Category: ResidenceLife

What Should I Bring to University?

Post author By Samantha Horton
Post date August 8, 2009
4 Comments on What Should I Bring to University?

Now THAT is the question, and the answer isn’t really easy.

Some people show up ready to move into residence with one suitcase, others, like myself, bring a loaded down car filled with everything they have ever owned. Granted I had no choice, my mom was moving across the country as soon as I started at UBC, and she couldn’t afford to drag my crap around with her. Anyway, no matter how much or little you have, there are some definite needs you’ll discover when you arrive at UBC, and it might help to know what some of those are ahead of time.

The Great Pack Up
This is when you take out the big boxes/suitcases and load up the belongings that make you who you are. This is probably the hardest step to climb over in your journey to university. It’s never easy to par down your stuff and decide what matters most, but I recommend thinking conservatively. Residence rooms are always smaller than you think, with little closets and six or seven drawers. Just remember that you won’t miss the seven stuffed animals you didn’t bring once you get here, you’ll have so many other things to worry about! Here’s what I recommend bringing (you can choose how many of each thing based on what you think you will need):

Clothes:

jeans
t-shirts / long sleeve shirts
a warm coat
a rain coat (these are oddly hard to find on a whim in Vancouver, trust me.)
lounge (pajama) pants
bathrobe (especially if you live in a residence with shared showers)
slippers
waterproof shoes (something to wear in the rain, you WILL need these)
good walking shoes (UBC is a big place, and you will be walking all over it)
a formal outfit…or two (you will appreciate having this later)
flip flops (for the showers…always wear flip flops in the shower)
socks/underwear (of course)
a hat, gloves, and a scarf (it can get really cold here)
a sweatshirt/jacket (you will quickly find that a few layers go a long way in Vancouver)
anything else you might want (Express yourself! If you like skirts and top hats, bring them! Let your personality shine through.)

Bathroom Stuff (you may want to get some of this stuff after you arrive, if so, there is a Shoppers Drug Mart on campus, right near the village…it should have just about everything you need)

medications (prescription or otherwise, if you have cold medicine, bring it! It is far less fun to have to go out and get it yourself when you are sick.)
a shower caddy (this is necessary in residences with shared showers…to carry all your stuff!)
towels…at least 2 (just in case you have a friend stay over, you want to go to the beach, or you go too long without doing laundry)
a small first aid kit (for all of life’s tiny emergencies)
shampoo / conditioner
soap
a loofa (or a washcloth)
a razor
shaving cream
toothbrush
toothpaste
floss / mouthwash
make-up (if you use it!)
lotion (for the dry months)

Personal Items (the stuff you will come to rely on to get you through the hard times, the homesickness, and the days when you can do little more than procrastinate. This is probably the most important section to focus on.)

photos of your family and your friends (nothing cures homesickness then being able to look at the people you miss)
a journal (trust me, you will want to remember the coming years and they fly by in an instant)
your laptop/desktop computer (probably the most important thing you’ll bring to university, you will use it everyday.)
books (bring some of your favorites, you can trade them with friends on your floor or in your unit)
a game system (portable or otherwise, but keep in mind that in most residences you won’t have a TV unless you bring one, though each floor will have one TV)
a TV (for those of you who really like playing Wii or Xbox, or are going to be living in suit style residence, please note that Totem and Vanier do not have cable hook-ups in individual rooms, so you better bring something like a game system or a DVD player to plug into it)
a musical instrument (if you play one…believe me, you will be wanting it for a jam session with friends)
movies (this is a big one, you have no idea how appealing a movie can be when you have ten of your closest friends living down the hall from you and nothing to do, and you can share and trade them around your floor)
your iPod/CDs/music collection (your music tastes are going to explode once you get here…having your favorites along with you makes them easier to share with friends)
any important documents you may need (medical cards, social security cards, SIN cards, birth certificate, passport, visas…ect)
any decorations you have at home (Christmas lights, posters, calendars, paintings, drawings, anything really that expresses your personality…you will want to make your room your own)
anything else important to you (think about it this way, bring the stuff you use every day, but remember not to over pack. I promise you won’t miss the stuff you leave behind after your first week.)

The Grand Arrival
Everything beyond this point you may want to worry about once you arrive in Vancouver. You can acquire some of it ahead of time, but it is all readily available around campus. You might as well save space your luggage for more important things. A lot of the bathroom stuff fits into this category as well, so keep that in mind.

