Travel Bug is Back!

So, I have really been missing this blogging spot for me to write all about my travels as it appears as though not much has been happening lately... My head has been buried in the sand of reality and it completely and utterly sucks.

But now, I am already looking forward to my Thailand holiday which is half booked! We have our flights ready to go and we're flying with Air Asia to KL and then on some dodgy little Asian airline to go to Koh Samui. It's a propellor jet plane so I am a little scared but I am sure it will all be fine. Like I've told Dylan, as long as if the plane is going to crash it can do it on the way back so at least we've had one last relaxing holiday.

We've booked our 3 and a half day PADI Dive Course and are pumped to be getting accredited on Koh Tao which is one of the best places in the world to dive. And it's also ridiculously cheap. We are spending $400 each to get our certification and 4 nights of accommodation. Pretty cruisy!

Koh Samui is proving to be a little more expensive than Dylan remembers and this is one place we haven't booked yet so if you have any recommendations on places to stay, it'd be great to hear from you!

Til January...

xoxo

Heading into Unmarked Territory!

Okay so perhaps not unmarked territory but definitely into a place which is a sore spot amoung Canadians - we went to the USA! Yep, we hit up MONTANA!

Dylan has Wednesday's off thanks to having his hours cut due to "the recession" so we decided to do a day trip to Montana seeing as though it is only a few hours away.

We get a car for the day - this time one which doesn't have a punctured tire - and set off bright and early to make our way across the Canadian border and into the U

.S of A! We get to the border, flash our passports, get fingerprinted (American security measures suck) and then wait for half an hour while they check our passports and finally stamp them so we can get through to Montana.

Immediately, there is a different feel in the air. The praries look different.. the sun hits us in a unusual light, we feel... Americanized. I feel like shouting "Hey Ya'll" out the car window and Dylan may or may not have felt like screaming "yeehaw" which unfortunately he forgot to do - ah well, next time!

Our first stop is of course a bathroom stop and food! We wanted American grub and we wanted it now! Stopping off in some hick town with loads of Natives we manage to find a bathroom for me and a diner which served cheeseburgers (NO substitutes) which consisted of two slabs of greasy meat and something that resembled cheese but wasn't quite the cheese we're used to and a side of fries... greasy but it sure hit the spot.

We keep driving to Glacier National Park and one word... WOW! We went to St Mary's and saw this absolutely stunning lake for which the picture does not do justice...

We drive around and are impressed by the beauty that is Montana when Dylan says... "I think we should stay the night." I agreed so we went in search of a place to stay... we drove to these dodgy looking campground/cabin site which had an old guy standing around - it looked like a scene from a horror movie. Woods. Old guy. Axe... okay maybe I made up the axe part but it looked kind of scary so I said a hell no to that place. We drove around a little more and found a place just before the entrance to Glacier National Park which was.... doable... and decided to go grab some dinner before going back to the hotel... went to an awesome restaurant where I ordered the pulled pork BBQ burger, which is basically pork which has been pulled apart and marinated in BBQ sauce - yummy - and the owner of the restaurant told us about these cute little log cabins and was so friendly we couldn't resist when he told us to go and check the cabins out... so off we go... back to the same place where the axe murder lived.. and it turns out the log cabins were gorgeous AND they were the same price as the 'doable' hotel! So we grabbed the lucky last cabin (luck seems to follow the both of us) and settled in for the night.

We wake up bright and not-so-early the next morning. Dylan is feeling less stressed after having lied to work that his buddies car broke down in Edmonton and we set off for the day... only to discover our $25 seven day Glacier National Park pass has gone M.I.A! Oh no! We go down anyway, bypassing my need for breakfast and juice (again, never listen to Dylan!) and go straight to the park where we get let in for free because the same lady as yesterday was working... but we couldn't get out! And there are no drinks or food in the park because of BEARS! So, we leave the park and get food and juice and explore other areas...

Now, you have to know the entire time we were driving through the park I was looking for bears and kept yelling at Dylan to SLOW DOWN because we might miss a bear if you drive too fast! So, at this point I'd stopped actively looking for bears... and Dylan stops the car. Says "Oh. My. Gosh." - I look up and see a HUGE grizzly bear crossing the road with four baby cubs trailing behind! It was the most amazing thing ever but it happened so quick we didn't have a chance to grab our cameras but in our hearts and burned into our memories will be the USA Grizzlies!

We also saw a real live moose the day before and driving home we saw a coyote so I've now seen quite a few Canadian animals so I was pretty stoked.

Since we lost our park pass, we decided that we'd drive out of Glacier and back through the Canadian border - which they didn't even check our car for booze so we could have brought back tons dammit - bought a soda on Canadian soil and found $50 which the cashier promptly said in her old lady voice "Oh I'll return that to its owner" and which Dylan quickly said, after glancing in his wallet "Oh, actually that's mine" and $50 made its way into our pockets. Sweet.

In typical Simone and Dylan style we had some random adventures. Driving down the highway we come across two little dogs - a small black one and a small white one... come to think of it, Michael Jackson was playing on the radio too... and I made Dylan pull over so we could rescue the cute little rascals because I was scared they'd otherwise get run over. The white one was quite happy to be caught and came easily. The black dog, not so much. We chased it - on foot and by car. Gave up after it ran through a field to a house - so we deliver the white dog there too and hope for the best.

On the way to visit Dylan's best buddy in Fernie, we drove through what used to be a town but is now called Frank's Slide - the wall of the mountain collapsed and buried the whole town and now the mountain face looks like a slide! Pretty amazing and so sad. 

Made it to Fernie and had some pretty amazing curry at a curry house in Fernie and did not tip the stupid Aussie server because she was too lazy and refused to walk upstairs to bring us our bill. No tip from me and Dylan copped a pretty nasty look when I went to the bathroom. Do your job woman and we'll tip you next time. 

