Concluding An Epic Dodgeball Season - The Last Game Of The Year

Back in September, I blogged about how I joined Queen's SGPS Grad Student Intramural Dodgeball Team. While my first post about dodgeball wasn't the most positive, glowing review of our intramural league, I'm happy to report that our Fall and Winter seasons were incredibly entertaining, competitive, but most importantly... we had fun. It was, truly, quite the experience.

Okay. Well, granted, we lost every game we played this semester. Minor details.

Okay, fine. If we need to press the issue, I'll admit that we were That Team. The Team That Always Lost. But, moving on. Let's forget the measly details of actual competition. Let's get down to why, in retrospect, I'm so glad I joined dodgeball this year.

I was pretty skeptical about joining dodgeball back in September. Because really, have you met me? The only sports I've ever been good at involved a tennis racket or a pair of figure skates. Other than that, I've been merely serviceable at impromptu basketball games or softball games I participated (read: was coerced) in.

However, my perspective on sport changed when I played ball hockey regularly over the summer. Apparently, I have the capacity to get pretty aggressive, yo. Whipping around a stick to aggressively score goals? I absolutely loved it. And I will shamelessly announce that I was awesome at street hockey. Which is why I considered participating in some sort of contact sport this year.

Fast forward to this past Thursday evening. Our last dodgeball game of the year. Cue the tears. Cue the team hugs. Cue the whipping out of my camera to take team pictures.

We met at the Grad Club to participate in Thursday night's Trivia Night, broke bread (read: ate junk food), played pool, and attempted to answer trivia questions that downright confused us. And, not surprisingly, the boys of the team walked the amusing road towards inebriation with pitchers of alcoholic beverages.

Right before our dodgeball game.

Do you see where this is going?

Let's do the math. Teetering levels of sobriety and a sport that involves bombarding others with balls? Incredibly amusing, to say the least. Josephine and I, the only female members of the team, were highly entertained by watching our lovely team members frolicking under the influence. And so, our last game turned out to be quite epic. Choreographed dance numbers, Justin Beiber impersonations, piggyback rides as ball-throwing strategies.

And the dance numbers. Don't forget the dance numbers. Complete with throwback disco moves. Does this sound awesome or does this sound awesome?

We came to the game without any expectation of winning (and, really, who are we kidding, winning was a long shot for us). We headed to our last game together with the sole intention of having fun, and I'm glad that's how we ended our season. Such motivations defined our year together. Dodgeball hasn't only been a good workout, it's been an arena where I've met incredibly great friends. Where I've met grad students who I wouldn't have encountered if I hadn't joined the team. And most importantly, it's where I had fun, away from the piles of work that haunt me during the day.

I really encourage all of you to consider joining a sports team sometime, be it in school or in your community. It's not solely a competitive experience. It's also a social arena, where you build friendships, connect with a team, and experience the enjoyment of playing a sport that you may discover you actually enjoy.

But now, alas, the season has drawn to a close. I'm sad to say that's it for dodgeball. But here we are. Thank you, Dodgeball Team. You've been the greatest. I'm so glad I had the chance to meet every single one of you. I'm so glad I took the chance to experience this.

This has been, ultimately, another wonderful, memorable Queen's experience that I'll never forget, no matter where I am next year.

"You can’t hide from life. Eventually, you have to live it."

"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand."
- Emily Kimbrough

"Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, dont worry. I'm here. The flood waters will recede. The famine will end. The sun will shine tomorrow. And I will always be here to take care of you."
- Charlie Brown to Snoopy

My (Tentative) New Love Affair With Sushi - A Lesson For Trying New Things

Before I moved to Kingston, I never had sushi. Ever, in my life. I know right? Whenever I told people I'd never tried sushi, I always received the horrified, "But... you're Asian." It was my thing. I was the Girl Who Never Had Sushi.

And to this today, even as I write this blog post, I've only had sushi three times in my life. And all three times happened in Kingston. I've been told that I need to try sushi in Toronto. Apparently, it's a life-changing experience.

