kaapstad

after a journey that felt like nearly forever, a little shopping jaunt in london's heathrow, and a tearful reunion at the cape town airport, my mom and i have settled in to our hotel (with a view of the atlantic and the smell of a bakery in the wee morning hours!) and are ready to take on the mother city.

it is a funny thing to come back to a place after 5 years and to be reminded of small things (the ever honking shared taxis plying the roads for passengers, the way south african pronounce 'here' like 'he-er,' and the newspaper headlines stuck on street posts) and to see how things have noticeably changed.

i was last in cape town after south africa had been officially democratic for 10 years (in 2005) and even had the opportunity to attend the african national congress' celebration of democracy (where i was one of the only white faces in the crowd that had barely a dry eye because of the pride and excitement), but i rarely saw mixed race couples or groups of people of all colours out together.  in one short day, i already have the sense that it is different now.

and who am i to make such bold statements, but in my experience, it feels like a more diverse and truly rainbow nation.  however, we have only been in airports and the rather cosmopolitan area of sea point in cape town and it is surely very different in the cape flats, the townships, and the rural areas.

but all in good time, we will see that face of south africa too.

needless to say, i am thrilled to be back, to have familiar faces welcoming me back to the southern hemisphere, and to be enjoying the stunning weather!

5 days of excitement to go

in five days' time i will be on a jetplane, heading to heathrow to transfer to johannesburg and then on to cape town!  i have no idea how long it will take to get there, but i am well prepared with three books and a little bit of work that i have committed to finishing while i am away (not so much work as copy writing for a friend).  my books of choice include the first two in Stieg Larsson's series, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire.  everyone and their dog keeps talking about them, including that there is an element of human trafficking to the story line, so i am jumping on the literary bandwagon and will read them as well.

i also purchased The Help, which i kept picking up at the bookstore and finally bought it online (say what you will about amazon taking away sales from local booksellers, i love the convenience and the process of looking forward to and then receiving a package in the post).

i thought i would have to go on a wild goose chase for shoes to wear to the wedding where i will be a bridesmaid, but i managed to shop in my own closet and find a pair of black, strappy sandals that i got last year in thailand and haven't worn very often back at home.  dressy and sassy?  no, but they will do for a wedding i am travelling halfway around the world to attend to wear with a dress i have never seen?  why yes, yes they are.

as i have mentioned, we've got a few great places to stay already booked and i have noted with asterisks in my lonely planet and rough guide the sights i would like to show my mom in cape town and cape point, wineries i would like to visit in and around stellenbosch, and a whale watching tour out of hermanus.  we are also planning on getting to the sleepy town of bredasdorp so i can show my mom where i lived over 5 years ago and i am crossing my fingers that i will see the woman that i lived with while i was there.  it might be a bit strange walking up to my the half door of the house and knocking.  if she remembers me, i might give her a bit of a heart attack!

i am certainly ready to take a break from the daily grind and the tidal wave i seem to have created.  i spent a lot of time this past week getting on top of my To Do list and feel as though i am leaving all my projects in a state that will not spontaneously combust without regular attention - my volunteers have tasks to take care of, my meetings and workshops are all set up for when i returned and my prep work for them is nearly done, i have someone looking after the nest in my absence, and i have tentative hallowe'en plans and a group of girls thinking up a costume for me.

so all that is left is 5 days of excitement and counting down!

easing back into it

before i even begin to talk about the wonderful trip i just returned from (and try to gloss over the horrendous flight delays, cancellations, and airlines i had to contend with to get back home), i thought i would do a relatively easy review of a few books i read on my trip that i must discuss (have i mentioned i need a book club to join?!).

Two Lives (Vikram Seth)
i had seen this book before and perhaps i didn't attempt it as i didn't get even halfway through the author's A Suitable Boy (which i know some people have raved about), but i picked it up in the dublin airport in case i made it through the other books i had with me and it is a good thing i did.  in my time at airports and hotels alone i finished all 500 pages of this beauty and i wholeheartedly recommend it.

the story is a true one and covers the relationship between a young indian man and his future german bride, all the way from when they both must leave germany before the first world war to his stint in the british army to her tracing of her jewish family's fate to the life they rebuild in england and his dental practice (with one arm!) and their relationship with numerous friends and family.

i was mesmerised with this book and gobbled it up.  i loved the transcription of letters that were written between all the 'characters' in the book and it made me think that it truly is a lost art.  the language that was used, the honesty with which they spoke to one another, and the incredible subject matter that they were required to discuss.  imagine writing to your friends about the nazis, the holocaust, the fate of your sister and mother, the betrayal of friends, and the state of post war europe in your own handwriting and language.

this seemed like such a rare story, the interracial and interreligious relationship between two people in the first half of the century and yet, as you read it, it makes perfect sense.  i sincerely insist that you pick this book up, a great way to learn more about our shared history, love, and why it is important to know where we come from.  fantastic.

