My two weeks in Bolivia was filled with adventure in one form or another - however a lot of it was transport related.
Firstly, La Paz. All of South America has crazy traffic, but La Paz is more hectic than the rest. Cars are literally bumper to bumper, people make lanes where there are no lanes, and people use their horns constantly. My first and second day in La Paz was spent checking out the witches markets (dried llama foetuses anyone?), buying presents and trying to organise a jungle expedition. My third day was spent mountain biking down Death Road, the world´s most dangerous road. It was a lot of fun and only a little scary - there are no longer cars on the road so it´s more the danger of sliding over one of the sheer cliffs as you come careening down the hill. I´m glad the tour guides waited until after we´d done the ride to tell us about the tourists who had died - some recently.
From La Paz, I flew to Santa Cruz with a couple of people I met on my tour of Peru. I´d booked a hostel online, however when we showed up, they said they were full, wouldn´t acknowledge the booking I´d made or deposit I´d paid and we had to squish into one room with two beds. After visiting the office to pay for the 3 day trip into Amboro National Park (part of the Amazon Basin) I had to go and buy the ugliest shoes known to man on the insistence of our tour guide (apparently we needed them for climbing on wet rocks). They were those kind of sandals with the velcro straps. The kind of sandals some people wear with socks. The kind of sandals I make fun of people for wearing. Needless to say, they went straight in the bin once the tour was over and I tried hard to avoid there being any photos of me wearing them. The jungle trip was certainly an adventure. Just getting into the park was a feat in itself. We went by van, jeep, boat, horse and cart, waded across rivers and hiked. It took us a full day just to get to the gates of the park. And then it started to rain. And didn´t stop. We spent the second day hiking to a waterfall - we waded across countless rivers and climbed waterfalls, all in the pouring rain. Just call me Indiana Jones. After lunch, our guides suggested we do a further 3 hour hike to another waterfall, making the total trek back, 5 hours. Something I have learnt is that Bolivians don´t really have much of a sense of time. When they say "oh, it´s about 20 minutes away", that can mean anything from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. The first waterfall was apparently 2 hours away - it took us about 7 hours to get there and back. The jungle was pretty amazing - very lush, green and tropical with vines and huge trees. And huge mosquitos. We didn´t see as much wildife as I had hoped - no toucans or monkeys, but we did see a frog and a snake and some beautiful butterflies. We were supposed to trek further into the jungle but there was too much rain, so we camped in the same place and then spent the last day trekking out again, in the same way as we trekked in. Definitely an adventure although not exactly what I had hoped for.
The next adventure was trying to get to Sucre for Christmas. We thought it would be very simple to be able to get an overnight bus. Oh how wrong we were. The tickets were only sold on the day of the trip, so one of my friends went to the bus station at 6am to get tickets for that night. Sold out. Everything was booked up, even flights. We discovered that there was another group of 3 staying at the hostel who were also trying to get to Sucre, so we hired a van to take us. And this is where the nightmare began. Bolivia has one paved road. We were not on it. We drove for 18 hours (it was meant to be 15) on a windy and bumpy dirt road. No sleep was to be had by anyone. I have never been happier to arrive somewhere. Christmas was a relaxed affair - we decided to splash out and stay at quite a nice hotel and we spent the day watching Christmas movies on cable tv (when we could find English ones) and eating a lot - pretty standard really. We even found a restaurant that did a turkey lunch - not very Bolivian I know.
Sucre is where I left the girls I´d been travelling with for the last week and headed to Uyuni. Getting there was a 14 hour mission on 2 buses. I arrived at 2am and luckily befriended some American guys on the bus so I didn´t have to walk to my hostel alone. The next morning, I left for a 3 day tour of the salt flats. What an amazing experience - one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The weather was perfect - there had been a little bit of rain the day before meaning that the was a few inches of water on the salar, making for beautiful reflections of the sky. We stayed in a salt hotel and also saw red and green lakes and millions of flamingoes. Then came a tough 24 hours. My tour returned to Uyuni (a 9 hour bumpy 4WD ride) at about 6pm and at 11pm I got a train to Villazon, the small town on the border between Bolivia and Argentina. The train was supposed to arrive at 7am, but for some reason, it stopped at a station for 3 hours at 4am (something to do with rain I think - although since when that´s affected trains, I´m not sure), so it was 3 hours late. I was very glad I´d gotten a ´first class´ticket (a reclinable seat, a blanket and pillow, and breakfast). When I got off the train, I headed for the border. My guide book said it ´couldn´t be easier´ to cross to Argentina here. Yeah right. First I had to get my Bolivian exit stamp - there was a line so long it double backed on itself and after 45 minutes, I hadn´t moved. I heard that other travellers had been paying the guard at the front to stamp their passports. So I bribed an immigration official with 5 pesos and I got my stamp. Then I got in the line for the Argentinian immigration.....and spent 5 hours in that line. At one point I actually thought I would never get to the front. This was followed by a 7 hour bus ride to finally arrive in Sucre.
So Bolivia was definitely choccas full of adventure for me, and now that I´m in Argentina, I am looking forward to some down time. Bring on the wine and steaks!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The 0 - 10 of Peru
My 23 days in Peru are up, and as I sit in the sweltering tropical heat of Santa Cruz, Bolvia, I reflect on my time in Peru....
0: good coffees I had and times I was lost (yay me!).
1: scary bugs I saw (a big spider at a homestay on Amantani Island - not including the dead tarantula on the Inca trail), horrible bus rides (12 hours, 1 stop, dirty bus, even dirtier toilets), meals of alpaca, times I put my togs on, ate McDonalds, had altitude sickness, drank Inca Cola (tastes like bubble-gum) and number of hostels I stayed in (on my tour, we stayed in ´hotels´, however they were very basic).
2: times I dressed in Peruvian costume (the one and only time...ever, I assure you), boat trips I did, local communities I stayed in, number of backpacker braclets I accumulated and number of times I washed my clothes in the bathroom sink of my accommodation.
3: nights I spent in a tent, times I felt lonely, orchids I saw on the Inca trail, books I read, times I had a dodgy tummy, things I´ve lost (my torch - however, not a great loss, see 5 below - a bracelet and a postcard), times I´ve danced and number of different kinds of Peruvian beer I drank.
4: days it took me to hike the Inca trail from the 82km mark to Machu Picchu (about 45 kms I think - with a lot of steep uphill and downhill) and number of Kiwis I met.
5: number of awesome people on my Intrepid tour (ok, so that was the whole group), times my solar powered torch ran out, times I heard the Cranberries (I´m sure pop music in Peru is stuck in 1996) and number of Plaza des Armas I saw.
6: times I dropped my camera on the Inca trail (I´m surprised it´s still working), times I didn´t want to tip guides and drivers (didn´t I pay enough for this already?), number of Incan ruins I saw, different kinds of Pisco I´ve tried and average number of hours sleep I got a night (so many early starts).
7: US$ for a pedicure in Cuzco, total days I went without a shower (not in a row though - ew!).
8: times my camera batteries went flat (can´t wait to get a new one) and number of Nazca lines I saw (I think - I was feeling a bit ill and suffering from vertigo in the tiny plane).
