With little time to write (I should be reading more of my course material), I thought I’d share a few pictures from my train journey and my home away from home for the week.
The start of the journey:

Toronto’s Union Station
The train ride through the winter landscape:
My study area:
Let’s not forget the food:
I’ve been eating my meals with Richard Armitage — well, RA reading the Hamlet adaptation by Hartley and Hewson — which makes the tasty food go down just a little bit better!
Speaking of which… Time for lunch!
Sue, a technical question: the pics are from your IPhone? They are soooo good esp the cloud pics. I love cloud pics. I have some framed in my house from various travels. Breakfast looked yummy w eggs, bacon pancakes! My kind of breakfast !! The hotel room looks cozy but the lighting looks a bit dim? Is the seminar next door or adjacent to the hotel? Those hours you mentioned seem very long! Are these seminar participants from all over BC and Ontario? I’m excited for you although as an introvert I’d be very nervous 😬 but you seem down to earth and a people person so you’ll be fine. I’m sure you are missed a lot on the home front 😘
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Yes, from my iPhone 6s. It’s pretty good for landscape; not so much for close-ups. The clouds were really cool looking yesterday. I’m in a facility that is both education and accommodations. Very nice and older. The lighting is fairly dim, but okay as long as you’re reading right under it. And it’s cozy. The participants are from across Canada. I’m gearing myself up to go and spend all that time with people I don’t know. Wish me luck.
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You’ll do great!! I totally get your anxiety a little but you’re a super person and I’m sure the other participants will be professional at least! Maybe a couple of women will be covert The Armitage fans 👏😘😉all positive thoughts with you sweetie pie!! 👍👍👍👏👏👏💗
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Much appreciated.
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Oh and I did not mean to imply you had anxiety
You’re much more confident than I am
You’re IPhone 6s does a much better job than mine does taking pic. I got taken to task last night by the sister in law for taking crappy photos. She said she was giving me photography lessons for Cmas🙄😬🤷♀️
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Is that a bottle of wine in your study room. The institution must assume that the students will need a break
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That’s very observant! I missed that!! 👏👍
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That one I supplied myself, KNOWING I will need a break! Although it seems that there are receptions with wine too. I’ve just ducked out for the evening.
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Estimated probability that anyone will have done the homework: 50 percent.
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Seems like most people have managed to get through most of it over the several days before. Lots (including me) are skipping the social this evening to finish up.
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Wow. Well, you all are better people than most of the seminar groups I’ve participated in!
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It may be the investment of our time away from work and of money by our employers that helps in the motivation. Plus, of course, not wanting to look stupid and unprepared in front of these participants who present as impressive. (We may all feel that way about each other.)
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Beautiful landscape shots and love the view from your window! Hope the seminar will be useful for you.
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Thank you! It has been an interesting experience, but really intense with only an hour alone from 8 a.m. to 9 or 10 in the evening. Now I have a few days staying with family to unwind a bit.
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“I believe I’ve seen Hell, and it’s white. It’s snow white…”
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Ah Squirrel I just watched that last weekend
Needed a pick me up 👍😘
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Nice! Now if only Thornton had walked through the snow to meet me!
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That would have been super cool
“Look back at me look back at me!!!”
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I took the DVD with me, but there was absolutely no time to watch it.😒
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Sue it went ok though? Did you meet any interesting colleagues?
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Intellectually, I can say it was fine. But I felt like I was living the introvert’s worst nightmare.
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Oh no 🤦♀️ what happened?
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Nothing in particular. It’s just that it’s set up for extroverts. 40 people you don’t know; enforced togetherness from 8 a.m. to 9+ with only an hour by yourself. Even when there is time to yourself, you can’t think your own thoughts because you have to be preparing for the next session or talking to people to prepare, etc. One of the main professors was very intimidating, at least at first, loud and hyper-energetic, and calling on whoever he chose in the big group and then saying, “Are you crazy??” to provoke the person into a thoughtful response. Lots of small group work with different groups of people each time (which was actually good) and all very impressive people so a need to perform. All meals together (unless you somehow duck out) and free drink sessions each night which almost feel compulsory. Interesting but exhausting. Especially with the three hour time difference and the early morning start.
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Did you make any work contacts or future networking possibilities w any of the people?!
I totally get the introverts worse nightmare
Believe me! Well enjoy your time w your sister
in. Toronto and a safe trip back to Vancouver 👍😘
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Well, possibly. And the course content was really good. I’m enjoying my visit here and back to Vancouver tomorrow.
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Oh Sue you inspired my blog post yesterday!! Was thinking about what you said in your comments! Hope you get to see some movies also!!
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