Where's Edgar?

Another Town Another Adventure

2010-02-27T22:39:00.009-06:00

Well folks Edgar and I have been in Alberta for about 7 months now and we think that it is time for an update. Honestly besides working and being at school there hasn't been a lot going on.

So here is a look at our lives for the past 7 months:August: We moved into house and started school.

September: Edgar becomes class pet and enjoys being at school.

October: We celebrated Thanksgiving with the family.

November: Edgar helped the students make a wreath for Remembrance Day. We went to a Volleyball Tournament and cheered on our class.

December: We went home and relaxed with the family and celebrated Jesus' birthday. We rang

in the New Year with some old friends.

January: Edgar went curling and I got a new car.

February: We went to Manitoba for a visit and Edgar went skating.

It has been a fun year so far but not a whole lot to comment about. I am applying for jobs again so who knows where Edgar and I will be in the fall.

Ontario Trip: Toronto and Tourist Stops

2009-10-27T18:08:00.010-06:00

We spent the final days of our trip in Toronto. On our way to Toronto from Niagara Falls we stopped at some random spots. The first was this place that had a whirlpool.

Edgar at the whirlpool

We drove a little more and stopped at the flower clock.

Edgar at the flower clock

There was a pond and I tossed in a penny

that landed right on the lily pad. :)

Our next stop was Brock's Tower.

Brock's Tower

Dad and Andrew took the stairs all the way to the top. Mom, Edgar and I waited below. We found some blackberry's while we were waiting.

Edgar picking some berries

I found a wonderful climbing tree on the way back and had Mom, Dad, Andrew and Edgar stand on it. (Brydon was asleep in the car)

What a great climbing tree!

Finally we made it to Toronto. My favourite place was downtown by the Eaton Centre because it looked a bit like Time Square.

Downtown Toronto

We went to Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and saw so many wonderful things. I think that the highlight was seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls and the mummy.

A sign as we walked up to the ROM

We stood in line for what seemed like forever but finally made it to the glass floor of the CN Tower.

The CN Tower

On the glass floor

Ontario Trip: Niagara Falls and Random Places

2009-10-27T17:23:00.017-06:00

After Ottawa we headed over to Orillia to visit my Great Aunt. On our way we stopped at this little town where they had the Avro Arrow.

A model of the Avro Arrow

Edgar with the pilot

We stopped in for a little visit and met her very fat cat. Brydon had a nap and Dad and Andrew played with the cat while Mom and I visited.

Dad and Andrew with the fat kitty

We had a lovely visit and went to Burlington the next day. We went to visit my Great Uncle and my mom's side of the family. We celebrated Canada Day with the family. It was quiet but nice. This was perfect timing because my Great Uncle passed away a week later. It was nice to see him and the family under good circumstances.

After Canada Day we continued our drive across Ontario by going to Niagara Falls.

American Falls

Horseshoe Falls (The Canadian Falls) aka The better falls :)

Be careful Edgar!

I told Mom that I wanted to do all of the touristy things that I could and that is what we did.

We went under the falls.

We went on the Maid of the Mist tour.

Edgar couldn't get wet

The boys and I after :)

Saw the falls lit up at night.

The Horseshoe Falls

The American Falls

The next day we started the drive back to Toronto with a few stops along the way.

Ontario Trip: Ottawa

2009-10-27T14:57:00.020-06:00

I said that I was going to write about our trip to Ontario this summer so here it is.

We started out from Regina and flew all the way to lovely Toronto, ON. After we landed we rented a spacious SUV, that my dad fell in love with, and started the drive to Ottawa. We

thought that getting out of Toronto wouldn't be too difficult because you just have to find the right exit. We were going in the wrong direction and kept getting turned around. Let's just say that my experience driving around Toronto wasn't the highlight of my trip. I learned something about my family that day, we all react differently in this type of situation and that gets on everyone's nerves. Some get irritated, some stay positive, some turn quiet, and for some positivity is very annoying. We could feel the love that day :)

By the time we found our hotel in Ottawa we were so excited to get out of that lovely vehicle. Something we discovered about the vehicle right away was that it was high, as in tall. We had to watch the roof every time we went underground or into a parkade. We first had this wonderful experience trying to go down into the very tight underground parking at our hotel. We made it work, thanks to Andrew our lookout.

We walked into our hotel room and were amazed. It was like a mini apartment. We had a separate kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. It was very roomy and nice. I wasn't feeling so hot so I took a little nap while the others found a nearby grocery store to buy some dinner and snacks. After supper we decided to go exploring. Dad and Mom went off to see some festivities and the boys and I went for a walk.

The War Memorial

The Rideau Canal

The brothers walking "normally"

The boys decided to climb a random wall.

They were a bad influence on Edgar.

The next day we went touring. We woke up bright and early and got there only to discover that we were an hour early! So we walked around and looked at the pictures prior to entering. This place was very cool! We found the battle that my great uncle died in (the battle of Ortona), we saw Hitler's car and learned a lot of history.

After the war museum we walked around the Farmer's Market. By this time my legs were not doing well and it hurt to walk. It was the most painful walk and I was in tears by the time we got to the actual market. My dad offered to get me a carriage :) After a little break and some awesome brothers bringing me goodies to cheer me up I was ready to battle through the pain and look around. There were some pretty cool shops and things to look at. We were constantly losing Brydon as we walked down the streets. He would just veer off into shops and always come out with something.

The next morning Mom and I woke up early and made our way to the Parliament. I took some wonderful pictures to show my class, who happens to be studying Canada this year.

Parliament Building

The Eternal Flame

Our first stop was the place where the names of fallen police and peace officers. We found my Aunt's cousin and took a picture for her. Then we just walked around the grounds.

The start of the memorial

Sir John A. MacDonald

My favourite stop was the "famous five". There is a section there where they have statues of the 5 women that fought for women's right to vote.

Nellie McClung

Later that day we all climbed into the SUV and headed off to Orillia.

Alberta Bound

2009-10-24T14:23:00.003-06:00

Hello Everyone!

I realize that yet again I have stopped blogging and it has taken me way too long to write a new post. Here is the update on the life of Edgar and I.

We are now in Alberta and loving it. I am teaching a grade 5/6 class and enjoying every minute of it. It feels so good to have my own classroom. My students saw a couple pictures of Edgar and wanted to meet him. On Friday I brought Edgar to class and the students fell in love with him. He is now an honorary member of our class. He has even agreed to post an article in our Classroom Newsletter. He has been wanting to have a place to get all of his thoughts out and now he has that opportunity. I have caught him writing on this blog a couple of times. Anyways the year is going well but I have been very busy with meetings and planning and teaching so here is hoping that things slow down so that I can update this more often.

I am currently at home, sick with a horrible cold. I have made myself get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids so that I can get back to being my awesome self next week.

As for recent adventures Edgar and I had a fabulous summer. We went to Ontario with the family and then in August, Sarah and Manwell came to visit us. I will talk about that in another post along with pictures.

I know that this is a short update but I will post more later. Life in Alberta hasn't been as exciting and adventurous as our time in BC but I am sure it will get better soon. We will be heading back to BC in April for a little visit which will be fun and eventful. Well have a great day and Edgar and I will be back later with photos and tales of our adventures.

Packing Isn't Fun Anymore

2009-06-10T11:31:00.013-06:00

Hello Everyone,
I haven't written in awhile because I have been ridiculously busy. Here is an update while I procrastinate from packing up my apartment.

1) That's right. I am packing up my apartment. Guess what that means?! I am moving AGAIN! It is exciting yet very sad. I have a teaching job for the fall. I am going to be teaching grade 5/6 for a full year! I am going to have my own classroom! I am very excited because I have yet to have my own class with my own routines and rules and resources. It is going to be a busy but great year. The only downside is that I have to leave Fort Nelson. I love it here and don't want to leave. I have a wonderful group of friends aka my family away from home. I have made a life here and now I am going to have to start all over again. I not only have great relationships with my friends but I also have that with the staff and students in this school division. With leaving comes packing. It is so hard to pack because I am finding that time is flying by and that there isn't enough of it. Today is devoted to packing and as you can see that is going well haha. I have about 12 boxes done and that is only resources! I have way TOO much STUFF!

So many boxes!

2) I was a volunteer on the Relay for Life committee. That took up a lot of my time with meetings and getting things ready. It went very well. I was in charge of games/face painting and the kids had a blast! I just wish that there was a better turn out and that the wind would have gone away.

3) Ryan, Ashley, Sarah and I went to Grande Prairie for May long weekend. It was fun! We had a good road trip full of singing, dancing, shopping, and injury. I went to jump into the truck and banged my knee on the hard part of the seat. My knee was so swollen and painful. I am constantly hurting myself :) Hopefully that ends soon. Oh yeah ....we saw the Sasquatch!

Sarah, Edgar and I with the Sasquatch.
He was so scary!

4) Andrew and Phil came to visit me in Fort Nelson. They were here for 9 days. It was a great time! We had a blast. They fit in so nicely :) The only problem was I didn't get any work before they came and had to work everyday when they were here. We still had fun going bowling, throwing a party, shopping, walking around, going to the hot springs and enjoying Phil's crazy antics.

Andrew and Phil striking their amazing pose before our Forest Walk.

5) Ashley, Jamie, Chelsea and I went to see.....SHANE YELLOWBIRD! He came to Fort Nelson and we had to go and see the concert. It was a fun time. He really worked the crowd. Sat on a woman's lap and sang to a kid. I wonder if anyone will come to my new town? I doubt it.

Shane Yellowbird and his band

6) Sarah and I went on a quick day trip to Fort St. John and I finally got the picture that I had been meaning to get for the past year. There is an evergreen tree in the middle of this open area and someone decorated it with garland. I have dubbed it the "Highway Christmas Tree." I have always meant to get a picture but never really had the chance. Sarah and I stopped and took a picture. Our friends judged us but we think it's awesome! :D

Sarah and I with the famous "Highway Christmas Tree"

I have a feeling that there is so much more to tell you all but I can't think of anything right now. The boxes are calling my name. I am off to pack some more. I will hopefully keep you up to date throughout this move. Have a great day!

Can I get a yay for southern BC? Part 2

2009-03-22T17:16:00.005-06:00

Lets start where I left off.

Wednesday, March 18

It was a rainy day so it was a little chilly out but no snow so it was still nice. We started out the day getting our pictures taken at the Olympic countdown clock.

Edgar and I at the countdown clock

We hopped on the bus and went to Stanley Park. Since it was raining so we just went to the aquarium and did not explore the park (like we had wanted to). The aquarium was interesting. My favorite part is still the sea otters and the jellyfish. After the aquarium we did some more shopping and then tried to go to Science World. There was absolutely no parking so we decided to skip out on Science World and go next time. We then picked up Becky from work and caught up on each others lives. We then went to Red Robin. I was super excited to try another new restaurant. I had this VERY SPICY chicken burger. Usually I can handle spice but wow I did not expect that. It was so good though. We watched LOST and went to bed.

