Manda's Happy Place

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:11:35 GMT

New and Improved Update

I'm going to make this short, so you get news in point form and with abhorrent grammar and spelling.

I had a bad day at work on Friday. I left my hammer up on Bullmoose mountain and got a flat tire. No one stopped to help me, but I got the temporary spare on by myself. Once back in Tumbler Ridge, no tire shop would be open until Monday to fix my tire. Dammit. So I had to drive to Dawson Creek on the donut tire doing 60 the whole way, stopping to let the stupid thing cool off every once in a while.
Once in Dawson, Canadian tire, walmart, and other tire shops did not have the right size of tire. Nor could they fix the one that went flat. Plus two of my other tires appear to have sustained enough damage that they too needed replacing. $700 later...I was back on the road.
Ran into one peeing man on a trail and several nearly naked teens at Flatbed falls. This being right after I changed my tire, I was not in the mood for dealing with drunken teens and may have frightened one or two of them.
I am going to drive my horse Desi in a cart for my friend Robyn's wedding. Should be wicked!
Attended North country fair. It was... amazing!!!! Never fails to please, and the hippys are amusing beyond belief. Found a group of old people dressed as pirates here. By the way, if anyone ever gets a chance to see a band called Dr. Draw...It's well worth the show. It's a rock band with a violinist as the lead, it's really phenomenal. I also found out here that I am capable of preparing a meal for 3-400 hippies (we volunteered in the kitchen and Mike and I were the only sober ones and thus were put in charge)
I did not remain sober for very long at the fair and had a very grand time sitting in a drum circle with a bunch of stoned hippies and one presumably stoned garter snake which lived in the fire pit. One hippy taught me to play his drum and a 5 gallon water jug, as well as a beer can and some maracas. A particularily hot hippy from vancouver was amazing at drumming and taught us all how to "jam". It was awesome.
Mike and I have been discussing wedding plans and I think we've come up with something that will satisfy us both. We've decided not to reveal our plans until due time; just in case. Yes. Very ambiguous.
My F***ing boss hasn't paid me yet. I love my job, but I need money sometime. He owes me close to $15,000 now and I am seriously running low on funds especially with gas and the tire situation. Bah. Stupid bureaucracy.

I am not done updating but must now go teach some tourist booth operators about geocaching. I'll finish updating later.

Cheers, y'all!!

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:23:01 GMT

I am getting so bad for keeping in touch. My apologies, everyone. Especially to Hollie and Adam and all the other people I should be calling and catching up with!

Here's my news:

Mike is having a great time at his new job, catching rattlers and garters and a few bull snakes every day. I'm glad he's so happy. At least I get to talk to him every day, even if he can't be here.
I cleared a bunch of trees and bushes from my parent's front yard, built a woven compost bin from the green branches of those trees, built a 10x6x6 ft bird cage outside for my cockatoo for the summer, installed the front steps to my house, shingled the rest of the roof, and washed all my windows (and my parent's).
I joined a Yoga class with my mom
I ordered some chickens from UFA for laying eggs
I'm working on (Geotourism) as a researcher, geocache installer, and geocache monitor. Basically I research a site (such as a fur trade post or haunted house, or birding site at $225/page) and go bolt a metal box filled with stuff to a tree at it ($175). Then a few months later i go back and see if it's still there ($50). Not a bad job, it's kind of like a treasure hunt except I get to hide AND find all the clues. LOL. I also get to man the trade show booth for it too, to promote geotourism ($2500/show). It's stressful, but it will help me alleviate my overwhelming debt.
I *might* be getting a Doberman puppy. My mom is getting a puppy for my Uncle for his birthday (he always loved dobies) but if he doesn't want it, or can't take it, I get it. I'm kind of hoping he doesn't take it, or his wife won't let him. LOL.
I got nearly $8000.00 knocked off my AB student loan! That makes me happy. Apparently once you grad they can assess how much you borrowed and your grades and grant back a chunk of it. I still have a whole whack of debt, but this is helping very much my levels of money stress.
I went to a fundraiser benefit night for the prairie animal rescue society with a bunch of friends, which was pretty fun and had excellent mexican food (mmm...I think i'll make tacos tonight!)

Well I guess that's about it...it's clear that I'm keeping myself busy to combat loneliness, but it seems to be working well enough. I'm hoping to get to PG early for grad weekend so I can visit with everyone and chill out.

Cheers!

Hooray for me

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:38:39 GMT

I have been productive today.

I have made several important phone calls concerning health care, taxes, and grad convocation. It's not my fault no one answers their phone these days.
I have researched a whole whack of stuff for work. I just have to put it all into writing. I have also prepared well for the next trade show coming up this weekend, I just have to put the finishing touches on our signage.
I successfully lectured a group of grade three kids about India. Well, anything that involves explaining sacred cows and and allowing them to put red powder dots on their heads and pet peacock feathers is bound to be successful with that age group. They were infinitely impressed with my close encounter with the tigers and lions.
My seedlings, which I started a week ago, are sprouting at an alarming rate - I hope the weather changes soon or my house will start to look like an Indian jungle. It already smells like one due to the spices I brought back and Fawkes' box.
I had a very good heart to heart with my dad after I caught him in a rather disturbing moment of emotional weakness.
I have fished Nutmeg the Cat out of the trashcan 6 times since beginning this entry.
I have ambitious plans of making rice krispie squares tonight and dyeing my hair.

Mike is off to his new and exciting career as a rattlesnake wrangler in Calgary, so Fawkes and I have been rather lonely holding down the fort. Hopefully the weather smartens up and we can have a real spring and I can actually go and do some serious housework and gardening. I have so many plans for my summer, I wanna get started. I want to get started two weeks ago.