I don't know why I was so apprehensive about trying sushi. I'm usually not resistant to trying new things re: food. But sushi? I think it had to do with the seaweed factor. I hate the taste of seaweed. Once, my parents and I had to watch our neighbour's house for a couple of weeks while they were on vacation, and when they came back, they rang our doorbell with a ~box of cookies~ to thank us. Without reading the label (granted, it was in Chinese), I cracked open the lid and bit eagerly into one of the cookies. Guess what kind of cookies they were?

Seaweed cookies.

Ew. I thought I was eating, like, feet.

So last October, Tory and Belinda decided that enough was enough. We walked into Sima Sushi, located at Princess and Bagot. I was a little apprehensive, but I went anyway. And I'm really glad I did. I even came up with a way to eat sushi with minimal seaweed-to-taste bud contact. I'll just order the ones with the rice around the seaweed, so I won't have to taste it. BRILLIANT, right? Anyway, my sushi experience in Kingston has been pleasant to date. To the point that I'm actually really really growing to like it. Since October, I've been to Arisu Sushi on Princess and Division twice. It's an acquired taste, I guess.

Side Note: At Sima Sushi back in October, I ordered a plate of Avocado rolls (??) and that sushi type with fried sweet potato (??). I don't know what they're called. Yeah. I just totally butchered those names. I think they're types of California Rolls? Really, I have no idea. I think this is a sign that need to educate myself by consulting a sushi and sashimi glossary.

Side Note 2: Speaking of sashimi, I still haven't tried it. I'm a little apprehensive about eating raw fish. Let's review. It's raw. I think it will take awhile before I build up enough courage to try a bite. What does that even taste like?

And so, my friends, to end on a more positive note, I think this should be a lesson for trying new things. If you don't like it after the first try, fine. But at least you tried it.

There are many things, admittedly, that I've been apprehensive to try (or do) in Kingston and, let's admit it, in life. Like that complicated contraption at the gym that supposedly works out your abs, but I've been too chicken to touch it. Or like getting into a pool and learning how to swim beyond the standard doggy paddle. Or learning how to surf. Or paying the deposit to sky dive this summer because of my apprehension re: WHAT IF MY PARACHUTE DOESN'T OPEN? I WILL DIE.

This grad life is too short to spend being the perennial chicken I am with things I'm unfamiliar with. It's always refreshing to try new things. I'm 90% sure I'm leaving Canada for law school next year. I'll be in a foreign country, surrounded by people I don't know, in a city I know nothing about. I'll be trying new things everyday. Might as well stop being a chicken and start now, yea?

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Martin Luther King Jr.

"A cynical young person is almost the saddest sight to see. Because it means that he or she has gone from knowing nothing to believing in nothing."
- Maya Angelou

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."
- Oscar Wilde

I Will Never (Hopefully) Procrastinate Again... (Cross Your Fingers)

I feel like this is a mantra I need to keep repeating to myself. Repeatedly. Over and over again. Why did I do this to myself? I never do this. Why now? Why?

I cannot even begin to explain how exhausted I am right now. I feel like I just ran a marathon. Or spent five hours at the gym. Or went through a life-changing crisis that required me to lose hours and hours of sleep. But really, none of this is true. I sheepishly admit that I lost hours of sleep merely because of my own procrastinating foolishness.

But I learned my lesson this weekend. I promise, I will never procrastinate again.

This all started during Reading Week when, in denial, I didn't mark as many student essays as I should have. I was enjoying my time at home, you see. And really, I was in denial about marking so many essays. I also didn't finish writing the 15 pages of my Elections essay that I should have written. I also didn't finish reading ahead for Canadian Politics. I also, most importantly, didn't finish editing my Canadian Politics critical review essay.

And now that Reading Week is over, I've been punished for my procrastinating ways. This past weekend was agonizing. Beyond anything I can explain in words. Actually, three words sum it up: I. Need. Sleep.

The Barbara of Reading Week was at home, spending time with friends and family, and, most importantly, sleeping in. She woke up every morning, glanced at her pile of work in disdain and walked past her desk.