Food (if you do not have a kitchen in your unit you will be required to purchase a meal plan and none of this will be necessary, that being said, it is really nice to have some method of preparing food in your room when the cafeteria is closed or you are feeling too lazy to go outside)

snacks (it is always good to have snacks in your room…you can take them with you to class or use them to pull you through an all nighter. I recommend granola bars, ramen noodles, popcorn, and fresh fruit)
a mini fridge (it is worth the money if you do not have a kitchen in your unit. Your floor will have a shared fridge in the lounge, but you better be prepared to have anything you put in it stolen or borrowed.)
a microwave (this is not really necessary, your floor will have one, but it is still nice to have)
a hot pot (basically an electric kettle that boils water…perfect for soup, tea, hot chocolate, pasta, and relatively affordable)
a crock pot (useful for stews or roasts, which are perfect comfort food in the winter)
silverware (just a basic set)
plates, cups, bowls (remember you’ll have to wash it all yourself!)
tupperware (this will come in handy more than you’ll imagine)
a reusable water bottle (you should always carry water with you to stay hydrated)
zip lock sandwich bags (just in case you want to snack in class)
a Brita water filtration pitcher (sometimes the pipes in residence aren’t as new as you’d like them and the water tastes kind of strange, use one of these and keep your water tasting fresh!)

Cleaning Supplies (I cannot express how important this portion of the list is. When I first opened the door to my unit in Totem I was greeted with the exotic scent of old dorm and about 9 spiders. The windows were streaky and the floor was dusty. Don’t get me wrong–they do clean the rooms ahead of time; but it will get dirty again, and you want to be ready.)

window cleaner
all-purpose / all-surface cleaner
trash bags (or grocery bags)
Febreze (for both fabics and air…this was my life saver first year. No matter the state of your room, Febreze can make you feel like it’s clean)
bug spray (unless you enjoy squishing them yourself, or like living with them alive…there are a lot of bugs in Vancouver)
laundry soap
laundry bag / hamper
fabric softener
paper towels
tissues
Command wall hangers (this is another product I swear by, they allow you to create extra storage wherever you need it and they are dorm approved!)
a mini vacuum (this isn’t at all necessary as each floor has its own vacuum, but it will make you the envy of your floor mates when you spill your frosted flakes at 3am and don’t have to wake up your RA to clean it up)
dish soap (even if you eat in the cafeteria 90% of the time, it is likely you will have to wash dishes at some point)
a sponge
a dish towel
a dish caddy (if you think you will need to do enough dishes to warrant one)

…looking back over this list makes me feel a bit materialistic. Keep in mind that you won’t need ALL of these things to get by in university, but they will make your life easier. I wrote this list as a starting point. Look over it and ask yourself what you think you will need.

I am sure I missed more than a few things (if you think of any please leave me a comment and I will add it to the list!) but this should give you a good idea of just how much you are going to have to bring/buy in order to be ready.

No matter how stressful or overwhelming all this packing and planning may seem I promise you it will pay off. It’s all worth it!

Preparing for UBC ResidenceLife

A Guide to Winter Session Residences at UBC

Post author By Samantha Horton
Post date July 15, 2009
3 Comments on A Guide to Winter Session Residences at UBC

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I felt in the summer before my first year. I was excited; I felt like an adult, but I was worried about living on my own. I kept surfing the internet for hints about my future. I can’t remember how many times I typed “Totem Park vs. Place Vanier” or “Arts One vs. Coordinated Arts” or “Pictures of UBC” into Google. With that in mind, I’ve decided to impart what knowledge I do have of UBC on in hopes of soothing the minds of anyone who is in that sweet little space between home and UBC. I realize this may take a few posts, but I think I will start with the question that pondered the most. Where am I going to be living?

I’ve decided to make a pros and cons list for each of the five main non year-round residences because they all have qualities that make them special, as well as downsides. I am drawing these all from my own experiences and the opinions of people I know who have lived in each place. Remember, no matter where you end up, you’ll make it your own and have a great time in the process.