As I drove back from Fernie, Dylan told me to watch out for deer as dusk is prime deer time and ... "riding along in my automobile", Dylan grabbed my shoulder and shouted "stop" - and thank gosh because a deer bounded right in front of the car and I definitely tested out the car breaks only to discover they work quite well! Phew. No, we didn't hit the deer and we ended up eating a vegetarian meal for dinner that night, damn. I was a little shaky but was okay to drive home!

Pretty amazing trip - two Canadian provinces and the USA all in 2 days! We are thinking of heading back to Montana to do some camping but we'll see how we go for time. Should be amazing if we do though, there are some gorgeous spots to camp! 

That's all for now folks... Be prepared for another update next week after our camping trip in Jasper! 

Dinosaurs in Drumheller

This is going back a few weekends but I figure I ought to update as I've actually been doing some fun stuff lately thanks to meeting fellow Aussie Dylan and his cheap as car rentals...

A few weekends ago we were meant to go camping but due to shitty weather we decided to stay in town... however, we still had a car. We decided to go to a place just out of Calgary called Drumheller. Dylan calls a buddy of his to see how to get to this place... and... after driving 100km MORE than we needed to on the highway (because Dylan kept telling me we hadn't passed the place his friend told him to turn at yet even though on the map I could see we were a zillion miles away from where we were supposed to be...) we head back the way we came...

Finally on the right track and we stop in this town so I can use the bathroom... and we discover one of our back tires is flat... so, we try to find gas in this tiny little hick town on the praries... Reckon any service station has frickin' air? Of course not... We buy magic foam to put that in the tire to get us through but then Dylan decides to change the tire.

I go back and get a refund for the magic foam... Dylan decides he can't be bothered changing the tire... He re-buys the magic foam (I refused because I just got the money back, haha).... So tire is magic foamed, it has been hours since we set off on our adventure, a small detour of 200km later and we're back on our way... only to discover the tire was flat again, which is when we discovered it had a puncture! Oh great! All good, it's not that bad *yet* so we keep driving until we finally reach Drumheller.

Anyways, to sum up Drumheller, apparently was home to the dinosaur many, many moons ago - hence all the cheap and tacky touristy dinosaur figures that litter the streets. It is also home to the World's Largest Dinosaur which you can also climb up the 106 stairs to the top of and stand in the dinosaurs mouth...

After surviving our wacky tourist attack, we decided we were in need of a beer before setting off on a Dinosaur Trail... a 48km round trip of the surrounding area of Drumheller to see the valley... kind of a cool bar so I've chucked in a photo too.
Anyway, with our punctured tire, we set off on the road again and attempted to drive this somewhat spectacular Dinosaur Trail, only to discover that we had gotten lost and had ended up on the wrong highway hence why we did not see much of the spectacular drive that Canada's Lonely Planet guide book was raving about... so, defeated we start the drive back to Drumheller city centre (and on the way see the actual sign for the Dinosaur Trail which we missed about 30kms back) and decided instead to go in search of this saloon which Dylan was adamant he wanted to go to... seriously, if this man can learn anything from me it definitely must be listen to my bloody directions because you are going the wrong way!

Yes, again we managed to get side-tracked and ended up passing the sign to the saloon (after following directions from a dodgy servo dude (that's cashier at a service station to all you non-abbreviating non-Aussies out there) who told us to go over the 11 bridges of Wayne... so we drive... and drive... and pass some Hoodoos which are kind of cool - and see an old coal mine... before turning back and getting on the road which I told Dylan before was probably the road we needed to have taken... however, I pretend I'm annoyed but in reality if we hadn't gotten side-tracked then we would never have seen the old coal mine or the Hoodoos so the detour was actually interesting!

Hoodoos - Sounds kind of creepy but basically what they are is mushroom shaped rocks which are formed by the layers of soft rock which are protected by sheets of hard rock on top. The softer rock erodes pretty quickly but the hard layer of rock on top protects the stone underneath it from eroding so quickly so the layers without harder rock on top erode, leaving the hard rock as a barrier which means these mushroom shaped Hoodoos are formed. Hopefully you get what I'm saying with that but you can check out the Drumheller website for more info if you so desire!
So cutting this post short, we pump up the tire yet again 'cause we're still too lazy to change it and manage to witness a pretty decent sunset at Horseshoe Canyon and head home to call it a night!

Trek Through the Banff Wilderness

My weekend was spent camping out in Banff National Park. My buddy, Dylan, chose our camping ground which was at a place called Two Jack Lake. I stipulated that showers and toilets were a must, even though I could have gone without them I decided I didn't want to. 

Our campground was amazing. We had the lake right beside us and it was just full of lush, green trees. I talk a lot but I have to say, seeing this lake I was absolutely breathless. The photos are gorgeous but still don't do it the justice it deserves. 

We set up our tent, well, actually Dylan tried setting up the tent and I wandered off to find a washroom and came back 10 minutes later to find him still struggling with the tent... so, I check it out and have the tent set up in about 30 seconds flat.

 

Dylan was a little peeved that I managed to figure out the tent so fast and he kept asking if I was really sure the tent was supposed to be set up the way I had set it up - mind you, his way of setting up the tent kind of involved stretching the tent into odd shapes which were really obviously wrong and my way was pretty simple. I was pleased with myself ;) 

We ended up doing that trail, Johnston Canyon, which I was excited about doing last time I went to Banff but Kylie whinged about breaking her ankle over.... It was really pretty. We walked along and saw these gushing waterfalls and we could go into this tiny cave which led directly in front of the waterfall and we could feel the spray of the water. It was nice but so cold! 

We were then going to drive up to Lake Louise to take a photo cos the ice had since melted on the lake but decided to go to Banff and get our supplies - which pretty much consisted sausages, ingredients for s'mores and booze. 