"I'll let Future Barbara worry about that," she said dismissively, "I'll do it tomorrow."

Fail.

Major mistake.

I will never let Future Barbara worry again. Ever. Future Barbara cannot wake up with dark circles under her eyes after a mere 3 hours of sleep. Future Barbara cannot be a slave to caffeine. Future Barbara cannot suffer from sleep deprivation when she writes future blog posts. Yes, Future Barbara will continue to do her work days or weeks in advance.

I learned my lesson this weekend. I promise, Future Barbara, I will never procrastinate again.

I don't think I've ever been as stressed this year as I was this past weekend. To the point that I spent 8 hours at the law library on Friday, 8 hours at the law library on Saturday, and 6 hours at the law library on Sunday.

Um. I don't think that was healthy. I spent more time at the library than I did at my own house. Actually, I spent more time at the library this weekend than I did sleeping combined. Yes, let's review those numbers. This was a problem.

I don't know about you, but as the work began to pile up last week, on top of all the essays we had to mark, I started to panic. So overwhelmed, I felt like I was drowning. The sinking feeling you get when procrastination catches up to you is terrifying. This cannot happen again.

But I learned my lesson this weekend. I promise, Future Barbara, I will never procrastinate again.

Now that the weekend is over, I feel like I can breathe again. I finished reading 200 pages I was required to read. I finished marking 50 student essays. I finished writing a weekly reading response. I finished writing a paper. I finished an outline of another paper.

And now? I'm off to crawl to bed, relieved that this wretched weekend is over. And starting tomorrow, I'm doing my work days and weeks in advance. There is no way this is happening again. EVER!!

"There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back."
- Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."
- Bertrand Russell

6 More Weeks, Four Months Left (Until The End of Queen's)

How did time go by so quickly? No, really. How? There are exactly 6 weeks left of classes for this term. And to put this into perspective (since I'll be, hopefully, done my Masters Research Paper in June) there are only four months left until I finish my Masters degree. Four months. Four months until I leave Kingston for good.

I don't know about you, but I've gotten extremely attached to this city. Who knows why, really. There's something so charming about Kingston that I've fallen head over heels in love with. And even though I complain incessantly about leaving home during my breaks, coming back to Kingston reminds me why I love it.

Oh, friends. My time in Kingston is almost over. And yet, I feel like I haven't done half the things I wanted to do in this city. There's still so much to do and see. And so, I've compiled a list of things I'd like to do in Kingston before I leave (on top of all my work, of course).

A KINGSTON TO-DO LIST BEFORE I LEAVE

1. Visit the Kingston Penitentiary. Because a tour of the local jail is free for all students. With your student card, of course. What's up.

2. Play squash at the ARC. Or just, you know, go to the ARC regularly for a period of time in general. Because I need to do something about this sedentary existence that is my life. And I also need to see the inside of the campus gym at some point during this degree.

3. Why haven't I ever been to Tir Nan Og? Like, ever? This needs to change.

4. Why haven't I ever been to Harper's Burgers? This also needs to change. Those burgers are rumoured to be life-changing. Mmmm. Succulent, mouth-watering beef. Come to me.

5. Take a Kingston Boat Tour. I don't exactly know how to do this. But my officemate keeps insisting that I go. And that I should perfectly time it so that I'm on the boat when the sun sets because it's apparently absolutely beautiful. How exciting. I should do this in June.

6. And since Kingston is in such close proximity to Ottawa and Montreal, why haven't I taken a weekend trip to either of these cities? I'd love to go to Ottawa for Canada Day. This needs to happen.

7. I want to make my last four months in Kingston count. And if that includes stuffing myself by trying out all the restaurants I wanted to visit in Kingston, then so be it. See: Niji Sushi, Copper Penny, Luke's.

8. Study at Douglas Library. In the Harry Potter Room. I still haven't been inside. I know, shame on me.

9. Take pictures along the lake in the spring. Or, better yet, fly a kite by the lake in the spring. I've seen people do this, and I want in. Also, I don't really walk around the lake area very much, so I should probably wander the area before I leave.

