More of a conversation this time, but still super-cute.
After opening a thermos full of soup for a student in my Grade 1 class:
Me: "It's because of my super strength. I'm a superhero."
Kid: "You can't be a superhero!"
Me: "Why not?"
Kid: "Because Mr.Parker [the Principal] already is one!"
Me: "Well, can't we have TWO superheroes at this school?"
Kid: "No! *pause* But you can be his sidekick!"
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
My Church Family
Today I am thankful for... my church family, whose members love and support me with a depth equal to that of my relatives.
It started when I moved to Victoria six years ago and had every intention of "church hopping" until I found a community I could be fed by and could serve in return. One Sunday, Nathan and Brittany invited me to theirs. That first Sunday (which coincidentally was Student Appreciation Sunday - gotta love a basket full of goodies!!) was the first of many - I never left. The community was welcoming and friendly (and helped me navigate what felt like ten different worship hymnals and books). They've only become more so over the years.
And now that I'm back and re-establishing a life here, it's great to have people who support my career, my home-search and my tummy (um... what? Yep, my tummy. Big thanks to the McKenzie family for feeding me dinner tonight!).
These people have real love for me. They are proud of me and are excited to see me succeed as a Teacher. They hugged and welcomed me back when I returned from London and are oh-so-thrilled that I'm among them again.
And I have real love for them. I feel pride for my Youth students, whom I've watched grow up over the past six years. Many of them have graduated from high school now, which is as unbelievable to me as it is to their own parents. I am so happy to be among this "chosen" family again. I feel safe and welcome. I feel Godly love when I'm surrounded by them.
So... thanks, Church peeps. U da bomb.
It started when I moved to Victoria six years ago and had every intention of "church hopping" until I found a community I could be fed by and could serve in return. One Sunday, Nathan and Brittany invited me to theirs. That first Sunday (which coincidentally was Student Appreciation Sunday - gotta love a basket full of goodies!!) was the first of many - I never left. The community was welcoming and friendly (and helped me navigate what felt like ten different worship hymnals and books). They've only become more so over the years.
And now that I'm back and re-establishing a life here, it's great to have people who support my career, my home-search and my tummy (um... what? Yep, my tummy. Big thanks to the McKenzie family for feeding me dinner tonight!).
These people have real love for me. They are proud of me and are excited to see me succeed as a Teacher. They hugged and welcomed me back when I returned from London and are oh-so-thrilled that I'm among them again.
And I have real love for them. I feel pride for my Youth students, whom I've watched grow up over the past six years. Many of them have graduated from high school now, which is as unbelievable to me as it is to their own parents. I am so happy to be among this "chosen" family again. I feel safe and welcome. I feel Godly love when I'm surrounded by them.
So... thanks, Church peeps. U da bomb.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
A Network of Support
It's Gratitude Month. I don't have a verified source on that one, but honestly... who cares? Shouldn't we all be a little more thankful for what we have? I made "Thankful Trees" with my students today, and they came up with all sorts of stuff they were thankful for (although I did make an "only one toy" rule...). So, it's my turn.
Today I am thankful for... a support network of wonderful and generous people, some of whom have made good on the promise of a spare bedroom to crash in.
How many times have you heard someone say, "you know, if you ever need a couch to crash on, you can stay on mine!"? And how many times have you dismissed this offer because, A) you didn't think they really meant it (it's just a thing people say, but don't really mean, right? or B) you are the kind of person who is too proud to ever admit that you might need this kind of charity? Well I'm a big ol' dismisser of this kind of offer.
Until now.
Having spent seven very financially irresponsible months in Europe, I am beyond broke right now. Add that to a healthy dose of stubbornness, and you'll find me currently living in Vic with nowhere to actually live. I came over three weeks ago with two suitcases and a third one chalk-full of faith (sidenote: what's the origin of the phrase chalk-full? Am I even saying that right? My family DOES have a habit of changing these things...). Fabulous Set of Friends #1 saved the day and offered their spare room. And so, I've been living with Kate and Jon since then. But the agreement from the get-go (with their landlord, that is) was that I would be gone by October 1.
Since I still don't have a permanent place to call home (or any money to pay for a first months' rent plus damage deposit), Fabulous Set of Friends #2 (known in local circles simply as Scott and Thomas) have stepped up to the plate and I'm now in their spare room. Which is awfully convenient, 'cause I hang out there most days anyway :)
Moving *back* to a city definitely has its perks. I am ever-so-thankful (hence the inaugural "thankfulness" statement) for these friends (and more, who made genuine offers that still may be taken up). In a very real sense, I have been given a roof over my head - not too shabby a gift, if you ask me!
Today I am thankful for... a support network of wonderful and generous people, some of whom have made good on the promise of a spare bedroom to crash in.
