dont expect this to happen much, unless Aizawl is boring, but here we are again.

i am at Mary Salem’s place, possibly spelled and pronounced Amari, enjoying some tea, potatoes, and other delights.. We went to the science centre today with the retreat group from Guwahati, and i was tired from kids pulling me around, so came here for some snacks and a break. Had a good chat with Mary and Peggy, both very interesting and fun people. The science centre was deaddddly! so much cooler than the one in Regina, maybe because i have seen everything in the one in Regina 100 times. So many cool exhibits, including a Mirror Mazy. nothing better than that, i dont think.

British airways called today, telling me that they would call back. That was all. there is a flight from London to Calcutta today, and my bags should be with that. Then my bags should be sent to Aizawl and i would get them there. That would be nice.

I am beginning to smell like India. It is not a big deal, i am used to smelling bad. I only have one pair of socks and one pair of underwear. i washed my socks in the sink last night, and that did no good. my shower was busted so i had a sort of ‘wash the smelliest places first’ shower, where i only got 2/3 of my body wet. it was nice, and cold.

I only have about 3 pictures taken so far, as batteries have fun out, and purchased batteries only last about 2 photos. hopefully i’m not missing my only chance at hilarious photos.

I have made quite a few new friends, the most notable are Michael and John. They both are in their young teens and are pretty funny dudes. The main reason i am talking about them is because of there Canadian names that i can remember. All the other names are much more difficult to grasp. Anyways, we have had many good talks about Nelly Furtado, Shakira, Michael Jackson, Canada’s main exports, ice skating, beeetlenut, girlfriends, WWF as they like to call it, and other hilarious things. some of these people will be in Aizawl when i am, so that will be nice to know people when i get there.

I was thinking today at the science centre, it is very hard living here in India. I am the lone white man, with no one to laugh at my quick wit and popculture lined jokes. Thats ok, i’ll laugh for you guys. You thought i was going somewhere deep there. i wasnt.

anyways, i have to get going. internet sucks. i’ll update again soon.
later.

Hello everyone.

I am in a sweaty internet cafe in Guwahati, where tunes of Eminem, Bon Jovi, Nelly, and the soundtrack of Night at the Roxbury boom, as i laugh at it all.

India has been something else. The cities I have been to are obviously like nothing I have ever seen or imagined. I have heard descriptions from many a person, but nothing does justice. I know that this is pretty standard loser traveller talk, but now i know it is for real. I have met many a new amazing person. They have all been very friendly and fun to talk to. Calcutta was a pretty neat place. Dirty as a frenchman and about as far away from White City as you could get. Guwahati is a bit different. Cleaner, less intimidating, but that is still a factor. I am 1 of 3 white men in the city, i bet, out of millions, and am obviously noticed for that. The stares i get are sometimes scary. I have spent the past couple days with Ray and Bob Parker (come on down!!) I know i am not the first person to put that connection of Parker with Barker together, but the way they say ‘Brother Bob Parker’ here, is almost as good as Rod Roddy.
Anyways, my room has been secluded and quite, besides the thousands of birds that chirp over me. I am far enough away from the street to avoid the honking and for that I am grateful.

I have felt a bit of a cold for the past few days since the airplane ride. I probably caught it in London, because that place sucked. I feel a bit woosy and dizzy typing this right now, and it is also probably from the heat.

I have only about 5 minutes left here, so i will close. I head to Aizawl soon, and will make my temporary home there. Hopefully soon my bags will arrive. oh, yes, i forgot to mention, my bags were lost somewhere from Regina to Calcutta, and i have no clue where they are. I have few clothes to my name, and some swedishberries, so that is all i need.

On each and every screen in this internet cafe there is a BharatMatrimony.com advertisement, telling me to marry online, simple and easy. so i’ll probably give that shot. Another one of those advertisements said that i should join the world record, and marry online. so, i may as well.
Anyways, i am dizzy enough to pass out right now, so i best sign off. Thanks for reading. I’ll update again soon.

annnnnnnnd, i cant see anytyingjd ankymore..a

approximately, until i head out of the country, and into a new one. this should be my last blog from Canada for about 5 or 6 months, so, if i sound uneducated, immature, and teenage-like, it is because Ray straightened me out in India.

I just wanted to say goodbye to all those that read this.. Even though I don’t see many of you on a regular basis or anything, but now it will be for a good reason, oceans.

Anyway, this is it, talk to you soon. I will miss you all.

keep in touch:

EMAIL: olson_nicholas@yahoo.ca
MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/nicholasolson
BLOG: www.olson-nicholas.blogspot.com
MSN: olson_nicholas@hotmail.com

P.S. Check out the new means tune. Totally outrageous!!!!!

