McDonald's Grace

Dear God,

Thank you for this BigMac Meal. Bless the hands factories that prepared it. Bless it to our bodies' use... on the treadmill. I pray you would help my mother forgive me when she sees this blog post.

Amen.

Cheeky Monkey

Last week, Emily and I were sitting at home working away when we got a call from a very stressed-out Katie. It was after 11:00 and Katie had been gone since 7:00 am but figured it was as good a time as any to grocery shop. We had talked about going out for frozen yogurt earlier, but Katie decided to bring some home for us instead. She was so exhausted that choosing a flavour proved to be a very emotional task (she cried). It was so funny that I had to film it. Poor girl. After hanging up the phone I ran down to the grocery store to help Katie carry her everything home. Thankfully, the night ended on a much happier note as we all quite enjoyed our "Cheeky Monkey" ice cream. Better yet, we still have some left over :) 

300,000

...That is the number of students who protested last week in Montreal against tuition hikes. If you're unaware of which protest I'm referring too, check out Katie's previous post. Emily and I met up in the afternoon and were forced to walk through this chaos to get to class. We got separated in our attempt to cross the street and dodge obnoxious biking,whistle-blowing, and sign waving protestors. After managing to force my way through the crowd on Sherbrooke, I had to pass them again as they crossed on Peel. Give me a break (so I can cross the street!) See for yourself below:

Call Us, Maybe?

Sometimes when Katie goes to the library, we get up to mischief. 

Please note that it was our studying that made us crazy 

and no alcohol was involved in the making of this video. 

Save a Cowboy, Ride a Horse

(Wow, I just realized how inappropriate "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" is. Sorry for bringing that up. You can blame Big & Rich.)

So I saved a poor cowboy somewhere and chose to ride a horse instead. Last weekend with my aunt, I visited the barn where she boards her horse. We cleaned and saddled two valiant steeds, and then we rode!

It had been years (eight??) since I got up on one of those beasts, so Pam, the lady who owns the place, gave me a lesson. I learned how to go, stop, turn, and trot. "Back in the day" when I went on the occasional trail ride, I probably cruelly jerked the reigns to direct my horse. But this time around I learned to control the horse with leg movements. Basically I was so sore afterward that for three days I waddled like a duck.

...For the real riding I used a saddle. Pip was grateful (I'm bony).

Apart from wrecking my manicure, wading through ankle-deep mud, and sullying my clothes and face, it was a wonderful good time. Howdy.

And So It Begins

Weekend Festivities

This weekend 1900 Tupper had two very special visitors. While Katie was away visiting family, Brad and Jared came to town for a few short days. We spent lots of time in the apartment cooking delicious meals and playing games like Dutch Blitz, Headbands, and Catchphrase as well as lots of time out and about in Montreal.

Friday night Kinsey and Brad had a nice evening at The Keg in Old Town while Jared and I spent a lovely evening at the House of Jazz. Saturday we all contributed to making a big breakfast and then Jared and I went for a swim at the YMCA while Kinsey and Brad did some shopping at the Atwater Market. In the afternoon we all met up and spent time at the Biodome. We saw penguins and lynx and fishies and more! In the evening we celebrated St Patrick's Day all together. When we arrived home we sat around the living room enjoying Jared's guitar playing...and singing along rather loudly I might add-- definitely a bonding experience.

Brad left Sunday morning and Jared and I spent the gorgeous sunny day outside enjoying the St. Patrick's Day Parade (along with an estimated 300,000 other Montrealers) as well as lunch at Cacao 70, church and an evening poutine. Somehow I even managed to get a wee bit of studying done that night in preparation for my midterm the next day (which went well so don't worry!) while Jared serenaded Kinsey and me with worship music. Monday morning I said goodbye to Jared and sent him on his way.

Although it was sad to see the boys go (oops sorry boys, I mean men) Kinsey and I could look forward to the return of our much missed roommate! Katie got back on Tuesday and Kinsey I were happy to hear about her weekend away and wish her the happiest of birthdays!

All in all we are so thankful that our boyfriends (I can say that now for both of us--congratulations Kinsey and Brad!) could visit. They are wonderful young men and we treasure every bit of time we get to spend with them!

Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is a very versatile item. One of its best functions involves pranking. Morgan Baker and Emily Neufeld will always remember this night.

All would-be guests to 1900 Tupper, beware.

Pi(e) Day!

03.14 may have been yesterday but in honor of this "holiday," today we held a pi(e) day party! Both new friends and old friends came together for a marvellous mélange of people and pie! Blueberry-apple pie! Peach pie! Apple pie! Lemon meringue! Blueberry pie! Ice cream! Marvellous indeed.

Seriously, it was so cool to have the most intelligent and creative people (our friends!!!) find common ground and talk and laugh all evening. We are grateful to have hosted this evening and even more grateful for our awesome friends.

Happy pi(e) day!

I Do

Something very important happened today that may have changed my life forever.

On the way home from school, Emily and I stopped into the brand new Tiffany & Co. It was magical. The sparkly jewellery and blinding diamonds were almost too much to take in. Obviously we bee-lined to the engagement section and stood there breathless and in awe. Then of course we started squealing and the saleswoman couldn't help but share in our excitement. This is my second time in there...(I also stopped in yesterday for a little peek.) I just can't help it, it is on my way home after all! After commenting how beautiful everything was the saleswomen responded and said, "Ah yes, coming in here is like entering into a magical new world where everything is made better." Truer words have never been spoken. It was then that I expressed to her how I wished I were actually getting married so I could try on some of these sparklers. She told me to feel free to stop in any time and take a look since it would be beneficial for me when it came time to choose a ring. I assured her that I already knew exactly what I wanted and it was that moment then, that she read my mind. "Would you like to try it on?" she asked? "DO I?" I marched right over to the classic Tiffany setting and listened intently as she began explaining that it was, "The quintessential diamond, a classic for all of time." She proceeded to pull out the 2 carat honker and handed it right over to me. I kid you not, I had tears in my eyes as I tried on the $55,000.00 gem. It was a moment in time I will never forget, and most likely never get to experience again, but hey, a girl can dream can't she? 

The Promise of Spring

I don't miss falling asleep to this.

Not even the best earplugs can deafen the "BEEP BEEP GRRRRRR BEEP BEEEEEEEP GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR."

How Sweet It Is

Last week, Katie, Emily and I made a crucial new discovery...literally steps away from 1900 Tupper...there is a dessert place. This is not just your average crepes and cake, let me tell you. As you can see below, we had our own mini campfire where we roasted our own marshmallows and made chocolate peanut butter s'mores. Not drooling yet? Read on. We also shared a fondue with fresh fruit, brownies, and little waffle stars, which we dipped in a divine mix of dark chocolate and peanut butter.

Cacao 70 is super eclectic and really cozy. As soon as we got there they brought us samples of their 'hot chocolate' which is literally liquid chocolate. After we had finished our dessert we looked around the restaurant and got to chatting with some of the staff, asking them about their favourite desserts and chocolates. They have chocolate from all over the world and we got to sample some from Tanzania and Mexico! I can say without a doubt that we will be returning to Cacao very soon, (Emily already has), and we're currently scheming up a plan to swipe that mini campfire so we can roast our own marshmallows 24/7. If you're ever west of campus, check it out and then stop by 1900 Tupper and tell us all about it!

Trying to Study

..."Trying" being the operative word... Not even country music can drown out the ruckus.

To which protests am I referring? See here and here. When will the madness end! Don't these students have midterms and essays to write too?!

Because it's mildly amusing, here is an excerpt from the aforementioned commie newspaper I picked up:

Considering that the student mobilization is mainly related to the $1,625 rising of university tuition fees on the part of the Charest government, ... the Revolutionary Student Movement calls for an expansion of the fight. If rising tuition is an attack against our rights and those of the proletarian youth, we cannot oppose it while accepting all other assaults stemming from capitalism. ... We simply cannot tolerate becoming poorer while the rich become richer! ... The situation is clear: we have only one enemy--the capitalist system--and our response must be common and include not only students but all oppressed people. For that reason, we invite students to join the various committees and anti-capitalist meetings to be held during the strike.

Good grief.