It was a good thing we continued to drive because we saw more elk (we'd already seen them earlier in the day and I may or may not have turned into a rambling mess of excitement that couldn't sit still). At one stage, we saw our second herd of elk when driving past in our vehicle. They were on the opposite side of the road, so pulled over (probably not in the safest way, I was too excited).. jumped out of the car and slowly ran over to take a photo... I promptly got scared after I asked Dylan if it was safe and he advised me not to get too close to the elk... so, I ran back to the car, jumped in, reversed, changed direction and took photos of the elk out of the car window - we had to keep accelerating because the elk kept walking and munching on leaves so we had follow them so I could get the perfect shot! 

We also saw big horned sheep

and a chipmunk (on our walk of Johnston Canyon) so I was feeling pretty excited about all the wilderness at this stage! 

As we kept driving we ended up upon this trail. I like to drive, randomly, and I find that these are the times you find really cool things... which we did. We jumped out of the car and saw this trail - Upper Bankhead it was called. It was getting late but we still had a fair bit of time before it got dark so Dylan and I started this trail. It was 4.2kms each way so we knew we weren't going to do the entire thing but figured we'd check it out and if it was nice we'd go back the following day. It was more like a real trail, meaning it wasn't paved like Johnston Canyon, which was more what we were after. So, we walked up a bit and Dylan freaked me out by telling me that we were probably within 500m of a bear.. so, of course, after that I kept "hearing" bears. As we kept walking on the trail, it got narrower and the trees began to close in a little more and we heard a coyote... which promptly freaked me out even more and we decided (okay, I decided) it was time to go back... well, it was starting to get darker and Dylan also told me that this was the time when bears were feeding - awesome! I wanted to see a bear, not get eaten by one! 

We were just about out of the trail and could pretty much see the parking lot from where we were standing... and all of a sudden we heard the trees rustle (Dylan later told me he thought it was a bear) and out pops this white tailed deer... it runs right in front of us and leaps over a fallen tree branch which must have been over 2 meters high and bounds off into the forest. It was amazing. Again, I was speechless. I looked over at Dylan and asked him in absolute awe "did you see that?" and he was also a little speechless and said "yep"... It was the most amazing thing on our trip. The photo below shows me standing in front of the spot where the deer bounded over... 

Because it happened so fast there was no way we could have gotten a photo. So, we headed back to our campsite, we walked around the lake and discovered that the lake water was literally crystal clear and we brought plastic cups along our walk and we drank the lake water... it was some of the best water I've had. So clear and fresh. We even saw fish jumping out of the lake and could hear their plop as they landed back in the water.

Headed back to the campfire, stuck our sausages on a metal skewer we bought from Safeway and then after cooking and splitting one open, we realised the Canadian fire pits are pretty awesome and have a little side thing for actually BBQing things so we quickly put the other sausages on to BBQ instead of holding them on these dodgy little skewers, burning our fingers. We cooked up some s'mores (Dylan was impressed, he'd never had them before) and drank our vodka with sourpuss and apple juice (my creation, which he was also impressed with). 

(Dylan set the timer on the camera and the flash went off as I had a big 

gob of sausage in my mouth! Attractive!)

On Sunday morning, I woke up with massive cramps and was in so much pain I cried... so we had to cut our trip short and ended up getting home at 9am which I was so sad about because there was so much else to do out there but we agreed to go camping this weekend and we were going to go back to the same place but then Dylan suggested we go to Fernie, B.C which to me, sounds amazing. There are SO many camping spots out there that it makes me not want to go back home because they are all just so amazing. Next time I am hoping to see a bear and a moose (hopefully from the safe confines of our car rather than on a trail) but I am pretty pumped. Dylan actually said I am lucky with spotting wildlife, he said he'd never seen as many animals as he had out with me - even in Calgary, we spotted baby squirrels yesterday and baby Canadian Geese so a bear we shall definitely see! Love camping and had a blast on our trip even if it was short lived.

Moose and Baby Geese and Bears... Oh My!

Working 12 hour shifts are never much fun and I have vowed that I never want to do this again, however, on a positive - my Canadian credit card has been paid off!

I have 7 weeks remaining in Calgary and am planning to make the most of it (as best I can with limited funds) and this weekend I am heading up to the mountains to do some camping. I stipulated that in order to go camping, there must be toilet and shower facilities around as I do not feel like starting my first (and quite possibly last) Canadian camping experience smelling like a feral.

Our plans so far include Johnston Canyon which last time I was in Banff I missed out on due to cries of 'oh but it's too icy' and 'oh but if I go I might break an ankle' - right, next time don't come to Banff if you just want to sit in the car and complain the entire time. The Rockies are home to many of the most beautiful hikes in the world and I plan on enjoying them whilst I am here!

We also are going to attempt 'a little bit of paddling' - aka - canoeing! This I have not done in a very long time so I am a little concerned I may end up drenched in icy cold water and I have images of my friend whipping out the camera and him laughing hysterically whilst I am floundering around the bottom of some lake being attacked by underwater grizzly bears.
Funnily enough, I was reading up on the Banff National Park website and there are quite a few mentions of bears and how to protect yourself against them by:

• not leaving food around your campsite;
• traveling in groups of 4+ on certain hikes that are in bear territory;
• carrying bear spray.

I am excited to see a bear and am going to demand my National Park entrance fee back if I do not see a bear (and also a moose, and perhaps an elk) whilst camping. That being said, if a bear comes to the edge of my tent and pokes its snout in, I may just well have a heart attack and keel over so I guess I should be careful of what I wish for. 

Nevertheless, I am beyond excited for this upcoming weekend and should post a few pics up when I get back as I've been a little slack

 in doing that for this site seeing as all my photos are posted on the social site known to all as Facebook!

Oh and one random other thing I feel like sharing 

- a few days ago I went for a walk along the Bow River and 

it was beautiful and sunny.. actually, I rollerbladed... and saw some baby geese. They were so cute and fluffy but of course, no camera, so I am going to go back tonight and hope some of these little baby geese are till there! Super cute! 

