it's been a while...

I can't remember the last time I left my blog feeling so unloved. Probably never. I will also start off by saying that there is no way that everything since the 14th is going to be contained in just one blog post. It will have to be in installments. This is partly because I have lots to write, partly because I'm being kept rather busy and lastly, also because I'm just a little bit too lazy to write it all at once.
So, hang on a minute, I have no idea where I was up to....
Ah yes, mid-terms. Thursday's exam proved to suit me a little better than the day before. I worked up until the time limit, but there were no hastily scribbled conclusions that can barely be considered a conclusion at all, and definitely no running after the invigilator. No skipping either for that matter. Walking out of the lecture hall was like a whole weight off my chest - no more cramming or wondering what on earth the crazy shorthand I'd taken down was in fact supposed to mean. Goodness knows how I was intending to reinterpret some of my notes. I was not the only one to finish my exams that day and thus there were a few of us celebrating freedom. Within an hour both Gaston and Vincent had asked me why I no longer spent time with everyone. That's how studious I had been. Who'd have ever thunk it ey! I swiftly promised that I would once again be super sociable starting that night since I would not be holed up in my room revising any more. Good times. A most enjoyable night.
I spent Friday doing goodness knows what amidst packing and buying tickets for Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. As if I wasn't excited enough about going to New York, that just tipped me over the edge.
I feel I should have something to recall about the controle but I have nothing to add. It was far too long ago. After faffing around plenty afterwords, Nicole and I set off in the afternoon, reaching Montreal well in advance of our bus. We double checked the bus stations and times of all buses (not just those for that day) and satisfied we were in the right place, headed off for a gander around the town. We caught the last hour perhaps of shopping time. I used this to replace the boots I was wearing, but which really needed to be disposed of. I walked out of H&M wearing my latest purchase and wandered around with my old boots looking for a bin. I must admit, throwing them away was almost sentimental. Unless I wanted to continue looking like a tramp (not necessarily on my agenda) they had to go.
Time was ticking away and we settled for dinner. A very yummy dinner indeed, even if they did get the pudding order wrong and charge us an extra dollar. Eventually finding that there was not much left for us to do we returned to the bus station almost 4 hours early for our bus. Being there so early did not stop us being one of the last on the bus. We didn't join the queue as there were 2 buses leaving before ours. What we didn't know was that when a bus is full they make the rest of the queue wait for the next one. We ended up half way down the queue once we finally joined it. That wouldn't have been half as annoying except when the buses arrived (they had sent 2 for our departure) the first wasn't quite ready, yet they took the back half of the queue, loaded them onto bus 2 and sent them packing before we boarded the first one. In my eyes that completely defies the object of a queue. Enough of that, there will be more ranting about Greyhound buses at a later date.
Nicole and I secured 2 seats each so at least it was a bit more comfortable and thus should have been easier to sleep. It was not. Between 1 and 2 am we had to get off the bus for customs. USA can take it's declaration of liberty and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. The first woman was quite snappy, asking me if I'd ever been to the States before whilst flicking through my passport and it's variety of stamps and visas, but looking mighty pissed off when I added it was on my old one. She eventually sent me off with a green card to fill in. Once filled in, I rejoined the mostly depleted queue and got a much nicer guy, who didn't seem to mind so much that I hadn't completely filled out the form (sadly when it says sign and date if answering yes, it does not in fact mean you don't have to sign and date there when answering no - making a total of 4 signatures and dates on one piece of green paper). Not having my return ticket on my person didn't seem to bother him either, unlike the grumpy woman who was complaining that immigrants didn't listen. In our defense, they should have specified which ticket they wanted. How was I to know they didn't want to see my ticket to NY?? After that, he took fingerprints and thumbprints and then changed hands and then took my photo (I esperately wanted to o a cheesy grin but thought better of it) before asking for $6. He looked mildly amused when I said my purse was on the bus still. Like I said, they need to give better instructions! Such kerfuffle just to cross the border for a few days.
Back on the bus, I curled myself up on my 2 chairs and attempted to get some sleep. A got a bit of shut eye in. Nicole woke me up around 7am as we crossed the toll bridge into NYC to see the sunrise behind the cityscape. I wish I'd taken photos - it was rather beautiful. I then went back to sleep for the last half an hour of the journey.
This seems like a suitable place to stop. I shall regale all my New York adventures next time.