More Advertising for Lenguajero
I am actually learning more about how search engines work through this project of my friend, Nat. It really is a fascinatingly strategic project!
I just to the following email from Nat thanking me for the post and with the following additional request:
Is there anyway you could update the blog post so that one of the links to lenguajero says "Practice English Spanish"? It would help us actually appear in stuff people search for. :)
Thanks y Gracias,
Natalie
Ok... done :)
Best of luck, Nat & August, with your extremely exciting new venture!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friends are cool but Amigos are cooler!
Pre-post warning: this blog entry has been stolen from my friend, Jenn. My other friend Natalie had asked me to write a blog entry that links to her new site in order to promote it and "up" it in the Google search results. After reading Jenn's "promotion" I loved her catchy title (which I stole) and her write-up (which I also stole).
I have a lot of friends. According to facebook, the number stands at 430 (slightly lower than Jenn's 1158!!) which means very little.. but that’s a story for another time.
Many of my friends do super cool things. What kind of cool things? Well, how about quitting a good full-time job to move to Latin-America and become fluent in Spanish?
Yeah, that’s my super cool friend Nat.
And what makes her even cooler is that while she was living in Columbia with her boyfriend August, they decided to start up a website called lenguajero to help folks find and hold conversation exchanges in Spanish. Makes sense to me — after all, not everyone can pick up and move to Latin America like they did!
Now Natalie and August are in Oaxaca (I think I should go visit - summer here sucks) and the website has launched! So go and make some new amigos, and study some Spanish, over at lenguajero!
Pre-post warning: this blog entry has been stolen from my friend, Jenn. My other friend Natalie had asked me to write a blog entry that links to her new site in order to promote it and "up" it in the Google search results. After reading Jenn's "promotion" I loved her catchy title (which I stole) and her write-up (which I also stole).
I have a lot of friends. According to facebook, the number stands at 430 (slightly lower than Jenn's 1158!!) which means very little.. but that’s a story for another time.
Many of my friends do super cool things. What kind of cool things? Well, how about quitting a good full-time job to move to Latin-America and become fluent in Spanish?
Yeah, that’s my super cool friend Nat.
And what makes her even cooler is that while she was living in Columbia with her boyfriend August, they decided to start up a website called lenguajero to help folks find and hold conversation exchanges in Spanish. Makes sense to me — after all, not everyone can pick up and move to Latin America like they did!
Now Natalie and August are in Oaxaca (I think I should go visit - summer here sucks) and the website has launched! So go and make some new amigos, and study some Spanish, over at lenguajero!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Mobile Phone Options
I thought I would be all responsible when I got home and hold off on getting myself a cell phone until I was officially employed, with a paying job. However, the longer I'm here, the more I realize that I'm probably going to have to cave.
Now, the big question is... who to go with?
According to my knowledge as of nearly two years ago (I realize I'm going to be a wee bit outdated now), there are two major competitors for me to choose from:
1. Rogers
2. Bell
So I'm looking for advice. Who should I go with?
I was leaning towards Rogers, for the following reasons:
a) I can use my old phone from NZ and just get the SIM-card unlocked
b) I like the idea of the SIM-card (handy, can share phones, roams to lots of countries)
c) I figure I will probably get my cable-tv and/or internet through them, so I'd likely get a package deal
However... I'm starting to get the idea that this might not be my best option. Several people I've talked to are with Bell, and I just read a friend's blog that totally trashed Rogers.
If anyone has a strong opinion on this one (or even a slightly moderate opinion), please let me know. I'd appreciate any feedback in making this next decision as educated as possible.
Thanks in advance!
I thought I would be all responsible when I got home and hold off on getting myself a cell phone until I was officially employed, with a paying job. However, the longer I'm here, the more I realize that I'm probably going to have to cave.
Now, the big question is... who to go with?
According to my knowledge as of nearly two years ago (I realize I'm going to be a wee bit outdated now), there are two major competitors for me to choose from:
1. Rogers
2. Bell
So I'm looking for advice. Who should I go with?
I was leaning towards Rogers, for the following reasons:
a) I can use my old phone from NZ and just get the SIM-card unlocked
b) I like the idea of the SIM-card (handy, can share phones, roams to lots of countries)
c) I figure I will probably get my cable-tv and/or internet through them, so I'd likely get a package deal
However... I'm starting to get the idea that this might not be my best option. Several people I've talked to are with Bell, and I just read a friend's blog that totally trashed Rogers.
If anyone has a strong opinion on this one (or even a slightly moderate opinion), please let me know. I'd appreciate any feedback in making this next decision as educated as possible.
