Winterlude 2008...

The first few weeks of February in Ottawa brings along Winterlude, which is like a scaled down version of Carnival in Quebec. The canal opens for skating, there are free concerts, ice carving competitions, and all sorts of outdoor activities in the freezing cold Ottawa winter.

Ever since I was little I wanted to go skating on the Rideau Canal, which until this year was the longest outdoor skating rink in the world (the title now belongs to Winnipeg). They let several kilometres of the canal freeze, including Dows Lake, and they open it up for skating. There are a few places along the canal to rent skates, buy Beaver Tails (fried dough and sugar), hot chocolate, coffee, and other snacks.
There's also an ice carving competition, with people from around the world who do some amazing things with blocks of ice. Really amazing stuff.
This sculpture was done by somebody from Thailand.







And this one represents the landing of Jacques Cartier in Quebec City 400 years ago (this year is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City).

Montreal...
I just got back to Ottawa after a few days in Montreal. At law school, we have a January term which lasts three weeks, then a week break, then a winter term from February to April. So I went to Montreal for a few days with a friend at the end of the break.
On Friday we met up with a friend of mine that I worked with at Parliament a few years back, and she took us for lunch at Les 3 Brasseurs (for poutine and beer!), then to a cool tea shop on Rue St-Denis. The tea shop had nice couches and pillows, with Moroccan and Asian decor, and really good mint tea. We wandered along St-Denis a bit, then headed to her place for dinner.
Saturday we had lunch at the famous Schwartz's, where they've got the best Montreal smoked meat sandwiches. It wasn't too busy, so we only had to line up for a few minutes outside before getting a table to share with four other people. The sandwiches were about 6cm (2inches) thick with smoked meat, and a light spread of mustard. Mmmmmm...
Then we headed to the Biodome, which is near the Olympic Stadium for the 1976 Summer Olympics. The Biodome houses four distinct climates (tropical, Laurentian forest, Laurentian maritime, and polar), each with plants and animals from the region that you can walk through (including the two porcupines in the tree below). We did some second hand book shopping (lots of great places for cheap, used French books all over Montreal -I bought some Baudelaire and Verlaine), then walked along Ste-Catherine. We had dinner at a cool little Tibetan place that did great momos and lentil soup.
Sunday we had a late breakfast and a bit more shopping before leaving Montreal in the early afternoon to head back to Ottawa.

Sentenced...
I just found out last night that the guy who broke into our place back in September was sentenced to three years on the various charges. None of them related to the specific break in here, but due to other charges (i.e. breach of parole) and other break ins.

Back...
I'm back home for Christmas, after spending 12 hours in transit with three delayed flights and 3 bags of pretzels (WestJet is getting cheaper with their 'food' I guess). But it's nice to be home and have lots of good food around to eat. It has been strange though not seeing snow everywhere and not being freezing cold, literally, outside.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

One to go...
They say that law school exams are like a marathon. If that's the case (and it certainly feels like it), then I'm almost at the end. My last exam is Thursday, Criminal Law, before I head home for two weeks over the holidays. It'll be nice to take a bit of a break from all the studying -eat lots of holiday food, see old friends, and read a book for fun.

Countdown...

I've got my first exam (Constitutional Law) out of the way, the biggest one, and it feels great. Not that I think I aced the exam, but that I did well enough given the time constraints.
Last night I took a break from studying and went to the official Holiday Lighting ceremony at the university with a few friends. It was actually really cool -they had free hot chocolate and cookies, carolers, and there was a bit of snow falling. Perfect evening for it to. So that's what the two photos are from.

Vote for Latin..
An interesting article from the New York Times about Latin. It's really a shame that more people don't study Latin, though I'll admit that I'm not about to rush into a Latin classroom (I've got enough to study right now). But who knew that Williamus Clintonus studied Latin for four years, or that even Georgius W Bushus studied a bit of Latin.

Here's part of it:
Primum, duces nostros linguam Latinam non iam studere triste non videtur. Sed reipublicae artem - quae principes iuvenes educationem praeparationem pro curriculo considerare excitat — cum rhetorica exigua, moribus infirmis, grammatica inepta et rationis historicae metu congruissse fors non est; aeterna de quibus Romani nos multum docere possunt. Romani ipsi dicunt,

Roma urbs aeterna; Latina lingua aeterna.