Yesterday I blew a tire while on a gravel road. Hey, does anyone know what might be causing a car's battery to drain really quickly with the exception of 1.leaving lights/radio/ or other source of energy consuming device on while parked, or 2. Alternator needing replacement...?

My offer still stands to all who pass through my way: make yourselves at home! My door is always open! And I feed my visitors well...just ask Justin! lol (He ate almost a dozen cookies and large piece of apple pie at our last game night.) I've been doing a lot of baking...not going to take me long to gain back the 7 lbs i lost in India!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:12:53 GMT

So we're back in Canada, and happy to be home! We missed our fawkes terribly, and he's just as happy to see us too. We're still a bit jetlagged (it may be noon Alberta time, but it's midnight accordingly to our internal clocks) Our lasty leg of the trup was pretty exciting, seeing the Taj Mahal (the greatest monument ever built in the name of Love) where Mike was planning on proposing to me -before I beat him to it! - so he still got down on one knee on the white marble dias in front much to the delight of the surrounding tourists and locals. It was so romantic!

Then we visited several other places in Chandighar and the Pakistan border, Amritsar, Bikaner, and Corbett Tiger Park. We participated in several festivals and did a bunch of stuff like a camel safari and tramped thorugh the jungle looking for snakes and lizards (caught one myself!) Turns out I'm a good lizard spotter. Our jeep driver Imran thought we were crazy. Back in Mumbai to catch our plane home, we took an evening of pure indulgence and bought new formal clothes and went to the most opulant restaurant in town;"Indigo". Complete with tuxedoed waiters and candlelight on the roof terrace, we had champagne and a three course meal of lobster bisque, saffron linguine and chocolate souffle. We then rounded off our evening with a ride in a guilded carriage around the waterfront in Mumbai ... perfect end to a wonderful vacation.

I am currently uploaded pictures to my facebook. The last half of our trip had sporadic internet to say the least, towards the height of their "summer" season, more and more A/C units running means that the power grid gets overloaded and so most towns and cities are forced to cut the electricity so that things like hospitals and government buildings still operate.

So india was a great place to visit, there are parts to love and hate about it of course. I certainly feel that it's given me a lot of confidence and I've grown a lot from seeing things and being a part of something that as Canadians we aren't really exposed to normally. In other words I guess I am experiencing broadened horizons and I can't wait for the next adventure. I've been thinking about volunteering as part of an envoronmental project in Peru, actually....

But that can wait. I have things here to take care of, like my darling Mike and our retarded cat Fawkes. And a wedding to plan (eventually). By the way, thank you for everyone who offered their congratulations!! I am so thrilled that our friends are happy for us, we couldn't be happier ourselves and I can't wait to see everyone personally and thank you.

India

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 04:56:37 GMT

Boink!

So we're hanging in Hampi (a city made almost entirely of ruins from the 14th century) with a friend of Mike's from Ecuador who we literally ran into in an alley here drinking Bhang Lassis (a yogurt based drink with hashish in it). We've seen many temples and monkeys and geckos and people...Mike and I get mobbed every day by kids who want to give us High-fives or beg for pens, money, pictures, or bananas. Since bananas are less than a dime a dozen here, we've been carrying around loads of them and giving them to every child, monkey or elephant we see.

Sweet.

Yesterday we went to the Hanuman temple where Kipling based his Jungle Book off of, which was cool and we went bouldering (jumping across large holes between big rocks the size of houses) and then rounded off our day with a walk to a waterfall and candleit dinner under a mango tree on the side of the river with bunches of blinking fireflies, which I have never seen before.

Today we say goodbye to Kris, and probably will head to the royal elephant stables. Then maybe catch a bus out tonight to either Badami (4th century cave temples) or Hyderabad (city of technology)

I'm uploading pics to facebook right now, as long as the power doesn't go out again.

Goa

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:12:09 GMT

I finally get a chance to update my travels. Electricity and internet here are readily available, but not widely reliable. On the other hand, I'm on a beautiful beach so why should I care? LOL. I shall begin where I think I left off.

We stayed in Mumbai (Bombay) for a few days and got used to the people and the food and the craziness, which took less time than I imagined. We saw some temples and museums and mostly just walked the markets and got ourselves lost a lot.

We were approached by a guy on the street with a bollywood film company and ended up on a bus with a bunch of other travellers from around the world to be extras in a Bollywood flick (Called Yuvraaj - look it up on IMBD.com), which paid 400 rupees for the day, plus 2 meals. They dressed us up in the oddest assortment of western clothing (the film I think is set in Australia), and had us stand around holding glasses of fake champagne and cocktails, pretending to chat. I lost my voice this day from a cold I contracted in London, so this was less hard for me than for others. We stayed for 14 hours on the set, which was too long but pretty interesting all the same. Met lots of people, from Finland, Norway, Brazil, Italy, Sweden, the states, and England.

We then got a nice hotel room for the night (which actually had a TV in it!) and since I wasn't feeling 100% we sat and watched some - they had Malcolm in the Middle and a few others we knew too. Lo and behold, we find our actor guy from the set the day before on like 4 of the channels! So he's apparently some big shot. The "Bad-boy" of Bollywood, we're told. The next day we took off on a train to Goa (a province midway down the coastline of western India). It took 12 hours, but it was comfortable.

