So now I've got a week to unwind until the fresh batch of newbies come in. Oh, right, I got on the Welcome Committee. During the week, I'll be lazy (I hope). Today, I had a bunch of errands to run. Getting BC Student Aid forms signed so that the government will release funds to me, because I was misinformed when I was instructed to have a Confirmation of Enrollment letter sent to them (don't get me started). Trying to get in touch with my National Bank of Canada advisor who hasn't been responding to my emails. Getting my passport complete with Dominican Visa that says I can stay on this rock for 2 years (fingers crossed that I won't need that long). Checking my mail which contained an invitation to Mindy and Evan's wedding (thanks for sending it to me even though you knew I couldn't come. It was a very kind gesture and I so appreciate it). Topping up my minutes on my cell phone. Emptying my locker. Calling my future landlord to confirm that I'll be moving in Sunday afternoon. Showering and doing some laundry. Letting my little lizard friend in as I set out some items to dry on the back porch. Yup it was a busy day.

The crew minus Harper

The DJ Crew decided we'd do dinner at Riverside. It was literally like a family dinner. People talking over each other, being short fused and sarcastic, joking with the staff, you know, the stuff that makes you think "Man, how'd I get so lucky to be a part of this family?". Nothing is sugar coated. We are a family that's honest, vulnerable, incredibly supportive, and of course we have impeccable comedic timing (and humility the size of the solar system). That's really what I've noticed more than anything now that I've had time to reflect a bit. I've been incredibly blessed by the relationships I've made here. Sunday was the last church service that the 4th Semesters would be present for and that hit me hard. I couldn't help myself from crying. Again, it's one of those things where God's fingerprints are all over this. There's no way these limited interactions in four months would cause me to care so much. But man, He moves in mysterious ways and when He stirs my heart, He makes a frickin' meringue. So many people I'm going to miss and it's based on so much more than finding my next apartment, talking to me about staying in Roseau, going to a bible study, or witnessing a tiny woman take down a man twice her size on the soccer pitch (although that was pretty hot). It's so much more and yet I'll never be able to articulate it. I just get to enjoy it and soak in it.

Everybody from the Crew, except Harper, is leaving early tomorrow morning. Harper and I will hang out tomorrow, which I'm hoping means laying in the sun. Harper leaves Wednesday morning and then it'll be me, my thoughts, and perhaps a guitar if I can track one down. I've missed being able to play music. I love listening to music and it's eased the cravings, but every time I hear a song on Sunday played with a different chord progression than I normal play, the urge to have a guitar in my hands is insane. Same thing goes for drumming too. But I know that come 2nd semester, I'll have numerous opportunities to play. Can't wait!

I think I'll leave it at that partly because it's actually been a long day for me and I wouldn't mind passing out, and also because you're off the once a week schedule. The weening is over, I'm sure depending on what adventures or random thoughts I have (there will be some lonely days, so the thoughts could get a little weird) there will probably be more posts throughout the weeks. I'll get some pictures up because I know how much you like seeing something other than syntax. That and my left cheek dimple (because it's the deeper one)...of my face, silly.

Prompt

Well here we are. One week left and the semester's done. It's hard to believe that we're already here. It's hard to believe that I'm in med school. Sometimes it just hits you when you realize that you're doing what you've wanted to do for a while. It's easy to take it all for granted and pass it off as just going to school and getting a degree, but I think we all know that I've been pursuing this since my days at Seaquam Secondary when I was a fresh pimple-faced teenager. I'm actually doing this. I get to do this.

Classes ended Wednesday and admittedly I lost track of days and what was happening when. I was heading to the annex after lunch to get studying when I crossed paths with Harper and he asked if I was going to the Review Q&A session at the St. James Centre. I didn't really know what it was and then he informed me that the profs had prepared practice questions for us and would go through them with us. That's basically studying, but with expert help. So I headed to the centre with Harper where I met up with the rest of the DJ crew. After the session I planned on heading to the annex to study on my own, when again Harper asked if I was going to the group practice problem sessions. Normally I register for the Friday sessions so I assumed that I was registered for that. He kindly suggested I check my email since our practicals were on Friday and that our session was bumped up to Wednesday. So of course I checked my email and proved Harper right. The day would be spent studying in groups which is fine with me.

After the session, I went to the Ceremony of Thanks, which we have every semester to acknowledge and pay respect to our first patients - our cadavers. The ceremony took place in Classroom 5 and various people were picked to share poems and tidbits. It was very respectful. Not something that would have you bawling, but just appreciating the gift given. Then one of the faculty had the closing remarks. He's one of the doctors in the Anatomy lab that circulates to help you with your dissections. He's European, speaks in broken English, and is likely older than my dad. This is where the no-crying status I had in my head went out the window. He held the mic close to his mouth and all you could hear was a man breathing as if he were trying to compose himself. Then he looked up and while I was near the back of the auditorium, I could see the hurt on his face. At a ceremony like this (for the anonymous), it's hard to figure out why one would be so emotional and you're left in the dark until he can utter his first line, "I have someone important to me who is fighting for his life right now". A salty substance starts forming on the surface of my eyes. "He's eighteen". A single tear breaks from the surface tension and makes a run down the side of my nose and perches on my lip. "These people gave their bodies so that you could learn and hopefully inspire some of you figure out what is killing my friend and find a cure". A stream flows down to push beyond the boundary of my lips and roll off my chin. "I'm sorry I cannot control my emotions". Game over, all the girls are wiping their cheeks, noses are getting runny; we're all crying. The tough part about all of this is that we know unless a miracle happens, this young man will die. The research may be nearing an attempt at a cure or it may not even be close; either way, it won't be done in time. There are many downsides to this field and this has got to be near the top. This burden we naively place on ourselves as "healers".