Over the past 4 years or so I have devoted my television watching life to one show, and one show only. Many may make fun of me for it, but I am open with my love. The hit television series ‘The O.C.’ has been cancelled due to decreasing ratings after 3 full seasons, and a shortened season 4.

Now that this is over, all I have is my DVD collection of the show, and my television watching career is on permanent hold, and maybe done forever. Sports don’t count.

Although the show has been cancelled, rumours fly about the possibility that the show is only cancelled from FOX and might be picked up by rival station The CW. If this were the case, the show would continue for at least one more season, and maybe go on for round two of amazing ratings.

Featuring the talents of many new up and coming actors and actresses, not to mention one of the best looking casts on any television series, The OC had some great writing and some good memories.

That is all. I needed to say my goodbyes to the teenage phenomenon of my generation, because I am, by the way, a teenager still.
Thanks, The OC, for all the good times. I have spent hours and hours with you, and it has been a good run. See you soon.

Do you ever get so mad, not at yourself but just things in general, that you start hitting yourself?

I do. And I’m sure it is not healthy. But it just happens sometimes. For me, it has been a fairly new and recent technique to handle stress, and has seemed to work alright. Usually, it is just a swift punch to the thigh, that gives a strong cut of pain for a short amount of time. These have been happening increasingly as decisions pile up, and the to do list grows. I’ve never been much of a decision maker, or a do-er. I’m usually very mellowed out (which is the best way to go) and I just let things happen. When I am faced with a decision, or a pile of things to do, I often take it with a shrug and a “Let’s kick it, chill style” attitude. But when decisions get difficult enough, all I can do to help the emotional struggle is to physically struggle too. It is better than punching things, bruises are much cooler than paying for a hole in the wall.

So, give it a shot! Punch yourself! Give yourself a bruise, black eye or bloody nose! It is the newest thing in stress relief!

That means updates, in the new teenage accent that has been forming around Canada, but mainly in the South Regina area.
Anyways, here are a few updates about my new life that will start in about 13 days.

My Visa and passport are all finished. I have a 6 month multiple entry visitor visa, and all I have left to get is a permit to live in Mizoram, I believe. Today, I applied for a credit card, to make the finacial operations in India smoother and easier. The woman working, Celine Leclair, was apparently the love child of Canadian songstress Celine Dion and aged American hockey star John Leclair, and she acted in the way that you would assume a child of these two stars would, weird. (I hope she doesn’t google her name and find this link. She might deny me the card.) Anyways, now that that is in order, once that card is sent to me, I find a digital camera, and my iPod gets fixed, I am about ready to go. I leave January 10th at 645am, and return date is tentatively set for May 16th.

Until the 10th day of 2007, I am sitting back, relaxing, watching World Juniors, and hanging with friends for the last time. And this, this will be a fun time.

I have been formulating a list of things I want to do before I exodus the country, including plenty of E-brake skids, toboganning, poker, fireworks, board games, Blizzards and bumperskiing, (I know, I the funnest 18 year old you have ever met.). Anyways, while composing this list of party ideas, I am beginning to realize what I am leaving behind.
The NHL season. And this is no regular NHL season, this is the season that Montreal wins the Stanley Cup. Sure, I should be home for the last round of playoffs when Montreal beats out Anaheim in 6 games, but it will be hard to miss out on the road to this amazing victory. (By the way, when Montreal actually wins the Cup, remember, right here, right now, NIC CALLED IT.) Anyways, that will be sad to miss. My hockey and soccer seasons that I had to cut short, I will miss. I got to play half of a season in each sport, but missing out on all that will be a bummer, but I’m sure I’ll get to do that another day. And last, but not least, Friends and Family. I have been trying to fit in as much time in with these people as I can before I leave, and it will be a hard time without them. Since I am so emotionally solid, I will be fine, but it sucks to be without them. On the other hand, I’ll be in the company of some pretty sweet peeps in India.

Anyways, those are some of my thoughts and plans for the next little while. If I don’t see you before I leave, have a good start of 2007, and when I get back, we will party hardy.

I had the privilege of seeing this movie tonight, opening night. All I can really say is that it was a truly epic movie. Without giving it all away, this is what I was thinking the whole time. I was getting nervous wondering who would win the fight in the end, and then I said to myself, “Well, it’s obvious who is going to win, it’s called Rocky Balboa.” Anyway, in the end, he won. Or did he? Yes. Yes? Anyways, I hope I didn’t give it away, because either way, it was a fantastically epic movie, all about heart.