The beach we ended up on is called Arambol; which is gorgeous except for the haze of smog that obscures what would be an amazing sunset...the sun doesn't exactly set here, it more just fades behind a cloud and gets gradually darker. But the beach itself is nice, there's cows and dogs and people trying to sell you their wares everywhere. Many, many hippies. Mostly we've just been tanning and learning poi in our spare time, but Mike got sick for a couple of days and that took up most of my attention. Gave my sunburn a much-needed break from the sun though. I made friends with a bar cat and got chased by a cow yesterday in the market, and got mildly electrocuted in a restaurant while watching hippies attempt to make music (the sound-man had a bunch of loose wires right behind my seat on the floor).

I also got my hair done into a bunch of tiny braids by an Indian lady Satsuri and her son, Harry Potter. Crazy, eh?? So I can say that Harry Potter is my hairdresser.

Check out the photos on facebook. I managed to get a few up today since the power is a bit more reliable than yesterday. It's hot as hell here - like 35 degrees before breakfast. Not that I'm complaining. I could be shoveling snow right now; though I think with the amount of sand embedded in my underwear; I'll be taking back some India with me whether I want to or not. LOL. In the next couple of day's we'll be off, likely to Hampi, and then north to Rajasthan and more reasonable weather. Missing everyone!!

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:18:04 GMT

Successfully in India!

Mumbai is completely insane. There's so much going on all at once - the traffic is unbelieveable but remarkably smooth once you realize that there's no real rules to follow. The horn honking seems to be an international "im here, get out of my way". There's lots of stray dogs and cats and we saw one cow and a couple of goats and sheep. Our hotel is a couple of bunks in a grey room locked with a padlock, but at least it is clean and secure. The bathroom...well...let's just say it's good we brought our own toilet paper and we'll have to buy flipflops before we even think of showering. Very Very hot here too! Even at night; it's impossible to remember being cold. Other than that Mumbai is cleaner than i thought, but we won't be here long I don't think. As soon as we figure out how i think we'll go to Goa.

The FOOD... oh my god the food... Mike and I went into a random restaurant and got some dishes that we didn't know and it turned out to be the best food ever!

I had to buy a shawl almost immediately - I was getting a lot of looks! So unfortunately in the heat I have to be covered (not head to toe) but my shoulders and legs at least. The markets are pretty cool; you can find just about anything I think if you knew who to ask; but being a tourist area it's full of people trying to get your money (understandably). We got blessed without intending to by two men (who probably aren't holy anyways) who come up and hand you a marigold and some candy and tell you to eat the candy then they tie a string around your wrist and chant and stuff. Which is great, but then they demand a donation. One guy followed us a few blocks and into a store because he wanted more I guess...even though Mike said NO he didn't want a blessing. That's just the way it is here i guess. Anyways we should probably run off and start our day.

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:11:51 GMT

We're on our way! We take the train to the airport, then at 8:45 we board the plane and head off to Mumbai. We will get there noon local time, which means 11:30 pm Alberta time. It will be a relief to get out of London, though our stay here has been a good one. Time to get this show on the road...er, sky?

So my initial impression of the British people and culture (this may not be entirely accurate nor politically correct, but it's what my experience has been...)

Very polite people, though its not always genuine. Too busy and stressed out for their own good (probably a London thing). Very globally minded and interested in world events and politics, but very egocentric at the core with a lot of national pride. Somehow self-deprecating at the same time. Mistrustful of strangers and Americans in particular. Frustrated easily when their slang or accent is misunderstood (tend to get louder rather than clearer when you ask them to repeat something). Tourists are little more than nuisances that clog their train stations and public transit, but they are still happy to know when their country is enjoyed and appreciated. Impeccable taste in fashion and design and style in all aspects of their life, from buildings to gardens and their own appearance. Very little vulgar or crude graffiti; and never vandalism on innapropriate objects (such as period buildings or trains or private property) which to me suggests that their youth have a certain amount of respect. People here seem to be able to live their entire lives within a 10 block radius and be perfectly content with keeping their life local. Very, very Christian-minded folk. Odd lack of body language...all expression seems to be in the voice instead of gestures. An awful lot seem to be homophobic and vocal homophobia seems to be a perfectly acceptable thing (street performers and news reporters I have heard comment). All in all I would very much like to visit again...though I doubt I could stay for any longer than I have at one time. Then again, I really am no good at cities in general and my experience is yet to be broadened.

India!

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:31:19 GMT

Got our Visas!

We booked our tickets on Virgin Air. We leave Sunday night quite late; and arrive at noon local time in Mumbai on Monday. That will make the time zone almost exactly 12 and a half hours different from home! Right on the other side of the world.

We went for dinner with aout 12 ladies from an office downtown and had a blast. They were nearly all social workers and boy...am I glad I'm not doing social work in downtown London. Talk about troubled youth! They bought us wine and a fantastic spread of italian pasta and pizza. Just lovely. They think we're insane...petting zoos and snake parks and snow and minus 30 degree cold and going to india with only a backpack. LOL.

So tomorrow I get to meet some friends of Mike's from Ecuador. Should be interesting. I think we're going to a modern art exhibit where they have a bunch of body parts and creatures preserved in wax or something. Should be all kinds of disgusting and fun.

Off to bed! I'm tired. Fell asleep on a train today.

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:02:46 GMT

Adding to my journey journal.

Monday the 11th - Walked to the Crystal Palace site, saw some Canada Geese and thus had to break bread with my brothers from the homeland (lol- we threw them bits of our sandwiches). Toured a couple of parks, read our books in the sun with a picnic lunch.

Tuesday the 12th - Took the train to downtown and checked out Big Ben, the Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and a whole bunch of historical and political sites (Trafalgar square, Winston Churchill Memorial). Went to the British National museum and saw the Salvador Dali exhibition (and a Star Wars exhibition?!?). Walked the Thames and skirted London Bridge (which I am relieved to say, is NOT falling down.) Observed a lot of graffitti in the train tunnels and the underground stations. None of it was ever vulgar or rude, unlike our own.

