Turning 21 in Canada

Hat-tip to Caitlin DeVos for kicking my booty and making me blog again. I've been neglecting you guys again! I won't write about my whole Halifax trip. I'll just write about my birthday. This post will have lots of pictures, because it was the best birthday ever.

A stack of buddies from CBU were in Halifax for a few days, and we spent the whole day together. Here we are at Cora's, which is an adorable breakfast place with fantastic food. The fresh fruit was phenomenal.

From left to right: Jaime, Becca, Daniel, Stephen, Maggie, Maile.

Our next stop was the Natural History Museum, to visit Sue! For my readers who are not nerdosaurs, Sue is the most complete T-rex skeleton ever found. We honored her with a silly picture. At the museum, we met up with Bini, who is a friend of Maile's from Calgary. She's the girl in the blue-and-black shirt.

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around Halifax and shopping. This particular store is called Black Market. It boasts handmade jewelry, clothing, housewares, and more from all over the world at excellent prices. This picture is a meager tribute to how colorful this store is. I bought a pair of earrings for myself and a gift for my mother, and I had to resist buying all the pretty linens!

We enjoyed supper at A Mano, a fabulous Italian restaurant near the water. This is my supper: pizza made with fig confit, arugula, prosciutto, and fresh mozzarella. It was the kind of food that makes you forget you ever had dignity and drool all over the table.

For dessert, I split a dish with Bini that had caramel and chocolate gelato, dulce du leche, and crushed meringues. More drooling followed.

Our final stop was the Old Triangle, an Irish alehouse in downtown Halifax. The time we spent at this pub rivals the Great Big Sea concert in terms of just how much fun we had.

This is the band High Tide, who played live music all night. They sang Nova Scotia folk classics, Great Big Sea covers, popular favorites, and original songs. They were very talented, with an infectious stage presence. They even sang happy birthday to me!

Their music was the backdrop for the dancing that consumed the rest of the night. We were easily the youngest people there, but it didn't stop anyone from having a fantastic time. I never wanted to leave! Just like the Great Big Sea concert, it was a moment of liberty, where nothing matters in the world except for the fun you are having right here, right now.

I leave you with this parting image of Bini and me dancing. Everyone should have a birthday like this in their lives.

Keep reading!

Love,

21-year-old Maggie

Great Big Sea Concert in Halifax

I've been in Halifax for 48 hours now. I want to write about the cute shops, the beautiful scenery, the kind people, the charming pubs, and the tasty food. I especially want to write about how great it is to see Julianne again. But alas... all I can write about is Great Big Sea.

Great Big Sea is a folk-rock band from Newfoundland and one of the best-known bands from eastern Canada. They played a free concert in honor of the 2011 Canada Games tonight at Celebration Square, and Julianne was kind enough to bring us along.

Excluding the drummer, each of the members played at least a half-dozen instruments, which they switched every song. We saw flutes, drums, accordions, fiddles, and several different manners of guitar, not to mention some fantastic singing voices.

I haven't been to very many concerts, so I'm not a good judge of what makes a "good concert." But I have never had so much fun in my life.

The band was infectious, and the crowd was on fire. We were so enthusiastic and bouncy and happy. It was one of those moments where you feel truly independent and free, where you're living your life and nothing can stop you. I didn't stop smiling the entire time. We left over an hour ago, and I'm still riding the high.

And now I'm a GBS fangirl. Hardcore. Just another step to becoming Almost Canadian.

Some GBS songs: Donkey Riding - Ordinary Day - When I'm Up

More Halifax updates tomorrow. Keep reading!

Love,

Maggie

I'm in Halifax!

Hey gang! Sorry I haven't been posting recently, but I've been planning our trip to Halifax!

Currently, I'm sitting in the hotel room with Becca, relaxing after our looong car ride with Alysha. We're laying low tonight, but the fun begins tomorrow!

Here's just a sample of the things we're seeing:

• Museum of Natural History
• Pier 21 Immigration Museum
• Spring Garden Road
• Alexander Keith Brewery
• Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

We're also thinking about going to Peggy's Cove. And I guarantee we'll do a LOT of shopping.

This weekend, we'll spend some time with Julianne, who you may remember from my trip over. We'll hopefully see Tracey, too. On Tuesday, we'll be joined by Maile, Jaime, Stephen, and Daniel for a few days, and they're going to help me celebrate my birthday!

That's right, gang. I'm turning 21 on Wednesday, the 23rd. Like all birthdays, it feels a little surreal. This one will be especially interesting because I'm not in the states. Back home, the 21st birthday is a heavily ritualized drunkfest that celebrates your newfound freedom in the liquor store. Here, I'm already legal to drink, and I can't say I'm sad to miss out on that particular landmark. I'm more than happy to enjoy a fun dinner with friends and maybe a night dancing without imbibing enough alcohol to flood a bathtub.