Side note: I would clean my windows if I could. Does anyone have a cherry picker and a squeegee I could borrow?


UPDATED, 3:49 PM EST:
Broadcast message to the McGill community:

A message from Jim Nicell: A large group of approximately 2,000 protestors is in the vicinity of downtown campus, with police accompanying. The protesters were at Concordia [this is approximately where 1900 Tupper is located], now headed back east [thank goodness]. Witnesses have also reported seeing approximately 50 masked and hooded individuals gathering nearby. We will keep you informed of any developments.

And so will I, dear readers, so will I.

UPDATED, 4:20 PM EST:
Broadcast message to the McGill community:

Due to the presence of a large protest and substantial police presence (located at Sherbrooke & McTavish as of 4:00pm), we advise that you stay away from Sherbrooke Street. If you leave the downtown campus, please use other exits. McGill Security is on alert and will secure campus buildings as needed.

UPDATED, 4:42 PM EST:
Read this article for a broader (i.e. Canadian -- Quebec, you haven't separated, yet) perspective of the Quebec student madness.

Equalization is a program designed to make the government services available to Canadians equal across the country. The short of it is that Quebecers receive the equivalent of $1,743 more from the federal government than they paid into Confederation. This does not add up, does it.

Unfortunately "have" provinces (like British Columbia and Alberta) are stuck footing "have-not" provinces' bills through hefty equalization payments. "It would appear Quebec university students need to learn a lesson on equalization, fairness and pulling their own weight."

Read on and learn that,

"Quebec plans to increase tuition by $325 for each of the next five years, which may sound like a lot to some, but not to most other university students in the rest of the country who pay much more than those in Quebec. Currently, of the 10 universities with the cheapest tuition in Canada, seven are in Quebec. But that tuition is only inexpensive if you are a Quebec resident. If you are not a resident of Quebec, of the 10 most costly tuitions in Canada, five are in Quebec and are the same ones that are the least expensive for Quebec students."

= Time for a reality check (and I do mean "check," not "cheque"), Quebec.

UPDATED, 6:14 PM EST:
Broadcast message to the McGill community:

The protest near downtown campus has largely dispersed. Some police are still on site near Sherbrooke and McTavish. Area streets have been reopened and no exits off campus are blocked.

Ahh... Peace.

UPDATED, THE NEXT DAY:
Motion for the Arts Undergraduate Society to strike? Defeated. Booya.

The McGill Daily article here.

While I am all for exercising my democratic right to vote, standing in a campus-long lineup amidst chaos and disorganization in wait for the General Assembly to begin (three hours late!!!) was trumped by the need to study and sleep. My thanks to those who were in attendance and successfully injected some rationality into the increasingly radicalized McGill atmosphere of late.

5-0-0-0

Five thousand hits! Thank you for reading and letting us share our lives with you!
<3 Katie

Pilgrimage to Chris Tomlin

Bra chains and "liberated" women. Police on horseback and helicopters circling above. Commie newspapers ("JOIN THE WORLDWIDE REVOLUTION!" How about... no). Disgruntled protesters (what else is new). Horizontal rain and gale-force winds. Being separated from Kinsey and Emily then ending up pressed up against communists, smokers, and potheads in an exploding metro car. Add another metro, then a missed bus, and finally a caught bus to a poorly lit industrial district (like a Criminal Minds TV set). Getting lost and asking for directions en français à McDonald's (and scarcely resisting the urge to scarf down a BigMac in the meantime). Getting unlost. Sprinting through a boggy-marsh-field. Arriving (late) to our destination mega sweaty.

= Just a glimpse into our journey to see Chris Tomlin...

The pilgrimage to L'église nouvelle vie left something to be desired; thankfully, the concert did not! It was fantastic and we left encouraged and uplifted! I loved the opening band, All Sons and Daughters, too. Promptly purchased their CDs. Bonus - we got to meet Paula's lovely family, visiting from London, Ontario.

On a somewhat related note, I can't hear "Chris Tomlin" and not think of this video (hi Nat).

To Riley Reimer

Hang in there.

Hilarious

Count 'Em

C.Q.C.

It's Saturday night and after a long day of studying and interviewing (hopefully more happy details will come of that tomorrow), the three of us got together to make dinner!

