Life as J

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of canoeing in Deep Cove - basking in the warmth of the glorious autumn sun. I was actually surprised at how warm it was, but the end of summer was definitely evident whenever a breeze passed by. I'd forgotten how peaceful it can be out on the water - just admiring the view that isn't accessible from a car. Being so vulnerable to the sea was a bit daunting, but we tried not to stray too far from land. Amongst the trees, there were quite a few houses dotting the shoreline - or rather, mansions. Some of them were enormous! True, the view from their rooms must be spectacular, but I couldn't imagine living in such a remote area. By the time we paddled around the bend, out of sight of the Cove, we'd already passed the one-hour mark. So, after a short break for snacking and seal-watching, we headed back - making the roundtrip journey about 3 hours long. I didn't know exactly how much canoeing we had really done until later in the nigh...

So, I got into a car accident on Saturday. Judging from the fact that I can still coherently compose a blog entry and that I'm able to type this out, you can conclude that I'm okay. The rain made the roads exceptionally slippery - perhaps because it was the first rain in 29 days and the roads weren't used to excessive moisture. Anyway, I was rounding a curve (turning left) in the right lane and started braking as per the norm since it was downhill. The braking motion sent my car skidding and, having no experience with skidding, I kept on trying to brake. That sent my car spinning. With some luck maneuvering, I managed to avoid hitting any of the other cars on the road but ended up careening towards the sidewalk on my right. Thankfully, no cars were parked on the side of the road, so the only obstacles in my way were the curb and a pole. Fortunately for me, the pole stopped my spinning. Unfortunately for me, even though I wasn't driving at a high speed, I still ma...

I attended my first wedding this past weekend, and it was definitely one to remember. Since I was rather slow to RSVP, no direct flights were available, so a direct domestic flight turned into a two-legged trip crossing international borders. Yes, I had to pass through US customs in order to fly within Canada. When I was called up to talk to the customs officer, I was given a strange look because they couldn't fathom why anyone would want to pass through the US for no reason. I explained the situation, but it didn't really help. The officer peppered me with questions: "Are you traveling for business?" "No." "Are you working in the US? It seems you've been granted a US visa in the past." "No, I'm a student. I was in the US on a training visa." "Where are you studying?" "At the University of Waterloo." "What are you studying?" "... Engineering." As soon as he asked me what I was studying,...