Hitting the ground, running

Got together with my supervisor for a good few hours or so hammering out the details of my work. As always I've got a whole sheet full of stuff to do - and this time I think I can get through it all. It's a fair bit of work, but the sooner I get it done, the sooner I'll be able to work on other things too.

The campus is beginning to come to life now. I saw a school group touring the campus, school camps out on the fields playing, and more than a few undergrads lurking about. Steve has a summer NSERC student about who's work reminds me somewhat of Rosanna McGuire's work back at Joker's Hill in 2003, when I was working for Marc. I hope to get the chance to meet her sometime.

Somehow I keep on being amazed at the demeanour of the people here. Yesterday, we were eating lunch at Wendy's and one of the girls working the counter was going around offering mints to the customers. Huh? Rather odd to see someone doing that even at a place like the Pickle Barrel back in Toronto. I feel sorry for the girl, having to do that and get the bemused and bewildered looks of people munching on their burgers and fries as a thank-you. I should have taken one to make her feel better. Anyway.

Later on I decided to strike out on my own for dinner - had some pizza at a place near an Indian restaurant we ate at on my first day here. I asked for take out, and the woman at the front didn't just shove my pizza into a bag...she wrapped it up in foil, put it in the bag, and then stapled it shut. Wow.

I was on my way back to the city proper from campus when a girl who crossed the street smiled and said hi to me for no apparent reason. Yeah, I'm definitely not in Toronto anymore.