Bungee Jumping, Drinking, and Traveling...what a great weekend!!!

Me in Macau!!!

Sorry I haven't written in a while guys.... BUT trust me it was worth the wait...at least for me!

So last week was our first week of school. It went really well. It's a lot of work, and we're quite busy all the time. Last friday was a staff day (pro-d-day) so Chelsey and I decided to take the long weekend and do a trip. We ended up going to Macau. Macau is a ferry boat west! And it's AMAZING.

Macau is like the Las Vegas of asia. It holds the largest casino in the world and is full of casinos and millions of lights.

We arrived on friday in the morning... and hung out for a bit in the big greek god casino hotel. We then got ready and headed out to the Macau Tower. The tower is the 5th highest free standing tower in the world! So we went up to the top, met some aussie and new zealand boys who were running the bungee jump thing.

I ended up bungee jumping off the tower. I BUNGEE JUMPED off a 233 Meter Jump, which is the HIGHEST bungee jump in the world!!! IN THE WORLD....ME.... JUMP.... AHHHhhhhhhhhh! It was AMAZING! I can not tell you how petrified I was standing at the edge of the platform...looking down. It's SOOOO different. I mean it looks high when there is glass and metal keeping you in the tower, and then it's about 10x higher when there is NOTHING to hold on to, and you're about to launch yourself off the edge. I have a video, that i'll try to get some pics off of.... i can't tell you how amazing it was!


A little blurry but us getting ready for the night (and morning) ahead!

That night, Chelsey and I went out to the mgm grand bar. We met some russian girl, and had a few drinks. Then we watched some live music. We ended up meeting a few guys that were drinking nad partying a bit. We sat down and ended up drinking with them until about 3am and the club kind of closed down. We moved into the casino. They gave us some money to gamble with, and we ended up paying for our entire trip and drinking for free in the casino all night. One of the guys was the manager at one of the casinos and got us a free suite at one of the hotels. It was GORGEOUS!!!! We got into the hotel at 7am (oops).


The hotel suite on the 38th floor view!

Saturday we slept most of the day and then went out at night just for a bit... came home, slept a little more so that we could wake up early for sunday. Sunday we went to the Coloane island. We went to the Coloane cultural centre. It was AMAZING. IT was this beautiful gorgeous temple. We met a group of women and a couple men, that were traveling from Thailand, so we chatted with them. The temple was so beautiful and amazing and they had TURTLES! After the temple we went to the A-Ma Satue. It's a gorgeous carving 20m tall overlooking the city.


The temple!

After the cultural centre, we went to Hak-Sa beach, a beach of black sand. It was really cool! The sunday market in Taipa was really fun and cool too. Macau was a portuguese settlement up until about 10 years ago, so it was really need to see the Portuguese influence.


The A-Ma statue and me!

I have included some pics in the blog post, but if i keep talking about it all, you guys will be bored out of your mind! The bottom line, is I am crazy and jumped off the highest bungee jump, and we saw some great cultural things, and paid for our trip! Don't you hate me a little bit that I made you read the whole post, and you got the summary in one sentence in the end? muah aha haha ....


This is just a picture from a poorer part of Taipa Island, and I liked it. I have so many more pictures, but I can't include them all! :-(

What a great weekend!

A real post!

So this post is going to be a little all over the place. So consider yourself warned! Proceed reading at your own risk of various colliding trains of thought!

I'll start with a quick update of what has been going on. I started teaching! We have had two days, Monday and Tuesday (today). We have met a lot of the teachers and spent some time talking with the kids. It is incredible the range of English the kids speak (or don't speak). We walked around today at lunch (oh and when I say we, i mean chelsey and i).... and we had kids come talk to us, and introduce themselves, and get excited to see us. It was really neat!

I'm a little nervous because tomorrow we speak in front of the entire school at the morning assembly. To be honest, I'm less nervous about that then going into a class where I haven't met the teacher, and am not sure what I'm actually DOING tomorrow. I think next week will be a lot more smooth, and productive. But we have some meetings set up after school tomorrow which is GREAT!

