Queen of Oak Bay

Poor ferry passengers. People have been aboard the ferry named Queen of Oak Bay in Horseshoe Bay (off the coast of BC) since 10 am this morning. They are getting off the boat shortly (it's around 5pm). Almost 9 hours since the incident. The ferry lost power and went into the dock. It gently glided into the marina boats. There were no injuries reported. There are 544 passengers aboard. Unfortunately this may affect travel for the long weekend. The ferry has only been back in order for a couple of weeks now. It had a 30 million dollar refit lift (mainly cosmetic). Ummm always excitement. 1 hour and 30 min ride turns into 10 + hours. Sad...sad... Let the long weekend begin.

Birthday Weekend! Who-hoo!

It's the weekend! Tomorrow is Canada Day so I and a bunch of friends will be partying it up on Granville Island. "Celebrate good times! Come on..." My two friends from San Francisco just moved here and they're super excited for the day. I am too. Yeah the 4 hour time difference (from Nova Scotia) means I technically turn 24 years old at 9:30 pm. Then Saturday, July 2nd (my actual b-day) I'll be spending time in Vancouver watching some bands at the Jazz festival! Should be a good time!

Harp, harp, Harper

Gay marriage was passed last night in the House of Commons. Finally everyone has equal rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It's a debatable topic, but that's not what I want to debate in this blog. I want to discuss the discriminative views of some politicians.

"Because it's being passed with the support of the Bloc, I think it will lack legitimacy with most Canadians." -Steve Harper. Wow! What a bold statement?! He goes on to say, "The truth is most federalist MPs oppose this. It's only a deal with the Bloc that's allowing it to pass."

Vic Toews (Conservative justice critic) agreed with Harper's view adding, "The federalist MPs in Canada, the majority of them, would oppose [gay marriage] on a free vote. So what we are seeing now is simply an agreement by this government with the separatist Bloc-who have no long-term interest in staying in Canada."

Seems to me a lot of people, even politicians, do not understand the Bloc party. Yes in their platform there is the thought of Quebec separting from Canada, but they also have other ideas. I have a lot of respect for Gilles Duceppe. I actually like a lot of his ideas. He is very smart and is an eloquent speaker. He rebuked the above comments with one of his own, "We're elected. Our mandate is every bit legitimate as any member who sits in this chamber. That's what they call democracy." Here! Here!

Jack layton agreed with Gilles, saying "Mr.Harper is essentially saying that quebeceers' votes don't matter-aren't on an equal par with the rest of the Canadians. So he wnats to dney equality to same-sex partners, and he wnats to deny equality to Quebec voters."

Many may not like the Bloc party, but they have the equal right to express their views and vote on behalf of those they represent.

"Stuck in a moment"

A nice U2 song. Yeah I feel stuck in the moment-in a mood. It won't go away. I feel disappointment, sadness and anger. These feelings will eventually go away... Too bad it's not right away.

The Countdown Begins...

A month and I'll be flying home to Nova Scotia. It's been a crazy, mind-blowing year! The moment I arrived in British Columbia I wanted to leave. I counted the months and the days to when I may leave. Everyday I considered quitting my job and moving back East, but I stuck through it. And after fighting for my job, finding friends, discovering British Columbia, surviving a relationship breakdown I have survived and have had some fun along the way. British Columbia is beautiful and I can see myself possibly being here later in life. Maybe when the prices of homes goes down. lol It's been a trying year, but I learned a lot about myself. I stood up for what I believed for, took many chances, and found a lot out about myself, others and what I can endure. I don't believe this year was a waste. I paid my student loans off and grew up a lot. I don't look back with regret. Everything in life appears to occur for a reason. Some things, situations are difficult to understand, but again life throws everything at you-good and bad. You can break or you can bend. I'd rather bend. :)

Quote of the Day

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." -Plato

Ahoy Victoria!!

