Author: Samantha Horton

Categories
Academic ResidenceLife Wellness

The Benefits of Residence

Totem has a caf!

I am sure you have heard about the unfortunate situation Totem has found itself in the past couple months. That’s right, our tent. For the first couple months of my residency I had the choice between Totem Tent food (which was lower priced, but had little selection) or taking 15 minutes to walk to Vanier to eat at their caf. Most commonly I did the latter, or ate in my room. Well now all that is over…Totem has a caf!

And the thing is, it’s already pretty damn cool. Here’s why:

1. The decor is very modern and sleek. It reminds me of Star Trek, in an awesome way.
2. We have these big screen TVs hanging over each section of the caf…they have yet to be turned on, but that right there is pretty cool.
3. Our store also opened, which means that from 5:30pm to 11:30pm we have access to our own little store…very much like Vanier, EXCEPT our grill is attached to the store, so we can get hot Cheeseburgers, Chicken Strips, Grilled Cheese, ect. any time up to 11:15pm

Granted, our commonsblock is not yet finished, but I can hear the construction workers now working to get it done for us.

Totem gets ragged on a lot for being sub-par. To be honest, when I found out I was assigned to Totem (even though it was my first choice) I was a bit concerned. I want to make myself very clear when I say this, Totem Park is, in no way, sub-par to Vanier. They are both about equal in flaws and high points. Totem is further away than Vanier from most buildings, but I honestly don’t mind a 15 minute walk to class, and my figure doesn’t seem to be minding, either! Yes, we are known for our parties, and they do exist, but I never have a hard time saying no and hanging out in my room. Totem has the option for a larger single room, which I took, and I am grateful for the space. We are under construction now, but that is all set to be finished, hopefully, by 2008. Then our commonsblock will be just as nice as Vanier’s. Totem just seems to be a bit more laid-back than Vanier, and both have their high points. My point is, when choosing between residences, keep in mind that you create your own experiences.

And a note on res itself, I was actually rather terrified of living in res. For anybody coming in, trying to make that choice, or just thinking about it for later, I am SO HAPPY I chose to live on campus. You make friends so easily, you don’t have to worry about commuting to get to class, UBC becomes not only the place you study, but your home. I can not even begin to explain how rewarding this is. You get used to wearing flip-flops in the showers, to sticking to the quiet hours, and to the occasional fire alarm. Overall, in these past few months, living on campus has changed my perception of University life for the better, and I could not be happier.

…on a personal note, I have a midterm in an hour and woke up with a sore throat. I think the sick season is upon us.

Categories
Academic AMS International Personal ResidenceLife Wellness

Appreciating Adulthood.

So, it’s official. Sam is now an adult.

Yes, my 18th birthday was 134 days ago, so technically I was an official adult then, but I never really felt like one until this past week. Why? A few reasons…

First off, Max and I went down to Orange County this last weekend, and I was in charge of the travel plans. I made sure we caught our buses and planes so we got in on time. I’ve been flying alone for nearly 13 years now, but never once have I been in charge of getting myself to the bus stop, to the station, across the border, to the plane. Really, it came natural, I didn’t realize the gravity of my independence until we were on the plane, flying to Sacramento to make our connection to LAX. I looked to my left and saw Max, absorbed in an episode of South Park we were watching on my lap top, and I realized that I was 18, I was in University, and I was taking my university boyfriend to meet some of the most important people in my life. Everything felt so real, all of a sudden.

Second of all, yesterday was my rather productive day. I finally mailed in my form for MSP. (If you are an international student and you haven’t already DO IT NOW!) It’s extremely important, especially with flu season coming up. I also paid my (overdue!) phone bills at the bank, and deposited a check that had been burning a hole in my wallet for awhile now. Max and I went to dinner at Suga Sushi (we eat there so often that we are now becoming regulars) and I felt so happy and in charge that I realized…I am now an adult.

When I first got to UBC everything was to new and exciting, I was making so many friends and doing so many things that the most important things (like MSP and studying) almost fell at the wayside. Now that I have finally gotten into the groove of my week, all those important things are fitting into the fun things. I am studying harder, cleaning more often, but still taking time to watch movies with friends.

Take this afternoon. As soon as I finish this entry I am going to meet up with Max and a friend and we are going to go to the SUB to mail some things to our parents, then we are going to go comic book shopping, have dinner, and head to the Improv show. (GO SEE UBC IMPROV!) I am working on mixing in the responsibility with the fun, and I think I almost have the balance down.

So yes, Sam is now officially an adult, and I am rather enjoying it! :D

(oh and things in Orange County, with Max meeting my Mom and best friends, went smashingly :) )

Categories
Academic International ResidenceLife

Hectic Rhetoric

Oh blog.

