Tidbits of life

Tomorrow marks one month of leaving Toronto, Canada, North America. 1/36 of my program is over. I always like putting things in fractions; it seems to give me a whole new perspective on the life I’m living. I’d think, if one month passed by so quickly, another 35 of these would probably fly by before I know it.

Here’s a little anecdote of the week. I went to a colleague’s house Thursday night for a little gathering, since three people in the lab had birthdays this week. As we were chatting, someone arrived and entered the door. Thinking I was blocking the way, I tried to move to let him pass. What I didn’t notice for a good 10 seconds was that instead of sitting down, he was trying to lean over. I was then told that I was supposed to give a “bisou”, which was the French greeting involving a kiss (or simple brushing) on both cheeks. OH, I FEEL DUMB, I thought. I always assumed that only people who know each other very well did it, but apparently not! So I leaned over and did a rather awkward bisou where I gently brushed my cheeks against his (his face was VERY soft). I hope that my ignorance in the beginning didn’t offend the guy and that he didn’t think I was trying to run away from him or anything.

This week I thought I’d post some pictures that don’t comprise a theme. Previously I’ve shown specific places I’ve gone for my Saturday explorations, but the following pictures are taken randomly – on my way to work, on my way back from work, groceries, places nearby, etc. Just little tidbits of life.

It seems as if here’s an abundance of these little guys in hiding. I often hear shuffling of leaves near as I walk down the sidewalk, and at first I thought it could be mice. I finally caught a glimpse of one of these lizards around the corner one day. They’re everywhere.