Fail Blog

There is this hilarious website which Steph, a girl I work with, introduced me to - here are some hilarious pictures which are on the website and for more laughs you can check out Fail Blog for more laughs.


see more Fail Blog






see more Fail Blog






see more Fail Blog






see more Fail Blog






see more Fail Blog





There are loads more hilarious ones on the site but I don't want to post too many of them here. This is what I do at work when I don't have much work to do. $15 an hour to do this. Pretty sweet.

Gripe & Moan

To all those out there who actually read this thing - an update at long last.

To sum up everything in Calgary - not a whole bunch has been going on. I went to Banff with my room mate and another couple of friends for a weekend which proceeded to be the biggest let-down because they complained about it being too icy and cold to do any form of hike which was pretty much the entire point of why I wanted to go - so wasted my money there even though Banff and Lake Louise itself are quite beautiful. I will try to go back before I come home...

...Yes! Home. July I will be gracing the good earth of Australia with my presence. Would like to stay in Canada longer, however, figure money kind of might be more useful than living in a country that makes it hard for me to teach, thus, not enabling me to earn good coin.

Got told a few home truths recently which were not much fun so even more 'personal growth' to work on which I am pretty sure money and a car would definitely help solve (money would help the lack of being able to do fun things ANYWHERE and car would help because it is a convenience).

Feeling pretty damn grumpy working 12 hour days - 7 days a week, which my friends do NOT understand at all as per shown by sending me texts asking if I want to hang out and getting pissy when I keep saying 'no, I am freaking tired I want to go home and chill out in my apartment which is couchless and pretty much TV-less' - but that is a whole differnet story and let's save one bout of grumpiness for another posting at least.

So, pretty much my whole existance at the moment is geared towards feeling sorry for myself working so much, being a grumpy bitch who is really going to miss Canada but is really looking forward to going back home cos of friends, car, job and money.

Only another 4 more hours of work-induced boredom before I get to go home to sleep before Groundhog Day starts ALL over again.

You wonder why I've not blogged in a while - well may this post remind you of why!

Canadian Musts vs Aussie Musts

In Canada you must:

Try real maple syrup (don't worry, I'll bring some home)

Take a photo of a moose, beaver, elk, etc

Eat Elk!!!

Use words like 'brutal', 'super', 'sketchy', 'perfect' and 'right on'

Go to the Rockies

Try Beef Jerky

Drink a Caesar - which is tomato and clam juice with some alcohol (vodka?) in it! I have not yet tried one.

Snowboard

Lose a tooth and spit like crazy

In Australia you must:

Eat fish and chips by the beach and feed lone chips to lone seagulls

Go to the beach

See the outback

Contrary to popular belief, do not say 'Chuck a shrimp on the Barbie'

Have a BBQ

Try Fosters and VB (although no real Aussie would drink such crap)

Learn to surf

And probably a shitload more to add to this list but I will keep updating.

Sims

xo

 

Character Building

After coming back from my attempt at a run down by the river I am feeling pretty damn unfit right now. My old fitness levels have definitely abandoned me due to lack of nurturing them through my years of living overseas and all my excuses... but now the weather is starting to sun up and I have my cute blue and white Aussie shorts which are determined to see Calgary summer so I am feeling pretty optimistic. Salad for dinner with 'spicy satay' tuna that almost burnt my tongue off.. great start!

I had a job interview today for a school... before you jump to conclusions, I applied for an admin position... since I can't teach here. It's pretty dodgy hours, pretty crap pay ... but ... they have a teaching course that they PAY for us to go on, we just have to commit to those hours in order to obtain the whatever it is the course does. Sooo I kind of figure that it may be worth being in a school environment because it may look my resume a little more desirable when I apply for teaching positions back at home.

Still, the whole job hunting experience has been frustrating and not fun because I am used to getting paid reasonably well - I was getting $18 an hour working in hospitality back in Melbourne, let alone what I was getting paid as a teacher so with what I am getting offered here I feel like I want to die! Still, character building right? It's the experience and what not. To an extent it is, but at the same time, still frustrating.

I am loving living with Kylie though! Has changed my Calgary experience from a negative one to a positive one. We get along well and it's fun! Speaking of, I am going to get ready so we can go to Walmart and find me roller blades!

xo

Who-Do, You-Do, We-Do VOODOO

I was sure I had some witty and funny story to write about but heavens if I remember what it was actually about so I'm guessing it can't be that entertaining after all..

Random bit of quality information - it has been 171 days since I have moved to Canada... I know, I know.. 'come home' but for some stupid reason ... I can't.. Good luck trying to reason with me as to why not! 

You know, I've come to the conclusion that someone has made a voodoo doll of me because I get all these random cuts over my skin that I swear I do not remember obtaining and I've actually been super sober lately (yes, really) so the only logical explanation left is voodoo! Someone has 100% made me into a voodoo doll and randomly creates little cuts and nicks into my skin because there is no way of course I could be doing this myself and not remember... lol! Weird.

Sorry guys not much to report at the moment but I will keep you updated as per requested :o) 

~S

Canada Post is a Royal Pain!

I rediscovered ebay after finding a pair of boots I liked in a shop but refused to pay $185 (plus 5% GST) so one of my friends suggested ebay... Perfect solution, found boots at almost half price and had them shipped to my new apartment because as I am moving out in a couple of days (well, tomorrow) there was no point getting them shipped here.. 

My gmail account tells me that I have one new message, so I click it open to find that my ebay seller has sent my boots and enclosed a tracking number, so of course, I check the status of my boots... And they had been delivered - but because I am in an apartment, they take all packages directly to the post office and leave a little slip in the letter box telling you where you can pick it up... now of course, I don't have my little slip as I haven't yet moved in so I ring Canada Post and ask what ID I need to collect my mail. 