How many times have you heard someone say, "you know, if you ever need a couch to crash on, you can stay on mine!"? And how many times have you dismissed this offer because, A) you didn't think they really meant it (it's just a thing people say, but don't really mean, right? or B) you are the kind of person who is too proud to ever admit that you might need this kind of charity? Well I'm a big ol' dismisser of this kind of offer.
Until now.
Having spent seven very financially irresponsible months in Europe, I am beyond broke right now. Add that to a healthy dose of stubbornness, and you'll find me currently living in Vic with nowhere to actually live. I came over three weeks ago with two suitcases and a third one chalk-full of faith (sidenote: what's the origin of the phrase chalk-full? Am I even saying that right? My family DOES have a habit of changing these things...). Fabulous Set of Friends #1 saved the day and offered their spare room. And so, I've been living with Kate and Jon since then. But the agreement from the get-go (with their landlord, that is) was that I would be gone by October 1.
Since I still don't have a permanent place to call home (or any money to pay for a first months' rent plus damage deposit), Fabulous Set of Friends #2 (known in local circles simply as Scott and Thomas) have stepped up to the plate and I'm now in their spare room. Which is awfully convenient, 'cause I hang out there most days anyway :)
Moving *back* to a city definitely has its perks. I am ever-so-thankful (hence the inaugural "thankfulness" statement) for these friends (and more, who made genuine offers that still may be taken up). In a very real sense, I have been given a roof over my head - not too shabby a gift, if you ask me!
Friday, September 30, 2011
An Interview with Richard
So, since I announced to my friends here that I'm leaving in July, there have been lots of "why?" questions. But my housemate, Richard, who has a much bigger heart that he gives himself credit for, took the time to ask me a couple of thoughtful questions:
What were the highlights of your time here?
In list form (and in no particular order),
- my trips to Iceland, Spain, Scotland, Thailand/Vietnam and The Netherlands/Germany/Denmark/Norway/Scotland/France
- the Royal Ascot (which was unlike anything else I did and which I was inexplicably REALLY excited about all day)
- the Royal Wedding (which I didn't even intend to attend, but am so glad that I did)
- seeing Wicked (which was phenomenal) and the Lion King
- my little weekend to Battle and Canterbury (which was the only thing I really did alone, and was also the first time I ever cared about something considered history)
It's notable to me that very few of these highlights took place in London. For the most part, I used my time in London as a springboard to everything else I enjoyed. And I think that's related to my reasons for leaving. London was great for a short while, and I enjoyed the time I had there... But London just isn't the city for me. It's too big and I feel too disconnected and displaced. Turns out, I'm just better suited to a smaller city.
What will you take with you / What have you learned?
The obvious answer here is that I made some great friends. My housemates, travel buddies, fellow teachers and occasional pub partners made my trip what it was.
But I also learned a little bit about myself. Part of that is what I talked about earlier, relating to the kind of city I see myself in longterm. But another thing I know now is that I'm ready to start thinking about my life in a longterm way. I desire, unlike ever before, to start putting roots down somewhere. I want to settle, to live somewhere longer than a few months or years. I want to start investing and saving for a house. I've never wanted these things before (hence my tendency to just pick up and move to new cities). Now that I do, I really feel like something inside me has shifted - like I've grown up a little. I may even have become (dare I say it?) an ADULT. Yikes.
Since returning to Victoria, I've had a lot of "um... weren't you going to stay there longer?" In a nice way, I think people are a little confused about why I would move to one of the most famous cities in the world... and then come back. But I never really committed to staying there forever. When I left, I knew that I would either stay 6 months (the minimum term, and the remainder of the school year) OR for a longer time, on the scale of years. And when it came time to decide between the two (around the 4 month mark, when I needed to seriously think about booking a return flight), I knew that I needed to return to Canada. Given the aforementioned desire to settle somewhere, and knowing that London wasn't a place I could see myself living long-term, well, any more time spent there would kind of be... wasting time.
So here I am. All settled (except for a place to live... I'm still workin' on that one...) and happy back here in Victoria. I love that I walk down the street and run into five people I know. I love teaching back at my favourite school. I love that as I typed this sitting in a local Starbucks, a woman beside me asked me to watch her stuff... and that was completely socially acceptable and normal! I love being able to walk to a friend's house (and it doesn't take an hour on the tube to get there). I love the sunny weather!
It's good to be home.
What were the highlights of your time here?
In list form (and in no particular order),
- my trips to Iceland, Spain, Scotland, Thailand/Vietnam and The Netherlands/Germany/Denmark/Norway/Scotland/France
- the Royal Ascot (which was unlike anything else I did and which I was inexplicably REALLY excited about all day)
- the Royal Wedding (which I didn't even intend to attend, but am so glad that I did)
- seeing Wicked (which was phenomenal) and the Lion King
- my little weekend to Battle and Canterbury (which was the only thing I really did alone, and was also the first time I ever cared about something considered history)
It's notable to me that very few of these highlights took place in London. For the most part, I used my time in London as a springboard to everything else I enjoyed. And I think that's related to my reasons for leaving. London was great for a short while, and I enjoyed the time I had there... But London just isn't the city for me. It's too big and I feel too disconnected and displaced. Turns out, I'm just better suited to a smaller city.