Thursday, March 19
We slept in and had breakfast. Then we took Sarah for another first, IKEA. She had never been to an IKEA before so it was a must. Someday I want an IKEA house :) After envying all of the new things at IKEA we went to this great restaurant where I had my first taste of Indian food. It was sooo good. Once our bellies were full we went on a search for dessert....gelato. Becky knew of this great place that only serves gelato and had like 40 flavours. It was sooo good. Sarah had her first gelato.

Edgar and Manwell enjoying some gelato

To end the day we went to Value Village and found some new games, cd's, and clothes. I miss having a thrift store. We spent the evening relaxing and watched the Office. Have to get my tv fixes :)

Friday, March 20
After saying our goodbye's we began our drive home. We drove all the way to Grande Prairie. Once we reached our hotel we went to check-in and discovered a line up of 6 guys. They were a part of a reggae band and would be playing that night. They really wanted us to come to their show but we were so exhausted after our drive and had to wake up early to drive the next morning so we didn't go.

Saturday, March 21: Final Day!
We met up with David in Fort St. John and made a final stop at Wal-Mart and McD's before heading home. We convoyed home and unpacked. George was excited to see me and didn't leave my side until today. I think that she was scared that I would leave again. Overall it was a great road trip! I can't wait until my trek up north for my half-marathon walk and my trip to Ontario in July.

Can I get a yay for southern BC?

2009-03-18T11:08:00.006-06:00

We are currently visiting the Southern part of our wonderful province of British Columbia. We went to Victoria and now we are exploring Vancouver. Here is how our trip has gone so far.
Friday, March 13
After school we loaded up Sarah's car, grabbed a coffee, picked up Chelsea and hit the open road. I entertained the girls with singing and excellent dance moves as we made our way to Grande Prairie. Once the "Golden Arches" of McDonald's came into view at Fort St. John I made them pull in so that we could have a feast of grease. Oh how I miss McDonald's. The taste is ever so enjoyable until the sick feeling returns and you realize that you have made a horrible mistake. Maybe it is a good thing that we don't have one in Fort Nelson. We arrived in Grande Prairie close to midnight. We went up to our room...or so we thought. Sarah tried several times to get the key to work in the door only to find that a man was already staying in there. He was not happy to be awakened to someone trying to break into his hotel room at 12am. We had to travel back down to the main floor to explain that there was a room mix-up. We finally got an unoccupied room and went to sleep.

Saturday, March 14
We woke up at 4am (BC time) and hit the road again. We traveled all the way from Grande Prairie to Victoria. We stopped in Grande Cashe and beautiful Jasper. We became confused in the crazy city of Kamloops (where we made the mistake of eating 7-Eleven....bad times). We arrived at the ferries around 8:00 just in time to get in line for the 9:00 ferry. This was my first time ever going on a ferry so I was pretty excited. We tried to go outside but the wind was so strong and it was rainy and just not enjoyable. Edgar as usual found a way to get into trouble all along the way. We got off the ferry and made our way to our destination...Victoria. We arrived at 11:00pm and fell into a deep sleep an hour later.

Sunday, March 15

We slept away the morning and finally went out for lunch around 1:00pm. We attempted to go to Blue Fox for breakfast but there was a huge line outside the door. We decided to try Floyd's Diner instead. It was a pirate themed day and we were intrigued so we stayed (despite the line up). We sat on the couch in awe of the decor. Edgar and Sarah had their picture taken with Santa.

The awesome Santa at Floyd's Diner

After eating a delicious meal we headed over to the Museum and then wandered around downtown. We went over to Fifth Street for supper and then went out for a movie. It was so nice to be able to choose what we wanted to watch. Fort Nelson chooses for you :)

Monday, March 16

We decided to spend the day shopping and make a stop at the Wax Museum. We went down the smallest alley ever and found some neat shops.

I think this is called Fan Tan Alley

We spent the day downtown despite the slush and rain that fell from the sky. For lunch we stopped at the Cactus Club and met up with some of Chelsea's friends. It was a nice rest. Once we had full bellies we headed over the Wax Museum. The people looked so real. In the torture chamber a head actually moves! I think that I may have gasped (it made me jump). After the torture chamber we made our way to the happy part of the museum...story land. We saw Walt Disney and Snow White and many others....I rocked out with Elvis :) After a long day of shopping and walking around we spent the night at the apartment and relaxed.

Tuesday, March 17
St. Patrick's Day!! Sarah and I woke up early and made our way to Vancouver. We said good-bye to Chelsea and arrived just in time for the 9:00am ferry. We found our way to Robson St. and spent time shopping and hopped on the Big Bus. We went to Granville Island and the Art Gallery. We ended the day at my Uncle's house in West Vancouver. We saw the ocean and enjoyed being locked out of the house (only for 45 min). After saying our hello's we went to The Boathouse for a wonderful meal by the ocean. It was such a nice day.

Wednesday, March 18
That is today and we are getting ready to start the day. We are planning on going to Science World, the Aquarium (Stanley Park), the countdown clock, and more shopping! I will write more about our adventures later. Have a great day!!

Birthdays and Road Trips!

2009-03-08T17:24:00.009-06:00

Hello Everyone!
It has been a busy couple of months. Here is the latest update on the Life of Amber and Edgar.
We are currently still in Fort Nelson but have left once and are leaving again.

Ryan's Birthday
Ryan was turning 25 so we had a little party to help him celebrate. I had a Toronto Maple Leaf themed party. I made Ryan a hockey rink cake and had little cupcake pucks.

The lovely birthday cake. I later added two hockey players
(one of which was a Toronto Maple Leaf)

These pucks were a good time and took forever to get rid of.

We had a bunch of people over. Ate, drank and went dancing. It was a great night!

Hot Springs
Edgar, I and seven of our friends went to the Liard Hot Springs. It is 4 hours north of Fort Nelson. It is an outdoor hot spring in the middle of nature.

One of the views of the hot springs

We went to the Hot Spring and relaxed before spending the night at the Northern Rockies Lodge.

In front of the Northern Rockies Lodge

Sarah and I made snow angels, the guys watched the hockey game, and we had some wonderful noise complaints. Who thought that talking and some music could be such a hassle. The next day we packed up and went to the hot springs to enjoy it one last time. Edgar left his mark as we left.
It was a great weekend.

Sarah's Birthday
Sarah turned 24 and we had to celebrate in style. We all dressed up and went to the nicest restaurant in town, the One.

All of us looking pretty and about to enjoy our meal.

After a delicious meal we went on a scavenger hunt around town to find some of Sarah's favourite things. We had a blast!

Next weekend Sarah, Chelsea and I are road tripping down to Vancouver and Victoria for Spring Break. We are going to drive non-stop and enjoy the city life. I will be posting pictures and an update after our trip.Have a great day!

Amber is Getting Winterized

2009-01-19T10:11:00.004-06:00

We finally had a gorgeous weekend! It was a warm winter weekend that makes you want to be outside. I took advantage of this great opportunity and went outdoors. On Saturday a few of my friends and I got together to go sliding. We went to the local hill with crazy carpets. The hill was covered in kids. We flew down the hill dodging kids as we went. It was so much fun! I do realize that I am not as young as I used to be. I can only make it up the hill about 4 times before my legs tell me no more and my breathing (due to asthma) slows down to an almost nothing rate. I think that I was taking 5-10 minute rests at the top of the hill each time. It was worth it because it was so much fun! Here are a couple pictures.

All dressed up and ready to go!

The gorgeous day and view from the top

On Sunday 6 of us went cross country skiing. We have some beautiful trails in the community forest. It was a blast! It was about an hour. We did curves and a hill and endured a few falls. We laughed, talked and were active. Can life get better? I can't wait until the next time.

"Things in a Hat"...the best game ever?

2009-01-15T11:51:00.003-06:00

When we met up after Christmas break we decided to play our new games that we got for Christmas. We played partini and catchphrase but the best game...Things in a Hat! It is such a simple game and we have so much fun playing it!
Here is how it works:
1. Find people to play and break off into teams.
2. Every person writes down a character, person (past or present, famous or normal), cartoon on 5 pieces of paper. A new person per paper.
3. Put the papers into a hat. We use a "pimp hat" that I got for Christmas.
4. A person from one of the teams goes first. He/She get 1 minute to try to get his/her team to say the name that is on the paper that they pull out of the hat. You keep picking out names until the time runs out. You have to get them to say whatever name you pick out. It has to be exactly what is written on the paper ex: if the paper is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart your team can't get the point by saying Mozart. You can't switch papers if you don't know it. You stick with whatever you pick out.
5. ROUND 1: You have to describe the person without saying his/her/its name. So if it is Sponge Bob Square Pants you can say: He lives in a pineapple under the sea. He is a cartoon. etc.
6. After round is done count up points (you keep the papers that your team gets so that they stay out of the hat). Then put all the names back in the hat and get ready for round 2.
7. ROUND 2: You have to get your team to say the name by acting it out like charades. You can use props. Works same as round one. Keep the papers that your team gets and when round over add them up and they go back in the hat.
8. ROUND 3: You have to get your team to say the name by only using one word. Whatever the first word that comes out of your mouth is the word that they have to use to guess. So if you mess up and say "Song" and your friends have no clue what you are talking about you have to sit there and look pretty. Another example: For Ross Geller you could say Friends.
9. Add up points and game over.

It is a lot to explain on here but it is one of my new favourite games.

Fort Nelson Update Fall/Winter Edition

2009-01-15T09:59:00.011-06:00

I keep checking my blog to see if it has magically updated itself and sadly it never does. I am so bad at keeping this up to date. So here is the massive update and maybe just maybe I will post things on here more than once in a blue moon haha.

In November we began decorating apartments. Matt began by decorating his for Christmas while procrastinating one night. The following weekend Sarah, Ryan, Matt and I decorated my apartment and attempted to do Christmas baking. Edgar, Manwell and George tried to help by posing for photos. Finally we decorated Sarah's the next weekend. We had grilled cheese, watched the Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey) and had fun decorating. I think we listened to all the possible versions of Christmas songs over those three weekends :)

George helping decorate

Manwell and Edgar with the decorated tree

In December I was able to do a 3 week medical leave. While there I helped with the drama club. Their leader was the one who was sick so Matt decided that the school needed a Christmas concert or assembly anyways. Together, Matt and I, worked with some students on improv and ended up acting out "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman". David came and had the band students play a few songs too. It was a lot of hard work but worth it. We had fun and the assembly turned out wonderfully.

Before everyone left for the holidays Sarah had a dinner party. We had roast beef and all the fixings. It was nice to have everyone together for one last time. We ate delicious food, opened gifts, played board games and danced the night away. I have a great group of friends! We are all young and single and fun! We are there for each other and that's what you need when you are in the boonies of northern BC haha.

