rainy day at Queen's

This morning we did the third convocation ceremony of this session, and the guest speaker gave an interesting address: he emphasized the importance of international experience and adaptability as instrumental in living one's life in a meaningful way. He had a commerce undergraduate degree from Queen's and an MBA from Chicago, and as we were chatting after the ceremony, it turns out that after leaving Brampton, he moved to Brussels. He used to live on Avenue Louise in Ixelles, and then moved to Braine-l'Alleud near Waterloo, before moving in Paris, and he now makes his home in London. It's really quite interesting and inspiring to hear the words of the different invitees and recipients of honorary doctorates, find the common threads that run through their advice, and observe their public speaking techniques. There is an art to a good speech, and I enjoy learning from a good speaker.

It's a rainy, cool day here in Kingston, which is a change from earlier in the week. The weather here in Canada was great when I first arrived, and I made sure to get in some swimming in right away at the local pool in Toronto, before coming down to Belleville with my parents on Sunday afternoon. I've yet to get any swimming in at the Queen's pool; the cost of a weekly membership will only really make sense later on in my stay, when I'm here for more than a couple days at a time. I'll be back in Toronto tonight anyway, and our neighborhood pool is free.

Monday I helped my Dad disassemble and reposition a neighbor's garden shed, and did some heavy lifting of sacks of crushed stone and patio stones. I'm still a little stiff from that, but it's nothing serious. Reports from home are unremarkable; everyone seems to be adjusting well to my absence. That's quite a relief to hear, as bad news can stress you out, especially when there's nothing at all you can do about it from almost 6ooo kms away!

Tomorrow morning after my voice coaching I'll be heading down to London, for some lessons with Bruce, and some time visiting with the cast, conductor and crew of The Magic Flute which is getting ready to open in London. That should be a lot of fun.