The Good Mayor (Andrew Nicoll)
i finished this book begrudingly.  i didn't much care for the characters or their decisions and wasn't really sure where the 'love' in this love story was to be found.  i had to find out what happened though, so i finished it.  in the fictional town of dot, there are things like lust, obsession, and abuse, but not much love as far as i was concerned.

i have never been one for fable-like stories and this seemed one of those, something not entirely believable and not deep enough to really have a sense for who the characters were or what their intentions were.  so i was a bit disconnected throughout.

i read it, but i wouldn't recommend it.  not when there are so many fantastic books out there!

Something to Tell You (Hanif Kureishi)
after watching an interview with Kureishi, i picked up his book having never read anything he had written and not knowing what to expect. well, was i ever in for a whirlwind!

the story is largely about the search for pleasure (or at least that is what i took away from it).  it takes places in london and london is a character unto itself in the story (which is something i always love).  the main character seems to be at a crossroads that he never expected and is looking backwards and forwards to find out how to tie his loose ends while at the same time searching for something that will make him feel 'good.'  as you would expect, where he expects to find pleasure and contentment is not where he manages to find it and the twists and turns in the story are taken by the the main character, a psychoanalyst, in stride as they parallel the same search that is going on by those around him.

i am really not sure how i feel about this book apart from it really made me think and the characters are still alive within my mind.  and yet, did i enjoy it?  not particularly.  i liked the story, but i didn't like the experiences of the characters or what they were searching for.  and yet, it brings to light the fact that when anyone is seeking pleasure (and everyone does) that what they find often looks a lot more like pain, emotional or physical, but sometimes that is exactly as it should be.  and perhaps that is why i was uncomfortable with the story at times, because it was real.

i know i will be thinking of this novel for a long while, so in the meantime, if i have not done it justice, check out some other reviews at the guardian and the independent.  and if you wouldn't mind, could you please read this book so we can discuss it?!

and in this research, i found out that Kureishi and i went to the same uni in england!

Little Bee lacks authenticity

over the easter long weekend, i read the book Little Bee by Chris Cleave. the subject matter, a nigerian asylum seeker struggles in the uk, would be intimately interesting to me considering my work in migration, my life in the uk, and my general love for things african and/or refugee.

and it was a good story, drawing attention to the struggles in nigeria over rights to oil deposits and the challenge to survive in migrant detention centres and in a foreign society with little to no resources.

however, i am not so sure that the author is deserving of the accolades for this book (shortlisted for the costa award for best novel in the uk) because i think it overly simplifies the storyline and its characters. someone gets their finger chopped off on a beach whilst vacationing in nigeria with their husband and then runs from the rebels back to their compound? i am not saying that it could never happen, but just throwing an incident into the story and not digging deeper left the story a little flat for me.

there is an interesting interview with the author where i think he makes a better case for bringing the issues of detaining irregular (not illegal) migrants indefinitely and in inhumane conditions to the public than he does in his book and is worth a read.

although even in this interview he completely misuses the words refugee and asylum seeker and although i realise that to most people, the differences are moot, if you are going to write an entire novel on the topic, you should get the terminology correct. the main character, little bee, is not a refugee and is instead an asylum seeker. asylum seekers are not inherently victims of anything, hence the word 'seeker' included in the phrase. they are asking to be allowed to stay on humanitarian grounds, but have not been given formal leave to do so yet.

i took slight offence to the assumption that little bee could not return to nigeria and that the british system would detain an unaccompanied minor in her situation. i am not saying these things do not happen, but i do know there are many programmes for unaccompanied minors and there are guidelines on how to handle such cases. in fact, i was involved in one such case of unaccompanied kenyan children in europe and they were not detained, not mistreated, and not forced to go anywhere that was unsafe. (but i get that this happens, i just wish there had been more information given to make the issues clear).

there are literally thousands of stories that could be told about migrants' experiences in the uk and i would most likely purchase and read any of them that are published, but i suppose i have pretty high expectations of authors who wish to tackle such an issue so personal to me. unfortunately, this book did not meet those expectations.