Thanks to our friend Justine and her great vegan recipes blog, we set out to make Coconut Quinoa Curry! It was really yummy and pretty easy to make. We also have Justine and her roomie Avrah to thank for the bottle of wine we enjoyed with the curry! (It was pretty good too!) Girls, you didn't even have to show up to make our night :)

Coconut Quinoa Curry 

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa

An assortment of chopped vegetables 

3 Tbsp coconut oil (evoo is okay too) 

1 small onion

1 tsp cumin

3 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp flour

2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup coconut milk

Directions

1) Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. 

2) Add chopped garlic and onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. 

3) Add cumin, sea salt, and curry spices and stir well. Add flour very slowly.  Add the vegetable stock very slowly to avoid clumping. 

4) Stir in coconut milk and finally add the vegetables. 

5) Simmer on low for about 30 minutes stirring every now and then. 

6) While the sauce is simmering, cook the Quinoa according to the package directions. 

7) Serve the curry over the quinoa.

8) ENJOY!

Miss Independent

In case you thought Kelly Clarkson fell off the face of the earth, we the ladies of 1900 Tupper are pleased to inform you SHE IS BACK! Her new album entitled Stronger has us feeling stronger than ever! In honour of Kelly we've put together a little story with just a few of her song titles. Be prepared to get emotional. Kelly's had a rough ride...

Because Of You I’m Already Gone. Never Again will I let you go because My Life Would Suck Without You. But now I need to Breakaway. You thought I would, but I Do Not Hook Up now that I’m Sober. I’m Stronger now. You think you’re Mr. Know It All. And It’s in A Moment Like This that you’re All I Ever Wanted but Behind These Hazel Eyes I won’t cry because I’m Miss Independent so I will Walk Away and I won’t Cry but Don't You Wanna Stay? I’m Addicted to you and What Doesn't Kill You makes you stronger. Stand a little taller. Don't Let Me Stop You. You’re such a Beautiful Disaster so Don't Waste Your Time but Since You Been Gone I’ve just wanted to Save You but If No One Will Listen if you decide to speak I will be here still because You Found Me when no one else was looking.

Life's a Beach

Last week I got to go to Boca with the best of the best, Riley Reimer. Ry and I have been friends since the first day of highschool and we've had the privilege of going on multiple trips together, from Whistler to Kenya, London, and now Florida! We stayed with Riley's aunt and uncle, Sandy and Jim, who spoiled us to no end. We spent our days boogie boarding at the beach club and enjoying lots of sun and amazing food. Since we're across the country for school 8 months a year it meant so much to get to spend a week together. Ry, thanks for such a great trip, you are such a blessing to me and I miss you already!
Obviously I was welcomed back in true Montreal style by a massive blizzard forcing me to swap my sandals for Sorrels and my swimsuit for a snowsuit. All I can say is Spring...come quick!

Mawage Is What Bwings Us Togeva Today

Well folks, it's finally happened. I have reached the age where my friends are starting to get married. Yesterday the lovely Lauren Hauck and Dayton Kruitbosch were engaged! This is exciting and frightening for me for many reasons. I went to elementary school with Dayton as well as high school and I became friends with Lauren through volleyball I think probably in grade 8 and then we became close in high school. The happy couple started dating in grade 10 and now here they are four years later planning their wedding! I have yet to hear the engagement story but I'm sure it's a good one! I have a feeling I might have to wait until our high school girls retreat in June to hear all the details though as Laur is probably THE most popular person I know and it's evident that she will be repeating the story thousands of times and probably not responding to most "congratulations tell me the story" emails. Anyways needless to say I am extremely happy for them. I just can't get it off my mind that my friends are getting married! I am not old enough to have married friends am I? This is crazy! Congratulations you two!

Dayton as sound man for our grade 8 production of The Sound of Music. 

This is how I still picture Dayton! 

(Grade 8 graduation) 

Laur and me at prom. 

And there they are. The happy couple! 

Maybe we should lend Lauren a part of our wedding magazine collection. We definitely have some to spare!

 This is a video Dayton put together. I'd say he did a pretty good job! Congratulations again!