So Melissa and I decided to go to Victoria. The day began with a 5am rise and shine,...onto the bus,...transfer buses... ,take the ferry...and finally take the double decker bus to Buchart Gardens! yes Buchart gardens. Everyone has raved about this place. We decided to take a gander and pay the $22 to see the beautiful flowers. We took lots of pictures and then hurried off to Victoria (the "big" city). I don't know if Buchart was completely worth the ticket, but it was an experience.

We got off the bus, had a pizza and wandered into a purse sale. hehehe... I don't usually like purse, but there was a fluorescent yellow one and I loved it. Melissa and I both bought one. For the rest of the trip we tried to match the purse colour with surrounding objects. We found a convertible that was bright yellow. As Melissa is crossing the street to get infront of the car for a picture the owner got in the car and just about drove away. However, I (being the experienced photographer...cough...cough) got a picture just in time of Melissa, the car, and her new purse.

We strolled down the street and met up with a guy in a baker outfit. I'm not sure if he was a baker. He smiled at us and said "My what beautiful woman. I'm so lucky to be paid for this." We laughed and continued on our journey.

Down on the waterfront were 6 or so tall ships. Yep the tall ships were in town and so was everyone else! Buskers were everywhere. We watched a busker and then visited Parliament. We arrived just in time for a free tour of parliament! Yeah! There Melissa met her boyfriend. Just kidding. There were two actors who interrupted our tour. They were hilarious. After the show was over one of them came over and asked if we were staying in the area very long... lol
On the tour I learned that Victoria's Parliament, and the famous hotel The Empress, plus another hotel in the area were conceived by a 25 year old. He won a contest (for the building plans) and spent a million dollars or so over budget. At one point he made a mistake in the colour of stone. Instead of admitting his mistake he said the stone was no good. He orderd it away-after it came all the way from Ireland!!! He was later murdered.

After Parliament we went to the Royal BC Museum. It was ok, but not as good as the Ottawa Museum of Civilization. I realised there that I was really burnt. Whoops! Forgot my suncreen.

Melissa and I were going to go on the early bus back to the ferry, but we decided that we would have plenty of time with the later bus. ummm... sort of... The bus came 10 mins late and was filled. We got on, but then got off. The bus driver said there was an express bus coming in 10 mins that will go straight to the ferry. We waited and I got worried. If we missed the 9pm ferry we were screwed. That was the last ferry. So the bus came 10 mins later and we got there in time. yeah! We arrived home at 12:30am. My neck acked and so i took a pain killer. I was out like a light. on-off. Anyway it was an enjoyable adventure.

A Real Pain in My Neck

So I'm feeling whoozee today. I took a potent pain killer last night. I slept in until 11am! Thats' crazy considering everyday I get up for work at 4am. I don't take medication very often so it really affected me even this morning. I think I must have pinched a nerve. My neck is throbbing. Yesterday Melissa and I went to Victoria. It was a great day, minus the pain in my neck (wasn't referring to Melissa :). I didn't realise how much it would hurt. Yeah I'm a baby. I just went and got groceries. Not the greatest idea. Yes I was hungry, but carrying the groceries back down the street made my left arm go numb and cause pain to run up my arm and into my neck. I think it's a movie-watching day today. I need to be able to carry heavy things tomorrow at work.

In other news I was silly yesterday. I forgot the sunscreen and I burned really bad. Yeah I won't do that again. At least I have colour now-I guess...

The Magic School Bus

I ended my long work day at 2pm and met up with my friend Trudy. We walked around UBC just catching up with each other's news. It was a beautiful day for a stroll with a friend.