What will you take with you / What have you learned?
The obvious answer here is that I made some great friends. My housemates, travel buddies, fellow teachers and occasional pub partners made my trip what it was.
But I also learned a little bit about myself. Part of that is what I talked about earlier, relating to the kind of city I see myself in longterm. But another thing I know now is that I'm ready to start thinking about my life in a longterm way. I desire, unlike ever before, to start putting roots down somewhere. I want to settle, to live somewhere longer than a few months or years. I want to start investing and saving for a house. I've never wanted these things before (hence my tendency to just pick up and move to new cities). Now that I do, I really feel like something inside me has shifted - like I've grown up a little. I may even have become (dare I say it?) an ADULT. Yikes.
~~~~~
Since returning to Victoria, I've had a lot of "um... weren't you going to stay there longer?" In a nice way, I think people are a little confused about why I would move to one of the most famous cities in the world... and then come back. But I never really committed to staying there forever. When I left, I knew that I would either stay 6 months (the minimum term, and the remainder of the school year) OR for a longer time, on the scale of years. And when it came time to decide between the two (around the 4 month mark, when I needed to seriously think about booking a return flight), I knew that I needed to return to Canada. Given the aforementioned desire to settle somewhere, and knowing that London wasn't a place I could see myself living long-term, well, any more time spent there would kind of be... wasting time.
So here I am. All settled (except for a place to live... I'm still workin' on that one...) and happy back here in Victoria. I love that I walk down the street and run into five people I know. I love teaching back at my favourite school. I love that as I typed this sitting in a local Starbucks, a woman beside me asked me to watch her stuff... and that was completely socially acceptable and normal! I love being able to walk to a friend's house (and it doesn't take an hour on the tube to get there). I love the sunny weather!
It's good to be home.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
20, 21, 22, 23
I recently traveled on a 10-day European cruise with my Mom, step-Dad and Aunt. It was great to see some family again, after being away for 6 months. Plus, I racked my country-count up to 23. In a word: fabulous!
Dover & Canterbury: Before the cruise left, we spent one day in each of these English cities. I'd never been to Dover, and had wanted to visit the castle and the famous "white cliffs" since I got here, so it was nice to check that off my list. Learning all about Operation Dynamo, when thousands of Allied troops were rescued from the nearby French shores during WWII was also really interesting - another example of history becoming so much more interesting when I'm actually in the place where it happened. I'd been to Canterbury before, so I wasn't really expecting much from it (other than it being amazing again!) but it turned out I had missed several sections of the grounds on my first visit! So that was great too.
Amsterdam: Overall, Amsterdam was my favourite city. The Anne Frank house (something I've always wanted to see), was simply something else. Walking through the house, being able to picture the Frank family living and hiding there was... almost indescribable. All I can tell you is that I felt a physical heaviness in my heart as I walked through the bedrooms and saw the height chart for Anne and Margot, and Anne's posters stuck to the wall. This isn't just any other museum. This is a space in the world that has been preserved, where a tragic moment in history actually took place. I've always been fascinated by the holocaust, so being able to visit this place was something I've wanted to do for some time.
The other aspects of Amsterdam were equally as touching for me. I found the city so vibrant and dynamic. So many different facets of the city are present in such close proximity to each other. Of course, there were literally thousands of bicycles around, and beautiful canals to walk along. We went through the red light district, which was... well... unlike anything I've ever seen before, that's for sure! But just strolling along the squares and waterways was quite fun for me - four hours was just NOT enough time to explore! Wish I had a week there!
Berlin: While Mom and Alan explored Hamburg, my Auntie Carol and I took a bus into Berlin. The city itself was... we'll say... not one I'd visit again in a hurry. The architecture seemed quite sterile and cold. Very straight lines and not a lot of character. But the historical sights we visited (the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the remaining bit of the Berlin Wall) made the visit worth it (and worth the 4-hour each way bus drive!)
Copenhagen: Copenhagen was beautiful. We couldn't walk five steps without finding something (be it a building, an alley or a monument) that was picture-worthy (and being with my very camera-happy Mom made this even more apparent! Just how many "money shots" with "foliage" did we get, Mom?) We saw the big attractions, of course, (the Little Mermaid, the Stroget, the Amalienbourg Palace, Hans Christian Anderson's house and statue, the Nyhaven, etc.) along our meandering stroll through the city.
The nice thing about Copenhagen was that we had enough time to really get a sense of the city, and to see everything we wanted to without having to rush. Oh, and my favourite thing is that everything is decorated with cute little hearts - including their money and the little huts that their guards stand in! Not very menacing, I have to say...
Kristiansand: Our next scheduled stop was Oslo... but we were literally en route there when the Norway massacre happened! It was quite unnerving to find out about it while we were planning our day there... to think that if it had happened just 24 hours later we would have been there was more than a little scary.
