- It is very flat
- Major geographical features go down, not up (river valleys…)
- People drive very big trucks
- The streets are quite wide
- Rain doesn’t last all day long
- Coffee is almost twice the price as in Victoria
- 1970 = old in architecture
- Everyone drives everywhere
- Don’t dis the Conservatives in public unless you know your audience
Category Archives: Life
It’s not a Carbon Footprint, its a Carbon Snowshoe
I’m in Edmonton.
On the plane flying here I began to count the number of aeroports I’ve been to this summer and I got embarrassed by the number. Since May: Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Victoria, Amsterdam, Nairobi, Mombassa, Calgary, Edmonton… That is disgusting (but also pretty fantastic when you realize it covers a good chunk of Canada plus 2 other countries/continents and that all of it was planned on fairly short notice – for me).
Edmonton this weekend was a bit of a whim – I had aeroplan points. They were about to expire. So I booked a flight to Edmonton for the long weekend. Jen moved in to her new place last week and so we spent today unpacking. Correction: Jen unpacked while I cleaned the bathroom (Its an interesting bathroom – the shower drain is my favourite, photo to follow when I have my uploader). Then we went to Ikea with a friend and laughed/shopped away a few hours there before I finished cleaning the bathroom and Jen put together the Ikea furniture.
Between cleaning my bathroom yesterday for new roommate to arrive and cleaning Jen’s bathroom today, I think I’ve cleaned enough bathroom for awhile. Plus, there are no more cross-province/country/continent/ocean flights planned for awhile so hopefully my carbon snowshoe will shrink back down to a small footprint.
Comments from a Pathetic Poster
I had lofty ambitions, after being chastized by a friend for my lack of posting, to get right back into the swing of things. For good or for bad, I got used to not posting much this summer – a lack of Internet access in Kenya and on a boat will do that for you. No excuses! I am back on land and have free wireless at home and at every second coffee shop; there really is no excuse for me. I like to think that I am out of practice and need to get back into the habit of transcribing everyday occurrences for the general public to read. Because you are all interested in my eating habits and traveling adventures, right?
As I type this, I am sitting in a coffee shop on W 4th in Vancouver. Beside me is a stimulating Americano, my current poison of choice. I’m in Vancouver for the weekend to spend some time with good friends before school starts on Tuesday and to meet my boyfriend (HOLD ON, stop the train… boyfriend?!?… yes. More on that someday) as he returns tomorrow from a two and a half trip to the States.
Truth be told, I have had some interesting ideas for blogging lately; a rant on how my doctor prescribes medication, how my school begins next week, and so on. But, something else keeps coming up. Like school starting next week. I’ve been labouring under the false assumption for some time now that my course would begin when every other school in the country begins: after Labour Day. Last week, I discovered that no, it begins on September the first. Before school starts, I have six chapters from two different text books to read plus a multitude of online readings. Fortunately, I long ago mastered the art of the skim-read. I just assumed that everyone skim-read their text books, however a message from our prof for the first course indicates otherwise: “Because the work is intensive, and because you’re at a master’s level here, you won’t be able to read as you did in undergrad – reading every detail, preparing to memorize for exams. Here, you’ll have to read quickly, and you do that by skimming, stopping on what you don’t know – not reading & memorizing every detail, but rather grasping the gist of things so that you can apply it.” At least I already have practice.
So now that I am back at school, I suppose we can all look forward to more frequent posting as I sit for hours at a time at my computer and have the opportunity to practice my finest procrastination techniques. Until then, I am going to enjoy my last few days of “freedom” and get back to wandering W4th.
Little Things
It never ceases to amaze me how the simple, small things in life can give so much joy and pleasure. Like listening to the birds as I walk to work in the morning.
Watching the clouds change colour over the Olympic mountains at dusk.
The exhilaration of a good run.
Ripe blackberries by the side of the road.
Accidentally dropping a whole size or two over the summer (therefore being my proper size for the first time in ages).
Finishing a good book and starting another.
Feeling loved and included in community.
A picnic lunch on lunch break from work.
Reading a book in the peace of a beautiful garden.
An unexpected call from New Mexico.
Fresh vegetables.
I hope that I never get too busy or too caught up with life to stop and take time to enjoy the small things. Multiplied, these things are fairly substantial and have the ability to make or break a person’s day. Maybe I need to think about what little things I do that can add joy to someone’s life. Just thinking.
Regular Programming to be Resumed Soon
Until then, I offer you an article Matthew shared with me that speaks wonderfully to the experience of returning home after a worldview-challenging visit to a developing/Third World country. Even if you have never had this experience (and everyone should, in my opinion, have some sort of worldview-challenging experience that, in the very least, makes you sit up and think about how you live your live on a daily basis) it is an excellent read. If you have had such an experience, you will likely find yourself, as I did, nodding along with it as you read.
“‘When I was in Afghanistan…’ (Or How I Learned That Shopping Doesn’t Help)” by Ryan Schmidt
The Week of My Discontent?
I walked home from work today. I walk home nearly every day; it is only a 15min walk, so I don’t know why today seemed different.