Wednesday the 13th - Went to the Millenium Dome (AKA the O2) for the day to view the Tutankhamen exhibit. Wow. I am so blown away by the craftsmanship and the wonderful artistry of the egyptians. And then I truly discovered the loss of respect people have for history as we entered the gift shop at the end of the tour and found a gilded tissue box holder shaped as Tut's funerary mask where you retrieve the tissue from his nasal cavity. *sigh*. And overpriced at 15 pounds (30 bucks). And necklaces (not unlike the one I made at Halloween for my costume) selling for 975-3800 pounds. Oh well. The galleries themselves were magnificent and I thought it was one of the most humbling experiences of my life...to think such things sat beneath the sands of the feet of hundreds of nomads for 3300 years. Spectacular. We also had dinner and wine in lieu of Valentine's day...a lovely day.

Thursday the 14th - Waiting at home all day for a call from the Indian Consulate stating that we may pick up our Visas and passports later on today. So; much reading up on India and curling up next to the fireplace going on right now.

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:10:36 GMT

Yesterday (Saturday the 9th): Went by train to Farnborough (accidently missed our stop and ended up in Winchester), met up with my cousins, went for lunch at a private golf club, toured Windsor castle, had dinner at the most posh restaurant I have ever been to, and took to train home late at night and took our malaria pills again (and thus had crazy dreams).

Today (Sunday the 10th): Walked to Greenwich and toured the University, saw the Cutty Sark (under reconstruction from fire damage), saw the Meridian and the Atomic clock, walked under the Thames in a dark tunnel to the other side. Saw a lot of dogs in Greenwich park and ate english "pasties" and "flapjacks" (which are pot pies and dense heavy cookies) on a park bench.

P.S. When ordering water in a restaurant, you must specify tap water or they will give you a shiny sapphire blue bottle of mineral water that will set you back like 5 pounds (10$). Harsh.

NOT AN AMERICAN, GODDAMMIT

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:36:37 GMT

A man listening to Mike and I talking today at the train station yelled at us for being American. He was very very drunk, but I am still pretty upset by it. He seemed to think we were insulting Britain...we were actually talking about North Country Fair in Canada...Kept saying we shouldn't make fun of other countries, because Britain is "fucking brilliant" and Americans are "bastards", intolerant, and come hundreds of miles just to "make a place shit". Sorry, but hypocrite much?

It was actually a good thing we were with Mike's British friend Dom, who told the man he was English and unlikely to put up with people insulting his country...but I don't think he was believed. The man muttered angrily for a few minutes afterwards.

*sigh* It's rather upsetting thinking that some people who hear us speak might be thinking the same thing without saying it. I like London. It's a beautiful place. But now I'm going to hesitate to open my mouth in public.

But on the bright side, we'll be in India soon, where people don't hear much English so they won't be able to pinpoint our dialect at all - they won't know if we're British or American or Swedish speaking english. It's too easy to hear someone speak and think of them only as "one of them" - something I hope I will definitly be more aware of.

In London!

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:16:09 GMT

So here we are in London. The time switch is so messed up ... we just woke up (at 5 am local) and it's 11pm at home...kind of hard to get used to. My body doesnt know whether to sleep or wake up.

We arrived yesterday morning after some serious delays at the airport, but we didn't sleep on the plane and then we had to navigate the underground to Mike's friend's place...which was experiencing power losses at various point on the track, so we had to deviate from the plan we had to new routes several times. We must have crossed the River Thames about seven times. We kept getting odd looks (everyone here seems to be dark haired and conservatively dressed- mike and I got hippy sweaters at value village before we left) But we made it. Today we go to get our Visas to India and visit Trafalgar Square; and perhaps the museum of science and the natural history museum if we can. We'll be here about a week I guess.

I saw a gigantic London rat while waiting for the bus. It was huge. I wanted to pick it up and hug it.

Oh yah...and anyone visiting London in the future - the phones here are the worst in the world. There's like 4 different kinds of payphones and some only do local calls, some only international, and some may or may not do collect calls depending on which of the 5 operators you manage to get a hold of. *sigh* This city is expensive and exhausting, but the people are friendly and the architecture is awesome. Even the sketchy train stations we had to walk through in the dark were beautiful in their own way.

Anyways, I'll update when next I can! HUgs and love to everyone!

Boink!

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 05:03:33 GMT

Well, I'm on my way. Well, in about 6 hours at 4am. We're packed, we're ready, and we're soooooo excited.

My cousin is taking us in at London for a few days and has offered to show us around. Then we'll be gone to India...and beyond? LOL

I am slightly hung over. Only a minor foggyness of the head, which is pretty good considering that at last night's EPIC RISK game, I managed to not be able to recognize the color of my own armies on the last turn (I was hobbits-their color is white...). The game was a huge success, our guinea pig friends we made play with us on EPIC RISK's maiden voyage say that they can't wait to play it again... though RObyn (playing the elves) once threatened to raise my rent if I invaded her continent. LOL. And Megan (playing the pirates) only acted like a pirate on her final turn, surprising the hell out of her "allies". Poor Justin (a RISK fanatic, playing the Undead) ended up getting his army ass raped from two sides by Robyn's elves and Ivan's orcs. It was a spectaular game and I can't wait to bring it to PG and make more people learn our version. Though perhaps this time we'll cut back on the wine....

Ooof. My head. So very sleepy-I'm glad we can just sleep on the bus. I'll update from London, if I can.

