Since writing the last blog we have been 2 very busy African Canadians. I have not blogged in months and it's not for a lack of interest but we have been very, very busy! I have decided in a last ditch effort to complete this. It will be a chaotic blog with a lot of detail on some activities and very little on others (Part of this was written ages ago. Part of it before our Cuba trip and part after.).
In the sloppy mess that is life, and this blog, here we go again.
This last weekend was thanksgiving. Temperatures are starting to drop off in Alberta. We have had a few days at or below zero. We've also had a little skiff of snow. Starting to get so excited for snowboarding!!! We cannot wait for that crunchy white stuff. Thanksgiving promised to be a little warmer with the promise of turkey and festive beverages.
We were incredibly lucky this year to have been invited to four dinners. Unfortunately we could only do 1 on the Saturday and 1 on the Sunday but it was really nice to be thought of and included with such wonderful people (And is really a stark contrast to 2 years ago when everything was fresh, new and we didn't have much of a support base/social life to speak of).
On Saturday we had dinner with Mark, Michael, Garland and Kelly at their house. We had a feast of turkey, cranberry sauce, potato bake, sweet potato pies, veggies, pumpkin pie and some good wine. This was the first time we met Kelly and their daughter, Aster. She is a very smart and cute little girl and kept us entertained all evening (Since then they have had a baby boy :) ). Had a great time with a wonderful family. Almost went into a Turkey/Tryptophan coma – cranberry sauce is soooooooo good! (Thanksgiving is really great. Not only are you thankful for all your blessings but if you fall asleep after dinner you can always blame it on the gobble gobble (turkey)).
The next day we (Adele, Myself, Carrie, Mark and Michael) decided to got to a haunted house in Stirling. You should check it out: http://www.freewebs.com/hauntedmansionstirling/history.htm.
Now I'm a big old scaredy cat. The last scary movie I watched was “The Ring” and it affected me so much that I thought something was going to pull itself out of the TV and eat me for a week. So you can understand that I was reluctant to go. Anyway Adele convinced me (In part because Michael was going and he is a bigger scaredy cat).
We drove to Stirling and to this really beautiful vintage home that has been repurposed as a house of terror!!!! Unluckily when we arrived the house was closed (some issues with staffing) and we set off to find some coffee. Now you might not be surprised but there is very little open in Stirling on a Sunday in the way of coffee shops or in Raymond - where we eventually did sit down and have some coffee in an empty Subway restaurant. (seriously, both towns looked deserted – Albertan bible belt on a Sunday).
So we had some caffeine and spent some time building a bit of anticipation and adrenaline and set off, nervous and eager, back to the haunted house.
Now I've done my best setting up this scene but please bear in mind that the half an hour we spent in this house was one of the most entertaining of the year. It still brings a big, toothy grin to my face thinking about it.
The house was really well set up. From the moment we walked in there was an overwhelming assortment of spooky and eerie decorations and Michael was on edge. About half a minute in he started screaming and the entertainment began. We were escorted through the beginning part of the house by a man who would purposely redirect our attention so something could jump out or fall on us. I really wish that I had pictures because it was so well done.
In the second room there was a creepy dining room with a number of dummies sitting around a ghoulish feast of arms and legs and all sorts of nasties. While we were looking in the room one of the “dummies” stood up and the screaming started again. I could barely stop laughing with Michael’s screams or him shouting, “No, no I don't want any more” or ” I have to get out of here”, or “I WON”T GO IN THERE, I WON'T, NO!”, etc.
Carrie was also really funny – she has tiny hands and I kept on feeling these tiny hands pushing me towards whatever was chasing or trying to scare us. Made for a very comical situation and completely cut the tension.
The route went through a number of rooms upstairs with weird and wonderful decorations and then it was down to the basement. Michael: “I'm not going down there, I'm not going @#$&ing down there!!!!”.
The basement was much of the same with a new Ghoulish character in a suit who'd pop out or appear at the end of a corridor. There was also the usual hands grabbing an arm or a leg and it was pure, terrifying awesomeness. Don't know if I can really do it justice but really enjoyed the experience. Adele and Mark were pretty good. Michael was the best and most entertaining. Carrie let out a few yelps and was also entertaining. It was a fun outing.
At the end of the haunted house Michael was very eager to get out but in spite of being “poep bang” he was still polite enough to say “no thanks” when a witch asked if we wanted some more scares.
After the haunted house we made our way over to Pete and Bettie’s house. Pete is another doc at our clinic and his family have been very kind in including us often – see previous blogs.
We had another great thanksgiving dinner with Pete, Bettie, Lowell, Julie, Frazer, Danielle and her family, Mark and Michael.
Was another feast of turkey, cranberries, stuffing, veg, rolls and pie for dessert. Another fantastic night and the food was amazing. Was really nice to sit around a table and be included in a family thanksgiving. Pete asked everyone to say why they were thankful and everyone did – it was emotional and humbling and awesome.
I think all the South Africans at the table felt a little homesick. We are very happy to be here but having a meal with a wonderful family reminded us of our wonderful families.
It was a great thanksgiving weekend. We are thankful to have had such wonderful experiences in Canada, thank you!
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| Carrie and Adele getting ready for some terror |
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| The haunted house |
Another day in Fall/Autumn 2012
About an hour and a half from Lethbridge there is a wonderful place called Writing on Stone provincial park.