A few of us about to eat dinner :)

Edgar and I went back to Regina for Christmas. It was so nice to see the family again. Mom made Edgar and I our own "Welcome Home" signs :) As soon as I got home I got a haircut and we had family pictures done. We are one gorgeous family and I can't wait to get the pictures. I then attempted to shop in the city....so different from small town. I think that crowds and traffic bother me way more now.

Edgar and I with our signs

Edgar and I dressed up for Christmas Eve service (my new haircut).

Christmas was nice and relaxing. Jauneita and Rob were actually able to join us for Christmas dinner and we didn't have to do two Christmas' this year. I cooked the entire Christmas dinner this year. It was nerve wracking but it was delicious and not as hard as it looks. For Boxing Day we went and saw my Aunt, Uncle and cousins as well as my Grandma. After that I shopped like crazy and had many coffee times with friends. Josh came down to see me for a few days and it was nice to catch up. Overall I had a great break but it was nice to come back to routine, friends and my own place (nice to see George again too).

My wonderful Christmas dinner!

Grandma and I!

Since coming home I have worked a few times and am waiting for more work. I have been hanging out with friends, working on maturing in my faith, and going to the gym. Now hopefully I can keep you more informed and not have to do a long blog entry like this every couple of months :)

Hope you enjoyed the update and have a great day!

Candles+Ears= Better Hearing?

2008-11-10T20:26:00.005-06:00

This weekend my friend and I decided to try ear candles. You take a special candle, it is hollow and made out of beeswax. You stick it through a paper plate and into your ear. You then proceed to light the candle and this causes a suction of your ear.

The candle has been lit and I am hearing pop rocks

The ear wax heats up, melts and gets sucked up into the hollow candle. The walls of the candle have a special powder like substance that mixes with the wax to help keep it in place and harden it again. You cut off the ashes of the candle as it melts. At the end you have a wad of wax in the hollow of the candle and you can hear so much better.

The wax from my right ear. Notice the ashes on the plate

There is a lot of controversy around candling. Health Canada says DO NOT DO IT! However, my friend and I have heard otherwise. We found it nice and beneficial. We are going to candle our ears a few more times this year. Hope you enjoyed the pictures and I will continue to keep you posted. Have a good day!

Manwell Has Arrived

2008-11-07T16:49:00.006-06:00

Hello Everyone!
On Wednesday I was told that the parcel containing Manwell had arrived. Sarah, Edgar and I were so excited.

Sarah opened it up and revealed Manwell. He is so cute and small. His wings even flap!

I think that he is going to have wonderful adventures. We are going to start a fad with traveling buddies :D

Halloween Cupcakes

2008-10-30T15:38:00.007-06:00

Hello again,
Today Edgar and I made Jack-o'-Lantern cupcakes for Halloween. It was quite a bit of fun. Edgar ate a few of the decorations (now I know why he has a bit of a tummy).

Edgar overwhelmed with candy

Edgar had a little trouble holding the knife. It was too heavy for his little knitted hand but he managed. He made a cupcake that looked like him and one that looked like Manwell (his new friend).

Manwell and Edgar in cupcake form

I got the idea for the cupcakes from Krafts Canada:
http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/ghoulish-pumpkin-cupcakes-82720.aspx

Try them sometime. I am sure that they would be a hit with kids :D

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Edgar: My New Friend

2008-10-30T09:32:00.005-06:00

Hello Everyone,
It's Edgar here. I have to tell you all about my new friend, Manwell the Owl!

Manwell the Owl

One of Amber's friends, here in Fort Nelson, met me and decided that she would like a traveling buddy as well. So Amber asked my wonderful creator if she would mind making another buddy. My creator loved the idea and began right away. We were all surprised to hear about Manwell the Owl. He has two mismatched eyes...like me. He is small and portable...like me. I wonder if he can fly and if so I wonder if can take me places? He is beginning his journey today and should arrive soon. My creator said this about Manwell: "kind of a cranky personality at times. But his sarcasm is always entertaining." Should be an interesting guy to meet. I will post pictures of our first meeting. Let me know what you think. Have a great day :)

- Edgar

Must Remember

2008-10-20T09:10:00.002-06:00

Why is it so hard to remember to blog. It is just writing down what is happening in my life or an opinion that I have. I just either don't think that it is important or when I remember I am busy doing something. I don't want to say that I am going to keep up with this and write more often because chances are I will fall back in my non-blogging rut and then feel horrible for not writing. So I guess I will stick with what I have been doing. Write a blog when I remember, have time and something to say. So here is the next installment of where is Edgar.

As you all know Edgar and I are in the lovely northern part of BC in a place called Fort Nelson. Since our last post the leaves have changed to wonderful hues of oranges, reds and yellows which was followed by their fall. There has been one small snow fall and now the snow is gone again. I love Canadian weather. You never really know what you are going to get. It could be snowing, raining, sunny, drought like conditions and so forth on a moments notice. I remember seeing snow in August once. The changing weather definitely makes life interesting. When I was in Dubai it was always hot but it could be cloudy or misty. The rain didn't come until I left but even then it was for a short period of time and then it was back to being hot again. I need a few surprises in my life and weather is willing to do that for me.

Edgar and I haven't been up to much. Just living out our new life. I am working and visiting with friends while Edgar is hanging out with George (my cat) and getting to know his new surroundings. He is eager to get out there and travel again. See the sights. We are going back home for Christmas so he is counting down the days until he can play in the snow, sit under the Christmas tree and wait up for Santa. We went to a wedding back in September but he was not able to make it the events due to me not being able to care for him. I was a bridesmaid. There are a few more weddings coming up this year that I am sure he will get to enjoy.

Well that is all for now. Hopefully the next post isn't months from now. Keep coming back and I will try to keep you posted. Have a great day!

Garfield Minus Garfield

2008-09-10T13:04:00.002-06:00

My friend, Andrew, introduced me to this great comic....Garfield Minus Garfield. It is a comic without Garfield so it is pretty much just Jon acting crazy. I can see myself slowly becoming like Jon and that scares me a little. I think I may need a roommate haha. So go here and enjoy
http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/

Bear Sighting

2008-09-08T18:42:00.002-06:00

My neighbour told me that a black bear was living in the bushes across from my apartment. I found it very hard to believe. That was until my neighbour took his truck near the bush and began honking his horn and what not to scare the bear. I saw the bear come out and hide behind another truck. However, my neighbour scared it some more and it ran behind our apartment. That was a little scary. We watched, from the roof, as the bear ran off to another local shop. Hopefully he leaves us alone. It is definitely different up here than back in Saskatchewan. More deer than bears there :)

My Epic Journey

2008-09-01T19:04:00.009-06:00

This is the tale of my epic journey to Fort Nelson, BC again.

George and Edgar all settled in the new place

I was supposed to move August 18th. The movers were supposed to get here at 9:00am and pack up the truck so that George, Edgar and I could leave by 2:30pm. Notice how I used the word supposed. The movers were not there for 9:00 nor were they there for 10:00 so dad called the boss mover guy and he said that the truck was waiting on a part and would maybe be ready for noon. Dad called again at noon only to hear that the movers would not be coming Monday but would come the next day at 9:00am. So I spent the day with the family.

The movers arrived around 9:30 Tuesday morning and loaded up the truck. They had to squish my stuff in the truck to be able to close the door haha. I told them I had a lot of stuff but they didn't believe me. After the movers I left I got ready to go and spent some more time with the family. I gave George her sedatives an hour before we left so that she was sleepy. I left around 3:30ish because I had to wait for family members to come back from running errands. George, Edgar and I said our goodbyes and headed out. George was meowing and hyperventilating making me nervous. I think I called mom at least 4 times asking about George and if I could do anything. George finally settled down once I let her out of the kennel. After Saskatoon she was sleeping under my legs. That was great! So drove all night only stopping for some food, a stretch of the legs and to get gas.

The boxes before the move

The living room after the boxes were moved

We arrived in Fort Nelson around 10:30ish and got the key to our new apartment. I unloaded the car and unstuck George (around Fort St. John George went underneath the driver's seat and got stuck. I couldn't get her out the front so I had to unload the backseat to get her unstuck). George hissed and growled around the apartment. She had to smell and explore everything! She also followed me everywhere. She wove between my legs or walked right beside me. She was not liking the move at all. She was like that for a few days. I put some things away, got a phone number and set up my TV with the free cable. I blew up the air mattress, watched a movie and went to sleep (it was about 6:00pm). I jumped awake at 11:00pm to my phone ringing. The movers called me to say that they blew a tire outside of Edmonton and were switching trucks. They told me that they would be arriving in 5 hours or so and wanted to unload as soon as they could. My sleep was not good after that. I was waking up every hour thinking that they were here.

By 9:00 they still were not here so I called them. They had stopped for the night. They got to my place around 11:00ish. I spent the rest of the day/week cleaning and unpacking.

I met one of my neighbours Saturday afternoon. He knocked on my door and introduced himself. He has a cat named Iris (who George does not like). He bakes when he's bored and proved that later when he brought me an Orea pie/cake thing. It was very yummy.

On Monday, I went to the different schools to say hi and remind staff that I would be subbing this fall. It was so nice to see everyone again. When I went to one of the k-4 schools I found out that the grade 1/2 teacher was going on maternity leave in January. I knew her from last year and she said that she didn't tell me before because she didn't want the leave to influence my decision to come back. Apparently she thinks that I would be good for the job. I did my internship in grade 1/2 so I think that it would be a good job. I went to curves for the first time since I have been back. I am all set for another year. I again spent time cleaning and unpacking. *I had to do a lot of cleaning because I swear the guy only vacuumed carpets before he left. The place smelled like smoke and everything was dusty or stained or grimy.

I am very determined to get this smoke smell out of here. I washed walls, set out apples to soak up the smell, febreezed the place at least 3 times and put bounce sheets everywhere. If you have any more advice for me just leave a comment. The place definitely smells better but still has the smoky smell.

For the long weekend a had a housewarming party and went out to Toad River for church and a hike. For the housewarming most of the young teachers came over. It was a great time! They all decided that my place is great and they think that it will be the new "party place" aka they need somewhere to all hang out it is going to be my place.

This is where we hiked to. Here is where the Toad River (blue)
and the Mackenzie River (dark blue)
(At least that is what I think that's what they are called)

That is all for now. I will try to stay on top of my posts. When something fun happens I will remember to tell you all about it. Enjoy the long weekend!

My Bags Are Packed

2008-08-17T21:17:00.005-06:00

Well tomorrow Edgar, George (my cat) and I are off to Fort Nelson, BC yet again. We are moving there for real this time. Everything is packed and it is soon time to go.

One of the piles of boxes

My parents house is going to be so empty. I have a really nice place and am super excited. I am going up there to substitute teach for now and will hopefully get a term or permanent position within the year. I am bringing my cat George with me this time...hopefully she doesn't meow too much.