Totem Park
Pros:

It has elevators. I cannot stress how helpful this was when I moved in first year. Granted I brought a lot of stuff with me. It also made laundry a lot easier, we would just drag our laundry to the elevator and take it down to the basement.
It has the options for different sized rooms. Totem has the option of a single, a double, and a large single room. I ended up in a large single myself, and besides all the extra space, I loved that I got two windows.
Its houses are co-ed. I met Max originally on Facebook in the group for our house, Nootka. Turns out he was on the floor above me. All the houses in Totem have single gendered floors, except for one which has co-ed floors.
There are a lot of people on your floor. Each floor is made up of two long hallways with a bathroom and trash room in the center. I realize some people might see this as a con, but I liked having a diverse group of girls around to get to know.
The commonsblock and caf are brand new. I know this because they were constantly under construction my first year.
It is close to the science half of campus. The campus is roughly spit in two when it comes to the Arts buildings and the Science buildings. All my friends in Science loved the location of Totem because it was so close to their half of campus.

Cons:

It can get loud at night. This generally didn’t bother me much first year, but some of my floor mates weren’t very happy about it.
It’s pretty far away from the Arts end of campus and the village. The village is where all the stores on campus are located, besides some restaurants that are dispersed about campus. To get to the village or the Arts end of campus was always a good 25 minute walk for me (granted, I have very short legs).
It has a reputation for partying which some members of the residence try to uphold. Honestly, all the residences have parties and events and fun things to do. I have just found that people tend to go a bit crazier in Totem because there is this stereotype they are trying to live up to. You are just as safe as anywhere else, and you don’t have to party if you don’t want to.

Place Vanier (Pronounced “Plaw-ce Vaun-yay” – I was incredibly embarrassed when I first referred to it as Place Van-yer)

Pros:

Its houses are smaller. Each house has four floors and no elevators (besides the two newer houses – Tec de Monterrey and Korea, which have six floors and elevators). The floors consist of one hallway with a bathroom in the center.
It is central to campus. Seriously, it is right between the two halves of campus, if you live in Vanier you are close to everything.
It is really close to Wreck Beach. Besides being a nudist beach, Wreck is one of the most beautiuful places on campus.
It has four single-sex houses. So if you just want to live with girls or guys, you have the option.
Its convience store has better options. This is just my own personal opinion, but I would often walk the three blocks from Totem to Vanier to visit Hubbard’s because I like the selection they offer more than Totem’s Magda’s.
It is located in a really scenically beautiful area. It has a lot more trees in and around the grounds than any other residence, plus it is right next to the Nitobe Memorial Garden.

Cons:

It has the reputation of being quiet, which some members of the residence try to uphold. (Some people may consider this a pro.) Everything I could find online about Totem and Vanier before I came to UBC stated that Totem was for parties and Vanier was for studying. This is not at all the case, but I have found that these assumptions definitely influence the people who live there. Vanier can have some wild parties, but it tends to be on the quiet side most nights of the week.
The cafeteria tends to be more crowded during peak hours than Totem’s. I’ve found that there is generally a line whenever I go to Vanier’s caf, probably because its location draws more non-residence people to it during meal times.

Marine Drive

Pros:

Its the newest residence on campus. It’s modern, streamlined, and it looks really chic.
There are several different types of rooms, including studios. Max and I almost lived in a Marine Drive studio.
Some rooms have incredible views. Marine Drive is located right between Totem and Vanier, along the ocean, so if you get a room that is high up there is a good chance you will have an awesome view.
It feels more like a hotel than a residence. It has elavators and plush carpet in the hallways, but you still have RA’s and events.
Each shared unit comes with a dishwasher. You have no idea how awesome dishwashers are until you’ve lived without one for a year.

Cons:

The only bus you are close to is a shuttle that takes you to the bus loop, which only seats about 25 people. This goes the same for Totem and Vanier. Whenever you want to take a bus that leaves from the bus loop you are looking at about 30 minutes of travel time to get to bus loop itself, either by taking the shuttle or walking there.
Only two of the buildings are not year round. There is usually quite a bit of competition for these rooms.
The studio units are quite small, and do not have dishwashers. But you do get a private bathroom.
It can be loud at night. I have walked past Marine Drive several times and heard music loud enough that I could sing along standing across the street. (Again, this is more dependent upon the people that live there, not the residence itself)
You have to be 19 to live in Marine Drive. This is typically not considered to be a first year residence.