9: times I´ve tried to read my Rough Guide book and decide where I´m going and times people said ´but it´s the rainy season´
10 plus: flamingoes, penguins, seals and alpacas I´ve seen, great meals I ate, number of people who tried to sell me stuff, times I wanted to eat a salad so bad, days I didn´t write in my journal, times I wish I´d learnt proper Spanish before I left, squat toilets I used, number of breakfasts that were bread and jam and the number of incredible, beautiful, funny and amazing things I saw and experienced.
Let´s see if Bolivia can top THAT!
0: good coffees I had and times I was lost (yay me!).
1: scary bugs I saw (a big spider at a homestay on Amantani Island - not including the dead tarantula on the Inca trail), horrible bus rides (12 hours, 1 stop, dirty bus, even dirtier toilets), meals of alpaca, times I put my togs on, ate McDonalds, had altitude sickness, drank Inca Cola (tastes like bubble-gum) and number of hostels I stayed in (on my tour, we stayed in ´hotels´, however they were very basic).
2: times I dressed in Peruvian costume (the one and only time...ever, I assure you), boat trips I did, local communities I stayed in, number of backpacker braclets I accumulated and number of times I washed my clothes in the bathroom sink of my accommodation.
3: nights I spent in a tent, times I felt lonely, orchids I saw on the Inca trail, books I read, times I had a dodgy tummy, things I´ve lost (my torch - however, not a great loss, see 5 below - a bracelet and a postcard), times I´ve danced and number of different kinds of Peruvian beer I drank.
4: days it took me to hike the Inca trail from the 82km mark to Machu Picchu (about 45 kms I think - with a lot of steep uphill and downhill) and number of Kiwis I met.
5: number of awesome people on my Intrepid tour (ok, so that was the whole group), times my solar powered torch ran out, times I heard the Cranberries (I´m sure pop music in Peru is stuck in 1996) and number of Plaza des Armas I saw.
6: times I dropped my camera on the Inca trail (I´m surprised it´s still working), times I didn´t want to tip guides and drivers (didn´t I pay enough for this already?), number of Incan ruins I saw, different kinds of Pisco I´ve tried and average number of hours sleep I got a night (so many early starts).
7: US$ for a pedicure in Cuzco, total days I went without a shower (not in a row though - ew!).
8: times my camera batteries went flat (can´t wait to get a new one) and number of Nazca lines I saw (I think - I was feeling a bit ill and suffering from vertigo in the tiny plane).
9: times I´ve tried to read my Rough Guide book and decide where I´m going and times people said ´but it´s the rainy season´
10 plus: flamingoes, penguins, seals and alpacas I´ve seen, great meals I ate, number of people who tried to sell me stuff, times I wanted to eat a salad so bad, days I didn´t write in my journal, times I wish I´d learnt proper Spanish before I left, squat toilets I used, number of breakfasts that were bread and jam and the number of incredible, beautiful, funny and amazing things I saw and experienced.
Let´s see if Bolivia can top THAT!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
When things go tits up while travelling
There´s always a few hiccups when you´re travelling. Like the time I accidently washed my passport in Berlin and had to get a new one in the space of a few hours as I was due to leave the country. Or the time I spent all my cash in France and then discovered my ATM card wouldn´t work. Or the time(s) the old van I was driving arond Australia broke down in the middle of the outback. It´s all part of the experience right? Well, this trip has been no different. My first two weeks of travelling went pretty smoothly....the worst thing that happened was arriving at my hostel in Montreal to discover that it had been closed for the last 3 weeks because the building next door started to fall down. Fortunately it was re-opening that day, so all it meant for me was a few hours without any power (good time to go for a walk), no hot shower that night and a pretty empty hostel.
And then I left Canada. I had one of those crazy cheap flights that goes to a dozen random places before arriving at the final destination, and takes 3 days to get there. Ok it wasn´t quite that bad - almost 24 hours of travel time, flying from Montreal to Toronto to San Salvador to Lima. I checked my bag in all the way to Lima at Montreal Airport, double checked with the counter staff that all I had to do was pick it up in Lima and was assured that it would and ignored the sinking feeling that it wasn´t going to make it - I thought to myself, hey they´re professionals, what could go wrong? Then, when I was the last person standing at the baggage carousel in Lima with a forlorn look on my face, I realised I should have trusted my instincts and taken some underwear and toiletries out of my bag before checking it. To cut a long story short, for 2 days the airline didn´t even know where my bag was and seemed in no hurry to find it. After many phone calls and a few stressful moments, I finally got it back after 3 days - just in time as I left Lima the next day. I was wearing my warmest and dirties clothes for the flight because Montreal was cold and I planned on doing washing as soon as I arrived in Peru. The airline gave me money to spend on neccesary stuff so at least I could get the basics. Crisis over....and on to the next. Getting out of a taxi outside my hotel the following day, I clipped the mirror of a passing car with the taxi door and broke it. I couldn´t really communicate with the driver with my limited Spanish aside from ´lo siento signor´ but the guide from my tour, that had started the previous day, was fortunately on hand. The driver of the car I hit wanted me to give him US$150 as it was a new car and he would have to replace the whole mirror. My guide talked him down to US$80...so I was pretty lucky in the end I guess. And it´s only money after all. I am hoping that I´ve had my quota of bad luck for this trip and that the next 3 months will go smoothly. I´m loading up on good travelling karma!
Aside from these minor set backs, Peru has been great and I´ve already done so much - experienced loads of good food and drink - my favourites have been ceviche (raw fish marinated in chili and lime) and chicha (a drink made from purple corn, tastes a bit like Ribena), I´ve seen penguins on the Ballestas Islands, tasted all sorts of kinds of Pisco (a spirit a bit like tequila), flown over the Nazca lines in a very small plane (I was very brave and sweating profusely), seen enough mummies and skeletons to last a lifetime, met some awesome people from assorted countries, marvelled at some massive sand dunes from a lake oasis at the bottom, and slept a record 7 hours on an overnight bus. Chomping at the bit for the Inca trail.....6 days and counting!
And then I left Canada. I had one of those crazy cheap flights that goes to a dozen random places before arriving at the final destination, and takes 3 days to get there. Ok it wasn´t quite that bad - almost 24 hours of travel time, flying from Montreal to Toronto to San Salvador to Lima. I checked my bag in all the way to Lima at Montreal Airport, double checked with the counter staff that all I had to do was pick it up in Lima and was assured that it would and ignored the sinking feeling that it wasn´t going to make it - I thought to myself, hey they´re professionals, what could go wrong? Then, when I was the last person standing at the baggage carousel in Lima with a forlorn look on my face, I realised I should have trusted my instincts and taken some underwear and toiletries out of my bag before checking it. To cut a long story short, for 2 days the airline didn´t even know where my bag was and seemed in no hurry to find it. After many phone calls and a few stressful moments, I finally got it back after 3 days - just in time as I left Lima the next day. I was wearing my warmest and dirties clothes for the flight because Montreal was cold and I planned on doing washing as soon as I arrived in Peru. The airline gave me money to spend on neccesary stuff so at least I could get the basics. Crisis over....and on to the next. Getting out of a taxi outside my hotel the following day, I clipped the mirror of a passing car with the taxi door and broke it. I couldn´t really communicate with the driver with my limited Spanish aside from ´lo siento signor´ but the guide from my tour, that had started the previous day, was fortunately on hand. The driver of the car I hit wanted me to give him US$150 as it was a new car and he would have to replace the whole mirror. My guide talked him down to US$80...so I was pretty lucky in the end I guess. And it´s only money after all. I am hoping that I´ve had my quota of bad luck for this trip and that the next 3 months will go smoothly. I´m loading up on good travelling karma!
