Reading Week

At Brock University, the spring break is called Reading Week. It begins on a Monday, which is a holiday for the entire province with the remainder of the week off. During the break, some fellow Bahamian students as well as myself decided to visit Ottawa and see the sites as it is the capital of Ontario.
While there some of the highlights of the journey included meeting the Bahamian High Commisioner, Mike Smith as well as his office Staff. We also missed the opportunity of a lifetime - US President Barack Obama who just happened to be 5 minutes away in the market, while we sat at #50 O'Connor street and sipped on refreshments from Starbucks merrily chatting away. We met and formed attachments to students from throughout the Carribbean with promises to return before our sojourn back home.

I lost my bag with my entire supply of texts and notes for my classes at Brock...yes most disheartening and while I have been in contact with the taxi company they are apparently not to big on the lost and found department if you know what I mean. I have however taken the neccessary procedures in alerting both my professors as well as their assistants and working on alternate routes to ensuring my success in my selected courses. This has been going well for the most part.
Midterms at Brock are unlike any that I have encountered at COB, for one of my courses there are two midterms!!! The others required me to either have written a paper, a few reflections or a group assignment. Right about now is where the drop add comes in handy as far as your grade goes, however none of the professors have posted any grades online as yet so its a catch -22 as far as that is concerned.
Being an international student has given me the opportunity to come into conact and make pleasant aquaintances with fellow studenst from such places as Africa, France, Germany, China and Chile - just to name a few. When they ask me where I am from and I reply 'The Bahamas', they are awed. Responses range from, 'Why did you come to this cold place?' to 'Can you take me back with you?' In the time that I have spent here there is an everyday encounter, no matter how miniscule that either reminds of home or makes me thank the Good Lord that I am a Bahamian and proud. We are blessed and highly favoured!!!

Treading on Thin Ice

Over the past few weeks as the temperatures raised and the snow melted, huge puddles were formed all around. In the evenings when the temperature dropped again, virtual ponds of thin ice were created. There were in parking lots, walkways and all along the paths. I literally treaded going back and forth from residence to campus on a daily basis. Now I know what it means when someone says you are treading on thin ice!!! The next time I hear this statement it will have a renewed meaning for me, simply because I would have accomplished the exact feat.
What I have come to realise however is that it is the dusk before the dawn. The last dredges of winter before the spring and it has just begun to thaw. Hurray for new beginnings!!!