I remember in Grade 12, my grandfather asked me what I wanted to be and I told him I wanted to be a doctor. His response will forever be etched in my mind, "Oh good, you'll be a doctor just in time to save me". He would pass away in October of my first year of college, less than a year from when he said those words. First semester I had an evening chemistry course so by the time I got home, Justin was the only one around. He was waiting for me so he could tell me and then drive us to VGH where the rest of the family was already grieving. So not only did I not become a doctor in time, I was the last person to say goodbye, the last person to comfort my grandmother. A tragic string of "too late"s. But before you think this blog is all times in the valley, just wait for it (it'll be legen-). It's safe to say that "estrangement" was a word that could describe our family for years leading up to my grandfather's passing. That evening would mark a night where we were all in the same room for the first time in over four years. Pettiness had no place in the crowded private hospital room. It was a time for the concept of family. It was a time that told me "it's never too late" and a whole new kind of healing starting taking place that very night. A kind of healing that will always outweigh all the care I provide patients in my entire lifetime (-dary, legendary).

And so here we are. First semester almost done. It's never too late.

I know that by being here, by choosing an international school so far removed from home, I run the risk of missing out on major events, of arriving too late again. But I can't deny that this was the time afforded me to do this, to be here. Part of that lies in the fact that I could have very well faded under the shade of the mango tree at the Ca-Ira Orphanage in Haiti and left dozens of team members, children, and, staff feeling like they were too late. I don't necessarily like thinking about that moment, but I have to force myself to come to terms with it daily as I take my Tapazole with breakfast. It's funny sometimes to think that proof I'm alive is found in the daily reduction of a bottle full of tiny pills. I could hole myself up and never show my face again, but you'd know I was still kicking if the pill count kept steadily decreasing. It's not morbid, because I'm not a hermit. It's funny and great because I'm alive, pursuing this path, and living with a new perspective since that not so fateful day. Just to clarify, Grave's disease didn't nearly kill me. Massive heat stroke (likely precipitated by undiagnosed Grave's) is what nearly killed me. That is why taking my Tapazole reminds me of my brush with death, because the heat stroke revealed the Grave's. The point is, I didn't die, and now I'm here. To say that my life has seemed a bit like an adventure for the past couple years would be spot on. I'm enjoying the ride. The ups, the downs, the just plain living.

So what is there left to say that actually matters. The practicals went well. I wasn't concerned about them given that they don't count for much. Majority of the overall grade weighs on the minis and the final. But still, the practicals add up to about 10% of your final grade and that's 10% I wouldn't mind having. The mini was a bit exhausting today, but I felt that I did alright on it. Afterward, I joined the DJ crew at Tulips for lunch; enjoying the company of friends. Went home to shower and relax. Watched the Canada-US game and wondered if I had taken my Tapazole because my heart was racing. It was a tight game back and forth. A beautiful game with a heartbreaking end, but you can't help but be proud. These women are doing a lot for the sport in our nation and I hope it inspires other females to get into soccer. Although, I still really don't like that they don't use instant replay. You give the refs too much power and ergo human error too much power by excluding the technology. Safe to say there were a few bad calls made that game and it definitely affected the outcome of the game. I know that pausing for a replay can break up the flow, but having "big brother" in the game keeps the refs and players more accountable. Nonetheless, I was thoroughly entertained and happy I could watch it. After the game, I discovered that the preliminary marks for the mini were out early so that we could prep for the final better. Did the math and found myself with a 81% (except for mini II, I've been surprisingly consistent). Pending exam review, the mark can only go up. Glad to have that out of the way and to be able to focus on the final. Glad to be able to listen to the Random mix instead of the Study mix.

Speaking of good music (and yes, I just assumed that the music I listen to is good), here's a video of Hey Ocean! and Aiden Knight (and his band) doing a live cover of "Sprawl II" by Arcade Fire. It's a Canadian indie love fest. I've already posted this on my Facebook wall, but didn't fully explain why I love this so much, plus not all of you are on Facebook. I thoroughly enjoy Arcade Fire. They're an acquired taste, but you can't deny that they're talented (not to mention Grammy award winners of Best Album). "Sprawl II" is one of my favourite tracks off their album "The Suburbs". It's a fun sounding song, but with lyrics that on their own can reflect a different tone, and that's where the cover comes in. It's a "stripped down" take with a slower pace that lets you appreciate the lyrics in a different way, not to mention the amazing talent that Vancouver has cultivated. So if you're going to listen to the songs, listen to Arcade Fire first to hear how it was originally conceived, and then listen to the refreshing interpretation of the cover. When you're done that, partake in a little more BC love by watching the music video for Hey Ocean's "Islands" brought to you by our familiar friends, Amazing Factory Inc. Great song (even better live, check out the CBC performance). Great vid by some great guys. Support your local talent wherever you are, because they do some pretty amazing stuff with far less resources than mainstream artists.

Alright crew, there's your Monday post. You've got the deep stuff, school, sports, and music. What more could you ask for? I don't have a hippopotamus.