Aside from these minor set backs, Peru has been great and I´ve already done so much - experienced loads of good food and drink - my favourites have been ceviche (raw fish marinated in chili and lime) and chicha (a drink made from purple corn, tastes a bit like Ribena), I´ve seen penguins on the Ballestas Islands, tasted all sorts of kinds of Pisco (a spirit a bit like tequila), flown over the Nazca lines in a very small plane (I was very brave and sweating profusely), seen enough mummies and skeletons to last a lifetime, met some awesome people from assorted countries, marvelled at some massive sand dunes from a lake oasis at the bottom, and slept a record 7 hours on an overnight bus. Chomping at the bit for the Inca trail.....6 days and counting!
Highlights of Ontario and Quebec
Two free beers and a bottle opener at the Steamwhistle Brewery in Toronto
Trying to get the perfect photo of me at Niagara Falls
A Korean guy introducing himself to me because he´d just been to New Zealand and wanted to tell me how much he loved it there
When I was freezing after a day of walking all over Toronto, having the best hot chocolate at Soma in the Distillery District - with spices, orange, chili and ginger
Free wine and cheese at my hostel
Discussing Kiwi music with a friend of a friend over jugs of beer - strangers one minute, mates the next
Kensington Markets - best place for people watching, giant burritos and hippy murals
Catching up with an old roommate from Sydney who I hadn´t seen in 4 years, at a bar with mismatched chairs and fairy lights - my favourite kind of bar
Walking around Old Montreal....beautiful buildings, cobbled streets
Taking a break from walking round the city by reading books and warming up in Chapters
Walking to the top of Mont Royale for the view over the city
Enjoying a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz´s and poutine at Frite Alors! on Rue St Laurent - food is a big part of travel for me
Going to a bar on my own and sitting next to a dude from Wellington at the bar
No pics this time as my internet time is limited.....because I´m in Peru! Well and truly on the road now.
Trying to get the perfect photo of me at Niagara Falls
A Korean guy introducing himself to me because he´d just been to New Zealand and wanted to tell me how much he loved it there
When I was freezing after a day of walking all over Toronto, having the best hot chocolate at Soma in the Distillery District - with spices, orange, chili and ginger
Free wine and cheese at my hostel
Discussing Kiwi music with a friend of a friend over jugs of beer - strangers one minute, mates the next
Kensington Markets - best place for people watching, giant burritos and hippy murals
Catching up with an old roommate from Sydney who I hadn´t seen in 4 years, at a bar with mismatched chairs and fairy lights - my favourite kind of bar
Walking around Old Montreal....beautiful buildings, cobbled streets
Taking a break from walking round the city by reading books and warming up in Chapters
Walking to the top of Mont Royale for the view over the city
Enjoying a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz´s and poutine at Frite Alors! on Rue St Laurent - food is a big part of travel for me
Going to a bar on my own and sitting next to a dude from Wellington at the bar
No pics this time as my internet time is limited.....because I´m in Peru! Well and truly on the road now.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Highlights of Alberta
So my journey begins.....for my first week, I hung out in Alberta - here are a few of the best bits:Driving from Banff to Lake Louise in a blizzard, parking and wondering if I'd be able to find the rental car again in all the snow.
$8 steak sandwiches at in The Elk and Oarsman in Banff.
Bow Lake – surrounded by snow, and so peaceful and still.
Seeing a wolf and a big horned sheep on the drive to Radium Hot Springs….and then getting in the hot springs.....aaaaaahhhh.
Reminiscing with a friend in Banff about the good times we both had when we lived in London a few years ago.
Eating a bear claw – chocolate, nuts and caramel – oh yeah.
Hiking the 2.3 kms up Tunnel Mountain on a gorgeous clear day and looking at the view over Banff and the mountains.
The bus ride from Banff to Calgary – the mountains in the pink light of the morning, against a clear blue sky.
Doing a ghost walking tour of Calgary – freezing, but fun - and cheap!
Walking around Calgary and seeing random pieces of street art and so many cool posters.
Spending an afternoon in the Glenbow Museum in Calgary looking at stuff like a giant fiberglass replica of a baby and an exhibition on war brides in Canada. They even had a Maori warrior!
Sitting in Broken City on a Saturday afternoon with a glass of red wine, listening to some jazz guys jamming.
Meeting up with the sister of a friend, and her tell me she was jealous of my life and all the travelling I've done - it's nice to be reminded sometimes, especially when it gets hard to say goodbye to people and you have to carry everything you own on your back.
Stay tuned for highlights from the east coast of Canada!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Halloween
So Halloween....it's kind of a big deal around here. Growing up in New Zealand, Halloween was not really observed. I remember trying to go trick or treating once with my neighbour when we were about 11 and not really getting a lot out of it. We did make a pretty good trick though - a paper bag filled with assorted pantry items including flour, vinegar and green food colouring. No-one had any candy to give us but no-one wanted to put their hand in the bag either so we put it on the road for a car to run over. It stained the road pretty good. So that's my experience of Halloween up till now pretty much. As our culture has become more Americanised, Halloween has become more prolific, with it becoming more popular to go begging for candy - or lollies in New Zealand - around your neighbourhood and to get dressed up for Halloween parties. Living in Vancouver, it was great to be able to participate in a real North American Halloween. People decorate their houses, there are carved jack o' lanterns everywhere (something I'd only seen in movies up till now - I wish I'd had a go at carving one) and trick or treating is commonplace. At work, many people decorated their work areas and, best of all, there was candy everywhere. People had bowls of the stuff on their desks. Awesome. It would've been pretty fun to have been home that night so I could have given out candy to the kids, but I went to a party in a recently renovated theatre in Castlegar, a small town about 8 hours drive north-east of Vancouver. It was a great night - so many interesting costumes, including a guy dressed as toast and an entire dead bridal party. People really went all out. I dressed as Pizzazz from The Misfits (any fans of the 80s cartoon Jem out there?) and my cosutme was totally rad. Yes, that's right - rad.
One thing that's strange however - as soon as October 31st is over, Halloween is done, just like that - BAM! No more decorations, candy is all half price and......the Christmas decorations go up - yes, already - one holiday over, next one please.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Marriage
I'm getting to that age where quite a few of my friends are starting to get married and start families. If I’m not getting news of an engagement, a wedding, a pregnancy or a baby, it’s a slow week. Personally, I like to think that I am not fussed on marriage. But that's a lie. Well, it’s not a lie but marriage and having a wedding are two different things. Don’t get me wrong, I am not exactly the type who’s been dreaming about my fairytale wedding since I was a little girl. That’s definitely not my style. But I would love to have a wedding – simply because it’s an excuse to get dressed up and get all your friends together for a day of celebrating something cool. I love that wedding dance video that I mentioned in a previous blog and it's that sort of thing that makes me excited about going to weddings, and maybe having one in the future. As for the marriage side of things – I guess what I look forward to is finding someone to share my life with on a long term basis. I don’t think it’s necessary to actually be married in order to make a life with someone, or have a family. I think I would be perfectly happy to be with someone long term without getting married if we were totally in love, had made an enduring commitment to each other and were working towards the same life goals. If they had an aversion to getting married, for the right reasons, I would be ok with that.