The school is no more than a 10 minute walk down the street. There are some absolutely amazing coffee shops down this street we walk down. One has free wireless, my new home away from home....away from home :)

Chelsey and I are looking into taking the Star Ferry to Macou and checking out Taipa and the black sand beach. We think we might go for the weekend 'cause it's a long weekend for us. I'm kind of excited about that! I'll tell you about it later when I know more!

Ok, now I'm sure there is more to write about what is "happening" but I'm kind of ready to move forward in this post!

I'm absolutely loving Hong Kong. The culture is incredible. I wish I could show everyone everything! It's little things from the way the school is built and how you go outside a lot to get back inside, rather than just one big square building, to walking down the street and seeing people hanging their clothes out, but not like on clothes lines...just kind of against the building. On sunday the streets were so crowded you could barely get anywhere, and there is everything really close by. You want ANYTHING, you can find it and CLOSE!

So having said that, I feel a little.... lonely. It's not bad, and it's expected, but I'm still a little lonely :-(. It's just... I can't really call anyone because it's SO hard to call, and it costs a lot! I just feel a little alone. I wish I could explain myself or articulate my feelings better, but I can't. Lets try this first.... This is a picture of me in my window nook. It's really high up, but it's a really cool place to sit and read and work!



I guess I just feel like... I don't want to have a boyfriend because having a boyfriend "back home" (wherever that is) would be hard for me because the time difference and all that, we wouldn't be able to chat or talk very often. Having said that, I don't have that special someone to tell everything to. I do not mean to take away from a) all of you reading this, and b) all of my wonderful fabulous friends and people in my life that I'm super lucky to have. I know I can e-mail them, or talk to them, or harass them, but it's not quite the same as having a partner to talk to!

I am feeling relatively ....ummm.... lost! I love it here, i enjoy it here, but I don't want to MOVE here, or LIVE here. Therefore after my backpacking and when I come home, where do i 'come home' to. WHO do i 'come home' to... It makes me a little... frustrated, lost.... I just wish something would present itself..... no? hahaha

Ok well I guess I'm going to go to bed soon, I have to wake up early and my time clock is still a little off. This is already a longer post, and I can't get my feelings out.... all that I said... isn't... satisfying to what i want to say!

picture post!

This is a view from my apartment!!!


This is a picture of the night market we went to last night!


OH and before we went for dinner and to the market, we had beers in this REALLY REALLY cool park we discovered right around the corner. it's like this little tropical park in the middle of such a HUGE busy city. We went walking for a bit, and stopped off to have a beer in the crazy heat/humidity! This is Chel and I at the little stand in the park!

Night market Beer!

This is Chelsey (and I) Drinking beer at the night market

GOOD MORNING!!!

Well I woke up at 6am Hong Kong time, so i don't think my clock is right just yet! But that's not what we wanna talk about... what do we wanna talk about you ask?

Last night Chelsey and I ventured out to dinner and then to the night market. It is/was INCREDIBLE! There are tons of people, tons of THINGS, just in the middle of the street. There was probably the largest collection of white folk I have seen since i got here. It was crazy cool. The other thing I notice a lot are the signs on the street. I guess they don't have quite the same rules as we do in Canada about signage and billboards or what not. Here it seems, as big and bright as you can make it.... do it!

Chelsey and I went to more or less, look around. But i'm extremely excited to go back and do some actual shopping. After we looked around for a bit, we decided to stop at this random place that had a bunch of tables just out on the street. We sat down, ordered a couple beers. $12 Hong Kong (equivilant of about $1.70 Canadian) we got Giant beers! We have been trying different chinese beers, and trying to be a little eclectic. I don't think I'll be trying the 1000 year old hard boiled egg tradition (yes, it's as bad as it sounds)... but different beers i'm in! Anyways, we ended up sitting there for a couple hours, and had a couple beers, and some amazing discussions!!!!

Ok pics are having issues uploading, so i'll try later!

The last thing you want after 30 hours of traveling...

So I figured out what the WORST feeling in the world is....