Fairview Crescent

Pros:

You are a 5 minute walk away from the village. I didn’t realize how convient this was until I moved here. Run out of printer ink? You can run to the village. Hungry, but don’t have any food? You can run to the village. (This may be a con, because it becomes a lot easier to spend money.)
Your front door faces the outside. You get a doorbell and a front light and everything. Your unit feels more like an apartment because of this, and it is easier to get privacy.
You can catch almost any bus within 8 minutes. There are two stops that cover the two main routes that leave UBC within 4 blocks of Fairview.
The units are shared, and have dishwashers. This is nice because you can usually be placed in the same units as your friends, if not, it’s easy to make new ones.
The Beanery. This is a nice little coffee shop that is located in the center of Fairview. It carries things like smoothies and ice cream and muffins and a bunch of other dishes and drinks. It also offers free wi-fi and comfy couches!
The atmosphere is a lot more laid-back. It is really easy to make friends in Fairview. There are tons of events and fun things to do, without the feeling of always being watched that other residences have.

Cons:

It isn’t really close to anything but the village. It is more towards the Science end of campus, so Science students shouldn’t have much trouble, but it is about a half hour walk to the Arts end of campus.
The laundry rooms are separate from the units. Meaning you have to carry your laundry outside whenever you want to do it. This doesn’t sound like much trouble, but it can be difficult when the weather starts acting up.
The units are more verticle than any other residence. This means that your house can end up having three or four stories, with bedrooms on each floor. It can be hard if you end up with a room on the top floor and you have lots of belongings.
You have to be 19 to live in Fairview. Think of this more as second year housing, that way you can move in with all the friends you met first year.

Gage Towers

Pros:

It is right next to the bus loop. Seriously, you can run to catch any bus that leaves campus, you are also home much quicker than anyone who lives in any other residence.
It is as close to the Arts half of campus as you can get. I cannot tell you how many times been running late for a class and I’ve wished I lived in Gage. You can basically roll out of bed ten minutes before class starts and be there early.
It has incredible views. Gage is made up of three 17 story towers which offer amazing views of campus, the ocean, and downtown Vancouver.
Gage offers several different types of rooms, including shared, studio, and one bedroom units. So there is a lot to choose from.
Shared units get two fridges. I think that’s really cool.
It has all the comforts of all the other residences, and it is located right next to the bus loop, the SUB, the rec center, Brock Hall, and UBC’s newest library, Irving K. Barber. So there is always tons to do.

Cons:

It is kind of an eye sore from the outside. It is big and concrete and grey. This won’t matter much to you when you are living inside of it, but it’s the con that stands out the most to me.
It is easy to be lazy when you live there. You never have to walk very far to get anywhere (unless you are a Science student). Granted, you are right next to the rec center (and the famous Bird Coop) so it’s easy to get your exercise.
It does not have dishwashers. You should invest in some rubber gloves and a good sponge.
You have to be 19 to live in Gage. So it is unlikely you will be living here first year.

I can’t say I know anything about Ritsumeikan-UBC House besides what I found on the UBC Housing website, so if anyone who has lived in Rits would like to write some simple Pros and Cons, I would be happy to add them.

Ritsumeikan-UBC House (Thanks to Kendall Moraski, a friend of mine who lived in Rits for 6 weeks)

Pros:

You live with Japanese students during the year. This is the big draw of Rits, every year it welcomes 100 Japanese exchange students that you live and interact with as part of the the UBC-Ritsumeikan exchange. This includes Japanese events throughout the year.
It has a tatami room. So cool. You get the true exchange experience.
It has a dishwasher. This is always a plus.
Decent location. It’s close to Totem, but only 2 blocks away from the center of campus.
Easy acess to the laundry room. Laundry becomes such a difficult task when you live in res, it’s good to have one close.

Cons:

It has thin walls and thin floors. Though most residences don’t handle sound very well
It’s next to Totem. Unfortunately this is a con, Totem is a very loud place sometimes.
It is old. With residences like Marine Drive nearby, the older buildings just don’t have the same luster that they used to.

If anyone has any pros or cons to add to the ones I have listed here, or you think I was a bit to easy/hard on any of the residences, leave a comment and let me know!

ResidenceLife

We Just Won the Lottery!