I am lucky enough that my parents are still together – they celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary last month, but their years together have certainly had their ups and downs and I’m sure they would be the first people to say that having rings and a marriage license doesn’t make your relationship any more secure, or better, than if you didn’t. I feel like I have strong role models in my parents however, but I do understand that many of the people I know have parents who are divorced, or who have not seen the best side of marriage, so I can appreciate that it’s not for some people. My aunt has been with her partner for about 22 years now – both were married before, and they have chosen not to get married. I couldn’t imagine them being with anyone else, and for all intents and purposes, they are married – they share a home and their lives and have made a long term commitment to each other.
My one sticking point is the proposal. I am a total sucker for romantic proposal stories and whenever I hear people have gotten engaged, the first thing I want to know is the when, where and how of it (usually the who and why are usually pretty obvious). My cousin got engaged to her Otago farmer boyfriend last week. He wrote ‘Marry me Jemma’ in bailage in one of their paddocks, let the sheep in to eat it, and then drove her out to see it from hill top. Now THAT’S a proposal.
If I ever do end up with someone who asks me to marry them, I hope that they know me well enough to know that I must have a good proposal story to tell – it doesn’t have to be expensive, or on a grand scale, just something original, romantic and memorable. Now, that’s not asking too much is it? If it’s not up to par, I might just say no!
One of my oldest friends is marrying her partner at Ohope Beach in Whakatane this weekend. I so wish I could be there - I love the air of celebration at weddings, dressing up, amazing food, free wine, catching up with friends and the awesome happy vibe - but alas it's a little far for me to travel. I have asked a friend to do a reading on my behalf, so I'll be there in spirit. Big ups to Bonnie and Chris.....I'll be thinking of you on the day.
I am lucky enough that my parents are still together – they celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary last month, but their years together have certainly had their ups and downs and I’m sure they would be the first people to say that having rings and a marriage license doesn’t make your relationship any more secure, or better, than if you didn’t. I feel like I have strong role models in my parents however, but I do understand that many of the people I know have parents who are divorced, or who have not seen the best side of marriage, so I can appreciate that it’s not for some people. My aunt has been with her partner for about 22 years now – both were married before, and they have chosen not to get married. I couldn’t imagine them being with anyone else, and for all intents and purposes, they are married – they share a home and their lives and have made a long term commitment to each other.
My one sticking point is the proposal. I am a total sucker for romantic proposal stories and whenever I hear people have gotten engaged, the first thing I want to know is the when, where and how of it (usually the who and why are usually pretty obvious). My cousin got engaged to her Otago farmer boyfriend last week. He wrote ‘Marry me Jemma’ in bailage in one of their paddocks, let the sheep in to eat it, and then drove her out to see it from hill top. Now THAT’S a proposal.
If I ever do end up with someone who asks me to marry them, I hope that they know me well enough to know that I must have a good proposal story to tell – it doesn’t have to be expensive, or on a grand scale, just something original, romantic and memorable. Now, that’s not asking too much is it? If it’s not up to par, I might just say no!
One of my oldest friends is marrying her partner at Ohope Beach in Whakatane this weekend. I so wish I could be there - I love the air of celebration at weddings, dressing up, amazing food, free wine, catching up with friends and the awesome happy vibe - but alas it's a little far for me to travel. I have asked a friend to do a reading on my behalf, so I'll be there in spirit. Big ups to Bonnie and Chris.....I'll be thinking of you on the day.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Travelling alone
As I said in my previous blog, I am off to South and Central America for a couple of months at the end of November and, at this stage, it looks as though I'll be travelling on my own. I must admit, this is a bit of a daunting prospect and isn't exactly ideal, but it's something I feel ok about. I've wanted to travel South America ever since I've wanted to come to Canada, which first became a possibility back in 2005, but due to life and things and stuff, it didn't start to become an actuality until last year.
I haven't really done much travelling on my own before. I backpacked around Europe four years ago with a girlfriend and I've spent a few days here and there on my own, but I haven't been anywhere, by myself, in a potentially dangerous and non-English speaking country before. I'd rather be travelling with someone, and that's not just because of the safety issue - I'd love to be able to share my experiences and adventures with someone. I still laugh and reminisce about the things that happened when we travelled Europe with the friend I went with, and I think I will miss being able to share the trip with someone close to me. But, as the same friend pointed out, I am choosing to do this because I really want to see South America and if I didn't, I wouldn't be going. This is something that is certainly going to put me out of my comfort zone, which in itself is something I am always keen to do.
I've scoured the internet to see what other women think about travelling on their own in that part of the world and it seems to me that if you are pretty sensible and travel savvy, which I like to think I am, and make yourself aware of the potential dangers, they can be avoided fairly easily. I've read that it's a good idea to wear a band on your ring finger and invent a husband or boyfriend - apparently if you 'belong' to another man, you are less likely to get harassed (sexism abounds). I am prepared that as a western, blonde woman, I will probably get a bit of attention - I guess I just have to practice saying "Por favor, déjame en paz" (Please, leave me alone). Of course, I get the stories about the friend of a friend who got mugged and raped by a taxi driver, or the girl who befriended a seemingly helpful man on a bus and had all her money stolen but as far as I'm concerned, this could happen anywhere and to anyone, and I don't want to let the possibility of negative things happening prevent me from doing what I really want. Before I drove around Australia in a clapped out van, almost everyone asked me if I'd seen the movie Wolf Creek. and despite the fact that the van broke down in the outback several times, I didn't meet any murderous bushmen.
Of course I am looking forward to the freedom of travelling on my own - being able to go where I want, when I want and how I want, being able to make last minute changes to plans and not having to make sure it's ok with someone else. One of the aspects of this trip I am looking forward to the most is meeting new people along the way - like-minded travelling types - and being on your own makes it more of a priority and somewhat easier to make new friends. So bring it on, I say - new challenges and new adventures!
I haven't really done much travelling on my own before. I backpacked around Europe four years ago with a girlfriend and I've spent a few days here and there on my own, but I haven't been anywhere, by myself, in a potentially dangerous and non-English speaking country before. I'd rather be travelling with someone, and that's not just because of the safety issue - I'd love to be able to share my experiences and adventures with someone. I still laugh and reminisce about the things that happened when we travelled Europe with the friend I went with, and I think I will miss being able to share the trip with someone close to me. But, as the same friend pointed out, I am choosing to do this because I really want to see South America and if I didn't, I wouldn't be going. This is something that is certainly going to put me out of my comfort zone, which in itself is something I am always keen to do.
I've scoured the internet to see what other women think about travelling on their own in that part of the world and it seems to me that if you are pretty sensible and travel savvy, which I like to think I am, and make yourself aware of the potential dangers, they can be avoided fairly easily. I've read that it's a good idea to wear a band on your ring finger and invent a husband or boyfriend - apparently if you 'belong' to another man, you are less likely to get harassed (sexism abounds). I am prepared that as a western, blonde woman, I will probably get a bit of attention - I guess I just have to practice saying "Por favor, déjame en paz" (Please, leave me alone). Of course, I get the stories about the friend of a friend who got mugged and raped by a taxi driver, or the girl who befriended a seemingly helpful man on a bus and had all her money stolen but as far as I'm concerned, this could happen anywhere and to anyone, and I don't want to let the possibility of negative things happening prevent me from doing what I really want. Before I drove around Australia in a clapped out van, almost everyone asked me if I'd seen the movie Wolf Creek. and despite the fact that the van broke down in the outback several times, I didn't meet any murderous bushmen.