Due to the walk I took a later bus back to White Rock. Lucky for me I was able to get a seat before it was standing room only. I sat infront with my music going and my eyes closed. The bus driver was putting both his petal and brakes to the medal. Half-way through the ride I looked up and realised there were a lot of people standing. However, my attention turned to a 65 year old that was sitting on the bus floor. He began hurling into his black bag. Unfortunately motion sickness set in. I couldn't understand why the poor man didn't receive a seat. There were businessmen all around. I would have given up my seat had I noticed. The man was embarrassed. I never want to go on bus #354 again.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Today is Father's day. Unfortunately my dad is on the complete opposite coast of Canada. I'm in BC and he's in PEI. Can't get any further away in Canada. I wish I was able to call today, but I'm working all day and there is a four hour time difference. :(

Dad: I hope you had a peaceful, wonderful day. I'm thinking of you. You mean a lot to me. Miss you tons. See you soon- 38 days and counting.

Beach Bum

Yesterday I went to Spanish Banks for the first time. There I played beach volleyball with my friend (Chris) and his collegues. Spanish banks overlooks the water and the city. Gorgeous scenery.

Following our games we ventured to Chau's place for a going away party for Chantal. Coincidentally (coincides a bit with my life) Chantel is from Nova Scotia, but spent the last couple of years in Montreal. She came to Vancouver 6 months ago, but realised Montreal was more her taste. We had a nice dinner out. We then played Taboo and chatted. It was a relaxing evening. I'll miss Chantal. Hopefully in the near furture I'll meet up with her again in NS or QC.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Booked my ticket to Nova Scotia. I'm departing British Columbia on July 28th with West Jet. Whoo-hoo! It's one day later than I prefer, but there's a seat sale on the Thursday! I have one conenction through Calgary. It's only 50 mins though so it shouldn't be so bad. I arrive in Halifax at about 8:47pm. It will be crazy because the following day is when I'm helping my sister put up her wedding decorations. :) Should be a blast!

My Sister has Graduated to Grade One!

Good news! Heather (my sister) just discovered that she will have a 100% grade 1 teaching position this fall! It's difficult to find a position like that in Nova Scotia. I'm so happy for her! Yeah! :)

Smurf Along With Me...la...la...la...la...la...la

Well today started off with an episode of the "Smurfs." Usually the French version is on, but surprisingly it was in English. I used to watch the show every Saturday morning before bowling. lol... Those were the days. The smurfs now have a bad wrap. Communism? Why is the only adult female Smurfette? (Remember there was Sassy-a little female smurf). I still like the nostalgic feeling I get from watching the show again. I thought the tune was very catchy. la,la,la,la happy as can be... I think I have too much time on my hands...

After the "Smurfs" I watched the news. Some interesting news pieces were presented. Yesterday on Wall Street Ralph Klein and some people with cowboy hats rode on horses to promote the Calgary Stampede and ultimately Alberta. One businessman was asked what he thought. He replied that he knew Alberta was a Canadian company! The reporter corrected him "It's a province!" Man, dumb... In other news the Live 8 concert in Canada will not be in held in big T dot as expected, but rather in Barrie, Ontario. Needless to say the Toronto mayor was not impressed. Neither would I be. Barrie over Toronto... come on.

Wedding Bliss,,,

So Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are engaged. Who would ever had thought? Why do i care? I dunno... Kinda interesting...

Baby Teeth are for Babies?

Just got back from the dentist. Bad news... I knew I had 6 baby teeth (yes that's right baby teeth), but I didn't know it would cost me. One of my baby teeth was extracted a couple of years ago. With no tooth replacing it my teeth started filling the gap. So the dentist said sadly that I had a lot of work needed done immediately. The tooth above my gap is a baby tooth and it has a cavity. The cavity is so close to the bone that he said it has to be extracted ASAP. However, he didn't want to take it out because then I would have a huge gap. The baby tooth beside it would then need to be pulled. He said that the cavity baby tooth is the crux. Once it hurts and is extracted procedures would have to be done right away. Unfortunately he said maybe I would need to take out a student loan to finance it. :( I need 6 implants... about $3500 a pop. Scary! Anyway he said I had healthy, stong teeth and that implants were much better than bridges. Ummm my mouth will be gold at the end of all this. Just got to find the $.... Lol Show me the money! Off for a cleaning of my teeth tomorrow. Yeah!