A Packed George

I am super excited! Please pray for a safe ride and an easy transition. Getting a perm. position would also be lovely. Have a great night! BC or bust baby :D

Home Again

2008-08-01T23:14:00.003-06:00

I am back in Regina and already making lists of what needs to be done before I move out in a few weeks. The time is flying by and I feel like I am nowhere near ready to leave. Still have stuff to buy and things to pack, not to mention booking the movers since dad is still on his back.

I got home today and found a letter that I had been waiting for almost a month to see. It was my letter of eligibility for a BC teaching certificate. It looks like I don't have to take any more classes to gain my certificate which is AMAZING! I jumped up and down when I got it. This letter made my day.

I am going to add pictures to the past 3 blogs as promised so make sure to go back and check them out.

Fort Nelson Trip Day 3

2008-07-30T17:48:00.004-06:00

Well everyone I found a place to live! Here is how my day went.

Mom and I woke up and went to Curves. I talked to the owner about transferring back and said that I would be moving back at the end of August. She was curious as to why I was back now so I told her that I was looking for a place to live. She perked up and asked what I was looking for. I said a 2 or 3 bedroom rental. She nodded and we left it at that. After mom and I finished the circuit we went to do our stretches. As we were stretching one of the women asked if I was looking for a 2 bedroom rental. I of course said yes and she starting talking about a two bedroom suite that she owned that had just become available to rent. I took her card and said that I would make an appointment with her for that afternoon after I looked at some other rentals.

Mom and I arrived back at the campground in a good mood. We picked up Andrew and headed off to our appointment. We looked at three 3-bedroom townhouses, three 2-bedroom apartments and one 3-bedroom apartment. The townhouses were a no, the apartments weren't bad but not what I was really looking for so we said that we would think about it and get back to her. I called the woman from curves and asked to set up a time. She said 3:00pm would be perfect for the current tenant and herself.

So now we had to waste time. It was currently 10:00 and we had to be out of our campsite by noon. We went back to camp. Andrew and I packed up our tents while mom made some lunch. After lunch we left the campsite and went to get some campsite information for the trip home. We then had about 3 hours to kill until it was time for the appointment. Since we had already seen most of Fort Nelson we took a little nap in the van, bought some groceries and went to Juice's (the local convenience store).

We were very ready for the viewing when it was 3:00. We followed the woman to a mechanic shop. We went up some stairs and went into this suite. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! It was huge (mom thinks about 1200 square feet). It had a big kitchen with an island, fridge, stove, dishwasher. It comes with a fireplace in the living room and a skylight in the dining room/office. There are two bedrooms and the master has a walk in closet. There is a washer and dryer so no need to fill up a card or keep quarters around. There is only one bathroom and it is in the master bedroom so that is a little inconvenience but whatever. This whole suite only costs $1000 a month and everything is included except for phone. They don't even care about my cat. George is no extra cost! I was so thrilled. So for $1000 a month I just have to pay for phone and food and I have a great place to stay. I was like "I'll take it!" No questions asked haha. Mom and Andrew both agreed. I am so excited to live there. I can't wait to move!

After filling out the appropriate paperwork we were headed off to Fort St. John. We decided to camp at an RV campground because we could get wireless and it had some grass. The campground was in Charlie Lake, just outside of Fort St. John. It was cold and windy but we sucked it. That's what camping is all about. We are heading to Dawson Creek tomorrow. Who knows where we will end up. I will write again tomorrow.

Fort Nelson Trip Day 2

2008-07-29T11:39:00.005-06:00

Mom and I woke up and headed off to Curves to get in our workout. It felt good to get in some exercise. We got back to camp to find Andrew in the laundry room at the folding table typing away on his laptop. Here is where we charge our laptops and cellphones and have Internet. After a lovely shower we ate some lunch and began calling around to find a place to rent.

The first place I called said that only one apartment allowed pets and you had to pay for your utilities as well as a pet deposit of $500. George is starting to cause me problems but I want my cat with me so I guess I will have to pay the price. We went to the office where I rented from in the spring to find out if they had any openings. Turned out that they had openings in all of their locations and George was allowed in them all (for a certain price). We made an appointment for tomorrow (day 3) to look at some town houses and apartments.

After making the appointment we decided to hit the trails. We went to the hiking trails located in Fort Nelson. We got there only to find the trails were overgrown and swampy. The worst part was they were filled with MOSQUITOES!! We went for it anyway and left 30 minutes later. We made the best of it.

"The Trail of Death" as we dubbed it.

Mom had a nap while Andrew and I explored a new path we found. On our way we saw a big bird. Andrew said quail, mom said it was a partridge. Oh well I guess we will never know. We tried to get a picture of it but it was fast and hidden.
*as a side note: Mom and I looked it up and the bird was a grouse

After mom's nap we went to the museum and got a few pictures of Edgar. We learned all about the Alaskan Highway. Andrew said it was like history class and almost feel asleep during the video.Edgar at the Museum tapping a message in Morse Code

We went back to the campground and read for awhile. We met our Texan neighbours and their dog Heidi, who loved us. They were very talkative but it was nice to meet new people.

We went out for supper to Boston Pizza. It was yummy and filling. We had tried to go to Dan's but Andrew wasn't old enough. Oh well next time. I will put up pictures later. I will write about Day 3 tomorrow. Keep a look out for the next post.

Fort Nelson Trip Day 1

2008-07-28T11:18:00.005-06:00

Our first family trip in 10 years and 2 are missing. Is it still a family trip? Mom took some holidays and decided that we needed to do a trip this year and I was all for it. Dad threw out his back two weeks ago and is still lying on the floor in pain. My brother got a new job so he stayed home to work and take care of my dad. So Andrew, mom and I packed up the van and left Regina at 11:00 am on Saturday.

We drove all night with few stops and arrived in Fort Nelson, BC around 6:00 am Sunday. We found the campground and pitched up our two tents. We are one of the few who actually still use tents when camping. We are surrounded by RV's in the campground but we get wireless so that's a good deal. It is a luxury that makes "roughing it" a joke haha. I am not complaining though. Camping has just come a long way.

We had a little nap cause we were so tired from the long drive and woke up in time to go to church. After church we had some lunch and went for walk. Andrew and mom are in way better shape than me. I was huffing and puffing by the time I got to the top of the steep hill. It will be something to work on when I move here in August. We stopped for some lunch and did a little reading. After a few chapters we drove about an hour out of town to take in the sights of the valley by Steamboat. Gorgeous views! I will put up pictures when I get back to Regina. Andrew and I took pictures of Edgar around our campground. Those will also be posted later.

A family that reads together, stays together.

One of the views

We ate some supper and then went to the local theater. We saw The Dark Night for around $7.00 and enjoyed popcorn, chocolate and pop for only $3.50! Good deals. It was a good movie. I highly recommend watching it. After the movie it was time for bed. I will write about day 2 tomorrow. I am now off to find me a place to live. Wish me luck!

An Update

2008-07-07T21:55:00.004-06:00

Well everyone we are back from BC.

School was done on June 20th. It was a sad day. I did not want to leave. My superintendent came to my room to shake my hand, tell me I did an amazing job, and to get my phone number so that she could let me know when a job was available. I must have done something right to get this reaction. After school finished and I was almost done cleaning my room the principal came to talk to me. He also shook my hand, told me that he wished he could see me grow more and said that I am going to be an excellent teacher. He wished me luck for the fall and made me feel great. I grew and learned so much in 2 months! I can only imagine what would happen if I was there for a year or even a semester. I said goodbye to the staff and ate my last meal at Dan's. I am going to miss that place. I packed up my car and tried to get a good night sleep.

Leaving Fort Nelson for the summer

The next morning we begun our drive down to Vancouver to visit my Aunt and Uncle. It was a gorgeous drive! I love nature and am now loving BC. We bunkered down in the Super 8 in William's Lake and set out the next day for the last part of our journey. We arrived at the pacific coast in the afternoon. What a great view and lovely afternoon.

We spent two days sight seeing. We took a big bus tour (like in Dubai) and were able to hop on and off at various tourist stops around the city. We saw Granville Island (where I spent a lot of money), Gastown, Stanley Park, the Aquarium (with the baby beluga), Robson Street, the Library, and the Art Gallery. I wish that we could have gone to the island but we will go next time.

We began our drive back to Regina Wednesday morning. The plan was to stop in Strathmore, AB but I was wide awake. We drove ALL NIGHT LONG! I stopped in Swift Current to have a large ice cap with my friend, Dallas. We arrived in Regina at 4am and had breakfast with the folks at 5am. I later woke up Andrew to wish him luck on his last final and gave him a shock. He wasn't expecting me until that afternoon.

On Friday, June 27, we went to Andrew's high school graduation. It is hard to believe that he is all grown up. He was not impressed that I brought Edgar with me. But Edgar and I had fun. Andrew stuck him in his boutonnière box, it looked like he was in a glass coffin. Sad but funny. A picture should be up as soon as I get the pictures off my camera.

Andrew and I at graduation

Now I am enjoying my freedom of summer in the city. Hopefully I will keep this more updated.

Drive home--May 20

2008-05-22T19:50:00.003-06:00

I know it is late but I thought that I would tell you how my drive home from Grande Prairie went. I stopped at all the "tourist stops" along the highway and took pictures.

The Alaskan Highway in Dawson Creek

I saw one moose and about 5 deer. It was a nice drive but near the end I just wanted to get home. I stopped in Fort St. John to get pictures developed. Once home I went to school, almost right away, to get done my newsletter and planning for Tuesday. Nothing too exciting. It was a nice weekend. I enjoyed Walmart and Costco. I am sure that I will be loving Regina once I get back at the end of June--even if just for the shopping. haha Well that's all for now. I am off to do some marking/assessing woohoo.

A Disappointing Day in Grande Prairie-- Day 2 (May 18)

2008-05-20T08:55:00.002-06:00

I woke up expecting to go to church, shop and enjoy another day in Grande Prairie I was definitely in for a surprise.

I couldn't get my Internet to work (still!) so I went to church to see when it started. It started at 11 so I had an hour to waste. I asked front desk about the Internet. I just got a rude response and told the password again. So I wasted some time watching TV until it was time for me to go.

I arrived at church just on time. As I walked in the doors I was greeted as though I hadn’t been there in awhile but was apart of the church. I thought that was interesting. I was then introduced to everyone and given hugs. I was also told that it was a miracle that I was there and praise God for coming in off the street. I sort of accepted this and kept on going. The music started and there was yelling and rambling and tambourine in my ear. I had a headache right away and frankly I was a little scared/turned off. I got nothing out of it. So instead I left and listened to the radio sermon….good times! I got more out of that then church today.

