I have decided to blog my ongoing work on my MA thesis. As with most graduate students, I'm sure, the whole thing is taking much longer than expected.

Friday, September 16, 2005

11 days since my last post

And, as I predicted, I don't have much to show for them.

Last Thursday night a bunch of friends came out to have supper with us at a Salvadorian restaurant. It was a nice evening. And of course, I missed the Yulblog meet, which Pat reminded me the next day (or did I remember when I saw him??). On Friday, Ben and I went to Boston and Cape Cod. We stayed the first night at the 140 Hotel, the old YWCA. A good price, great location and very nice place, clean and quaint without being overly plush. The next morning we walked around Boston for 3 hours. It is a lovely city with a bunch of joggers! They were able to construct new around old without breaking any charm or having the buildings look out of place. A much prettier place then Montreal, though really not as multi-ethnic. Then, Cape Cod. We had supper in P Town and bought loads of salt water taffy (mmmmm). The next day we rented bikes to go to the beach. Monday morning we visited Harvard and I asked a few questions to the Comp Lit & Eng Lit departments. It was a great mini-trip except for one thing: the food! Every time we ate out, one of us was sick to our stomach or got a head ache. In Harvard Square we stopped at an "Au Bon Pain" for lunch. I had a sandwich and some yogurt and, without having finished either, got a desperate urge to throw up. I don't know what those Americans put in their food, but it's gross. Definitely, NY and (the old) New Orleans are the only places in the States where I have found good cuisine.

As for Harvard, the Com Lit department would most likely correspond better to my profile. Except, being Harvard, students are expected to know 4 languages. Therefore, and following the advice of the department's secretary who was extremely helpful and resourceful, I have registered for a Latin class at Concordia. Since I'm still officially doing the TESL certificate, I can register and get regular student prices. I would therefore have French and English as my fluent languages, Spanish as my "reading" language and Latin as my fourth. I must still research Universities. I haven't been doing enough of that lately...

Monday, September 05, 2005

time flies when you have nothing to do!

On Wednesday, Montreal was hit by the after-shock of Katrina, the storm that destroyed New Orleans. In the pouring rain, I set out to go to UofM to deposit the 4 copies of my thesis. Since my deposit, I have already found 2 typos/mistakes in my thesis.

Pierre called to see how it felt to be "free."

On Wednesday night I went to a 5 à 7 with the Séville gang. Sylvain has found a new job so they were honouring his departure. Ben and I stayed until 12. I had one scotch too many and was sick in bed the next day until 2. Really, the only way to have me sleep in is a hangover.

I sent my thesis to Anne. She seemed to like it. I was a bit afraid that she would be offended, or just thought that I was all wrong. But no. Which is nice. I wonder what Djuna, if she were still alive today and if she would actually agree to read my thesis, would think of it. Grumpy old lady as she had become, she would probably just say it was badly written.

Friday and Saturday I was depressed. Just sad. Unexplainable. I saw Maïa & Mila Friday night, which was nice. Mila has already grown and she stares now! A child after my own heart :)

We went to the piknik electronik yesterday. That was nice. Going out, dancing outside in the setting sun. Mistress Barbara was spinning. She is a good DJ, pretty and smiling, taking pictures of the people dancing and smiling back at her.

I'm no longer sad, but there is this stretch of void laid out in front of me. Friends have written to me "Great! Now you're done and you'll have some time for yourself!" Except, I never really felt like I didn't have time for myself. I liked what I was doing, even if I was very stressed while doing it. Now, I don't really know what to do. All I know is that time will speed up and it will pass and eventually I'll look back and wonder what have I done with it. I bought myself a puzzle, and three books: Naipaul's "Beyond Belief," Eliot's "Middlemarch," and Malory's "La Morte Dathur." At noon I have a brunch with Carole, so I must get ready.