10. Carrot cake. The Sleepless Goat. Enough said.

There are probably more things to add to this list, but I'll leave it at that for now.

Oh, Kingston. I'm going to miss you when I leave. I'm going to try to make the most out of my last few months with you.

"In all affairs, it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted."
- Bertrand Russell

The Case for UK Law Schools - A Personal Dilemma

As most of you know (since I never shut up about it), I visited Europe last summer and loved it. So much that I resolved to one day live there, even if it was just for a short period of time. Paris, I loved. But since I don't speak French, I can't foresee myself being there for anything related to education. But London, I loved just as much.

And that leads me to today's dilemma. Please excuse me. I'm about to ramble on for a bit. What else is new?

So, a couple of weeks ago, I blogged about recent law school acceptances I received. And so far, I've received acceptances from 2 schools in the United States and 2 schools in London, England.

Granted, I'm still waiting to hear back from a few other schools in Canada and the U.S., so I guess I'm prematurely stressing myself out (as I usually do). But here's the dilemma anyway.

When I applied to law school, I didn't realize how hard it would be to actually choose which one I should go to. I was just hoping against hope that I'd actually get in. Anywhere. But now that I'm faced with choices, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to choose between the offers I currently have. It's really hard. Cost-Benefit analysis, anyone?

Which brings me to this dilemma. I've heard conflicting reports about getting your law school education in London. On the face of it, there are so many cons. Examples: Extremely high (expensive) standards of living, expensive tuition, and most importantly, the process of coming back to Canada to write the NCA accreditation exam in order to practice here.

But then again, I know several people who attended law school in London, loved it, came back, wrote the NCA exams flawlessly, and found a job immediately, erasing their debts just a few years into employment.

On the other hand, the schools in the U.S. that I'm considering are just as reputable. And just as expensive. And a pretty large distance away from home. And it's a year longer than a degree from London.

Do you see my dilemma? Do you see? I don't know what to do. I really need to do a cost-benefit analysis. Stressful decisions, these. Am I crazy to think that law school in London isn't such a terrible idea? Is staying in North America the better choice?

I know I shouldn't seriously consider UK law schools in terms of practicality (do I really want to move halfway around the world for two years?), and I should probably consider the U.S. schools more seriously, but I still find the entire acceptance package from London extremely attractive. Am I crazy to think so? The term funding bewitched me, I tell you. Not to mention the actual experience of living in Europe. But that's my shallow side talking.

And so this is my dilemma, friends. As I continue to hear back from schools in the next two months, I'm sure I'll be ridden by even more bouts of anxiety. I can't wait until everything comes in and I can finally weigh all my choices properly.

Oh, life-changing decisions. I guess I should face it: I'm really, really not ready to be an adult yet. It's too hard, I tell you.

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition."
- Martha Washington

"There’ll be two dates on your tombstone and all your friends will read them. But all that is going to matter is that little dash between."
- Kevin Welch

Tim Hortons Roll Up The Rim - Am I Ever Going To Win?!

Okay, so, true facts. When I was twelve years old, my dad and I were driving on the highway one evening in early March when one of those spectacularly random events unfolded right in front of us. It was, like, equivalent to money falling from the sky. Only this actually happened.

A huge truck drove past us when, suddenly, the tire swerved to avoid something on the highway. Except the swerve was pretty sharp and, stopping suddenly, the back door of the truck swiveled open and boxes upon boxes fell out. As tons of boxes toppled onto the highway, all of its contents fell out.

Guess what the boxes held?

Hundreds and hundreds of empty Tim Horton's Roll Up The Rim cups.

I know, right? All over the highway. Amazing.

You should have seen it. To this day, I still laugh when I think about the number of people who pulled over, stepped out, and ran around the highway frantically grabbing as many Roll Up The Rim cups as they could. People fought over the cups. People grabbed garbage bags from the trunk of their cars and proceeded to stuff Roll Up The Rim cups into the bags. Said garbage bags were also on the verge of exploding once all the cups were cleaned up. There were some pretty satisfied people stuffing those garbage bags into their trunks later that night.