So they diverted us to Kristiansand instead, another little town in Norway. Had it not been for the rain and cold (and for the fact that yours truly managed to slip on the gangway while walking off the ship and had soaking wet pants all day long), we would have enjoyed our day here quite a bit. It was a cute town with lovely architecture and a nice little train that took us all around. NOT cheap, though... we're talking £9 for a pint!! Yikes!!
Inverness: Having just visited Loch Ness at Easter, I wasn't really interested in the ship's tours there; plus, Carol and Mom have been there before too, and it's really just a lake, after all (apologies to the Nessie fans out there...). So we just caught a bus (mind you, a very long and very packed bus - wouldn't you say, Alan??) into Inverness. We really just wandered around and checked out the castle and its surrounding streets. We also stumbled upon an old graveyard that was quite cool.
Rouen: We split up again when we got to France; while Mom and Alan had their own little romantic get-away in Paris (which is really as romantic as I let them get, without playing the "daughter card"), Carol and I visited the quaint little town of Rouen. It is most famous for being the site of Joan of Arc's burning at the stake, as well as Le Gros-Horloge, a large clock showing the current hour, day and phase of the moon - and it ran for 5,000,000 hours without "skipping a beat" as it were! Pretty impressive for something built in the 16th century! We both loved this little town that was just so wonderfully French! As a bonus, I managed to find both a crepe and a raspberry tartlette - my two favourite foods from my previous visit to France!
London: After the cruise, I entertained Mom and Alan for a few days while A.Carol went on her own adventure visiting some other family. We did the "must-sees" in London, of course, but mostly it was nice to show them "my" London - the places I go and my house and that sort of thing. Plus, they were great visitors; they wanted to sleep in every day (no complaints here!) and then when we got out and about, they were keen to see as much as possible! Excellent!
All-in-all, a lovely vacation, and so so SO great to have my family with me here in Europe! I'm so glad we got it together to have them come and visit before I leave!
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| Awww... |
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| I pretty much did this with every statue |
The other aspects of Amsterdam were equally as touching for me. I found the city so vibrant and dynamic. So many different facets of the city are present in such close proximity to each other. Of course, there were literally thousands of bicycles around, and beautiful canals to walk along. We went through the red light district, which was... well... unlike anything I've ever seen before, that's for sure! But just strolling along the squares and waterways was quite fun for me - four hours was just NOT enough time to explore! Wish I had a week there!
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| The Brandenburg Gate - marking the neutral ground between East & West Berlin |
Copenhagen: Copenhagen was beautiful. We couldn't walk five steps without finding something (be it a building, an alley or a monument) that was picture-worthy (and being with my very camera-happy Mom made this even more apparent! Just how many "money shots" with "foliage" did we get, Mom?) We saw the big attractions, of course, (the Little Mermaid, the Stroget, the Amalienbourg Palace, Hans Christian Anderson's house and statue, the Nyhaven, etc.) along our meandering stroll through the city.
The nice thing about Copenhagen was that we had enough time to really get a sense of the city, and to see everything we wanted to without having to rush. Oh, and my favourite thing is that everything is decorated with cute little hearts - including their money and the little huts that their guards stand in! Not very menacing, I have to say...
Kristiansand: Our next scheduled stop was Oslo... but we were literally en route there when the Norway massacre happened! It was quite unnerving to find out about it while we were planning our day there... to think that if it had happened just 24 hours later we would have been there was more than a little scary.
 |
| Apparently I had an amused audience for this one! |
London: After the cruise, I entertained Mom and Alan for a few days while A.Carol went on her own adventure visiting some other family. We did the "must-sees" in London, of course, but mostly it was nice to show them "my" London - the places I go and my house and that sort of thing. Plus, they were great visitors; they wanted to sleep in every day (no complaints here!) and then when we got out and about, they were keen to see as much as possible! Excellent!
All-in-all, a lovely vacation, and so so SO great to have my family with me here in Europe! I'm so glad we got it together to have them come and visit before I leave!
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| Our dinner waiters, who brought us way too many desserts, made us fun things out of napkins and spoke with fabulous Indian accents ("whoop, whoop, whoop, very fast") |
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| Our "wee" Scottish family |
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
London PRIDE
London's Most Fabulous were out and about for the PRIDE festival and they did not disappoint. In the spirit of celebration, I have decided to name the best and worst of the day.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, the award goes to...
Best phrase on a t-shirt - there's a tie in this category, because I just can't decide between "It's exhausting being this fabulous" and "Some people are gay. Get over it."
Best phrase uttered by a gay man - "that's so gay. " I befriended the gay couple beside me, and they, of course, were judging the train wrecks (or, as they called them, "gays without a cause") right along with me. The two of them reserved this particular phrase for those whom another gay friend I know would deem "unforgivably gay".