Thanks in advance!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Social Week
The past week has been quite busy on the social scale.
On Tuesday, Kristy arrived at the cottage and we spent a good few days together, catching up on all of the latest in one another's lives. We had some pretty relaxing days with some decent weather that allowed for some sunbathing on the beach, the occassional run on the beach, and a few sunsets on the beach too. Intermixed were some quiet times hanging out inside reading and staying ontop of my course, and some not-so-quiet (but still fun) times playing with Matt.
On Thursday night Laura and Mike arrived with my other two nephews Andrew and Nathan (since mom and dad will be switching their babysitting duties to them for the next week). Laura told me a funny story about what Andrew had said on the drive up. Apparently they got talking about who they were going to see at the cottage and when they mentioned my name Andrew stated "I think Auntie Heather is weak", and when Laura asked why, he said "because she cried when she saw us." LOL... too funny! Upon hearing that one I quickly tracked Andrew down and introduced him to a new game that allowed us to test "weakness": The Arm Wrestle. After a good long rally, auntie Heather showed her nephew that she wasn't so weak after all! :)
We all headed down to the beach for another sunset, and after Andrew decided it would be fun to run into the water (clothes and all) Kristy and I high-tailed it out of the insanity to have a quiet night in Owen Sound before driving to Oakville the next day.
On Friday I got to hang out with a few friends at a wee reunion party that Laura and Kristy organized. It was a small gathering, but it was really great to catch up with Anna, Derek, and Nelson (from Orangeville), Mikey (Laura's husband) and Amanda (who, in the last few months, bought a house that is literally 5kms around the corner from Laura and Mike's place). Forgot to take pictures, but had my first sample of Ontario wine since my return. Had a Sauvignon from Woodbridge of all places. Not bad, but not like Marlborough's Savs.
On Saturday I headed for down-town Toronto to attend Andrea Bulionis' wedding. Andrea married a guy named Shawn, who (believe it or not) I had not yet met since they started dating shortly before I left for NZ. But, from what I learned about Shawn at the wedding, he sounds like an extremely awesome guy that is a perfect match for Andrea. Andrea looked beautiful and the wedding was beautiful too. It was also great to catch up with Andrea, Trina, Sam, and Lindsay after so long.
After saying goodbye to the Bride and Groom I helped Trina and Ben and Andrea's sister, Christine, take some gifts back to Andrea's place at Keele and Bloor. From there we headed a few blocks over to Trina and Ben's place where I crashed on their couch.
I awoke the next morning to (as Ben put it) "retina-burning" sun coming in the window. It was glorious! Trina and Ben were up early to start their week-long vacation with a bike ride to Trina's cottage in Coburg (just like Trina and I had done a few years ago). Since I was in Toronto, I took the opportunity to check out Trina's church, called The Meeting House. What a really fascinating experience. The church is part of a collection of churches that meet at various movie theaters across the province and show a live feed of a broadcasted service that is actually filmed in a huge warehouse in Oakville. The topic was pretty interesting. The lesson was on Ruth and was part of a series called "Soul Sisters" - very catchy!! I sat with a few of Trina's friends that I had met the night before. The whole group seemed awesome. It was inspiring to see such a young, hip crowd of people.
After church I met up with John (a friend of Andrea's and mine from university who was also at the wedding) and we went for a run along the lakeshore. It felt great to get out and see some more of the city. We ran past the Skydome (I refuse to call it the Rogers Centre!) where the crowd was gathering for the Jay's game, and all the way out to Ontario Place and then back. After breakfast at Tim Horton's I was off and headed back home. I stopped just north of Shelbourne to take some pictures of the wind turbines that I drove past a few days prior. I'm in awe at how many there are now. They have certainly expanded since the last time I drove past!
The past week has been quite busy on the social scale.
On Tuesday, Kristy arrived at the cottage and we spent a good few days together, catching up on all of the latest in one another's lives. We had some pretty relaxing days with some decent weather that allowed for some sunbathing on the beach, the occassional run on the beach, and a few sunsets on the beach too. Intermixed were some quiet times hanging out inside reading and staying ontop of my course, and some not-so-quiet (but still fun) times playing with Matt.
On Thursday night Laura and Mike arrived with my other two nephews Andrew and Nathan (since mom and dad will be switching their babysitting duties to them for the next week). Laura told me a funny story about what Andrew had said on the drive up. Apparently they got talking about who they were going to see at the cottage and when they mentioned my name Andrew stated "I think Auntie Heather is weak", and when Laura asked why, he said "because she cried when she saw us." LOL... too funny! Upon hearing that one I quickly tracked Andrew down and introduced him to a new game that allowed us to test "weakness": The Arm Wrestle. After a good long rally, auntie Heather showed her nephew that she wasn't so weak after all! :)
We all headed down to the beach for another sunset, and after Andrew decided it would be fun to run into the water (clothes and all) Kristy and I high-tailed it out of the insanity to have a quiet night in Owen Sound before driving to Oakville the next day.
