British Student .ca

Welcome to my new blog about me, a British student, being a student in Vancouver, Canada for an academic year (10 months). You’ll get to hear about all the cultural differences and places I explore, with some photos to follow. This blog took a few weeks to set up though so I might have to post some old stories, with relevant photos. In the mean time you can read what you’ve missed in the form of my facebook status updates…

• is online in Vancouver. Now to find the bar…
  • James: you mean you found the internet before you found the bar? Man that flight must of effected you…
  • Leon: Glad your safely there greg
  • Gregory: James, it’s helpful to drop your bags and learn how the keys/swip cards work in case it turns out to be a more pints than you planned. Also the bar was a bit of a walk as I was meeting up with some guys living in other places, went to the Graduate Society pub where the ale isn’t bad.
  • Malachi: I ♥ Vancouver… Greg – go visit Stanley park! it’s totally lush for cycling around at a leisurely rate. Also for beer – you’ve got to go to the Brewery on Granville island. Also if your up for a hike i’d recommend the Grouse Grid!
• is finding himself saying/typing/thinking “Awesome” loads already, I’m making friends with too many Americans.
• hasn’t had breakfast yet, time to find food selling places.
• is awake, and it’s 9am.
• is lucky to have bedroom wireless that works most of the time, but I need to get the wired network working.
• has had his first canadian pancake and liquid nitrogen icecream.
• wants some snail mail.
• just got invited to a frat party.
  • Tom: Are you going to have to go through some hideous initiation lol?
  • Gregory: Only if I want to join them I guess. $1 (about 50p) “Drink Mix” so the partys probably hideous enough.
  • Steven: I got invited to one by guys from Beta the same night we went to the pit. Same dudes?
  • Gregory: It’s Fiji Frat.
• played human bowling (on a sledge saucer thing) on the 2010 Olympic rink, slightly hung over from the after party.
• is now known as “that Brit guy”. Just had the floor rules meeting where I joked about all the possible loopholes. I’m loving corridor living!
• was on the local clothing optional beach partying hard till 2am.
  • Dave: so greg, when can i visit?
• first fire alarm, at 8:50am today. Stupid Canadian students and their first day. Now to get myself downtown and find some church…
• went to a great church today, but they failed to catch me. The search continues…
• been to a pool party till 11:30pm, came back to my lounge to find people looking for the after party at ours, taking them there now (we want out place to stay clean sometimes).
• is going Canadian Geocaching.
• got back from watching a movie under the stars, the screen was about 10ft tall. Lots of stars to lie back and look at afterwards.
• went to the main freshers’ fair/carnival, loads of freebies (inc. boxes of pizza, subways, and drink), several people dressed up as their society (surfers, bananas, eyes, and vaginas). Then had bubble tea with my international friends, I should …teach them about hugging so I don’t have to kiss them goodbye all the time.
  • Pierre: Kissing is way funnier than hugging! :p
  • Leon: I would really struggle to kiss a good looking girl goodbye how do you do it
  • Drew: Can’t believe I missed all that… I’ve just had a bit too much orientation in the last week.
  • Lucy: It’s boseying, not hugging!!
  • Chris: What society exactly is represented by a vagina??
  • Gregory: The society was called Something Vagina Valentine, I can’t remember what the first word was but it might have started with V.
  • Andrew: You’re British – shaking hands is a traditional alternative
  • Gregory: I have done far too much handshaking with everyone inc. those I won’t remember or will probably never see. I’m only kissing my good friends here.
• today can write the date in American, Canadian, Frenchie, or Programmers short (2 digit per part) formats and they will all be in English! (for the benefit of the blog: posted on 09/09/09)
• had his first Canadian CompSys lecture. Power and network sockets provided for each person, wifi also available, for your youtubing needs. A few more girls than in Durham, but it’s harder to tell.
  • Alex: Is this a new lecture theatre? That sounds amazing.
  • Alex: oh wait, just read your blog and see you’re in Canada. Thought you were talking about Durham for a second then.
  • James: Greg did you just insult the female comp sci’s or did you just complement the Durham comp sci’s? also that lecture theatre sounds kind of awesome – what was the lecture on?
  • Gregory: It’s a compliment to the rare but high quality Durham compsci girls, but maybe an insult to some CompSci guys.
    It was a boring introduction lecture, I’m getting ready for more hardcore SEG [Software Engineering Group] (I think I had to do it for another course, and it’s only a term long).
  • James: can anything be truly more hardcore than SEG?
  • Alexander: Yes. Polishing your face with a knuckleduster. But that’s about it.
  • Jo: Girls – what are they again?
• got two free dinners tonight followed by worship on the grass in the sunset.
• is making extreme farting noises, with the aid of a frisbie.
  • Bob: i was likeeee holly shit!!
• has got his first letter… …but it wasn’t from you
• had a night out downtown. Leave early for the Grouse Grind tomorrow!
• went to the most amazing place in Vancouver to date, using an extreme amount of energy and time. Remembered my camera to take loads of fantastic photos of the views and nature. Forgot to take the battery out of the charger to use in the camera.
• thought I mighht go to a frat party tonight, cancelled to look after corridor mates (memories with Dom flood back). Later on a bed watching (crap American version) The Office with two girls, both fell asleep (one asleep on me) but I was concentrating too much on the comedy to notice. Good night all, take care.
  • Taylor: ha ha, bob watch
  • Bob: akhem
• awards today’s church points for being only a block away, the tea being easier to find, and the sermon including “Can I get an amen?”. How many more churches will I have to visit before I go back there.