Canada Day!

July 1st is Canada Day.

There was a BIG party in Trafalgar Square in central London. We went, we drank Moosehead and Sleemans; we ate hot dogs with RELISH and Bicks™ Dill Pickles; we missed out on the "poutine"; we ate bison burgers; we drank Kronenburg (because they ran out of Moosehead and Sleemans); we talked Canadian; we wore RED; we waved flags; we sang Oh Canada; we went to the Maple Leaf but it was closed; we went home.

Waking up this morning wasn't nearly so much fun. At all. I hope wherever you are, you all had as happy a Canada Day as we did.

Canada in Trafalgar Square... that's Canada House in the background.

the lone piper

they would have won the prize for the most made up... if there had been one!

the crowd... not enough red if you ask me.

because we eat BISON ALL THE TIME!?

eh?

not so happy Canada day?

been celebrating with this one for a loooooooong time!

my version of the flag

the Kraft Dinner™ Krew

a little freaky

a new FB profile pic?

all Canadian

the aLLL Canadians

and finally... some knickers... hee hee... how cheeky ;)

Fall in Montreal

So here I am, stuck for another three weeks (no! I'm not counting!)... I've been staying with a friend at her mother's house in Otterburn Park (see previous posts on that), the thing is, this is a HOUSE, which means lots of cleaning and tons of yard work.

I've been enjoying it mostly, but that 's probably because I don't feel entirely obliged to do it. I'm sure I'd be way less gung-ho if it was my OWN yard. Anyway, last weekend the three of us headed outside (thankfully the weather was nice) to rake the leaves.

a BIG pile of leaves

with the bag to give it a little perspective...

I'd already done 17 bags at hallowe'en and this past weekend the three of us managed to bag another 35!!! And we still have half the yard to do! We're hoping for good weather this weekend to get it all done. Anyway, I took a few pictures. Now I'm wishing I'd thought of shooting the 35 bags lined up on the road for collection, but oh well... Maybe we'll have just as many this weekend and I can show you that.

some pretty leaves (still on the tree)

some more pretty leaves... maybe these will be in the bag this weekend!

There's something about being out in the country that makes me want to take lots of pictures. I wish I had a macro lens though to get really close up. I can dream...

In other news... in exactly three weeks my flight to London will be in the air, or just taking off... I'm really excited but also kind of scared, but in the same way I was before going to Korea... so it's ok. If I don't like it I can always come home OR go back to Korea, right? Right.

More to come, as soon as I have anything... maybe I'll tell you all about the glamourous life of a telephone market researcher... on second thought, maybe not...

A little peice of Korea

This weekend brought me my first "Canadian-Korean" experience. When I moved to Korea last year I had never even tried Korean food here. This weekend, I did.

I met up with a friend who had lived in Korea for three years, but that I hadn't seen in about ten. We both brought along a bunch of friends and headed to a Korean restaurant in the west end of Montreal.

The restaurant wouldn't seat us because we were too many. hmph. I told my friends "welcome to Korea!" We found an alternative nearby, a restaurant called Hwang. It was pretty good.

Since a lot of the people eating had never had Korean before, my friend and I decided what to order and we all just shared everything. We ordered so much we might as well have said "one of everything, please!"

We had galbi, bulgogi, deok galbi, dwen jang jigae, pa-jeon, jap-chae, kimchi (a bunch of kinds), pork bone soup, and, of course, rice. I ordered a bottle of soju which came in a little tea pot and they served us warm tea with our food. It was all pretty good except for the jigae which was lacking in flavour a little.

The deok galbi made me really happy, since it's my favourite and I hadn't had it in so long, though the little restaurant near kat's house in Ulsan does it a thousand times better... I'll have to wait til I'm back in Korea to get some really authentic food... oh well.

Then it was on to the noraebang! YES! There is noraebang in Montreal! It's WAY too expensive, but I think if it caught on the price might go down... but at 30$ an hour, we opted for only the one... which is not enough time. It was fund anyway though. I felt like I was in Korea again and it felt good to be there. I think my love affair with the land of the morning calm is not yet over... for now, though, I'll have to make do with what little I can get around here. I wonder if they have noraebang in London... and if anyone would come with me.

i'm so....

EXCITED!!!

