Wednesday 25 August 2010

"Tired, Overwelmed and Dirty..."

Ok, quick blog. My first blog from caniadia! whoop whoop! How to sum up how I feel right now...well. I feel tired, overwhelmed and dirty...but in a good way. I landed yesterday after a 9 hour flight. On the flight I spoke for about 4 hours to a couple of teachers from alberta. Keith and Erin. They were lovely. Our conversation mainly consisted of what advice to give to a UK student going to canada. Which was useful, but admittedly a little one sided. I landed and walked through the terminal. Travelling alone, when tired is a scary feet. I went through customs and spent an hour getting my study visa. They officially gave it to me and stapled it to my passport. I walked out of the doors feeling somewhat liberated by the thought that I officially had the right and priviellage to study for four years here. I found the U of A small kiosk, no one was there so I signed myself in and took their instructions. I jumped on the $18 shuttle service, the driver was a skinny japanese man, who amusingly tired to help me with my luggage. Nice man, but unable to lift 21 kg. I got chatting to a fellow U of A student (oh yeh, im now a U of A student i thought to myself). She was called Jenny. we chatted and she offered me a place 2 crash if I needed it. We exchanged numbers...well I got hers, cos I dont currently have a mobile (cellphone as the cool kids call it). Not a bad start if you ask me). The japanese man dumped me off at the Hi youth hostel where I was checked in by a rather attractive half-canadian, half danish women. She was nice, but seemed the type that would flirt with a lot of people. Im currently staying at w201 with 8 others, all guys and all as random as each other. I met a man from trinidad (who's story was he was waiting 2 retire). Other man was from india, he was nice, he was here for a job interview. The outcome I eargly await this fine evening. I then proceeded to take a shower and panic that I hadnt contacted my mother. I spend a good part of 2.5 hours trying 2 get my laptop to work in the hostel, which apparently was easy (i disagree). I got flustered and tried to use the phones. No luck, so I decided to venture out for the nearest internet cafe. I found one and finally, in the words of ET 'phoned home'. After which I relaxed mentally. Still the whole place was very overwhelming....it still is. Everything here is very americanised. I know the canadians hate being compared to, let alone in the same breath as americans. But the bloody well are americans. The fast food, the massive dodge rams. just american. I then proceeded to spend the next 3 hours walking up and down, up and down, up and down what is called Whyte Avenue. It is a rarity because it actually has a name for a road rather than a number. It is apparently the 'place to be' in terms of bars, clubs and resturants. It was nice. I loved it because it was just all very new, everything, everyu shop to me was just ...novel. I got hungry and headed to a typical american pizza joint and destroyed a 12 inch pizza. I plodded on back to the hostel and crashed for the night. I was awoken about 6am, by the indian man going to his job interview. I asked him 'mate, what time is it?' of which he replied '6am you idiot, go back to bed!'. I didnt. My bodyclock is messed up. I got up and headed to orientations. Orientations ran aaaaaalllll day. Standard as orientations go. There was a small humnber of us. 30 total postgrads in the whole faculty. Amsuing considering that my sports management MSc at Loughborough had 50 alone. Size wise, it was microcosmic. We had numberous speakers come in and tell us about the tiniest niche that was essentially their live (the IT man, the student activities woman etc) somehow important to us in someway. We also introduced ourselves. I introduced myself as Mat Dowling, studied at Loughborough for four years, my interests are mainly basketball and squash, im jetlagged and I also need a place to stay, so if anyone knows...im your guy'. We had lunch upstairs in the graduate lounge above what they call the 'butterdome'.(for the reason that from the outside it looks like a giant slab of butter i.e. yellow and rectangle shaped). The 'butterdome' from what I can currently establlish is the nickname for the sports stadium facility in which most of the physical education and recreation faculty is based . For the U of A the faculty of physical education and recreation is co-existent in terms of providing recreation and elite sport and studying it academically. Interesting model compared to Loughborough whom very much seperate the work from play. I am one of seven PHD starters this year and being an international student I am somewhat of a novelty. Hopefully I shall be a nice novelty and they shall be impressed with my work.

After that, more orientations of varying degrees of boredom and standard administrative importance. I then took a stroll to work out where my supervisor is based. 6th floor...ironic or deliberate for the phys ed & rec people? mmmm. Unfortunately he wasnt in but, I have just arranged my official first meet on friday at 9am. Should be interesting. I then walked around a little until I accidently walked into what I believe is the students union hub, and here I am! Things are going well, but I'm very tired and very overwelmed and oddly in need of a familiar face or someone to go through all this with. Hopefully with more time that will happen. Much canadian love. blog soon. please do keep in touch guys. I feel like I need it. Miss you all.

1 comment:

  1. Hey Hey,

    Glad to hear you at least arrived safe and sound. As you rightly say traveling alone is a scary "feet"... oh Matty!

    Loving that you're in a totally new country and going through all this, it makes it doubly exciting, perhaps I could update you with the crazy wonders of Norwich, and it's mental different way of life... Plymouth, we know about that.

    At least your lot have sorted out an orientation, things are much more laid back here, a month to go and no registration forms...

    Miss you hun, take care of yourself in that crazy Canadian world.

    P.S. "Hi i'm Mat and I have no where to live but this cute chick on the bus instantly offered me somewhere without really knowing who I was, so live isn't really that bad... maybe i'm cute in Canada?"

    P.P.S Work that accent, they'll be like putty

    x

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