For lack of better description as I can only go by his voice, but the douche bag at Canada Post proceeds to inform me that as I have no proof of address that I cannot claim MY package... to which I say 'that is ridiculous, I have ID with my name on it and have the tracking number and can tell you where the package was shipped from and when'... no dice. He sighs... 'well, I will look into this to see what we can do...' - apparently nothing ... oh so my package gets shipped back to Edmonton in 15 days if I can't produce something with my address on it to confirm... however, I can envision him scratching his head as he ponders this thought.. 'but what you could do is get your current room mate to pick it up for you. Of course, because the package is in your name you would have to authorize her to do so, like write a letter of authorization'... at which point I flipped and pretty much told him that was the most absurd thing I have ever heard because they would give the package to Kylie because she was listed as at that address but wouldn't give it to me even though I had 100% of the other details including ID with MY name on it... 

He was getting a bit pissy at this point too and I did feel as though I had to clarify just one thing... and it went something like this and yes, it was a little ridiculous but you need to understand that he was telling me I couldn't pick up my own package due to security reasons (but would let Kylie pick it up?!)... I pretty much argued and asked him if Canada Post checked ID of people who lived in houses when they delivered packages.. he said 'uh no'... and I asked 'well why not?' and apparently if someone is living in the house then it is assumed that they have the authority to be there... I was just being painful now and bitchy so I asked 'well what would happen if a robber was robbing my house but decided to be polite and open the door and took my package?' - silence on the phone - I continued - 'does that mean he has a right to my package?'... I don't think he quite knew what to say but he mentioned something about circles and going round and round so I pretty much told him he was useless and did he even work for the post office I was asking about anyway and he said no... so I asked him for the number of my post office which he told me to google ... asshole ... so I googled it and rang.. 

Of course, I got someone who couldn't speak English which was great but after another 5 minutes of confusion to determine whether or not my package was there (which it was because the tracking system said so but she was just being frustrating by not speaking English) and told me all I needed was one piece of photo ID! 

Ahhh the chaos of trying to pick up the package and stupid people who work at Canada Post!

Lesson be learned - do not put men in charge of anything! 

A little bit of pressure goes the wrong way!

I hate pressure. Air pressure that is! Ever since moving to Calgary my sinuses have gone to shit. Something about Chinooks and the wind from the mountains, whatever, makes my sinuses not very happy and today I'm feeling kind of flat because of this stupid pressure. It doesn't happen every day and I'm sure if I popped a sinus tablet I'd be fine, but, I am against taking unnecessary medication. At least it isn't as bad as Seattle. I found it to be much worse at my mums, I always thought it may have just been my mum who made my head spin ... *kidding* ... but even in Vancouver I had horrible headaches so I'm guessing I didn't spend long enough there to adjust! 

The big day arrives on Wednesday when I move into my new apartment! I am pretty excited about this as I have my own bathroom, I can decorate however I want because it is MINE and not someone else's house that I'm moving into, although Kylie will have her stuff there but it's not like someone owns the house and we've moved in like the houses before this.. so... I'm excited. Half my stuff is there now and I've just got my bed and a few random things to move as well so should be fairly painless. I have the cutest shower curtain in the world and this is the teacher coming out in me because it is of little fish with googly eyes! Definitely not what I would have in my own house however because it is so expensive to have a co-ordinated bathroom I figure I can have cute fish for the time 

being. Looooooove Walmart! 

Another bit of exciting, albeit ridiculous news considering the event I'm excited for is 4 months away ... but I bought my cowboy hat for Calgary Stampede! I went to the mall, saw a hat and decided, heck, why not buy this thing right here and now. So, off I trot to the counter, cowboy hat in hand.. I hand over my magical plastic card which they proceed to swipe... I wait, in anticipation.. accepted... phew, I was worried for a second there when I saw his brow crease in confusion, but soon enough the hat was mine... along with a necklace, earrings, a movie (well, okay so technically I didn't take that home with me, but still!), random house stuff like food storage containers and excited with those purchases, Kylie and I made our way to Moxies, after saying goodbye to Michelle, and proceeded to bitch out boys and girls alike over quite a few Bellinis (her) and Raspberry Temptations (me) be

fore deciding to go home and hit the hay for a reasonably quite Saturday night.

It's Sunday now and my plans for the day include going for a walk to enjoy the niceish weather... considering my room looks like a clothes bomb has gone off, I may even continue tossing things into bags to prepare for M Day but I am pretty sure my enthusiasm won't last for longer than 5 minutes, hence why my clothes are still strewn over the floor right now. Oh, I also acquired a plant from one of my friends who is moving up to Fort McMurray (oil fields) for a few months so now I've been given this daunting task of looking 

after Roxanne (see picture)... how do you keep a plant alive...??? I lost fish so I am scared that he will come back only to find Roxanne gone and I will be in b.i.g trouble!!!

London, Fog & Rain

10 things I miss about the UK...

1. The ridiculously overcrowded tube in which people are packed in as tight as sardines. I especially miss the stinky armpits pushed up against my nose from the sweaty business men who look like they could use a ten-year free gym membership... eww;
2. Terrace style housing that are old and run down with cracks in the wall but somehow always managed to feel like home;
3. Rain and rain and rain and the dusty fog that always manages to accompany this relentless rain;
4. Ahh the nightlife... the bars, the clubs, the action!! The REDBACK (yes, I know, lame, but some seriously good nights to be had there!)
5. Music festivals at Hyde Park;
6. Sharing a room for 8 months with a girl who never washed her sheets and had a dildo hidden in between the sheets... hilarious night when we discovered that!
7. Random hostel stories that accumulated with travel adventures;
8. Walking down Oxford Street and getting frustrated at the hoards of people who would stand, awestruck, at the city of London;
9. Going for walks down the Thames;
10. My one night job as a bartender on a riverboat that cruised down the Thames! 