Life has been rather hectic in a non-hectic way this week. I turned in my second Arts One paper (I got a 69%, 1% better than last time!) I had a psychology “midterm” today. (Why do they call it a midterm? It’s just one of six tests we will receive this year, there wasn’t anything different about it.) Actually, I was the first person in my rather large class to finish, which was a little awkward because I looked up as I handed in my test and EVERYBODY was staring. I always go so fast on exams. I have started reading the Mahabharata which is this really cool, really old, Indian text I am reading for Arts One, so all in all, school is in check.

With that said, UPS is currently stalking me. Seriously. I was gone for two hours this afternoon and they left me five messages. It seems my mom did not pay the customs fees for a package so they are demanding I somehow pull a $45 cashier’s check out of my knickers (cause, you know, I have the time and the resources to do that). Also I have 4 or 5 boxes that got stopped at customs so I now have to make a copy of my passport and student visa, as well as come up with a list of everything in those boxes and fax it to UPS. They seem to be under the impression that I have ESP. I have a feeling this is going to become a much bigger headache than it already is.

Other than that, and the large number of dishes and trash I have piling up beside my door, my life is sort of working itself out. Canadian Thankgiving is this weekend, which I plan to spend sleeping, reading, and maybe volunteering at a soup kitchen. I’ve been feeling a bit blue lately and I think volunteering is just the sort of thing to bring me out of that. So here’s to things getting easier.

PS. Max and I got a fish. He is a beta and his full name is Archduke Malificus Franz Ferdinand the Magnificent. But we just refer to him as Ferdinand.

Here is a haiku I wrote about him, just now:

Oh my Ferdinand
please don’t hover at the top
no upside-down fish.

I really need to change his water…

Categories
Personal Recreation

Disqualification Nation

DISQUALIFICATION! WOOO!

That’s right, my Longboat team was disqualified, and it is entirely my fault. Don’t worry, we are really quite okay with it. On the awesome side, our race was against MacKenzie’s team (that’s right, Blog Squad MacKenzie!) and her team WON! Yay MacKenzie!!!

Actually, I had a pretty good time, besides the whole waking up early to freeze my butt off part. (It was rather frigid.) I was my team’s navigator, so I basically yelled at everyone and steered our boat. Though, by the first turn we were pretty far behind. Actually, we were so far behind that they started 2 other races while we were still in the water AND we finished with a whole other heat, so we were DEAD LAST. On top of that, I didn’t steer us around the last marker (I was cold and tired and just wanted to be on land) so we were disqualified. Sorry, Wicked Waves.

Now I want to sleep. Longboat makes me ache…in all the right ways.

Categories
Academic AMS International Recreation ResidenceLife

It’s Raining Men (whee hee!)

Ah the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, place where I spend most of my study time on the computers or sitting in the amazing Ridington Room. It seems this is the second entry I’ve written here. I just find the atmosphere so…blog-worthy.

Anywho, it’s raining. Hard. I don’t think I could begin to describe how much I love the rain. I love it so much that I walked about in it this afternoon without a raincoat, umbrella, or hat. I look like a drowned rat. Seriously, you should see me in all my sopping glory, you’d laugh. I wish more people shared my love of the rain. Live in California for a year and you’ll miss it. It rarely rains there. Here it’s so refreshing.

I don’t know if you’ve heard, through the channels of Blog Squad or all that hot campus gossip (I sincerely doubt the latter) but I now have a boyfriend. His name is Max. Yes, it’s true that Blog Squad has somehow managed to not only bring a group of ten amazingly articulate and interesting students together, but it has also made a couple of two of its members. Everyone seems to find this to be rather cute. I, well we, beg to differ. I don’t know what we are, but it’s not cute. Anyway, yes. Sam and Max. In a relationship.

So I am currently taking all of two classes. This is because I am in Arts One. I don’t know how familiar you are with Arts One, but basically we read a book, discuss it at great lengths, then go off and write an essay about said book. That essay is then handed out amongst our professor and three of our peers so we can go into a tutorial session and have our work critiqued. I went through that dance last Tuesday, when I sat staring straight ahead as my essay on Genesis was picked apart by those around me, admitting to my faults and answering tough questions on my thesis and writing style until my time was up and I was handed back my essay with a grade, 68%. (Looking into the UBC numerical grading system this is a B-, and who am I to complain about a B-, but it was still a shock.) The whole thing sounds a whole lot scarier than it was. There were some low blows, but nothing I can’t improve upon. Although it still makes me nervous about my next essay.

Besides that I am taking PSYCH 100, which is interesting, but nothing to really write home about.