It just hit me that I'm leaving for England in 33 days. Maybe it's the half bottle of wine I had with dinner (actually there's no maybe in it) but I'm all of a sudden looking forward to, and getting excited about leaving.

I've also booked a rental car for a few days at the end of November so that I can easily get done any last minute shopping and so that I can drive to Ottawa to see my dad and a couple of friends... this is quickly becoming more real to me... more soon.

Happy Hallowe'en

It's fright night!!! oooh.... scary.

This year I'm having the most different hallowe'en experience that I can remember. Instead of dressing up and going out (or trick-or-treating as I did many moons ago) I'm staying in. I'm the designated candy passer-outer this year.

I volunteered for the job actually. I did this a few years ago with a friend in the city and it was fun to see all the kiddies dressed up and begging for a sugar high. So, to make sure that the little 'uns come to the house, I organized myself and decorated outside. It's not the graveyard-haunted house-scary amazing kind of look that I would want, but I think it's a good job, given my short notice... and limited funds.

the front of the house

As you can see there are big orange bags - I filled them all with leaves yesterday... what a workout!!! - and there are faces drawn on all of them. I did most of them but Bilal did a couple and so did Alexia. Here's a close-up:

My homage to Kiss! (not really...just came out that way!)

The other day I made a bunch of ghosts with Bilal - they're hanging on the front porch. I also got some of that fake spider web stuff and put it up, rather haphazardly I must admit...

the ghosts and spider webs...

I also carved the jack-o-lantern... it was fun, but not as fun as I remember it being when I was a kid. The best part, I think, is toasting and eating the seeds after.

"before"

his guts... poor guy...

"after"

The seeds turned out okay, but there weren't very many for suck a large pumpkin... This could very well be my last Hallowe'en in Canada... maybe... so I think it's good that I'm staying home this year... who knows when I'll ever have the little munchkins come 'round to my house again? I'll take pictures of them (with parental permission) and post them if I can...

Happy Hallowe'en Everyone!!

Back and Forth

This seems to be a theme in my life right now. I'm back in Otterburn - the cats at my (wonderful) friends' house were just too much for my immune system - and I'll be here until I leave in 36 days.

Which brings me to the other "back and forth" part of my life - moving to London. I keep thinking how things would be so much easier if I just stayed here and then I think that I would regret not going (possibly for the rest of my life)... What's a girl to do? No one can make the decision for me, but sometimes I wish there were someone to just tell me what to do. Not that I'd likely listen to them if there was!

So here is a pros and cons list to staying and leaving.

Pros to staying:

• I could set myself up in a nice apartment for WAY less.
• I would be close to my friends and family.

Cons to staying:

• I would always wonder "what if..."
• Finding a job in my field is more difficult here.
• I could get "comfortable" and forget about my dreams of seeing the world.

Pros to leaving:

• I'd get to live in one of the biggest most exciting cities in the world.
• I would never wonder "what if..."
• I can always just come back and settle if I want.
• My visa and flight cost me about $1000.
• I'd be fulfilling a life-long dream.

Cons to leaving:

• My money will be gone the instant I land.
• I will be in a foreign country (again) with no (real) support network.

I guess that I should go... I know that I will, it's just that when you have to wait so long to something so "crazy" you tend to start to wonder why you thought of doing it in the first place. I felt the same way for a few weeks (and especially days) before leaving for Korea, so I know this is part of the process... I just can't help thinking about it.

In other news...
My "cold" developed into something more fierce, but being away from the cats for a couple of days is helping. I hope to be 100% better in a few days.

My new "job" had no hours for me this week. Ya, that's right. I had to log in to a website today to choose my hours for next week and am now waiting on approval. I hope that I get something next week... if not I'm not sure what I'll do for money... though I am awaiting my tax returns...

new digs... again.

I've moved into the city. There are a number of reasons for this, but I won't list them. There is something sad about leaving Otterburn, but it's also a good thing for me. I'm stuck here until the 4th of December, so I might as well make some money in that time, right?

Today I got a job at a market research firm where I will be calling people and asking them questions. Fun. I had some friends way back who did this while they were going to school. I'm just doing it to be able to survive for the next six weeks without spending any of the money currently in my bank account. Hopefully I can stand it enough... if not, maybe I'll head back to the country...