Amazing. Amazing.

So did we participate in this venture? Obviously. Who are we kidding? I'm shameless when it comes to free stuff. I always have been. Even when I was twelve.

Anyway, we scored about 20 cups. Because we were slow. And because other people grabbing cups were maniacs. However, on to the more important question: guess what we won after rolling up the rim of all those cups? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Boo. What happened to the 1 in 6 chances to winning deal? With that many cups, we should have at least won a donut. Double boo.

However, despite never having won a Roll Up The Rim prize ever, I still secretly hope that one day, I'll win something. A donut, anything. I like the idea of breaking even with a purchase. Example: Hypothetically, I buy a Apple Cider, I roll up the rim, I win a coffee. I break even and get a drink for free! Woot. Awesome. Little things like ~breaking even~ and winning a donut excite me. Don't judge. There aren't many other exciting things going on in this grad life beyond schoolwork, you see.

Anyway, while it might be a meaningless chase, that quest to win something elusive is addictively fun. (I'm addicted to competition and winning. I don't know if it's an only child thing, but it's definitely why I joined dodgeball). And hey, it worked for Charlie on his quest to find that Golden Ticket, yes? I have such a weird fascination with that book. And I was so happy when he found that ticket. Please, I know I wasn't the only one emotionally invested in that search.

Have fun participating (if you choose) in yet another month of Roll Up The Rim! I wish all of you the best of chances in finding that elusive golden ticket! Something fun to look forward to in the midst of All. This. Work. Sad Face. I'm swamped with too much to do, are you?

Now, I'm off to worry in a corner about a major presentation I have tomorrow. Perhaps I'll need a Tim Horton's Apple Cider to calm my nerves (I'm jittery). Served in a Roll Up The Rim cup, obviously.

"Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous secretly cling to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. But rather, it is a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan."
- Serendipity

“Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”
- Oscar Wilde

Reading Week: A Week of Highlights and Free Stuff (!!)

It's only Thursday and I'm already echoing my sentiments from the end of Christmas break: I really really don't want to leave home. Reading Week has been too short. Too short. Too short. What am I going to do when (or if) I leave the country for law school next year? I won't be coming home for Reading Week. The thought boggles my mind.

After an eventful Coach bus ride to Toronto last Friday, spending much of my time making awkward conversation with my student who boarded the same bus I did (you read the right), I arrived in Toronto, lugging my suitcase (carrying all my students' essays for Reading Week marking) and monstrous backpack off the Coach bus, and happily skipped down Dundas Street towards Eaton Centre. Hey, at least I didn't have as many suitcases as the last time I came home, yea? Oh, the relief. I was so happy to be back in Toronto. Alicia met me by the Pickle Barrel and we happily stuffed ourselves for lunch to celebrate the beginning of Reading Week.

As soon as I got home on Friday night, however, I had to go straight to work. Reading Week hasn't been a walk in the park. I've had to work on a major presentation, work on 2 thirty-page papers, trudge through 300 pages of reading, and sit through marking at least 30 essays.

Boo. Oh well. Not even all that work could sour my mood. I'm just glad to be home.

However, Tuesday was a welcome break from all that work. And it was definitely one of the highlights of the week so far. Not only did I get to wander UofT's campus for the first time in a year, it was also a day of arbitrarily being handed free stuff. And everyone loves free stuff, right? Right??

So. Here's the story.

On Tuesday morning, I hopped on the GO train and headed to the University of Toronto campus to meet my officemate Janice. I had to pass along her 50 student essays ready for marking. I hadn't been on UofT's campus since I graduated a year ago, and I can't express on this blog how excited I was to visit campus. I'm a shameless nerd like that.