Of course I am looking forward to the freedom of travelling on my own - being able to go where I want, when I want and how I want, being able to make last minute changes to plans and not having to make sure it's ok with someone else. One of the aspects of this trip I am looking forward to the most is meeting new people along the way - like-minded travelling types - and being on your own makes it more of a priority and somewhat easier to make new friends. So bring it on, I say - new challenges and new adventures!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Things I will miss about Vancouver
After much thought and consideration, I've decided to leave Vancouver in November for some more travelling. I am really looking forward to spending 2 weeks seeing a bit more of Canada, and then it's on to South and Central America for 2-3 months...but there are definitely some things I will miss about Vancouver....here comes another list:
1. Riding my bike over the Cambie bridge to work every morning - beautiful.
2. Potluck dinners.
3. The wonderful friends I have made, who helped me make a life here.
4. The patio on a sunny afternoon and the vegetable garden at my place.
5. The biking culture here - everyone has a bike, the bike lanes and streets are excellent, and of course, Critical Mass.
6. Fireball - tastes like heaven, burns like hell.
7. Cheap and fresh fruit and veggies.
8. Food - Foundation's fantastic veggie fare, Slickety Jim's bennies, The Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe's amazing pannekoek and Budgie's Burritos.
9. Craigslist - anything you want, you can get....and I mean ANYTHING.
10. Being able to see the mountains from right in the middle of downtown - pretty amazing when there's snow on them.
11. Great thrift stores.
12. Awesome hiking and lakes so close to the city.
13. How helpful and friendly people are...most of the time.
14. The smiley bus drivers - yes, these mythical creatures do exisit in Vancouver.
15. Danger Knife. Although I'm taking this particular backyard game with me, and I plan to spread it to the far corners of the earth. All you need is a frisbee, 2 poles, a section of grass and a couple of friends with drinks.
And just because I'm starting to second guess myself....
A few things I won't miss:
1. Tax never being included in prices and having to tip for everything.
2. Not being able to get a flat white.
3. Expensive alcohol...in fact, expensive everything.
4. The difficulty of finding somewhere to watch a rugby game.
5. All the homeless people.
So as you can see, the things I will miss about Vancouver (and there are so many more than what I've listed here) outnumber the things I won't....and hey, I will still have 2 months left of my visa come February when I will most likely finish my trekking about....so Vancouver may not have seen the last of me yet!
1. Riding my bike over the Cambie bridge to work every morning - beautiful.
2. Potluck dinners.
3. The wonderful friends I have made, who helped me make a life here.
4. The patio on a sunny afternoon and the vegetable garden at my place.
5. The biking culture here - everyone has a bike, the bike lanes and streets are excellent, and of course, Critical Mass.
6. Fireball - tastes like heaven, burns like hell.
7. Cheap and fresh fruit and veggies.
8. Food - Foundation's fantastic veggie fare, Slickety Jim's bennies, The Dutch Wooden Shoe Cafe's amazing pannekoek and Budgie's Burritos.
9. Craigslist - anything you want, you can get....and I mean ANYTHING.
10. Being able to see the mountains from right in the middle of downtown - pretty amazing when there's snow on them.
11. Great thrift stores.
12. Awesome hiking and lakes so close to the city.
13. How helpful and friendly people are...most of the time.
14. The smiley bus drivers - yes, these mythical creatures do exisit in Vancouver.
15. Danger Knife. Although I'm taking this particular backyard game with me, and I plan to spread it to the far corners of the earth. All you need is a frisbee, 2 poles, a section of grass and a couple of friends with drinks.
And just because I'm starting to second guess myself....
A few things I won't miss:
1. Tax never being included in prices and having to tip for everything.
2. Not being able to get a flat white.
3. Expensive alcohol...in fact, expensive everything.
4. The difficulty of finding somewhere to watch a rugby game.
5. All the homeless people.
So as you can see, the things I will miss about Vancouver (and there are so many more than what I've listed here) outnumber the things I won't....and hey, I will still have 2 months left of my visa come February when I will most likely finish my trekking about....so Vancouver may not have seen the last of me yet!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Wasting valuable company time
Because it's almost Monday....and because I have a lot of downtime in my job and, let's face it, I'm a big fan of lists and the movie High Fidelity - I am going to give you my Top Five Entertaining Websites for Wasting Time at Work.
www.fmylife.com
Think you're having a bad day? There are so many other people having worse days than you. Other peoples' pain makes me feel better.
www.failblog.org
Random pics and videos of...well...epic fails.
www.funnyordie.com
This website is the brainchild of Will Ferrell, Judd Apatow and a couple of other funny dudes. My personal favourites are, The Landlord with Will Ferrell and the series of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis videos.
www.textsfromlastnight.com
We've all sent random and/or inappropriate texts after a few drinks....now they're on the internet for all to see - be careful who you drunk dial. Apparently they're turning this site into a sitcom....only in the US of A.
www.craigslist.org/about/best/all
Craigslist is a website in Canada where you can buy and sell stuff, find a ride somewhere, or a place to live, meet random people - and laugh at their ads. Gotta love the guy who's looking for an 'assistant to help in texting duties'.
Have a great week!
www.fmylife.com
Think you're having a bad day? There are so many other people having worse days than you. Other peoples' pain makes me feel better.
www.failblog.org
Random pics and videos of...well...epic fails.
www.funnyordie.com
This website is the brainchild of Will Ferrell, Judd Apatow and a couple of other funny dudes. My personal favourites are, The Landlord with Will Ferrell and the series of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis videos.
www.textsfromlastnight.com
We've all sent random and/or inappropriate texts after a few drinks....now they're on the internet for all to see - be careful who you drunk dial. Apparently they're turning this site into a sitcom....only in the US of A.
www.craigslist.org/about/best/all
Craigslist is a website in Canada where you can buy and sell stuff, find a ride somewhere, or a place to live, meet random people - and laugh at their ads. Gotta love the guy who's looking for an 'assistant to help in texting duties'.
Have a great week!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Guest blogging
I haven't posted in a while as I was chosen to be a guest blogger for one of the regular blogs on www.stuff.co.nz which is pretty exciting. So I've been working on a blog about flatting over the last week and it went up yesterday. Check it out at:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/blogs/the-girls-guide/2827954/Share-and-share-alike
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/blogs/the-girls-guide/2827954/Share-and-share-alike
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A traveller's budget
Vancouver is a pretty expensive city to live in. It’s not that I don’t have a well paying job…well, it’s not exceptionally well paying, but it’s ok. The problem is that the cost of living is higher and the wages are lower than what I was used to in the last city I lived in, Perth in Western Australia. Now, I am tempted to cry recession, and I guess that's part of it but, as I was told when I first arrived here, living in Vancouver is a lifestyle choice. It’s a fantastic place to live, and this means rent and everyday things are more expensive, and it doesn’t have the higher wages of a bigger city like Toronto. And, of course, I am saving to go travelling – the story of my life. Whenever I get on my feet in a new place, I almost immediately start saving to leave it. It’s not that I don’t enjoy where I am, but I know I will leave at some point (especially when I am only on a one year visa) and I enjoy the lifestyle whereby I live somewhere for about nine months of the year, and then spend the other three travelling. It's worked out pretty well for me the last five years.