After 30 hours of traveling, from 5am Vancouver time, to 9:30pm Hong Kong time the next day.... it makes one want to burst into tears when the sign says "all bags arrived" and you're standing there with one other person, and no bags!

I would like to state for the record, i did NOT burst into tears. I calmly found some guy, who checked, and said that my bag should arrive, just an hour late! Normally this would be frustrating to most people, I found it rather, satisfying. You see, if I received my bag, I would have to be shuffled through customs immediately and then try to find where my friend Chelsey would be arriving from. THIS way, I wait for an hour where the baggage comes through, THEN find my bag, and then, wait for Chelsey. It should make our lives somewhat easier. Minus of course, the fear that my luggage isn't actually coming.

Let me tell you, that is a fear!!! I'm tired, it's hot, I'v lost a day or two or a half, or gone back in time, lord knows what, and I just want to be in a hotel room, preferably with some food!

No pictures right now.. i do NOT look presentable to public!!! Wish me luck...well..wish my bag luck!

Did you know

There is not ONE store in the entire Vancouver Airport that sells an itunes gift card. Yes I tried the Virgin store, the seven eleven and every single store there is.... (I had a lot of time to kill), and not ONE store sells an itunes gift card!

On a positive note, the Vancouver airport, is actually a really nice airport AND has free wireless throughout.... AND multiple starbucks'!!!!

So I can honestly say tomorrow is NOT another day! Heres my day! Woke up at 4:30 (I was scared my alarm wasn't going to go off or SOMETHING).... left to catch a bus downtown victoria at 5:30. Drove (well rode) in the bus to the 7:00am ferry. After the ferry was another bus to the airport. I reached the airport at about 9:30 (that's about 4 hours of traveling so far). Now I'm waiting around the airport for a few hours until I catch my plane at 2:00pm. After a 14 hour flight (or so) to Beijing, and an hour layover, and another god-knows-how-long-flight to Hong Kong, I officially arrive in hong kong at 9:00pm, TOMORROW! I will have traveled for approximately 38 Hours and there is a 12 hour time difference. AHhhhhhhhhh

So now that i've bored you all with my itinerary, what can I say? I'm REALLY excited, a little nervous. I don't think it has really sunk in that I'm going to go to southeast asia for 2.5 months or so. I was JUST in an airport not a week ago, and I didn't end up in Asia, I ended up on an island with my parents! I guess looking at it that way... after a week on an island with my folks, 2.5 months in asia should be a piece of cake (or piece of sushi - yes i said it!).

I had a really great conversation last night, that helped a lot! I still like to reserve some things in my personal life as you guys know, but it was really nice, and I heard some things i think i needed to hear :-)

I also should take this opportunity to thank Tanya. She was AWESOME! She lent me her car so I could get a bunch of last minute things done before leaving, and even woke up with me this morning to drop me off at the bus depot at 5am...now THAT"S a good friend :-)

On that note, i'm REALLY enjoying what may be my last starbucks for a couple months... GOD it's good! OH MY GOD.... I just looked up starbucks to see if they were in hong kong (Shuttup all of you!!!! Sarah Mann understands me!)..... and there are a bunch, one being REALLY close to my hotel! YAY me!

I guess it's time then, to post a picture!



And yes I realize this isn't starbucks, but it's a coffee shop!

Just pics really

I just would hate to have a pic of one of my puppies and not the other...so here it is. Also.... Up at the house, in the middle of nowhere by boat, it's not common practice to wear makeup or even do your hair... so forgive the lack of "put-togetherness" but how put together are you guys when camping, chopping wood, playing with dogs, etc. etc. I mean really! hahaha

OH and so you know. They're both Portuguese Water Dogs. The Black is female and her name is Megan. The brown one is male and his name is Fiddich, named after Glen Fiddich scotch 'cause of his color, also known and responds to: Fiddy Cent! No we didn't name them, they had names when we got them. My mom says we rescued them from "puppy jail". Well I gave him the name fiddy cent... but i did have something to work with!

The Island... "home" sweet "home!