On Friday I got to hang out with a few friends at a wee reunion party that Laura and Kristy organized. It was a small gathering, but it was really great to catch up with Anna, Derek, and Nelson (from Orangeville), Mikey (Laura's husband) and Amanda (who, in the last few months, bought a house that is literally 5kms around the corner from Laura and Mike's place). Forgot to take pictures, but had my first sample of Ontario wine since my return. Had a Sauvignon from Woodbridge of all places. Not bad, but not like Marlborough's Savs.
On Saturday I headed for down-town Toronto to attend Andrea Bulionis' wedding. Andrea married a guy named Shawn, who (believe it or not) I had not yet met since they started dating shortly before I left for NZ. But, from what I learned about Shawn at the wedding, he sounds like an extremely awesome guy that is a perfect match for Andrea. Andrea looked beautiful and the wedding was beautiful too. It was also great to catch up with Andrea, Trina, Sam, and Lindsay after so long.
After saying goodbye to the Bride and Groom I helped Trina and Ben and Andrea's sister, Christine, take some gifts back to Andrea's place at Keele and Bloor. From there we headed a few blocks over to Trina and Ben's place where I crashed on their couch.
I awoke the next morning to (as Ben put it) "retina-burning" sun coming in the window. It was glorious! Trina and Ben were up early to start their week-long vacation with a bike ride to Trina's cottage in Coburg (just like Trina and I had done a few years ago). Since I was in Toronto, I took the opportunity to check out Trina's church, called The Meeting House. What a really fascinating experience. The church is part of a collection of churches that meet at various movie theaters across the province and show a live feed of a broadcasted service that is actually filmed in a huge warehouse in Oakville. The topic was pretty interesting. The lesson was on Ruth and was part of a series called "Soul Sisters" - very catchy!! I sat with a few of Trina's friends that I had met the night before. The whole group seemed awesome. It was inspiring to see such a young, hip crowd of people.
After church I met up with John (a friend of Andrea's and mine from university who was also at the wedding) and we went for a run along the lakeshore. It felt great to get out and see some more of the city. We ran past the Skydome (I refuse to call it the Rogers Centre!) where the crowd was gathering for the Jay's game, and all the way out to Ontario Place and then back. After breakfast at Tim Horton's I was off and headed back home. I stopped just north of Shelbourne to take some pictures of the wind turbines that I drove past a few days prior. I'm in awe at how many there are now. They have certainly expanded since the last time I drove past!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Earthquake Hits South Island
I can't believe it, but one week after I left the country, NZ had an earthquake strike at 7.8 on the Richter scale! Although it wasn't big enough news to hit the headlines here in Canada, I learned about it through a number of Facebook updates this morning.
According to the news story found here, the quake hit at the very bottom of the South Island in the Fjordland region.
And, from personal experiences, I can testify to the fact that this is a VERY uninhabited area, so there isn't too much need to worry about any structural damages or human injuries.
However, according to a news story found here, there have been a number of damage claims from Invercargill, Dunedin and around Otago, but some came from as far away as Christchurch and Greymouth.
Big news indeed! I'm sorry I missed the excitement. I wonder if any of my Blenheim friends felt this one?
I can't believe it, but one week after I left the country, NZ had an earthquake strike at 7.8 on the Richter scale! Although it wasn't big enough news to hit the headlines here in Canada, I learned about it through a number of Facebook updates this morning.
According to the news story found here, the quake hit at the very bottom of the South Island in the Fjordland region.
And, from personal experiences, I can testify to the fact that this is a VERY uninhabited area, so there isn't too much need to worry about any structural damages or human injuries.
However, according to a news story found here, there have been a number of damage claims from Invercargill, Dunedin and around Otago, but some came from as far away as Christchurch and Greymouth.
Big news indeed! I'm sorry I missed the excitement. I wonder if any of my Blenheim friends felt this one?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Emails From My Sister
I'm very pleased to see that my sister continues to send me regular emails, even now that I'm home.
Yesterday I got the following email from her which made me laugh. I laughed because it was to true!
I like your blog posting. You would think that Matthew does not have any toys – in a few pics he has his shoes in his hand, another it is a coaster.
And today I got the following email which made me laugh even more!