I have recently decided that I will most likely leave Vancouver when my contract ends in November and travel round Canada, South America, Mexico and Cuba for a few months. I say most likely because I constantly change my mind, and I am a big believer that situations and circumstances can affect decisions, so things are never certain. What this means however, is that I have to try and stick to my budget a bit better than I have been. I’m usually pretty good – I get out in cash what I have to spend for the week, I get groceries for the week, try and eat dinner at home as much as I can and I take my lunch to work. I’ve been saving since I started working in Vancouver, but it’s always been a bit of a struggle and I often end up dipping into my savings, or spending money for the following week when I run out of cash, especially when things like weekends away or un-missable events pop up. Last week I decided to see if I could make it ten days and only spend $30, which was what I had left in my wallet. Today is Day 9 and I think I’ve done pretty well and haven’t been bored at all. I’ve discovered there is a lot of free stuff to do in Vancouver. Here are the highlights:
Day 2: I discovered that Carousel Theatre, a theatre for young people, was putting on a free outdoor production of Macbeth on Granville Island. Now this required me to buy dinner but I got some pretty tasty sushi and popped the change from $10 into the donation bucket for the Shakespeare performance as I was very impressed. Well done Carousel Theatre teens – you rock.
Day 3: I was invited to a barbeque at a friend’s place. I made a salad with stuff from the fridge and the veggie garden to take.
Day 4 (Friday): I arrived home from work to find my roommate preparing for a last minute dinner party, which she promptly invited me to join. I ate an amazing dinner I didn’t have to cook (complete with dessert) and enjoyed excellent company. Since I didn’t contribute anything edible, I washed up after. Thanks Amanda!
Day 5 (Saturday): I baked muffins with ingredients from the cupboard and the blackberries from the huge bush in our driveway. In the evening, I bought a 6 pack of ciders ($14) and watched a downloaded movie with some friends.
Day 6 (Sunday): It was a beautiful sunny day, I had a coffee in trendy Yaletown ($3) and a wander round. The caf̩ I went to had free samples of all their muffins Рscore! Then I rode my bike around the waterfront for a few hours in the sun, and even packed my lunch.
Day 8: Home sick from work. Got sunburnt on my patio. Had a potluck dinner with my roommates - more good food and excellent company.
Day 10: I've been invited to a taco and decoration making night at a friend’s place – the decorations are for a party we’re all going to on Saturday with a Martian theme.
And then Day 11 is pay day….and I can go a tiny bit nuts.
Other free activities I amused myself with - watching downloaded tv episodes, organising my ipod, Skyping and speaking to various friends overseas, used the free gym in my office building, research for my trip and reading. I even had a free movie ticket I didn't get around to using! Ok so maybe I cheated a little bit. I did buy $40 worth of groceries to get me through the week (a girl’s gotta eat!) and I might’ve put some new hiking shoes on my New Zealand credit card (they were half price and I need them for the Inca Trail)….but I reckon I still did pretty damn good. Yay for sunshine and free times in Vancouver!
Picture source: M. Fuller
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ok, so I love Facebook. I am the first one to admit it. My network of friends and family spans the globe so, for me, it's an easy way to keep in touch with everyone. It's also a great time filling activity when I am bored at work- much like this blog. I wouldn't call myself a Facebook addict per se (I can stop anytime I want, I swear!) - I don't usually update my status more than once a day (it's not Twitter and I don't pretend that anyone is THAT interested in what I'm doing) and it's the only social networking site I belong to. However, there are some things about Facebook that bug me.
The people that have 1,814 friends. No - you don't. I am pretty selective with the people I add on Facebook and consider them all to be actual friends, hence why I don't have anything close to that number. If I get a 'friend request' or I'm considering adding someone to my 'friends', I ask myself "Would I get together with them, if we were in the same city, for a catch up?". If the answer is no, then they're not really my friend - and why would I want them to be able to see things like my personal photos? I find it a bit weird when random people I went to school with, but hardly knew, add me just because they want to see what I look like now, or want to know what I'm up to. Don't get me wrong, if they want to reconnect, then great - but sometimes you know it's just because they're being nosy.
Sometimes on Facebook, you're gonna see something you don't wanna see. Exes will turn up in pictures, friends will tag you in embarrassing photos, pictures of a friend's trip to some exotic place will make you sick with jealousy and someone will think it's funny to post a photo of one of their friends, drunk and with their genitals out. And sometimes relationships can be affected by what people decide to post. Thankfully (so far), I've never had a boyfriend 'do' anything horrible on Facebook but this article talks about the very thing. In saying that though, I think you'd have to going out with an asshole to begin with. Either that or someone very paranoid.
Why do they have so many things you can 'become a fan' of on Facebook? Obviously I get that there are fan pages for bands, celebrities, television shows and the like - these are normal things to be a fan of. But the option to become fans of things like sunshine, naps, sex, flipping the pillow over to the cool side, cuddles and getting paid? I mean, who is not a fan of those things?And what exactly is discussed on these pages? Yes, you like it. There's nothing else to say people!
Facebook, I love you really. Check out this video about the realities of Facebook by Idiots of Ants and this website about having your parents as friends on Facebook. Mum and Dad - please don't comment on this.
Picture source: www.8ball.co.uk
The people that have 1,814 friends. No - you don't. I am pretty selective with the people I add on Facebook and consider them all to be actual friends, hence why I don't have anything close to that number. If I get a 'friend request' or I'm considering adding someone to my 'friends', I ask myself "Would I get together with them, if we were in the same city, for a catch up?". If the answer is no, then they're not really my friend - and why would I want them to be able to see things like my personal photos? I find it a bit weird when random people I went to school with, but hardly knew, add me just because they want to see what I look like now, or want to know what I'm up to. Don't get me wrong, if they want to reconnect, then great - but sometimes you know it's just because they're being nosy.
Sometimes on Facebook, you're gonna see something you don't wanna see. Exes will turn up in pictures, friends will tag you in embarrassing photos, pictures of a friend's trip to some exotic place will make you sick with jealousy and someone will think it's funny to post a photo of one of their friends, drunk and with their genitals out. And sometimes relationships can be affected by what people decide to post. Thankfully (so far), I've never had a boyfriend 'do' anything horrible on Facebook but this article talks about the very thing. In saying that though, I think you'd have to going out with an asshole to begin with. Either that or someone very paranoid.
Why do they have so many things you can 'become a fan' of on Facebook? Obviously I get that there are fan pages for bands, celebrities, television shows and the like - these are normal things to be a fan of. But the option to become fans of things like sunshine, naps, sex, flipping the pillow over to the cool side, cuddles and getting paid? I mean, who is not a fan of those things?And what exactly is discussed on these pages? Yes, you like it. There's nothing else to say people!
Facebook, I love you really. Check out this video about the realities of Facebook by Idiots of Ants and this website about having your parents as friends on Facebook. Mum and Dad - please don't comment on this.
Picture source: www.8ball.co.uk
Monday, August 10, 2009
Man on Wire
I watched an excellent documentary last night. Man on Wire tells the story of a French street performer, Phillipe Petit, who, in 1974, illegally strung a cable between the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York and walked across it. The film is about the planning and lead up to the walk, the various people involved, and the execution itself.
