2009-04-21 - 11:54 a.m.
Well that was a horrifyingly busy month or so. Turns out that six heavily academic courses is one too many, even for someone without a lot of other demands on his time. Everything was coming due at the same time, occasionally on the same day, which meant that I needed lots of planning ahead, which I didn't really do. However, all the papers are in, and I'm just waiting to see about re-writes.
Yes, re-writes. We're on a pass/fail (well, approved/not approved) system, and if you don't get approved, you have a chance to re-write. Now, I'm pretty sure that everything was up to snuff, but there are a couple of toughies that I'm waiting to see how I did.
However, for the moment, I'm back in Alberta, relaxing at my parents place. It's pretty awesome, I have to say. I flew in yesterday, and I'm driving back next week.
I don't think I've mentioned on this blog that I have a couple of sweet opportunities for the summer. Firstly, a summer job: I'm moving to Barkerville (which is an old, old mining town up north in BC). It's one of these historical re-creation towns, where they hire people to wander around and pretend that it's 1870, and the tourists come and gawk. Anyway, the hire an Anglican student every year to play the role of 'Father Reynard' the Anglican priest there in 1870, and this year they hired me. So I'll be spending my days pretending that I'm a clergyman in 1870. Apparently inside the church you don't have to pretend that it's 1870, and it can 2009, so I'm not facing a whole summer of the prayer book. I'll be doing morning and evening prayer every day, and for the rest of the time I'll be wandering around the town. I have to wear a cassock and collar around town, which should be interesting. Since I'm not actually ordained, I have to put a little line down the middle of the collar. Oh, and I'm supposed to grow a beard. Father Reynard had quite the set of whiskers, so they like you to get as close to that as possible.
I start on May 8 with some training, so next week will be a week full of driving, as I head from here back to the coast and then up to Barkerville, which is apparently a nine or ten hour drive from Vancouver. My parents are awesome, and are loaning me a truck for the summer. This is important, because Wells, which is the town I'm actually living in, is a long way from anywhere, and is pretty small. This way I can get to Quesnel when I need to.
The other awesome thing that I'm doing this summer is going to England for two weeks! I'm going on exchange from VST with a school in Cuddeston (which is apparently near Oxford). They wanted an Anglican who was skilled in New Testament studies, and the New Testament prof at VST recommended me. I will be doing a course called "The Bible in the Modern World". We also have field trips to places like Salisbury Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral, the British Museum and Oxford. I can't wait.
But as for right now, well, I'm just going to enjoy spring in Alberta for a bit. I should be in Victoria at some point before I head up to Barkerville.