Best Protest against a Protest - the gay men and women waving rainbow flags and chanting "God loves everyone!!" as a response to religious picketers.
Best crowd I've yet seen in Trafalgar Square - I've now joined the crowd on both Chinese New Year and Canada Day, and this day probably saw more people milling around Trafalgar than both of them combined. The announcer said that over 1 million people were participating in the day's festivities - that's a LOT of people supporting PRIDE! Well done, London!
edit: Since drafting this post, I've been reminded that I was also there for the Royal Wedding... during which the entire area AROUND Trafalgar was also packed. I also attended the Harry Potter premiere there more recently than PRIDE, and I had to stand in the middle of the street OUTSIDE the square just to see the screen. So I'm still giving PRIDE an award for excellent supporter turnout... but I suppose it's not the best crowd I've seen there.
Best show of support without flaunting promiscuity - while last year's Vancouver PRIDE day was amazing, I had to admit that the thing it seemed to promote the most was a promiscuous lifestyle. On the other hand, London's parade had 0 naked people prancing about, 0 packages of lubricant handed out, and very few clubs represented. Instead, there were loads of political, school, and religious groups whose supporters were happy to dress (somewhat) more conservatively and be just as proud of their support of the GLTB community.
and now for the worst...
Worst evangelistic idea (possibly ever...) - set up right next to (and I do mean right next to, as in directly beside) the parade route were a group of men and women holding signs with Biblical verses printed on them. The preacher, oblivious to the crowd and its disinterest or disapproval, carried on with his (to most of this crowd) incomprehensible "Christianese" speech. I get that you think you are acting in love, and I understand where you stand on this issue, but come on... Did you really think that you were going to convert the masses this way? In this location, on this day? Give your head a shake.
Worst wardrobe malfunction - one of the drag queens in the parade was sporting ridiculously high heels, which clearly had been damaged at some point in the festivities. And the method of fixing chosen? Packing tape. Ugly, brown packing tape. I mean, honestly! You couldn't have used some ribbon, as I saw another queen doing? Wardrobe fail.
Worst handout of free swag - pamphlets and stickers. And that's it. No lollipops, drinks, condoms, flags or mardi-gras-style necklaces (all of which are handed out like they're going out of style at both the Victoria and Vancouver PRIDE festival parades). Lame. But, on the bright side... I didn't have to figure out what to do with all of that stuff afterward!!
And so, ladies and gentlemen, the award goes to...
Best phrase on a t-shirt - there's a tie in this category, because I just can't decide between "It's exhausting being this fabulous" and "Some people are gay. Get over it."
Best phrase uttered by a gay man - "that's so gay. " I befriended the gay couple beside me, and they, of course, were judging the train wrecks (or, as they called them, "gays without a cause") right along with me. The two of them reserved this particular phrase for those whom another gay friend I know would deem "unforgivably gay".
Best Protest against a Protest - the gay men and women waving rainbow flags and chanting "God loves everyone!!" as a response to religious picketers.
Best crowd I've yet seen in Trafalgar Square - I've now joined the crowd on both Chinese New Year and Canada Day, and this day probably saw more people milling around Trafalgar than both of them combined. The announcer said that over 1 million people were participating in the day's festivities - that's a LOT of people supporting PRIDE! Well done, London!
edit: Since drafting this post, I've been reminded that I was also there for the Royal Wedding... during which the entire area AROUND Trafalgar was also packed. I also attended the Harry Potter premiere there more recently than PRIDE, and I had to stand in the middle of the street OUTSIDE the square just to see the screen. So I'm still giving PRIDE an award for excellent supporter turnout... but I suppose it's not the best crowd I've seen there.
Best show of support without flaunting promiscuity - while last year's Vancouver PRIDE day was amazing, I had to admit that the thing it seemed to promote the most was a promiscuous lifestyle. On the other hand, London's parade had 0 naked people prancing about, 0 packages of lubricant handed out, and very few clubs represented. Instead, there were loads of political, school, and religious groups whose supporters were happy to dress (somewhat) more conservatively and be just as proud of their support of the GLTB community.
and now for the worst...
Worst evangelistic idea (possibly ever...) - set up right next to (and I do mean right next to, as in directly beside) the parade route were a group of men and women holding signs with Biblical verses printed on them. The preacher, oblivious to the crowd and its disinterest or disapproval, carried on with his (to most of this crowd) incomprehensible "Christianese" speech. I get that you think you are acting in love, and I understand where you stand on this issue, but come on... Did you really think that you were going to convert the masses this way? In this location, on this day? Give your head a shake.
Worst wardrobe malfunction - one of the drag queens in the parade was sporting ridiculously high heels, which clearly had been damaged at some point in the festivities. And the method of fixing chosen? Packing tape. Ugly, brown packing tape. I mean, honestly! You couldn't have used some ribbon, as I saw another queen doing? Wardrobe fail.