But all that being said, I loved my time in London, wish I utilised it better but I love my life where I am now and love what I have achieved. I feel so good about how things have turned out (minus the lack of money thing) but I've learnt a lot about who I am and what I want in life..

I can never get London back, nor would I want to - I loved what I had but it was time for me to leave and here I am in Canada and whether I will stay here for years or whether I go home at the end of 2009, whatever choice I make, I will survive - and that is something I often forget. Choices can be made but they are only a choice. Nothing will ever break me down so badly that I can't pick myself back up. I've always been able to jump back up, brush off the dust and start again. 

At the end of this month I move into my new house and am excited about that. I have a wicked room mate and she will be a lot of fun. Work is going well, I am still indecisive about what exactly I want to do but welcome to the life of Simone - indecisive is my middle name! Speaking of names, in Canada, I have gotten such a variety of names...

~ Simeron

~ Samantha

~ Tim 

~ Simoen

~ Tamera (this one is my favourite!) 

And other random names... Apparently they don't understand my accent. Speaking of accents, apparently Janelle (work colleague) thinks my accent is still really thick, Aussie accent. Surprising since I've been gone for two years and even when I went home I felt that my accent wasn't as strong as it once was.... but I guess she has been here six years so her accent would be weaker than mine....

Choices... if only someone could give me a crystal ball and tell me which choice would be the best one to make. 

I'm Still a Melbourne Girl

Yes, I know, slap my wrists and tie me to a chair, I've been slack in the old blogging department but after much demand from... well, okay, my mother, I have taken some time out on this chilly Wednesday evening to continue blogging. 

Considering my last post was in December, I am not entirely sure where to begin as so much has happened since then... It freaks me out how fast time has flown because it seems that it was only yesterday that I was traveling Europe, living the high life of the travel bug that I consider myself to be. I miss London more than I ever thought I would and wish I had the chance to go back and do it all again, but knowing what I know now. 

February already and to sum up my life since my last post I will list:

1. I've moved out of my first house, am in my second now and am moving into my third (and hopefully last) place at the end of this month!
2. My job is going well although I am finding it frustrating at times due to stupid people and I am going to eventually have to write a blog on the stupidity of people I have been interviewing... 
3. Finally ditched that guy in my life who did nothing but drive me insane for all the wrong reasons, can't believe I was stupid enough to go down that road but lesson 110% learnt. 
4. Tried snowboarding for the first time and am able to board down the hill backwards but have yet to master the forward skills.... and have mastered the falling on my ass prerequisite required for beginner boarders.
5. Surely there is more but I can't think of them right now.

Whilst I am in my listing mood, here is what I miss from home:

1. Real Milo
2. Caramello koalas and other Aussie chocolate
3. The gentle tapping of rain on my window at night while I'm trying to sleep (and the harsh rain that makes you scared your window will break!)
4. Driving to the beach and having fish and chips, even feeding the chips to the seagulls.
5. Watching a massive thunderstorm at the beach
6. My car
7. All my friends - especially Michelle!!! Zara!!!!! Belinda!!!! and Rita!!!!! 
8. Sand between my toes 
9. My dad
10. Williamstown
11. Southbank and the entire city of Melbourne....

Hmmm... lol... 

What do I like about Canada:

1. Hot Canadian accents
2. My Canadian friends
3. Being close to my mum
4. It's pretty here
5. Snowboarding 
6. Being able to be completely independent
7. My job
8. Trucks! 

Shitty post, sorry but I have lost my creative writing ability tonight but I will try to update on a more regular basis. 

Snow Filled Update

Wow it's been a while since the last post which I guess has to do with the fact that not alot has been happening... Well, actually, I lie! A lot has happened however I think it best that perhaps I don't share everything I've been up to because... well, let's just say I know how to cause trouble on occasion!

I will say that my hands, in fact, my whole body, is not reacting well to this Calgary coldness. It dries you up something shocking and everybody loves to remind me to moisturise but I never have enough time in the morning because if you know me, I leave getting out of bed as late as I possibly can... in fact, I've been leaving getting out of bed so late for the past two weeks at this job that I have been catching the bus to the hospital I am working at, at 8.20am when I am actually meant to be arriving at work at 8am... So, you can see how I just don't have time to slather and applicate moisturiser to my body in the mornings.. perhaps this will need to change, especially since I have decided to attend the gym in the mornings before work when I start my new job - wow, I think I have a lot to update on in this one blog entry!!

Yes, you read correctly. I am no longer working for the surgeon anymore but I have moved on to bigger and better things and am now going to be working for a 'boutique' recruitment company downtown. This means that the benefits aren't so great (read: non-existant), the salary is low (read: draw salary so pretty much commission only) but then again, there are perks - I am stepping out of my comfort zone and am challenging myself in a career which I am excited about. I will be working in the finance, legal and accounting division and I hear you all going 'oh shit' - my thoughts exactly, but the thing is, I want to get into HR or something eventually - first of all, recruitment skills - brilliant, second of all, learning about legal, finance and accounting skills would be excellent too! So, I am excited and can I just add right now that if you are going to comment with something negative then please don't bother and let me be excited. If this doesn't work out for whatever reason then I will move on but I am sick of people judging this job before I have even started - my theory is that if there are people who have been working there for 5-6 years with this draw salary system then it must work and if it works for them it can work for me. The only reason it won't work for me is if I don't like the job - and in which case, I wouldn't stay!

So what else has been happening in Simone's world...

Our crazy house mate - I don't think I have the finger-typing patience for the extended details right now... She's gotten better, I think the whole yelling, threatening, 'I won't take shit from you' thing just needed to come out and now we're never going to be BFFs but we are all okay now.

I joined a gym - finally - and have been attempting to go but it's so easy to want to go home when it is cold outside... although, I did that last night and got home and was completely bored so ended up wishing I'd just gone to the gym anyway!

