Week Two

I can't believe that I've only been here for 2 weeks. I feel like I've lived in Toronto for months now. This week was full of fun and class work. Wendsday I went to the Ontario Science Centre; right now they are featuring the Harry Potter Exhibition. The Exhibition is this elaborate display of every costume, prop, set piece, and artwork that you can imagine from the Harry Potter movies. It was remarkable to see everything close up and learn about the making of the movies. We weren't allowed to take pictures or video in the exhibit and I know my describing it is not doing it justice--but it was great non-the-less. The Science Centre had a ton of other things to offer as well, like an exhibit on the human brain, and the rainforest.

Thursday, as a class we took a trip to Niagara Falls. This was my first time at the falls and I was completely blown away. Looking back on the 100s of pictures i took, it seems like, what's the big deal about a bunch of falling water...but when you are there right in front of it, its mind blowing. My favorite part of the day was the boat ride, The Maid of the Mist. I was sooo close to the falls at one point i couldn't even open my eyes bc the spray was so intense. I am a sucker for nature and so needless to say I was pretty impressed.

Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by the Honorable Justice Letterer of the Canadian Superior Court. The lecture was held in Canada's largest courtroom and was to date my most inspiring law school experience. For those of you who know your Canadian history, this was the court room where Paul Bernardo was tried and convicted (Bc i watch too much Criminal Minds, for me that was pretty intense). The lecture was a fantastic comparison bw the Canadian and US judicial system. After the lecture we were given a tour through 'Old City Hall' which is now the provincial court house in Toronto. We were fortunate enough to sit in on an arraignment. The accused was up on charges of money laundering and distribution and sale of opium/cocaine. It was pretty interesting to watch the Crown (District Attorney) lay out the elements, both mens rea and actus reus of the crimes.

-->Fun Fact: In Canada the prosecution side is called 'The Crown', bc in criminal trails it is you against the Queen.

So like i said before, busy week full of fun and educational stuff. This weekend will be full of studying since my first set of finals in one week.