What else? Clubs Week! I am now a proud member of the UBC Improv Club and the UBC Food Society, though I am a bit concerned about the latter, seeing as I tend to be a bit of a picky eater, oh well, what a way to bring me out of my shell.

Oh! Longboat! Me and 8 of my closest friends, including Max and Cory (both from Blog Squad) are all going to be participating in Day of the Longboat, under the team name The Wicked Wavers! I get to be the navigator, as I have a rather loud voice and like to yell at people. We have training tomorrow, and I am super psyched. I am also going to see Across the Universe on Sunday, so there is a lot to look forward to this weekend.

Part of me hopes the rain keeps up just for the sounds, smells, and sights. But I know I am almost alone in that opinion so, for the sake of everyone else, I hope it dries up!

Categories
Academic International Recreation ResidenceLife

Lost and Found

I am sitting on the grass, beneath the trees outside of the SUB. I have the sneaking suspicion that there is something crawling up my leg, but I am going to ignore that for the sake of my own sanity. I sat down here with full intention to do some reading, as I am already behind in both my classes (Arts One and Psych 100) but instead my mind wandered to my blog…this little window into my life that I keep forgetting to prop open.

It’s hard to imagine that I’ve only been in class a week, as it feels like so much more. Already I’ve had more meals in the Vanier cafeteria than I can count. (The Totem cafeteria is currently a tent with food that isn’t awful, but isn’t all that great, either). I’ve walked all over campus to the point that it actually seems to be shrinking in size. I’ve done laundry twice, dishes once, and cleaned my room, just to have it filthy the next day. I’ve made friends with countless (well, according to Facebook, 55) people. I’ve procrastinated, I’ve wandered about Vancouver, I’ve listened to Canadian friends talk about Canadian (as well as American) politics, I’ve laughed for no reason and danced into the night on the grass (all thanks to Laughter Yoga). To say the least, I’ve experienced more in this past week than I had this past summer.

I am still lost when it comes to how I am supposed to read all this before my essay is due, on how, exactly, Canadian politics work, or the proper drying time for my clothes so I don’t walk around smelling like mildew, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am at UBC for an education, not just one in philosophy and history, but one in life. If I wasn’t so lost now, how could I be any help to those who will be lost tomorrow?

I have learned to approach every experience as one to learn from, and as corny as that sounds, I know I’ll be better for it.

Categories
AMS International ResidenceLife

Observations of University

I am currently sitting in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre…which has an astounding reading room on the third floor, if anyone is interested. I’ve just had my first day of classes (which was really just one class, seeing as I only take one per day, lucky me) Anyway, I am going to try and just basically, quickly, go over the past couple of days (which should not be easy at all) to give you the jist of my first real experiences of UBC life. Actually…I think I would rather make another list of things I’ve learned thus far.

1. Dorm showers take about 20 minutes more than the ones at home did. First of all, there are those bothersome floors, which your feet can’t really (or shouldn’t really) touch, so you’ve got to go about washing them while wearing flip-flops. I made the mistake of not fully rinsing them following soaping and nearly had a breakfast of dorm shower tile. Secondly, there is the whole process of gathering everything you need to take a shower and carrying all the way there…heaven forbid you have to run back to your room. And that whole, not being naked in the hallway thing doesn’t help, either.

2. Campus life never really shuts down. There aren’t true quiet hours. There are always people to meet, places to go, things just to do that it is rather hard to be bored, this I like.

3. Professors, in general, and this is a big general, are pretty cool people. Well, they are pretty smart, in the least. Already my brain has ached from new knowledge, I’ve laughed at one of those lame first day jokes, and basically wanted to know who is teaching me. School is different here than it is in the states…though the true details are subtle ones. I enjoy this learning environment more.

4. Making friends is easy. Not much else need to be said about that.

5. The AMS and all those other student-run societies are just that, student run, and basically everyone in them is nice and helpful enough to listen to any questions or thoughts you have. Oh, and all the people that used to intimidate you back in highschool, the teachers and the older kids, they become your friends.

6. There is a lot more, but I think I will close with one final observation…you can fall asleep practically anywhere and not worried about someone messing with or stealing your stuff, but you can lock your bike up with a $100 lock and not trust it enough to go more than a few buildings away. This worries me, as I rather like my bicycle. [EDIT:  From the opinion of a very astute older friend, ALWAYS watch your valuables, even in the library they are never really safe unless they are strapped to something very hard to steal or you are in complete control of them.]

So far I have only been impressed with UBC. It’s all rather romantic in it’s complexity. I look forward to getting to know every secret, every little detail, by the end of my time here.

Categories
International ResidenceLife

Lists Are Dandy, Don’t You Think?

I have done so much since I arrived, I don’t think I could capture my experiences all that well in words…to make this easier on myself, I am making a list.