I found a great deal at redtag.ca for my flight to London. $480 one way on British Airways... the same flight is listed at just over $1000 on their site, so I'm looking at it like a 50% off sale! Plus BA lets you bring more luggage than the (only) cheaper flight that I found. Anyway, I've got two days until I start my new job, hopefully the cold that has been lingering in my sinuses for the last five days will be gone by then.

BTW, I was thinking of trying to go to the Gazette or CJAD and ask them if I could be their "bitch" for a day or two a week... just not sure how I should go about it... any ideas are welcome.

a girl and a bike

The other day, feeling like I haven't been exercising enough of late, decided to go for a bike ride/photo expedition out in the country. I opened google earth to map out where I wanted to go, packed some snacks, and took off into the glorious sunshine.

My route

My goal was to get to Chambly. It's a couple of town over and up the river from here. I approximated the ride to be about 30 KM's. I had all afternoon, so I didn't really care how long it took me.

Mont St. Bruno

A barn

It was incredible to be out in the middle of nowhere with no other people in sight (especially since I must have looked a little goofy all decked up in my winter jacket with a camera hanging around my neck!). The sun was shining; there were big puffy white clouds in the sky; the trees were all changing into their autumn glory; the air was crisp, but not cold, it was a perfect day really.

Trees in their fall colours

Down by the river

I stopped a few times to take pictures. I biked through a field to get to a copse of trees. I stopped along a deserted highway to photograph the freshly plowed fields. I stopped by the river and got stuck in the mud. I climbed down to the rivers edge to photograph the water gurgling over the rocks. Then I came home. I stopped stopping and just took pictures while riding the bike. (Those ones didn't turn out very well...)

More trees by the river

Near the rapids... I think I went swimming here once...

Part of the hydro-electric dam

It was a lovely day and hopefully it will be again soon so that I can do the same thing in the opposite direction!

it's about time

I haven't been posting. I'm sorry. I guess I needed a break, or maybe I just thought there was nothing terribly interesting to write about. Here's what I've been up to for the last month...

I landed in Montreal, sans luggage, on September 2nd. My luggage spent the night in Chicago and joined me at Trisha's apartment on the third. I spent the next week at her place in a daze of delicious and naughty food, and sleepless nights. I was waking at 3 or 4 AM every morning no matter what time I went to bed.

It's further than it looks!

A week after getting back I "moved" out to Otterburn Park, my childhood town, to stay with Alexia and Bilal at Alexia's mom's house. It's been nice playing "auntie Liz" to Bilal the cutest six-year-old I know.

"Monkey B"

We walk to school in the morning and home in the afternoon. We play and watch movies. We argue and we hug and make up. I missed him a lot while I was in Korea and actually wrote to him more than anyone else! I don't want him to forget me...

Alexia and I in our Korean "peace sign" picture.

Alexia and I have been puttering around, going to the mall, walking in the forest behind her house, doing garden work, and lazing about. This has truly been like a vacation for me. Now, it's about to all change. I've been accepted for my working holiday maker visa for the UK and I will hopefully be out of Montreal on the 23rd of October. I neeed to verify something with the Embassy and then I'll know for sure. I'm excited and scared. It's not the same feelings I had when I left for Korea, since I at least have a friend across the pond, but it's still scary to think that I'll be away for at least another year and maybe more. At least it isn't the first time!!!

Here are some pictures that I've taken recently. I've been loving the nature photography of late since I'm surrounded by it.

The field behind the house.

In the forest.

Leaf

pretty...

Shrooms, anyone?

I suppose that's it for now. I'm on my way into town today... feels like a big deal, but I go at least once a week, but today is for socializing and not business... woohoo... So until I have more news, I hope this post is enough... I'll let you all know as soon as I have more info...

a month is too long...

So sorry it's been so long since my last post... I guess I just haven't felt like there has been anything interesting to put here. I've been back in the Montreal region for a month now and I will hopefully be getting out of here in the next month! Destination: England.

I'm working on getting my visa right now and then I just have to wait. They've told me the turn around is about 10 days... not sure if that's working days or not, but it probably is.

So that's the plan.

Other than that, I've been playing house with Alexia out in Otterburn Park, about an hour outside of Montreal. It's nice sometimes, but I miss the city and all the conveniences that come with it. I feel very isolated out here.

