Winter wonderland

It's been a while, I know. Let me entice  you with some pictures to help you understand why I've had little time to update my blog.

I'm not going to lie, looking at pictures of snow is much funner than actually being in it.


It was fun for the first month, but now it's just freaking cold. To the extent you stop taking photos of it because you can't bear to have your hands out for that long.

But it's still gorgeous and has been an amazing experience.


I was also lucky(unlucky?) enough to be in Montreal for their worst winter storm in 50 years. We had 45cm of snow - that's a freaking lot. Leaving the building was like swimming through snow, up to your waist or higher.

People had to dig out their cars. (Assuming they could find them...)

Above was the view from the exit of my building. Yeah, that door opens outwards. Below is the view from outside - that's a bike on the right..

225 flights were canceled from Montreal's airport. Buses were canceled, roads were closed. Very exciting. I spent the entire day inside due to the mass amounts of snow blocking exits. They were eventually 'cleared'.

Fun times!!

Christmas was lovely, spent it with Lisa and her roomies and way too much amazing food to keep track of.

I've now left Montreal, and sit in a hostel room with everything I own, in NYC.  The train from Montreal took 12 hours, but was actually surprisingly pleasant. We both were able to claim 2 seats each, and spent the majority of the trip curled up asleep.

I'm in a 4 bed dorm, tiny room with a barely there sink. It was the cheapest place I could find over NYE, that wasn't 20 years away from central Manhattan. 60 bucks a night. It's only like 10pm though and all the girls around me are sleeping.  I'm trying to type really softly to not disturb them, as I'm pretty sure I woke everyone when I walked in and stumbled over my own suitcases(note, plural.) when trying to find my pajamas with the light of my dull phone screen. But seriously, it's 10pm, in New York, the day before NYE. Why are they asleep??

American accents though - my gosh. No wonder they love our accent. Here everyone is so nasally and unpleasant. It's quite unfortunate for them.

I've only been here a day, but I feel like I've met more Australians than Americans. Holy crap guys, we're everywhere.... like everywhere. Pretty sure we're taking over the world. And I'm okay with that.

Met up with Zoe today, pretty much like we were never apart. Haven't laughed so much in one day in forever! that girl is a funny one. Kind of surreal we're both on the other side of the world together.

Tomorrow is NYE, and it's going to be nuts! We all got tickets to a rooftop club in times square - open bar from 9pm-2am. Soo excited. If only it wasn't -3 degrees, I may look forward to wearing a skimpy dress and heels. Kind of dreading it though. We'll see!

Earthquake hits Montreal.

It felt kinda like this

Torontooooooo

Ohmygod Zorah hurry up and post, it's been foreverrr. Jeez.

Lots to post about, hope you're prepared.

Where to start? I have a bazillion photos from the weekend, and many drunken adventures to repeat.

 Fall is so beautiful here. The trees are so bright and colourful, these photos really don't capture it. I was pretty amazed, snapping photos through the window like I'm a tourist or something.

I'm posting lots because I don't think you can comprehend how amazing it is.

Our first stop is a tour of the thousand islands. As we boarded the boat I pulled out my camera to turn it on - only to realize it was already on. And had probably been on for the last three weeks. fml

Anyway - I abducted Lisas camera and managed to snap some nice shots anyway. Lisa is the aussie Asian in most of my photos and Anastasia is the blonde Russian/Brit/Crazywoman. All of the photos have been put up on facebook, and there's tons more there than here.

Getting spammed with messages as the boat crossed the border again and again.

 Guys, it's a freaking castle. On the water. People live here!

It was a nice break from the long hours spent on a bus, that's for sure. Toronto is actually further away than Boston would have been.

As we arrived in Toronto, the photos continue

Magic Bus Company!

 

The next stop was CN tower, the elevator doors were glass and you see through it as you ascend - see that strip in the middle of the tower? It's pretty amazing.
 

How anyone would ever have the guys to climb on those thin thin bars is beyond me.

One of the floor was the observation deck and glass floor deck. I look calm and happy, it's such a lie. The moment this pic was snapped I moved so fast to get off.

I realize now I'm spamming this post with photos, there's just so much to show! I will try to refrain.

There was a massive sports game on that night, some sport I don't really remember which.

I obviously didn't go, and went to party instead, but this was snapped by a friend who did go. Looks pretty cray. Tickets were only 15 i believe

Meanwhile, in our sweet-as hotel that has a ridiculously fantastic view and beds that were more comfortable than anything I've ever experienced.. It was Lisa's 21st!

This was the club we went to - a crazy bright glowy place that was trippy as while tipsy. Prices were ridiculous but it was hard to let that discourage us when it worked out to be probably the same amount we'd pay for a night out in Sydney.

The bathroom was like nothing else. As you came out of the toilet, this lady would hurry over to you and pump some crazy expensive hand soup in your hands. She'd dry your hands too if you'd let her. Behind are the tables, full of expensive products free for use - moisturizer, deodorant for both men and women, make up, perfume..  I went back a lot.

Turned out our visit coincided with the massive 'white' festival. Tons of music, people, and EVERYTHING was open all night. Restaurants, grocery stores, bottle shops, everything.

Unfortunately we had to be awake at 7 the next morning for Niagara falls..

When we arrived, another tour bus pulled up next to us. The doors opened and the people came out 2 by 2. I stared. They were wearing such funny clothes and were acting really weird and out of place. The seconds ticked by and my brain clicked. Another Aussie girl grabbed my arm and squealed, jumping up and down on the balls of her feet. "They're real!! they're real!!"

 AMISH PEOPLE GUYS.

The excitement didn't wear off for a while.

It was gorgeous and I really wish we'd spent more time there..

We went down on a maid of the mist boat, a boat that goes right down to the very edge of the waterfall. We wore these flimsy blue rain coats, despite which we were all drenched very shortly into the trip. Totally worth it.

It was really amazing how the waterfall curved around us. So prettyyyy.

After the trip we were directed to the gift shop. I made some purchases.. This is now what I sleep in. The locals here are genuinely embarrassed by me.

They have maple everything here. Think of a food, then add maple, and they probably sell it.

Surprisingly tasty.

On the way back we stopped at the big apple. It's actually just a big apple. But the store there has so many yummy apple goods! I bought some 'apple dumplings'. Which disappointingly tasted just like normal apple pie. But it was still yum.

That pretty much sums my weekend. I leave you now with pictures of the food I eat every day, on my meal plan.

Don't you gain weight? I hear you ask. Yes. The answer is yes. Oh god what's happened to me. Whoever thought of giving the students an all you can eat buffet, every single day, needs to be thanked heaps cos it's amazing and then shot for making us all fat.

NOTES

• We spent dinner one night at this all you can eat sushi restaurant. It was 20 bucks for ALL YOU CAN EAT. we kept ordering and ordering and ordering. Sushi, dumplings, tempura, miso soup, crab, phildelphia sushi (cream cheese sushi is actually amazing.). And finished with tempura banana and vanilla icecream. Oh. My. God.
• Does anyone know what gets bluetack off walls? it's ripping off the paint..
•  WHY have i not received vegemite yet. srsly.
• I successfully convinced an American that a deadly animal of Australia is the hoop snake. It's this snake that when threatened, curves itself into a hoop and rolls after you.
• I can't believe I've been here for nearly two months. I feel like I've only just arrived.

Thanksgiving this weekend! My first ever. We're carving up a turkey and everything, it should be exciting and yummy.

Hope everyone is well xx and sorry for being so terrible at responding to fb messages.

xxxx