It's a provincial park but it almost seems like a secret place. I've asked a lot of Lethbridge natives and they haven't been there or they haven't been there in a long time.
We decided one day to go with Mark and Michael, to check it out and go for a hike. We had a very nice drive through the prairies and then out of nowhere the land dropped off and we were in writing on stone.
Stone has been worn away to create Coulees (Valleys) and Hoodoos (Rocky outcrops/statues that have been created as softer rock has been worn away under harder rock).
It really is a spectacular little place and was once a sacred place for the First Nations people. The largest collection of native rock art in North America can be found in this area.
We had a wonderful walk between and over these wonderful rocky shapes.
It really is a pretty, wonderful and special place.
Below are a few photos that do it more justice.
On the same weekend we drove up to Calgary on Friday for a course. We had a wonderful dinner in Calgary with Duncan and Chantelle. Was great to spend time with these special friends again. We have missed them since they have left Lethbridge. Chan is pregnant now (We are very excited to be uncle Ryan and auntie Adele).
The next day after the course we had a delicious lunch with Shauna. We ate at a tapas style restaurant (I've never had Tapas before). Was really good.
Calgary is turning out to be a wonderful place to visit.
The same weekend we got to share a very special dinner with the Kings for their anniversary.
Was a wonderful weekend with some of our favorite people.
Another weekend in 2012 between here and there
On another weekend we joined the Kings and went camping with them in Stirling, Alberta. This is the second time that we have been camping (the first time that we slept in a tent in Canada (last year we slept in our car)) and it was great.
We played baseball and sat around the fire and chatted late into the night.
Bagel slept in the tent with us and was in seventh heaven.
On the same weekend we took a drive to Whitefish, Montana.
Whitefish is a wonderful tourist town in the American rockies. They have great little restaurants and it seems like a fun/touristy little town. I cannot wait to go back during winter and do some skiing.
The big draw card for this trip was a road called, “the road to the sun”. This road winds through the rockies and is closed for a lot of the year because it is covered in snow.
It is a windy road with spectacular views. It was also one of the most terrifying drives of my life. I was only able to drive it in the direction where we had the mountain closest to the car (I would not have been able to drive it with the cliff edge so close on the way back – it's a narrow road!).
Some people are crazy enough to drive this narrow road on bicycles – crazies!
On the other end of the “road to the sun” there was a nice shoulder next to a river and we were lucky to watch a bear climbing a tree and eating berries.
As he crossed the river and started to make his way up the bank towards the cars we decided to go the opposite direction to all the excited tourists eager to see the bear (hurriedly running towards the bear) and we left. Silly tourists, I feel sorry for the bear who is cornered, panics, then mauls an over eager tourist and then gets the bad wrap. People can be idiots sometimes.
When we arrived back in Canada we went through a small, one horse border crossing and were very excited when the border guard said, “welcome back home folks”, this was the first time we had used our PR cards. It did feel good to be “home”.
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| Camping in Sterling |
2013 - early year
Now I have a few more big trips that I have to blog about. 2 of these are our New York trip and our Polar bear trip to Churchill.
We have had a clinic barbecue, have spent a lot of time with Carrie, Eric, Robbie, Lindsey, Brad, Vicks, Adam and Candice.
Have been hanging out with Mark and Michael a lot. They have cooked us some really good meals and have been great friends.
We are very lucky to have a great support base and some wonderful friends in Lethbridge.
So all of the above was written in 2012. I managed to do a good blog about Cuba which was an amazing holiday but as life got messy the rest fell by the wayside.
When I wrote the next little bit we were on the way to Toronto. I had a preparation course for the CCFP and Adele and I were going to explore Toronto a bit in between.
We have had a massive snowstorm recently and Alberta is covered in white again. It has been a relatively mild winter and Lethbridge has been pretty warm.
Adele had a recent conference in Banff, I stayed home with the wolf . By all reports she had a great time with Susan, Mark and Michael. I attempted to study and catch up with admin.
On the way back she got caught in the big snowstorm. She says that they could not see more than a few feet and had to rely on the truck in front of them to stay on the road. All along the road cars were in ditches and it was pretty scary. A four our trip ended up taking more than 12 hours – crazy.
We are in South Africa in 2 weeks (At the time of writing this) – one of the reasons I am writing this blog now - to be done before that trip (That obviously didn’t happen). So excited and can't wait to see you Suid Afrikaners.
Chantal is almost at term pregnancy and we can't wait to meet their new son. Happy happies Duncs and Chan.
Other than that we have been doing tax and getting ready for exams.
To add to the chaos our landlords told us that they wanted to sell their house as soon as possible. They told us in January and we gave notice shortly after without having anywhere to move to. (We really didn't want people walking through our house while I was trying to study and with Bagel).
Adele was a true champion and looked at many rentals before we found a perfect rental close to both of our offices. We moved our stuff in, piecemeal. Our big stuff was moved by a group of our friends and was really quick. It is amazing how much stuff we have accumulated in 2 and a half years.
The house itself is very big and retro. It has lovely shag carpets and a shuffleboard built into the floor of the basement. It is very trippy and awesome! One of the best features are it's large windows which look out onto a green strip. The green strip has a pathway down into the valley system and all the way to the river. At night deer walk up the pathway and onto our front lawn which is awesome. Bagel enjoys sitting at the window and howling at the passing runners and deer. He seems to have given the house his 2 paws up.
