Pouring Hot Chocolate

It's an odd time to be playing homebody. This was the first month ever I decided to charge up my OPUS card with a monthly pass. But, come the end of January I've realized that--rather than use it ride the métro all around Montréal--I've wound up spending most of my time holed up in my little studio apartment.

In part, I've been staying in on account of the weather. Temperatures were consistently far below freezing, this past month. (As I assume they must be in Montréal over January every year.) But my staying in is less because of the cold and more because I have a heavier class load this semester than I had last term. There is always homework I have to complete. There are always assigned readings I have to finish.

I go into campus to attend class every weekday morning except Tuesday. Most afternoons I turn around and come straight home once they're over. The studio itself is simple but it's perfect for my situation. It's relatively close to campus. The lease is flexible, requiring just a few months' stay. (I plan to spend this summer outside of Montreal.) Above all, it's a place I have all to myself.

It's not that I never get out and go other places around town: I shop for groceries and warm baked buns in Chinatown at least a couple times every week. It's not that I'm in an antisocial phase or don't know people in town to get together with: I study together on occasion with the occasional classmate. I share coffee or a meal with friends around town. In fact, I have plans to go out to a Turkish restaurant with Professor Gwen and Cie. just a few hours from now.

But... the times I don't have to be on campus I'm generally content to just hole up at home.

Maybe I'll feel like getting out and spending more time around town, soon. I have, thankfully, just completed the thing that was keeping me busiest over these past weeks. I've finally submitted applications for funding for another intensive language program this summer. If I'm offered a fellowship to cover costs I'll spend two months of this summer studying Persian. This would be in either Madison, Wisconsin or back down in Bloomington, Indiana. I'm not positive that either university will offer me funding but figure I must stand a fair chance.

In other upcoming travel plans the professor of my Chinese brushwork class announced that there are three particular exhibitions of Asian art currently running right now in New York City. He further went on to say that he had a small budget that could help offset travel expenses of graduate students who would be interested in attending all three exhibitions with him over one weekend in mid-February. What he offered wasn't a large amount--but given how cheaply I can string travel together it should essentially mean a free trip to New York.

I think this will be similar to that jaunt I took last Easter: renting a car to drive down to New York and then back up around a long weekend. I've already booked the car and have already organized a full set of art history classmates to fill it.

I guess even when I'm in a sedentary phase I just can't resist the idea of setting off on a roadtrip.

Next stop: New York