That's 7500 pennies.

WestJet.ca informs me that every extra piece of checked luggage is $75 each. I only have 1 extra suitcase, but still. There should be some sort of 'total baggage limit' per plane, and then any extra will be assessed. Because honestly, there are definitely people who are checking one or no bags, along with the fact that the place certainly won't be full.

I need not bring up the fact that an extra suitcase does not weight $75 worth of jet fuel. Do they charge morbidly obese people for the weight they add? No. I suppose if you had to purchase 2 seats due to your morid obesity then that would be extra cash, but that is a rare occurrence most definitely.

Jackals!

Stop it.

You know what is the most despicable habit anyone can have? I will tell you: chewing with their mouth open. The sound drives me UP THE WALL. Hearing people chew is a close second for ultimate pet peeves of mine, but open-mouth mastication is by far the grossest sound and worst trait a person can have.

Maybe I am exaggerating a bit on that last part.

But I really do hate it.

After 3 semi-moderately difficult exams, my brain has taken a turn.

And that turn? Is a one-way street called Laziness.

Last night me and some girls (instigated by yours truly) decided we'd wake up and go to breakfast at 8:10 am. Which is absurdly early seeing as only 2/5 had exams today, and one of them doesn't start until 7 pm tonight. Also, that would have been an early breakfast during classes, too, as our earliest classes started at 9:30 this semester. But whatever. We all got up and had omlettes among other utterly delightful cafeteria goods.

The night before I had started packing some of my stuff up. There were several articles of clothing and items that I didn't need/want anymore, so I had organized said goods into two piles: charity donation (good clothes) and Totem Stuff Swap donation (random crap and some medium-quality clothing). Thus, before bed last night I wrote out a list of things to do after breakfast including dropping these items off at their locations. I also had some other things on the list. Well. Let me tell you what happens when you get up for an early breakfast: you do everything else early too. So basically I completed a day's worth of tasks in less than 2 hours. Besides dropping off clothing, I made a flier; printed 6 copies of said flier; ran around the buildings and commonsblock putting up the fliers; locked myself out of my own building; got back into building and accomplished many other mundane but necessary errands.

After that, I tried to relax by watching Stardust which I have on loan due to beaucoup de temps libre. Definitely couldn't focus. Ended up laying in bed for 15 minutes. Couldn't nap. Got up and emailed my resumé to Robyn so she could give it to her boss tomorrow. Then Georgie and I went to UBC's outdoor pool where I accidentally dehydrated myself by spending too much time in the sauna. (What can I say? I like heat. Maybe a little too much.)

Après pooltime, I was pretty exhausted and somehow wasted about 2 hours doing nothing at all. This time included fixing mine and Nicole's internet connections, reviewing 2.5 pages of bio, and of course Face Booking. I ended up napping from 4 'til 4:30 but by then Nicole got back, so I thought I should assemble myself into looking semi-busy and not a total slacker. So here I am typing a lot of stuff no one cares about.

Soooo it may sounds like I kind of got a lot done, but really I have felt super sluggish since my main morning burst of activity. Oh! UBC just sent out an email asking for a volunteer thing I am interested in...so I have to write a cover letter tonight. That's something to do.

PS. One more exam and then I am finito! If I can't rock an open book Bio exam created by some 60 year old hippie version of Dumbledore, I don't know myself anymore.

Freaky.

That picture on the side is almost a year old. Aaaack.

Interesting...

China Unblocks CBC websites

China has unblocked the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's websites, a week after the broadcaster's president formally complained to Chinese officials.

CBC President and CEO Hubert Lacroix.
(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

"We have today heard that access to CBC/Radio-Canada's English and French websites in China is no longer blocked," said Hubert T. Lacroix in a letter to China's ambassador to Canada, Lu Shumin.

"I am writing to thank you personally for what I assume was your expeditious assistance in this matter."

French-language website Radio-Canada.ca had been blocked for six months while English site CBC.ca had been cut off since January.

Lacroix had formally complained about the blockage last week, writing the ambassador to ask why the websites were blocked and to "take steps to ensure that this policy is reversed."

He wrote that Chinese government officials in 2006 promised to "provide services of an Olympic standard to athletes, officials, spectators and the media in order to facilitate their participation and enjoyment of the Games."