Other than that we have spent a lot of time with friends, have watched hockey and have been trying to catch up.
Toronto should be great this weekend and I will update you on the flight back.
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| Beautiful Banff |
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| Hiking Waterton |
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| Bagel checking out the new view |
September 2012 – my birthday NY NY
For my birthday this year I really wanted to see one of my best friends, Ryan, and his wonderful wife, our friend Julie.
They live in New York and we really do not get to see them often enough. He is my oldest friend in this hemisphere and I was very excited to see him.
(Please note that this is written 6 months later so definitely does not do the trip any justice.)
The night we flew to New York we had dinner in Calgary with Tessa, Marielle, Connor, Duncs and Shawna. We went to a restaurant called Wine-Ohs. Was probably some of the best steak and lamb that we have had in Alberta and it was great. It was a wonderful prelude to a great, short, holiday.
The highlight of this New York trip was seeing Ryan and Julie and their Dachshund Mila. Mila took a little while to warm up to me but after she did we enjoyed many cuddles and I was quite smitten.
Ryan has a pretty busy job and works really hard. He is probably the hardest working person that I know and has reaped the benefits since school days. I have always been amazed at his resolve and stamina. We spent lots of time with Julie and it was really nice to get to know her better. We have been to New York a few times and this was one of the best trips. The reason for this was that we decided not to do all the big touristy things – we had done these on previous trips. We focused on spending time with Ryan and Julie and relaxing in the big apple. This was the first time that we ever got an experience of what it'd be like to live in New York and it was amazing – there is so much going on! Julie and Ryan are right on central park on the upper west side and their location was fantastic for walking and exploring.
As memory goes these were some of our best parts
– Arriving in New York and walking through central park and getting some frozen yogurt
– Again, seeing Ryan and Julie
– Having a delicious homemade pasta with Julie and sampling many delicious American beers from Whole Foods – better than woolworths (Yes …... he said it).
– Going to an Alice in Wonderland themed tea restaurant and eating delicious cupcakes while having our own tea party sans mad hatter.
– Listening to a Latino bus driver saying,”Oh God Maria”, repeatedly and talking to herself as we drove through the chaos that is New York on our way back from the airport.
– Trying Deep fried Southern food, eating grits for the first time and trying pickled everything in a restaurant. It was called Jacob’s pickles. (Pickled dill, carrot, beets and jalapeno).
Delicious!
– Having late night beers with Ryan after his work day.
– Walking to Julie’s work to have lunch with her and eating tasty vietnamese sandwiches – food is so good in New York
– Taking long walks.
– Finding Gramercy Park. I can't remember why I enjoyed this park but go there. I am terrible with names and if it has stuck in my brain then it was awesome!
– The Strand bookstore. Markus Aurelius – you have to go here. It is a huge and wonderful bookstore. I have never seen so many books outside a library and it has a really cool section on the top floor with old and rare books.
– People dancing and playing guitar in the subway.
– Running around central park with all the other joggers. I had this magical experience with a jog past poets and someone playing Bob Dylan and dogs and happy kids and wonderful sights and sounds. After coughing up a lung I collapsed in Ryan and Julie’s back yard (yes, they have a back yard in NYC – their flat is amazing) listening to the sounds of New York. It was awesome.
– Going to Dumbo with Julie. Dumbo is a part of Brooklyn and it is fantastic. We watched some performers in a park doing feats of strength and agility on statues. Had amazing bagels. Smuggled Mila onto the subway in a doggy bag :) Sat under the bridges, watched wedding parties have their pictures taken and walked around this vibey area.
– We tracked down food trucks and discovered Wafels and Dinges. They make waffles with this stuff called spekoloos. Holy crap it is good!
– Had a delicious dinner at an Italian place called Celeste. The food was great, the company was awesome. It was one of those restaurants where you sit right next to the other diners. Was really good.
– Woke up early one morning to take Mila for a walk to the dog area in central park. There is a time period when dogs are allowed off leash. It is a small window but Julie has made a couple of friends through this and it was great fun to see all the dogs playing and having fun in this awesome park. Any dogs off leash after this time are fined and apparently the cops are quick to roll in!
– We managed to break Ryan and Julie’s spare bed. That sounds bad – no dodginess involved. Had quite a lot of fun fixing the bed and making it a bit more sturdy.
And I think those were some of the main things that we did. It was a wonderful long weekend and I can't wait to see them again.
Polar bears – sometime in October 2012
In October we decided to make a trip to Churchill, Manitoba. Churchill, Manitoba is famous because rivers run into the Hudson bay here and the fresh water freezes before the salt water does. This means that Polar bears congregate on the bay before the ice freezes and it is one of the best places in the world to see these endangered creatures (They like to get onto the ice and start hunting seals).
This was one of those bucket list things that we decided to do and after mortgaging our kidneys we decided to go.
We were lucky to have lunch with Shawna, Connor, Duncs and Chantal before we left at a very lekker restaurant called Fish in Calgary.
Then we flew to Winnipeg where we spent the night before and the night after the trip.
We left for Churchill early in the morning and met the Australians, Germans, Canadians, Americans, Chinese and British folk who had all come with the same hopes and excitement.
