Let the blogging begin

So going to cop out for the first blog and just cut and paste the e-mail that I have just sent suggesting that I was going to start a blog (sorry about that).
Will also post a few pics that are not on facebook that are from our last ski trip in Fernie and our XC ski weekend this last weekend.
Although nobody is following this blog yet.  Love all of you potential blog followers.  Keep cool


Hey friends and family

Has been quite a while since we've chatted.  Missing you all and wishing you could be here with us!

Unfortunately I've come down with flu and am stuck in bed, alone and feeling sorry for myself.  So find myself a bit bored and feeling sorry for myself but with some time to say hello.

I usually feel pretty guilty when I'm sick and don't go to work but feeling particularly guilty now.  Canada has a great medical system if you're in it.  What I mean by that is that if you don't have a family practitioner then you're ability to go to the doctor when you are sick is extremely limited.  You either have to sit in emergency or go to walk in clinics which are often too busy to get into.  So when Ryan is sick all his patients are stuck without a doctor again.  I've found that I've become incredibly attached to my patients in the last 5 months so make it tough to have to cancel appointments.

That and no work equals no pay.

But enough of that.  Can you believe that it's almost been 6 months since we left South Africa and started our North American adventure?  Time has gone incredibly quickly.  Adele and I have been chatting and although we have not decided yet, we are thinking about possibly staying another year and possibly staying for four and getting a Canadian passport.  Ooooh how awesome it would be to have one of those dark blue books of possibility.  Imagine being able to travel almost anywhere without a visa.  It would be perfect for Adele and I.  But we will see.  We are still at the negotiation table.

Since I last e-mailed we are a lot more settled and comfortable.  There are definitely a whole new set of challenges and skill set required to become a good GP but I am finding that we are learning a lot and I'm becoming a much better doctor.  I'm also finding that I have a high level of job satisfaction (There are many less days of :  nooooo, I don't want to go to work today).

A big difference for me is that I don't have to rely on anyone else to help clear OPD or do the ward round. I show up at work, work very hard and then go home to my wonderful wife and dog.    No wondering were my colleagues are or why Dr Malpractice is leaving early again in his BMW.  

So work is good.  There are still times of stress and still so much I need to learn but I'm enjoying myself and isn't that always the case?

Winter seems to be running out of steam.  Spring is on the way which brings the promise of hiking, kayaking, swimming and general lekker outdoor stuff.

I am going to miss winter though.  Most Canadians complain when it's too cold or snowing too hard but it has still been a novelty for Adele and I.  

Apart from the odd grumble about having to shovel our driveway in minus 25 degree weather, it has been great!  

We hopped the border into Montana and went ice fishing with a few of the other docs last year.  We really enjoyed this experience.  There is something surreal about sitting on a sheet of ice in a hut and looking through a seemingly crystal walled hole at fish about 15 meters down.  The water is amazingly clean and it is such a rush watching the fish deciding if it going to take your line.  It is maybe not the most challenging form of fishing but really fun.  Also I find fish is much tastier when you've caught and named it yourself.  Caught a really big fish and named him Mr T.  Duncan caught Webster - I think you get my drift.

Other winter activities have included snowboarding, XC skiing and lots of hockey watching.  

Adele has particularly taken to hockey and it's a great sport in Canada.  Wait, no, that's wrong!  Adele has particularly taken to hockey and it's a great religion here in Canada.  Canadians are hockey mad!  They eat, sleep and puck hockey.  We've been to watch the local team fairly often and have really enjoyed it.  Really want to watch a nhl game before the end of the season.  

We've also really gotten into snowboarding.  I think I've probably been snowboarding about 14 days this season.  We are very lucky to have a ski hill about an hour and a half away and another 3 about 2 and a half hours away.  We've mainly been to Castle mountain in Alberta and Fernie in British Columbia.

There is not much that gets me as excited as a day on the slopes and Adele and I are infinitely better than when we started.  For Christmas we bought each other all the gear.  So now we are poorer, happier snowboard owners.  At about 500 rand a day for your lift pass snowboarding is not exactly the cheapest sport but loving it!

What is a lot cheaper and that we enjoyed for the first time this last weekend is XC skiing.

There is a beautiful national park called Waterton about an hour South of here.  While in lethbridge the snow has mostly melted, Waterton has large snow drifts with some banks of snow as high as 2 story houses.  Having never been on skis before the XC skiing was a challenge but really enjoyable.  When you get into a rhythm it almost feels like you are floating on the snow.  It's a really good workout too. Unfortunately I think my current health can be partly explained by going skiing when I was already not feeling great (oh well, was worth it).  Another appeal is that you access wonderful places that you usually would struggle to get to in Winter.  Really cool!

So we're having fun and settling in.  We've made biltong a few times (Thank you uncle Corrie for your recipe), we've braaied in the snow, we've watched cricket at ungodly hours of the morning and we've kuiered with fantastic people.  We've enjoyed a lot of Canada and brought a lot of our South African flavour to Canada.

Duncan and Chantal stayed with us for a month in January which was great.  I have to say that it is really, really nice having people here who know you on a personal and historical level.  We've done a lot and had a lot of fun with them.  I was working alone at my clinic location and now Duncs has joined me while Chan has joined Adele at the other location.  It makes a huge difference having someone there to get opinions from and bounce ideas off. 

A few weekends ago we surprised Adele and Chan (although I had already cracked and told Adele) with a Goo goo dolls concert in Edmonton.  We drove down on Saturday and back on Sunday.  6 hours there and 6 hours back.  We got to shop in the largest mall in the Northern hemisphere kitted out with an indoor amusement park, water slides and about 800 shops (West Edmonton mall).  Goo goo dolls were awesome and it was well worth the trip.  

On the way there in the morning there was a bit of snow and ice and the roads weren't great.  Adele and I almost wet ourselves when Chantal said, "at least we're not driving to Edmonton guys".

Adeles younger sister and her boyfriend came to visit us about a month ago and we enjoyed a lot of the above with them.  We had a very lekker trip through the rockies from Fernie to Banff.  Spectacular scenery around every corner and I think that they enjoyed their Canadian experience.  It was really important for Adele to see Shani and I think that Adele is in a much better space as a result.  It was a very lekker visit!

We've got quite a few things to look forward to.  In April we are going to Vancouver for a conference and then to Victoria for Adele and my 2 year anniversary.  Should be mountains and whales and ocean, can't wait.

In May we're going to Winnipeg to watch U2 and the frey and switchfoot.  Should be funsies.  

Looking forward to are the newly engaged Nic and Claire are coming to visit us for 2 weeks in summer.  Might go to the largest rodeo in the world when they're here and drive the icefields highway (? one of the most scenic drives in the world).

We're going to New Zealand for the world cup with my parents in September and the Dermans may come visit in December.  

So lots and lots to look forward to.

So there has been a lot going on and a lot still to come.  Adele and I are still not entirely sure what we want to do with our lives but we're figuring it out and enjoying life.  We have a few dreams and hopefully we can make these a reality.

I have to say that this experience has made my relationship with Adele a lot stronger.  I am so in love with my wife and I'm relishing this wonderful time in our lives.

I'm thinking about starting a blog.  It might be easier than e-mailing and hopefully I will be able to update it more often.  Julie Fernandes has an awesome blog as do recent friends we've met in Canada.  If you're keen to hear about what we do on a weekly basis let me know and I'll set it up.

Anyhow.  Miss you all and, again, wish you were here.  Please let me know how life is for you and what you are up to.  We don't want to miss out on too much.

Until we chat again

Chow for now and stay fantapantastic

Ryan and Adele