There are boy stories, of course, nothing exciting, just that the guys I like aren't interested and the ones who I have no interest in are too available and needy which I don't like... so, yeah that's my life for now!

Oh and I can't believe I forgot to mention this - Kirsty, Courtney, Lisa and I went to a hockey game at the Saddle Dome!! I have included some pics. It was amazing - they skate so fast and get into so many fights. On occasion they bang against the plastic window that is protecting us which managed to scare Kirsty on quite a few occasions. It was strange because they served POPCORN at a hockey game so we were sitting there munching our buttery popcorn which was so oily and delicious!

And, on this end note - guess where I will be going after New Years - LAS VEGAS!!! So excited to be going there! Kirsty and her brother will be heading there after they've done Christmas in Ottowa so Courtney and I are meeting them in Vegas! That means my New Years will be pretty quiet and I won't be doing much (if anything) but I can handle that if I go to Vegas! Christmas will also be a sad and lonely affair as well because the whole house will be gone with the exception of Nathan but I bet he has somewhere he can go soooo it'll just be me... so sad :-(

House and All That Jazz

Just a quick one tonight to give you a brief update on what is happening in Simone Land!

I'm still in the process of trying to find an amazing job and have an interview lined up on Tuesday for a recruiting company. It's actually my 2nd interview and it is with the founder of the company so hopefully all goes well because this is a job I really want. It'd be a stressful and demanding job but it's what I want. First I would have to get companies to sign up to the recruiting company and once I've got them signed up, I would then need to find candidates to fill the empty positions within the company. A lot of work involved but whoa, it'd be an achievement once I did it all. Every day would not be boring that's for sure. Although at the start it may be a little tough but lucky for me I'm determined!

We now have 2 other people in our house, an Aussie guy who is cool and a Canadian girl who I have a feeing doesn't like me very much. I'm sure the kinks will work themselves out once we learn more about each other. It is always hard at first. I also know I can come across as bitchy towards new people because I am trying to figure them out and while I am trying to figure them out I come across as snobbish. I may need to work on that perhaps. There are loads of things I need to work on. Over trying to figure what 'those things' are because it drives me insane. I just want to be perfect already.

Not missing home, just missing people. You know who you are. And if you are thinking 'is she missing me?' then YES I am missing you! Unless of course I have never met you in my life and then no I'm probably not missing you very much at all.

I manage to always feel like such an uber bitch at times which I hate. I think I'm nice and usually AM nice but sometimes I really don't feel nice. Having a self-doubt day I guess. I just wish I was easy to get along with and laid back but I guess that's not me initially! Gotta be happy with what I've got.

So I am still working at the hospital for a surgeon which is cool although a Dr emailed me today to complain about something the other girl before me did which I had no idea how to change... so I emailed her back and politely told her I had no idea what she was on about and that I was new to the position and appreciated her being patient and understanding while I learnt the new position which I thought was a nice email. I never heard back from her regarding the issue so obviously she decided not to bother. I was wasting her precious Dr time apparently! Ah, such is life.

My goal is to think of at least three positive things that happen each day so to focus on the good events rather than the shitty little stuff that I should just not worry about. Easier said than done!

I am still enjoying Canada and the weather is surprisingly nice. I was expecting really cold weather and snow but it changes quite frequently. Today was nice and on the weekend it was so sunny we could wear t-shirts but it changed pretty quickly and we got cold! We went down to the park though and it was gorgeous!

Will keep you updated on the job front as well as the rest of what is happening on this side of the world. If anyone ever decides to come and visit, we have some awesomely comfy couches!

Miss ya all
S

Happy Halloween!

So, yesterday was Halloween... You know how in the movies you see kids dressed up in costumes and they come to the door shouting 'trick or treat' and they are so cute... well, this was like a movie! Kids came to our door and they were adorable. We had one kid who knocked on our door and shouted 'trick or treat' so we moved the candy bowl in front of him and he kept grabbing and grabbing and GRABBING more and more chocolate from our half empty bowl... Kirsty went to move the bowl away and his hands kept coming but this time grabbing air. The parent he was with reminded the child of what do they say now, and the kid looked us straight in the eye and demanded 'I WANT MORE CHOCOLATE' - to which we tried to politely laugh while stuffing the chocolate away before slamming the door shut... okay, bit dramatic and we thought he was cute but oh my goodness, the parents need to work on that child's manners!

Kirsty and I got all dressed up - her in a witches costume and me in a vampire costume although my fangs wouldn't work so I decided against them after the first 5 minutes. We had fun, drank way too much and met a load of people which was great. We had a mini-party at our house which went until around 11 and then we decided we should probably head out... So, we went to this place called The Back Alley and the line was huge so we ended up Downtown at some random place that was dead before heading onto another club called Amsterdam Rhino where I proceeded to talk to the ghost from PacMan... it was fun to see everyone all dressed up in costume! Some people went to extremes and made some amazing costumes..

Can't wait to celebrate again next year!

Just a quick note on the job sitch - still temping but now at the hospital. Have interview tomorrow for call centre job but decided I don't really want it but will take it for consistency with job. Had an interview for a recruiting company on Thursday last week which I think went really well and I need to call the manager so I can talk to the bigger manager who will apparently try to scare me out of the job to make sure I am really right for this company! Bit scared cos this job would be amazingly hard and stressful but really rewarding too!

As for the boy situation, have met a few, been on a few dates which has been fun but so far I haven't really been overly interested in the guys that I have met but, will keep you posted!

Love love love to you all
Simone
xxx

One Month In!

So, it's been a month since I've arrived on Canadian soil and I've been hunting for a decent job for a while now. Well, probably only the past 2 and a half weeks of serious looking since I managed to score a temping job with an agency but quickly realised that the agency would only give me the shitty jobs no one else wants to do!