Churchill itself is a small but interesting place. All around the town there are warnings not to stray too far or to watch out for nooks where polar bears could be hiding. Apparently all the cars are left open so that you can duck into a car if needed and all around town there are polar bear traps. They even have a prison where they put bears for a while if they stray into town to dissuade them from coming back. There is a big emphasis on not habituating the bears (Which is probably a good idea when you are dealing with a 700 kg, angry bear).
We had a delicious lunch of pickerel and enjoyed the first nations museum which had a great collection of native art and history.
At one stage the tour operator said that we should buy wine for dinner on the tundra buggy because there was none on board to which Adele said (and she will debate this), “we'll have to buy our wine quickly before all these Australians buy it all!”.
From the town we were taken on a giant vehicle called a tundra buggy to our hotel. Our hotel was a big mobile unit in the middle of the tundra. Tundra buggys docked on the side of the tundra buggy lodge like spaceships docking at a space station. We were not allowed to get out on the tundra so it did feel like we were on a spacecraft, aware of, but separate from the alien environment that surrounded us.
The lodge had a number of units with bunks in them. Each unit had a shower and 2 toilets. Each little bunk had it's own light and window and it was really comfortable and a lot of fun. We made a couple of friends from Australia, Canada and China.
The one night alarms went off at 3 in the morning and there was a panic that there might be a gas leak. No gas leak but a lot of entertainment at 3 am. I could imagine the polar bears setting off the alarms to get us on the ground.
The lodge was really nice. We had great food and met interesting people. Every night we'd have some sort of lecture and we learnt a lot about Churchill and the bears.
(Adele and I were the only people who showered every day, stinky foreigners).
During the day we left the lodge and went off in the Tundra buggy to look for bears. We had chosen to go in early season and there was not much snow on the ground.
There were also not as many bears, peak season means more bears but more deniro.
We were very lucky to see red foxes and arctic foxes. One of my highlights was watching an arctic fox hunt for prey. He hopped, skipped and jumped and had a great time. The Tundra was really pretty and we had a magical time.
We also saw a few snowy owls and ptarmigans. Both stunning creatures.
The absolute highlight would have to be the polar bears though. We got a few really good sighting and I think we saw 6-7 bears. The bears are often inquisitive and come up to the vehicle. This is definitely a trip that I would recommend and would like to do again sometime.
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| The lodge |
2012 Courses
I made references to a few courses above. During October, November and December I did ACLS, ATLS, BLS and PALS.
Adele did ACLS and BLS with me. Was a pretty stressful period because there were multiple courses and very little free time. I have to say though, it was really fun to do these again.
A few of the courses were in Calgary and we had the benefit of seeing Duncs and Chan, and Connor and Shauna a few times.
On one weekend we went to the farmers market in Calgary, it was great. It is a big warehouse with isles and isles of interesting food and crafts. Really worth a visit.
On another trip in Calgary we went to the Calgary zoo for a x-mas lights display. We went with Duncs and Chan. It was freezing and we ran from fire to fire, and hot chocolate stand to hot chocolate stand. There are a lot of fun things to do in cow town.
One another weekend we went to Saskatoon for ATLS. I had not managed to study everything and while we were there I stayed up late to complete the course work.
We stayed in an old hotel - the Delta Bessborough. It was a beautiful building and had a lot of the old fixtures which were cool. One of these was the old mail shoot system. We had great views of the river and went for wonderful walks every day.
In between our course we got to see Marielle and Tess. They live in Tisdale, about 2 hours from Saskatoon. They enjoy all the good things: wine, good food, reading etc. We had a delicious dinner with them on both nights, did some shopping and had a lot of good laughs. We had not seen them for a good while and it was great catching up. On the one night we went to a Gay bar. I have never been before and it happened to be Mr Gay Canada auditions. We had a really great time. People seemed less pretentious and just eager to dance and have fun. Marielle is an awesome dancer and they are both fun to party with.
Saskatoon had had a huge snowfall that weekend and it was really fun to walk to my course and back in the snow. Will post a pic below.
I was impressed with Saskatoon, it is a small but funky place.
Skiing 2012 and 2013
So we did not get as much snowboarding done this last season as in previous years.
Lots of conferences, courses and travels.
We spent one fantastic day in Fernie with Carrie, Eric, Robert and Brian. The snow was thick and wonderful. Eric is a seasoned skier and I did some runs that I definitely should not have. Fernie is a wonderful hill and we had a great time.
Mark and Michael took up skiing for the first time and we had a few trips with them. A lot of these trips were fairly comical - learning to ski is hard. On one trip we drove to Sunshine and back for some good snow. This was a 8 hour round trip for about 4 hours of snowboarding. Was another great day. They had been practicing on the bunny slope and were feeling confident, conditions were also perfect so we decided to go up the lift. As we got to the top the clouds came over and there was probably 2 meters of visibility. A few hours later we got to the bottom of the hill. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth and a few choice words sent in my direction. Again, and yes I do say this often, wonderful day!
We had a few other ski weekends/outings but I will allude to these below. One outing that was really fun was a cross country ski trip to Waterton with Mark and Michael. This was sometime in February.
We cross country skied to Cameron lake. It was a perfect day and we stopped for a lunch of cheese and beer in the middle of the lake. It was a good workout and the boys really enjoyed their first cross country ski and their first jaunt on a frozen lake. It was one of those perfect, idyllic days of exercise, nature and good company. We must do this again this winter, apparently you can do it by moonlight which must be amazing!
