snow is falling

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Whistler

Lower Olympic run, Whistler

So I can ski, now.

I skied once before, when I was eleven, and I was truly awful, so when, over reading week, me and a couple of friends decided to head up to Whistler, I assumed I’d be awful again. I actually assumed that I would have forgotten everything, and that I’d fall over ten thousand times over the three days me and my friend Chris got.

Turns out skiing is a bit like riding a bike, and I, though I have never in my life been good at a sport, was pretty good at skiing. I was sort of top of the class. Which is insane. Turned out that I was really good at the parts of skiing that involved being on skies and hurtling down hills (at a very slow speed; I am still learning), but still really really bad at the parts of skiing that didn’t involve being on skies. Like walking in ski boots (which are the worst inventions ever) and not falling over when I was supposed to be standing still.

It was a trade I was willing to take, though. Whistler is such an expensive but wonderful place, and unlike anywhere else I’ve visited so far in North America.

 

teach me how to midterm, teach, teach me how to midterm

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Midterms didn’t happen to me last semester. I’m in Arts, and besides that I study literature, and besides that I suppose I just got lucky. Midterms are happening to me this semester, though, don’t worry. I didn’t escape.

I’m not used to continuous assessment, being from the UK university system. It’s more than different; it’s like two people sat down and had a boring and in depth argument about the best way to teach and assess young adults, insulted each other, and then went away and made two completely opposing systems.

At home I have more reading and fewer assessments, but the assessments I do have are worth more. Usually I would have a 10% participation grade, a 40% final paper grade (we just call them essays), and a 50% or so final exam. We’re expected to participate in discussion more but take far fewer quizzes, and if we don’t do the reading then it’s our own fault if we fail the exam or write a shitty essay, and it’s our own problem, too.

Here, as I am sure you know, it’s a little different. Which is where we come to midterms, and my problem with preparing for them. In that I just… don’t know how? It’s half-way through the semester which means I only know half the stuff, so do I study for it about half as much as I would for a final exam? Or just as much? How come, if I don’t do fantastically, I can still get a fairly decent grade?

Baffled, I am. Or maybe I’m just using the confusion of school systems as an excuse to procrastinate. (That might be it, actually.)

Incidentally, two professors trading insults plus British humour equals…? Well, this:

six shots two guns

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It’s that time of year when everyone cares about all of the movies, but this isn’t a post about any movie in itself. The Golden Globes are on right now, too, but this isn’t a post about that, either. Mostly because award shows really frustrate me – someone needs to give Leo DiCaprio an award for something, seriously, this is getting ridiculous, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of Things That Make Me Angry About Award Shows.

I went to see Django Unchained last week and it is one seriously wonderful movie. It’s quick and funny and brutal and has the only ending that could ever have worked, and it’s not perfect, there are things to pick at, but man does it ever get close. But this post isn’t about that. I just want to talk about how wonderful the soundtrack to Django is.

The soundtrack moves between period-appropriate country-ish music, some beautiful jazz-y blues tracks, and a whole lot of fantastically anachronistic hip hop. The cutting of the soundtrack with the pictures is perfection, but the soundtrack on it’s own is a seriously perfect piece of work.

I am a soundtrack kind of person; I listen to them a lot when I’m studying.  Django kind of blows all of my favourites out of the water. That’s Tarantino for you, though, right?

Tips for when you get sick on campus: DON’T

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I have been back on campus for a week now (a WEEK, man, why does UBC start this early?) and yet I have not posted. Why, do I hear you cry? Because I got sick and it was debilitating and I survived and now here I am. Blogging.

It wasn’t really that bad, just a fever/cold/cough/ache/thing, but it sucked because nothing sucks more than getting sick on campus. And I really love a moan, so let me just moan for a second about how the Totem caff’s food is truly unappetising when you’re sick, you can’t focus on the readings for all the classes you’re supposed to be going to, and no one is there to tell you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to class already.

But I am trying to think of positives to being sick, for this post would otherwise be a pointless one, so here are three things that got me through the sickness:

  1. Magda’s – if you’re a Totem Park resident, you and Magda will already be firm friends, and for anyone who doesn’t know what Magda’s is, it’s the 5:30-11:30pm grill and mini-market in the Totem Park commonsblock. But while I was sick I didn’t exactly fancy chicken strips – Magda’s do, however, stock a small but relatively comprehensive range of medicines for your every cold/flu/cough/stomach bug related need. Wunderbar.
  2. Netflix – the wonders of a ruined attention span because of a fever don’t matter when you have a whole catalogue of movies and shows to watch. And it’ll even keep your place for later if you decide (like I did) that The Hour is just too high-brow watching for your brain right now and switch to Clueless! Netflix doesn’t sponsor me – I wish – but if it did, I couldn’t love it more than I already do.
  3. Warm things – endless blankets, pajamas, insane amounts of tea (and, not a warm thing, but the amount of orange juice I have drunk in the last few days must be record breaking. Be boosted, my immune system! Boosted!), soup, sweaters (or jumpers to little old British me), and the heating turned up for the first time since I got here. Warm things, guys. They make the world go around and they make lives better.

