Day 1 in the Life of a Memorial Shad
4:00. Wake up to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenade No.13 in G major.
4:30. Leave for Pearson International Airport.
5:30. Arrive and check in.
6:35. Board plane and meet a Shad heading to Dalhousie.
10:11. Arrive in Halifax.
10:50. Depart Halifax.
12:48. Arrive in Newfoundland.
13:11. Greeted by two Shad Valley Memorial Program Assistants and taken to the campus.
13:40. Meet my new family for the rest of my month. So happy.
14:00. Shad Valley Memorial prof magically connects all electronics to wifi.
14:30. Travel to Tim Horton’s for lunch with new friends.
15:15. Spend a considerable amount of time unpacking with my new roommate, beautifying our room into a marvelous habitat for the next four weeks. Feels like we have already known each other for years.
17:00. Head over to Mrs. Vanelli’s for a delicious Italian meal. Attempt to mingle graciously while stuffing face with food.
18:45. Hear first two Shad Speaks. Amazed. Bar is set high; one revolved around the creation of a DJ business, while the other pondered the cultural gaps and differences in childhoods between generations.
19:00. Orientation begins: Shad Valley staff—also known as our new parents— are introduced and rules are reviewed. Input ideas and suggestions towards guidelines and boundaries. Create horrifically magnificent stories collaboratively by offering one word each. RE: Rubber boots formed from dinosaurs that were once friends before they met their tragic end in a factory.
21:00. Icebreaking begins. Discover facts about one another through the delicious use of Mike and Ikes. Proceed to team challenges; transform into a book, followed by a damsel in distress scene. Form new friendships with the most peculiarly pleasant people from across the nation.
22:00. Rack our minds for knowledge on famous Canadians in a challenge to guess the mysterious one taped on our back. Discover Mike Myers was hiding behind my back.
22:30. Shad Valley Memorial Canada Day celebrations commence with quirky facts regarding said holiday only to see a patriotic cake awaiting us.
23:44. Attempt to write blog before deadline, with my roommate and her very intelligent boyfriend via Skype. Lie in bed, listening to music, reflecting on my wonderfully serendipitous first day at Shad Valley Memorial.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!
Junyi Sarah Wu, Shad Valley Memorial 2012