Maybe because it was such a “normal” day. I got up, I went to work, I spent time with a friend on lunch break, I did groceries on the way home and then walked home humming to myself while swinging my green reusable shopping bag. It struck me, as I turned off of a busy street to walk some back streets for a more peaceful walk, that this could be it. I could make a career out of this, as many of my coworkers have, and have this constant life of M-F/8-5 with half of my evenings free and the other half doing church things or spending time with friends. This could be it.
Suddenly I was filled with a sense of what I can only call a combination of discontent, dissatisfaction, and pity; I do not want this to be my normal. I cannot live with that feeling and part of me feels sorry for those who do. I do not really know why, because I know that some people are incredibly happy in my line of work and do not want to sound condescending towards them. I just do not think that I am able to live my life like this for an extended period of time. The last week has shown me that much.
I have spent much of the last week with an extreme fatigue: I have been going to bed by 8:30/9pm, been so tired that I am nauseous (I even went home sick after 20min at work on Monday because I was so green and gross feeling), and had headaches for the better part of every day. I have been trying to fit too much into my life. There is the part of life I am responsible to and have made a commitment too, namely work. (I also need the income.) Then there is the part of life that makes me happy and feeds me emotionally and spiritually for the week, the part I spend the whole week looking forward too – choir practice, young adults gathering at church, Sunday morning church service, and spending time with friends. Apparently I am not WonderWoman and cannot do it all.
Part of my discontent likely stems from the fact that I am not using my gifts to the fullest of my abilities. I am beginning a Masters in Counselling Psychology in September and until that degree is finished, I will not be able to work in the field I am most excited to work in. I have also been doing a lot of thinking over the last few months on the idea of intentional community and the position of young adults in the Anglican church today (and have been very excited to find other like minds within the diocese who have independantly been thinking along the same lines!) and this has caused a growing discomfort with the way I live my life and a desire for change.
All of that being said, I am not unhappy with my life. I think that is a key distinction. Really, I have no cause for complaint. In the grand scheme of things it is probably a good thing to have some dissatisfaction because it means I am constantly striving for something more. In fact, I am not sure I ever want to be completely satisfied with where I am at. So here is to looking forward to the future and committing to live in the moment I am in and enjoy each moment of every day to the fullest. Even the parts that annoy me and seem to have no purpose.
I have a lot of things festering around in my head that I want to do and no time right now to do them. How does one create more hours in the day?
Happy Birthday to ME!
Happy Birthday to me!
Last year this time, we were in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean between here and Hawaii. We had a big old game of Assassins (which I did not win) and then the crew and trainees sang me a song they (re)wrote…
And it was a good day.
This year, I am in Montreal, hanging out with my sister and other family members and good friends. I can’t think of a better way to spend today!
Big thanks to Christina for the photo and Leighsa for taking the video. Thanks to the entire Leg 7 crew for a great song!
Up and Coming Travels
This week will be a good week…
Tomorrow after work I’m off to Vancouver to stay the night with very good friends (and hopefully see the new baby of some other friends).
Tuesday morning I’m in the air to Montreal! Where I’ll have dinner that night with a bunch of family.
Wednesday my sister graduates from her Masters program at McGill.
Thursday will be a fun day…
Friday we drive to Stratford and hang out with my aunt, uncle, and cousin.
Saturday my god-brother is getting married in London.
Sunday morning we’ll hang out with my god-parents before driving back to Montreal.
Monday I fly home to Victoria!
Whew, I’m getting tired just writing that! There will be updates on the fly when I get a chance.
Long Weekend
I like long weekends. Especially ones where 2 out of 3 of the days are pretty nice. Today it is pouring, at least it was dry for the parade this morning. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Friday after work, I biked down to Cadboro Bay to walk a bit and enjoy the beach. I also managed to bike all the way up Sinclair Hill without stopping.
On Saturday I undertook an epic walk downtown via Mayfair Mall and Beacon Hill Park/Cook St Village/Fairfield. I actually fell asleep on the beach halfway through because I was a little tired. It was a beautiful sunny day and there were lots of kites and boats out along the waterfront at Dallas Road. Then I called up a friend and we met for dinner which turned into dinner, tea and desert and a 3 hour chat.
Sunday was a great morning at the Cathedral with a fantastic message by the Dean (newly minted Dr. Dean). I walked most of the way home, via Ross Bay Cemetery – the oldest in the city where everyone who was anyone is buried including a few former governors and Emily Carr.
In the afternoon I again biked down to Cadboro Bay and read on the beach for a couple hours, watching all the people down there enjoying the sun and all the boaters out on the water. I did not manage to make it all the way up Sinclair Hill this time. It pains me to admit that.
Currently, it is raining something fierce but that didn’t stop a group of us from enjoying the parade this morning. I foolishly wore shorts, thinking it would be as nice as it was yesterday. It wasn’t. We stood in the middle of View St for about 4 hours watching the most random parade I have ever seen. We enjoyed the marching bands the most, though we also enjoyed making fun of some of the more random floats/groups participating.
Now I’m relaxing and enjoying the rest of the weekend before back to work with a vengance tomorrow.
gillian's island 