Worst handout of free swag - pamphlets and stickers. And that's it. No lollipops, drinks, condoms, flags or mardi-gras-style necklaces (all of which are handed out like they're going out of style at both the Victoria and Vancouver PRIDE festival parades). Lame. But, on the bright side... I didn't have to figure out what to do with all of that stuff afterward!!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Overheard by a Canadian: Episode 10
In a Year 2 class, after I'd finished a Robert Munsch story:
Boy: "That was WICKED!"
Me: "Do you like Robert Munsch as much as I do?"
*boy cocks his head and thinks for a moment*
Boy: "um...no."
Me: "But you just said the story was wicked!"
Boy: "oh. oh yeah. Okay, then yes."
Boy: "That was WICKED!"
Me: "Do you like Robert Munsch as much as I do?"
*boy cocks his head and thinks for a moment*
Boy: "um...no."
Me: "But you just said the story was wicked!"
Boy: "oh. oh yeah. Okay, then yes."
Royal Ascot
To be fair, I hadn't heard of it before moving to England. But as soon as I got here, people were telling me it was a not-to-be-missed event. This is a day marked on high society's social calendar. The Queen even attends (and yes, we did see her as she processed along the race track in an open carriage - and this time I had a front-row seat)!And so, I donned my large-brimmed hat, dressed up all fancy-like (which, if you've spent much time with me you'll know, is quite the rare occurrence) and headed to the races. And it was Fabulous-with-a-capital-F! Every gentleman and lady was dressed to the nines. There are actually dress codes that must be adhered to, and they vary depending on the ticket you purchase. But regardless of station, nearly every woman had donned a hat, or the ever-popular fascinator. Men wore suits and tuxes with tails (with major hot-points going to those who chose to add a top hat).
The races themselves were actually quite exciting. Although I didn't bet anything, I chose a favourite for each race (based on the highly scientific method of "which horse has the best name?"). I did pretty well, actually, for the first half of the day... But my method fell apart a bit after that and it was probably a good thing I didn't have any actual money on the line!
But even without having any vested interest in who won, it was still exhilarating to watch. The excitement of the crowd tangibly swelled around me as the horses approached and the race neared the finish line. Various names were shouted as betters cheered on their steed. And everyone else, like me, just shouted and cheered for the fun of it!
I couldn't help but notice the horses and jockeys responding to the energy of the crowd too. As they neared the finish line, I could see the horses' muscles working so hard, and the jockeys urging their animal to go faster and harder. It was almost as if the two of them fused into one muscular and powerful being. I know that sounds a bit hokey and poetic, but honestly, I've never seen anything like it!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Thailand: The Return Journey
After our 10 days in Vietnam, it was time for Joseph and I to venture back out on our own and leave our new friends. I was unexpectedly quite sad to leave them! I guess I hadn't really considered that I would make some true friends on this trip. So to our "Back Of The Bus Brigade" (Aimee, Buckles, Casey, Moby and Allan), along with our new London friends (Nathalie and Jarlath) and our always fabulous Kiwi girls (Jenna and Emma), I just want to say that I do miss you and hope that our paths cross again! You will always have a couch to crash on whenever you choose to visit!
But enough with the sappy stuff...
On our way back to London, Joe and I had 3 flights and a long layover in Bangkok. So of course, this was a recipe for more adventure and even more mishap!
It started at the airport in Hanoi. After going through Passport Control, we were standing in the security line when a guard approached me, asked for my passport...
...and then ran away.
Yes. You read that correctly. He ran away with my passport!! After a stunned moment, I gave chase! He was absolutely NOT getting my passport out of my sight! I followed him to two different secure areas where I was clearly not allowed to be standing, but I didn't care. Without much English, no one was really able to tell me what the problem was. I could see (since I stood behind them as they entered information into their computers) that my details were producing some kind of error message. After about 10minutes (and what FELT like an hour!) they just handed it back to me and sent me on my way. They should really make it a part of border guard training that it is inadvisable to seize innocent passengers' passports and then run away. Someone should really tell them that doing so is likely to induce mild panic. I would even be willing to provide a first-hand account, proving this, if they'd like. Really. I wouldn't mind.
Once we got back to Bangkok, we decided to make our way into the city, mostly for a way to kill our nine free hours. On the subway, we met and started chatting with a man who told me he was 65 years old and still travels all the time and moves from city to city every few years when he gets restless. I love this. I hope that when I'm 65 I still have the energy and love for travel that I do now. I guess I always assumed that I'd have to give up my own tendency to get bored with a city after a few years. But maybe not...
The thing we noticed most about being back in Bangkok was that the system of bartering is much different from that in Vietnam. The shop owners just seem much less interested in bringing down their asking price. In Vietnam, we were getting things for half or even a third of the original price, once we got used to playing the game. But in Thailand, low-balling and walking away just didn't have the same effect.