There was an article on CBC yesterday about Commuting to work and fitness, and people have the opportunity to comment at the end of the article. This is one that I found particularly humourous...
I biked to work for many years, but stopped when the city brought in a bike helmet law. If something is so dangerous that you have to wear a helmet to do it, then it is too dangerous for ordinary citizens to do on a regular basis.
I also tended to arrive all sweaty, but the up side was that I didn't have to iron my shirts, since being steamed inside my jacket got rid of most of the wrinkles en route.
To which Laura also added...
I figure by that logic, he must not drive a car either, as it was not so long ago that they decided it was law to wear a seat belt.
I'm very pleased to see that my sister continues to send me regular emails, even now that I'm home.
Yesterday I got the following email from her which made me laugh. I laughed because it was to true!
I like your blog posting. You would think that Matthew does not have any toys – in a few pics he has his shoes in his hand, another it is a coaster.
And today I got the following email which made me laugh even more!
There was an article on CBC yesterday about Commuting to work and fitness, and people have the opportunity to comment at the end of the article. This is one that I found particularly humourous...
I biked to work for many years, but stopped when the city brought in a bike helmet law. If something is so dangerous that you have to wear a helmet to do it, then it is too dangerous for ordinary citizens to do on a regular basis.
I also tended to arrive all sweaty, but the up side was that I didn't have to iron my shirts, since being steamed inside my jacket got rid of most of the wrinkles en route.
To which Laura also added...
I figure by that logic, he must not drive a car either, as it was not so long ago that they decided it was law to wear a seat belt.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
In The News
My iGoogle news feed application somehow automatically switched to "Canada" news when I hooked up with an internet connection on this side of the world. As a result, I've been catching up on the latest headlines from home. One in particular caught my attention today.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/665650
Apparently a 15 year old girl named Stefanie was murdered on New Years Day in a cold-blooded jealousy act in Toronto. The above article is a vitim impact statement by Stefanie's mother...
...Heart-wrenching is a good word to describe it.... So utterly heart-wrenching.
As I was reading it, I couldn't help but think about how much pain and suffering this woman is carrying with her. And I also can't help but think about how much she is going to HAVE to learn to forgive in order to get any semblance of her own life back.
The only problem is, it's much easier said than done.
My thoughts and prayers are with this woman's family...
My iGoogle news feed application somehow automatically switched to "Canada" news when I hooked up with an internet connection on this side of the world. As a result, I've been catching up on the latest headlines from home. One in particular caught my attention today.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/665650
Apparently a 15 year old girl named Stefanie was murdered on New Years Day in a cold-blooded jealousy act in Toronto. The above article is a vitim impact statement by Stefanie's mother...
...Heart-wrenching is a good word to describe it.... So utterly heart-wrenching.
As I was reading it, I couldn't help but think about how much pain and suffering this woman is carrying with her. And I also can't help but think about how much she is going to HAVE to learn to forgive in order to get any semblance of her own life back.
The only problem is, it's much easier said than done.
My thoughts and prayers are with this woman's family...
Monday, July 13, 2009
Busy Busy Busy... Getting Caught Up On Things...
I can't believe I've been home nearly a week now. It's crazy how fast time is flying. Since I've arrived home, I have been totally swamped with family commitments and my online course. I suppose it's maybe not a bad thing since it's keeping me extremely occupied and barely giving me time to reflect on how much I miss NZ. Surprisingly, I'm not experiencing the massive "culture shock" that I was expecting - meaning, I'm not moping around thinking "man, I am so bummed to be home". I suppose this is a good thing. Makes me realize that as much as I LOVED New Zealand, there is something to be said about being "home" and near family and friends. However, I am not holding my breath, because I realize that it has only been less than one week, and I've got lots of time ahead of me to start missing my dear "home away from home". Time will tell. We shall see how it goes.
So yes... as depressing as it sounds, I've seriously been spending most of my days lying in bed, with my laptop, desperately trying to get caught up on the week or more that I fell behind in my online course during my last week overseas. This is a doozy of a course. Lots of work, but with that, lots of learning taking place. It's been extra hard to stay focussed and to do the necessary catching up since I'm dealing with a massive jet-lag recovery, and the distractions of my adorable little nephew that mom and dad are babysitting for the first two weeks that I'm home. It is certainly a test of willpower to lock myself in my room away from this adorable little boy.
To summarize the past week's events, I will include some pictures that tell most of the story.
Arriving at Pearson Airport after 33+ hours of travel. Not only do I look like shit, but I'm fighting the inevitable tears before a group hug with mom and dad. One of those sappy and somewhat pathetic airport scenes.