I went to Wal-Mart to print pictures only to discover that the photo place was closed so I couldn't. Then I wanted to see Prince Caspian but it was sold out (I saw it later thanks to advance tickets—good movie, I recommend it). After these disappointments I decided to go to the mall and shop. I wanted some new clothes or shoes and for sure a haircut. All hairdressers were books till Monday afternoon or Tuesday. I went looking for clothes next and everything either didn’t fit or looked better on the hanger—so disappointed. Then I couldn't find any shoes I wanted. What a waste! I then drove around looking for stuff to do only finding nothing. I wasted some more time watching a movie at the motel and then watching Prince Caspian. Now here I sit writing to you. YAY! Well first day was good, second wasn’t very good, and tomorrow should be a fun drive. I will let you know how it goes.

Road Trip to Grande Prairie Day 1 (May 17)

2008-05-19T18:27:00.005-06:00

I decided to go to Grande Prairie for the long weekend so that I could do some shopping and relax. It was a fun day!

On the drive up I was thinking to myself…"self, why haven’t we seen any wildlife today or on the drive to Fort Nelson?" And then it happened. I saw a moose! He was standing on a hill posing and staring me down. It scared me and I think that I almost had a heart attack. He just sort of appeared out of nowhere. Not even two minutes there was another one, again on a hill and posing. I slowed down and took a picture. Just as I was slowly driving off he came down the hill and crossed the highway right behind me. This was enough to drive me over the edge. I was so freaked out about hitting a moose. Deer scare me in Saskatchewan and a moose is definitely worse! So I called my mom as I was freaking out and saw another moose! She was in the ditch on the other side of the highway and ran towards the bush when she saw me. Thank God! If she ran the other way I would have been toast!

Everything else seemed to be going fine and dandy. Then I was almost at Pink Mountain when I saw about 5 horses (not fenced in). I slowed down to take their picture and was stared down. They could have ran across the road at anytime. I even saw a sign that had a pic of a horse (horse crossing just like moose or deer). I think that animals should just cross where the sign is so that there are no surprises.

I got to Grande Prairie and felt so happy to see familiar buildings….Wal-mart, Costco, booster juice, and so much more. I spent time in Costco (yes I finally got a card), Wal-mart and superstore. Good times! I can’t wait until tomorrow to see what else I can buy haha. I am noticing that I am eating much less than before. Couldn't finish a normal Mcdonald’s meal. Well I will let you know how the rest of the weekend goes.

Still Loving It!

2008-05-03T19:32:00.002-06:00

Well I have been here 2 weeks and so far I am loving it. The more I work the more I love the staff and kids and school. The more I stay the more I love the town. This past week I had my first TOC day (Teacher On Call). I didn't get called in so I went to my regular school and the principal set me up with my mentor, Penny. I observed her and her class all day. WOW! I have a lot to learn. After observing her and chatting with my principal I realized that I need to be a bit more strict and make the classroom my own. I have been sticking with the old teacher's routines, day plan, and everything. I have only begun to realize that I am not a sub but a teacher. What a realization! So I have spent the past couple of days revamping the day plan, creating rules (that were needed), making a newsletter, and giving the room my added touch. Hopefully by next Friday we will be well on our way. Penny observed my class off and on this past Friday. She gave me some very helpful pointers and gave me a new point of view. I think that she is going to be a great resource to have. So now Penny, the principal (Scott), and I are going to do this study. It is called "Tools for Teaching" so far it is a wonderful resource. I think I am going to buy the book. I wish that I had read this prior to teaching but then I guess that it wouldn't have much sense. Now I am able to apply what I read which is an added bonus. So needless to say. I am still loving it. I am off to a going away party tonight. Look at me fitting right in. haha Well I will try to keep up with the posts. Tata for now!

First Day

2008-04-24T20:00:00.005-06:00

Hey Everyone!
So here is how my first day went. I got to school around 8:00 and I was the first one haha. I set up the room, photocopied, and got ready for the day. Around 8:20ish Sarah came into my room and gave me some flowers from the staff. I was so excited! They are so great.

My beautiful flowers

The kids came in and we did the morning routine. Then I read them my favorite book "It's Okay to be Different" by Todd Parr. I had made a flower, like in my ECE class back in the day, that had 5 petals and a blank line in the middle. The kids had to draw one of their favorite things on each of the petals adn then write their name in the middle. Many of them turned out quite well. We then had swimming, which we were late for. Everything seemed to go fine until one of my students couldn't find his towel/clothes. But we ended up finding them, thank goodness. Then we went back, had snack, sung our goodbye songs and left for the day. Then I had lunch and enjoyed some delicious death by chocolate. Then I was ready for the afternoon. Things went much smoother. When we first started class the students were looking for Kathy, the teacher on Wednesdays (she was there helping/showing me the ropes Tuesday and Wednesday). She was in the school subbing so when they saw her they said "the teacher is coming!" My response was "I am here" and they were sooo confused haha. I guess it will take a little while to get used to me. Once they figured out that I was the teacher everything went fine. Swimming went much smoother. It was a great day! I can't wait to keep teaching these classes they are a blast!
On to other news. I am all moved in, as of Tuesday, and my roomie is awesome. There was a gift waiting for me on my bed when I first came in. It was one of those Angels holding a sunflower. I was like "this is the perfect gift!" I was so pumped.
I also joined/transferred to curves up here on Wednesday. It feels so good to get back into a routine again. The machines are so new. woohoo
So far I am loving it here and I can't wait to update you more. This was one of the best decisions I ever made! yay

The Wonders of Nature and The Open Road

2008-04-21T10:02:00.002-06:00

Hey Everyone!

We have arrived! Edgar and I pulled into Fort Nelson and checked into the Super 8 around 9:00 pm Saskatchewan time (8:00 BC time). It was a very long drive but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The weather could have been nicer but I pushed through.

We left Regina around 8:30ish and started off for Saskatoon. Once past Davidson I noticed that the cars on the other side of the highway were covered in snow and ice. This seemed odd considering that everything was melted and we hadn't had snow in awhile. However, Brydon had told me that there was a blizzard in Saskatoon the night before so that could be why the cars were covered. Anyways, I continued on my way seeing no snow or change and then I hit the outskirts of Dundurn. The roads turned to instant frozen slush and I had to slow down to almost 60 km in spots. It was not fun at all! There was so much snow and it was slippery. The road was incased in this frozen slush causing it hard to drive on. Once in Saskatoon it was not any better. The roads were slippery. We stopped by Grandma's to say goodbye to her and Brydon. Then we stopped by Melissa's work to say goodbye to her and were on our way again. The snow stopped around Borden and then it was smooth driving again...or so I thought.

We then made a few stops for food and gas and just a break at North Battleford and Lloydminster. Our goal was to hit Edmonton on Saturday. The weather was fine and dandy until we hit the 59km to Edmonton mark. Then the snow hit. There was blowing snow and at times it was like a white out. I couldn't see in front of me. I thought that once I hit Sherwood Park things would be better because I was in the city. That was not the case. Once in the city there were drifts and snow covered roads and VERY slippery intersections. I was finding it hard to stop and start. But we arrived at my Aunt and Uncles safely.

I had a nice visit as we watched out their front window at the blizzard conditions outside. We wondered if I was going to be able to make it out the next day to continue the drive. The weather was so up and down and there was weather warnings for quite a bit of the area. I decided the following morning that I was going to make an attempt. My theory was that the bad weather would only last for a bit (like in Saskatoon) and then it would be clear. So we checked the weather and my Uncle game me a map. We said our goodbyes and I headed back for the open road.

My theory was dead wrong! I could barely see at times and the roads were a bit slippery in spots. There was a lot of blowing snow. This bad weather lasted all the way to White Court. After that it was better but still not great until sometime after Beaver Lodge. However, once the weather cleared up the roads were wonderful. I love the scenery!! ESPECIALLY IN BC! There were times when I was just in awe. I have always been a scenery lover so this was a wonderful drive. The mountains, the trees, the hills, the water, so beautiful.

I finally saw a sign that said Fort Nelson but it was for their plants so I kept driving. Then I saw a sign that again said Fort Nelson but it was for the reserve. FINALLY I came into the real Fort Nelson (about 10 minutes later) and boy was I glad to see it! I hadn't seen a town for about 4 hours (there was only gas station stops along the way). That was when my cramped up legs got out of the car and checked into the Super 8. I called Diana and arranged to meet people and sign papers in the morning (whenever I was ready). Then I had a bath and crawled into a comfy bed for a wonderful sleep. I am now showered and pretty, ready to go and get to work. I will keep you all posted on how the rest of the “journey” goes. Have a wonderful day!!

Another Journey!

2008-04-17T19:18:00.004-06:00

Hey Everyone!
Well Edgar and I are off on another adventure! We are moving to Fort Nelson, BC for two months. Here's how it all came about:
Last year I had an interview with the Fort Nelson school division and was offered a job last June. I turned it down and went to Dubai. I went to a career expo in January and reconnected with the guy who interviewed me. He remembered me and told me to resubmit my resume. So I sent them my resume and didn't think much about it.
On Monday I received an e-mail from Diana at the board office. She said that there was a kindergarten teacher going on emergency medical leave and was wondering if I would like to be considered for the position. It is only teaching .8 of the time so only 4 days a week and subbing on the fifth day so I was a little leery. I asked her some questions and on a whim said to consider me. That was on Wednesday. Today I got a call saying that I had the position and when was the soonest that I could get there.
They are paying for all travel expenses and accommodations. I am going to be rooming with a fellow teacher. I start work on Tuesday and I am a MIXTURE OF EMOTIONS! I am excited/scared/happy/nervous/everything lol. So I will make sure to keep you posted on our journey to the west coast. Have a fantastic day and I will try to stop shaking haha.

Edgar

2008-04-14T19:01:00.002-06:00

Hello Everyone,
It's Edgar here. Just thought that I should get on here for once and actually write instead of just showing my handsome self in pictures. Well since our last trip to Manitoba, Amber barely lets me out of the house. She has been quite sick lately so I don't mind sitting around the house. I enjoy being there for her and keeping her company. I can't wait for our next trip. I love to travel and go to new places. People rarely hear from me because I am so shy but as many of you know I am not camera shy haha. Something that few people know about me is I am curious. I like to try new things and enjoy the good ol' adrenaline rush I get from putting myself in "dangerous situations." Who knows where I will be or what I will be trying next. I don't have a lot else to say right now. Maybe I will sneak onto here again sometime and write more about myself. Let me know if you like hearing from me instead of Amber because then maybe she will let me write on here with permission ; ) Have a great day!

Edgar

Emergency Room

2008-04-13T15:03:00.003-06:00

Hey All!
I need to remember to write on here more often so here is the latest. I have been sick with a viral cold for over three weeks now. It has progressively gotten worse. On Wednesday I developed a rash (sort of like the hives in Dubai). I went to the doctor on Friday because it still hadn't left and I was given some allergy meds and tested for strep. My cough became worse Saturday and I could barely sleep. I woke up 5:30 am today with a growing rash and uncontrollable coughing. My parents took me to Emergency where I was seem quite quickly. The doctor and nurse were amazing! I was taken seriously and I was given antihistamines through IV and Ventolin through a breathing mask. The nurse didn't find the right vein the first time and had to poke me again. It was painful! I felt sick to my stomach. I am so thankful that my mom was there. Now I am much better and on meds. So I will lay in bed and take meds for the next couple of days and hopefully I can get back to work and a "normal" life soon. Have a great day!

