Final Course List

I believe I have my final schedule ironed-out:

Maritime Aboriginal Cultures (I'm particularly interested in aboriginal land and resource management)
Environment and Society
Canadian Environmental Policy
Seminar in Environmental Issues: Agriculture and the Environment
Economics of Energy and Resource Policy

I'm excited!

First Days of Class

Over the past two days I've attended my first classes.  As far as I can tell, my professors seem well-informed and approachable and the material explores my interests, so I'm quite happy.  My semester's central theme of study is the environment.  All of my classes relate back to this theme, they just approach it from different angles (economics, aboriginal peoples, societal interactions, critical issues, and Canadian policy). 

Once my classes for the day were finished, I headed over to a friend's apartment for a home-made dinner of portobello mushrooms stuffed with a mix of zucchini, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, and balsamic vinegar...so good!  I also met some more awesome Mt. A students!  After dinner we all headed over to Mount Allison's First Class Bash concert featuring: The Colin Grant Band, The Danks, and headliner Classified. 

There were two main downsides to this event: 1) drunk frosh everywhere (yes, I am sad to say they behave the same in Canada as the U.S.) 2) because of foreboding forecasts the event was moved from being outdoors to indoors (in Convocation Hall of all places).  Still, I got an introduction to three very different styles of East Coast Canadian music, which is known for being very good.  My favorite was The Colin Grant Band, a really fun acoustic Celtic fusion group: http://www.myspace.com/colingrantmusic.  I wasn't crazy about The Danks, but apparently their indie/rock genre is more representative of the Sackville music scene, which is surprisingly well developed for a small town.  Finally came Classified, a well-known rapper from Nova Scotia whose song "The Maritimes" is especially popular in this area: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5qyDAkwhUk...look for the little down arrow and click on it to expand the window for the lyrics.  Here is a short glossary of key Maritime terms from the song:

Alexander Keith's - Nova Scotia brewery.

Donair (pronounced "dough-nair") - A Mediterranean-style pita-bread sandwich similar to a gyro, except that the meat is beef, not lamb.  Any restaurant that sells pizza likely sells donair too.  Basically, it is a pound of spiced beef, slathered in a sauce that's mostly cream and sugar, sprinkled with "the works" -- usually diced onion and tomato -- and wrapped in a big piece of pan-fried pita bread that's also been drenched in sauce for good measure.  

Mooseheads - a CHL ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Moosehead is also Canada's oldest independent brewery, crafting premium beers since 1867.

Bluenose - Nova Scotia boat, an enduring symbol of the Maritime spirit. 

Prince Edward Island potatoes - the Prince Edward Island potato has a flavor that is unique because of the Island's rich red soil.  They are supposedly excellent quality potatoes.

Last Day of Summer!

With classes starting at Mt. A tomorrow, I felt the need to do something especially fun for a summer send-off.  I called up 10 Park, and we went off to explore the "Old Bridge" at the end of Bridge Street.  The Old Bridge is really two ends of stone bridge standing at opposite sides of mud flats and a dirty river.

There's also a great view of the train's bridge beside it.

What I wasn't banking on, but turned out to be a blast (albeit a bit dirty) was wading in the mud.  We rolled up our pants and climbed down through the hill of long grasses and reeds to the slippery rust-colored muck.

At one point we were quite literally "stuck in the mud."

Apparently in Sackville there are those who will go as far as swimming in this water...if you can call it that.  When they come out, they are covered head to toe in thick brown slime.  Just walking in it, you could feel your feet being sucked down into the cool, wet clay.  Stepping in an air pocket elicited sounds that can only be described as indecent.  However, after the initial shock and an acceptance of the inevitability of becoming completely filthy, it was absolutely hilarious and so much fun (I say this now after taking a hot shower and placing a load of laundry in the washer)!

Ta Daa! It is now fall!

The main event for today (seeing as how I am now plumb-tuckered out and won't be able to do anything else) was a walk of epic proportions to Silver Lake at Lillas Fawcett Park.  I couldn't have picked a better day; overnight, fall descended on Sackville.  The sun was warm, but a strong, cool wind kept the temperature around 68°F (20°C) and me from getting too hot.

