To recap?

Well my time here in Ontario is rapidly coming to a close. We're sitting at the two week mark and I still have assignments to finish, plus I have to clean and pack up my apartment! Yikes!

So, let's see what I got done on THE LIST from my very first Just a Small Town Girl blog:
THE LIST (in no particular order)

• The ROM (I think The Nature of Diamonds exhibit is on until the end of March. That would be cool to see!)
• Queen Street West - I hear there's really cool shopping and in tribute to days after school spent watching music videos, I think I have to see the MuchMusic building.
• The Toronto Waterfront
• I'd like to see a show...which one I'm not sure but I really enjoy seeing live theatre
• A Toronto Maple Leaf game- Who am I kidding??? Who in the world wants to see them?!?! Just kidding Leaf fans....I just like watching hockey, live at a game
• A taping of The Hour....I like the show and I like George

Well, I never did get to the ROM (but I was thinking of maybe going into Toronto this Friday for the last time so I might go then!) So much for the sparkly bling!

I have yet to explore Queen Street but I did get my picture taken in front of the Much Music building! Check one!

Walked the Toronto Waterfront! Two!

Saw Dirty Dancing so check three for seeing live theatre!

Did not see a Leafs game, but then I'm probably not missing much there right? =)

And I didn't go to a taping of The Hour.

So 3 out of 6 ain't bad....school just got in the way!

I'd like to thank you all for making me feel so welcome this year, and I predict great things for this group! I'm not sure if I'll continue with this blog (as the premise for its creation is kind of done) but I hope you'll keep in touch! See ya all at the Year End Bash!

Cheers!
Jen =)

"No, this is the Great Theatre of Life. Admission is free but
the taxation is mortal. You come when you can, and leave when you
must. The show is continuous. Good-night."
~Robertson Davies

Headed to K-town!

Headed to Kingston this weekend to celebrate Easter with my good friends Tyson and Meghan! Looking forward to some bbq (no Andy, not moose!) and some fun!

I'm taking the train and I have to say, its a great way to travel, especially when you have no idea how to get where you're going! I like being able to relax and enjoy the scenery, however I think I'll likely end up doing some school work on the train! Oh well!

Hoppy Easter everyone!

Flashback Friday!

Back in August (9 months ago now!!!) I landed in Toronto to start a brand new adventure in Oakville. With a little over 20 days to go until our Corporate Communications course is finished, and I head back home to Saskatoon, I thought I would share my first impressions of those first couple of days.

My cousin picked me up from the airport and we out for supper at a place near his house...somewhere between Little Italy and Little Korea if I remember right. It was just a little bistro but the food was fantastic! The next day, he dropped me off at Union Station and I had to figure out how to get to Oakville for Sheridan's Orientation! That was an experience!!! Luckily this really nice girl saw me looking confused and helped me out. She was going on the same train so we got to talking and she took the Corporate Communications course at Humber the year before, so it was really cool talking to her.

Fast forward back to Toronto where my cousin and his girlfriend left to go "the cottage" and left me to explore on my own with my friend Meghan from Kingston. I remember feeling really overwhelmed (I still kind of do!) with all these buildings and skyscrapers looming over me!




Then it was time to make the move to Oakville. My cousin and his girlfriend drove me, my two suitcases, and 2 boxes to Sheridan. I remember thinking it was really weird that there were no grocery stores open on Labour Day (there would be in Saskatoon) so my cousin took to the Rabba across the street to get some things until I could get to a real grocery store!


Enter Ashleigh, my roommate!
Honestly, I'm not sure if I could have done all this without such an easy going roommate. I had never lived with anyone other than my family before, and the first time I went grocery shopping was so overwhelming! But she waited it out and was really patient with me....especially since she is WAY neater than me!!!

This is us, discovering downtown Oakville and the waterfront together!

Kids were building inukshuks along the waterfront.

Some tasty treats from The Black Forest Bakery, one of my favourite stops!

More waterfront, the Bronte part, I believe!

Ash is also the one who first took me to Pusateri's! A Carmel Latte and a chocolate crossiant is a decadent, delicious treat! When my friends from Saskatoon came to visit me in October, I took them here too!

Truth be told, I'm going to miss my "roomie". We've had some great nights where we've stayed up chatting and drinking wine. There's been some marathon walks, (she's hard to keep up with!) watching karoke on Sundays at Monaghan's, discovering new food places (Whole Foods - ohmygoodness! and the Oakville Monastery Bakery - wowzers!) and lots and lots of laughs! Thanks for it all Ash! =)

Home is Where the Heart Is!

Here I am back in Saskatoon! Its Reading Week out east and instead of hanging around Oakville, I decided to fly home and hang out with family and friends. Its been sooooooo worth it!!!! Sure, I'll stay my lovely pasty white while my classmates are sporting bronzed looks but I love being home!