So I don’t know how much I talked about the housing lottery last year…I suppose I could go check my archives but it is late and I am tired so, meh. I will try to make a long story short:

– The Housing Lottery Opens (as in, everyone currently living in residence is invited to pay 50 bucks and fill out a form about where they would like to live next year, all those forms are gathered and picked at random by a computer, those that are picked are offered housing for next year, those that are not are put on a really long waiting list, in hopes that some that are picked will turn down the offer and a spot will open up)
– Max gets in, Sam does not.
– Max turns down his offer so that Sam and Max can live off campus together next year because they are in love.
– Sam is placed on the waiting list. (This part is important.)
– Sam starts looking for off campus housing.
– Sam is DESTROYED by the search. Everything is too expensive or too far away or too picky. Sam is very sad.
– Summer passes and Sam and Max start to lose hope.
– Sam’s position on the waiting list comes up. Sam is offered a place in Marine Drive.
– Sam accepts. Sam and Max start making plans to live in a studio.
– Sam and Max realize they can’t move in until 2 weeks after school starts.
– Sam freaks out, but, with a little help, finds out about a one bedroom in Fairview that is available sooner.
– Sam and Max change their plans. There is much rejoicing.

…and here we are. So I guess that is still kind of long. Anyway, this year was much different as, magically, Sam and Max were both offered housing which means two things:

Sam and Max will be living on campus next year.
Sam and Max get the privilege of giving one of their spots to someone on the waiting list.

…we are excited, and we think we are staying in Fairview.

Now, for the advice portion of our story.

If you did not make it into the housing lottery, there are a few things you should do:

Do not freak out. Do not lose hope. Just take a deep breath and consider your options. Some of them are:

Off Campus Housing (start looking now, when you find the right place, take it as quickly as you can)
Year Round Housing (apply now…and if it has been less than 2 weeks since you paid the 50 bucks for the lottery, a year round application is covered under the same 50 dollars, so DO IT NOW)
Wait Out the Waiting List (it CAN happen, it happened for me…don’t rule it out as an option)

Start opening up your mind to other options. I had a lot of high hopes for off campus housing last year that got dashed away, but everything ended up working out all right. A lot of students go through this each year, and they all find their place. You will too. Just don’t procrastinate, and don’t assume that things will just work out magically, get in there and handle it.

If you DID get into the lottery, congratulations. If you are local, as in you have family that lives in the Vancouver area, please consider living off campus next year. Housing is hard to come by, and it can be quite scary for someone who has no connections to this area to try and find their bearings and a place to live. There is a world of comfort you can bring to someone by simply living at home, believe me. And it is way cheaper, if you care about that kind of thing. Just consider it.

One thing I have learned is that UBC Housing and Conferences is one of the most compassionate departments of the UBC community. They understand that there is not enough housing to fill the demand and they try to do everything they can to solve the issues that come from that. Their job is a lot harder than you think, and they are doing what they can to create more housing solutions in the future, these things just take time. Please do not get too upset with them.

I can say that I am very happy to be living in residence again next year. I have really come to see this place as my home.

ResidenceLife

Lousy Laundry

So Max and I have been putting off our laundry for awhile…two weeks to be exact. Mostly because we have both been feeling crummy lately, also because the weather has been less than ideal for hauling two bags of clothes (and a basket!) to the laundry room. It wasn’t until today, when we realized the complete lack of clothign we were facing that we decided to man up and get washing. We waited until the late evening, 9pm, to be exact, because we knew we would be using a lot of washers/dryers and we didn’t want to inconvienence anyone. Lucky for us, the place was desserted.

Now, prior to this laundry endeavour we each contributed $20 to the laundry card…this is because putting money on it is kind of a big pain in the butt, and we can never be sure how much one trip will cost. So, as we loaded the clothes into the washers, this is where we started:

Money – $40
Time – 9pm
Washers Used – 6

Okay, so I am a little ashamed that we needed SIX packed-full washers to clean all our clothes. Granted, we included our bedding and our rugs, as well as 4-6 dirty towels. Thirty minutes and $6.90 later, we were loading our clothes into all the open dryers. Standings as follows:

Money – $33.10
Time – 9:30pm
Dryers Used – 4

To be honest, I despise residence dryers. Half the time it’s broken and it eats your money, the other half it takes a lifetime to get your clothes dry. We spent about half an hour sorting out our items under some stress, and set all four dryers to 90 minutes (the most time these dryers allow). When we returned, and hour and a half later, the clothes were still mighty damp, damp enough to warrant a second round of 90 minutes on each dryer. Which brings us to now. Here is where we are.

Money – $19.75 (yes, our laundry has costed us $20.25 thus far)
Time – 1:45am (that’s nearly five hours of waiting….)
Patience – 2 (let’s just hope that those clothes are dry when we check them…)

I suppose the moral of the story is that doing laundry in residence is never really that fun, especially if you procrastinate with clothes. Also, they kind of rip you off. Trust me, if I had one third the clothes I have in each of those dryers, they still wouldn’t be dry after 90 minutes of tumbling. Oh, and always use the high temperature setting, or else you are just wasting your money. Maybe I should invest in a drying rack…or six.

