[Monday August 11, 2014]
Woke up with a terribly sore throat, runny nose and watery eyes. Feeling much better now, except for the throat. Much, much better than this morning.
3 smiles of today:
1. Finding lovely new blogs.
Since starting this blog about 2 weeks ago, I haven’t had much time to actively look for blogs that I enjoy. I’ve definitely found some, but not as many as I’d like. It was nice to be able to randomly search for new blogs that I might like (not that I had any time today, but as you know, procrastination is one of my best friends…)
2. Created a video animation in record time – 4 hours for a 4:45 minute video.
Usually I use Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing, but since this was for an assignment due tonight at 11:59 pm, I didn’t have much time. I opted to use a video animation program online, PowToon. It was my first time using it, so it was a learning process, and there are definitely more than a few things I dislike about the program, but finishing a video that is almost 5 minutes in length in 4 hours?! 🙂
3. Looked through photos from my month at Shad MUN.
I am feeling incredibly homesick for St. John’s and Squires, the name of the residence we stayed at while at Shad. Ironic, since I only spent 4 weeks there, yet St. John’s feels much more like home than Toronto right now for some reason.
Loves.
3 Smiles a Day 
Hey awesome post! I am planning to go to SHAD this summer and can’t wait. What was it like in Newfoundland? What were the activities like?
-Honeydew
PS. You have yourself a new reader!
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Thank you!! First off, congrats on getting accepted!!! I have a few friends that are also going, and I’ve been constantly reminded by them that campus announcements come out on the 27th. Good luck!!
Newfoundland was absolutely amazing (warning, this is going to be a very long comment in which I express how amazing Shad was and how much I wish I was back in NL). The people there are so friendly, the air is so fresh (maybe it’s because I’ve lived in Toronto all my life), and the view… the view was simply breathtaking. The Atlantic ocean may be too cold to swim in, but it’s simply beautiful to look at from the many ferries that we took. The culture of NL is unlike any I’ve ever experienced before, and they even have their own distinct dialect!
In terms of activities, weekends were always cultural/touristy things. We spent one Friday-Sunday camping in Fogo Island (getting there took a 7 hour drive and a 1 hour ferry ride). Other weekends, we went to museums, other islands around St. John’s, etc. The week was filled with lectures and seminars on a huge variety of topics – radiotherapy, entropy, robotics, marketing, human anatomy, etc, etc, etc. The speakers are some of the best that I’ve ever heard, and even now, I still remember the educational things I learned while at Shad.
It’ll vary between which campus you go to (what were your choices, by the way?), but no matter where you go, expect to have a total of 2 hours of free time the entire month, and to never really know what’s going to happen next! (True story. They purposely won’t tell you the schedule, and always keeps you surprised.) Have fun this July!!!
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Ack they don’t tell you the schedule? That’s going to throw me off so much, oh dear! Did you by chance compete in the SHAD cup and if so, what was your groups final project like? I’ve heard a bit about it but only a little.
– thehoneydew
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Not knowing the schedule takes some time getting used to, but it’s definitely for the best! Every moment feels like such a surprise, which makes it feel even better.
I did compete in Shad Cup, and our project was called the Bonamat [by Bonanuit]. It’s a mat with heat sensors that can be put under the mattress cover, and throughout the night, it will adjust the thermostat depending on what the temperature of the room is. This ensures that you’re not overheating the room and using more electricity than you need, while also making sure that you’re comfortable the entire night. Our theme last year was “helping Canadians live large with a small footprint”. Can’t wait to find out what the theme this year is!
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Oh hey fellow Shad alumni! 🙂
I couldn’t help but read through your comments. I’m from NL but I went to Shad Waterloo. It’d be interesting to hear more about your month here!
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Hey Kirsten! That’s so wonderful! I stalked your blog a bit [teehee], and noticed that you have a really comprehensive journal about your Shad experience. Wow. I was actually originally going to do one, but then… Shad was just way too busy, as I’m sure you remember.
MUN was amazing!!! One of my closest friends is actually going there this summer, and I am so incredibly envious of her. 🙂 For me personally, something that I noticed right away was how friendly everyone is in St. John’s, as well as the other places we got to visit. The landscape, being so close to the ocean… that was all just unbelievably amazing. What really struck me was how all the mountains were made of rocks, how strong the winds are in NL, and the HUGE lack of deciduous trees. In terms of being at Memorial, I really loved the fact that the hospital and medical school were right across the road, so I got to do a ton of seminars there in a lab setting, as well as a human anatomy lab.
I’m not exactly sure how people are finding my blog through Shad, but I’m so glad you did! How was Waterloo? You’ve really been there every year for the past few years I noticed haha! (Two of my friends actually went to Shad Waterloo last year.) How’d you enjoy Ontario? (Not nearly as beautiful as NL, in my opinion.)
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Haha yes! We had a lot of reflection time in our schedule, where journal writing was somewhat mandatory. It happened to become a habit, and a great thing to pass the time on my flights home.
Sounds like NL really showed you the best. 🙂 Did you get to go camping while you were there?
It’s actually really funny to read, now that you point all of these things out I can appreciate them, but living here makes you so blind to the good points.
I actually found your blog on the Shad Valley tag! I tagged my blogs under the same thing, so out of curiosity I decided to see what else was there. I’m happy I found yours!
Yeaah, I’ve spent too much time there recently aha. :p It was amazing though. I think Ontario is just as beautiful, but both places are beautiful in their own way. I was blown away by the Bruce Peninsula. The weather was so nice the entire month (definitely warmer than what I’m used to!) Toronto was interesting, haha, but then again it was also my first time there. Hard to adjust to cities. Shad definitely makes you appreciate both new places and old.
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The Bruce Peninsula, Tobermory, etc. is beautiful! My family and I went there two summers ago for our camping trip. And I think Toronto is definitely a unique experience for those that haven’t lived here. But then again, I’ve lived here for almost my entire life (now that I think about it, I’ve lived in big cities my entire life), so the people, the TTC, the constant source of things to do at all times of the day just feels like home. ❤
We went camping when we went to Fogo Island on a three day weekend trip. Though, it wasn't really camping, since there was a lack of tents. We all slept in sleeping bags on the floor in a church/community centre while we were there. The island was beautiful, with a population of only around 1000 people. (My high school has more people than that!)
Shad definitely lets you see other places and just how different and unique life in other provinces is. 😀
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