So far, I've driven around the city to see if anything has changed in my absence and it has!!! There may be a recession everywhere else in Canada but you can't tell from looking around here. Buildings and new businesses are cropping up a lot and they apparently mentioned another housing boom for the city in the coming months on the news tonight. Here's hoping it stays like this...it will be easier for me to find a job if it does!!!

I've hit up the Broadway Roastery already for my mochachino fix (no Starbucks for me when I'm home) The Roastery is an independent coffee joint in Saskatoon (and even though it has three locations around the city, they are all still named for the original on Broadway) and the company roasts their own beans. Its a favourite hangout for students on a study break, walkers/joggers/runners coming up from the Meewasin trail (that's a series of trails along the river) and well, everyone!

I peeped into our new Indigo store (no we didn't have one before) and I gotta say, I didn't like it. I prefer our McNally Robinson much, much more!!! Its got a more cozy, welcoming feel, as opposed to the kind of industrial feel Indigo gave off.

I stopped by my old place of employment, Early's Farm and Garden Centre, to pick up the dog food and some treats for the pooch! Early's has been around for over 100 years and sells "everything for the gardener, and a little something for your pet" (slogan). Even my dog's food is made in Saskatchewan and Early's sells it. Its called Horizon and its made in Rosthern SK.

Other than that, I've been out shopping (finally spending those Christmas gift cards), getting in lots of hanging out time with my friends and just enjoying my time at home. And no, I haven't touched the law midterm yet. I looked at it this afternoon, so my intentions were good but just haven't been motivated to do it yet! (Don't tell Andy!)

Yours til Niagara Falls!

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to Niagara Falls with my good friends Tyson and Meghan from Kingston (Actually Tyson grew up with me in Saskatoon and Meg is from Halifax). We got a beautiful "falls side" room with a view from 36 stories up!


The hotel soap...hey I thought it was cute!


This is the best picture I could get of the falls at night and all lit up!

The view from the "Journey Behind the Falls" tour. For $10 (off season) you can tour along the tunnels built behind the falls and get a close up look at them. If this was summer, this would be a curtain of rushing water!

Wow!!! The roar and just the sheer power of the falls is truly a sight to behold!

Icy!

Ok it was REALLY COLD!!! Even for this prairie chick...not used to being pelted with teeny tiny ice crystals!!!!

The view from our hotel room! Beauty!!!

More Saskatoon Pictures

Courtesy of my amazing friend Dani in Saskatoon! Pictures of my beautiful city in winter and fall!

The Vimy Memorial

See? There's skyscrapers!

Frosty!

Fall along the Meewasin Trail

The Broadway Bridge, with the Victoria Bridge in the background

The Delta Bessbourgh Hotel....although I call it....

The Castle on the River!

Thanks for letting me post your pictures Dani! Love you!

My day in TO with Michelle

So as she has been promising to do since last semester (we were too busy then!), Michelle took me around Toronto today! Its was really fun and she's a great tour guide! We toured around downtown, took in some sights and caught a matinee of Dirty Dancing!


I love this..."Spirit is Everything"....yeah cuz they have nothing else! =)

At the Royal Alexandra Theatre for Dirty Dancing...

Michelle posing by the fireplace at the theatre before the show!

Outside the theatre, taken by a nice passer by...

Terrific show! So good!!!

Staring up at the CN Tower

In front of MuchMusic!!!!

Skating at Phillp Morris Square (did I get that right Michelle?)

In front of the skaters.

So that's a few things off the list! Saw a show and got my picture outside of Much, even if I didn't go in, it was neat to see the place I had been watching for years!

Many thanks for the amazing day out Michelle!!! I had a lot of fun!!! "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"

Be still my Silent Bob loving heart!

I'm geeking out.

Really.

I just checked the Toronto Life website and there's a Kevin Smith a thon this weekend in Toronto, complete with Kevin Smith!!!

Alright, so for anyone who doesn't know, Kevin Smith is the hilarious genius behind such foul mouthed stoner flicks such as, Clerks (I and II), Dogma, Mallrats Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, and Zach and Miri Make a Porno. For whatever reason, I find his work witty, funny and touching. Its hard to explain but he has kind of cult following, mostly among comic book fans, of which I am not. But I love all things Kevin Smith!

I'm tempted to go but the first screening is on Sunday...weird? And goes again on Monday and Tuesday. I thought that was kind of odd. Its at the Bloor Theatre...at least I know where Bloor is. I've seen all the movies, I just kind of want to see him!

Kevin Smith

The more familiar alter ego Silent Bob

(images "borrowed" from IMDB.com Thanks!)

This one's for the ladies...well I guess the guys could weigh in too if they have any ideas.