You can kind-of see near the top a white bar which reads "You are here."  The dark green line tracing from that marker all the way to the bottom of the map pretty much shows the route I took from my house to Silver Lake.  On the way I passed a number of neat houses, abandoned buildings, and as I got farther out, the farms on the rural edge of Sackville.

Finally, after an hour of walking and a bit of internal grumbling I made it to the lake.  It was worth it.

There's nothing like resting on a sunny dock, rocking along with the wind-blown waves.

Hurricane Earl...lasted for about four hours.

When hurricane Earl hit Sackville we got some wind and heavy rain, but it only lasted from about 11:00am to the afternoon.

Hurricane Earl hits Sackville...not too hard.

Despite the ominous forecast, I ventured out to meet a friend at the Farmer's Market, which is held every Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, because of the rain the Farmer's Market was reduced to three stands, the "wine guy," the "bread guy," and the "cheese guy" inside the Bridge Street Cafe (a warm and cozy coffee shop that houses the Farmer's Market during the cold months).  Happily, what the farmer's market was lacking in quantity, it was not lacking in quality.  The "cheese guy" gave me a full explanation of his range of cheeses complete with free samples.  I could not resist buying a tub of his cinnamon cream cheese made from goat's milk.

After coffee at the Bridge Street Cafe, I was introduced to another delicious treat, Ginger Snaps at the Kookie Kutter Bakery (they sell the "rejects" for only $0.69!).  They also have Cinnamon & Honey Snaps and Vanilla Flax Snax...both of which I'm sure I'll try.  The ginger snaps are delicious with my cinnamon cream cheese!

For lunch, I went to meet the residents of 10 Park, a houseful of amazingly friendly Mt. A students!  Another really friendly Killam Fellow from Mt. A (currently at AU) introduced me.  They were kind enough to have me over for lunch (try putting sauteed mushrooms and green onions in mac and cheese...you won't be disappointed!...and chigae soup, perfect for a cold and rainy day!); give me an in-depth explanation of Canadian history and government as we waited out hurricane Earl's fury; introduce me to their other Mt. A friends; give me a tour of Mt. A's satellite houses; have me over for dinner (a delicious quinoa salad and Garlic Fingers from Joey's...a maritime tradition!); give me a tour of Sackville's Waterfowl Park; and have me over for a movie night of The Birds (by the end of the movie, a fresh loaf of bread finished baking - we ate it still steaming as the actors made their last attempt to escape).

10 Park

Rainy Waterfowl Park

Rainy Sackville from the Waterfowl Park

I will have to come up with an especially delicious thank-you for their incredible generosity!

Mount Allison University

Today I met my first professor at Mount Allison, Dr. Craig Brett!  He is helping me to design an independent study on the economics of energy and resource policy.  His office is in the Avard-Dixon building where most of my professors and many of my classes are located.

I left extremely excited about the course we've designed; unfortunately, I received my first homework assignment...

After my meeting, I spent my first good amount of time exploring Mt. A.  The campus is composed of dark red stone buildings, many of which are covered in ivy; winding walkways; and, as long as it's warm, lush green lawns, flowering bushes, and leafy foliage.

An added bonus, they have a swan pond - with actual swans!

My New Home

For those of you who do not already have it, my address is:
10 Richardson Street
Sackville, NB
Canada E4L 4H6

I'm renting from Roy, a local landlord who has been renting to students for the past nine years.  A fun fact: Roy plays bass and sings in a local blues band.  He is also incredibly generous with his days off - he spent the whole day taking me to a Walmart (which was way nicer than ones I've seen in the U.S...if someone was going to make a Walmart I didn't hate, it would be Canada) and a grocery store. 

But anyways, the house I live in comfortably fits three people (Roy, the other tenant, and me), is tidy, and more than adequately meets my needs.  Everything in Sackville is within walking distance.  Below are two pictures of my room, which I have now taken over and made my own.

My Bed

The Command Center

Hey, look!  It's my new blog, open on my computer : ) 

O Canada!

Hello, Everyone!

I woke up to a sunny, but warm (and a bit muggy?...I thought I was leaving the swamp of DC behind!) first day in Sackville, NB!  If you're reading this, you are likely a loved one or interested party.  I hope to keep this blog going during my stay in Canada this fall 2010 so that you can see where I go, what I'm up to, and the new people in my life!

-Emily