26

dear 26,

man, was that a year. you were so much easier to deal with than 25, thank the good lord.

we did a lot together, you and i. we travelled to a few different african countries – we got stung by sea urchins in zanzibar, we safaried with the fam in kenya in the safarimobile, we hung out on a few different indian ocean beaches, we hiked and camped in the rift valley, we fell in love with ethiopia and the smell of frankincense, we melted and battled malaria in egypt, and we roadtripped in tanzania. we also visited in london, and were canadian bound twice.

together we met some pretty fantastic people and have a lot of stories to tell about our year together. some that can only be brought out when children are not present and some that we have photographic proof of (thank you facebook). we worked harder than we’ve ever had to work at a job. and got paid less than we’ve ever gotten paid for a real job.

there was a good amount of stress that we shared though, and i think we can partially blame that for the new creases i found with you. i won’t blame you though, i know it is not your fault. i believe that you wanted the best for me and i trusted you. unlike that 25. jerk.

between current jobs and future careers, i worried a lot this year. i will probably never stop worrying, but it would be nice if you could have told me that it will All Be OK when i was in mid-crisis. and there were a few.

together we met a soldier and had cheese and wine on patios during thunder storms, field trips to war cemetaries, safari lodges, african camp sites, the produce section, and a lot of indian food. we dealt with distance, work commitments, directional changes, differing perspectives, previous relationships, travels to south africa (him), egypt (me), and tanzania and canada (us). i began to rethink all the things i thought i wanted. most are still on the table, but i was challenged in new ways and i think you knew all along it would be ok. thanks for that, if i haven’t said it before.

26, we’ve moved into a new nest together and in the process had to navigate some friendships that were heading off the map. but i would say we built more than we tore down this year, much of which will last through 27 and beyond. i think we made a good team. here’s hoping your friend 27 will be into teamwork as well.

but what is up with being sick so much this year? i have never been the sick kid before, but between sinus infections, malaria, coughs, colds, sore kidneys, and a touch of the laryngitis, i think that i need to pay more attention to my health in future years and perhaps this was a gentle reminder. and sunscreen, i must remember sunscreen. but really, enough with the sick. it doesn’t suit me.

and here i must bid you adieu. keep up the good work. and if you she her, tell 27 that i have some big expectations for the upcoming year.

lu

a busy 3 weeks

i am not feeling so creative and haven't been writing much lately. maybe because i am overcoming my addiction to facebook. i am on the 5th step of a 12 step programme. or something like that.

here is what i have been up to the last 3 weeks:

• i rubbed shoulders with the vice president of kenya in mombasa
• i contracted malaria because i slept without a mosquito net during the rainy season in mombasa (i direct you to http://www.spreadthenet.org/ again because now that i know what malaria feels like and that it can be prevented so easily and treated for very little money yet most who get it cannot afford the drugs, i really think that we should keep spreading the net)
• i went to egypt and although it was hot as balls, it rocked the casbah and maybe i will get around to articulating how much it rocked in the near future, for now my smattering of photos will have to do (there are more on my facebook, if you are so inclined)
• i found some generic egyptian drugs to treat the malaria
• i went hot air ballooning over the valley of the kings in luxor
• i dodged taxis and other vehicles on the streets of cairo, which put the streets of nairobi to shame even though i wasn't sure that was possible
• i saw a half naked fat man in his flimsy white boxer shorts and am still laughing about it
• i was defeated at trivial pursuit (but it was the british version so i had a slight disadvantage)
• i kicked butt at ping pong on the beach of the red sea
• i hung out in king tut's final resting place
• i ate hummous, tabouleh, baba ganouj, tahini, and grape leaves
• i read some books, including A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (7/10), Blessings (7.5/10), and A Thousand Splendid Suns (8.5/10 and this would be higher but it just doesn't compare to the author's other book, The Kite Runner)
• i went snorkelling in the red sea and got windswept
• i floated on the red sea (but not over to saudi arabia)
• i had my bum fondled on the metro and my photo taken on a ferry
• i broke into kenya and snuck my way around buying a visa thinking that i could just leave on my other passport to avoid paying for yet another visa, that was NOT a good idea and they almost made me miss my flight to london by insisting i go home and locate my 'misplaced' passport, but they let me on the flight after making their point, pulling my luggage off the plane, and delaying the flight
• i gave up my seat that had extra leg room (mine aren't so long) and they gave me a first class bag of goodies with khiel's products
• i visited my sister in london and bought my first pair of skinny jeans
• i ate the best sushi with some pretty good company
• i am also a full fledged hippy as i do not have a tv, like to knit, and now own a pair of birkenstocks
• air canada is perhaps the most miserable airline to fly with - i don't want to hear what my flight attendants are doing on the weekend, what their hobbies are, nor do i want to be barked at or be forced to overhear their rude conversations with other passengers
• i flew next to refugees being resettled to the us, it was nice to look over and smile at the well-behaved kids laughing out loud at the cartoons
• a man tried to lasso me as i came through the arrivals gates at the airport in calgary and i have been slightly afraid of the stampede ever since
• i arrived home after 3 long weeks of travelling through kenya, egypt, and london
• i am attempting to readjust to life in the developed world and the pace of calgary while avoiding the stampede