As you all know, the end of the program is coming, sooner than we can imagine (it is, after all almost the end of January!). I'd like to take advantage of the shopping opportunities while I'm here. I don't know about you all but I definitely need some new wardrobe options, especially for a more professional/office environment.

SO I pose the question....where are your favourite places to clothes shop in TO? I guess I should amend that to favourite reasonable places to clothes shop...I know there's some hard core Holt fans out there but its a no-no on my budget!

Please comment and suggest away!

HA!

Ok, so I think this is funny even if no one else does (Maybe that's geeky of me, and if so I may have to take up space in Devin's blog)!!!!

Back in September when my friends from Saskatoon came to visit moi, I played tourguide around the parts of Toronto that I knew, which really wasn't a lot. I basically led them from Pusateri's in Yorkville (shout to my roomie Ashleigh for taking me there to begin with!) to Bloor and that was it!

So we played tourists, taking pictures and goofy shots. I took this picture above, because I thought "Wow, what a cool looking building, I think I'll snap a pic" (Really, the thought process is mind blowing). I had no idea that this building IS the ROM!!!! I took a picture of a place I want to go without realizing that it WAS a place I wanted to go.

Hmmmm...its really too bad that that traffic light is right in the middle of the scene. Oh well, never said I was photog!

So since I've been here I've noticed just a few things that I thought I would share...hopefully by now you all find my prairieness sexy and endearing and not annoying regardless of how much I poke fun of your idea of cold weather. =)

You say Tronno, I say Toron-toe.

You call it a transport, I call it a semi.

You call it a hoodie, I call it a bunnyhug (and always will!).

I have no idea where the 401, the 403 or the 407 will take you and I'm not really sure I want to find out...that's entirely way too much traffic. And it scares me. =P I always worry about all you commuters every time I hear about an accident on one of those numbered highways...I'm in awe of you because I seriously don't think I could handle that commute every day.

The Paris of the Prairies

There's a reason that The Tragically Hip wrote a song about this place (besides the obvious case reference). My hometown is a beautiful city!

(NOTE: I've "borrowed" all these pictures...they were so amazing! I've given credit where I can but if I missed something let me know and I'll correct it!)
www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saskatoon_Skyline_Night.jpg

www.westjet.com

www.abandonedstuff.com

So here's why I'm doing this...

As an assignment for my Communications Design and Technology class, I'm supposed to create a blog. In truth, I already have a private one that I update for my friends and family, filling it with my random thoughts and whatever else strikes my fancy. Its more of a journal for me.

This will not be the case with this one.

As most of my classmates know, (and I'm sure they're tired of hearing it by now) I'm from Saskatoon. I chose this Corporate Communications program at Sheridan College because I liked the length (I didn't want to be in school for another four years), the internship component (which I'm hoping to do back in Saskatoon) and because I wanted to learn the skills that would land me a job in communications.

In order to do this, I've had to move across the country to Oakville Ontario...this was a huge decision for me! I am currently living in the Sheridan Residence. Though I'm doing my best to hide it, I'm quite homesick a lot of the time.

However, while I'm here I've decided to make the best of things and soak up all I can. Obviously living in the GTA means that there are things to see and do here that I can't at home, and as it stands right now, I haven't really done too much. The most I've seen of Toronto has been Union Station, some of Bloor, the Eaton Centre and a little bit of Yorkville.

So I have a list. Its a small one right now but its a list of things I want to see or do before I go back home. As I update the blog, I'm hoping my classmates and readers will add to the list by suggesting other things to check out, and hidden gems to investigate. And if they want to volunteer to check it out with me, all the better! The end of January is fast approaching which means I have a little over 3 months (give or take) to do it all!

I'm open to lots of suggestions but keep in mind that I am a student, hence I have a student budget. Going for a shopping spree at Tiffany's (yes I did go in to say that I had been in one) is not an option for me.

THE LIST (in no particular order)

• The ROM (I think The Nature of Diamonds exhibit is on until the end of March. That would be cool to see!)
• Queen Street West - I hear there's really cool shopping and in tribute to days after school spent watching music videos, I think I have to see the MuchMusic building.
• The Toronto Waterfront
• I'd like to see a show...which one I'm not sure but I really enjoy seeing live theatre
• A Toronto Maple Leaf game- Who am I kidding??? Who in the world wants to see them?!?! Just kidding Leaf fans....I just like watching hockey, live at a game
• A taping of The Hour....I like the show and I like George

I will also be providing links and pictures of my hometown, to show how much I love it. And if I can manage to take pictures of the stuff I do end up doing, they will be posted here.

So I hope you'll like reading my blog, and I hope you have some suggestions for me too.

P.S. Yes, the title of my blog is taken from the Journey song. Its not that Saskatoon is small (Population : 209,400 and growing) its more of a feeling.