7 1/2 Months To Go...

I'm trying to find the good things about Hamilton. Really, I'm making a concerted effort.

And I haven't come up short: the area around McMaster is kinda nice, as I've heard; people are generally pleasant and well mannered; it's fairly quiet; King Street West seems like the only cool street in this city, but I know there are other cool places that I have yet to check out, like Hess Village. Yeah...that's all I've got right about now.

There are certainly things I hate. Main Street is tops the list.

It took me a while to figure out what it was exactly that I find so utterly horrific about it - aside from the bland scenery, lack of trees, and plethora of fast food joints - but finally I realized, it's the traffic.

Not just the six lanes of traffic, but the fact that when you're walking on the sidewalk, there is absolutely no buffer between you and those wretched six lanes of traffic. The rushing noise, the fumes, the wind: you're completely exposed to all of it. It's horrible.

This is Main Street, object of my revulsion:

Yeah I know it's just a street but it's the worst manifestation of a street in a city that is so clearly meant for drivers. I will take detours to avoid it.

I seem to have acquired a slight city-snobbery...and while I'm not proud of it, I do admit it.

There are, however, some more interesting things about Hamilton that I've noticed. I'll fill you in as neutrally as I can manage and let you draw your own conclusions:

• Outside the NoFrills grocery store, I happened to notice while waiting for a cab, random men lingering for no apparent reason. One guy was talking to people as they passed (he was kind of a down-on-his-luck eccentric) and another guy starting shooing him off, even though he himself was just hangin' out for no apparent reason. It was like a turf war between bored retirees and the socio-economically underprivileged, and No Frills was prime real estate.

• Public transit (i.e. the bus) in Hamilton is an obstacle course of canes, walkers, strollers and basket-carts. You've got to be agile and keenly aware at all times.

• When I enjoy my morning tea out on the front step, I overhear pairs or groups of my neighbours gathered on the sidewalk or the street talking about the late night noise coming from a few student houses. There is a lot of pointing, head-shaking and negative gesturing. I heard the word 'hooligans' on two separate occasions.

• In downtown Hamilton, there is a gun shop: "New & Used Firearms. Professional Repairs. Ammunition Equipment and Supplies." When was the last time you saw an actual gun shop in a city? I can't remember the last time I saw a gun shop period. Just down the block there's a Starbucks and an organic food shop...

I'll stop there, although I'm sure I'll have more quaint little anecdotes for you in the near future.

So on to good things...Here are a few shots of McMaster. It is a really nice campus.

More on the wonderfulness of grad school later, fear not.

I found a tiny little room in a basement that I share with one girl, in a house that we share with 4 boys, who like to play Guitar Hero directly above my room.

At the moment, it's Eye of the Tiger. Oh, now it's Float On by Modest Mouse...with a little karaoke action...

But, everyone is fairly cool and the boys generously let me use their pepper grinder, so it's all good.

This is my tiny room, where the lowest part of the ceiling touches my head if I stand up straight:

I told myself that I would not do anything that required tools or even vaguely resembled remodeling because, let's be honest, I'm outta here May 1st (or even mid-April...).

For those of you who know me well, you know that this is a radical expectation.

So considering that all I did was paint, rip up some abhorrent mac-tac, reinforce the baseboards and remove a closet door, I'd say that's within reason.

About the paint: the colour I was initially enamored with was a nice rich spicy kind of orange, but...I just couldn't bring myself to paint my bedroom walls a colour called Peeping Tom.

Who the hell came up with that name? What kind of shopper/redecorator is that colour designed for? Most importantly, who approved that selection? ("Great job with the new line Henry - very provocative, you rascal!"). Although, if I were a paint-colour-namer I would most definitely test the boundaries of perversion and political incorrectness too.

But the point is, I couldn't be surrounded by Peeping Tom. I went with the much less threatening Warm Autumn. It's lovely. And not at all menacing or perverted.

(Oh, now it's Bon Jovi, Livin' on a Prayer. Sing it Justin!)

This is my hovel for the next 7 1/2 months:

It's quite cozy actually.

Especially with the return of a certain furry creature who gives gentle head-butts and snores:

My Luna! I'm so happy to have her back. She adds a little something special to my day, everyday.

By the way, that orb-paperweight thing is one of two that were made for me in Malta.

Strangely enough, the girl I share the basement with - her name is Luna too. How fun!

Ok, now back to reading the 80 pages of very dense texts that I have to finish tonight...