Polished
I took a break today from my hard student lifestyle to swing into London. The purpose of this trip was twofold. The first was that I took over one of my huge bags so that when I finally move everything out of Reading on Saturday I won't be battling a large number of bags. So that means that all of my dirty laundry and a number of other shirts (which by proximity are now dirty as well) are all peacefully in London where I don't really have to worry about them until I fly back to Canada. That just leaves me to fill my remaining huge bag and a couple smaller bags with everything in my room. I'm not sure if that is going to be possible, but I've seen more challenging things accomplished.
The second purpose for my trip to London was that I had an appointment. A spa appointment. One of the perks of spending so much of my time this term putting together a website and a small online store for a spa is that I can get paid in spa treatments (at least partly). So I decided that today I would go in and get some nice treatments done. And I did. First I had the Milk & honey body experience and then a Cleansing facial. (The links are normally used as a popup so they might seem a bit sparse.) It was amazing. I highly recommend that anyone who is looking to get something different for someone on their list for Christmas, think about a gift certificate for some spa treatments. My skin has never felt so smooth, which is especially nice, after spending almost three months in this dry, dry room.
Even computer scientists need to be pampered on occasion. :)
Goodbye Reading
I am now in London having just left Reading, potentially for the last time. It is really sad leaving so many good friends, but fortunately, Europe is a small continent and chances are that I'll be able to visit/see some of these people again. To everyone one of you who I met in the past three months, thank you for an experience I will never forget. For those of you who are with me in my program — here is to future adventures together.
Cheers
Canada bound
Well... in less than one hour, I will be heading towards Heathrow to catch my flight into Toronto and then a connection into Halifax. For those waiting for me in Halifax, my flight is AC618. I hope everything is on time. :)
Winding down
With our last assignments for the term being due today, I think it is safe to say that this is the official last day of our scholastic adventures in Reading. Indeed I have been back in Canada for almost a week now, but only yesterday did I submit my final assignment. I do miss Reading — except for the huge meal queues, the single tiny shower and the bizarre smell that always assaulted me whenever I entered the H0 kitchen. Apart from that it is the people I miss, and the routine of living in residence — getting up early to eat breakfast (arguably the best meal that they served), pre-timed meals, people knocking on my window, meeting in the Swan. All pleasant memories.
I have been uploading photos all day so there should be some new ones up there for you.
What Now?
Well, it would seem that for the most part, my Europe Adventure is over. It has been an amazing time. Now, I am reviving the ailing colinbate.com and going to make a go of it over there. All the best.
Times
- Nova Scotia, Canada
- 12:09 (Feb 25, 2021)
- Reading/London, United Kindom
- 16:09 (Feb 25, 2021)
- Thessaloniki, Greece
- 18:09 (Feb 25, 2021)
- Madrid, Spain
- 17:09 (Feb 25, 2021)
- Guatemala, Guatemala
- 9:09 (Feb 25, 2021)
Leganés
- Schedule 2006 (pdf/14KB)
Reading
Thessaloniki
- Term Schedule (pdf/7KB)
- Weekly Schedule (pdf/45KB)
- Marked up City Map (jpg/650KB)
Something Different
- Athens Trip (March 2006)
- Barcelona Trip (December 2006)
- Scottish Adventure (April 2007)
Friends and Colleagues
- Enrique (aka. Q)
- Pablo Acuña [es] (photos [en][es])
- Daniel Perez
- Ionas Pagkalos [en][el]
- Simon Kohlberger [en][de]
- Nadia [es]
Places of Interest
- Erasmus Mundus Alumni Association
- Euro Coins — Identify the various national Euro coins.
- Word Reference — great multi-language dictionary site.