Bad Girl Calendar

Ok so my roommate and I bought a Bad Girl calendar. Everyday it gives advice on how to be a "bad" girl. The advice and comments are quite funny. Here is one suggestion:
*Bad Girl Budget Beater: Make Lame Quick Cash On the Fly
Set up a bar stool outside an almost trendy bar on a Friday or Staurday night and pretend to be the bouncer. Check some people's IDs, tell everyone there's a five-dollar cover charge, and don't let anyone enter until you get it. if you "card" people you know are well over 30, you're golden. They'll be so flattered, giggly, and delirious that they'll be thrilled to pay you five dollars just for the experience.

The Last Unicorn

My roommate and I were having a discussion about unicorns. I heard a song on a TV sitcom and thought it was the 1970's song that talked about why we don't have unicorns anymore. Does anyone recall the name of the song? It goes something like "green aligators, and long... and...chimpanzees.." Yeah I'm horrible with the words, but I know it's a famous song. In the song the unicorns didn't make it because they fooled around and didn't care about going on the ark. I know there are even actions to this song. My roommate laughed at me and said he had never heard of such a song. He told me the reason unicorns no longer exist is protrayed in the movie "the Last Unicorn." I told him I never saw it and he freaked. I guess it's a good movie... So any thoughts why unicorns are not around, or are they?

No Toshi...sniff snifff...Come Back!

My poor laptop is caput (spelled right?). It's a sad day. It will no longer be a laptop. It has moved on in becoming a desk top computer. We had many good times... Umm good thing I've moevd on with my MAC

Kriss Cross Gonna Make Ya...

Do you remember that band?" I do. My first CD was by Kriss-Cross. They make you "jump, jump. How high?" lol Oh the memories... Anyway I just thought about them because there was a song on that CD entitled "Damn I Missed the Bus." Yep, third day in a row... Maybe I should stop trying. This time I made my first bus, but got stuck at the intersection just before my 2nd transfer bus stop and had to wait. My bus went through and I waived it good-bye. umm Maybe I should count the amount of time I waste missing the bus. umm No that's depressing. Well in four days three out of four times ain't "bad."

Ooops-a-Daisy...

I just sent an e-mail from Ringo to all my hotmail friends. It's so I can keep in touch with everyone. Unfortuantely I forgot that I had some of my former professors on the list and admissions for some graduate schools. I added them into my conatcts so they wouldn't go to my junk mail. oops... I'm a dork. :)

Nightmare on Martin Street

My poor roommate. He has to work the graveyard shift tonight (midnight to 8am) and the landlords just began mowing the grass. I'm so thankful I get up at 4am instead of midnight. lol Actually I would prefer 8am; maybe I will next year when I'm a student again.

I Hate the West Coast For This...

So there was a Tsunami warning tonight! Yep. The warning extended all the way to Vancouver Island. This was because there was a 7.0 earthquake in Crescent City, California (the most northern part of that state). There are two states separating me from this disaster-Washington and Oregon. I hope there are no aftershocks. I've been through one earthquake in Quebec and I was scared. (No Devin it wasn't the wind!) :) We didn't feel anything here. I just feel more jittery now. Yikes! Think of me. lol.

It's All Official!

Well, today I gave notice to my boss. My last day will be July 26th! Whoo-hoo! Then off to to Nova Scotia July 27th for my sister's wedding (July 30th) and finally to Alberta August 13th to begin a new chapter in my life! Yep that's also official. I just recieved a letter confirming that I am accepted to the University of Alberta for a Master's in neuroscience. Crazy...Finally all the loose ends in my lfie are being tied up. :)

Washed Up

Looked at pictures tonight. Funny how quickly the memories come back. It's very emotional for me. I have fabulous memories, but the happy memories also make me sad. I wish I could go through those days again. It is probably just how confortable life was,... The unknown is always scary... Just spending the night sitting, remembering, and thinking...