The end of January 2013
Every year our friends, Connor and Shauna, go to Whitefish for Shauna's birthday. This year we joined them with a group of their mates.
They rented a big house in Whitefish, Montana, and we drove there on a Friday after work, and back on the Sunday. It was a really nice spot in the woods, with a hot tub and plenty of space. Connor and Shauna planned food and had bought beer and pretty much everything needed
so we just contributed some cash for the weekend and that was it - a really easy weekend and a lot of fun.
They are great people and we enjoyed a weekend of laughter, snowboarding and great food. We ate out at a really great pizza place on the one night and had a tasty homemade pasta on another night. We had a ping pong tournament (with a ginger champion) and hot tubbed in the snow.
Really enjoyed sampling the American beers - a lot of things in the USA are so much cheaper than Canada, a lot of people go there for a weekend to shop and come back with cars full of beer and goods.
The snowboarding was fantastic. There was a really nice snow base and we snowboarded until our legs were wobbly. A lot of their friends are fantastic skiers/snowboarders and I tried a few black runs (wobbly legs and all) in the afternoon. Was a supa, dupa, fun weekend.
The beginning of January 2013
We have made some really awesome friends here in Canada. 2 of these friends, Robbie and Lindsey, got married in the Dominican at the beginning of January and we were invited. The boys (Mark and Michael) were also invited and we all hopped on a plane together in Calgary and headed off to the Caribbean.
We stayed in a really big resort type hotel. The hotel was so big that there were golf carts ferrying people up and down at all hours of the day and night. There were a lot of Canadians and Russians at this particular hotel.
It was a really pretty spot with a great beach.
There were restaurants that were open all day and all night catering for all sorts of tastes. Each person was given 3 vouchers and you could book dinners at some of their speciality restaurants. We had Japanese, French and Spanish. The Japanese was really good, as well as the French.
We spent our days swimming in the pools or in the sea. We also did a few outings.
One outing was to go surfing. We went as a large group and each person had a Dominican surfer helping them. It was quite a lot of fun and entertaining to watch the different ability levels and rates of success. We had fresh fish cooked on the beach after - it was perfect. This was the second time we had been to this beach for surfing, the first time was with a smaller group and no instructors - also fun but less successful.
On another outing we went on a “booze cruise” where we boated to an area where we snorkeled with sharks and stingrays. From there we went to another spot where we snorkeled some more - was great to be in the sea again. The booze part on the way back was also a lot of fun - there is really good rum in the Caribbean.
Every night at the hotel there was some sort of activity or entertainment. There was a lot of dancing and it was a lot of fun.
Adele and I have never done a big group vacation like this and it was great to catch up with friends, make new friends and solidify our other friendships. Everywhere you went there was someone to chat to or something to do. Robbie and Lindsey are awesome and they have amazing friends.
It was a week of partying and awesomeness.
Their wedding was on the beach and was a perfect day. The reception was full of heartfelt speeches and some more dancing and partying.
I think as a couples destination I probably prefer Cuba but as a group destination the Dominican was the business.
Robbie and Lindsay asked Brad to take photos for them and I was asked to help out. Was a lot of good fun doing it but also a bit stressful. I think Brad and I were pretty thankful that we had each other and some back up pictures in case there was some camera malfunction.
All in all - awesome!!!!!
Castle mountain weekend Sometime in 2013
As part of Adam’s birthday we were invited to Castle mountain for a weekend of fun and snow.
We joined them on the Friday and got to meet some more of Adam and Candace’s friends.
They had rented a large cabin and we got to see a new side to this smaller ski area. Castle is a lot more rustic and less commercial than the Fernies, Banffs and Whitefishes. There is not as much accommodation and infrastructure compared to other places.
We had dinner at the small restaurant there which was full of locals and was a vibey spot.
That night was also full of some fun and some shenanigans. One of the memorable moments was one of Adam's friends salting the icy steps to the condo with a salt shaker :)
We did stay for the Saturday night but it seems that this was a pretty big night by the reported lack of skiing on the Sunday and a certain naked person, you know who you are... :), being locked out of the condo in the snow.
On the Saturday we had a great day of skiing. It was a bit icy in parts but was a super fun day and we learnt a lot from more experienced skiers/boarders.
I am becoming more and more familiar with the black slopes.
Las Vegas baby February 2013
So at some stage over a bottle of wine we booked tickets to Pink, at way more than face value, and flights to Vegas with Mark and Michael.
Adele has wanted to see Pink for a long time, and Michael is also a huge fan.
We drove to Great Falls on the Friday and flew back on the Monday.
In between we did Vegas properly!!! We walked the strip at length, sampled the different drinking establishments and had a right, proper time.
We burnt the candle at all ends and were all a bit jaded by the end, but it was an unbelievable weekend.
On the Friday we had a super dinner and then watched Pink in our hotel. We had bought what we thought were great tickets. When we arrived we were ushered through a corridor and were told that we had standing tickets only - we immediately thought that we had bought bad tickets and were a bit miffed until we realised that our standing tickets were right up against the stage - like a golden circle. We enjoyed “the Hives” as the opening act. These guys are crazy talented and put on an amazing show.
Pink was fantastic. I have probably not been to a better concert. She is edgy, racy and super talented. She does acrobatic feats while still keeping perfect tune. It was definitely a highlight of the trip and I’ll see her again in a heartbeat.