For those of you who know me pretty well, know that my parents moved from Vancouver up the coast of B.C. to an Island. For those of you who don't know me well, well you NOW know that. When did they move? you might ask.... When i left for university, they sold the house, and moved to the island. "Where the HELL is this Island" you will most definitely ask.

Start in vancouver, drive south 1/2 an hour to the Tsawwassen (pronounced Ta-Wass-En, NOT Saw-wass-en) Ferry terminal. Then take a 2 hour ferry ride to Nanimo, and drive up vancouver island to campbell river. Then another ferry, then another drive (up a winding dirt road) to the end of the road. Yes the END of the road. If you TRY to drive further you'll be driving down what's supposed to be a boat ramp into the ocean. THEN you hike to your boat, 'cause you can only get there with your own boat. And then you drive your boat across to the island where you hike up a 45 degree rock face slope to the house. THAT is where I live. NOW imagine doing all of that after a 4 hour flight to Edmonton with a layover then another 1.5 hour flight to Comox. LONG DAY!

So I arrived on Wednesday evening. I have spent the past two days chopping wood, cooking breakfast and dinner, watching the ocean, hiking, playing with dogs, watching the ocean, reading, working, watching the ocean. I'm putting in a picture of me and one of my puppies... it's not the best picture of me, but try taking a picture with a computer and a 3 second timer and a dog...

PUPPY!!!

Ok so moving on. I Do love it up here...it's amazing..it's pretty much the definition of heaven on earth. BUT i'm a little sore from all wood chopping, and by a little, i mean a LOT! But it feels good!

I've been planning and organizing the rest of my trip. There was a backpack fiasco, but it SHOULD all be worked out now thanks to my wonderful, fabulous, bomb diggity (seems appropriate for what she did) friend Meaghan. Now with that all said and done, there are just a couple final things to do and pick up before leaving on wednesday. I'm scared shitless and SUPER stoked! I had a bit of a stress today, but I think it'll all work out, and now i'm excited again.

Wow, this was kind of a boring post, sorry guys, but i had to write about the island, and show the picture of my puppy...so too bad! hahaha!

Short and not so sweet post

Good evening all....and by all i mean, all one of you!

Tonight was an interesting and difficult night for me. I love my best friend with all my heart and would do pretty much anything including taking a bullet for her. I truly care about her that much.

Tonight we went out, got prettied up and just went for dinner and a few drinks. Obviously it was one too few, because I continue to sit here writing this post, and surprisingly, with little to no spelling mistakes. I SHOULD be drunk enough that the entire post looks like a failed hooked-on-phonics person wrote it, but alas, to no such luck.

I had a wonderful time with my girl. We talked, gossiped, laughed, and was approached and hit on by a fairly attractive young man. Long story short, he is, justifiably, somewhat taken with my good friend. She is beautiful, smart and amazing! He SHOULD be more than somewhat taken aback by her, having said that, I can't help but feel a slight hit to my ego.

I realize this is a somewhat selfish / self- righteous post or feeling, but I can't help it. I know she's amazing...and gorgeous, but I guess I'm just tired of being second. I know I know, we all have our insecurities, there are plenty of fish in the sea, blah blah blah blah blah blah BLAH!

I guess the real message to this post is that it is sometimes too easy to crush one's spirits. The feeling of rejection hurts. Why do I care about what one guy says? Or why he chose her over me? Especially since i'm leaving in two days, and will probably never see this person again, EVER? Why do i care when I met him and spoke with him over a couple hours? I guess it's because it brings up a lot of fears, and insecurities. When we receive compliments, we appreciate and thank the complimenter.... however... when we receive insults, or rejections, or hard hits to the ego, we never forget it. We hold on to that, we dwell, we obsess over our imperfections. We try to "fix" everything and be perfect.

I guess it just hurts and is hard, not because of who he is, or anything else, but simply, it brings up a reminder of all those imperfections, a reminder of all the things we don't want to be reminded of....and i can't stop thinking about it, I can't stop dwelling. Alright, well it's 3:30am, and dwelling obviously isn't going to help, so i'm going to bed.