Because I'm a cheap grad student, I refused to pay $3.00 for the subway and walked to campus from Union Station instead. Oh, how I've missed walking through the P.A.T.H.! Oh, how I've missed walking down Yonge Street! Oh, how I've missed people-watching oblivious Bay Street workers fumbling away on their Crackberries. Oh, how I've missed walking through the city! Oh, how I've missed it all! (Sorry. It's the excitement. I'm really not this cheesy).

Yet walking to the Starbucks at the corner of St. George and College Street, I was a little taken aback. Ordering my usual tea latte, I was told I didn't have to pay for my drink. Bewildered, I glanced around suspiciusly, wondering if someone was pulling my own Starbucks experiment on me. But no, I received a free drink. For absolutely no reason. Awesome.

And so, I studied at Starbucks for awhile. I didn't have to meet Janice until 11:30 am, you see. But I was a little eager to get downtown, so I had arrived at UofT's campus, um, a little too early. After studying for awhile, I stood up, walked to the Starbucks barista to order a second drink. And yet, after I ordered, the barista refused to take my money. I received a free drink again. For absolutely no reason. I have no idea why or how. I couldn't believe my luck.

Free Starbucks drinks? Two of them? What!

So I skipped happily out of Starbucks, walked up St. George Street, and waited for Janice inside Robarts Library, marvelling at the familiarity. I've missed this campus so much. Yet as I sat by the first floor computers, I noticed a curious slip of paper peeking out from under the couch. Leaning over, I gaped in surprise to find a $10 bill.

Free Starbucks drinks? Free money? What!

So Janice and I spent the day studying, eating at a local Thai restaurant, wandering the halls of the Political Science department at Sidney Smith, stopping by the offices of our former professors. It was fantastic to be back, even if it was just for a few hours. I can't even explain how happy I was to see my old department. I spent four incredible years at UofT, and it was an honour to walk through Sidney Smith's 3rd Floor all over again.

Later that evening, sitting at a local Tim Horton's with Alicia and Mishal, I ordered a medium Hot Chocolate (I only ordered a medium so I could Roll Up The Rim) and one peanut butter cookie. When we reached our table, I opened my cookie package and found that I had been given two large cookies instead. An extra cookie? For free? Why? I never get anything for free!

Free Starbucks drinks? Free money? Free cookies? What!

Okay, so the free stuff was awesome. I'll admit it. Especially the free cookies. But beyond all the free stuff, I'm just so glad I had the chance to see my old department again. To wander the halls of my former buildings. To wander the city I love. To take in the familiarity of places I spent four years of my undergraduate experience in. And last but not least, I'm so glad I had the chance to spend parts of my week with friends. With family. With family friends. To drive around my beloved little suburb.

If there's anything Reading Week has taught me (other than the fact that I really enjoy free stuff! Woot!), it's the realization that wherever I'll be next year for law school, I'll miss home terribly. I'm almost certain that I'll be leaving the country in September, leaving home for three years. The thought boggles my mind.

Home is where your heart will always be, friends. Let's all enjoy and appreciate the time we have at home during our visits. The time flies by too fast.

"Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserve; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room."- Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave,
and grow old wanting to get back to.”
- John Ed Pearce

Happy Reading Week (or Spring Break), Everyone!

It's finally Reading Week. Finally. Finally. I leave Kingston tomorrow on a bus bound for Toronto, and I can't wait to come home and see everyone. Plus, it's Family Day weekend, so I'm sure my parents have a number of activities planned for us when I get back. And let's not forget the important part: I'll finally have the chance to gobble down some of my mother's cooking. Yum. Home-cooked meals. I've missed you!

Ah, home. I haven't been back since Christmas break, and I have to admit that, as much as I love Kingston, I've had several bouts of homesickness in the last couple of months. I can't wait to come home, I'm so, so excited.

Side Note: The picture above is misleading. No, I'm not going to Cuba. Or Mexico. Or anything quite that exciting. Because for Reading Week, I'll... actually be reading. Friends, I have so much to do over the break. It definitely won't be a holiday, to say the least. For instance, I'm not looking forward to lugging home 50 student essays to mark on top of all my work.

