To celebrate my 20th birthday last November, I went on a sponsored fast for 29 hours to raise money for Haiti Hospital. I raised £250 but I also got to reflect on how difficult it is to live in a house with an epic birthday cake and not be able to so much as sniff it. There's little relevance of this anecdote to my third yesr abroad life of the past few days, because they have been all about food.
Consequently, my bum covers as much ground as the Yukon.
Wednesday was a bad day for food. Owing to a three hour evening lecture, the Exeter Posse go out for dinner beforehand to sustain myself and Lydia for our torturous academic endeavour. We thought we'd push the boat out and not go to the pub, opting for Cafe Alternatif on campus. Firstly, we stood in line for 20 minutes before someone even acknolwedged us, and then we were informed that they don't make sandwiches up according to demand so we'd have to choose whatever was in the fridge. Toasted tofu? I'd rather make like Bear Grylls and drink my own piss. Ultimately, we went to the cafeteria on campus for 3$ slice of pizza. It was sad.
Thursday isn't about food, but I did catch up with Lihan in Second Cup with my favourite Italian soda. It's not even Italian, just call it lime and soda! He's great and hilarious and a law student so embodies all the intelligence and general impressiveness that law students do. (Except one of the ones I lived with in first year...) We chatted about puppies and the church, which are basically my favourite things ever to talk about. Massive yes to a South African/Aussie and Brit putting the Christian world to rights!
Friday by total contrast was a great day alimentation wise! The Exeter Posse went to the much-feted Zak's Diner in Byward Market and I literally died and went to food heaven. You know when you eat meat that tastes to amazing you want to find the nearest vegitarian and tell them they're an idiot? It was that kind of tasty! It was just a total Grease the movie feel place and we are going back. Soon. Monday soon. We also met Lydia's new housemate who looked a little jet-lagged!
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| Afternoon tea at Chateau Laurier! |
Saturday or as it is otherwise known, today, was the birthday celebrations on Nicola, held at the world-famous Chateau Laurier, the Canadian equivelent of the Ritz. We went for "high tea." Now, I may be wrong, but the only people I've ever heard refer to it as high tea are non-Brits. High tea is just afternoon tea, right? No matter, birthday girl made fabulous birthday celebration plans! Under the mood lighting of a dimmed chandelier, with a tinkling piano in the background and grand arm chairs with a view of Parliament, we dined like queens. My tea of choice was ice wine which was delicious, and I'm not a tea drinker unless it's socially mandatory; followed by dainty finger sandwiches, including the classic Brit concoction of cucumber; scones (sans clotted cream though, poor show, Chateau Laurier) and then cakes. Add wonderful people to that mix and that makes today Super Saturday. There was another of those small-world moments when one of the Brits knows someone I went to school with! I also caught a glimpse of quite a few wedding parties at the hotel and let's just say, the classy venue didn't always rub off...if you can see the bridesmaids' knickers, that's not cool. Also, brides in black ankle boots? Really? And Barbie pink dresses with neon green flowers is an, erm, novel combination. That sounds really catty but the Chateau Laurier is stunning and expensive and where the dignitaries of the world come to stay and where the bridal photos could look totally in the realms of the fairy tale and some of the choices just jarred with the setting. Sorry! But kudos to the doorman who caught a flyaway veil very deftly in the fall wind.
I also got to Skype the amazing D-Sizzle on Friday and she was eating dinner. Tenuous link to include her in this post, but I love her and it's my blog. Owing to dodgy internet chez me, I had to Skype her in the middle of a corridor in Desmarais Building. But what care I for social etiquette when there is a best friend in front of my eyes?
So basically, I'm loving life.
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