THIS IS THE TIGER THAT KEEPS MY FEET WARM AT NIGHT!

RELAXING BATH TIME!

I AM SORRY I'VE BEEN SO ABSENT (IT'S BASICALLY BEEN QUEUE AND ONE OR TWO REPLIES THESE PAST 4 DAYS), THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING ON IN MY LIFE!

I WILL UPDATE YOU ALL TONIGHT AND REPLY TO ALL POSTS AND MESSAGES TONIGHT!

This is happening right now:

MY PARENTS ARE SO FREAKED OUT ABOUT ME MOVING ABROAD TOMORROW:

AND I AM JUST LIKE, "STOP IT GUYS, YOU ARE STRESSING ME OUT!"

It's Friday. It's my last Friday in Canada for the next 3-5 years. Because I'm flying to the UK on Sunday. IN TWO DAYS. <3

Graduation Day Thoughts:

Graduation Day. I call it “the day Helen walked across a stage and accepted a $25 000 piece of paper from an institution saying that she has assimilated their select sanctioned knowledge”. Because that’s exactly what happened. … All social justice activism aside (i.e. It’s disgusting that we have to pay to learn, everyone should have equal access to education, Helen is angry at the inequitable institutions and structures, etc, etc.), it was a good day spent with family and friends. My Gran came all the way from England to spend time with us, including my graduation.

There was a very early breakfast. I went because FREE BREAKFAST! I also saw my thesis advisor there and a few other people I appreciate, such as peers, co-workers, and professors. The actual ceremony preparation was quite boring: I put on a robe and then stood around talking to people while waiting for the ceremony to start. Then came the actual ceremony: we all filed in and sat down and watched each other go up onstage, have our names announced, our sashes (and honours chords, if a student got honours, as I did) put on, our photos taken, shake hands with the president of the university (I call him entitled white man #42) and a few other ‘important people’, get our degrees, get our photos taken again, walk around the gym, then sit back down. That process itself took all of 5 minutes for me. The entire ceremony was about an hour and a half, which was shorter than I expected. The-powers-that-be cut out some boring speeches and made it fast (maybe because they knew the humanities students would get bored?). I’m thankful because I was expecting to sit there bored out of my mind for two hours or more. I got to sit near people I like and fellow drama students, so it was fine. When I got bored, we commented on the ceremony and made jokes and got nostalgic about our years at University.

After the ceremony there was a reception with more free food: I chowed down on divine chocolate-chip cookies and lemonade that I appreciated. I got to spend time chatting with friends and my family and taking photos and all of that. My favourite photos are the ones where I’m a superhero in my gown! Lol.

After that, I convinced my very British (meat-and-potatoes) parents to go out for Sushi for my grad dinner. Upside: I got to have sushi, which I love. Downside: I had to pay for a $50 meal on the day of my graduation. It was delicious, though.

My parents had to head back home right after that because we left Ro (the dog) at the dog kennel and they needed to pick her up. I stayed in the city (with Vilala) for a few more days, meeting people, tying up loose ends, and seeing my thesis advisor and second reader for the last time to close up everything and pick up their edits of my final draft. I also watched the rest of series 7 of Doctor Who and much of Lost Girl Series 2. Woot!

This is summertime at Brock University.

What happened to Helen during April and May, you ask?

Well, let's answer that, shall we?

I was absent from Tumblr for a month and a half. I’m sure you’ll all wondering what happened during the second half of April and the entirety of May, while I dropped off the map and didn’t exist for a few months (aside from bothering HollowShadowWolf and writing and posting FanFiction). 

April was Thesis-HereBeDragons-Work-Exam-Computer Problems-Month:

During April, I was working on writing my Thesis, Assistant-Stage-Managing and Promotions-Managing for Here Be Dragons, a fairy tale fantasy comedy written by my friend Anna, working as an exam monitor, and preparing to write my Feminist Speculative Fiction exam.

I completed my thesis, but the computer glitched it all up so I had to continue working on it in May. The play went very well, we more than made back our costs, and I enjoyed it from behind-the-scenes every night. My Feminist Speculative Fiction exam went really well and I ended with a good grade in the course.

  May was Thesis-TEFL-Work-Writing-TV Month:

During May, I continued working on my Thesis, and filled in the gaps that were lost when the computer glitched. I took an intensive TEFL (Teaching English Foreign Language) course, because while I’ve worked in Italy teaching English for three summers in a row, I don’t actually have the piece of paper which qualifies me to do so, and the course enables that.  I also worked in the Student Support Services drop-in, helping students taking spring courses with their work. I was able to use the time to get back into writing FanFiction and video editing as well. I also started watching Defiance and Lost Girl. I completed my Thesis and handed in my draft on Friday May 30.

This actually just happened:

Helen's Blog: I AM NOW 23 YEARS OLD! WOOT!

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO ME!

Helen's Blog: Tutoring now for an hour!

Helen's Blog: June 24: Idrelle-Miocivani's Birthday.

TODAY IS IDRELLE'S BIRTHDAY.

I'm taking time to bombard her with love in every way possible (I've always done text message, facebook wall, tweet and facebook status) because she is an absolutely out-of-this-world amazazing lass and I appreciate her more than words can say.

Have a fantabulous day, my luv. <3

Present on it's way. xo

I've got a backlog of blog posts and photographs and messages and writing and vidding to do, so PLEASE BEAR WITH ME!

...Like the graduation post I still haven't done... whoops...

I'M BAAAAAAAACK! *happy dance*

Helen's Blog: On our way home from the weekend family holiday!