Monthly Archive for December, 2005

Sunday, December 18,2005

Hello,

I’m now home to Brockville for about a month for the holiday. Friday was a Christmas formal for Wills Hall. We all got Christmas crackers for the roast turkey dinner and afterwards sang Christmas carols. Last weekend I mostly just studied and wrote my essay for biochemistry on Saturday, then on Sunday played to hockey games. The first one we one 3-2 and the second tied 1-1. The first game I made some nice saves – I was warmed up really well because the other team got there late. I had a solid first half, but let in two goals in the second.

On Monday I took a break for the evening and we had a friendly hockey match against the doctors from BRI (BristolRoyalInfirmary) – doctors who have graduated 5th but are now in residency. We ended with a social – went out for drinks and curry. It was great, but I didn’t get done there till about 11:30pm. Then we headed down to a cool club at the waterfront where a friend was having her birthday. A whole bunch of people from my hall were there so it was just a good time, dancing to Christmas music. The club has a bunch of different rooms that play different music – one’s even made like a ski lodge with wood furniture and fireplaces – it’s just a neat club.

For the rest of the week I didn’t do much ‘cause I had my exams on Friday. On Tuesday I tried to do some Christmas shopping with little success. On Wednesday evening I went to the carol service in the Wills Chapel. I got to sing some Christmas Carols and listen to the Wills singers. I even found out that in England they sing, “O little town of Bethlehem” with to a different tune. It was much more melodic than the North American version. Afterwards we had some mince pies and mulled wine. I really liked mulled wine (sweet wine with spices)– it’s like apple cider in Canada, but it’s alcoholic.

Friday morning was our exam. Wrote histology first, I really have no clue how that went, it was really tough. Then, wrote Anatomy which I think went really well. Friday night I just socialized with the few that were left in the Wills. Firstly we went down to the bar for some cheap drinks and drinking games, and then headed out to the club. They played the usual cheesy music that everyone can sing to and then some Christmas tunes too (everyone loves the cheesy music!).

Managed to stay up till about 4am and still get to breakfast and on the bus to the train station by 9am. Then, as I just got my ticket and two trains were both leaving the station I ask the station man, “Is this the train to London?” The doors were practically closing. He said, “Yes, get on the train” I got on and the doors closed, looked up at the sign saying – to Newcastle, which is about a 6hr train ride north, when I planned to head to London (east) for my flight that very same day! I got off in Newport, Wales (Casnewydd-ar-Wysg) where I got to hear some people speaking Welsh for the first time – it was also my first and only time to go to Wales. I only spent a few minutes there and then got on a train to London. Got into Paddington Station and headed out to Heathrow where I still made it there 3 hrs early for my flight. It’s a good thing that I left early for London, or I’d probably still be stuck in England! My flight was okay, due to the smaller, older aircraft that Air Canada flies to Ottawa, I was situated as far back as I could from one of 3 projector screens on the entire plane. But, it was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which I’d already seen, so I didn’t mind the distance too much. The food was good and I had a nice woman beside me who actually had a conversation with me. You know how loads of time on planes you don’t say anything to the people you sit with? My parent were waiting there for me when I got in and we just headed home. I stayed up till about 11pm here, which is 4am in England.

So, now I’m in Brockville, where it’s a warm (-7 °C). There is about 12inches of snow or more on the ground and the people next door are out building snow forts. It’s kinda weird to see the snow after being in England where I could still go to dinner in Wills without wearing a coat (although England is fairly cold right now). It’s nice to see some snow now, and I can’t wait to get out skiing!

I’ll probably keep updating the site over the break, but I’ll be back in England on Jan 11th. Happy Holidays,

-Pete

This is the older part of wills, this isn’t where I live, but it’s where I eat, they have HUGE rooms and the rooms are drafty, so orginally built with wood fireplaces, they now all have gas fireplaces to keep themselves warm.

This is a pasture we walked through at Mendips, see the beautiful cows!

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Wow, can’t believe it’s December already! November seemed to just fly by this year. There’s only about 2 weeks left of school before the holidays! I hate leaving updates to my site for almost a week, but I’ve been sick! Luckily, I had Tuesday off, and only one lecture on Wednesday that I was able to miss and get the notes off someone else. I was pretty much bed-ridden, a little nausea, but mostly just severe headache and fever. I went into the Student Health Services today with swollen tonsils and it was concluded that I have strep-throat, which I could have guessed because this is about the 3rd time I’ve had it. It’s more the fever than anything, it give me such a bad headache and stiff neck that I can feel it every few hours when the Ibuprofen wears off. My throat’s actually not too bad, as long as I keep drinking fluids it doesn’t get to sore. So yes, that’s been my week since Tuesday.

Saturday, I went hiking in the Mendips, just south of Bristol. It was pretty stunning scenery and mostly nice weather (sunny for about 4 hrs, then as what usually happens in Bristol RAIN!). But it was a good day. I was there with the expeditions society, so we had a map, with checkpoints and questions laid throughout the area. We had to get the questions and answer them and we had tasks to do at each of the checkpoints. It was awesome, tons of fun. It was neat too, some of the trails went through people’s farms, so we were just walking past cows, jumping over cow patties, leaving the gates open behind us (just kidding). Afterwards we went to a really classic English pub, I mean it was really dark, the walls were wood, there were wood fires burning, low ceilings, locals (most of whom had brought their dogs along for a pint) and loads of real English ale. I had a local ale, for the life of me I can remember, but it was really good. After returning home, I managed to eat a quick mean, get changed into my suit and still head out for a house party with the expeditions society after a day of hiking! Good times.

Sunday, I played two games of hockey in which we lost both, but should have won both. The first game was against the doctors from Frenchay hospital – we got to play at the campus of the University of Western England (UWE) which is also in Bristol, but it was kinda neat because they have a campus university (like Guelph in Canada) whereas University of Bristol is sorta scattered throughout the city (that’s why I don’t really take pics of the campus, because there really isn’t one!). So we played these doctors, who played well, but when we play most of the game in their end, we should’ve scored more goals then they did (maybe it’s my fault!). Same with the afternoon, we played one of the halls’ hockey teams and they beat us 1-0, and literally the whole game was in their and their goal went under my foot, which really pissed me off. We did stick around an practice afterwards, so I got to practice my dives, and tackles which were pretty fun (in turf hockey, the goalie can run out and sort of slide tackle the ball from the opponent (or just block it by lying down), only one problem, you’re on your ass if they manage to get around you! That’s why I need a bit of practice; I’m just sort of learning what to do. It was fun though.

Hopefully I’ll be better for this weekend. Bristol Medics are going to Leicester to play their medics’ teams. I’m hoping to catch up with Allison (only briefly, because I know she’s studying hard for exams, but I can’t wait to see her!).

-Later,
Pete

These are a picture from pub golf a while ago, this pic got sent to me so I thought I put it up here, and another pic from mendips from the highest point in the area, you could see the bristol channel and the mouth of the avon.