Can you tell I'm happy to be home? Waiting for the elevator in the parking garage.
Arriving at Laura and Mike's place in Waterloo where I somehow managed to stay awake long enough to eat dinner and catch up with most of the family. It's kind of eery how "normal" it felt just hanging with the family. Parts of me were like "woah... this is weird... haven't done this in a while" and yet another part was like "yep... just like it always is..."
Hanging out with my adorable little nephew who I met for the very first time that night...
And his shirt says it all (too bad *I* didn't think to give it to him!)...
The next day was spent lying on the couch, attempting to do some work. Too bad I was distracted about every 2 mins when this adorable little cutie pie showed up and flashed his adorable little smile at me...
That night we had dinner with the WHOLE family (Rob and Anita came this time with the boys). Still in a slight zombie-like state, I managed to find myself a great spot stuck in the corner of the dining room where I couldn't get out, and the only thing I could do was help to feed Matt and hold him in my arms when he was done.
Funny how I didn't get any pictures with the whole family - I was more focussed on getting some snaps with my nephews instead. Oops! Will have to make a point of getting some picture with my siblings the next time I see them! (Don't worry guys, I still love you, and definitely missed you dearly!)
The next morning I capitalized on my free Ontario health care that I have so dearly missed and attended a doctors appointment with a skin specialist (yes, I'm still struggling with acne and thanks mom for booking it for me). Afterwards I headed home to Owen Sound with dad to do some unpacking and sort through some of my stuff. Since it was such a nice day, I opted to do it on our front porch. Since I had a big bike box to dispose of, I took it as an opportunity to take my car our for a drive to the recycling centre. What a rush! I forgot how nicely my car drove, and it was WAY fun getting used to everything being backwards. I kept reaching for my gear shift with my left hand, and for some odd reason my windshield wipers kept turning on every time I went around a corner! Oh yeah... and on this day I also got to say hi to Mr. and Mrs. Elliott - my long-term nextdoor neighbours. What a warm welcome and great big hug I received from both of them.
The next day dad and I were back in the car and off to Ingersoll to help grandma get her house packed up and ready to move into a retirement home. Grandma put her house up for sale a few weeks ago, and although we were all expecting it to take several months or more for the house to sell, a deal was closed within one week of it going on the market. So needless to say, it's been a rush job getting her packed up and moved out, but thanks to a collective effort from the entire family, we managed to get most of it done. I felt for grandma that day - I can only imagine the emotions she was experiencing as we packed up a house that she had lived in for over 60 years of her life. However, it was really reassuring to see her all settled into her new place at Oxford Manor that evening. It is a really great place, and she seemed quite at home there. I look forward to hearing all about her upcoming social events, and possibly participating in some of them the next time I go to visit!
Exhausted, mom, dad and I drove back to our cottage at Sauble Beach and spent the next couple of days recovering. Matt continued to work his charm, and continued to distract me from my studies. His favourite activity is scurrying around the cottage poking his head in my room to check in, flash me a smile, curiously examine a few things, before heading back out.
Matt is a very curious boy, and loves to touch everything in sight - including dad's pink flamingo lamp (yes... my dad has a collection of really tacky things).
What a pleasure heading down to the beach for my first sunset of the summer. Matt loved the ride uptop of grandpa's shoulders!
Me & Matt having fun on the beach.
The sunset, overlooking Lake Huron.
On the way back from the sunset Matt encountered a doggie that he was excited to get to know better...
The next morning I was on baby duty while mom and dad headed into town to run some errands. Mom returned a few hours later with a new t-shirt - today was the day that she reached her 1000th visit to Curves (her gym). She is one of four people at her gym to reach this milestone. Pretty impressive, indeed! On this same day mom received her "old age" card in the mail. I don't even know what an old-age card is for, but after asking mom what her feelings were about it, she doesn't phased by it at all: "I'm healthy and I still feel young, which is all that really matters!"
Another visit from Matt, this time nearly naked, while he poked his head into my room to flash me another smile before running out.
So I'm nearly caught up on my course now. Phew! Just in time for one of my best-friends, Kristy, to arrive tomorrow. I can't wait!!!!
I can't believe I've been home nearly a week now. It's crazy how fast time is flying. Since I've arrived home, I have been totally swamped with family commitments and my online course. I suppose it's maybe not a bad thing since it's keeping me extremely occupied and barely giving me time to reflect on how much I miss NZ. Surprisingly, I'm not experiencing the massive "culture shock" that I was expecting - meaning, I'm not moping around thinking "man, I am so bummed to be home". I suppose this is a good thing. Makes me realize that as much as I LOVED New Zealand, there is something to be said about being "home" and near family and friends. However, I am not holding my breath, because I realize that it has only been less than one week, and I've got lots of time ahead of me to start missing my dear "home away from home". Time will tell. We shall see how it goes.