On the Saturday we explored Vegas and ate a delicious lunch and dinner. We really tried to get a great eating experience with all the amazing choices.
That night we went to “Zumanity”, which is the adults only version of cirque du soleil. It is a raunchy, burlesque style acrobatic show. When we were not cringing and hoping not to be involved in stage antics, we had an amazing time. It is also worth a watch and will keep you gasping, giggling and cringing - a lot of fun with great friends.
On the Sunday we woke up very early and had a limo ride and then helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon. This was spectacular and wonderful. The views were gorgeous and we enjoyed a snack at the bottom of the canyon with an Australian couple. Again, this was a wowser and I suggest you sell your firstborn and do this outing if you find yourself in Nevada.
That night was Fremont street, some gambling and Michael and I ended up going out for a party at 3 am. With very little sleep we headed back to Alberta, loved Vegas BABY!
Christmas 2012 Jess and Steve
Our wonderful friends Jess and Steve live with their beautiful daughter in Chilliwack, BC. We were lucky enough to be invited to join them for Christmas and they let us gatecrash their family festivities.
We had a wonderful week relaxing with them. We got to play with Kaitlyn, go for walks and spent hours chatting together.
They organised a Christmas eve dinner with Jess’s family. Everyone was very accommodating and it was wonderful to spend time with them and get to know Jess’s roots a bit better.
On Christmas day we spent time with Steve’s family and had another wonderful dinner.
It really was special to be included and they are both wonderful families, they have created a wonderful Jess and Steve, after all.
Really enjoyed doing a small garage project with Steve and sampling BC beers.
Also had a fantastic day snowboarding at Cypress mountain near Vancouver. Conditions were amazing again, it was fun to try a new hill and it was just great to spend some time with J and S.
We miss you Jess and Steve and Kaitlyn. Luckily since they have left we have made an effort to keep in touch and hopefully we will continue too.
Just before we left Alberta we had a Christmas dinner with the Lethbridge crew at the boys house. Was a night of secret santa, great food and wonderful company.
Duncan and Chan
Duncs and Chan now have a handsome little son. Matthew Evan was welcomed into the world earlier this year. Adele and I are very excited to be Auntie and Uncle to Matthew. Currently they are in South Africa visiting and we cannot wait for them to be back so we can see Matthew, and them :), again.
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| Matthew |
Toronto March 2013
I wrote an exam in Calgary in May, the CCFP. This was a little stressful because we’d just been in South Africa and there were a couple of other things that had happened to hinder studying. Anyway, we South Africans, are not trained in exam technique to do these exams so I registered for an exam prep course in Toronto.
We flew up to Toronto on the Thursday and made a weekend of it.
While I was doing the course Adele met up with Connor and Shauna and his parents. She had an entertaining tour of the downtown area and both their offices. She really enjoyed it.
We went up the CN Tower which scared the *&$% out of me. At Connor’s suggestion we had lunch there in the revolving restaurant. Was fine dining at it’s best with a sexy wife and gorgeous views - was perfect.
We spent a lot of time walking, enjoyed a few of the pubs and really, really liked Toronto.
One of the highlights was definitely a trip to the hockey hall of fame. Adele loves sport and she loves hockey and it was like seeing a kid in a candy store - so awesome! She did not want to leave!!
We met another South African at the course and have made a new friend.
Toronto feels like a vibey and wonderful city. It is diverse, cultural and very arty. I cannot wait to go back. The problem with this Canada place is that it is so vast and so awesome and there is a lifetime of stuff to do and places to see and to go back to .
South Africa trip with the Kings March 2013
So we have moved house and have lost our wonderful neighbors and friends. We’ve seen them a few times recently but definitely miss having them next door.
Last year sometime we invited them to come to South Africa with us. We felt that it would be a wonderful way of saying thank you to them for being awesome and for looking out for us in Canada. We thought it’d also be a great way of visiting our native land and seeing it through the eyes of a tourist.
We left sometime towards the end of March and came back in April. We spent 3 weeks and the Kings joined us for 2 of these.
We made the long journey with a stop in Calgary to meet Matthew in the morning. The entire trip was about 26 hours taking into account travel from Lethbridge, 2 flights and a lay over.
We arrive in South Africa on a Friday in Cape Town.
My parents have a house in the same street as my brother and Mary so we stayed at Mary and Neal’s, while the Kings stayed in my parents’ flatlet.
It was really good to be with Neal and Mary, and to meet their dog - Tavi.
We stayed in Cape Town for 3 nights.
On the first night we chatted and caught up.
On the second day we went to a farmers market, swam with some penguins at Boulders, had lunch in Hout Bay, drove Chapmans peak, enjoyed delicious South African treats and watched a rugby game at Newlands. The rugby game was an upset victory by the Stormers over the Brumbies, the atmosphere was great and we all enjoyed the game thoroughly.
On the 3rd day we went for a walk on Noordhoek beach which was spectacular. We had lunch with some friends and enjoyed a Kirstenbosch summer concert. Now I’m pretty sure that I do not have the spacing completely right for the adventures above but we got up to a lot and had a great time.
Really enjoyed having a picnic and at the Kirstenbosch gardens while listening to great music, laughing, watching the sun go down behind the mountain and watching the city light up.
Neal and Mary were on the ball and made sure we were happy and everything ran perfectly.