Mon Vie

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:12:40 GMT

A synopsis of my life at the moment.
Things to do before India:

1. Get Traveller's Emergency medical Insurance
2. Make up a small first aid kit
3. Clean my house
4. Finish sewing cotton sleeping bags
5. Buy a hat
6. Get addresses of Registration Offices in India (for visa), and Canadian Consulate in case of passport loss
7. Modify backpack to prevent theft
8. Pack

First Aid Kit
Important Documents (record of vaccines, passport, visa, etc)
One set of clothing
Blank journal for notes
Spiffy new digital video camera and pelican case
Sleeping bag (more or less a breathable barrier between us and dubious mattresses or jungle floor)
Visa card and ID photocopies
Hat
Sunblock, Glasses repair kit, Malaria meds, antibiotics, water purification tablets, dragon's blood.
Book to read that may be left behind

We're packing fairly light, with only one small backpack apiece. Everything else will be sent home by mail. Any requests for souvenirs, my PG friends? I mean like tea or clothing or spices or henna or Bollywood films; etc. If you want something particularily, let me know or else you will just get a lame postcard. So there!

I'm also planning on getting my hair braided or dreaded when I get there so i don't have to keep trying to brush it in the humidity.

As soon as every item on my list is crossed off, we can run off into the unknown!! We confused a poor travel agent when we inquired about travel insurance when she asked for our destination, we said "India". She asked then what city. We said "Any". She has traveled the world and had never considered going without a solid travel plan or itinerary. I think we baffled her. Not an uncommon reaction, everyone with the exception of my doctor has reacted the same way. My doctor scaled mount everest, and biked twice from Argentina to Alaska for charity, and is somewhat more adventurous than the people around here. For me, it's the only way to travel. I mean, no matter where you go unless it's an all inclusive resort you will end up having ot chnage your plans anyways. So why not just go to wherever you happen to land, and find out then what you want to do? I mean, i have a few locations in mind, such as Gir national park (a lion sanctuary) and Corbett national park (tiger and asian elephant sanctuary). And of course, the Taj Mahal in Agra. Some of the cities in India have more people in them than all of Canada!! AHH?!? India holds something like 1/6th the world's population with over a billion people. I doubt I'll like the crowding that much. Even PG had too many people in it for my liking. I guess I'll just have to suck it up and enjoy it!! LOL If all else fails we'll just hop a flight to Europe and hang out there for a while. Or maybe Japan, eh Heather? I also have a friend who's been living in Hong Kong for 2 years I'd like to visit....hmm. Maybe I just won't come home.

Fawkes is going to get a new little brother or sister when we return. I feel bad leaving him home alone all day. Plus the little antisocial monster needs some socialization. I've been over at my parent's place a lot lately for work, but also my miniature pony somehow split her eyelid on something and it's all swollen and infected. Poor thing. So we bathe it and give her antibiotics several times a day. Hopefully it will clear up or she'll lose it, there's nothing the vet can do.

We went to the Underground (a music society here) last saturday and watched an amazing female vocalist from Saskatoon perform with her band. She was phenomenal!! Better than any live show i've EVER seen. We went with Robyn and Megan, Ivan, Justin, Jeff, and Cole. She had a voice like...Alanis morissette crossed with Christina Aguilera actually. Odd, I know. But it worked. Her sound was what was unique, all her songs were some mix of rock, jazz, and blues. Wonderful!

I think my dad is losing his marbles. Or more likely, he is starting to feel as if his life hasn't turned out as he'd planned and is attempting to make himself seem more important and knowledgeable through fantasy. He's begun to tell outrageous stories that I know the majority of which are complete fabrications, and the rest are just exaggeration on small truths. Such as, the hospital in Edmonton has a miniature train in the walls which delivers medications to the different floors. Bing Crosby once stole a tune of his that he was whistling in the barn when he came to visit Calgary 30 years ago. He remembers when the Nintendo Wii first came out years ago and it's remote was black and really heavy but had better range communicating with the sensor bar. He once bought the hospital in Berwyn for a dollar because it was condemned. Marilyn Monroe was once saved by a friend of his on a movie set when she was fishing in a river with hipwaders on, and she got water in them and was nearly swept away as she got pulled down by the weight. It's hard to tell if he's telling a really good story or just making shit up. Frustrating, as sometimes it turns out you don't believe him and it's completely true, and other times you do believe him and it's completely false.

Hmm, what else? I can't wait to see everyone for Convocation in May, but I hope to visit PG before then. And just so you all know, if you ever get the urge to visit northern Alberta, Mike and i would be thrilled to have guests. We have two spare bedrooms and lots of floorspace. Hint hint.

Hollie: I hope you are feeling better. It's hard having relatives with failing health. You can always call me, you know! Oh wait, you don't have my number. (780)617-0060. Now you can. How's Amera?

Tiffany: I hear that JET letters have been mailed for Canada. Please keep me posted!! How goes japanese class, anyways?

Adam and Jeff: I'm missing D&D terribly. Justin says he used to be a big D&D geek up here but has never run a game...I'm considering learning how just so we can do it! LOL

Candace, Jill, and Johnny: Stay outta trouble. Especially you, Johnny! LOLz.

Chandelle: It's bloody cold up here and I have been using your scarf lots. Thanks again!!

Heather: Missing you!! When do you get back from Japan?? Will you come visit??

A long winded and much-late update

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:08:12 GMT

Alive! And well! Sorry for not posting more often. I wish I could, but I have no internet and still no phone (Eat me, telus!) Telus, you see, can not seem to be able to hire competant people who can find my house or half the time, my account when I phone to find out why the hook up guy hasn't arrived for the THIRD TIME. But that's not important, I don't need contact with the outside world, do I?? I don't need to talk to people, or send out resumes or anything.... Grr. So I have decided not to get either internet or a phone until after India.

