It’s been a long time since my last post, but times have been very busy. During the last weeks I had three midterms which required quite a lot of studying, so I spent many, many hours in the library. Lab reports were still going on, so this had to be done as well. Although the library is quite a nice place (see picture) and I don’t mind being there (actually preferring it to my home at the moment ;)), I am very relieved now about a little break from studying. Luckily I have found really good friends here so there still were many coffee breaks, great cooking sessions, hiking, running, swimming and distraction going on to maintain happiness.
Since the weather was absolutely fantastic most of the days I was desperate to spend time outside. Besides running through the forests during the week, we benefit a very sunny Sunday hiking from Deep Cove to Lynn Valley in North Vancouver. Especially in Deep Cove I was so surprised and pleased by the beautiful bay. Everything was so calm and the water with the surrounding hills looked some kind of mysterious. Hard to believe that it was so close to the lively city. The hike was very nice going through humid forests, few people walking there.
We did not take the cardiac bypass, but I loved the name of this path, so I just had to take a picture - good prescription/prevention of an actual bypass, walking there once in a while. For everyone who likes it more extreme and prefers cliff-jumping there is very nice advice: besides this interesting fact, that when you fall into the water your shoes might be destroyed, nice little pictures illustrate all the tips. Another good one: there is a strong current. People have tried to escape it, but did not succeed.
The famous UBC apple festival was quite a disappointment. Instead of being able to taste many different sorts of apples you had to queue up for everything for ages and then you got three pieces of apple… (which is not exactly what we were hoping for after a morning in the library and hungry student stomachs). So we ended up making great plans for dinner and had delicious burritos at my place in the evening.
After been here for more than two months I am really fed up with all the food you buy at the university or downtown, so I started cooking again. This is just so much better (especially when doing with friends)! Besides that simple pasta is unbelievably expensive, vegetables are really quite cheap and good when you buy them in the nice little farm markets. Guess what four German students cook out in Canada? Mashed potato, fresh spinach and scrambled eggs :) But we also already had pumpkin-risotto, couscous, delicious burritos, pumpkin soup, yam fries…
So you see, I really settle in by now. Most important feature for settling in: a bike! One lovely Saturday morning I bought a nice mountain-bike and from now on I go to university by bike. Simply great! It’s about a 25 minutes ride. Just need some further equipment such as lights, waterprooven saddlebags and gum boots to be prepared for all weather conditions. Another great plus is going swimming every second day at eight o’clock in the morning with a friend. Great start in the day.
Last weekend it was Halloween. We all know what happened to Halloween in Germany and I have to say I was not very keen on Halloween with German Halloween on my mind. But here it was just amazing and it just fitted. It’s a big thing for most people, families, students, older people… People are crazy about dressing up (but not just scary dressing, just dressing up) and the houses are very nicely decorated. Actually it is the only time of the year where they have fireworks as well. Weird feeling, hearing fireworks everywhere, the excitement of New Year’s Eve associated with it, but just not real.
We had Halloween on Saturday, beginning with an amazing pancake breakfast in the sun, picnic-style– I am absolutely perfect in throwing them up in the air now :) - with bananas, syrup, strawberries and coffee… Afterwards we all dressed up, being very creative (at least for my interest in creativity and dressing up ;)). It was a lot of fun and finally we turned into candy, crazy lab person, the joker and night sky. We walked through the Parade of Lost Souls, which was basically a walk downtown through little streets, people having decorated their houses, performances going on and many, many people. Afterwards we danced through the night at a house party. Sunday was a perfect lazy day, having breakfast at three o’clock, chatting and strolling through the streets. We found a shop selling Oblatenlebkuchen, Stollen, Marzipankartoffeln … and we were as merry as a lark about this discovery! Great weekend after these busy days. And again, despite the weather forecast the sun was shining (except when I had to walk home one and a half hour at night… ).
Pictures of Halloween are yet to come, I did not take my camera, since all the others did. So hopefully I will get some soon! Currently I am back to room hunt – just to keep me busy ;) All my roommates are moving out as well, we just did not get along with our landlord at all. Anyways, I am quite optimistic and relaxed so far. And now the snow is coming down, you can already see some on the coastal mountains close to Vancouver.
Winter season is coming up! Besides looking forward to snowboarding in Whistler I am very excited about something else: last Thursday I helped fixing the backcountry skis from the Outdoor club. So I am very curious how it is like going back to skiing after 11 or 12 years of snowboarding :) Can’t wait to hit the vast mountains with the club.