Nemo principes candidati praefecti Latinae languae periti sunt. Hillaria Clintona scientiae politicae Wellesleiae studuit; Barackus Obamus Columbiae. Rudius Giulianus linguam per quattuor annos theologiae ad Episcopi Loughlin Memorem Scholam Altam Brooklyni attigit, quando se pontificem futurum esse consideravit. Sed tum quod studuit? Scientiae politicae.

Quam res post Patres Fundantes mutaverunt! Ex VII libris in Thomae Jeffersoni bibliotecha in Monticello, soli XXIV domi manent. Posteri alteros vendiderunt, Bibliotecha Concilii emptos. Lectissimus liber, iam in pluteo vitreo in Jeffersoni bibliotecha, Aeneis a Virgilio est.

Jeffersonus, novem annos natus, linguas Latinam et Graecam ad scholam in Virginia pontifice Caledonio administratam docere coepit. Liber grammaticus Graecus iuxta eum ad Conlegium Williami Mariaeque Williamiburgi semper erat. Tacitus Homerusque carissimi erant.

Jeffersonus optimam scholae altae educationem lingua in Latina, Graeca et Gallica, cum grammaticis thematibus lectionibusque, libris translatis in linguam Anglicam, et recordatione locorum famosorum esse consideravit.

For the rest in Latin, and for the article in English.

Average Student Today...
I came across this interesting video on Motion to Recess. It's about the life of an 'average' student, though I think it would be interesting to find out about the life of an average law student (especially the part about sleep and reading).

And with that, it's now less than a week until law school exams officially start. My first exam is Constitutional Law, worth 100% of the course. Fun times to be had on s.7 today!

Snow?
Normally I'm excited when it snows, because in BC we only get a day or two of snow a year. But now that I'm living in Ontario, I'm not so excited about the snow. Especially since it's already started, and this Friday's low is supposed to be -13C (7F)! I've never experienced that in Canada, except when skiing at Whistler. My roommate commented this morning about how sad it is that I've never lived a real Canadian winter.
Well, I think my "first real Canadian winter" is starting with trudging to uni this morning in the snow.

Pakistan...
I'm assuming that most people have heard about the situation in Pakistan. The Canadian Bar Association is organizing an even this Sunday to support the lawyers in Pakistan. Here are the details:

The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) is joining legal organizations around the world in a show of support for the lawyers and judges of Pakistan, calling for the restoration of the rule of law in that country.

On Sunday, November 25 in Ottawa, the CBA will be holding a march in solidarity with the defenders of the rule of law in Pakistan. CBA President Bernard Amyot will lead the procession of CBA Bar Leaders, lawyers, law students and other members of the legal community from across Canada. The County of Carleton Law Association is also giving its full support to the march to the steps of the Supreme Court of Canada. Bar Leaders will address the marchers and participants will have the opportunity to sign a petition of support for Pakistan lawyers, judges and the rule of law.

All lawyers, their families and champions of the rule of law are invited to join in this Ottawa event to show their concern.

We need your participation to make this a success. Here are the details:

What: Lawyers’ March to the Supreme Court to support the rule of law in Pakistan
When: Gather at the Delta Hotel Ottawa - 10:00 a.m., Sunday, November 25. The March will begin at 10:30 a.m. and is expected to end by 11:30 a.m.
Where: The Delta Hotel, 361 Queen Street, Ottawa (Coffee and hot chocolate will be available from 10 a.m.)
Attire: Dark suit

Finally...
I finally got my laptop back. It took long enough. Turns out that HP sent my computer to Concord (somewhere near Toronto?). That city didn't know why they got my laptop, so they shipped it back to HP. Then HP finally figured out what was happening and sent it to Ottawa... Way to go HP!
They reinstalled the operating system, so all the data on my computer was lost and they didn't back anything up. Luckily I had been taking my notes by hand before the laptop crashed (for a 2nd time in a year), so I didn't lose anything too important.
I still would recommend that you DO NOT buy an HP or a computer for Staples.