Update and Recent Trip

2008-04-05T17:56:00.006-06:00

Well where to start...how about...I am back in Canada! I quit my job in Dubai and came back home to Regina, SK just before Christmas. It was a wonderful learning experience. So now I am subbing and looking for a new job for the fall.

Last week was Spring Break so I went to visit my friend, Jackie, in Manitoba. I followed the google map directions and turned right when I was supposed to turn left. Needless to say I traveled 2 hours in the wrong direction! Jackie and I decided to take a tour of the town that day. Before we left we saw big, flat, heavy snowflakes falling. Her wipers could barely keep up. Apparently whenever people from Regina come to take the tour some bad weather occurs haha. So I saw a lot of Giant Tiger and the car : )

That night we went to "Twisters." It is like a 60's restaurant. We had malts and they were tasty. It was a fun atmosphere...if only Ryan would have let us sing hehe.Edgar at Twister's with the juke box

On Sunday, I helped Jackie put up a new bulletin board. It turned out really well.

Our beautiful bulletin board

Monday, Jackie and I drove back to Regina. The trip went much faster with some company. We stopped in Carlyle where I saw her sister and cute niece. Finally, her parents' house was in sight.

It was a great weekend! Even though, Ryan and I were both sick. I really need to keep up with this blog and maybe find some more exciting things to do lol

Have a great day!

The Burj

2007-12-10T19:43:00.000-06:00

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Manna and I went to the Burj Al Arab today. They are the self-proclaimed 7-star hotel in Dubai. It is located on its own separate island (you have to drive on a bridge to get there) and the hotel is formed in the shape of a sail. It was so nice! We stepped out of the taxi and saw a neat fountain and the wonderful view of the Jumeirah Hotel and the Madinat Jumeirah.

We then walked inside and it was amazing. My eyes could not focus haha. In front of us was this wonderful fountain. It had light and the water would shoot up and form arches and it would move into a wave like motion until it separated and started to shoot in bursts still in an arch form (we described it as jumping fish). There was escalators on either side of the fountain and then giant wall aquariums on the other side of the escalator. It was so beautiful.

Manna and I went up to the second floor where there were some stores. Jewellery and expensive clothing stores. There were also some restaurants. It was all decorated for Christmas. There were several Christmas trees. They were so beautifully decorated and the lights reflected nicely in the windows making it look like there was much more to be seen. There was another fountain on this floor. It was was a flower design and it had the same idea as the one in the main lobby.

We took our pictures (because you aren't supposed to take any other places in the hotel). Then we made our way to the panoramic elevators. This elevator only stops at the main floor, one of the restaurants and the Skyview Bar (which is where we went). During the day you would be able to see the ocean and everything from the elevator but at night you pretty much saw your reflection haha. It was nice though.

Finally, we arrived at the Skyview bar. It was nice. They had a jazzy singer and it was so relaxing. We looked at the drink menu and were surprised at how "different" the drinks were. Here is what we ordered throughout the night:
Amber:
1. Melting Camel
- camel milk
- chocolate
- cherry
- cardamon
- pomegranate syrup

2. Merry Berry
- black current juice
- cranberry
- raspberry
- cherry
- elderflower syrup

3. Vital Breakfast (A picture of me and my vital breakfast)
- cornflakes
- hazelnut syrup
- strawberry juice
- oats
- orange jam
- milk

Manna:
1. Divine Dates
- dates
- pineapple juice
- Captain Morgan Spice Rum

2. Joymus
- chickpea paste (like hummus)
- chocolate
- rose water
- Cuban Rum

3. Merry Berry
(same as above)

Altogether our bill came to 430 dhs. And that included a free appetizer tray that we refilled twice! hehe We had a great waiter who answered all of our questions. Also, from where we sat we could see the entire city of Dubai! It was all lit up and gorgeous. I hope that you can see it from my picture.

ALLERGIES!!

2007-12-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

November 19, 2007
AARGH! I had an allergic reaction to something I ate on Thursday. I broke out in hives all over my body at 3am! I was so itchy and didn't know what to do. The reaction lasted for 3 days!! It looked like I burned myself. It was so gross! Here are some pictures.

Chill Out

2007-11-30T23:45:00.002-06:00

November 11, 2007
So I realize that it is Remembrance Day and I thought about what happened with the wars and I think to myself....why is this not remembered here? It was a WORLD WAR!? But then I think some more and I realize that they were not in any of the wars. I do, however, wish that they celebrated stuff from Canada here like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Remembrance Day, etc. because it would break up the year more and I would have a taste of back home.

Today is also Liza-Marie's birthday! We threw her a surprise party on the weekend and she was so shocked! It was great!! :D Then for her actual birthday we went to a place called Chill Out. It is this bar in the middle of a mall that is made ENTIRELY OUT OF ICE!!! It is -6 C in the place and we had to where winter jackets, boots, and gloves just to go in. It was so refreshing. To be cold and then try and warm up after. I miss Canada and the coldness haha. But if I was back home I would be freezing right now because it is still in the 20's here.

Getting ready to go in

The Dubai Skyline made of ice

The Crew with homemade birthday ice cream

Halloween

2007-11-30T23:29:00.001-06:00

October 31, 2007
Well today was Halloween and is it celebrated in Dubai? NO! So Marika and I found our own Halloween fun. One of the teachers from school lives in a Villa in a small community. There they do trick or treating every year and Marika and I were invited to go. So Marika, Manna and I dressed up (wore some Halloween Headbands and Bracelets/Necklaces) and set off for the villa to do some trick or treating. So we hop into a cab and Marika tells him where we need to go. This cab driver is fairly new and had no idea where we were going. He called people, we called people, we gave him directions, our friend gave him directions, and in the end we were in the cab for at least an hour and it was literally a 15 minute drive from our place! We drove everywhere! It was crazy.
When we finally arrived at our destination we were late and missed most of the trick or treaters. So we decided that we would go for a walk and do some of our own trick or treating. We went to about 3 houses and each one laughed at us, gave us a crazy look, some candy, and sent us on our way. It was fun! We ended up at the local bar and had a few drinks and some food. Manna and I sang some karaoke and then we went back home. Needless to say it wasn't like a Halloween back home but it was still fun!

I forgot to mention that earlier today Manna chipped one of her teeth quite badly. Here is a picture of her trying to show it off.

OOPS!

2007-11-30T23:27:00.001-06:00

Oops. I thought that I had updated everyone a little more than that with Halloween and such but I guess not. So I will be posting for the month of November today. So go by the day I write not by the day it says that I have posted. I wrote a few of these after the time they happened but forgot to post them so here is a catch up! Enjoy.

Arabian Experience Tour

2007-10-30T07:42:00.002-06:00

October 15, 2007
Today Marika and I went on an “Arabian Experience Tour”. We were taken in a 4x4 vehicle through the Hajar Mountains in Oman. With this vehicle you don't need roads. We went through the desert, on the highway, and on gravel roads. It was so much fun! We stopped for some tea along the way to our first stop. I had a strawberry juice (it was more like a strawberry smoothie), very tasty. Marika had a pomegranite juice...it tasted like peas—interesting.
We then began our journey through the Hajar Mountains in Oman (the next country). It was a bit of a bumpy ride but very nice all the same. We saw wadis (dried up river beds) and oasis. Now let me tell you an oasis is not a pretty little sanctuary in the middle of the desert. It is really a run down farm with date palms and goats running around everywhere. It was interesting. The mountains themselves are not as high as the rockies nor are they ice capped haha. They are very brown and you can see the tops. Apparently they are a geologists dream because you can see all of the layers of sediment because they used to be under water. They look very nice. The road is currently being worked on so parts of the trip were on gravel, other parts were off road, and still other parts were asphalt.

For lunch we stopped at Hatta Village Fort Hotel. It is this nice hotel in the middle of a random village in the middle of nowhere haha. The village is actually quite new because the government

paid to have new houses put up for FREE for the people living there. So the old houses or “village” is currently inhabited by workers. We had a nice meal and then were on our way again.

Lounging in a traditional tent

We went back to the outskirts of Dubai to pick up another couple (they were older (60's). Once we were all settled in the vehicle we went driving on the dunes. I thought that this would be more exciting than it was. The driver drove slow and we didn't feel like our lives were in danger. Frankly, it was boring. It was just like driving anywhere. We then saw where they have camel races as well as a camel farm. The baby camels are so cute. We drove some more and stopped to watch the sunset. It didn't take long because unlike in Saskatchewan the sun goes down and there is hardly any warning.

The sunset in the desert

Everyone piled back into the SUV and headed off to the camp. At the camp there were camel rides, henna tattoos, shisha smoking, Arabian BBQ, pictures with a falcon/hawk (not sure what), and pictures of you dressed up in traditional dress. I only had the bbq and my picture taken with the bird. I was a bit disappointed but what can you do. I will definately do the other things while I am out here. After dinner there was a belly dancer who just really picked people out of the crowd and did a belly dance move and tried to teach them it. She didn't just perform for us. It was still great to watch though...some of the guys were hilarious.

After the food and entertainment we headed back home and went straight to bed. We were exhausted after the long day. Let's just say that we were not that energized to teach the next day. I hope that you are all doing well and I will continue to keep you posted on my adventures!

Medicals.. (eep!)