One Good Deed Deserves...

So I'm racing to catch my bus at UBC. I mean I'm sprinting because if I miss the first bus I will miss my connection to White Rock (my transfer bus). I see the bus is waiting. I'm running and then suddenly a chinese woman stops me. She actually goes infront of my path and asks where the bookstore is located. Who does that? There were many other people around but i guess I looked to be the most approachable even though I was running. Umm. So I stop and thoughtfully give her directions. Then I begin once again to run. The bus is still there as I'm running towards the door, but alas the bus drives off. If I had only been there 5 secs earlier. So I missed the bus and missed my connection downtown. An extra 30 mins wait. Oh well, that's the price for helping someone out. lol

"F" marks the Spot

I returned to work today after three weeks of vacation. It's difficult getting up at 4am. (yawn). My co-worker and I went to the lovely UBC cafeteria for a break. She told me about an incident last Friday that confused her at the time. Across from our work place is the UBC swimming pool. There was a film crew filming the diving board for hours on end. Very odd. There were no actors and nothing in the scene except the diving board. It all made sense lto her last night when she went to the movies to see "Long Yard." There was one commercial before the movie that peaked her interest. It was a Gateraide commercial. The commerical conveyed the alphabet using various shots of different spots where sports are played. For example, there was a shot of a basketball court that looked like the letter "O." Apparently the letter "F" was represented by UBC's diving board. It all made sense. The sky in the background of the "F" changed. They had taped the diving board for hours on end to get this effect. Umm so funny. Yeah I'm on crack. I just thought it was odd. hehehe

Changing World

My everday world is constantly spinning and shifting. Two years a go I predicted that I would be attending the University of Alberta so I could pursue my Master's in Neuroscience. I never thought it would actually happen. Now that I am accepted, and have found an apartment... I am confused with what I feel. The past few months had brought many sleepless nights, thinking what my next step in life was to be. Usually I believe one should go with their gut... I have mixed feelings about going back to university. I don't want to become a professional student. I don't want to be one of those people that has the education, but hardly any experience. In some ways I believe in fate. A lot has happened this year that I didn't think would. Many of these events have driven me to the decision to attend. For example, I never thought I would be living this far away from family and friends. Growing up in Nova Scotia, British Columbia seemed so far away. I couldn't see myself as a Westerner. But hey... Alberta is closer to home than British Columbia. Why not give it a chance? Edmonton doesn't impress me very much. However, I know the place doesn't make it home, the people do. I have one good friend from high school living there. Hopefully Deadmonton can come alive! In a month I will be quitting my job and going to Nova Scotia for my sister's wedding. Two weeks later I'll be in Alberta. So many changes in such little time.

Nutty Nut Nut Nut

Yep I'm a nut. I was all ready to go to Vancouver for "Girl's Night Out" when I realised I was an hour early. Time zones mix me up. I was hungry at 2pm having been used to Eastern Standard Time. Sucky. Hopefully I don't lose the jet lag. I have to start waking up at 4am local time. Yikes! The only thing that keeps me sane is thinking that my family in Nova Scotia is up at that time (8am). Sad- I know.

A Bus Pass is a Very Good Thing

So off to Save-on Foods (the local grocery store) I went to buy a $130 bus pass. Yep ouch! However, it saves to have one. I commute so much to Vancouver due to work. The reliable grocery store was sold out of monthly passes. The cashier thought I was confused. It is already half-way through the month and she couldn't understand why it would save me money. lol They got rid of the pass this month. Sold out, or they gave them back. Nonetheless I'm without a bus pass. Sucky. I'll have to buy weekly passes. I will save less money and I have to put the silly ticket into the bus machine every time to hear the beep. Man I sound bitter. Rant rant...blah blah blah. Oh well commuting is fun.. Well, maybe time will pass quicker with my Ipod mini. I certainly hope so.