Very interestingly, most of the footage was filmed in the year prior to the walk (it wasn't made clear in the documentary who actually filmed those parts) and the rest of it is interviews with Petit and his friends who assisted him, and some who betrayed him, with a little reenactment.I really enjoyed the film, however it definitely left me wanting to know more. It's presented as a heist film, and ends with the walk, but I found myself wanting to know what happened to Petit and the others involved afterwards. It's no secret that Petit didn't fall to his death in the crossing, seeing as he is featured in the interviews right from the beginning of the documentary, and he's a fantastic storyteller - very animated. However, he does come across as somewhat blind with passion - he says at the beginning that he was in a dentist's office in 1968 when he saw a magazine article about the construction of the World Trade Center, and decided then and there that he would one day walk a hire wire between the towers. It seems as though his judgement may have been somewhat clouded by his vision.
There were definitely some emotional scenes in the film, which I wasn't expecting, and a strong focus on the relationships between Petit and the friends who assisted him. One thing I found particularly interesting is that there is no mention of 9/11. Although many online discussions seem to wonder why this is, I think it's entirely appropriate - one has nothing to do with the other - this incredible (albeit crazy) feat needs to be seen in it's own light. I'd also to know why the film was only made last year, almost 25 years after the event.
This film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which means all 141 reviews of it are positive, which is pretty incredible, and it won an Academy Award last year. I would definitely recommend seeing it - it's certainly thought provoking and something to be discussed afterwards.
If you've seen it, let me know what you thought.
Picture source: Alan Welner (www.msnbc.msn.com)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
A long weekend away
It was BC Day here on Monday. Know what that is? Me neither, but it means I had Monday off work. I also took the Friday off and went camping in Tofino on Vancouver Island.
I watched an interesting video at the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre called 'The Intertidal Zone' - does that sound like an action movie title to anyone else? The following day I walked around Schooner Cove at low tide to check out the creatures that habit the in between tide period - there was definitely a lot of action going on! So many star fish and sea anemones in amazing colours.
Tofino is a well known surf spot - one of the best in Canada. The weather and the swell weren't good enough to brave the waters so I didn't surf while I was there, but it was cool to watch the surfers. I also suspect the water was pretty cold too, as most of them were wearing full body wet suits.
Coombs, a small town just outside of Nanaimo where you get off the ferry, features some goats that live on the grass covered roof of the market. Awesome.
Although the weather in Tofino itself wasn't great when I was there, it was perfect
on the first and last days when I was heading to and from the ferry. On the way to Tofino, I happened upon a perfect river for swimming and on the way back to the ferry, went for a swim in the very warm Sproat Lake. As far as tourism slogans go, British Columbia's one is pretty accurate - Super, Natural BC
Tofino is a small town on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It takes about an hour and a half by ferry from Vancouver, and then it's another three hour drive to Tofino. Tofino itself only has 2,000 people so it's pretty small, but there are heaps of beaches all along the coast and it gets pretty busy in summer.
Today I am going to share with you with some pretty interesting stuff I discovered on my trip to Tofino.
Among the wildlife you need to be aware of are wolves, bears and COUGARS - yes, couga
rs. This means you have to animal proof everything and not leave any food or smelly items in your tent or at your campsite, this includes stuff like soap. And apparently gray buckets. Not sure why that is but apprently they attract bears. It can get confusing though because if you're attacked by a bear, you shouldn't maintain eye contact, but if you're attacked by a cougar, you should. Now in the event of any such attack, I am pretty sure I'd get them mixed up. Luckily, the closest encounter I came to any of the wildlife was getting stung on the finger by a wasp.
I watched an interesting video at the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre called 'The Intertidal Zone' - does that sound like an action movie title to anyone else? The following day I walked around Schooner Cove at low tide to check out the creatures that habit the in between tide period - there was definitely a lot of action going on! So many star fish and sea anemones in amazing colours.
Tofino is a well known surf spot - one of the best in Canada. The weather and the swell weren't good enough to brave the waters so I didn't surf while I was there, but it was cool to watch the surfers. I also suspect the water was pretty cold too, as most of them were wearing full body wet suits.
Coombs, a small town just outside of Nanaimo where you get off the ferry, features some goats that live on the grass covered roof of the market. Awesome.Although the weather in Tofino itself wasn't great when I was there, it was perfect
on the first and last days when I was heading to and from the ferry. On the way to Tofino, I happened upon a perfect river for swimming and on the way back to the ferry, went for a swim in the very warm Sproat Lake. As far as tourism slogans go, British Columbia's one is pretty accurate - Super, Natural BCOh and Big Daddy's Fish Fry in Tofino has some of the best fish and chips I've had in ages!
Cougar picture source: http://www.travel-vancouver-island.com, all other pictures are mine
Cougar picture source: http://www.travel-vancouver-island.com, all other pictures are mine
Monday, July 27, 2009
Best stuff from the internet last week
The trailer for the movie Whip It - Ellen Page, roller derby, a kick ass soundtrack and it's directed by Drew Barrymore - what more could you want?
Vancouver is in the middle of a heat wave at the moment and we were treated to an amazing show from mother nature. Check out what my Saturday was like.
I know this has been everywhere, but this is what every wedding should be like. Wouldn't be my choice of song but what a fantastic way to celebrate with your mates on your wedding day.
This article about the best nude beaches and events in the world.....maybe because I went to one of the beaches at the weekend and participated in one of the events recently....or maybe just because being naked is awesome.
I discovered, completely by accident, that one of my new favourite bands, Arcade Fire, does the beautiful theme song in the Where The Wild Things Are trailer. Take a listen to 'Wake Up' here.
Have a great week!
Vancouver is in the middle of a heat wave at the moment and we were treated to an amazing show from mother nature. Check out what my Saturday was like.
I know this has been everywhere, but this is what every wedding should be like. Wouldn't be my choice of song but what a fantastic way to celebrate with your mates on your wedding day.
This article about the best nude beaches and events in the world.....maybe because I went to one of the beaches at the weekend and participated in one of the events recently....or maybe just because being naked is awesome.
I discovered, completely by accident, that one of my new favourite bands, Arcade Fire, does the beautiful theme song in the Where The Wild Things Are trailer. Take a listen to 'Wake Up' here.
Have a great week!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Local legends
I saw this article the other day about debunking 'scientific' myths and it got me thinking about urban legends. You know, the stories that went round when you were a kid about well known people, or the tales that served as a warning not to do something. Here are some of the ones I remember:
Picture source: www.liveupdater.com
- The one about the guy who took drugs that caused him to think that he was a carrot and he grated himself to death - the mental picture of this was pretty disgusting....and I never questioned it at the time, but how exactly would this happen? Did he just rub himself up against the grater? Please tell me someone else remembers that one.
- That the guy from the IHC ads, Roly Heihei, drowned in the swimming pool that featured in the ad he appeared in.
- Chewing your hair gave you hair balls....thanks Mum.
- When you 'pash' someone, their saliva remains in your system for 3 months - I remember being told this one in a 4th form science class, and everyone turning to look at the girl who had 'got with' about ten guys at the school dance the week before and seeing her expression of horror.
- Another one from tv - Vesi, the guy from the stay in school ad - at leasst I think that's what it was for - ("Vesi's chicken eh", "Give him another ten", "Yeah, another ten") - committed suicide because he got so many hassles for doing that ad.