(If you promise not to tell anyone I will reveal to you secret no. 4: that boyband I have to pretend not to like because I am too old to be their target audience brought out a video this week, and it is, at once, insane, ridiculous, and delightful. We will speak no more of it.) (One Direction are a plague on my existence. You think I’m not serious. I am deadly serious.)

avoiding the curse of study irritation and exam-time fallouts

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I have vanished from here because studying (all the studying – all of it in the world) has swallowed me whole. I had three final papers due this last week and, wow, third and fourth year literature courses at UBC are not for the faint of heart (or people who like to slack off and procrastinate on tumblr, like me).

Still, I am done with the papers and on to the exams. Which is no less stressful, but does give me a little more free time. Not that that’s a good sign of a work ethic.

Exam period is always an awful time, but I had forgotten how stressful it gets living with people who are also stressed out at this time of year. It can be really not fun, and it’s getting to the stage where everyone just wants to go home for a few days to chill out.

There are a couple of things that have been working for me when I’m trying to keep my ‘irritation at life’ levels lower than ‘oh my gosh I am going to have to kill someone’, so I thought I’d give sharing a bit of a go.

#1. Napping.

There have been studies that show that people who nap are happier than other people. You can bet Scrooge wasn’t a fan of napping. I found a handy tool that shows you when it’s the best time for you to nap through the day, and it’s helping me to stay level headed. There’s no better break from studying than getting to go to sleep. (Warning: double the irritation may occur if the people you live with do not respect your nap time. Pretty sure it’s grounds for homicide in BC, though, so you’re good.)

#2. Spending time with people other than those you live with.

Res Life can get pretty close-nit, and you might know everyone on your floor, maybe even a fair few people in your building or in the whole of your Res complex, but if you’re anything like me then you probably find yourself spending more time than is healthy hanging out with the same people. All the time. And that’s great, best friends are best for a reason (sorry, that was awful), but I’m beginning to get to the stage where even the most endearing traits are starting to annoy me. The fact that they annoy me is starting to annoy me. And with no classes and all that studying, I’m finding that I don’t get out much.

So spending time with other people, fresh faces, people whose stories you still don’t know yet, or even Skyping a friend or family member from back home, can really recharge you, friendship-wise. Even spending time with that person you don’t really like so much might not be the worst idea ever – maybe they have hidden depths (personally, I am the worst judge of character ever – some of my best friends are people I hated the first few times I met them), or else maybe they’re just as awful as you always thought, and it reminds you why you like the people you spend all your time with after all.

#3. Laughing at something, anything.

There have been lots of studies about how good laughing is for your health. I’m not going to track them down, because they’re in the news every other month (and I have procrastinated from studying long enough already). But: laughing is very good for you, and if you get to that stage in studying where it’s laugh or cry, I know which I’d rather be doing. If you need something to set you off, I’d recommend a good comedy. Romcom, sitcom, dramedy, whatever. I have lots of specific recommendations for all, but that’s maybe for another day when we aren’t all procrastinating (and I assume that’s what you’re doing, being on the internet during finals, but I can hardly judge).

Studying is hard, and looking after yourself is hard, and being stressed while being surrounded by other stressed people is hard. But, hey, it’ll all be over in a couple of weeks, and then we all get time off to recharge. Things and people and (if you’re in Totem or Vanier) caff food won’t be so irritating on the other side of the New Year, I promise (and I hope).

Finally, another handy little tool I’ve been using to stop myself from Procrastinating (with a capital P), is a thing called Self Control. It allows you to set up a blacklist of websites that you don’t want to access – say Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, You Tube, your email – and a time that you don’t want to access them for, and then it blocks those sites for the duration of that time. It means you can still use the internet but you can prevent yourself from using it for anything other than your studies. It only works for Mac, but there’s a rough PC equivalent called Anti-Social, too.

Happy studying!

32 things i did at ubc that you can totally do too : thing #6

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THING #6: SAW THE UBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

A slightly fuzzy picture of the UBC Symphony Orchestra.

