Great weekend with RISExC and The Killers concert

After getting settled at Neill-Wycik this week and finding our way around the nabourhood, we had more orientation on Friday. We started off with a lot of (a bit boring) information about security, cautions in regard to the swine flu, culture shock and so on – very important things of course, but it took a looot of time.

What was more exciting, we got to meet the RISExC (Ryerson International Student Exchange Commitee). This team of students from Ryerson organize activities for me and the other Danes + the 30-40-ish other international students coming from all around the world. We went to a pub with all the others after the orientation and later that evening we met up at a bar/restaurant called Asian Monsoon. It was okay, but Saturday was more fun!

Saturday evening the other guys and I at Neill-Wycik had Casper, Arndis and Gretar (Arndis’ boyfriend) over for 116 pieces of sushi – very good and very cheap sushi! Gotta love it We had some beers and some wine and then took off at about 11pm for The Drake Hotel in the western part of Toronto. Very fancy place. I spend the most of the night at the lowest floor where everybody was dancing.

At 2.30 in the morning the lights turned on. I had heard about clubs and bars closing at 3-ish over here, but still, that’s kind of weird compared to Denmark. Oh well, its nice to get home a bit earlier than 5

I like that the others at Neill-Wycik can follow each other home. Its cool that we can talk a bit about what happened during the night when we get home just before we go to bed. And of course its nice that the cab ride is a bit cheaper although it already is very cheap! We paid $15 (like 75 DKK) to get home from The Drake Hotel. That ride would most definately have cost twice as much back home.

Sunday we slept in and were a bit hungover. Took things nice and easy so we could be ready for the concert with The Killers later that evening. It was at this cool venue called The Molson Amphitheatre out on Ontario Place, a superficial island off the shore of Toronto.

To get there we went through the exhibition place which for some time now have been the place for the Canadian National Exibition, an annual event also called ‘The Ex’.

View over The Ex from the bridge over to Ontario Place

The concert was so cool! Even though I didn’t know the songs that well I had a great time.

Kirstine, Me, Justin, Casper, Gretar, Arndis and Lars at The Killers concert

And the setting was absolutely wonderful. From our spot at a big lawn we could see all the way down to the stage, a great view! You can see the exhibition place and the Toronto skyline all the way around the back of the venue!

Our view from the lawn

Today we again were a bit tired but we had decided to clean the kitchen and the bathrooms. They were not as clean as we could wish for when we moved in. After cleaning the girls and I went down to The Eaton Center to do some shopping. This mall was of course open until 6pm even though its a national holiday today (Labor Day).

Tomorrow the girls start school and Lars, Casper and I are attending an MBA workshop about writing and presentation in the evening. There’s also a RISExC pub-crawl which we will try to catch up with when we are finished with school at around 9 p.m.

Last, but not least: Wednesday we getter a faster internet connection! This means more pictures and probably a better skype-connection. This slow connection is driving me nuts!

Over and out for now

Sightseeing

So what have me and the others been up to the last couple of days? Well, seeing Toronto by foot – of course. Or at least mostly. Since I’m staying in the (su)burbs I’m taking the subway for about +/- 20 minutes back and forth from downtown, but thats no problem. I think its nice sitting on the train reading the Metro Xpress. Its almost the same as the Metro Xpress we have in Copenhagen.

To sum up from last:

Tuesday: Met up at City Hall at noon, had a quick lunch at the food court in Eaton Centre (man, its big), went to see our school, accidentally bumped in to the international coordinator Dale Carl who showed us around the school that looks awesome and has some very nice facilities which only the MBA students can use (to bad for the other girls thats studying on their bachelor, hehe), went to Neill-wycik where we are moving in on Tuesday, met a guy there who of course remembers David from 2007 when he was there, walked to China Town with Pil and Kirstine, found a really big Chinese supermarket with alive fish, crabs and lots of other weird stuff, walked all the way back downtown, took the subway back to Hans and Clare, had dinner, had wine, caought Holme and talked a good long time on Skype, went to bed.

Wednesday: Met with Lars and Kirstine at 11 at City Hall, supposed to meet Pil at 11.30 at Union Station but couldn’t find her and her cell didn’t work, walked down to the habour front, had lunch in the sunshine, saw CN Tower and SkyDome/Rogers Centre, found a internet cafe and wrote Pil, met with Pil at 6, had dinner, went to the cinema and saw Inglorious Basterds (good one!) and went home.

Me (in the middle), Pil and Lars in front of Royal Ontario Museum on Bloor st

Today: Met up at 12 at Kensington Market, got lunch, walked around in the sun, went to Little Italy, got an ice coffee, walked down a long street called Bloor, saw some very big Korean supermarkets and a very big and cheap Canadian one, walked all the way down Bloor, passed by The Annex/University of Toronto, the Royal Ontario Museum (see photo) and the fancy shops like Gucci and so on, went home with the subway, got a nice long talk with David on skype, had dinner with Hans and Clare and then again wine, talked, checked some e-mails and will soon go to bed.

Tomorrow Lars and I are going to an introduction day at the university. Its going to be fun to see the other MBA students. There’s about 120 of them. There’s also a whole programme for Saturday with a case competition and social activities in the evening. So we got the weekend planned already.

Weathers been good and I like hanging out with the girls and Lars and its also very very nice to live at Hans and Clares and chat with them. So besides from my feet as well as my legs being sore life’s good.

I can’t get my computer connected to Hans and Clare’s internet so pictures will have to wait until I’ve moved in at Neill-wycik probably…

Cheers

Arrived in my new city

Well, suddenly I landed. Felt weird. Very overwhelming.

I got up at 4 in the morning yesterday, had breakfest with David and then took the metro to the airport. My parents came and said goodbye and I met Kirstine, Pil and Lars who were also going to Toronto yesterday. To more girls, Arndis and Emilie, is coming also to study at Ryerson.

Then we flew to Frankfurt, got something to eat AND COFFEE! And right after that we went over to the gate where the plane to Canada waited, got onboard and flew for about 8 hours. When we landed we had to go through immigration but that didn’t take long. We then picked up our luggage and went out where we met Hans and Clare who I’m staying with for the first week.

The Great Dane (Hans) felt sorry for my friends, so after driving me and Clare back to their house he was so kind to go back to the airport, pick up the others and drove them to their hotel, hostel and friend. Thank you for that, Hans.

In the evening I had a good time with Hans and Clare, just having supper and talking over a glass (or more) of wine. At about 8 o’clock I was sent to bed  – I was so tired. There’s a 6 hour time difference from Denmark, so at 8 it was actually around 2 o’clock Danish time and I had not slept that much on the plane. So I went to bed in my cosy room in a good bed and fell asleep imediately.

Today I woke up early at around 6.30 Canadian time, so actually I slept in considering when I went to bed! Got up and had breakfest with Hans and Clare who usually eats breakfast at this early hour(!!!) – but that was perfect today.

Later today I’m meeting up with Lars, Pil and Kirstine and we’re going to have a look at the city and Ryerson University. That’s gonna be sooo exciting because right now I’ve only seen the city from Hans’ car on the way to their house. So I don’t really feel like being a long way from home since I’m right now sitting in their lovely living room in a nice chair feeling very comfortable with a big cup of coffee standing on the small table next to me. You know, I just got on a plane yesterday, walked around in some airport terminals and really didn’t spend that much time outside until I got to the house that’s a little outside Toronto.

So later on today I guess it will maybe occur to me that I am indeed far, far away from home!

Lets’ see…