In the past 3 days at UBC I have:

  • Tried sushi, and loved it!
  • Walked over 10 miles (16 km)
  • Seen 2 naked hippies
  • Made about 20 friends
  • Moved into my dorm completely
  • Gotten little sleep
  • Eaten 7 apples
  • Invited about 10 random people to go get dinner or explore (they all accepted!)
  • Had Pita Pit at 11pm with a new friend I had met an hour before
  • Talked to some of the most interesting people I could describe
  • Had sushi a second time!
  • Had a guy hit on me while riding a bike (who knew that was possible!?)
  • Discovered what a great resource Facebook can be
  • So much more.

So far UBC has been amazing. It has never been more easy to make friends. In fact, I spent this afternoon with a few new ones, going to dinner in town then heading down to Wreck Beach to see the sunset. I’ve met people from everywhere in the world (and befriended a good lot of them). I’ve also discovered that any free meal tastes delicious. All of this with just the international students…I am incredibly excited for everyone else to arrive. UBC is going to be an incredible experience.

Categories
International ResidenceLife

Moving In, Working Hard, Having Fun

I moved in to Totem Park this morning, and was happily surprised with what I found. My room is at the very end of a hall, it’s a large single, which means it’ll be able to absorb my tendency to over-pack. Totem is so huge, each floor consists of two hallways with connecting hallways every so often. The bathrooms are big, as are the common rooms, and the houses themselves will be filled with so many people, I know I’ll make tons of friends. Though it was all a bit confusing at first, I think I’ve got it down.

We spent the last couple days driving up to Vancouver from San Francisco. We drove through Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington…two of my favorite cities. The sun set just as we crossed the border, so my first views of the city were in shadows and pools of light. It all took my breath away.

So far I’ve been drifting between loving the city and everything around me to being utterly confused and frustrated. This switch happens in seconds and occurs several times throughout the day. I know it is one of those things that will go away with time, I just have to wait it out.

Actually, we went to the mall today in search of a swimming suit and a bathrobe (both dorm necessities, in my opinion). I wasn’t that worried about finding them as it was a rather big mall and we had lots of time. Well, as soon as we walked in I knew it would be harder than that. We looked at the directory and only recognized the names of two stores, neither of which sold what we needed, so we set off in search of any store that even looked like it had either swimming suits or bathrobes. We found nothing. It was the first time I ever felt like I was in a truly foreign place. Don’t get me wrong, I know Canada is not America in the least, it’s just quite easy to forget that fact sometimes.

There is so much to do! I’ve got my room to unpack and decorate, my U-Pass and UBC Card to pick-up, a resume to write, a job hunt to go on, and more shopping to do! UBC so far is amazing, and it’s only just beginning.

Categories
International

Hoping Everything’s Not Lost

I, just now, had my first pang of loneliness. I was sitting here, on my bed, at nearly 2AM, going through my endless belongings, throwing out half of it and tucking away the rest for my University life when it was like, boom, the high died. I looked around me and saw my dog sleeping lazily on my pillows, my open computer playing “Everything’s Not Lost” by Coldplay, and all these boxes and containers swallowing the living room I’ve been using as a bedroom the past few months. I realized that all of this will be gone in a matter of days, within a week I will be completely alone, 800 miles (1,300 km) away, independent Sam, off at college. I am terrified.

I am supposed to be the strong one. The nomad, completely indifferent to changing locations, faces, places. I really shouldn’t be so scared. I never have been before. Yes, I know this is different, as it is supposed to be. I just can’t shake the feeling that I’ve been dreaming the past few months, looking over my life like it is as some sort of limbo before UBC, not as what it is, my life. Did I spend my time to the fullest? Should I have been calling friends instead of reading the UBC view books over and over? Will I regret my choices a week from now? I have no answers, but I hope this is just a phase.

Honestly, I am excited. Already I’ve met several amazing people through Facebook that I can’t wait to meet in person. I am not worried about fitting in or finding friends, I’m just worried about the life I am leaving behind, the person I am leaving behind. The Sam that stayed in bed an extra half hour just to talk to and pet her dogs, the Sam that did wheatgrass shots with her mom at Jamba Juice this afternoon, the Sam that could kill a day writing a love letters to friends. I just want a little more time to be here until I dive back in to school, to schedules, to work.

I know that once I get up there this will fade. I will get so caught up in the sheer amount of things to do that I won’t have time to sit and think about everything I left behind, all the people and habits and pets; all the things that will be waiting for me when I get back. It’s just now, when it’s dark and quiet outside, when there are only thirty-six hours before I leave and boxes all around me that I realize how much I am going to miss it all.

I am going to work very hard on staying strong.

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