After a long genetics exam on Friday morning I was very excited to be done with classes for the week and started on the weekend. Friday was a cool fall day, my favorite kind of days. It was cold enough to wear a sweater and pants, but not necessary to have a jacket or hat yet. It was parents weekend so everyone was buzzing around campus taking their families around. My parents decided not to come up this weekend, but that was okay because a few of my friends decided that it would be a great evening to go the Blackbird, a local cafe in Canton, for dinner. I hadn't been to the Blackbird since being back for the fall semester and it is one of my favorite places to go in Canton. Though, it was mildly crowded because it was also parents weekend we were able to get a table together. It was full of laughs, good food, and fabulous friends! 

Earlier this year my two friends Sarah, Lizzie, and I bought tickets to hear the Dalai Lama speak at the Bell Centre in Montreal. We decided to make a day trip out of it and headed to montreal for the day on Saturday morning. The Bell Centre is a venue for speakers like this, concerts, sporting events etc. It can hold 22,500 seats so this was going to be a big event. This event was being hosted by the Dalai Lama Foundation Canada and was entitled Educating the Heart: The Power of Compassion. There was also other cultural events such as tibetan music and traditional tibetan dancing. If you're interested in more information about the talk and the weekend you can visit the website at http://www.dalailamamontreal2009.org/. I have heard from friends who have listened to the Dalai Lama, but I never thought that I would be able to hear him speak for myself. To see that many people at one forum to listen to one man speak about compassion and unity throughout all individuals was a very powerful thing to be a part of. 

After the talk was over, Lizzie, Sarah, and I walked around Montreal for a little bit exploring and experiencing the city. We went to a panini sandwich shop for dinner just as it started to rain outside. We waited for the rain to stop and enjoying the different culture and experience of being in Montreal. After we were satisfied we drove the two and a half hours back to Canton. Sunday came before I knew it and I spent most of the day in Johnson Hall of Science studying for my Mycology exam on Tuesday. It was okay to spend the day studying because I had taken full advantage of friday and saturday seeing friends and getting off campus. Another great weekend in the North Country! More to come if I survive my mid-term exams this week! 

All the best,

Katie O.