And so, for Reading Week, I foresee myself spending hours at UofT's Robarts Library next week to get some work done and to, let's face it, pretend I'm a UofT student again. Because I'm a nerd like that. And I miss it.

However, despite that miserable stack of work I'll be taking home, I'm still excited. Because I'm coming home! Home! Home for 11 days! No amount of work can take away this excitement!

I wish all of you a safe and wonderful Reading Week! Have lots of fun for me!

"Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth."
- Martin H. Fischer

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."
- Henry Van Dyke

The Day I Got Into Law School

Yesterday started off like an ordinary day. Our students have a major essay due tomorrow, so I expected a whole slew of students to drop by my office hours yesterday morning. What possessed me to hold office hours at 9:00 am? Really? And indeed, my students did show up at that hour. It was pre-essay deadline mayhem, actually.

I wasn't expecting it to be a remarkable day. I was really tired. Exhausted. Sleep deprived. I had a presentation for Elections that I was writing and, honestly, I was counting down the days until I would leave Kingston for Reading Week. And yet, just like the old saying goes, when you least expect it, something remarkable does happen. Clutching my thermos full of caffeinated Chocolate Chili Chai tea (it sounds gross, but it really isn't), I flipped open my laptop, logged into my email, and paused in stunned silence.

I found an email with the subject line "(University Name) Offer Letter."

What. What. What. What.

I think I actually stopped breathing for a moment.

Cautiously, I opened the email, and the feeling that came after reading the first two paragraphs was indescribable. When you have worked towards something for almost a decade, when you have dreamed of a certain moment since you were twelve years old, when you decisively wrote in your eighth grade yearbook that you wanted to go to law school, the feeling of achieving that goal years and years later is initially one of numbing shock. And then absolute, utter delight. The kind of delight you feel when something so seemingly out of reach suddenly becomes yours. Twenty four hours later, I still can't describe it. All I know is that I was so incredibly happy.

Grabbing my keys, I rushed to Dianne's office, cautiously opened her door, and, stunned, I blurted out the words, "I got into law school." In absolute delight, we jumped up and down in her office for more than a few minutes. I absolutely could not believe it. Side Note: it was, of course, also the moment that my student arrived (very) early for her appointment and witnessed me giggling like a fool. Ah well.

The rest of the day was a blur. And just when I thought the day could not get better, I checked my email again that afternoon. And, lo and behold, I found a second Offer of Admission to yet another school of choice in the United States. I couldn't believe it. Another school I thought was so out of reach for me wasn't as unattainable as I believed it would be.

Twenty four hours later, I'm still in shock. After spending the last five hours at the QP celebrating, I'm now sitting here applying to the last two law schools on my list. I'm so excited that I can't concentrate on anything else. It's been such a fabulous week full of more surprises than I could have imagined.

Good things happen when we least expect it, yea? I began the week exhausted. Really, I was in a crummy crummy crummy mood. I thought Reading Week would never come. And yet, two days later, I'm elated. As grad students, we tend to get into a routine that leaves us exhausted, defeated, uncertain about the work we are doing. Let this blog post serve to encourage all of us that great surprises and opportunities are waiting for us just around the corner. So take heart!

I think we all have dreams of some sort. We may not all know what we want as a career, but I think we would all agree that we want to be happy with whatever we choose to do. As I went through middle school, high school, and university, I always knew what career would make me happy. Lawyers get a bad rep, but I don't have any doubts that this is something I would love to do for the rest of my life. I've watched and volunteered for enough lawyers to know that it's a job I want to have. I love the work, I love the reading, I love everything about it. And yet, the only obstacle always in my way was the extremely competitive process to enter law school. Last year, I'll admit that I was devastated when I wasn't accepted into the school of my choice. And yet, in the last two days, something that seemed so unattainable was suddenly handed to me.

For the rest of my life, I will never forget the day I got into law school. I've always thought about the moment when I would receive an acceptance letter. And it finally happened. I have no doubt that yesterday was a day that changed my life. Law school is still months away and there are still decisions to be made. And yet I can't wait for all of it to start!