I had no idea that UBC had a Symphony Orchestra, but we do! A friend asked if I wanted to go see them play at the Chan Centre at absolutely none of my own expense and I thought it’d be a pretty great way to spend an evening. It was. I came out feeling incredibly cultured, and me and my friend did a little bit of frat boy spotting in the audience. Who’d have thought, right? We must have been doing the cool thing.

It was an incredible show. I know very little about music, especially classical music, but I enjoyed it a lot. And I came out feeling all kinds of cultural. Their next concert, while not free, is just $15 for students, and features the the UBC Choral Union.

I’ll be keeping an eye out to see if I can go see them again sometime soon. They were incredibly talented.

32 things i did at ubc that you can totally do too : thing #5

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THING #5: HOPPED ON OVER THE BOARDER TO SEATTLE

The Seattle Skyline plus my face. (And my friend’s arm – oops!)

It takes just four hours to get from downtown Vancouver to downtown Seattle, and that’s only if it’s pretty busy at the boarder. And so why not do it? I know that for me, part of the appeal of Vancouver (and it is only a little part) is the opportunity for travel. And Seattle is so very very close! (And so very very cheap! My ticket down on Bolt Bus was only $15, and you can get them cheaper.)

The Original Starbucks (just about) plus my face (again). Look at that line!

Seattle is full of things to do even on a rainy day. Which, statistically, it’s likely to be. But we live in Vancouver, however temporarily. We are used to this, right? Some things I would recommend include checking out Pike Place Market, where you can find all kinds of fresh produce as well as some fantastic gifts and pretty things. It’s where the original Starbucks is located, too, though the lineup outside is insane.

After that, there’s the EMP – a museum for music, sci-fi and pop culture. Love Nirvana? There’s an exhibition on their influence on music. Sci-fi geek? There’s another exhibition on great influences in sci-fi. (Also, they have an awesome sci-fi gift shop. I bought a t-shirt with ‘Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!’ on it – anyone who can tell me what show it’s from is my new best friend.) I would highly recommend the EMP.

The Crab Pot, plus my friends’ faces and my own.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat some fantastic Seattle seafood, I cannot recommend The Crab Pot highly enough. Man vs. Food went there once! It’s incredible. They dump a bucket of seafood in front of you, give you a small mallet, and let you have at it. (Or you can get a nice, safe salmon burger or a plate of ribs, but the seafood! Man!)

A rainy view from the Space Needle, plus my friends’ and my faces. Getting a bit pose-y, there.

Then there’s the Space Needle. It’s the icon of Seattle, and it’s such an oddly futuristic and yet stuck back in time kind of place. It’s very odd, but definitely must be experienced. You can go up it at night, too.

Seattle is an incredible place, and I am proud to say that I got myself across the American boarder without accidentally doing something wrong! All by myself! I am very proud, and I had a fantastic time.

nanowrimo: writing a novel in thirty days

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National Novel Writing Month

November is a month for a lot of different challenges. There’s Movember, Goalvember, and the challenge of getting through the last four weeks of term. It’s a mad month. I already feel all over the place.

So guess what I did? I signed up for NaNoWriMo! Because I am in possession of a rational mind and I thought that would be a great idea in the (second) hardest month of the accademic year! You know what, though? I am gonna win this thing.

For everyone who hasn’t heard of it, NaNoWriMo stands for the National Novel Writing Month, which is a worldwide challenge held over the web by a charitable organisation called the Office of Letters and Light. The idea is to write a 50000 word novel in thirty days. It’s not easy. That amounts to about 1667 words per day, and that is every single day for the month of November. It is not for the faint of heart. (Says me, as though I’m doing some epic quest.)

In my experience, though, once you’ve tried it, it’s not something you give up trying until you win. This year will be my fourth attempt at it, and I’m hoping to last out the first week this time. But there are lots of reasons why someone might chose to put themselves through this. Maybe they want to cross writing a novel off their bucket list, or maybe they want to learn how to write without having time to second guess themselves. Maybe they want to finish a creative project for the first time. Maybe they’ve been doing it for so many years that a November is no longer a real month to them without writing an odd 50k.

In Totem we’ve got a group, run by the Totem Times, who are participating in NaNo. You’ll be able to see our weekly tallies in the commons block, too. And if you want to join in, well, you’re only a day behind! Why not try it? (I am currently a day behind, too, and I promise that it is possible to catch up.)

If you’re interested and you want more info, I’d recomend having a poke around the NaNo website. And, if you decide to participate, or you already are, there’s a special section of the site just for student NaNo participants and our very special issues.

