Reaching Out

So. Dad and I took a leisurely drive through New Brunswick and Quebec, staying in Edmundston and Vaudreuil. On our third day, we managed to fit in Ottawa, where I could visit Stepha, and a one-hour tour of the Thousand Islands from Gananoque. And by evening, I was in Toronto.

The next day, I checked out a bit of Hamilton, and wandered around campus. And by wandering around campus, I mean, looking for campus maps, talking to the International Center folks, and hunting down my department's secretary, Bianca James. Bianca very awesomely showed me around the floor! Where classes are held, and the student lounge, and even introduced me to the chair. She even photocopied the schedule for next year's classes, which are mostly confirmed. So. I'm set. I guess there are benefits to being an irrepressible busybody.

I had trouble finding storage space, but my stuff is now safely stowed awayon Hess Street, a charming little road downtown Hamilton. I went looking for places to stay and called up landlords. Yesterday, I signed a lease for a one-bedroom apartment on Ofield Rd.

So, starting August, my address will be:
63 Ofield Rd
Hamilton, ON
L8S 2M6, Canada

It's a basement apartment, which is new for me - I usually avoid basements because they tend to be the coldest part of a house, but worse comes to worst, I'll just buy a space heater. The apartment itself is pretty huge. I pay $720 for everything except phone and internets. Some wardrobe space is provided, too. In fact, there's a smaller room besides the bedroom, which the current tenant is using as a study, but I think I'll use it as a walk-in closet (yes, for some reason, I just have that much clothing). I'm also considering the idea of using it as a changing room and utilizing the hugeness of the apartment as a studio space. It's 2.2km from Gilmour Hall where I'll be doing most of my classes

Dad and I also went to Spencer Gorge to see the Webster Falls. A real waterfall! That is open to the public! Incredible! I was very impressed - I love waterfalls and rivers; they are my favourite bodies of water. There was a very big one, and then a smaller one, and I won't lie, I started shooting pictures of it to plan for nudes.

I'm staying with a family friend in Toronto right now. She grew up with my dad, and her younger brother was his best friend growing up, and their moms were best friends. (This younger brother also lives in Subang Jaya, and I grew up with his kids too.) This is the second family friend I've been living with and while they are nice people, I want to stop traveling. I've always been a homebody, and I hate couch-surfing, so this living in a place that's not my own is sad-making.

Dad and I leave for Malaysia on Monday. He's not happy about the amount of shit I had. But then, my dad doesn't like the idea of collecting stuff, and I do.

I'm really excited for the fall. Also, I need to plan my next novel, and it should have been done by now! I've got so many ideas to plan for... augh!

All right, next entry will be from Malaysia.

After much talking and changing of plans, my dad has decided to come up in June, right after I get back from WisCon, to help me move. I'm looking to re-route my Halifax-Kuala Lumpur flight to Hamilton-KL.

I am in need of space to put my stuff away when I leave on May 12 for New Jersey. Anybody in my flist who lives in Halifax willing to help keep stuff for me from May 12 - 31? If you agree to hold my books, you can rifle through the boxes all you like!

Also, the following items are up for sale (or whatever, to be honest):

- writing desk
- coffee table + two side tables
- papasan chair
- corner shelf
- 2 foldable chairs
- drop-leaf table + three dining room chairs
- 1 televsion + shelf
- i futon couch

I would like to take the dropleaf table and coffee table with me, but I doubt I'll find anybody to store it for me in the meantime.

So, my dad's coming up June 1 or 2, and we're going to visit Cape Breton, then we'll rent a U-Haul and take the long drive out to Toronto. We'll probably spend an overnight in Montreal, I think, I hope - anybody who's moved to Ontario from Halifax care to tell me how long it really takes?

Once in Toronto, we'll put my stuff in storage in Hamilton, and swan around Toronto and Hamilton. I want to get hold of the local maps there and visit the campus.

I've checked out the potential courses for the school year, and I'm pretty excited at what I see. I've got half a mind to email a couple of profs I'm interested in talking to (neither of whom are teaching the classes I want to take, oddly) to pitch my thesis idea (steampunk as postcolonial narrative tool) and see if they'll be my advisor.

I totally want to order the books we are reading in classes and get to them immediately, and spend my summer prepping for the course, just because I have the time.

Man, I'm a nerd.

ANYWAY.

HALIFAX PEOPLE.

WANNA HANG OUT WITH ME BEFORE I GO?