I think we've decided to drive down to Vancouver around the end of January and get on a plane for India sometime at the beginning of February. Why hang out here in the cold, when our geotourism projects are so much easier to do in summer? I just need one more Hepatitis shot and my malaria medication and then we're good to go. We're still flying standby, we don't care which city we land in or where in the country we start. We're also travelling light, with only small backpacks so we're going to send all our souvenirs home from India, which is apparently very cheap to do and way easier. Speaking of which, I need everyone's addresses, so send them to me by email or just leave them here on my livejournal.

As for jobs, I discovered that the psychologist at the correctional facility here is retiring, so i'll apply for that one as well as counselling jobs in the school divisions and at all the social services departments. Right now i'm a researcher for Geotourism Canada. LOL Today my priority sites were "Crown, the largest Beaver in the World" and "The Brownvale Bull" featuring Brian Mulroney. This is the for field guide entitled "Supersized Civic Monuments". Next I do Haunted Places, and then Agricultural Homesteads.

I've just made a few friends here, a sports reporter and an editor for the Record Gazette in PR (Ivan and Justin). They're pretty fun, so we're going to hang out with them more often I think. We're going to the Underground this weekend with them so that should be fun.

I spent my Christmas at home with Mike, got a sewing machine and loads of chocolate. I did indeed get a ring from Mike, too. I don't really know what to call it though. It's beautiful, it's really two rings that fit together, a stylized nude man and woman that when put together form an intertwined knot wherethey hold eachother together. He gave it to me midnight Christmas Eve when no one was around, but he didn't say anything about it when i opened it, and I wasn't sure what to think...so I asked him what finger I should put it on. He said "whichever I felt like". Then he realized what I was getting at and was like "No, no! nothing like that!" So it's not an engagement ring...but he said he liked the way it looked on my left ring finger? I don't know what the hell to think anymore. He said later i could consider it like a promise ring. What the hell is a promise ring?? I don't think he even knows, he just felt bad about telling me it wasn't an engagement ring and was trying to placate me without the commitment. Hm.

Then we went to Vancouver, where we had the horrible experience of helping Mike's Uncle put his grandmother into a home. She has dementia and needs extra care, but she wasn't really consulted and was pretty pissed about the whole thing, and kept threatening Mike's dad and uncle with promises of poisoning their drinks and running off and whatnot, the whole time she kept muttering about hoping they would drop dead or crash their car....not a very pleasant time. Mike and his siblings were horrified over the whole thing, they thought they were just going to have the last Christmas in her house and see her settle in to the new place. Instead they ended up as negotiators and go-betweens for the two sides, which was totally unfair and they ended up bearing the brunt of the stress, cleaning up after the mess their uncle made. It was a real eye opener for what Mike's family is really like. I lost a lot of respect for his father and uncle, and gained so much respect for his siblings. What a mess. After we went to the island to Bamfield where we visited his Mom and went kayaking and stuff. We actually saw a sea otter! Then we became bartenders for New years and we had a blast at the bamfield celebration. For anyone who wants a truly fun time at New Years, definitly go to Bamfield. It's so charming and bizarre and friendly. It was our second time and I would do it again every year if I could. Then we got to shoot a cannon. Cool.

Oh, and on our way through to Vancouver we stopped at Futurshop for Boxing Day sales, where we bought a digital HDD camcorder for our India trip!! It's awesome. A very good investment. So now when we come back from India we can make you all watch our videos instead of just bombarding you with pictures!!! Muah ha ha ha.

My social life has been somewhat less than exciting, but at least i'm getting out of the house with Friday night Karaoke at the Nugget (where you are your own bartender and waitress) with our landlord and her fiancee and friends, and the various dinner parties and gingerbread house baking parties and whatnot. Still miss the old crowd terribly, though!! ;)

Well, it was a long one but it had been a month since I last updated so I thought I'd make it good. God knows when I'll have access to the net again. Love you all, miss you terribly, and I look forward to seeing you guys whne I get a chance to head to the Prince George area again!!

Time to go find some snacks so I can continue my "research"....

Meandering thoughts in boredom

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:42:32 GMT

Things in sticksville sure aren't all that exhilarating, but at least you can get a steak the size of your dinner plate and 2 inches thick for 6 bucks or so. Mmm.

I got my marks back though - I got an "A" in my methodology 445 "Psychophysics", and an "A+" in my independent study "Developmental Neuroanatomy" - even though i didn't technically finish it. Hell, I'm not even really half way done. LOL. Oh well. I've promised to get it done at some point.

Mike is currently making dinner...chickpea curry chow mein and naan bread. We're practicing for India! We figure that if we eat lots of indian traditional dishes that when we go over there we'll know what to avoid and what sorts of things their food is made of. We plan to avoid dairy and meat altogether just in case, so knowing their recipes is a fun and probably very useful things to learn.
Speaking of India;
I HATE needles!! I got my Hep A/Hep B shots for travelling, I have to go back in January for a second dose...then I also get my mumps shots and she (the health nurse) really wants to give me rabies and japanese encephalitis shots as well. Then it's booster shots in May. My arm ached for a few days from the Hepatitis shots, but thank god I paid the extra bit and got the Typhoid pills rather than the shots. I can't even be in the same room as needles on a good day!! I was twitching and irritable and whiny all morning and rather snappish at poor Mike...Only a few more, and not till the new year. Yeesh. Who woulda thought travelling would be such a traumatizing experience months before even going??