Up, Up and Away

Yesterday my journey back to BC (from QC) began with a quick drop off at the airport and an hour-long search for my friend-who unfortuantely didn't make it. The traffic was terrible on the highway due to the Grand Prix being held this weekend and so it's no wonder... :( I overheard one guy saying that he needed a hotel room for a siesta (only two hours). The hotel said he would get a deal of poaying a "measely" $75! Some deal. The hotel rates were jacked up by at least 150%. One hotel room that usually costs $120 was going for $450. Man...

I went to the boarding room at the airport to wait. With 2 mins until boarding an annocement came on indicating that there would be nothing served on board due to a labour strike with their catering service. Aparently it was affecting all the flights departing Trudeau airport. sigh 5 hours and 40 mins with nothing to eat. Thank goodness I bought red berries for a treat. :) Yum!

The airport was hot even with the air conditioning. I was unsure if many drinks would be provided on the plane and so I dashed to line-up for a refreshment. Everyone else ran for sandwiches. Another person came over the intercom and said it was a good idea for us to buy sandwiches pronto before boarding. So there I am in line waiting while my flight is "boarding." It's a scary feeling when you're unsure if your flight will take off without you. I saw one person in line that was going on my flight so I was relieved. I bought a small milk that cost me $2.25! urg! If the cost of the flight wasn't enough! lol On my airplane seat were two kid boxes. In one was a chicken sandwich. A lot of good that did me. And in the other was some cookies. Funny thing is no one knew where to store them. Sandwiches were rolling on the ground...due to the lack of space.

Sitting beside me was a very nice, middle-aged woman. This had been her 2nd time in Mntl. She was on a business trip. Within 5 mins she asked if I had a ride home from the airport. She had learned that I took the bus to UBC everday and that I lived in White Rock. She was going to offer to drive me to North Delta (where she lives) so I could have a cheaper cab ride. We talked off and on the whole flight.

There was an annoying airflight attendent. I believe her first language was English (after I laughed so hard at her trying French). I don't usually laugh at people trying another language, but I thought the attendents had to be fully bilingual. She was mangling the French language. She was very pippy and had the stereotypical valley-girl voice. Surprisingly, she was probably 60 years old. The woman beside me motioned she must be on something. Yes she must be happy to be going back to BC. :)

On the flight we watched a Canadian movie. It was based in Deadmonton! Whoo-hoo! All the stewardesses claimed it was a good movie. My friend and I weren't so sure. The movie was "Saint Ralph" and turned out to be pretty good. Now pretty good I mean in comparison to other "great" airline movies. lol.

Finally I arrived in Vancouver 5 hours and 40 mins later. Yep there were the clouds -always the possibility of rain. It was only 17C, unlike Mntl which was 32 C. It was a good thing I brought back my jacket; I needed it. 30 mins later my ride came and got me. Finally I was home...

Chez Cheryl et Lily

Yeah! It's official! I have a place to stay in Edmonton! I'll be living in Newton Place (a residence for upper undergrads and graduate students at the University of Alberta). I am a stone throw away from the hospital where I'll be researching. Winters won't be so tough. hehehe Wendy's and good old Timmie's are across the street and the sports complex is across from the hospital. So all the essentials are within a 5 min walk! There is even a shuttle on Sunday nights that takes students to cheap grocery stores, which are far away. Yeah! I can become so lazy. However, I'll be on the 12th floor. I'll have to take the elevator... lol My fears of elevators and heights will have to scram. :)

Lily is a 4th year undergrad biology student. She is from Calgary and has never been to any other province than Alberta. She is interested in art (having previously been an arts major) and cooking. She seems super sweet and nice. I'm nervous and yet excited to start my Master's. Finally I have a place to call home for the next three years.