I'll do my best to write every night and upload photos from our adventures. One thing's for sure: this will be a birthday to remember.

Keep reading!

Love,

Maggie

A trip to downtown Sydney

I went to downtown Sydney today! I'd never been before, it and it was a fabulous day. Even now, as I write, I'm trying to decide what I should write about.

First thing's first. There is a giant fiddle in downtown Sydney, right on the harbor. It's about 17 meters tall, made of steel, and weighs eight tons. The fiddle was built to honor the opening of the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion, which is the building directly behind it. The giant fiddle is a must-see for anyone who visits the island. In the summer, it even plays music!

My companions for the day were Becca, Maile, and Jaime. Maile is from Calgary, and studies history and ethnomusicology at CBU. She's a closet communist and a wicked fiddle player. Jaime is from Switzerland and studies history and Celtic stuff. And if anyone who reads this blog doesn't know who Becca is... shame on you.

After a visit to the fiddle, we wandered around to a few shops, including the Cape Breton Curiosity Shop, the Cape Breton Fudge Co., and the Cape Breton Center for Craft and Design. All of these stores were fabulous and will probably take more than a little of my money by the time I leave. However, our most exciting visit was Gala.

The Gala is a wonderful vintage/consignment shop in downtown Sydney. The owner is Rick Jessome, a deeply fabulous local man who knows more about clothes than anyone I've ever met before. With his guidance, Jaime found some great skirts and shirts, Becca found an awesome coat for less than $20, and Maile bought a beautiful party top. But I struck gold.

This is a 100% cashmere Gloria Sachs suit. It probably cost around $2500 in the eighties, when it was made. However, I managed to talk Rick down from $99 to $70. A mere seventy dollars for a classic suit, whose fabulousness is not properly showcased in this photo. I also found an adorable pencil skirt and a cute top, but this suit stole the show.

To round out the day, we visited a used bookstore and a coffee shop. It was an absolutely fantastic day of exploring Sydney. Tonight, I'm headed over to Maile and Jaime's apartment and we're going to try making butterbeer. Yes, as in Harry Potter butterbeer. Wish us luck.

Keep reading!

Love,

Maggie

More travel blogs!

Many of my friends are spending this semester abroad! While I'm sure you are deeply enthralled with the goings-on of a wannabe Canadian, I must encourage you to broaden your horizons and follow the day-to-day lives of some other globe trotters.

Becca Adelman

Becca is an International Studies major with a film studies minor, pursuing a degree at Western Oregon University. She grew up in Salem, Oregon, with her parents and little brother.

Here at CBU, Becca is taking two French classes, a history class, a folklore class, and a literature class. She is a voracious reader, a fantastic workout buddy, and my best friend on campus.

Her blog can be found here.

Megan Erspamer

Megan studies business and accounting at Augustana College, with hopes to go into sports management. She is from Chetek, Wisconsin, and we were roommates during our sophomore year at Augie.

Megan runs track and cross country for Augie, and is the world's biggest 24 fan. I suspect that she secretly aspires to be Jack Bauer.

Currently, Megan is spending a semester at Bond University in Australia. Last semester, she was in Norway. The woman is unstoppable.

Her blog can be found here.

Kaleb Sturm

This enthusiastic gentleman is spending the semester at Massey University in New Zealand. Kaleb is majoring in math and economics at Augustana College, and he's adding a little geology to the mix while he's at Massey. Kaleb was born and raised in St. James, Minnesota.

Kaleb plays tennis for Augie, does econometric research for fun, loves bunnies, and is absolutely head-over-heels for his one-and-a-half-year-old nephew, Brayden. He's also my best friend on the planet.

His blog can be found here.

Paul Hummon

Paul is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He's spending a semester down under at the University of Melbourne. He's from Plymouth, Minnesota.

Paul and I have known each other for a very, very long time, though we're not sure exactly when we met. We went to the same elementary, middle, and high schools, and went to prom together in 2007. Paul is a champion percussionist and was a prize-winning member of Wayzata's Super Mileage Club.

His blog can be found here.

Rose Martin

Rose is studying Spanish and social work at Bethel University. She is from Plymouth, Minnesota, and is currently in Guatemala.

Rose is wonderful with children, loves coloring, and is an active member of her church. We met through mutual friends when we were just starting high school, and we were married on Facebook until we realized that we were probably long-lost twins rather than spouses.

Rose's blog can be found here.

Well, there you have it, folks. A handful of America'a finest, scattered across the globe in search of life-changing experiences and spiritual enlightenment. I'll be back with more Canadian adventures soon. In the meantime, enjoy!

Love,

Maggie

Real Canadians: Kevin Regnault

It has come to my attention that I haven't thoroughly introduced you, my lovely readers, to my friends here in the Great White North. As a result, I'm kicking off a new series of posts over the next few weeks: Real Canadians.

