Year-in-Review


January counted down to 2005 stranded in the subway en route to downtown Toronto... street performers everywhere were donating their proceeds to tsunami relief. flew by myself for the first time (after a whole day of flight delays... cheap airline tickets i.e. jetsgo), to work as an intern in new york (on 5th ave. and broadway!), spending my exciting month exploring manhattan and brooklyn for the first time (boxing day sales everywhere, snowstorms shutting down the whole city, fries store, the strand, MoMa museum free on fridays)

February discovered a fun museum to volunteer for, where the combination of nice people/ fun work ended up as one of my favourite memories of new york. met the project manager of the architect whose lifework inspired me to study architecture. friend flew down for surprise visit.

March ballet lessons in old church in Gramercy, and got put back on my original project at work alongside the new, less-exciting one. got to work directly with my original "boss", an inspiring, eager mentor.

April left new york with memories of strudels, sunny central park, a beautiful new camera, and giddy excitement a coworker who gave me contacts for future work with famous architects.

May back at school with the semester starting in full swing - ecstatic reunions, lovely new roommate, field trips galore up north and to the states in the first week, endless projects requiring lots of all nighters, fun nights of making chocolate fondue with tealights inbetween

June camping / pavilion building trip in northern ontario, marshmallows roasted over cedarwood bonfires, muhitoes and more alcohol and stars and mosquitoes and citronella candles; downtown job interview day after an all-nighter with giddy shopping/movie-ing planned for afterwards

July mailed off portfolios for internship hunt far and wide around the world. play rehearsals, play props, play production of Shakespeare Abridged. final project deadlines did not bode well. harry potter & HBP book-on-tape keeps me awake for all-nighters. internship hunt got more and more pressing, with job possibilities in tokyo, holland, paris, germany.

August where did the summer go? dinner with profs, end-of-term barbecues, talent shows, parties, movie nights, time to sit around and watch honours thesis presentations, group study sessions, 10 hour exams. reluctant to move home and leave my beautiful summer term behind. days at home to read and reunite with old friends.

September Paris bound. pretty apartment with classmates; gorgeous rooftop views and many movies to watch. wine and baguette and cheese picnics in parks and at the Seine. works for high-end design architect in outskirts of Paris; work is frustrating. draws at the Louvre.

October nuit blanche - all nighter of events throughout Paris; stayed up to see sunrise before the Eiffel Tower. work gets more frustrating - furniture design. Musee Rodin (where the sculpture the Thinker is) is so beautiful, and makes me finally start drawing carefully again. friends visit from London; we go to Versailles. roommate and I go to Monet's garden

November two holidays, work slows down. finally ends work at one agence and starts at another. cake from a certain bakery is yummy. goes to boss's lecture at a certain architectural association. first snowfall in Paris coincides with snowstorm in Canada. fun weekend when friends visit from Rome, more fun when we meet for dinner with new friends from la sorbonne.


December working in the shadow of the Notre Dame makes me feel alive. fun lunch-hours walking in the footsteps of Cosette in Les Mis, or prowling through designer stores. Musee Picasso is inspiring. friend's uncle gives me voice lessons, which is wonderfully enlightening. lots of xmas shopping, souvenirs, and lots more of Paris still to see, and time is running out ... tick tock tick tock!