Beijing will host the Olympic Games starting in August. CBC is the official Canadian broadcaster of the Games.

Wikipedia, BBC unblocked

China recently unblocked access to the English version of Wikipedia, the user-written online encyclopedia, according to reports.

The move came after International Olympic Committee (IOC) members warned Chinese Olympic organizers that such censorship reflected poorly on the host country, Reuters reported.

In March, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported China unblocked its English news website after years of tight control. Chinese-languages services within the BBC's website remain censored, said the broadcaster.

Human rights groups have criticized China for regularly blocking Western websites, but Chinese government officials say filtering subjects considered pornographic or subversive protects citizens from harmful content on the internet.

Like really grainy, hard sands in an hour glass....

SO ARE THE LAST DAYS OF UNI: YEAR 1 OF MY LIFE.

One class tomorrow, French. Then it is off to my 2.5 hour shift at Blue Chip, a shift I have come to love because basically I just hang around the back and always manage to fandangle my way out of helping customers/dealing with the cash and into scooping cookies or decorating cupcakes. It's heaven in a really small, stuffy, and crowded work space (hmm sounds like hell).

Early tomorrow morning there is a Totem-wide free breakfast, with the Dene seating from 9-11. I am truly jazzed because free anything is always appreciated. And it isn't damn chocolate chip pancake breakfast, which I am elated about. I despise chocolate chip pancakes and yet there always seems to be a free pancake breakfast somewhere in rez with only the dreaded chocolate variety. I don't get people sometimes.

Also, I am freaking out about my exams. I am DEFINITELY not ready in any capacity. Last term it was easier because I couldn't study too much for English, and really I only had to worry about Sociology and Political Science, French being a non-issue. This term though, the French has been amped up so I have to work at that, then I have both Sociology and History to frrrrrreak out about. It's not good. And those three exams are first, rather than being broken up by my Bio exam, which is going to be easy as pie. The irony of this does not escape me. The one class I'm taking merely as a science credit requirement is the easiest course I'm in. Thanks, world. Many rounds of applause to you.

On Saturday we play our final game, and then that night there is Totem Spring Formal. It shall be grand in only the way a classed-up cafeteria can serve food. Likely the formal dinner will include small rectangular prisms of butter stamped with BUTTER clear to view for those suspicious of its authenticity.

Sunday I am supposedly volunteering downtown for the Darfur rally, although I may have to pull out and do some studying instead. I think that's pretty bad karma, but you know what? I've done enough volunteering gigs to know that half of the time you aren't actually needed. And all the thanks that volunteers get is just gibberish. I rarely have felt like I positively contributed to a cause and in the end I'm bitter at having wasted my time. Not that Darfur is a waste of time, but I think that manning tables to sign people up to be on mailing lists is a bit ludicrous: they can write their own damn email addresses down if they want weekly updates of copy-and-pasted BBC articles arriving in their inbox.

Annnnnyway, here are some more football pictures from last week, just to keep the picture post thing going.

Team cheer before the game: "1 2 3 ORANGE!"


This was after I got my touchdown. Carly (coach and RA) lifted me over her shoulder.


This was an eagle that had been flying overhead. We named him Dene, as he proudly exhibited all the characteristics of a confident and hopeful Denedian.


The Dene banner and two other RAs who cheered us on even though we beat their floor a couple weeks back.


Bon soir!

another picture -- featuring more words this time.

We lost our match yesterday. It was tough. But we definitely shook the other team to their core as they had won many other games with shut-outs and whatnot. They only won by a touchdown and 2 conversions, as Nicole and I both got touchdowns! So it was fun to see them visibly shaken. Next weekend we play for 3rd-4th place. We're definitely going to get 3rd because the team we're playing was actually the first team we played at the beginning of the season. And we've got them figured out. Sooooooo it's all good.


In other news, I have one more week of classes left. Huh-zah! French test on Monday, term paper due Tuesday, then it's sail time from there on out. Except for all the studying, that is.
I should get back to my term paper, which is turning out to be a monster. Not in length, as it can only be 700-1000 words. But instead, the question keeps turning over in my head and I keep modifying what I'm saying. It's really annoying and it makes me anxious. At this point though, I don't really care too much. As long as I get it done and it is semi-presentable, I'm sure I'll do okay. Whatever.