It'll cost an arm...

So, next week, I will officially be a student again! This time at LaTrobe University studying a Graduate Diploma of Creative Writing. I am in ELEVENTH HOUR preparations to begin classes and get an extension on my Visa. It seems like it will be an interesting program, with a minimum of contact hours. And it won't be that expensive...just an arm. They can take my left one.

What to do?

1. Head to the Coast, get in the water and lie on the sand.
then...
2. Get to work.
3. Ask lots and lots of questions and hope you'll finally talk to someone who can answer them.
4. Find a program at a University that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, even for an International student!
5. Find a way to transfer money from one account to another, and then from one country to another in time!
6. Alter expectations.
7. Be humble and ready to learn from each new experience.
8. Believe that everything is possible even if it means I might have to eat rice and beans for a while.

The 5 Point Hustle

I'm 5 points short of a successful application to be a Permanent Resident in Australia! What to do?

Hot Air Balloons

Hot air balloons hover over Collingwood in the smokey morning sky on a Saturday morning.

Back in Hazy Melbourne

I'm back in Melbourne and gradually recovering from jet-lag. It doesn't seem as bad as it was heading back in time to the Northern Hemisphere, but it still left me a bit vague for a few days.
This is the morning view from Rancho Deluxo today. The sun is high, but the smoke from the bushfires outside of the city have affected it's intensity and it's colour. The whole city is hazy, and the fires are devastating. Check out www.theage.com.au for more information. It's beyond sad, but the whole state and the nation are rallying around those people who have lost family and property.

Because I can't shut up about it!

...just a few more highlights of my visit in Victoria:

** Great friends and food and Martinis of all kinds at the Demmings'.
** Workouts at the Y, enjoying the benefits of Membership Plus.
** Extra Strong lattes at Cafe Fantastico with Starr.
** The Party at John and Christon's!
** Helping mobilize the Theatre Work for Cabaret.** Being asked to speak (and being very honoured to do so!) at Josie Bernhard's retirement party. ** Eating random good food around town with Linda. ** Catching up with Katydids at the KoDa residence.
** "Christmas Dinner" at Lori and Peter's.
** A Night out on the town with Tiffany, Lauren and Amber.** Drinks with Kevin and Troy, and yelling over a really bad, really loud Latin band.

Iconic Canadian Fast Food

Some Reasons Why Timmy's is Quintessentially Canadian:

** Sure, the menus has diversified over the years, but really, It's still all about the donut....whichever one is your fave: The Yeast donut, The Cake donut, the Dipped donut or the Cream-filled donut. (And the Krullers! Don't even get me started!)
** It's warm stuff to eat and drink when you are cold. Well, the coffee and the soup are. I guess the donuts aren't hot or cold, they're just plain sweet. However, I think metabolizing sugar raises your body temperature and makes you warm as a result. So therefore, all Tim Horton's offerings are suitable given the cold climate that persists in most of Canada during a good part of the year. (Sorry...apologies for that last bit! A wee bit nerdy and just far too bloggy. Won't happen again.)
** A coffee with two creams and two sugars is called a Double-Double here.
** The donut holes are sold in boxes as Timbits, and are derigeur at any potluck function.
** Tim Horton was a well-known Ontario hockey player who started in the restaurant business in the 60's.
** You can plan a trip across the nation and basically hop from one Tim Horton's to another for all your meals. (Canada is a massive country, so this means there are a lot of Tim Horton's!)
** You just have to love any place that is also called "Timmy Ho-Ho's"

To Sum Up...

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am very bad at Math. And for those of you who don't ... there you go: some insight. Math is definitely a weakness; my Achilles Heel; a chink in the armour.

Yeah. Math. Not good at it. Avoid it at all costs. So, funny that I find myself trying to "sum up" (value, quantify, qualify) my experience of the three week holiday I enjoyed back home in Victoria, BC.
Sure, I could tell you what the trip actually cost me, and how many people I saw and how long each of our visits were, and it would be an EPIC story problem, but I just don't have the energy in me to devise it.

Bottom line? I can only speak about the quality of the time I had, and it was the quality of the visits I had with people that made my return to Victoria SO WORTHWHILE!

Time was short, so conversations were mostly intense and about really important stuff. After all, there was 1.5 years to catch up on with a lot of people! Laughs were doubled and compounded (Can I do that? Too bad if there's a Math rule that says I can't!), and so were tears in some cases.
There was not a lot of down time, and the schedule was chockers...and I'm happy I made it as busy as I did. I have WONDERFUL friends and family in Canada, and I'm lucky to have them! I am beyond pleased that I got to see and share valuable time with a great many of them.

A Big Canadian Bear hug to every single last one of you!
Thank you. 1+1=2

Scrabble

My Scrabble skills have improved somewhat as a result of my visit home. Mom and Dad are hardcore competitors, and we've played some pretty serious games!

Blackmail

Now I have evidence of Iggy's dirty little secret. The family cat can yell at me all he wants.... with shots like this, he'll never work in this town again!

Acting Alumni

During my time in Victoria, I spent some time with a very talented and committed group of young actors. We brainstormed and researched some scripted scene work and found a basis for some original devised pieces they will present this year in March at CABARET. They are a good-looking, smart, creative and funny team.

The Fam

We had a great influx of extended family over the weekend! On Saturday, we all went out for brunch. My cousin Starr and her husband, John.
My Uncle John and Aunt Kathie. The parents...Mom is looking for a waiter. I've got to say, although the food was exceptional at Mo:Le, we waited 45 minutes for a table and then another half an hour for our food! A bit much, you know what I mean?It's a good thing that Habit is next door to Mo:Le. While we waited for a table, we enjoyed some of the best coffee in Victoria!

The Family Cat

...is a bit pissy that I am visiting. And that's okay with me, as I am NOT a cat person. He and I tolerate each other, and I ignore him when he yells at me.

Feral Peacocks

It was good to see that the peacocks that roam aimlessly around Beacon Hill Park are still there. On this particular day, they were wandering around the putting green. I was surprised when we saw several different groups of three and four at a time! Obviously, they are too pretty for anyone to consider controlling the population. Knowing Victoria, there would be huge uproar if anything like that were to happen. People would climb trees in protest! Petitions and marches on Parliament or the Animal Control offices would also ensue. Remember what happened when they culled the bunny population at the hospital?