Gosh- it feels like a lifetime since I spoke to you all. Such things I have to tell you- Oy, so much to cover.
Where to begin? Well, the move went smoothly. Ben dropped us off and we spent the next week or so unpacking and exploring. Fritz settled in very quickly and the place actually looks really good. The building is a bit noisier than we expected, but that was mostly because of Labour Day weekend and the move-in thumping as people constructed furniture, etc. There are quite a few “real people” and families here, so it should be very nice. In any case, the actually-small amount of noise never goes too late. We actually got to hang all our paintings and degrees, and we have a quiet library nook. The study looks wonderful- very scholarly and grown up (feel free to snicker). The living room is spacious, easy to keep clean, and inviting, and the dining room looks very chic.
There are weak points, though. The fridge and stove are kinda decrepit. The shower is one of those hotel-type nozzles that feels more like a hobo pissing on you than a good, hard shower. Oh well, two black marks out of a hundred ain't not that bad.
We were SO happy to see our stuff again- especially the mattresses- and have slept and ate very well since arriving. I’ve had some panic attacks about money or PhD-flop, but those are only temporary and really quite un-founded.
We had a couple of weeks to explore the city before school stuff started, so we are pretty comfortable now. There are duck ponds, wildlife parks, wet lands, creeks, and hot air balloons enough to strangle a mule (I’m not kidding about the balloons, either). Many, many gardens, mills from the 1800s, bridges and old Victorian-factories-turned-museums. Two art-house cinemas (at which we treated ourselves to Broken Flowers this week- superb!), and at least one googolplex. Public Library is just down the street, as well as an ice rink and an Indian grocer’s, with all the samosa and spices we could possibly need. (The milk here, by the way, is farm fresh and cheap as hell.) There are at least three vegetarian restaurants, and a cat hospital on the corner. The “Uptown” is pedestrian-friendly, and quite human and cheerful. Some drunkenness, but very little compared to Hammieville (urrrrgh, I just got a cold chill at typing that name again).
The title of this entry, by the way, refers to the “Loo-y”, our new title for the Hammies of Waterloo. They are tacky and uncouth, but they still beat their predecessors by a mile!
The new comp is quick and arrived the very first week. It’s all black and new and shiny, and I wonder how long it will take to break? WE FINALLY HAVE INTERNET! Only about ten years late…
The profs at Laurier are all hip and chatty and young (or at least mentally young and fresh). My supervisor, Faydra, is sweet and kind, and only a few years older than me. The grad supervisor (who is also my TA supervisor and one of my profs for next term, as well as being on my committee), Ron, is cool and rugged and clearly an old hippy who loves making chili and driving around on his classic motorcycle. The prof for my mandatory PhD seminar this term is an absolute knock-out. Young and chic (with a honeyed way of talking that makes you listen and forget to breathe), she studies Caribbean Diaspora culture and may be very useful for my work. She also happens to chair the department, so is a welcome friend. They all have great senses of humour, especially Dr. Ross, who rolls his eyes and winks when he catches your eyes wandering away from the “honoured speakers” at functions. So, SO great!
Oh, and by the way, Christine: Cecelia Wassan (sic?) teaches here- I told her what a legend she was at Mac for finishing with Schuller. She was very… Schuller-esque, and grilled me on why I chose to leave the Scrolls. Oh well, they can’t all be super.
John is happy to be here, and we have met a couple of really nice people. The guy I TA with lives down the street with his wife, and we are currently sizing them up for “good friend” status. We met a guy last night at a Religion and Culture grad student function who looks like the animated singer from that “Belleville Rendezvous” video. (John says he looks more like a ‘young, debauched Riker’- you choose the image). He studies occult stuff, and he and John hit it off. Many good people here, I think, or at least enough for us to have a few friends.
We do, however, miss Christine (has Sid Borken arrived yet?), Catherine (my favourite Church Father), Mark (say hi to Plato for me- there is a bar here named the Symposium, so don’t be surprised at where we go when you visit) and Ben (have a root beer for us). We wish for calls, letters, visits, and emails very soon. I will leave off here, as I just wanted to let you all know I am still alive and kicking, and that we are well. We hope you are the same, and that you let us know how you are.
Ah, the train is passing. What a wonderful sound. Good night, everybody.
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