After a week of snow, sun, sea and sand in California my first few days back in Vancouver were mostly spent in the library in my attempt to compact “reading week” in to a reading weekend. Technology defied me once again with my laptop having a motherboard related mishap which apparently means I now need to go buy a new one. I have since become closely acquainted with the library computers to the extent that I now know which ones are best avoided due to having a very loud spacebar or a mouse which randomly wanders round the screen.
Minor inconveniences aside, the midterms and papers were completed in a relatively stress free few days and I’m now beginning to contemplate the projects I have to start and finish before the end of term. Generally speaking, my courses over this side of the pond have been far preferable to any of the studies I’ve undertaken at Edinburgh. Smaller class sizes, engaging professors and a wide variety of choice has meant that the academic part of my exchange has been really positive (as well as every other aspect of it!) Whether this is direct consequence of studying in North America or merely the progression through university to higher level courses that are of more interest to me, I don’t know. Ask me again when I’m going through fourth year hell back in Scotland!
Passing the six month mark of Canadian living took me by surprise and with it came the realisation that I only have two months left. This seems to have brought back the Vancouver tourist in me so at the end of the week I took myself on an exploratory trip of Gastown and Chinatown. Gastown forms one of the oldest parts of the city and is known for its cobbled streets, galleries, native art shops and nightlife. It was an interesting place to wander round and temporarily made me want to buy a Totem Pole for my back garden at home. I think my purchasing a postcard was a wise choice in hindsight. Vancouver’s Chinatown is apparently the second largest in North America (to San Francisco’s first) which is a fact I find hard to believe. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot there; a Chinese garden, an impressive looking gate at the entrance to the neighbourhood and a lot of food shops and restaurants. After a quick nosey I then headed for the Sea Bus (the ferry connecting downtown to North Vancouver) where I watched the sunset over Stanley Park and the sky scrapers.
My Saturday was rather less eventful and rather rugby orientated. I woke up to watch the last forty minutes of the England vs. Ireland six nations game which had to be one of the most frustrating periods of rugby ever played for a fan of the boys in white and red. I then ran touch for the women’s game before watching the UBC men play. My match on the Sunday was cancelled which meant I ran out of excuses for not being in the library… And so the eighth week of semester two began.