- The chain letters that went round - I always felt compelled to send them to the eight people I was required to so I would avoid the impending doom that would result if I didn't. And this was the days before computers were mainstream so I had to write each one out by hand. I remember once being really panicked that I'd never manage to write out all the copies and get them posted before the three day bad luck deadline.
- The rumour Jason Gunn was a crack head. I'm still not sure that one's entirely false. Especially after that Jason's Tinny House sketch he did.
Picture source: www.liveupdater.com
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Funny t-shirts
I was walking down the street in Vancouver the other day and I saw a guy wearing this t-shirt:
Source: http://www.mrvintage.co.nz/
I'm pretty sure I was the only person in the close proximity of that guy who got the joke.
If you don't know, back in '99, New Zealand television personaliy Mickey Havoc named Gore as the gay capital of New Zealand. Statistics proved in '97 that there are, in fact, only three gay couples living in Gore.
Anyway, here are some of the best t-shirts I've seen around the place:
Source: www.lookatmeshirts.com
Source: www.lookatmeshirts.com
And some sweet as Kiwi ones:
Source: www.mrvintage.co.nz
Source: www.billitees.co.nz
Source: www.mrvintage.co.nz
Source: www.mrvintage.co.nz
We've come a long way since 'Jesus is my homeboy'
Monday, July 13, 2009
Urban slang
One of my favourite websites at the moment is www.urbandictionary.com
I like to use it when I'm surfing the web and I see stuff like "Ahhemmgee, this pic is totes embar. But, beeteedubs, you look totes presh!" - WTF?
Here are some of the gems I've found recently that resonate with me:
Air jerk: Making a 'jerking off' motion with one's hand to express disgust, disinterest or disbelief, while simulatenously rolling one's eyes. Similar to concept of playing air guitar.
I love to do this when talking about someone I think is a douche....which leads to my next one:
Douchebaguette: A female douchebag. A woman who exhibits characteristics of a douchebag.
Just 'cos I'm in Canada
Running latte: Showing up late to work because you stopped for coffee along the way.
If only it was a flat white....
Brown chicken, brown cow: an onomatopaeic imitation of the guitar riff commonly heard in 1970's porn movies. For example, Jim: "Hey, where are Abby and Jake?" Matt: "Brown chicken, brown cow."
I just thought this one was classic. Mainly because I had to say it out loud at my desk at work in order to fully understand it.
Alt-tabbin': An act of quickly switching the current application to something work-appropriate when the boss walks in. For example, "My boss almost caught me on Facebook at work, good thing I was Alt-Tabbin"
Because this is what I do for 7 hours a day.
Facebook binge: The act of going on Facebook 'just to check it for a few minutes' and suddenly finding that it's 3 or 4 hours later and you have no idea where your afternoon went. Commonly occurs when 'quickly checking Facebook' is used as a break in studying/tidying/other necessary but dull tasks.
What can I say....
I like to use it when I'm surfing the web and I see stuff like "Ahhemmgee, this pic is totes embar. But, beeteedubs, you look totes presh!" - WTF?
Here are some of the gems I've found recently that resonate with me:
Air jerk: Making a 'jerking off' motion with one's hand to express disgust, disinterest or disbelief, while simulatenously rolling one's eyes. Similar to concept of playing air guitar.
I love to do this when talking about someone I think is a douche....which leads to my next one:
Douchebaguette: A female douchebag. A woman who exhibits characteristics of a douchebag.
Just 'cos I'm in Canada
Running latte: Showing up late to work because you stopped for coffee along the way.
If only it was a flat white....
Brown chicken, brown cow: an onomatopaeic imitation of the guitar riff commonly heard in 1970's porn movies. For example, Jim: "Hey, where are Abby and Jake?" Matt: "Brown chicken, brown cow."
I just thought this one was classic. Mainly because I had to say it out loud at my desk at work in order to fully understand it.
Alt-tabbin': An act of quickly switching the current application to something work-appropriate when the boss walks in. For example, "My boss almost caught me on Facebook at work, good thing I was Alt-Tabbin"
Because this is what I do for 7 hours a day.
Facebook binge: The act of going on Facebook 'just to check it for a few minutes' and suddenly finding that it's 3 or 4 hours later and you have no idea where your afternoon went. Commonly occurs when 'quickly checking Facebook' is used as a break in studying/tidying/other necessary but dull tasks.
What can I say....
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Canadians
As a relative newcomer to Canada, there are certain things that have struck me about Canadians - some of them sterotypical, some of them less so:
1. They actually do say 'eh', although not in exactly the same way as Kiwis say it. Canadians tend to tack it on to the end of a sentence as a statement such as "I know, eh", rather than using it to illicit a response, like Kiwis do: "That's your drink eh?"
2. I'm not sure if this is a Vancouver thing, but there seem to be a higher proportion of vegetarian and organic enthusiasts here. We have a vegetable garden at our place and I live with two vegetarians (one of which is a sometime vegan - depending on if there's cheese around) and my other housemate, although not a card carrying vegetarian, seems to eat an awful lot of tofu
3. If you say thank you for anything, Canadians always say "You're welcome". ALWAYS
4. Two of the most common words used by Canadians: "douche" and "awesome"
5. Although a Canadian friend once lamented to me that she "had never said ooot and aboot" in her life, after having her accent imitated by an Australian, I can see how people would make this, albeit exagerated, mockery - they sort of say "aoot and aboout"
6. Canadians are more offended than I am when they mistake me for an Australian. This happens every few days. They proudly ask me where in Australia I am from (props to them for picking up that I don't have a Canadian accent), I politely reply I am actually from New Zealand, and the look of mortification on their face is something akin to if they had just asked how my new puppy was doing and I had replied that he'd been run over by a car that morning - cue the "Oh my god, I am SO sorry!". Luckily, as I spent almost 3 years living in Australia, I assure them I am not offended. Well, not TOO offended.
1. They actually do say 'eh', although not in exactly the same way as Kiwis say it. Canadians tend to tack it on to the end of a sentence as a statement such as "I know, eh", rather than using it to illicit a response, like Kiwis do: "That's your drink eh?"
2. I'm not sure if this is a Vancouver thing, but there seem to be a higher proportion of vegetarian and organic enthusiasts here. We have a vegetable garden at our place and I live with two vegetarians (one of which is a sometime vegan - depending on if there's cheese around) and my other housemate, although not a card carrying vegetarian, seems to eat an awful lot of tofu
3. If you say thank you for anything, Canadians always say "You're welcome". ALWAYS
4. Two of the most common words used by Canadians: "douche" and "awesome"
5. Although a Canadian friend once lamented to me that she "had never said ooot and aboot" in her life, after having her accent imitated by an Australian, I can see how people would make this, albeit exagerated, mockery - they sort of say "aoot and aboout"
6. Canadians are more offended than I am when they mistake me for an Australian. This happens every few days. They proudly ask me where in Australia I am from (props to them for picking up that I don't have a Canadian accent), I politely reply I am actually from New Zealand, and the look of mortification on their face is something akin to if they had just asked how my new puppy was doing and I had replied that he'd been run over by a car that morning - cue the "Oh my god, I am SO sorry!". Luckily, as I spent almost 3 years living in Australia, I assure them I am not offended. Well, not TOO offended.
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