And so, learning a lesson from my own uncertainties, I wish you, dear readers, all the best with finding and attaining that career, job, or program that will make you happy. Things may seem uncertain right now, but you never know what surprises are waiting for you around the corner. Let this blog post encourage all of you to pursue the career or program you want to get involved with. You are all capable of greatness. Of doing wonderful things for the country and the world we live in. And I have absolute faith in all of you.

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible."
- Doug Larson

"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love."
- Mother Teresa

Confessions of a Former History Student: A Lecture By Norm Finklestein

I've been neglecting this blog the last two weeks. And I'm sorry, dear friends. Truthfully, I've been swamped. Ever have those weeks where you feel like you need more hours in the day to complete everything you need to do? That's the thing. I have too much to do. And come this Thursday, I'll have stacks of essays to mark on top of all my work.

Boo. I need sleep. And perhaps a day off.

But, my friends. Despite this bleak introduction to a long-overdue blog post, I have some news that has the history fanatic in me hopping around in excitement.

It all started this morning. I rolled out of bed at 5:30 am, sighing over the fact that I would be in class from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm today. And so, exhausted, I walked to school. And I trudged up the stairs of Mackintosh-Corry Hall, wondering blearily whether I should have eaten more for breakfast. The most important meal of the day, you know? I went through class, walked to my next class, the usual.

Until, of course, I walked down the hall to purchase a snack. And I noticed a poster hanging by the 3rd floor hallway. Walking by, I did a double take.

The poster announced a lecture being given next week, February 15, at an auditorium on campus. The speaker? Norman Finklestein.

Oh. my. gosh. Be still my beating academic heart.

Friends, at that moment, I completely forgot about my exhaustion and stress. Norman Finklestein is coming to Kingston?!? Wow. I cannot believe I get to hear him lecture. I can't even begin to explain my excitement. Really, to put it bluntly, it's that can't-control-my-bladder excitement. You know what I mean.

Now, I know how unpopular Norman Finklestein is. The controversy? It isn't pretty. For a brief overview on who Norm Finklestein is, click here. Essentially, Finklestein is known in most circles as a major critic of what he calls the "Holocaust industry." In his book, he accuses the industry of manipulating the memory of the Holocaust for financial gain. He also believes that constant discussion of the Holocaust does nothing but promote a biased agenda based on Israeli interests.

Now, in my former life as an undergraduate student, my second major (aside from Political Science) was History. And I loved it. A few years ago, while taking Doris Bergen's phenomenal course on the history of the Holocaust at UofT, I decided to write a paper on Holocaust retribution efforts. It was here that I stumbled across Finklestein's well-known book The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering. It's an extremely controversial book and has been the subject of extensive criticism. But it was also an extremely interesting read, and I remember spending months researching that topic, specifically looking at a lot of Finklestein's other work. It's absolutely fascinating from an academic perspective. To this day, that paper is still one of my favourite undergraduate projects.

Since his publication, Finklestein has been denied tenure at DePaul University, criticized extensively, denied entry into Israel, and received numerous death threats. He's an interesting academic. Controversial content but also a great speaker. Ingredients for an interesting lecture, yes?

Despite his controversial work and stance, I'm still pretty excited to see him lecture next week for the sheer interest of watching and listening to an academic I've had to read and study about extensively. As I said, I absolutely loved Doris Bergen's Holocaust course at UofT and, truthfully, I miss taking history courses. This will be such a refreshing change from my usual classes!

Have nothing to do on Tuesday, February 15? Check this event out!

WHO: Dr. Norm Finklestein
PRESENTING ON: Israel and Palestine: Past, Present and Future
WHERE: Queen's University - Etherington Auditorium
WHEN: February 15, 7:30 pm
COST: $10.00 with your Student ID (I can give up my Starbucks fix next week for this)

“In all things it is better to hope than to despair.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you must not forget to laugh."
- Katharine Hepburn