So yes... as depressing as it sounds, I've seriously been spending most of my days lying in bed, with my laptop, desperately trying to get caught up on the week or more that I fell behind in my online course during my last week overseas. This is a doozy of a course. Lots of work, but with that, lots of learning taking place. It's been extra hard to stay focussed and to do the necessary catching up since I'm dealing with a massive jet-lag recovery, and the distractions of my adorable little nephew that mom and dad are babysitting for the first two weeks that I'm home. It is certainly a test of willpower to lock myself in my room away from this adorable little boy.
To summarize the past week's events, I will include some pictures that tell most of the story.
Arriving at Pearson Airport after 33+ hours of travel. Not only do I look like shit, but I'm fighting the inevitable tears before a group hug with mom and dad. One of those sappy and somewhat pathetic airport scenes.
Can you tell I'm happy to be home? Waiting for the elevator in the parking garage.
Arriving at Laura and Mike's place in Waterloo where I somehow managed to stay awake long enough to eat dinner and catch up with most of the family. It's kind of eery how "normal" it felt just hanging with the family. Parts of me were like "woah... this is weird... haven't done this in a while" and yet another part was like "yep... just like it always is..."
Hanging out with my adorable little nephew who I met for the very first time that night...
And his shirt says it all (too bad *I* didn't think to give it to him!)...
The next day was spent lying on the couch, attempting to do some work. Too bad I was distracted about every 2 mins when this adorable little cutie pie showed up and flashed his adorable little smile at me...
That night we had dinner with the WHOLE family (Rob and Anita came this time with the boys). Still in a slight zombie-like state, I managed to find myself a great spot stuck in the corner of the dining room where I couldn't get out, and the only thing I could do was help to feed Matt and hold him in my arms when he was done.
Funny how I didn't get any pictures with the whole family - I was more focussed on getting some snaps with my nephews instead. Oops! Will have to make a point of getting some picture with my siblings the next time I see them! (Don't worry guys, I still love you, and definitely missed you dearly!)
The next morning I capitalized on my free Ontario health care that I have so dearly missed and attended a doctors appointment with a skin specialist (yes, I'm still struggling with acne and thanks mom for booking it for me). Afterwards I headed home to Owen Sound with dad to do some unpacking and sort through some of my stuff. Since it was such a nice day, I opted to do it on our front porch. Since I had a big bike box to dispose of, I took it as an opportunity to take my car our for a drive to the recycling centre. What a rush! I forgot how nicely my car drove, and it was WAY fun getting used to everything being backwards. I kept reaching for my gear shift with my left hand, and for some odd reason my windshield wipers kept turning on every time I went around a corner! Oh yeah... and on this day I also got to say hi to Mr. and Mrs. Elliott - my long-term nextdoor neighbours. What a warm welcome and great big hug I received from both of them.
The next day dad and I were back in the car and off to Ingersoll to help grandma get her house packed up and ready to move into a retirement home. Grandma put her house up for sale a few weeks ago, and although we were all expecting it to take several months or more for the house to sell, a deal was closed within one week of it going on the market. So needless to say, it's been a rush job getting her packed up and moved out, but thanks to a collective effort from the entire family, we managed to get most of it done. I felt for grandma that day - I can only imagine the emotions she was experiencing as we packed up a house that she had lived in for over 60 years of her life. However, it was really reassuring to see her all settled into her new place at Oxford Manor that evening. It is a really great place, and she seemed quite at home there. I look forward to hearing all about her upcoming social events, and possibly participating in some of them the next time I go to visit!
Exhausted, mom, dad and I drove back to our cottage at Sauble Beach and spent the next couple of days recovering. Matt continued to work his charm, and continued to distract me from my studies. His favourite activity is scurrying around the cottage poking his head in my room to check in, flash me a smile, curiously examine a few things, before heading back out.
Matt is a very curious boy, and loves to touch everything in sight - including dad's pink flamingo lamp (yes... my dad has a collection of really tacky things).
What a pleasure heading down to the beach for my first sunset of the summer. Matt loved the ride uptop of grandpa's shoulders!
Me & Matt having fun on the beach.
The sunset, overlooking Lake Huron.
On the way back from the sunset Matt encountered a doggie that he was excited to get to know better...