Mid week Toronto

I'm part way through my week in toronto. I don't feel like i'm officially on my trip or anything just yet. Besides the fact that I have no "home" and no where to "go back" to, I have done this trip on multiple occasions so i feel somewhat jaded. However, I am having a good time, and everything is starting to come together. I'm right on edge, and just waiting for everything to finish coming together. Waiting for my backpack to come in, creating some lesson plans, and doing some research for thailand, vietnam and cambodia, and i'll be on my way!

I've spent the past coupe days at starbucks doing some work and getting some things organized... I'm kind of proud of myself. I dealt with some things that normally would give me stress, or that i just HATE to do but i did it, and all by myself! (look ma no hands)!!!

This is me working at starbucks :) Tee hee glasses!!!



So nobody is actually following my blog, and i don't know if anyone is actually reading this...so COMMENT or SOMETHING so i'm not just talking to myself.....

First Official Day!

So apparently blogs are supposed to be the place to write and express ones feelings and share what is going on in one's life. I'm not sure how I feel about sharing a bunch of personal things, however, this will be an attempt.

Today is the first official day of my trip. I started my first leg of the journey by hopping on a bus from Montreal to Toronto where I'll stay for about a week. Thing is, I don't want to write about that. I don't want to write about how I feel about my first day. I want to write about the past, about what I'm leaving behind.

Montreal is a wonderful city. I spent over a year in the city. My first year out of school, my first year making it in the "real world". Not that that isn't difficult in itself but to do it in a city where you don't speak the primary language, is not only difficult but perhaps just stupid. Either way, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the city, the people, and it got lonely at times, but Montreal has a life and energy of it's own.

Montreal doesn't just hold my first year in the rat race in my heart, but other things as well... well, other PEOPLE as well. John, my ex. John will always hold a place in my heart. We get on each other's nerves, we drive each other crazy, we're ex's, we're friends, we work together sometimes, and we want to kill each other more often than none. But, we still care about each other, one way or another. Him and I have been through a lot, and although I know it's not a goodbye forever, it's a much needed but still difficult, parting.

There is another person who I have grown to be quite fond of over the past few months. He became someone in my life when i least expected it. A truly remarkable person, we were able to simply enjoy our time with each other, and appreciate each other. There was no pressure, there was no expectations, and no disappointment. He constantly surprised me with his actions, sentiment and genuine caring. Somehow, I was simply comfortable in his presence. He made time for me. This man cared and liked me for me...for my geeky, nerdy, make-a-fool-of-myself- self. Most importantly, he played a role in my life. In four months, he taught me a lot, more than I think he knows. He taught me how to laugh with somebody again. To be myself, and comfortable with myself. I've been dating serious people, and to each their own, nothing against anyone, but I needed to be reminded how to laugh and relax with someone again. I want to thank him for that, and he will be sincerely missed. He was exactly what i needed for the last four months, and I could not ask for anything more. I just hope, I had a tenth of an impact on him, as he did me.

Of course there are many others I will miss, and other things in the city that I will hold dear. But this is not the end, who knows where I'll end up.

So there you have it, a peak into some more personal aspects of my life.... A preview of letting a couple walls or guards down. So now that I'm feeling slightly vulnerable, lets move onto my first day.


Me on the bus!

It doesn't quite feel like a "first day" considering how many times I have done this trip to Toronto. I have gone back and forth on this stupid bus more times than I can count, however, i have no apartment to go back to in Montreal, my entire life now fits into a suitcase (well two, I am technically a woman after all). It's exciting. It's actually happening, things are actually going and doing. It's a little scary, but good scary! I have been on the bus for no more than 45 minutes and I have already been hit on and given a phone number (and let me tell you, lulu lemon pants, 4 hours of sleep, crying this morning, and no shower is NOT the most attractive look for me). I guess that's one way to start off. This bus is exciting because it has a table AND a plug which means... I have my computer/movies the whole trip. For someone who has the bus trip between Montreal and Toronto strategically planned out that it's down to a science, this is extremely exciting, having said that... I think I'm going to go read my new book and nap.