Logan was a bit freaked out by the penguins which was also pretty entertaining. All in all, Cape Town is awesome!
From Cape Town we had a scenic but long drive to Knysna. At Knysna we stayed at a wonderful self catering flat with views of the Heads. We decided to order some pizza, got a few beers and enjoyed the view while the kids swam in the really cold garden pool. Was a nice chilled evening and was proving to be a wonderful holiday.
The next morning we got up and drove to Monkeyland and the elephant sanctuary. Monkeyland is always worth a laugh and everyone seemed to enjoy this. The highlight of this day was probably walking with, and interacting with elephants at the elephant sanctuary in the Craggs. They are such wonderful creatures and it was amazing to interact with these pachyderms.
From here we had a tasty lunch in the Craggs and then drove to Storms river.
Storms river is beautiful and we went for a walk and then a swim. All of this on the edge of the ocean.
We managed to braai just before a massive storm rolled in and got to see lightning dance along the sea from our rooms. It was spectacular.
Early the next morning we drove to the Tsitsikamma canopy tour company and did the canopy tour. It was pretty cool sailing from platform to platform above the trees and we all had a wonderful time. Some of those trees are old and beautiful and we really enjoyed it.
We tried to see who could scream for the longest while we slid between trees - I think the jury is still out on who the winner was.
After we had received our lunch and certificates we travelled to PE were we spent the next 2 days.
We lived in PE for 2 years and still have some really good friends there. We arrived at our rental house to some fresh baking and treats from Juan. He had baked and delivered them the morning before we arrived. The landlady who was 72, was completely in love with Juan and his shiny car.
While we were there we saw Juan, Sruti, Anesh and Gladwyn. We had a fancy dinner at the Coachman and another get together at Primi.
While at the Coachman we got to see another lightning display over the ocean. It was magnificent (Especially when the power failed for about thirty minutes). Juan spent a lot of time with us which was lekker and we stopped at our favourite spots on the boardwalk and had a few beers at Barneys.
We also went to the lion park and had some delicious seafood at the end of Seaview.
Just as Juan said, it is so easy to fit right back where you left off with wonderful friends. We miss you all every day!
After Port Elizabeth we drove to Kenton on sea, with a stop at Nanaga for pies and Koeksisters. At Kenton we went to Kariega game reserve and spent a night.
We stayed in some pretty luxurious accommodation and enjoyed some good South African cuisine as well as some displays of traditional dancing over dinner.
We went for a couple of game drives and were lucky enough to see lions and a Caracal. Unfortunately we had a bit of rain but our guide, Jason, was fantastic and it was a highly enjoyed experience. Neither Marissa,Logan, Rick or Shawna complained despite the rain or any long drive or any other perceived hardship. They were fantastic travel companions! We were all completely drenched but everyone had a smile on their face and was having a fabulous time.
We left after breakfast the next morning and had a long, wet drive through the Transkei. There were cows and people everywhere and it did not help that our car looks like a Taxi (People literally jumped into the road to flag us down).
Was one of the hairiest drives of my life but it made arriving in Southbroom all the sweeter. In Southbroom we were met by my parents and Neal and Mary who had driven down to join us.
We stayed up late and chatted.
The next day we went for a walk on the beach, swam in the sea and the pool and just relaxed. At lunch my dad made his world famous calamari and prawns and we all recharged and caught up.
My Dad had some palpitations and we went to ER that night where everything was cleared up and we were good to go for the next part of our trip.
The next day we travelled to Hluhluwe game reserve in Northern Natal. We spent 3 nights here and really enjoyed it.
We had some amazing sightings, braaied and enjoyed the bush. This is the first time we have been to Hluhluwe and I was impressed with the park.
The highlight was probably some crowned guinea fowl and to watch a near lion kill.
Enjoyed the wonderful, rich nature that this wonderful land has to offer.
Enjoyed spending time with my wonderful family.
And that was a rap for Natal. We drove to the airport where Kevin met us for lunch briefly. It was really sad to say goodbye to my mom and dad but we said our tearful goodbyes and headed back to Cape Town.
The next few days in Cape Town were full of more good food, fun and socialising.
We woke up early on the Saturday and drove to Gansbaai to go shark cage diving. The sunrise was absolutely phenomenal and was worth the drive in itself. Adele gets a bit sea sick and she spent the morning walking around and birding. She had a great time.
The rest of us went shark cage diving. It was a gorgeous day and an amazing experience. There are only 1000 great whites estimated in the sea and we saw 4. We climbed into the cold water, there were only 5 of us diving so we spent a lot of good time in the water. As a shark came past the guide would shout “Dive” and we would submerge and watch it swim by. They are big and graceful creatures and it was an amazing experience.
After this we left, giddy, and enjoyed a lunch in Franschhoek followed by a wine tasting at Haute Cabriere and then a visit to the Waterfront.
A busy but lekker day.
The Sunday was spent visiting the greenmarket square and shopping for trinkets and treasures to take to Canada. From there we enjoyed a quick ride and walk around a foggy Table Mountain. Was still worth the visit. We were just above the clouds and Logan told Adele that it was like we were in heaven - was very cool.
That night we had a bunch of our friends over and Neal and Marys friends. We partied, chatted and caught up. Was good to see everyone there. Got to see Kim, Ilonka, Riegardt, Willem, Angie and Enzo.
