Look! British Ellie has evolved into Canadian Ellie!

So within the last month I may possibly have turned slightly Canadian… I willingly say “eh” at the end of sentences. I don’t find -12⁰C that cold anymore. My go-to coffee shop is of course Tim Horton’s (Timmy’s 4 Life Bro). And I am now a fully-fledged partaker in Frozen Yoghurt (Britain mate you’re missing out) and Poutine. And you know what, I’m proud! It makes me smile when I walk past people and it can be the jockiest jock you have ever seen, and he will still say end his sentence with that adorable Canadian “eh”. Yet, I do still enjoy people finding my accent amusing, and my vocabulary still causes some confusion. This month it has been: sofa, jumper, loo, strappy top, and bugger. The size of our plugs are also of great amusement.

Reading week was quite possibly one of the best weeks of my life. The trip to Las Vegas and the Mojave Desert was just insane. The people I got to share the trip with were great, and who cannot love dear old Paz. I went to California, Nevada and Arizona. We saw the Hoover Dam, the Colorado River, Las Vegas and we actually camped in a desert! Camping under the stars every night it was just incredible and I saw a scorpion, bought a lollipop with a scorpion in it, and bathed in hot springs. I also lived on a diet of Cheerios, Oreos and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (why have I only met you now my friend?). Now for anyone who hasn’t been to Las Vegas here are some key highlights:

• It’s insane!
• There is a guy walking around dressed as an alien always willing to give you free advice on how not to irritate the police.
• There is a 4-Storey M&M shop, with everything you could possibly not want to buy M&M related!
• There is a rollercoaster at ‘New York New York’ which is insane. The views are incredible albeit short lived!
• There is a Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant which just above equates to heaven for shrimp and Forrest Gump lovers like me.
• It’s surprisingly hard to find an Elvis impersonator. And the only time you do, you’re legging it down the strip because you’re late for a Cirque De Soleil show and only have time to point and yell “ELVIS!” as you run past.
• If you are walking around, wondering why you’re surrounded by a civilisation of transvestites, do not panic, just presume that there is a Britney Spears concert nearby.
• It’s insane!!

My brain still can’t quite grasp that there is an end in sight for this exchange. On the 2^nd March I reached my half way point, with only 2 months left, and it saddened me. Of course the thought of going home and seeing my friends and family is amazing, but the possibility that I might not see some of the lovely people that I have met here again is a horrible thought! But it just spurs me on to continue having an amazing time. Midterms went well which is a relief! The snow is actually disappearing and I can see pavements and vegetation! Who’da known!

 Safe to say that my sock and jumper collection has grown beautifully and I have never been so proud. And for a girl who lived in skirts and shorts and summer clothes all year round, you can only be proud of me too. I’m growing up Mum! I also invested a woolly hat and some true Canadian gloves. In England you would be embarrassed if someone had the same item of clothing as you, but here, if you have the same Canadian gloves, you share mutual pride.

Next month’s instalment? It’s my birthday and a hell of a lot more sushi and froyo! Still no moose… But I keep on dreaming.