The next morning I was on baby duty while mom and dad headed into town to run some errands. Mom returned a few hours later with a new t-shirt - today was the day that she reached her 1000th visit to Curves (her gym). She is one of four people at her gym to reach this milestone. Pretty impressive, indeed! On this same day mom received her "old age" card in the mail. I don't even know what an old-age card is for, but after asking mom what her feelings were about it, she doesn't phased by it at all: "I'm healthy and I still feel young, which is all that really matters!"
Another visit from Matt, this time nearly naked, while he poked his head into my room to flash me another smile before running out.
So I'm nearly caught up on my course now. Phew! Just in time for one of my best-friends, Kristy, to arrive tomorrow. I can't wait!!!!
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Home Sweet Home
I'm home. It feels weird, but good. I'm totally and completely exhausted from the events of the past week, but also suffering from some crazy weird jet-lag that won't actually let me sleep right now (it's 2:12am and I'm wide awake!).
I arrived at the Toronto airport on Tuesday after 33 hours of travel. It was an incredibly long journey that I began on next to no sleep (to be explained in a follow-up blog post) and resulted in further sleep deprivation along the way. I was so excited to see mom and dad eagerly awaiting for me on the other side of the doors as I walked through after collecting my luggage. After a few exhausted and embarassing tears in the middle of the airport, we were on our way.
As always, my flight had a few complications. After a delay in Sydney, my flight fell behind schedule and I ended up missing my transfer connection in Vancouver. I was put on standby for the next flight to Toronto and after a few hassles with long queues, getting my bike box over to the oversized luggage place, and making it back through the security gates (where I lost my $60CDN Swiss Army knife due to me juggling some of my luggage around and forgetting that it was in the pocket of one of my bags) I was relieved to find that I was one of 3 (out of 9) standby passengers that actually made it onto the plane.
In this slightly panicked rush, I realized that mom and dad would not know about my change in flight plans so I made a desperate plea to one of the flight attendants about needing to call home (my Vodafone cell phone was not working - not sure if it it doesn't roam in Canada or if it had reached the cancellation day). Unfortunately we were about to take off, and there was no phone in the cabin for me to use, so the flight attendant suggested asking around on the plane. Fortunately some nice man (I think he was a pilot who was also travelling standby) took pitty on me and lent me his blackberry (lucky for me since I did not feel up to pleading with those around me). Good thing too cause mom and dad had been following my flight online and saw that it was cancelled but didn't know when to expect me.
The whole experience of driving home felt quite surreal. It felt really really great to be "home"... to be driving along a highway that I knew like the back of my hand... to pass by all the familiar turn-offs along the way (this way to Amanda and Laura's places, that way to Guelph, this way into KW, etc). Everything looked so green. Greener than I've ever seen it before. I even noticed part of the Niagara escarpment that I had never noticed before. And the air... it felt so fresh. For all that I was driving along the 401 with a zillion cars whizzing by, it felt so fresh. Almost like it was different air or something. Strange.
Oh yeah... and the car thing... so trippy! I loved the mind game that riding on the other side of the road was playing on me. It felt strange to see dad driving on the left side of their minivan, and for me to be on the right-hand side of the divided highway.
I recall my senses being heightened, and everything became an observation to me... the cars are so big, the trucks are so plentiful, the traffic drives so fast, the drivers are so erratic, the roads are so straight!
Arriving at Laura & Mike's place in Waterloo was also very exciting. It felt great to hug my sister. It was even more exciting to get to see my sweet little nephew, Matt, in the flesh. Somehow I managed to say hello to them without crying, but when my older brother, Mark, showed up a while later, the tears made a reappearance. The rest of the evening was a blur since I was totally and completely exhausted.
After nearly 12 hours of sleep that night, I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I started my day with a walk to Tim Horton's to enjoy an everyting bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese, a chocolate chip muffin, and a cup of steeped tea. Mmmmmmmmmm... Tim Horton's, oh did I miss thee!
The rest of the day was spent trying to get motivated to get caught up on this course that I started online the week before I left NZ. I'm taking my Honour's Specialist (something that all teachers in Ontario are supposed to do at some point in their career) and it is a crapload of work. This is definitely not the ideal time for me to be taking it, but now that I'm committed, I have to stick it through.
That evening we had the WHOLE family over and I got to see Rob and Anita and their two boys Andrew and Nathan. Once again, the tears poured out again - this time at the sight of my nephews. Surprisingly, Andrew wasn't afraid of me and came up and gave me a great big hug. I felt the need to explain to him that I was crying because I was so excited to see him. He said he remembered me which was good to hear. Natey, on the other hand, played a bit shy, but also showed off for me by demonstrating all of the words he can string together in a sentence. So cool!