I believe, and I hope that my belief is evident, that heart means everything. Whether it is a sport, an English exam, or just life, that heart is everything. I listen to many bands that say this same thing. My favourite hockey team lives by this, obviously not the most skilled team in the league, but playing great because of that thing called heart. Teams I have played on in the past have excelled because of heart. Other, skilled teams I have been on in the past without this, have not been so great. Times where I feel I have done very well at something, are often for this same reason. It is something greater than skill, intelligence or natural ability. It is about passion, hardwork and digging deep down in the region where your stomach, appendix and if my anatomy knowledge is right, where your soul lies.

Rocky is a solid dude. This movie, in his age, he made some great decisions. He loved his family, and friends, and did nothing to hurt them. If I was going to choose a fictional Italian boxing character created by Sylvester Stallone to be best friends with, I’d pick Rocky. I’d pick Rocky even if he wasn’t Italian, fictional or created by Stallone. I’d pick him out of a million. My best friends just aren’t as cool as Rocky. And they would probably agree. I sure am not as cool as Rocky. Not by a long shot.

Check out the movie, Stallone needs a few bucks, help a brother out. If you haven’t noticed, I now enjoy putting pictures on every blog. It makes it more visual.

So, it turns out that Scott Niedermayer and the lead singer of Good Riddance, Russ Rankin, are good friends. In the edition of The Hockey News featuring Scott Niedermayer goes into some more depth of their relationship. Here is an older article with a little bit about their relationship, and the main quote from the article here,

“The Stanley Cup flew into Cranbrook Saturday morning at 11:45, and was met by
Scott Niedermayer and his friend Russ Rankin, a member of the California
punk/hardcore band, Good Riddance. Russ is straight-edge: no alcohol, no drugs,
no smoking and no meat. Yet, his body is a canvas of tattoos. The paradox is
startling in a most refreshing way, especially in light of the friendship with
Niedermayer, one of the best athletes on the Devils. “

Good Riddance has been one of my favourite bands since like grade six and it is pretty neat how the lead singer is good friends with the league’s top defenseman. You can check out Good Riddance if you’d really like. If not, I understand.

Here we are. Mere minutes into December 15. Sure, December 15 is a nothing day, a Friday, and that’s it, but lend me your ear, and I will decorate it with ideas of why December 15 is a day to be reckoned with.

Really, there is no real good reason that I speak of December 15 this way. But it is the last day of my finals. I’m not going to lie, I rather enjoyed my experience of Final Exams in my first semester of University. They were challanging, they gave me something to do besides write crappy blogs, they made my brain hurt; all great qualities. This day also marks 26 days of freedom for me. 26 days, because after this, I move to a new continent and have to act mature and responsible. But for the 26 days prior to that, immaturity is all I have.
But lets be honest, I am so mature, and so beyond my years, that being immature will really be a stretch.
Remember in elementary school, when you were in the awkward scene of gym class, and there were those really athletic kids that just couldn’t touch their toes. How did they do that? They were athletic, those kids can do anything, except, apparently, touch their toes.

Anyways, here is to the majesty of December 15th, a Friday of Fridays. Let us remember this as 10 days before that one day, and 15 days after the first day of the month of that one day.

It has been study week. Finals. My first batch of real university level finals, and so far it has been great. I wrote Chem102 on Friday, it was easy, so I figure I don’t really need to study for the four finals I have left this week. Like really, one of them is Physics, and who cares about that? One of them is English, that’s just not worth studying for. One of them is Psychology, and that stuff is all made up anyways, and the other is Math, and that’s just easy.

It’s really difficult to study on a day where there is a triple header of hockey on CBC. It is hard studying while watching hockey, and it is hard studying when I keep remembering that I am moving to a new continent in one month. That tends to take over my thoughts. Here a few of my thoughts:

It’s not that I’m worried at all about it, because that is just not cool, and I have a reputation to uphold here, but I have been thinking about it and I know that I won’t be ready for the change that will happen once I move across the world. Sure, I know it will be different, but I’m going to get a good old fashioned Indian slap in the face when I get there. Hopefully only figuratively, and not literally. Figuratively?
Also, just now, while writing this, I made a list of things I have to do before leaving the country for 6 months. Here are a few, and feel free to add on to the list.

1.Go to Dairy Queen, get a blizzard.
2.Go to a Regina Pat’s Game
3.Go to a concert
4.Tobogganing
5.Outdoor Rink Skating
6. more to come….

Today, crossing #1 off the list, I tried the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard at Dairy Queen, and let me tell you, it really was a cool treat, as opposed to the hot eat I could have ordered. The girl working told me to get it, and she said that it was better than pumpkin pie itself. Yeah, I know, is that even possible? I told her that was a very bold statement, and she should back off. Just kidding. Well, she was wrong, but it was really good.. And she was cute. The blizzard was great, so, give it a shot.