Anyways I just remembered i need to go take my typhoid pill before dinner. And I hear a sound something like deepfrying coming from the kitchen...I must go investigate and possibly save my dinner.

Alberta Bound

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:09:20 GMT

Alive!! No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, except for internetly speaking. Apparently you can only get dial up, or satellite internet here. Dial up just sucks and at the same price as shaw high speed I'm saying no...kiss my ass, telus. As for satellite internet, it's a four hundred dollar hookup plus 60 bucks a month after that. And that's if we sign up for 3 years. Kiss my ass, wispernet. So. I am using my parent's internet when i can. *sigh*.

Missing everyone terribly - especially Adam, Hollie, Jill, Candace, Jeff, Johnny, Tiff, Ryan, and all the rest of my prince george homies.

I heard on the TV this morning that PG is flooded and in a state of emergency?? Sending all my good luck to PG and I hope you are all safe and sound and dry.
PS: Johnny! I had a dream last night where you were at a swimming pool talking to Jennifer Aniston and you wouldn't give her your name. It was hilarious. WTF?? LOL

......I think I know what my christmas gift is!! I didn't snoop or anything but Mike's been acting rather odd and I think I know what it is and I'm kind of freaking out a bit... in a good way of course!!! badmandabadmandabadmandabadmanda.......*eeek*

Fawkes is in a kind of small depression from the loss of his girlfriend Cookie. He's spent most of our time here under the bed, where he shredded the bottom side of my mattress in some kind of emo outburst. Poor little guy.

Hey, anyone want a moluccan cockatoo? She has a great vocabulary..."Pretty Bird" "Bad Shadow!" "Whatcha Doin?" "Here kitty kitty" "Fuck Off." "Hello, pretty bird" "Manda!" "Woof! Woof! Bad dog!" and so on and so forth. Very cuddly. My parents are trying to pawn her off on me and though she is technically my bird I don't think I want her for the rest of my life. She's 15 and will likely live to a ripe old age. Anyways.

So I will update when next I can. English not so good today. I sprecken da redneck now.

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:50:42 GMT

I made it!!!

Yesterday Mike and I hitched up to the u-haul and packed everything up (with Fawkes howling and panicking the whole time) and then left town (Fawkes promptly fell asleep in the truck). It was a long trip, but the roads were good and we had no trouble. We saw a beautiful red fox outside of Mackenzie, and near Chetwynd we saw a herd of Elk (~30) but when we were driving down a dark gravel road to home we saw a very slow and bright blue meteor go across the sky right next to us, then it flashed red and died, leaving a streak of white. It was the best one I've ever seen. I'm going to take it as a good omen.

Arriving at my parent's place, Fawkes had a bit of a meltdown and hasn't stopped growling and hissing since seeing their cats and dogs. He's still growling as we speak. Poor miserable baby. Well, I'm off to pack up the rest of stuff from my parent's place to take to our new home.

I miss you all!!!!!

Random link of fun

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:36:05 GMT

So here is some Christmas cheer (and a good distraction from exams and work!):

Penguin Batting Practice

***Sorry Jill!!*** : (

Just finished High Tea at the Empress Tea House. It was lovely. I had India Mocha Chai with finger sandwiches and a chocolate and cherry scone with devonshire cream and jam, sausage roll and brownie. All yummy good things that makes my tummy warm and happy. Mmmmm. An I found super discounted items at the bookstore:

-Health Psychology textbook ~~$113.00~~ $11.30
- Art Print Cards ~~$5.98~~ $1.98
- Book of Goblin Poems ~~$3.00~~ $0.30

Sweet Deal.

And now I have a bag full of tea and tea samplers for stocking stuffers and early christmas gifts for myself. Yay Christmas!! When I get home Mike and I are going out to my favorite chirstmas tree hunting area to find ourselves a perfect tree and another one for my family. I'm so stoked about getting to decorate my own home and having my own tree and NOT HAVING ROOMMATES! Not that I mind my current roommate, it's just nice to be able to have my own rules and own standards of cleanliness and be able to walk out into the kitchen in the nude to get some milk out of the carton. And I have a whole month to dedicate to making christmas gifts and decorating and spending time with my poor neglected Mike. And set up our home! Apparently we have a couch and chair already lined up, from what I hear from Mike. Yay! Furniture!

Done!

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:10:52 GMT

I am currently doing the happy dance of productivity - I just finished up the FINAL paper of my degree!! I am 90% packed, and I just need to book my U-Haul trailer for Tuesday.

It's been a good weekend. Friday was fun hair-dyeing party which kicked ass, and everyone (even those who did not color!) came out of it looking handsome. I especially liked Jeff's indigo and blond look if only for the novelty, and Hollie's red and black turned out remarkably natural looking. I am very happy with my strawberry blond (Thanks Jeff!! :) Candace's looked very natural, but very complimentary. I also really liked the deep red Jill got. And Adam's was so delightfully random....different from every angle! Just like the guy underneath it. LOL (don't worry - it's a compliment!!!)

Saturday was fun visiting with Tiffany, then body-casting with the ladies at the women's center. I helped out others, for the most part, but I also got to get my face and chest done. Pictures on Facebook!!! I casted Hollie's feet and that was amusing. I got to touch many ladies' bodies. And rub vaseline on them. LOL.

Today I was productive and will be at my brother's for lasagna dinner tonight.

Tomorrow I get to get up early, head up to the school to show my supervisor my latest material and animation; then head down to the Empress at Noon for tea with Chandelle and Adam, then back up to the school for my doctor's appointment at 2:30 to see what shots I need for India. Then, it's back down again to Adam and Jeff's for a night of visiting. Lovely!!