I guess the upside is I will certainly appreciate my own private washer/dryer, whenever I have enough money to live somewhere else!

EDIT: The clothes were, in fact, dry. Though we spent just under an hour folding and hanging them all! (Current time: 3:11am —- Start to Finish: 6 hours, 11 minutes)

Personal ResidenceLife Wellness

Decemblog! 09/31 – Random

I wanted to mix it up a little. Thus, I present to you a Random List:

The poster mounts they give you at the front desk always seem to fail around this time of year. I am not sure if they last only 3 months or if the temperature change kills the adhesive. Regardless, all my posters have been falling off the walls and I think something should be done about this, maybe switch to Command strips?
One of my hobbies lately has been watching the shopping channel during the early morning hours, I find it to be an incredibly entertaining, not only for the clear psychological study as blanted salespeople try to convince you to buy things, but also for the terrible acting. It’s rather funny to watch a grown man try to feign interest and excitement in shoes made only for women. I recommend it if you have access to cable TV and a touch of insomnia.
Max and I have recently purchased Blokus Duo, pictured below. It is incredibly entertaining, and just a tad bit addictive. Each game lasts about 15 minutes, so we usually play a couple of matches, and it is a great little study break. It was only 20 bucks, so it comes on high recommendation from a person who loooves board games.

Blokus Duo!

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ResidenceLife

Decemblog! 06/31 – Lame Laundry

Post author By Samantha Horton
Post date December 6, 2008
2 Comments on Decemblog! 06/31 – Lame Laundry

One of the very few things that I dislike about residence life is doing laundry. Actually, doing laundry in Totem wasn’t that bad, I just had to drag my laundry bag to the elevator and I was practically there, no, I think it is doing laundry in Fairview that bugs me the most.

First off, Fairview has three laundry rooms, each of these have seven washers and seven dryers. For the first couple months this worked out pretty well. Rarely did we have to pull someone else’s laundry out to put ours in, and there were usually washers/dryers available when we needed them. It sucked to have to walk to the laundry room outside, but it was pretty close.

Well that was until about a month ago, when (I can only assume) drunken partyers broke into our laundry room and yanked the doors off a couple of dryers, and made a mess of the facilities, because now that laundry room, our laundry room, is out of commission. This means we have to haul our laundry to the next closest laundry room which, frankly, isn’t all that close. And now that there are twice as many people sharing this one laundry room, it is nearly impossible to find an empty machine. The room is practically full of clothes (because, for some reason, there are quite a few people out there who just throw it in the washer and forget about it) and half of the machines are broken. Twice tonight we left our clothes in a machine, only to come back half an hour later to find them not even wet. (This inconvenience led to the laundry trip costing just under 13 dollars for 4 loads.) Pair that with the crappiest weather ever and some less-than-fashionable laundry day clothes, and we did not have a fun evening.

All-in-all I am just happy to have clean clothes, I just shudder to think of next week, when I plan on washing all the bedding…

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ResidenceLife Wellness

Decemblog! 04/31 – Mail Madness

Post author By Samantha Horton
Post date December 4, 2008
1 Comment on Decemblog! 04/31 – Mail Madness

For the first two months that Max and I lived in Fairview we were under the impression that our mail was delivered to our door. Not only because there was a mail slot in our door, but we were also never given a mail key. We even asked the front desk, and originally they said yes, our mail would be delivered to our door. Well two months went by, and no mail. We would get packages, but not paper mail. It wasn’t until election day came with no absentee ballot for me that I freaked out.

We went to the front desk and asked again. This time we got a different answer. Turns out we had a mailbox the whole time. Once we located it and opened it up we discovered that my absentee ballot had been here all along, but it was too late to vote. I felt kind of bitter, but my guy won, so it was okay. I was just happy to be able to recieve mail again.

About a month went by and I realized that I still wasn’t recieving all the things expected. It was right around this time that I looked closer at the mailboxes around ours. What I discovered was shocking. Not only did we have one mailbox, but TWO! That’s right, there were two mailboxes marked exactly the same with our house number. I figured half of our mail was making it into that other box. I wrote a note to the postperson asking them to please move the mail from that box to ours, but it went unoticed. We took our claim to the front desk.

