since that night of celebrating the over-ness of my defense, i have not done a single ounce of work. well.. that's not entirely true. i finished off an experiment that i had going during the 2 weeks prior to my defense. then i pulled together a presentation for a conference in banff that i attended a couple of weekends ago, and engaged in some academic discussion at said conference. and if you count packing and moving the lab to vancouver, i've done a bit of that too. but apart from these few things, i have unabashedly engaged in a strict regimen of fun, sun, and trashy fashion fiction. i realized today that it's july the 4th (happy independence day americans who i like!) and nearly a month since finishing.. and i started to feel a bit ick for having avoided my papers that need to get written (count: 2) and my grants that need to get submitted by september/october (count: 3). hopefully the ick will translate to a bit of grindstone-meets-nose, but i have to confess that it is hard to pick up a stack of journal articles after wiling away the past weeks with such gems as everyone worth knowing and bergdorf blondes. my brain may have pruned up a little while reading about alligator birkin bags and champagne cocktails at cipriani's.
oh well. sometimes self-indulgence is important.
right now i'm sitting at a desk that does not belong to me in a subletted room in vancouver. i arrived on the west coast exactly a week ago, and was staying at a friend's place near kitsilano beach until yesterday. after a bit of a hassle from air canada, i was able to get percy sent out here by live animal cargo; he joined me last night. he was doing great with the new house and the extreme laid-backedness embodied by all pacific coasters. then our third subletter roommate arrived with her enormous 1-year old huskie mix puppy. if a cat's jaw could drop, i think percy's would have. needless to say, we will be engineering a slow introduction of giant mutt to tiny kitty.
apart from socializing domestic animals, i'll spend the rest of the summer writing the aforementioned papers and grants. i also might do a little bit of data collection, if we manage to unpack the equipment and slides that i need anytime soon. to provide a bit of context, for anyone who is not already up-to-date on my life, my master's supervisor decided to leave U of T last fall to accept a position at UBC. after wrapping up all of my MSc experiments, and allowing the other grad students to transfer to new labs or finish, we packed up and brought the lab out here for him. i've decided to return to toronto in the fall to start fresh on my PhD with a new supervisor, but agreed to spend july and august out here on MSc supervisor's dime. it is not a bad set-up. i get to taste vancouver living during the most beautiful part of summer, avoid toronto humidity and smog, and sort of relax before joining my new lab and embarking on the next five years of studies. so far, i am enjoying myself. i have a good friend here who i met in the lab at dalhousie, and she has introduced me to her group of grad student and other friends. i also know a few other random people who i will hopefully get to connect with once or twice. i've also met up with an old good friend from grades 7/8 who i found on facebook this past weekend. oh what would we do when moving to new cities without the internet... i am entirely dependent on the BC translink bus system web site, Googlemaps, and facebook for daily function here.
the views are beautiful (try breathtaking mountains as you coast down the hill to work in the morning), everyone walks about 10 times slower, and the air smells like flowers, cut grass, and open water. the sushi is delicious, and 40% off after 7 pm (freshness guarantee). the beach is never far away. but still, i miss my dirty, noisy, stinking-hot toronto with its crowded streetcars and bad drivers. i miss living in my new house on a street that never quite falls asleep. i take this all as a sign that i've finally found home again. despite two - almost three - years of struggling to find my place at U of T and in the city, i feel like i will belong there for my PhD. can't wait to get started all over again.
1 comment:
Well, I wondered if you had made it out to Vancouver. So glad that you keep your blog up to date (once in a while). Good luck to Percy in his new adventure with big dog.
Sarah, can you please email me in regards to Pauline. I'm using a different email address and don't have your address here. Or phone Grandpa's number if you have it handy. I am staying with him at present. Thanks v much. Take good care out there.
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