My last post told of the brilliant and unexpected sunshine. This is definitely no longer the case. The temperatures dipped drastically about two weeks ago. Over the course of the last month the average temperature has dropped from hovering around 25 degrees in September, to a regular -5 now we have reached November. There is, however, one tree on campus that refuses to admit the change in weather.

-never give up

Every other non – evergreen tree is barren, but this guy is holding on for dear life. Admittedly, that was about two weeks ago, and things have changed. Snow has been falling in continual flurries and turning the ground to ice. The landscape is barely recognizable under a sheet of ice. I have had quite an easy transition to Canadian life as there are many similarities in culture, plus the language is all but identical. This weather is making me feel like I have just arrived in the country for the first time again. Canada seemed really similar to my home on arrival but there are facets of life here to which I am totally unaccustomed.

The snow is definitely not miserable, though. I was expecting snow, and I bought warm clothes, but they didn’t cut it. I now have more appropriate clothing and am no longer in fear of cold temperatures! Once the biting cold is no longer a problem, the snow jut makes everything look nicer.

-6:00 am on the first day of snowfall

-the landscape today – my walk to university

I will probably not feel this way forever, but for now the snow is exciting.

Aside from noticing snow and getting cold, I have been mostly working at my degree. I can make a stronger statement that I did in my last post. A Canadian degree requires more work than an English degree. I really don’t have much free time here, and when I do, I usually use it to eat. Writing this blog entry was put off more than once due to excessive assignments. I have had two mid term tests this week, and I have another one on Monday which requires hours of preparation. It’s crazy. I am well acquainted with the library and am on first name terms with the cafeteria staff.

Despite consuming almost all of my time, the degree is very enjoyable. I have been spending a lot of time in the undergraduate physics labs. So far I have moved particles with a light beam, and built an ‘interferometer’ to measure nanometer distances.

-interferometer

I am really enjoying my time here. I wish that I wasn’t always so busy so that I would have more time to appreciate it, but I guess I wouldn’t be here at all if I didn’t have a purpose. Being so busy all the time is making the exchange go really quickly. I thought that the temperature dropped over about two days but it turns out that it took an entire month. I barely believed it when I first realized. I don’t really have time to worry about it, though, since I have to head to an algebra exam. It starts in two hours.

-my life