After explaining the situation and showing the front desk woman the identical mailboxes, she promised to get it worked out.

So tonight, I ran to the mailbox after getting home from work to discover that our mailbox is now COMPLETELY PACKED with mail. Max got a book from his mom, I got a long letter from a friend, and we both got a lot of bank statements. The duplicate mailbox has been put to rest and the number has been peeled from the front. I can only hope that our mail troubles have come to an end.
So, if anybody wants to send me a letter, I can now recieve it! (I do love having pen pals.)

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Academic International ResidenceLife Wellness

The Stranger Gap

The crush of November, with its constant supply of exams and papers, has buried me so deeply that I, unfortunately, have not had the time to update as of late. I can say that the guilt has been weighing on me for quite a while now, and I am happy to get it off my shoulders now.

I was walking to work on Wednesday of this last week, making my way down Main mall, with its sweeping lawns and majestic Canadian flag at the very end, when I realized just how many people I was surrounded by. I realized that there were countless people who I shared a great deal with that I would never know, and I got a small little pain in my heart. It was I then that I decided to start making a conscious effort to make eye contact with as many of my passing peers, and notice as much about them, as possible. In the ten minutes I spent walking down the mall I must have locked eyes with over one hundred people. I noticed small things, like steaming cups of coffee and scratched up cell phones, and big things, like one girl who was clearly on the brink of tears, and another who seemed to glow in happiness.

I realized that there was little more I could do than forcing these tiny periods of eye contact, and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to cross that gap. So here it is.

I am going to try to get more people this year, and I think you should too. We are all in the same, rather gigantic, boat together and I think we could all use someone else to lean on. We aren’t strangers, we’re neighbors, classmates, partners, study buddies, and most of all, peers. We shouldn’t spend these four years afraid of each other.

So, if you are reading this, and you happen to see me making my way across campus or sitting beside you in class, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. I will try to start speaking up myself, and maybe, we can jump across that awkward gap together.

(I have yet another four papers to write, it is going to be a long week.)

Personal ResidenceLife

This is just to say…

Just about an hour ago,

Max and I baked our first loaf of bread together in our tiny, tiny oven.

…and it was delicious.

ResidenceLife

I Heart Fairview

Okay, so last year you heard me talk about my former home, Totem Park, and how it’s not really all that different from it’s counterpart, Place Vanier. This year I am back in rez, but in Fairview, which I can honestly say, is quite different than Totem.

First off, Fairview, by definition, is different. Fairview is one of many suite-style residences on campus, meaning several roommates live in one unit and share one common area (living room, dining room, kitchen), as opposed to Totem and Vanier, where you have your own room on a floor with a cafeteria close by. Though, Max and I are not living the true suite-style life here in Fairview as we are, awesomely, staying in a one bedroom unit. Don’t get me wrong, I think I would enjoy sharing a place with 4-6 of my closer friends, I just prefer to share a place with my best friend. We’ve made our own little nest, the walls are decorated, everything put away, and we’ve already had our first Dungeons and Dragons game here. But back to Fairview…

I think what I have found I love the most about Fairview is the atmosphere. I feel like we live in a rustic little ski village nestled in the forest. There are squirrels and spiders and everything in between. When I look out my window I see trees and grass and my fellow Fairviewians going about thier business. Everyone in the commonsblock is warm and welcoming and seem earnestly interested in how our lives are going. No longer do we have to venture into the basement to do our laundry, we just take a short walk outside. The Beanery is GLORIOUS, with it’s fantastic food and friendly staff (Max and I have had peach smoothies there everyday for the past WEEK). We have a kitchen, which we use to a great extent, making all sorts of dishes, from Shepard’s Pie to Rice Krispie Squares. True, the walk from Fairview to Buchanan that I make each and every day isn’t always fun, but it’s a good pre-class wake up, and I can already tell I am getting healthier.

Don’t get me wrong, Totem Park gave me the perfect first year experience, immersed in student life, living and breathing and learning about what it is to be at UBC. I miss Totem, and the friends and fun I had there, and I see the same potential in Fairview. The people are just as open and friendly, the events just as welcoming and fun, and the atmosphere, is, if anything, a little bit more open. I feel as though I am living on my own now, surrounded by support, should I need it, but basically left to my own responsibilities and duties. This is a very nice feeling.

I am really quite happy with the way things turned out. Max and I have made a nice little life in our nice little home, and I owe all of that to Fairview, and it’s ever present coziness.