We have a few personal theories to explain this (none of which are based on anything resembling research or fact, mind you): it could be that this city, and the Khao San area in particular, are frequented by more tourists, so shop owners are less motivated to do business with each one. It could also be that this influx of tourists has accepted higher prices, and over time the average or accepted price has been driven ever higher. We also postulated that it could have something to do with the initial mark-up; if it's lower here than in Vietnam, then it could be that the selling price needs to be nearer the first offer in order to maintain a profit. And finally, we wondered if it could be related to the standard of living here; perhaps the people of Bangkok require a higher sales level to afford the same necessities as their Vietnamese counterparts.
Overall, the two weeks I spent in Southeast Asia were absolutely amazing. This trip, as I've mentioned, was completely unlike any other I've been on.
I learned a few things about myself too. For one, I am absolute rubbish at bartering. Mind you, I did get a little better after practicing so much, but I'm still not very good. I just can't get past the fact that the amount we're haggling over is so insignificant to me, and would be so valued by the shop owner! I also saw in myself a certain hesitancy to take advantage of opportunities. Most of the time this was driven by funding issues (either not being able to afford the activity or not having regular access to my money due to the credit card problems I had). But I kind of wish I was more of the type of person who just did things, without really thinking about it. I want to be able to come home thinking that I took advantage of every opportunity. An area for growth, I guess.
I also learned some things about Joe... spending every minute with someone for two solid weeks will do that! I think the most enlightening fact is that Joe can literally sleep anywhere at any time!! He would say to me, "I think I'm going to fall asleep for a bit..." and then BAM! he was asleep, just like that. I took to calling him "Captain Narcolepsy", a nickname that has actually kind of stuck! (he referred to himself as such just this past weekend, and we got back nearly a month ago!)
But enough with the sappy stuff...
On our way back to London, Joe and I had 3 flights and a long layover in Bangkok. So of course, this was a recipe for more adventure and even more mishap!
It started at the airport in Hanoi. After going through Passport Control, we were standing in the security line when a guard approached me, asked for my passport...
...and then ran away.
Yes. You read that correctly. He ran away with my passport!! After a stunned moment, I gave chase! He was absolutely NOT getting my passport out of my sight! I followed him to two different secure areas where I was clearly not allowed to be standing, but I didn't care. Without much English, no one was really able to tell me what the problem was. I could see (since I stood behind them as they entered information into their computers) that my details were producing some kind of error message. After about 10minutes (and what FELT like an hour!) they just handed it back to me and sent me on my way. They should really make it a part of border guard training that it is inadvisable to seize innocent passengers' passports and then run away. Someone should really tell them that doing so is likely to induce mild panic. I would even be willing to provide a first-hand account, proving this, if they'd like. Really. I wouldn't mind.
Once we got back to Bangkok, we decided to make our way into the city, mostly for a way to kill our nine free hours. On the subway, we met and started chatting with a man who told me he was 65 years old and still travels all the time and moves from city to city every few years when he gets restless. I love this. I hope that when I'm 65 I still have the energy and love for travel that I do now. I guess I always assumed that I'd have to give up my own tendency to get bored with a city after a few years. But maybe not...
The thing we noticed most about being back in Bangkok was that the system of bartering is much different from that in Vietnam. The shop owners just seem much less interested in bringing down their asking price. In Vietnam, we were getting things for half or even a third of the original price, once we got used to playing the game. But in Thailand, low-balling and walking away just didn't have the same effect.
We have a few personal theories to explain this (none of which are based on anything resembling research or fact, mind you): it could be that this city, and the Khao San area in particular, are frequented by more tourists, so shop owners are less motivated to do business with each one. It could also be that this influx of tourists has accepted higher prices, and over time the average or accepted price has been driven ever higher. We also postulated that it could have something to do with the initial mark-up; if it's lower here than in Vietnam, then it could be that the selling price needs to be nearer the first offer in order to maintain a profit. And finally, we wondered if it could be related to the standard of living here; perhaps the people of Bangkok require a higher sales level to afford the same necessities as their Vietnamese counterparts.
~~~~~
Overall, the two weeks I spent in Southeast Asia were absolutely amazing. This trip, as I've mentioned, was completely unlike any other I've been on.
I learned a few things about myself too. For one, I am absolute rubbish at bartering. Mind you, I did get a little better after practicing so much, but I'm still not very good. I just can't get past the fact that the amount we're haggling over is so insignificant to me, and would be so valued by the shop owner! I also saw in myself a certain hesitancy to take advantage of opportunities. Most of the time this was driven by funding issues (either not being able to afford the activity or not having regular access to my money due to the credit card problems I had). But I kind of wish I was more of the type of person who just did things, without really thinking about it. I want to be able to come home thinking that I took advantage of every opportunity. An area for growth, I guess.
