lost in search of clarity

US NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists estimate you need one day for every one-hour time zone crossed to regain normal rhythm and energy levels.

great. 12 days of being a zombie.
i must start getting used to this new state of mind. get some new zombie-like wardrobe, think of zombie things to do, listen to zombie songs, eat zombie food…wow..

jet lag sucks

schools a bitch and then you die

Hello everybody! I am Not-A-Bear! I am a moose. Trust Me. I live in Quebec City in Quebec Province. This is a very old place dating from the 1600s and is a French city through and through. Even though the Brits came in in like the 18oos and took over, the Frenchi-ness still remains and is pervasive. Everybody speaks French here. We retain our old buildings, culture and traditions. I honestly think that Quebec city is reminiscent of a quaint old, romantic French town. Today was an exciting day because it is the Festival of Nouvelle France (the French settlers named Quebec New France) and there is a parade. People living in Quebec actually walk around in the 35 deg heat in their old costumes and stop to pose for pictures with tourists!

We have a fort, fountains and a funiculaire! Oh and voila ici: the Montmorency Falls!

Before i left for Toronto, we went to the Thousand Islands which is found smack in the middle of the St Lawrence Seaway which connects the Atlantic Ocean to Canada and the US. Took pictures of the island from the boat that we took! Filthy rich people own islands here and moon us plebians on the boat! (ok, it was this just one lil kid who pulled down his swimming trunks to show us his ass, rubbing it in that he owns an island.)

Ok thats it for today!

yes! i survived today aka the day of the test and the lab report due and the fact that i went away for a four day trip during the weekend when i shd be studying and doing my lab report but hoo hoo hoo, i cleared them all. now i really need to study for the exam. And the most amazing thing happened. The spastic test that i took last tuesday, the geology one that i studied for like errm i dunno 4 hours or less, i got an 80% for that. What the hell! If only this happens in Singapore. Ok and i made another friend, who is in my tutorial class. her name is B.i.s.m.a.h and she is a Pakistani but grew up in Saudi Arabia and did her high school in Canada and she is a senior like me and she hopes to get into Med School, had a good time with her stressing abt the test and the stupid report and talking to her after the test about school, singapore, her background and about life in general. Too bad that this is like my last ten days here. One thing i really regret is not going all out to make friends. I mean yeah, i have ppl that i talk to in lab, tutorial and lectures and stuff, but you know, the exchanges are limited to just the school related stuff. but well, you have 7 weeks and school and running ard everywhere so, you take what you can get i guess. ok i digressed again. Ohk, and i also want to scratch that slack stereotype of education systems other than singapore. please, ppl here are as competitive (actually, a lot more) hardworking and grades obsessed as singaporeans heh.

Ok so here are the pictures as usual.

Hello everyone! Im Groundie the Groundhog. I live underground in the Parliament Hill complex in Ottawa, the Capital City of Canada. Here is my neighbourhood:

Well, obviously, the security here is so slack that ppl can come just come up into the complex to take paparazzi pictures of me and even enter the Parliament Building. This arrangement reflects the openness and warmth of Canadian culture, unlike our neighbour down south who are obsessed with national security yada yada

Ottawa was chosen as the capital of Canada because its neither Frenchified or Anglo-fied and was especially chosen by Queen Victoria. Also, check out the awesome Gothic Revival architecture style of most buildings here that dates from the 1800s. That creepy face stares at me every day when i get out of my hole! Bye everyone!

awesome (sorry, i love this word right now). Im in Montreal and I get to stay in a McGill University residence (Harvard of Canada y’all, best place to study medicine, engineering, sciences, psychology, islamic studies, ok, you get the idea). And half the campus is on the slopes of Mount Royale and many of the buildings are like old English Houses from the dunno-what-century!. So pretty! This place, Nouvelle Residence beats my Toronto residence anytime! TV and fridge in the room!
I MET C.H.U.N M.E.N.G! I was so happy to meet her (of course we very the excited then forget to take picture) She still looks the same, still talks faster than me, still the same old Chun, but she has really really matured into such a lady. She just left for London to work in Rothschild as an Investment Banker! Phwoooooooaaar! We sat at a lebanese diner (whats new?) and ate and talked and talked and talked. And then it rained/stormed (there were hailstones in other part of Quebec Province, how cool!) And then we ran in the rain to get back to the residence. Haha. That was just funny! So many years to catch up on, till the next time (anybody want to sponsor me to go London?)

Lotsa cathedrals in Montreal. First is the Notre Dame, the other is the St Marie and another one called St Joseph’s on top of Mount Royale (sorry, lazy to put up picture).The gorgeous Spanish girl beside me is s.a.r.a who is a radio presenter in Madrid, very humble and unassuming girl, lovely to talk to! spanish girls are really really gorgeous, there were many of them in my bus!

Montreal is like a mini european city with lots of old buildings and signs in french everywhere, menus are in french, ppl spouting french (which i catch no ball), you get the idea! Ok, i love love love Montreal and I have no idea why, I barely spent a day here, i didnt see much, but there is just something totally charming about the place.

More to come!