La Belle Province

Hey guys!

Finally, FINALLY, the picture queen (as I dubbed myself) has uploaded some of her pictures for you all to enjoy! The first one there is the view of downtown Montreal from Mont Royal - the mountain that I 'run' up to train for rugby (but I'll be honest; there is walking involved in that run). The second is a view of my building (of which I work on the 18th floor) and the last one is a view from my building which isn't as impressive and I'll have to take some more. As you can tell though, its a beautiful place with a stunning amount of green space for such a big city.


I am still loving it here and even work is beginning to improve. Rugby and the friends I've made have really made the wonderful time it is. From joining up with EWB McGill and Concordia (both organizations teasing me about being a spy for the other, and I'm like UNB baby, thats what its all about) to enjoying the crazy fesitvals and acts around this busy city, I am having the most fantastic of times. I was on this bus tour last week called 'L'Autre Montreal' or other Montreal . . . it traveled through all of the historical immegrent bouroughs over Montreal's time. It was super interesting to learn about how the bouroughs were really never ghettoized in that they were always diverse in the type of people who lived there - never predominantly one culture. Also, none have remained distinct in their history; families move on, or move 'up' as time goes on, and it seems that in Montreal you can really move up. . . hmmmm

Saturday was *cough* entertaining. It was our rugby clubs 'rookie' initiation night, and as you can tell, we were easily identified by our glamorous 'togas'. There was lots of drinking and singing and dancing - I made sure to represent the East coast with some Stompin' Tom and Great Big Sea - and it was a shockingly easy and only minorly humiliating experience. Our 2nd division team is 6-0 and our priemiership team is 1-2 (but the two losses are against the hardest teams in the league, our team being the only one to score on either of them yet as they have not played one another, and after them our team has the best 'points for and against' record, so things are looking up; besides it's their first year in superleague!). I have scored 3 tries already (!!!) and had to 'shoot the boot' Saturday - chug 2 beers out of a dirty, old cleat, while people chant hilarious things around you. I am also excited because I have been invited by U19 PEI to go to Eastern Canadians in Halifax - they're waiving my costs! So if anyone is in Halifax the weekend of July 14-16 . . . it's key we hook up.


AAAAnyhow, I hope that everyone else is enjoying their summer! I sure as heck am, and it isn't over yet.
Take it easy all and sorry my notes are not more thought provoking or engaging . . . .