2007-10-30T07:40:00.001-06:00

October 7, 2007
This morning Marika and I were taken to the Al Baraha Hospital for our medicals. The bus ride was so jerky, I felt sick. When we first arrived at the hospital it looked run down and there were men standing everywhere. The place looked sketchy. We then had to wait in the bus until Mr. Sharif arrived with our papers. We then went inside which looked cleaner and sat in the enormous airport sized waiting room. After a few minutes Mr. Sharif took us further into the building and we pushed our way into a room to register and find out where to go. The man read my name and asked if I knew the meaning. I have heard many meanings but this one was new to me. Apparently, Amber, is a nice smelling aroma taken from whales and made into perfume. Marika and I can't figure out how something out of a whale could smell nice. But there you have it. He then asked if I was married. I told him no and he crossed off the tests for HIV/AIDS because apparently if you are not married you cannot get aids. There were men everywhere. They were creepy and eyeing us up the entire time. We tried not to make eye contact. Mr. Sharif then took us to another part of the building where we were to get a chest x-ray. I took off my necklace and was told to stand in the room. So I stood there looking confused. He then told me to stand by this xray machine and he lowered the chin rest so I could sort of rest my chin on it. He took the picture and sent me on my way. It was so quick. Then Marika and I were sent to get our bloodwork done in another area of the hospital. We went into the reception area and were immediately told to go into the other room for women. No one was there so we sat down and waited. We were then called into this small office and they took blood. The needle was placed sort of on the side and held at an angle-ish. It hurt sooooo bad! I also bled quite a bit afterwards. We then went back to the waiting room and waited for Mr. Sharif to come back and to let us go back to school. It was one interesting experience. I miss the health care back home. Oh and we now have official Dubai Health Cards. WOOHOO!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-10-06T09:18:00.004-06:00

October 6, 2007

Today we had a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. Marika, Manna, and I are from Canada so we decided that we should have Thanksgiving among the four of us (Liza, Manna, Marika, and I). Edgar was even there! It was such a wonderful meal! We couldn't find a turkey so we bought a roast chicken from the deli. Marika baked a pumpkin pie and we made mashed potatoes and corn. Marika also made a salad from home with cherry pie filling, cool whip, and marshmallows. It felt so nice to gather together with a homecooked meal. It was like being back home. Who says you can't bring Canada to Dubai? Haha I am truly thankful for this experience and for the friends that I have made. We are having another Thanksgiving dinner in November for Liza because in South Africa they celebrate it on the same day as Americans. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Iftar Meal

2007-10-06T09:17:00.002-06:00

October 4, 2007

Tonight I went to a real Iftar meal. Iftar is the breaking of the fast. So the muslims fast from 4:30am to 6:00pm. At 6:00 they break the fast and eat, this is called Iftar. It was one of the girl's birthdays so we went to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, there is a tent on the beach with a buffet of Lebanese and Western foods. There was a red carpet laid out for us to walk on as we entered the tent. There was so much food! I tried everything from pitas with their traditional fillings, lamb, various vegetables, samosa, spring rolls, and much more. It was great! I was able to try so many different kinds of foods that I would not normally be able to have. Then at the end of the meal some of the girls ordered a Shisha (Hubbly Bubbly). It is what the caterpillar on “Alice in Wonderland” uses. It is flavoured tobacco so the girls had one with grape flavour and one with apple. It is a traditional thing to do so I tried it. It was interesting and it burned my throat haha. I won't use it again. This whole meal was a wonderful traditional experience and a fun way of experiencing their culture.

The girls and I on the "Red Carpet" going into the Iftar Tent.

When everyone was leaving Manna and I escaped to the beach. I was able to go to the beach and wade in the ocean for the first time! It was so exciting. We had the Burj Al Arab in the background. It would have been a wonderful picture but we both forgot our cameras. We could even see the island that the Burj is on. I had so much fun!

Touring Dubai

2007-10-06T08:57:00.002-06:00

September 27-29, 2007
On Thursday night Liza, Manna, Marika and I went to the Ibn Batuta Mall. It is a huge mall with a world theme. The mall is set up into different sections: China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia, and Andalusia. Each section has stores from that place as well as a traditional display. For example: China had a life-size ship. It was huge and so cool! You could walk through this one area of the boat and it had a video showing different types of underwater life.

The ship in the middle of the crazy mall

We only made it through half of the mall before it was time to close so we have to go back another day in order to see the other half. Before we started walking through the mall we had supper at Tony Romas. The food was pretty similar to back home. Marika and I haven't gone out much to eat yet. Sometime we want to go to Applebees because I have never been there.

This weekend we went on a double-decker bus tour of Dubai. Marika, Manna, Sarah and I went together.

Manna and Sarah on the Big Bus

It was so great! We were able to see where various stores and tourist stops were. It helped us figure out where we are in the general area of Dubai. It helped us to get out and see the city for cheap. The whole tour included: 48 hour bus access (you can hop on or hop off at any stop), a free boat ride, free entrance to the tourist stops, and some coupons. The total cost was 175 AED but Marika bartered him down to 160 AED. The bus had two routes-- the red and the blue route. The red route went through the city and the blue route went to various hotels and to the beach. Marika and I burned so I finally have a tan. We hopped off at The Old Souk, The Gold Souk, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Sheihk Saeed Al Maktoum House, and The Dubai Museum. Throughout the year we are going to go to the stops we did not go to such as Wafi City, Burjuman, Karama, Jumeirah Mosque, Jumeirah Beach, and the Mercato Mall. We took so many pictures (I will put them up later). Dubai is so gorgeous. Pictures do not even start to show the whole picture. You have to come here for yourself. Also, the construction is INSANE!!! There are cranes and new buildings being built everywhere. When they say this place is developing they are not joking. I can't wait to see more of this place.

Our Neighbours

2007-10-06T08:51:00.000-06:00

September 14, 2007

Last night we met our neighbours. They are 7 girls from the Phillipines. Their ages range from 25-40ish. They love to sing karaoke. One of them is actually a wedding singer from back home. All of them work at Al Ansari Exchange in various malls around this area of Dubai. So Liza and I went over there to say hi last night and we were invited in to sing karaoke and eat some munchies. They are so friendly! Marika and Manna came over a little bit later and we sang all night. Here are a few pictures of our night. (insert pics). Not all of the girls were there though because they were working. I think that we will be over there more often. It was so relaxing and time went by so fast. I think we made some new friends and we will be seeing them at work often because we need to send money home. I never thought that I would sing karaoke but I am experiencing so many new things here in Dubai. I wonder what I will do next.

The Trip to Dubai

2007-10-06T08:25:00.001-06:00

I have been writing my blogs on my computer at home but have only now been able to put them up so it will say that they were all written today but for each one I have the actual date that they were written.

August 27, 2007
Hello Everybody!
Well I made it to Dubai safe and sound however it has been a frustrating/exciting experience getting here. I checked in my Luggage and got my boarding pass in Regina and then we waited around for Marika to show up. Little did I know that she checked in an hour before me and was waiting upstairs. She found us 45 minutes after I checked in. We said our tearful goodbyes to our family and friends and headed through security. We then waited until about 11:40ish to actually board the plane. Our plane was supposed to take off at 11:20 but it took off around 12 or so. We arrived in Toronto with 50 minutes to board our plane to New York. We arrived at the check-in point only to discover that we were delayed 2 hours. We then sat waiting for our luggage to come so that we could connect it to our flight (apparently I was supposed to do this myself). Our luggage never showed up. (Marika took a picture of Edgar and I at the airport--I don't know how to rotate it, sorry). We then boarded our plane and sat on the tarmac for 4 hours! Apparently the weather above JFK airport was horrible and all planes were grounded. Since we had alread boarded the plane and they shut down customs in the terminal after we left our gate, we were stuck sitting on the plane with only juice or water coming our way. This is where Marika and I meet Steve.

Steve sat ahead of me on the airplane and was concerned about missing his flight to Dubai from New York because of the delays. He was talking to the crew and agents to find out about whether that flight would be grounded as well or if he would be missing it. This was when the flight attendent asked around if anyone else was going to Dubai. Marika and I told her that we were and we had a little pow wow by our seats. It turns out that Steve works for the Emirates Airlines and so he knows pretty much the background stuff, who to talk to and who to complain to. The three of us FINALLY arrived at JFK around 12:30-1:00am. Steve asked the agent about our flight and heard that it had already taken off and when he asked about luggage he was told that we should find it. So we headed off to the terminal that we were supposed to leave from. First we stopped at security to ask about luggage only being rudely told to go to the office in a random direction that the guard pointed. The American Airlines baggage office only gave us the run around about our luggage nor being there but with the Emirates which is in another terminal. We then went to find the “air train”. As we were heading there we ran into the agent that Steve had talked to when we got offf the plane. She was wondering if we had talked to her supervisor and then Steve got angry. Apparently the supervisor was there but when Steve asked the agent about who to talk to and stuff she brushed him off and did not respond when he asked her a couple of times. So we left her and found the air train. We boarded, switched trains, and found terminal 4. We couldn't find our airline and were told to go downstairs to information. When there Marika and Steve were again given the run around about how we had to go to American Airlines, then to baggage, then to Emirates Airlines. After telling her that we did all that and that we would appreciate some form of help without the rude attitude we were given a number to call and directions to the overall baggage office (where stuff is sorted out). We gave them our baggage identifications and were told to come back within the next 2 hours. So we went to call the number we were given and book flights. We finally all got through to a person and booked a flight to Dubai for 11:20 the next morning. We went to see about getting a hotel room only to discover that the ones closest to the airport were full so we would have to go into the city where the price went up. We were looking at about $450ish for the night (including cabs). We decided we would get more sleep and it would be cheaper to sleep in the airport. We went to see about our luggage again and found that they were closed just after we left. Now we were angry, tired, frustrated and ready to kill. So we went to find a spot to sleep. We were able to find 2 lovely cement benches where we were able to sort of sleep.

In the morning we went to find out about luggage and get our boarding passes. We recieved our boarding passes and when we asked them about luggage they said that they wouldn't know anything until they were placed on the plane. When we were waiting to board the plane we asked the woman who was organizing us if she could look into where our luggage was. She discovered that Marika's were on the plane but mine and Steve's were MIA. We then boarded and took a very long 12 hour flight to Dubai. It was gorgeous skies! I am still amazed. I watched 4 movies and 3-4 tv shows in that time plus tried to sleep. I sat beside a very nice Indian woman. She was visiting her daughter in the states and heading home to India.

The view from the plane. I love flying!

When we arrived in Dubai I could see them making islands from the plane! (I will find out for sure how they make them Kim but I know that they pour sand from boats onto the water to form the top layer of the island....very cool). Once we landed we were boarded onto buses that took us to the arrival part of the airport (the terminal where we were dropped off at was under construction). I saw my first palm tree at the airport! SO COOL!!! My first thought was this is sooo hot but so fascinating. I didn't know what to look at first. My eyes could barely take it in. We then went to customs to check our passports and get our temporary visas (our work ones will be finalized in two months). Marika and I found Steve again at the baggage pick up. His luggage was the only one to show up. So he took us to the baggage claim office where we put in a lost baggage claim. We then went on a mission to find Sharif...thank goodness Steve had a cellphone and I had the number. I was able to get ahold of Sharif and we found eachother. We said goodbye to Steve and hopped on the school bus (its an air conditioned van). Sharif said goodbye to us and we were off.

NO SEATBELTS and CRAZY driving! Marika and I were so overwhelmed and amazed. We saw the world's tallest building (still in the process of being made, the Burj Al Arab, and the Mall of the Emirates). We didn't know where to look...everything is so fascinating. Real sand was in the ditches and construction sites! Not Regina sand but fine nice to walk in sand. We arrived at our apartment and we were shocked! Everything is brand new!! We have a fridge, stove, coffee maker, dishes, cutlery, utensils, knives, pots and pans, washing machine, tv, couch, chairs, coffee tables, table and chairs....ALL WITH TAGS and STICKERS still on them!! CRAZY! We then went to our bedrooms. Marika's has a whole wall of windows with a great view of construction, highway, the Burj Al Arab and much much more! We have huge closets, vanity/dresser, end table, and queen size beds (which are very hard but surprisingly comfortable). My room has a medium size window and it is smaller. We each have our own full bathroom attatched to our rooms. There is also a guest half-bath. Oh and did I mention that we are RIGHT BESIDE the MALL OF THE EMIRATES!!! I have a lovely view of the mall and the Burj Al Arab from my room. One thing that the apartment did not have was toilet paper! So one of the first things that we did was go to the mall.