Being home is strange. It isn't really "home" anymore. It just a place that I know really well, and I'm ready to experience new things, not the same old, same old. Keep your fingers crossed for me and I promise lots of exciting tales from the UK and Europe...

I promise to write again soon... I still have to finish the Tales of Thailand... I have one more post on that and I haven't yet written about my travels from Korea to Canada... but maybe that's a story better left untold, we'll see.

Coming up...

Well, it's been about a week since I posted, but only because I didn't have any internet access until today. I have SO much to write about, but very little time at the moment. So, I hope this little note will suffice for now. I still have to finish writing about Thailand - the last leg of our trip in Bangkok and I also have to write about my amazing and wonderful birthday in Korea and then I have to write about my 28 hour trip home to Canada...

So, stay tuned, I think I will have more time in the next week to write often as I will be staying with a friend about an hour outside of Montreal (where there is nothing else to do but blog!!!)

If anyone out there knows of a room I can rent (possibly short-term) please let me know!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

i realize this is a day late... but i was in no state to be posting yesterday. i was recovering from (korean) canada day! turns out that canada day celebrations can be just as much fun when you're outside of the country.

of course, i've been in quebec for the last twenty or so, so i guess i wasn't really "in" canada! haha.

on saturday kim, brandy and i headed into busan to go to starface, where they were holding their third annual canada day party. we went out for "western" food at outback steakhouse and headed to the party. we paid our 15,000W (~17$) for our all-you-can-drink cups and started the party.

i was drinking rye and ginger all night - which was awesome because the last time i saw ginger ale was in japan, and before that was last summer when i was in canada! i didn't think that it existed in korea, but i have photographic evidence now. the bartender w/couldn't tell me where it came from, so i'll have to wait another 2 months for some more... :(

canada dry!!! woohoo! and it's even written in korean "jin jaw ale"!

me and a couple of honourary canadians.

another honourary (eileen) with her country's flag... note the lighter in one hand!

what kind of canada day would it be without some gitch?

it was a great night, much of which i'm sure is stored somewhere in the recesses of my memory... but for now i can't find that part! we ended up leaving starface as they had complaints from the neighbours and we headed to a foreigner bar called U2, where the partying continued until the wee hours of the morn.

i spent sunday glued to my bed...

hope all of you in canada had a great day!!! i know i did!

on leaving

last night as i was looking at my semi-packed bags it hit me. all of a sudden i realized that i am going to the other side of the world, to the completely unknown, and for the first time i was really scared. the feeling (mortification might be a good word for it) quickly passed as i realized that in the next year i would have experiences and stories to tell that no one else i know will ever have.
i know this adventure is a great thing - that's what everyone keeps saying... and i'm coming close to believing it myself, but i can't help but wonder where my life would be headed right now if i weren't doing this. all of the things that i'm leaving behind - friends, family, job, apartment, security, safety, comfort - will stay here, and i can always come back to them, but every choice we make in life takes us down one path instead of another. am i walking down the right road? the only way to know is to keep going, i figure i can always turn back, right? but going back is never really an option. things never stay the same. the imaginary world that you leave behind is never as fantastic when you return as it was in your head while away. everything is always so glossy right before you leave. everything is shiny and perfect and you wonder why you decided to leave in the first place, even if you know it's the right decision - a decision made with perfect clarity and thought when you were still "in" your life. i know why i'm leaving, and i know that if i stayed i would be miserable no matter what my heart and mind are telling me right now (less than 24 hours before i leave). all of the "see ya laters" make you think, but i can't let anything stop me from doing this. i know that i will hate a lot of it, but i know that i will love a lot of it... and what's the worst that could happen? i get a new appreciation for my life here and come back... the best? well, who knows, i think i'll just walk down this path for a while and see where it takes me.

I'm TD Free

i've been working at Toronto Dominion Canada Trust Visa Customer Service for the last four and a half years. i've only been complaining about it for about half of that... but now i am "officially" TD free. Monday was my last day, and yesterday a bunch of co-workers (friends) came out to celebrate at a bar near the office, thanks for coming guys, i really appreciate it...

it still hasn't quite hit me that i don't work at the bank anymore, i don't know how long it will take. maybe when i step off the plane in Seoul... anyhow, i think i had a great run at TD and i will never forget it, the people, or the bullshit... well, maybe the bullshit... but it was an experience, and all things must come to an end. thanks for everything over the years.