Kevin "Jesus" Regnault, oldest of three boys, self-proclaimed hippie, avid tea-drinker and charity worker, chemical engineering major

Age: 21

Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Dream Job: Professional musician

Realistic Dream Job: Something with green energy

Favorite Book: Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett

Favorite Movie: Up

Interests: Reading, video games, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and music. Kevin sings and he plays the guitar, the bass, and the piano. He also can tune a harp, which I think is pretty cool.

Deep, dark secret: Kevin has apparently been arrested three times, though he has never been charged. No, I don't know why.

How we met: My first night on campus, I was waiting for the bus stop in a panic, and Kevin found me there. The next day, he took me under his wing and showed me around campus. We've been friends ever since.

Memorable Quotes

"I love how the analytical chemists are sledding down the hill behind Alumni."

"That's my angry Canadian redneck voice."

"I love the profs here. They know you and they make fun of you and they trip you in the hall."

"Most people think I'm gay when they first meet me. I have a rainbow tie and rainbow slippers."

Stay tuned for more Real Canadians!

[Kevin's reaction to this profile:]

"Maggie, you make it sound like, 'he plays every instrument known to man, loves puppies, art, the environment and long walks on the beach, is super mysterious and can bench 7 million pounds. oh, and he makes lots of money.' Not that I'm upset..."

Love,

Maggie

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Tight 'n Bright - it's not what it sounds like.

Last night was a theme night at the campus bar, called the Pit. In honor of Pride Week, we celebrated Tight 'n Bright, where everyone shoehorned themselves into the snuggest and shiniest get-ups they could throw together.

Becca and I spent the afternoon at the Mayflower Mall with Lauren and Candace. As is seen in this deeply stylish photograph, Becca went for plaid, whereas I chose the neon Peter Pan look. I doubt we'll ever wear those tights again, but I got enough compliments on my purple boots that they will definitely become a staple of my wardrobe.

Becca and I also bought alcohol for the first time yesterday. We both felt a little weird, but we're still very careful with our alcohol consumption. No inebriation from these American diplomats!

Here we have the deeply fabulous Tim. Tim grabbed the night by the hot pink horns and wore accessories to match. He deserved and won Tightest 'n Brightest Male for the evening, and has been showing off his gift card prize ever since. Well done, my friend.

When we got to the Pit, we saw tutus, leotards, and thigh-highs. One girl was wearing a homemade, technicolor, duct tape corset. A few guys wore tights like Tim's and skipped the shorts. I fear that no amount of psychotherapy will help the student body's collective conscience to recover from that image, but alas... this is Tight 'n Bright. There are no boundaries.

Altogether, another fantastic evening spent at the Pit. A touch of vertigo was the only wrench in the plans, and even that was manageable, what with my caring and considerate Canadian companions. And Becca, of course, who is a gift from the Oregon gods.

Homework today. Like that's new.

Keep reading!

Love,

Maggie

Funny stuff my professors say: vol. 1

I've gotten into the habit of writing down the funny things my professors say. Here is the first month of hilarity, slightly censored.

[Ian Brodie]

"What's Gaelic for Rick Roll'd?"

"Powerpoint doesn't allow for spontaneous brilliance!"

"Yay! Makin' babies!"

"'Freaky-ass space' is a technical term. You might want to write that down."

"I went to see my hot dentist yesterday. I've never had a hot dentist before."

[student] "Where is she?"

"My dreams..."

"We reenact this really awkward tea party that happened in Gethsemane where Jesus was like, 'Hey man, eat this! By the way, it's my flesh!'"

"Sorry I have to read this to you, but my tones are reasonably dulcet."

[Richard Marchand]

"I've been twisting some arms to get a children's lit section in the library. It's why I've been lifting weights recently."

"When I was a kid, people would say the gypsies would get you. I didn't even know what gypsies were, but they terrified me. That and hobos. If the gypsies didn't get you, the hobos would."

--

"In those days, the great villain was the hobo."

"Bush was... oh, there's Americans in here... can I insult him?"

"One of these days, I'll come in to class and have an outrageous interpretation and someone had better challenge me."

"Reading her is like having a milkshake with a spoonful of vinegar in it... it's like, for God's sake, Christina, have you ever heard of the word fun?!"

"I always want to skip to songs like this."

"I always was afraid the devil would come into my room. Because you don't want to talk to the devil. You just don't."

--

"Ever since that whole devil thing, I've given up sleeping. It's too dangerous."

"You can stand on the desk or something equally flamboyant, wear sequined tights, and proclaim the gospel."

"This is my list of instructions to me."

[Anna Daniels]

"it was the most frightening thing I've ever seen pie come out of in my life. It was very wonderful but also very scary. I didn't eat the pie."

"So far, we've covered Steven Harper, marijuana, and otters. What did you learn in school today?"