La Belle Province

Nous (Devin et moi) sommes allés à Quebec le samedi dernière. Yes Quebec City was beautiful. We walked around Old Quebec. There were so many tourists! We then decided to take a tour of La Citadelle. It's really sad how little I know about history. I always thought the Citadelle was built by the French, but it wasn't. The English built it because they were afraid the Americans would retaliate. They never did. I guess the name "Citadelle" refers to the shape of the fortress. It is a star-shape. Ingeniously engineered so an intruder could be shot anywhere within its walls. I also learned that La Citadelle is on the Plains of Abraham. The only reason the Plains were named that was because there was a man by the name of Abraham who owned the land. Ummm Porter land, anyone? Finally, I discovered that Chateau Frontenac was never a castle. It has always been a hotel.

Click-it or Ticket

A wise police saying. I wonder what niffty phrase do they have for parking tickets. Devin and I went to the Liverpool in Sherbrooke on Friday night. We parked close to the pool hall and enjoyed the night with Devin's collegues. Devin smuggly said how he had never gotten a ticket. lol Well there's always a first time. Yep-ticket on the windshield. We had parked where you needed a pass. Poor Dev. I know he'll fight for his rights.... :) Demandez c'il est en anglais!

"True Love" in Greek

CHERYL
C is for Cultured
H is for Honest
E is for Earthy
R is for Responsible
Y is for Young
L is for Logical

BC Baby!

I've been in BC since September. Let's see if I can relate. I did vote in the provincial election. Surprisingly the Green party and probably the sex party and work-less party beat the Conservatives. lol

You Know You're From British Columbia When...
*You know the provincial flower (I have no clue)
*You consider that if it has no snow, it is not a real mountain. (very true)
*You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Blendz, and Tim Horton's. (Never though I would backstab Timmie's but steamed milk is so good and so are the molasses cookies!)
*You know how to pronounce Squamish, Osoyoos & Nanaimo. (Nope no clue)
*You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food. (Almost getting there. If only I wasn't so picky)
*In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark - while only working eight-hour days. (Yep even my 6-2am shift)
*You have no concept of humidity without precipitation. (It rains and rains...)
*You know that Dawson Creek is a town, not a TV show. (I guess that's up north)
*You can point to at least two ski mountains, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover. (Yep Cypress, Seymour...)
*You notice "the mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it. (beautiful)
*You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 5, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
*You switch to your sandals when it gets about 10, but keep the socks on. (umm socks no)
*You recognize the background shots in your favourite movies & TV shows. (Yep lots of movies filmed there. Maybe I'll be an extra).
*You buy new sunglasses every year, because you can't find the old ones after such a long time.
*You use a down comforter in the summer.
*The local hero is a pot-smoking snowboarder (true dat)
*The local wine doesn't taste like malt vinegar
*Your $400,000 Vancouver home is 5 hours from downtown (so expensive that's why I live in White Rock and commute 3 hours a day to work)
*You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations (I go usually to the one in White Rock and the one on the corner of Broadway)
*You've been to a deforestation protest (not yet. that would be cool)
*If a cop pulls you over, just offer them some of your hash
*It's November, it's raining, but you're still wearing birkenstocks
*You go broke just paying rent (lol how can people afford anything?)
*You don't own a heavy winter coat (nope. I'll have to get one for Alberta. lol)
*You can't figure out why Manitoba is considered part of Western Canada. (good question. Who else wants them? Any Manitoba people prove me wrong!)
*You wouldn't be caught dead on Vancouver Island or Vancouver without your umbrella and plastic shoes.
*You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from British Columbia. (umm a bit I guess I haven't been converted entirely). lol
http://www.blogthings.com/wherefrom.html