The next day we said goodbye to the Kings and flew to the Kruger Park.
Neal and Mary showed the Kings Camps bay and greenpoint.
I believe that the Kings had a great time during their SA trip. Either way, we will travel with them again anytime.
We left Cape Town and flew to Nelspruit where Ma en Pa picked us up. We spent the next 6 nights in the Kruger with Adele’s mom and dad. We travelled from Crocodile bridge to Lower sabie to Satara to Letaba.
We were really lucky with our bird and animal viewing. We love the Kruger and it was so nice to be there with Ma en Pa. Our usual day was getting up early and going for a drive or moving camp. We would have breakfast at a rest camp or along the way, then would stop back at camp or the next camp for lunch and a rest, then we’d be out later for the next drive.
We had a fire pretty much every night and enjoyed all the delicacies that Ma en Pa always provide.
Was a special visit and we got to see a lot of the park. Adele loves bird watching and we saw a lot of our favourite species - at every camp Adele and Pa would slink off with binocs and bird books and go bird hunting.
One of the highlights was the Hyena pacing the fence at Letaba while we cooked.
Hopefully these parents will come visit us in Canada in 2014.
We really do love visiting with them.
After Kruger we flew to Johannesburg where we spent time with Herrie and Elize. We also saw Nic and Claire and got to meet Lily, their new baby daughter. We love you guys and had a great time braaing and relaxing with you.
We are hoping that Herrie and Elize will visit us next summer for a west coast drive. What a trip that would be!
Nic and Claire should definitely come see us before Lily cannot fly for free anymore. We had such a good time the last time we met up with you guys. Parenthood looks good on you both.
My parents drove to Johannesburg to say goodbye and we got to see more of them which was great and made up for the last, sad farewell.
We also got to have lunch with Mirella, Elana, Mike and Laura, Vimal and my uncle Pete. All legends! Would have loved to have spent days at lunch with you guys!
Had a wonderful time in Jhb.
And those are the bones of our holiday. We flew back to Canada from Cape Town after having dinner with Neal and Mary. 26 hours later we arrived in Lethbridge, jet lagged but incredibly happy. We are truly blessed with a wonderful family and friends.
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| Lily |
Nelson May 2012
This last weekend we went to Nelson in British Columbia.
We drove up on the Friday and back on the Sunday. BC really is a pretty province and Nelson is a jewel. It is surrounded by mountains and sits around the West arm of Kootaney lake.
We met up with a whole gang of people including Robbie, Lindsey, Adam, Candace, Trent, Tina and Paul. We spent some time with Mat and Les who live in Nelson.
We took Bagel with us and he had a great time - it is a logistic challenge but fun to take him with.
On the Friday we went out in Nelson and enjoyed a really vibey Mexican restaurant where you can order individual tacos - so you can try 4-5 different flavoured tacos. It was very cool and reminded us of Long street in Cape Town.
On friday and Saturday we enjoyed hanging out at Mat and Les’ house. Bagel made himself at home and it was very chilled and lots of fun. We also joined them for a hearty breakfast before leaving on the Sunday.
We enjoyed spectacular scenery on the way there and on the way back. On the way back we caught the ferry, the longest free scenic ferry in the world, across Kootenay lake. Very cool.
Nelson is gorgeous and is filled with dreadlocked and eclectic people. We enjoyed a walk down the river and a hike with views of Nelson.
We also went to the Farmers market with more eclectic characters and hippies selling everything from food to crystals.
What a wonderful place.
Bagel also seemed to enjoy it although spent most of Friday night howling at the sounds from next door and above. Was not the best night for sleep and he was lucky to still be around in the am.
And now in the present
And so that brings us to the present. I have definitely missed out on a lot and have not done a lot of justice to a lot of things and have forgotten a few things for example:
Another of our friends, Lowell and Julie, have had a beautiful boy (Need to see you guys more often). We have also spent some time barbecueing and relaxing with Justin, Kendra and McKenzie. And I forgot to mention that Adele had thrown Chan a baby shower which they all enjoyed while the boys had pizza and beer.
We are pretty lucky to be able to do the things that we do and to have the friends that we have.
I have been trying to get fit but it seems I have torn/badly sprained my ankle, so we will see how that goes.
We have also been doing some wood work and I will show you the finished product next blog.
Adele has a new Mac and has been playing games. Bagel is snoring after a long day at doggy daycare.
We have planned a West coast trip in July, will be in South America in August/September and I have a 4 weeks ER elective in Edmonton in September/October, so life will be pretty busy in a little while. (Adele will join me there for a week).
The boys have bought a house, it is a wonderful house and we helped them move this last week. I think that they are going to be super happy there.
Other than that we have been enjoying the long days and mostly sunny weather. Life is good!
The last thing I’d like to say in this long blog is that you will be missed Pete. My uncle passed away just over a week after we came back from South Africa. We were very lucky to have seen him on the Sunday before his accident.
Pete was always good to Adele and I and always interested in our lives. He would comment on blog posts and photos, often messaging us to see how we were doing.
He lived with our family for a while and he was always there at birthdays and family get togethers. I treasure a memory of him visiting Adele and I in Barberton. In another great memory he dared Neal to take off his pants in a restaurant, which Neal obliged, much to Pete’s chagrin and my displeasure at the time.
He was an intelligent and interesting guy. He was loved and will be missed.
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