Hollie: Casting info

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 07:37:53 GMT

Body Casting:

Rm 5-171 between 11:30-1:30 this Saturday, December 1st.

You will need to bring the following items:
- a camisole (if you want to cover up - preferably thin material)
- pillows + blanket + towels + rags - you will want to be comfortable as you will be waiting for the plaster to dry for approx. 2 - 2 1/2 hours
- large metal bowl, pail, bucket, container - will be filled with warm water to dip the plaster strips in
- food and/or beverages
- music

My Departing

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:00:58 GMT

Well, it would seem that the time has come for me to say goodbye to Prince George. My ride arrives Tuesday the 4th and I will be gone as of Wednesday the 5th, if all goes according to plan.

I will not miss the homework, the stressful exams, the pollution, the drama, the all-night study sessions, and early morning trudges through smog to the bus.

I will, however; miss all the wonderful people I got to know here. I get a lump in my throat and tears come to my eyes when I think about leaving behind my friends. I will never forget you. I will come back to visit when I can, and I will communicate with you as much as possible.

So far this has been the most meaningful and life-altering chapter in my life and I thank my friends for helping to change me and sculpt me into who I am now, and for allowing me into their life to do the same to them. I am a better person for knowing each and every one of you. Keep me in your thoughts, because you will always be in mine.

I just wanted to say Thank You.

twitchtwitch*

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:34:11 GMT

Either someone let out all the crazies today, or I am hardcore P.M.S.ing. Probably a lot of both. This morning, cramps had me bed-bound with a heat wrap till I crawled to the bathroom and "borrowed" one of my roomy's 400mg ibuprofen. Yay. With that under control, I managed to get a whole bunch of bags finished for the craft fair tomorrow. As I proceeded throughout my day I made mental lists of things that were pissing me off, which I added to as the day went on. These things included Stupid cats, cold tea, Walmart (who was doing telemarketing today), Christmas commercials (where they say you have to buy this thing to have a good christmas, or your family will hate you) and people who try to convert you to Christianity at a bus stop at random. Let me explain that last one in a lengthy LJ cut.

I was at the bus stop where the 16 meets the 89, and I was waiting with 4 others for the 16 to show up. One of the other people was a very kindly looking elderly man who made me mentally giggle, because he had wicked Einstein hair, a long dark blue and gold ladies jacket, red pants that were about 6 inches above his socks, and a bright pink Hello Kitty backpack. He didn't seem to be poor, as he was carrying a bag of newly-bought electronics. He just seemed happy and friendly and talkative. Here's how the conversation went:

Him: Hi there!

Me: (smiling) Hello! <----------First mistake.

Him: You've got very nice red hair, like me. <---his hair was salt and pepper gray with no indication of color before graying.

Me: Oh, well I can't take credit for it, It's dyed. I'm not really a redhead. <----------Second Mistake.

Him: Oh. Well thats alright.

We both were quiet and watched for the bus. Then I see him coming towards me out of the corner of my eye.

Him: So are you good friends with Jesus?

Me (stunned and awkward): Uh, well, hmmmmmmmm........Well, I guess not so much anymore. <-----------Third mistake

Him (shocked and appalled): Well that's too bad!

He paused. Then his whole demeanor changed. No longer was he a happy looking elderly man.

Him: Well you need to get back on track! You need to work for it! Jesus says; "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." But we mortals got to work to get into heaven. You don't change your ways, and you'll go right down to Hell and that's no place for you. You're wrong. You gotta go to church, young lady. That's right. You better if you don't wanna go down....

Luckily at this moment my cell phone rang.

Then the bus came, and I sat wayyyyyy in the back away from him. He seemed genuinely upset that I had "gotten lost". Well, he should be grateful that I had that ibuprofen earlier with my raging hormonal cycle holding the reins of my emotional state like they were. I can't even guarantee that the drugs would have worked if the phone hadn't rung. Either way, it doesn't upset me that he was so insistent in his convictions. It upsets me that he feels the need to lecture a stranger in public in a very noisy and embarrassing way. Sorry guy, but some people just don't want to be "saved".

I have my reasons for abandoning my religion. I used to be VERY religious. This may surprise some, but I was the kid in the red and white robes lighting candles and helping the minister with communion wafers and stuff until I was probably 15. I've read the bible. But I've also paid attention to those who follow it and use it. I don't want to have to explain everything to some crazed fanatic in a Hello Kitty backpack just to get him to leave me alone. Why don't people understand that there are other beliefs than Christianity out there?? I mean, how insulting would that have been to a Sikh or Buddhist or Jewish person if they had been standing where I was? How would he have felt about me being a bisexual, I wonder? Or me living with my boyfriend and having sex with him before marriage? Or the fact that I would consider abortion if I got pregnant? Sorry I don't fit your Christian mold. Maybe I'll consider looking back to Jesus Christ when it's followers stop harassing those that don't follow "the word of the lord". Gimme a break. The bible was written by the people who believed that the earth was flat and the sun revolved around us. It's been translated and burned and rewritten and revised to suit certain purposes so many times it's impossible to say what "the word" really was. Yah, the bible has some good values; forgiveness, tolerance, respect. But I've yet to meet a follower of Jesus who was capable of living those values every day rather than just preaching them.

My favorite Christian quote: "Going to church doesn't make you christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car".

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:11:57 GMT

The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice.
It's in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a man isn't how many buddies he has.
It's how good of buddies he is with his children.

The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work.
It's in how respected he is at home.

The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits.
It's in how tender he touches.

The strength in a man isn't in the hair on his chest.
It's in his Heart . . . that lies within his chest.

The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift.
It's in the burdens he can carry.