Hashmad, our bus driver, told us that we had to get a phone ASAP so that we could communicate. We decided to go to the mall and get a phone and some toilet paper, food would be good too. So we walked the block to the mall (no pedestrian crossing just jaywalking). We went to the wal-mart type place called Carrefour. We bought the cheapest phones and a $40 pay-as-you-go card, food, toilet paper, garbage cans, dishcloths, tea towels, soap, towels, shampoo and soap (because of the lost luggage), water, garbage bags, and some more utensils. We still need to do more shopping haha. We came home only to find that our cell phone chargers don't work in these outlets so we had to go back to the mall to get converters. We purchased them and came home only to find that we need a sim card! So we went back to the mall and purchased a sim card. We then made a few calls and ran out minutes but I refused to go back again that night so we just went to sleep. (THAT WAS ONE FRUSTRATING DAY!!)

I had a wonderful sleep and woke up at 5:30am our time. Our bus was coming at 6:50am to take us to school. I met the other 8 girls who are wonderful ladies. They are so nice, helpful and welcoming. They are from Canada, England, Ireland, South Africa, and Pakistan. We all think that we don't have an accent when we each clearly do. So funny. Anyways...we arrived at the school 2 hours early!! I didn't have to be there until 9:00am. So we wandered around and signed in. I found out that Sarah (from England) is teaching Kindergarten with me. So we went off to our seperate building. I discovered that k-2 does not mean kindergarten to grade 2 but kindergarten level 2. In the school there are three areas: pre-kindergarten (age 3), kindergarten-1 (age 4), and kindergarten-2 (age 5). kindergarten1 is like preschool and kindergarten2 is like kindergarten back in Canada. Sarah and I are both teaching kindergarten1. Each english teacher is paired up with an arabic teacher and a nanny. So I teach my homeroom first thing in the morning and then my partners homeroom in the afternoon so that both classes are able to learn both english and arabic. There are 2 preschool classrooms, 3 kindregarten1 and 2 kindergarten2 (that's just for english so times those by 2 to get the total number of rooms). Each room is a hexagon shape and then the middle of the school has a giant play area and a stage for the kids to do assembly's and play. Also each 3 classrooms has its own outside play area, complete with jungle gym (I will send pictures). Oh yeah my nanny. She is like a teacher assistant. She takes care of the children after school and helps me with whatever I need during school (from laminating, to playing a game, to helping with a lesson—yes Cori even cleaning up glue/paint! Hehe my how the tables have turned).

I feel so overwhelmed but I know that it will be a great experience and it will be much better once I get started. So I now have two weeks to decorate my classroom and prepare myself to teach. The children and parents arrive on the 10 for an assembly, the students start on the 11 with half days until the 13 and then we start school full time. We have a 2-3 week holiday over Christmas and I think the girls have decided to go to Australia for that time. WOOHOO. It looks like I don't get more holidays than that. I am excited for this year to start and can't believe that I am here.

WE MADE IT!

2007-08-31T05:27:00.001-06:00

Well everybody, Edgar and I arrived in Dubai on Monday, August 27. This place is gorgeous! So much better in person. Our apartment is about 1 block away from the mall of the emirates and you can see the Burj Al Arab from our window. Our apartment looks so nice! I had a crazy trip but I will write more about it when I have more time. This is just a quick hello to say that I am here safe and sound. I will write again soon. :)

The view from Marika's window. The "Mall of the Emirates"
with the "Burj Al Arab" hotel in the background. Gorgeous!

And We're Off!

2007-08-25T08:12:00.000-06:00

Can you believe that it's finally happening? I leave for the airport in an hour! It feels like a dream. This is just a quick entry to say that I am packed and ready to go. Edgar and I will take lots of pictures and keep everyone posted. Enjoy the year...I know that I will! Love you all and take care.

Frustrated/Happy

2007-08-16T18:36:00.001-06:00

Well I found out today that my flight has been changed yet again. I am now leaving on Saturday, August 25. I fly from here to Toronto with a 2 hour layover, then to New York with a 3 hour layover and then to Dubai. I will arrive on August 26 at 10:00pm. I will only have about one day to get over my jet lag because I start school on the 28th. I am so frustrated because nothing is ever what they say it is going to be. It is constantly changing. But I am happy because I have more time to spend with family and friends. I just hope that this is the last surprise and everything goes smoothly. Tata for now

It's Actually Happening!

2007-08-09T20:41:00.001-06:00

Quite a bit has happened since my last post so here is the update.

Edgar and I went to Manitoba on the road trip. I drove for part of the way. By a lake there were fireworks and they were landing over the highway. It was like our own private show. It was amazing! We also saw the Northern Lights, which I probably will not see for awhile. After the long drive we visited with Ryan's parents and went to sleep. The next day we left mid-morning to Plum Coulee to see Jackie's school. She is going to be teaching at a very nice school. She will make an amazing teacher...I wish that I was in her class. We then went to see her house in Morden. It is a decent sized house with an AMAZING yard. I can't wait until next summer when I visit her. Carlyle was our last stop on our home. We visited with Jackie's sister and her husband. It was a good time. We spent quite a bit of the time reading and admiring Jenn's (Jackie's sister) pregnant belly. On our way back to Regina we stopped at the Souris Bridge. There will be pictures later : ) I was exhausted by the time I got home. I had a great sleep haha.

It was my 22nd birthday on Tuesday, August 7. I spent the day with my family. Char made pancakes, Andrew and I went mini-golfing, and then the family met up for supper and cake. For supper we went to Teppanyaki. It is a Japanese restaurant where they make the food in front of you. Both the entertainment and food was great! I highly recommend it. It was a great birthday!

On Wednesday I found out that I am leaving on August 22. That is two weeks to the day. I am so excitedly-scared! It is happening so fast. I am going to be leaving the country for 10 months to teach and be on my own. This is such a crazy idea but it is going to be an amazing experience!
Oh yeah! I found out last week that I am teaching k-2 instead of just grade 1. I am anxious, nervous, scared, and happy. I think that it will be a fantastic learning experience but I don't know what I am getting myself into. I am so glad that I am going early. I will arrive in Dubai on August 24. So I will have 3-4 days to get myself together before having to start at the school.
Today, I received my last shot! Now I just have to force myself to take the Dukoral and I am set to go.

Well it looks like the next two weeks are going to fly by. I will continue to keep you posted!

Will I EVER Leave?

2007-07-20T16:48:00.000-06:00

Well I figured that it was time for another update.
I went for my second set of shots on Thursday and my arms were yet again heavy and sore. I received rabies, polio, yellow fever, and mmr (measles, mumps, rubella). Next week I go for malaria and my second rabies. Then finally on August 9 I receive my last dose of rabies and am ready to go!
As for the leaving process, I have been emailing my contact in Dubai and we have been talking about a moving date. I am getting annoyed because he said that I would be leaving Regina between the 25 and 28 of August. I was told in my interview that school starts for the teachers on August 28. Marika also told me that we would arrive almost 3 days after we leave so if we left on the 28th we would arrive on the 31st. So if we left on the 28th we would not be a the school until the 31st, which is a Friday (their weekend). Even if we arrived on the weekend it is hard to know if we will even be able to see the school until Sunday....the first day of school for students! I am getting nervous because we are really pushing the leaving date and currently we may not be able to even see our classroom/curriculum until we meet the kids Sunday morning. I complained about the late departure dates and my contact says that it all depends on how soon he can get the visas. My "new life" is in the hands of this visa. Well that is all for now on my travel plans and I will continue to keep everyone posted.
On a side note...Edgar and I, as well as Jackie and Jenn, are going to Manitoba to see where Jackie is going to be teaching this upcoming school year. We are having one last road trip before we go off in separate directions. Have a great weekend!

The Moving Process

2007-07-10T13:28:00.001-06:00

Moving half-way across the world is an annoying process. First there is the paperwork. I run around the city and fill out forms, have record checks done, and documents certified. Then I send off the paperwork its destination. After I finish the process, another e-mail is waiting for me which says that I need to do the whole thing all over again for another place. BAH! Just tell me what I need to do all at once so that I don't have to go to the same places over and over again. Finally, I decided to get a few copies all at once but I can see this being the last part in the process ( I will have paperwork left over).

Next, I had to go to the dentist and doctor for check-ups to make sure that I am healthy and ready to go. Both went very well. I had to get my bottom wisdom teeth surgically removed last Tuesday. My mouth was pretty sore and it was hard to eat but it was better to get them out now instead of waiting for toothaches and hassle over there.

Today, I went to inquire about what shots I needed for going to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I ended up leaving with two sore and heavy arms. It turns out that there are not any neccessary shots needed to go to the UAE but because I am going to teach and probably travel I have to get some cautionary shots. Teachers become sick easily because of all the kids passing illnesses around the classroom. Young teachers haven't developed their immune systems as much as we would have liked to so we go down faster than older teachers. Also, we apparently run ourselves down in our first years on the job--I don't know where they get that idea. ;) So, depending on what I want to do I can go in for more shots or I can leave go as I am with the basic shots. On that note, I never realized how expensive immunizations were! Crazy high prices! I'm glad that I received my free shots back in elementary school haha.

Now all I have to figure out is how to pack up my stuff so that it fits into two, 50 lb suitcases. That is going to be the tough part I think. It is so hard to pack up and leave for two years. I am still in shock that I am actually going through with this and moving across the world. This is going to be an experience that I will never forget or regret! I'll keep you posted.

Introducing Edgar!

2007-07-07T21:11:00.001-06:00

I suppose that everyone is wondering... "Who is this Edgar fellow?" So here I am to clarify. He is not my boyfriend, husband, brother, cousin, or any person of that kind. He is my long lost friend and my travel companion. Here is our story.
In the hot summer of 2006 my best buddy, Becky, was in a knitting frenzy. She was knitting scarves, mitts, toques and anything else she could think of. This was how Edgar was born. She has a huge stuffed animal of "My Pet Monster" from the cartoon back in the day--he is so ugly he's cute. So she decided that I needed a so ugly-it's-cute stuffed animal as well. Becky decided that a little black rabbit would do and set to work. He has mismatched eyes, sweater, and socks. Edgar is as cute as can be. My only instructions upon getting the gift were-"Take him wherever you go" and I have. This is why I am taking him all over the world.
So far Edgar and I have travelled to the four main cities in Saskatchewan--Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, and Swift Current. We have seen as much as we want of Saskatchewan so we are flying the coup and jumping across the pond to Dubai. We are going to ride camels, surf sand dunes, and teach some kids.
Keep your eye out for Edgar in all of my pictures and we will see you soon.