Hi. How is everybody? It's been a really, really long time since I added anything here, and I'm sorry about that. I've been busy changing everything about my life.
I moved to Lennoxville, Quebec, to Bishop's University. I live alone - well, not entirely alone. I live with a fierce red betta named Nietzsche.
I'm an English major, concentrating in Cultural and Media Studies and minoring in Creative Writing and Journalism. I know, I know: English major, but I could take a degree like that to law school. There are no doors in this world that cannot be opened by knowing how to communicate properly, and the piece of paper I'm going to have in three years will tell everyone I know how to do just that.
My dorm is small. My bathroom is about the size of a postage stamp, and the sink decides to leak regularly: sometimes I have to hurry home from class to empty the mug I keep under here so as not to damage the "woodwork". It gets quite chilly here (insert Canadian joke here). I have learned how to throw the breaker downstairs after my space heater blows the circuit. I have it on now, so I probably have about 5-10 minutes left before that happens again. It's worth it to be this lovely and warm, though. The place may be small, wet, and sometimes filled with questionable dairy products, but I love it, because it's mine. (Until my lease expires, anyways.)
I turned 18 in September. It's very odd to be able to order a glass of wine in this country and not get laughed out of the place with a cop at my side, not that I do any drinking. Everyone else at school seems to, though. I don't take anything stronger than a cup of Earl Grey tea accidentally steeped for longer than 2 minutes.
I miss my cat. I came home for Canadian Thanksgiving and he was always with me, after he got over his initial temper tantrum that I had left him. I haven't broached the subject of Nietzsche yet with him, I'm not sure how well that will go over.
It's funny. Before I went to school, I thought my parents' rules were a little silly, but I think I understand a little better now. I'll probably never fully understand until I have children of my own, but I sort of like having rules. I have a good, decent, upstanding life here, complete with the antique bone china teacups, and I'm becoming a moral, honest, and respectable young woman who knows what she wants from life and how to get it.
But enough about me, this blog is supposed to be about the book. I heard back from Sterling Lord Literistic: they decided Until the End of the World had too many "serious flaws" for them to consider publishing. Oh well. Life throws things at us and hopefully we learn our little lessons. I've written my sad poem in my journal and I've moved on. Maybe I'll rewrite this book, when I have a bit of time. In the meantime, I've come up with another idea for a different novel altogether, a romance this time. I'll keep you guys posted (again, pardon the pun, some things change but that will always be funny) and if anyone wants to be a reader when the time comes, of course you are welcome to let me know with a comment.
The contest for this blog post is, who can come up with the best Canadian joke? Come on, my American friends, do your worst. I know I'm tempting fate here, but a blizzard of jokes will soon be coming my way...ha ha ha. Let no one say I don't know how to laugh at myself. The prize will be revealed to the winner and the winner only, but it's totally awesome and everyone should want it...
--Caleigh x
P.S. In honour of Nietzsche: what fish do you go to if you get sick?
Deciding whether to revise a novel is always tricky, and I think probably being in school makes it an even tougher decision -- because your style savyy and your skills are increasing (if the school's a good one) at a rapid rate. To go "back" to a manuscript written earlier means wrestling with which parts of your 2-years-ago self to sustain, and where to add cosmetics versus where to explode a former structure and engineer a new one. In the long run, the decision might depend on how often the characters are sticking their heads into your dreams (at night or in daytime) and talking to you ...
ReplyDeleteThe only "clean" Canadian joke that I found online said, "Why did the Canadian cross the road?" "Because she saw the American do it on TV." And I have no clue about the fish thing -- I kept trying to figure out a way to get a guppy into the reply. I am fish-limited!!
PS - I heard you've written articles for a regional paper, about college life. But I haven't seen them! Any chance you might post them here??
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