I thought I could handle the admin type jobs, to get office experience, but after 3 weeks of doing nothing but make boxes, photocopy, occasionally be allowed the odd job of binding reports if I'm lucky and typing up other peoples terrible handwritten notes, has got to be one of the mindless jobs ever. I always thought doing nothing at work would be fun but I honestly do much prefer the fast-paced, stressful environment because I feel useful! Oh, did I mention I'm on reception for two hours a day - and spend the whole time on Facebook, Gmail or whatever other random site I feel like perusing.

Back to the job situation though - I've had a few interviews and was 'unsuccessful' even though I was 'great but just lack experience' (seriously you should be able to tell that from my RESUME so don't give me that bullshit) and instead of feeling knocked back, it's just making me more determined to get the job I really want.. which is heading into HR. Now, I've been told I need experience... but, there are loads of recruiting jobs which you don't need loads of experience for which is my foot into HR... so, let's hope my interview for a recruiting company tomorrow goes well. But then I also have an interview for another company which is a call centre type job - which would mean - way more friends because it's a large organization, better benefits, less stress and the potential to move up within the company... OR if I got the recruitment job with the smaller company.. it'd mean working with older people, more stressful BUT my foot in the HR door... I hate decisions. Then again I don't even know which (if any) of the jobs I will get so guess I will just need to wait and see.

Missing home a lot lately too. The warm weather, my car, friends, Spring Racing Carnival.... loving it here too, but ... hard without a car and I just feel like I am only half living here because the visa is restricting - like, can't get a car loan (not that I'd want to) and jobs are less willing to take you on because of your visa... but, persistence pays off!

More soon!

xxx

Simone *Hearts* Calgary

It has been two and a half weeks since Kirsty and I have shuffled ourselves over to the province of Alberta and set up a life in Calgary. At first, I hated it and was contemplating moving back to Vancouver but then I got a temp job working downtown and doing boring shit but at least it got me out of bed and social which made me happier. I've also been applying for other jobs that I actually want too and have an interview for one job on Monday as a recruiter so cross your fingers for me that I get it! If I don't get a good job in Calgary then I think I will end up moving back to Vancouver earlier than 6 months but we'll see what happens.

Kirsty and I are loving the house. It is gorgeous and even though it is a bit far from downtown it is a nice area and well worth it. We're still looking for our ideal house mate though. There are a few people coming tomorrow to check things out so hopefully one of them pans out okay!

Last night we had a few quiet drinks at home with a couple of guys we'd randomly met. They came to our place and turned out that they were really boring. One of them went home and the other one was Canadian so we convinced him to drive us to a pub down the road... which he did.. when we got there, we drank quite a fair bit more and started speaking to a group of boys from Saskatchewan who were in Alberta for a friends wedding. They invited us back to their hotel to party it up some more when the bar closed so of course we went back with them.

Oh my goodness.. from the moment we made that decision, life got crazy! I jumped in the back of some guys truck, I don't even know if it was owned by the people we were with or a random car! I said I'd drive, which was ridiculous cos I was wasted but I would never have actually gotten behind the wheel. We caught a taxi to the hotel and partied it up with the boys and Jason, the guy who I was getting friendly with, convinced me to go swimming in the hotel pool at 3am. The security guard found us in there and kicked us out so we ended up going on a huge adventure trying to hide from the security guard and ended up behind the scenes of the hotel and in their function rooms and kitchens. Probably not a good idea but it was heaps of fun. We ended up with a few free bottles of soft drink and juice. We ended up crashing with them in their hotel room and got woken up by my phone at 5am and then again at 8am which is when they had to wake up to help set up the decorations for the wedding. So, Kirsty and I left and ended up getting home just after 9 and I slept until 2pm! Excellent way to spend a Saturday. I haven't done that for so long so I didn't mind too much.

More happened that I should probably not say so I'm going to end this now! Overall a fun night!

Sun and Snow and JOBS in Calgary!

WoW! It snowed yesterday in Calgary - just little tiny snowflakes but it was exciting. Kirsty was more excited than me. My reaction was more "oh shit if it's snowing already then what's it going to be like in 3 months." Still, I knew that before I moved here and it'll be exciting or, really annoying!

I bought a pair of black Airwalks which are totally not my style of shoe but I figure getting to and from work in sneakers is not a good way to go because you end up at work with wet feet. Even though it is okay walking through snow, the snow melts and then your feet end up wet - it is not fun and I learnt that the hard way in London. Not making that mistake twice. So even though they may not be my style they will keep my feet warm and I figure that I can either keep my work shoes at work or pack them in a bag and take them with me each day. Too easy!

Job prospects have been slowly happening... I had an interview with a recruitment agency and they have set me up with a two week block working in admin in some kind of company that is looking for someone with more accounting experience - I'm worried because I have no accounting background at all and I actually suck at maths in any form so here's to hoping they don't expect much from a temp on the accounting side of things. I think it is more just invoices but I guess I'll find out next week.

While I am happy to have had this job lined up for next week, I just went for an impromptu interview as a Recruitment Consultant for another company. I met with the manager and he wants me back for a second interview but he said he'd call tomorrow to line up the time and date which is screwed because he wants to interview Tues/Wed next week which is when I am meant to be in the admin role. I'm not too sure what to do because if I go for the second interview but don't get the job then I am out of work for 2 weeks... tricky!

I've also started getting random calls from other companies that I've applied to so I think I will be fine getting a job. I really want the recruitment position because it pays well and sounds like it will be fast paced and challenging - not to mention completely different from what I have done before.

So, it's all starting to happen. Kirsty and I have been told we can keep the house for a little longer than we expected, we just need to find a third person for the house because the landlord wants to up our rent. I think it'll be fun having a third person in the house. We're hoping for a male to even out the dynamics, I think another female would make the house too bitchy. Not that it is bitchy now but it could get that way with three of us. We'll see.