So, wish me luck!

7 movies to get in the hallowe’en mood: a guide for scaredy-cats

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I haven’t been brought up as a fan of Hallowe’en. My mum always said, “we always tell kids not to talk to strangers, so why do we send our kids out to knock on strangers doors and ask for things one night of the year?” I see her logic. It’s a strange night.

On the other hand, strange is kind of the point. Weird and freaky and terrifying. All that good stuff. Unless you’re like me and are a total scaredy-cat and wuss. I found I Am Legend scary. I would not advise watching a scary film with me.

Still, Hallowe’en can be fun, and, while some of us have grown out of Trick or Treating, it’s still way too much fun to pass up getting in that mood. It’s a little bit magical.

So, for all the wusses like me, here are some movies for the build up to Hallowe’en, whether that’s a build up to ignoring the whole thing or a build up to blowing your food budget on a costume or a build up to joining the UBC Trick or Eaters or a build up to joining any one of a lot of parties on campus and around Vancouver.

7 MOVIES TO GET IN THE HALLOWE’EN MOOD: A GUIDE FOR SCAREDY-CATS

28 Days Later

28 Days Later Movie Poster

28 Days Later, 2002, Danny Boyle.

I had it my head that this was an incredibly scary film, but I was wrong. It’s just brilliant. If you’re a fan of Danny Boyle’s directing like I am (he directed Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, Sunshine, and the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, to name a few), you know you’re in for a great movie. Plus, Cillian Murphy (the Batman trillogy, Inception) is incredible (and incredibly pretty) in it.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993, Tim Burton.

Couldn’t make this list without having a Tim Burton movie in the mix, really, could I? This is funny and sweet and wonderful, and I’d recommend it for the post-Hallowe’en blues(/hangover). It’s Hallowe’en-y and Christmas-y!

Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus, 1993, Kenny Ortega.

This was my favourite Hallowe’en film of my youth, and I still think it’s wonderful. It’s Sarah Jessica Parker as a witch! What more do you want?

Halloweentown

Halloweentown, 1998, Duwayne Dunham.

Fun and magic and totally child-proof. Okay, maybe not what you want before going out for a party, but if you’ve got young people to take out Trick or Treating this might be just what you need to get you in the right frame of mind.

Zombieland

Zombieland, 2009, Ruben Fleischer.

Pre-Social Network Jesse Eisenburg and a whole lot of ridiculous zombie laughs. One of the best zombie movies ever.

Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead, 2004, Edgar Wright.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are my two favourite people in the world, possibly. This film is only the first reason why, but wow. Parody of Dawn of the Dead, but with fake-gore and romance and laughs everywhere. Wonderful ridiculousness.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975, Jim Sharman.

Finally, the musical horror film to kill and bury all other musical horror films. Damnit, Janet, and all that. Pure genius.

32 things i did at ubc that you can totally do too : thing #4

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THING #4: SAW THE SUN RISE FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF NIGHT

Sunrise from my window.

Let me preface this by saying that all-nighters are evil. Sometimes they’re a necessary evil, but evil. All-nighters leave you feeling awful the next day. They are not worth being able to say you’ve pulled one. It’s really not that great.

However, this was not an all-nighter. Not a studying so hard you don’t sleep all-nighter, anyway, and it was pretty brilliant. It being a Sunday when I went to sleep helped.

The night started with drinks in the floor lounge with floormates. I was supposed to be going out, but we made a large sort-of bed with all the couches in the room and I was way too comfy, so I got left behind and ended up crashing a movie night instead! Best decision I think I’ve ever made? Why trek across Vancouver to stand in a line, and then pay $20 to then wait half an hour, to spend another $7 on a drink, when you can laze around with friends and watch a really great movie? (I did say this’d show how lame I can be, didn’t I? I have definitely said that before.)

“I saved Latin, what did you ever do?” – Jason Schwartzman in Wes Anderson’s ‘Rushmore’, 1998.

We watched Rushmore, which is a fantastic movie. Would recommend. Then – and it was about 1am at this point – we heard a rumour of a movie marathon in one of the other Totem houses. We crashed it. It was a Harry Potter marathon. Another best decision ever.

After watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, we headed back to the floor lounge and hung out with the guys who had just got back from Downtown Van. There was pizza and weirdly philosophical meandering talk, and three of us stayed up until five. None of us were tired, and we just talked a load of rubbish (sorry: trash – but, wait, does that even have the same meaning here? Still working on my Canadianisms…) and it was really great.

Then watched the sun rise from my bedroom window before finally sleeping. Sometimes all-nighters are worth it all.