Thursday, November 7, 2013

I'm a Big Kid Now



My office! Officially a big kid now

Welcome to your newest update from Nova Scotia Newbie! Over the past few weeks I have been pretty intensley working on my research, spending the majority of my days hiding out in the Library or my office (pictured above). The work is fascinating, but I do have to admit that no matter how much I read, I haven't really made a dent in the existing scholarship. I do have 181 single spaced pages of notes though, so at least I am making progress. Next week I have three meetings scheduled with academic professionals as I begin to move into the next stage of my research.

Despite that I have been doing so much research lately, some exciting things have still happened. This blog will look over all the exiting things since my last update. 

Parents Visit Halifax

On October 24th, my parents docked in Halifax for the day as part of a Fall Colors Cruise of the East Coast. We didn't have a particularly agenda for the day. In fact, the only plan was to pick them up at the boat at 9 and drop them off by 5. Our wonderful cab driver and I picked my parents up, at which point we decided to visit Peggy's cove, a rural community with a beautiful lighthouse located about an hour and a half from Halifax. We trekked out there and turned it into a photography trip. Some of the photos are below:



After our trip out to Peggy's cove, we stopped at some lakes to take pictures on the way back, as well as a local cemetery, famous as the final resting place of over 100 victims of the Titanic.




We stopped for lunch at "The Bicycle Thief" and got some of the best seafood chowder in existence. Okay, maybe not that good, but pretty darn good. We also explored Harbour Walk before venturing to Point Pleasant Park to see the Fall colors (always remember, we are from Southern California, there are no fall colors). 




It was wonderful to have them visit, even if just for a few hours. Always an adventure. Looking forward to visiting in December.




What visit is complete without a Father/Daughter jumping shot?


Canada's Sport: Hockey

One of the things that people learn about me as they spend time with me is that I have deeply engrained teams I root for in most sports, and yet I may not understand the greater details of how the sport actually works. There are far more times than I would like to admit where I had to stop and ask "Wait, what just happened," when watching a water polo game (or soccer, basketball, football. Pretty much anything but baseball and volleyball.) Hockey is no exception to this trend. Having grown up in Southern California near Anaheim I remember watching on TV as the Ducks won the Stanley Cup. I remember cheering for them through the years, but I had no concept of how the details of the sport worked.

At Fulbright Orientation, I participated in the Ice Hockey game, but I definitely had no idea what was happening, and was just content not falling down on the Ice.

However, recently "Speak Up!" at Saint Mary's had an informational session about how Hockey works (both for International and Canadian students) and a game for students to practice playing We were divided into teams and launched into a game of hockey on the field in the 35F weather. It awesome, and might I mention exhausting. Definitely a great way to get out and meet people, and start to develop an understanding of how hockey works.




Baking Adventures: How do I Feed Myself, a Lesson in Independence

I have never professed to be a good cook. I excel in pasta, grilled cheese, and eggs. Anyone who has lived with me can pretty much attest to those staples being how I have fed myself these past few years. It isn't that I have an aversion to cooking, just that between working, school work, sorority, friends, and clubs, I was much more likely to make a drive-thru run between activities than stop to cook a meal. Between dorms, my apartment last year, and living in Kentucky this summer, I have had a limited environment of having to cook for myself, whether it be a meal plan, a car to make food runs, or a roommate who is a champion at cooking (I am looking at you Stephanie). While I still have a meal plan at the university, I am trying to expand what I can make well. While chicken fajitas and salads are now staple meals, recently I have taken to baking (in addition to cooking) to break up the routine of studying, and increase my repeptiore for when I get home.

Thus far the kitchen is still standing, so I would note that all as a success. Below you will see some of my more recent experiments: Chocolate-Whiskey Cupcakes, Maple-Bacon Cupcakes, and Pepperjack Muffins.




Halifax Exploration Day!

It came to my attention that I had been so focused on working that I hadn't really been around Halifax lately. Thus on Tuesday I headed back out into the city. I caught a bus and visited "Your Father's Mustache," which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. From there I walked the city for around an hour before ending up at Harbour Walk, which was practically deserted A. Because it is Tuesday, B. Because it is November. Harbour Walk has a little area on boardwalk above the harbor similar to a beach. I ended up staying there reading for a few hours before heading back to campus. Quite a relaxing day, but just what I needed as a break from research. 






Thanks for checking out the my newest entry. Stay turned for your next exciting blog entry from Nova Scotia Newbie!