I also learned some things about Joe... spending every minute with someone for two solid weeks will do that! I think the most enlightening fact is that Joe can literally sleep anywhere at any time!! He would say to me, "I think I'm going to fall asleep for a bit..." and then BAM! he was asleep, just like that. I took to calling him "Captain Narcolepsy", a nickname that has actually kind of stuck! (he referred to himself as such just this past weekend, and we got back nearly a month ago!)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Vietnam: Same, Same, but Different
"Same same, but different" - it's a phrase often used to explain things in Vietnam. It's usually set up as a comparison between something we'd be familiar with and the particular item being described. But it also became somewhat of a mantra for us throughout the trip, and many of us even bought the t-shirt.
And, as it turned out, our last few days in 'Nam were just that: "same, same, but different." Same beautiful scenery, same busy schedule, but different adventures.
Our stories-to-be-told from Hanoi began the moment we stepped off the bus. One of the women we'd seen lugging baskets draped from poles accosted Jenna as we stepped out at our hotel. Since Jenna didn't want to buy her pineapples, the woman just hefted her pole onto Jenna's shoulder. The idea here, of course, was that someone would take Jenna's photo, and then the woman would charge her for that picture. Well, when a different woman tried it with ME a few minutes later, I decided to play a bit of a trick myself. At Joe's suggestion, when she refused to take the pole and baskets back from me, I just turned and started walking down the street! Completely ignoring her protests, I walked about a half a block down the street before she started getting a bit panicked and heaved on the basket to stop me. Needless to say, she didn't bother asking me for any money!!
On our way to the Temple of Literature that afternoon, our local guide, Friday (thanks for the Rebecca Black interlude there, Joseph...) told us a bit about the city. Since we were back in the land of crazy traffic, he told us that there is actually a scooter for every two people in the city, and that 70% of the population travels this way. No wonder we were seeing them everywhere and avoiding about a million of them every time we tried to cross the street!
I found the gates to the Temple (which was later converted to a University) the most fascinating part. The characters at the top of it read "heart" and they've inscribed "intelligence" over the exit door. The idea is that the university looked for people to admit who had integrity and a good spirit, THEN trained them to be knowledgeable while they were there.
The final stop on our tour was an overnight junk boat to Halong Bay. This is a collection of nearly 2000 islands, which made for an absolutely stunning view as we sailed along. We visited a beautiful cave system as well as going kayaking through a bit of a cave and next to some beautiful cliffs. This was, of course, a huge highlight for ocean-loving me!
While on the boat, we were fed the most amazing seafood feasts - crabcakes baked in a crabshell, giant prawns, heaps of clams, fish prepared in a variety of ways. Lunch and dinner were great! Breakfast, however, was a little weird... It was almost like they tried to give us breakfast AND lunch at the same time, but in the wrong order. We were served the following, in this order:
1. Fries
2. Chicken
3. Calamari
4. Eggs
5. Veggies
6. Fish
7. Rice
Keep in mind that we got one dish at a time, never knowing what was coming next, and sharing the dishes with everyone at the table. So by the time we got that rice, we were all full and had already finished eating the fish. Pretty ridiculous meal, all around. But, that's okay. It was more than made up for by the awesomeness of the overnight stay in beautiful Halong Bay!
And, as it turned out, our last few days in 'Nam were just that: "same, same, but different." Same beautiful scenery, same busy schedule, but different adventures.
Our stories-to-be-told from Hanoi began the moment we stepped off the bus. One of the women we'd seen lugging baskets draped from poles accosted Jenna as we stepped out at our hotel. Since Jenna didn't want to buy her pineapples, the woman just hefted her pole onto Jenna's shoulder. The idea here, of course, was that someone would take Jenna's photo, and then the woman would charge her for that picture. Well, when a different woman tried it with ME a few minutes later, I decided to play a bit of a trick myself. At Joe's suggestion, when she refused to take the pole and baskets back from me, I just turned and started walking down the street! Completely ignoring her protests, I walked about a half a block down the street before she started getting a bit panicked and heaved on the basket to stop me. Needless to say, she didn't bother asking me for any money!!
On our way to the Temple of Literature that afternoon, our local guide, Friday (thanks for the Rebecca Black interlude there, Joseph...) told us a bit about the city. Since we were back in the land of crazy traffic, he told us that there is actually a scooter for every two people in the city, and that 70% of the population travels this way. No wonder we were seeing them everywhere and avoiding about a million of them every time we tried to cross the street!
I found the gates to the Temple (which was later converted to a University) the most fascinating part. The characters at the top of it read "heart" and they've inscribed "intelligence" over the exit door. The idea is that the university looked for people to admit who had integrity and a good spirit, THEN trained them to be knowledgeable while they were there.
~~~~~
 |
| photo credit: Joseph Liu |
1. Fries
2. Chicken
3. Calamari
4. Eggs
5. Veggies
6. Fish
7. Rice
Keep in mind that we got one dish at a time, never knowing what was coming next, and sharing the dishes with everyone at the table. So by the time we got that rice, we were all full and had already finished eating the fish. Pretty ridiculous meal, all around. But, that's okay. It was more than made up for by the awesomeness of the overnight stay in beautiful Halong Bay!
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