Trip Down Memory Lane

With it being a beautiful day in Lennoxville, QC. I decided to go for a walk to see what changes occurred to this small town over this past year. Here is what I found:
1) There is a new store! Wow! More selection! Not really.... The store is Korvette (a pen name for the dollar store). lol
2) Talking about the Dollar Store, where everything is really a twoonie or more, it's gone. Yep sad to say. I went to get stickers and to my dismay it was no longer.
3) Homestead is no longer. Now there is a florist store and apartments upstairs. Weird to hear music blaring at night from the top of the building.
4) The community centre finally has a walking path which leads to McDonald's and where the Dollar Store once was (sorry my mind is fixated on this. When I was student that's the only place I could afford to go).
5) There is no longer a cross-walk infront of Bishop's, but one up the street. I tired it out today and a school bus stopped!!! Man times have changed.
6) The infamous yellow house was torn down (where Todd once lived). Yep no more crazy parties.
7) The house beside the railroad tracks, with the pretty new shingles (which was just a facade) shows it's true colours once again. There was a fire over the weekend and it's in rough shape. Oh the memories of fires. Are Bishop students pyros?
8) There are now lovely benches with flowers (donated by the 1993 alumni) all around campus. Two actually are in the quad. Finally places to sit and enjoy the sun.
9) The Loft is no longer the place to drink beer and dance. It is designated as the cafeteria. It looks ok. Just has more tables and no alcohol.
10) Doolittles (the corner store) has expanded. Now the SRC has some space there for frosh supplies, etc...
Well the buildings haven't moved so that's a relief. I still can find my way around. The people haven't changed. The cross-walk guard remembers me. As well, I went to the Grec yesterday for poutine and the waitress remembers me.
Yep everything appears familiar even though there have been changes. I miss the good old times, but there are plenty to be had.
"Raise a toast to Bishop's University on the mighty Massawippi shore..."
P.S. A body was found in the St.Francis this past weekend. Ummm maybe East Vancouver is safer.

Lemonade Anyone?

Well I have a lemon-well hopefully did. It's in the shop. Yep my hyped-up computer has already given me troubles. The right speaker is defective. I guess it's uncommon for a Mac to have problems. lol.

Le Voyager

Well this past year I've travelled a lot around Canada. I started my voyage in Quebec, moved to Prince Edward Island, visited New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, went to Toronto, Ontario for a job interview, moved then to British Columbia for a job, visited Edmonton, Alberta for university, and am currently visiting Quebec. Mid-June I'm going back to British Columbia to then (at the end of July) going home to Nova Scotia for my sister's wedding. I'll be visiting also my dad in Prince Edward Island. Finally mid-August I will be once again hopping a plane -this time flying to Edmonton, Alberta. Currently my plan is to stay for 3 years there. At least I got a lot of travelling out of my system.
When I am in one province I occassionally miss what the other provinces have to offer.
For instance:
Quebec = poutine, Montreal, French, distinct culture
Nova Scotia = family, ocean, home
Prince Edward Island = family, beaches, small town feel
British Columbia = ocean, sushi, warm winters :)
Alberta = cold winters (not looking forward to that), university
Please feel free to say what you like about various provinces-especially concerning the prairies. :)

MAC MAMA

So I have my new powerbook. It's a bit different. I'm playing around today trying to get used to it all. So far it's fine. Just haven't got the hand of highlighting things to move them. The skill will come. :)

Au Revoir Student Loans!

Today is a historic day! This is the day I finished paying my student loans off! My major goal this year was to do just that and I did it! I'm so happy. No more harassing loan people or collectors (lol).

Surprises

Sometimes people surprise you. You trust and believe in them. Why shouldn't you? Man I'm disappointed. :( If someone gives you a chance to save face- take it. Don't lie. Always have enough dignity to face the music.

Converted

Today I was converted to being a Mac girl! No not as KD-Mac and Cheese. I'm already the spokesperson. And not as in McDonald's. However, I am lovin' it! (groan...) I bought a mini iPod and a powerbook today. Yeah i know, big purchases, but I justify it -I need the items for university. :) They had no English keyboards so a French one it was. I'll be bilingual in no time. lol