The rest of the evening was just like a typical family gathering - chaos. Lots of people, lots of noises and screaming kids, and lots of food and conversation. So familiar. So great.
I feel that this post is starting to ramble, so I will close for now. Maybe now I'll be able to fall asleep. We shall see.
I'm home. It feels weird, but good. I'm totally and completely exhausted from the events of the past week, but also suffering from some crazy weird jet-lag that won't actually let me sleep right now (it's 2:12am and I'm wide awake!).
I arrived at the Toronto airport on Tuesday after 33 hours of travel. It was an incredibly long journey that I began on next to no sleep (to be explained in a follow-up blog post) and resulted in further sleep deprivation along the way. I was so excited to see mom and dad eagerly awaiting for me on the other side of the doors as I walked through after collecting my luggage. After a few exhausted and embarassing tears in the middle of the airport, we were on our way.
As always, my flight had a few complications. After a delay in Sydney, my flight fell behind schedule and I ended up missing my transfer connection in Vancouver. I was put on standby for the next flight to Toronto and after a few hassles with long queues, getting my bike box over to the oversized luggage place, and making it back through the security gates (where I lost my $60CDN Swiss Army knife due to me juggling some of my luggage around and forgetting that it was in the pocket of one of my bags) I was relieved to find that I was one of 3 (out of 9) standby passengers that actually made it onto the plane.
In this slightly panicked rush, I realized that mom and dad would not know about my change in flight plans so I made a desperate plea to one of the flight attendants about needing to call home (my Vodafone cell phone was not working - not sure if it it doesn't roam in Canada or if it had reached the cancellation day). Unfortunately we were about to take off, and there was no phone in the cabin for me to use, so the flight attendant suggested asking around on the plane. Fortunately some nice man (I think he was a pilot who was also travelling standby) took pitty on me and lent me his blackberry (lucky for me since I did not feel up to pleading with those around me). Good thing too cause mom and dad had been following my flight online and saw that it was cancelled but didn't know when to expect me.
The whole experience of driving home felt quite surreal. It felt really really great to be "home"... to be driving along a highway that I knew like the back of my hand... to pass by all the familiar turn-offs along the way (this way to Amanda and Laura's places, that way to Guelph, this way into KW, etc). Everything looked so green. Greener than I've ever seen it before. I even noticed part of the Niagara escarpment that I had never noticed before. And the air... it felt so fresh. For all that I was driving along the 401 with a zillion cars whizzing by, it felt so fresh. Almost like it was different air or something. Strange.
Oh yeah... and the car thing... so trippy! I loved the mind game that riding on the other side of the road was playing on me. It felt strange to see dad driving on the left side of their minivan, and for me to be on the right-hand side of the divided highway.
I recall my senses being heightened, and everything became an observation to me... the cars are so big, the trucks are so plentiful, the traffic drives so fast, the drivers are so erratic, the roads are so straight!
Arriving at Laura & Mike's place in Waterloo was also very exciting. It felt great to hug my sister. It was even more exciting to get to see my sweet little nephew, Matt, in the flesh. Somehow I managed to say hello to them without crying, but when my older brother, Mark, showed up a while later, the tears made a reappearance. The rest of the evening was a blur since I was totally and completely exhausted.
After nearly 12 hours of sleep that night, I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I started my day with a walk to Tim Horton's to enjoy an everyting bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese, a chocolate chip muffin, and a cup of steeped tea. Mmmmmmmmmm... Tim Horton's, oh did I miss thee!
The rest of the day was spent trying to get motivated to get caught up on this course that I started online the week before I left NZ. I'm taking my Honour's Specialist (something that all teachers in Ontario are supposed to do at some point in their career) and it is a crapload of work. This is definitely not the ideal time for me to be taking it, but now that I'm committed, I have to stick it through.
That evening we had the WHOLE family over and I got to see Rob and Anita and their two boys Andrew and Nathan. Once again, the tears poured out again - this time at the sight of my nephews. Surprisingly, Andrew wasn't afraid of me and came up and gave me a great big hug. I felt the need to explain to him that I was crying because I was so excited to see him. He said he remembered me which was good to hear. Natey, on the other hand, played a bit shy, but also showed off for me by demonstrating all of the words he can string together in a sentence. So cool!
The rest of the evening was just like a typical family gathering - chaos. Lots of people, lots of noises and screaming kids, and lots of food and conversation. So familiar. So great.
I feel that this post is starting to ramble, so I will close for now. Maybe now I'll be able to fall asleep. We shall see.
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