home sweet nairobi

i have been rather introspective since returning from the uk. as i had expected, it was a whirlwind trip and made me want to have a week of relaxation and rejuvenation, but that will come when i arrive in mombasa to spend christmas on the beach with a good book and ample amount of sun screen (i have the application of sunscreen down to a fine art, with the careful placement of both spfs 15 and 30 for an even colour and uv protection).

the trip was great and as is my custom when i am left with less than half an hour in a work day to fit in a blog post, here is a list of highlights:

- my family surprising me with my sister and not my step-dad at the arrivals gate at heathrow (watch Love Actually, it really is true)
- taking my sister out for her first meal of indian food for her birthday
- the phenomenal amount of people in the streets of london
- watching my mom behave like a moth to a flame whenever she saw a marks & spencer store
- the sunny weather (some days)
- visiting with my mom, my dad, my sister, my nana, and my aunty
- going to a village pub to eat roast beast
- being stopped by the vice-chancellor on my way across the stage for a chat about my degree and my dissertation topic (which i nearly forgot and stared blankly for only a few seconds before coming up with something that resembled research title)
- laughing with my dissertation supervisor
- introducing an unsuspecting greek man to mistletoe (at the insistence of my mom!)
- lots of pints (and some half pints)
- wrapped christmas presents to open
- my first stocking out of a suitcase
- english breakfasts
- new boots for everyone!
- bargaining for handbags in london, i almost used my new head wobble thing
- riding the tube, riding the tube, and riding the tube some more
- listening to the opera singers/pizza cooks at harrods
- a home cooked meal
- snowy balls
- trapped wind
- pink cakes
- skating in greenwich
- roasted chestnuts
- the savoy christmas tree and starbucks lattes
- a heathrow farewell (watch Love Actually!)
- a pick up call to my new favourite taxi driver peter
- 18 degree weather at 11:00pm and the end of the rainy season

revisiting elements of my past whilst in the uk made me think about my future. i am not as sure as i was a few weeks ago what that entails. gotta either get back to living in the moment or making plans. i have mastered both at different times in my life, i suppose it really just depends on where i feel most comfortable now.

but i am done in neither england nor kenya, those are certainties.

butterflies

i am excited. i am heading to the airport tonight to catch my overnight flight to london and then to meet my parents at the airport tomorrow morning. i don't remember being this excited to travel in a long time, which is strange considering the places i have had the opportunity to visit recently.

it is strange, i also feel like i might miss something happening in nairobi in a week. i guess that is what you get for still being new in town. but i feel as though i will appreciate all that the english have to offer in my whirlwind trip of the country. and it will be so great to see my grad school friends from all over the world and to spend some family time since i will miss christmas in calgary this year.

and to drink yummy tea.

and to eat fish and chips and/or roast beast.

and to shop with my ma in london.

and to visit my bitty nana.

and to see the peak district again.

and to eat some greasy indian curries.

and to see kevin spacey on stage.

and to get a little christmas cheer.

and maybe, just maybe, to see tony blair and/or hugh grant at heathrow just like in love actually.

oh, and to graduate!

expats in the face of danger

(october 21, 2006)

i arrived in jomo kenyatta international airport rather exhausted from having been sat between a rather large irish catholic missionary and permanent resident of kenya and the daughter of a dutch diplomat returning home to dar es salaam (i learned this from being nosy as she filled out her visa application form), which did not allow for much meaningful sleep. normally, i pride myself on my ability to sleep in confined areas and to be sleeping before a plan takes off, but not this time. with a stroke of luck, i began getting sleepy about ¾ of the way through the da vinci code so i turned it off and tried not to touch the man who was by this point spilling over into my seat space as i closed my eyes and tried to prevent my head from falling every time i approached sleep sitting upright.

and this was after a small delay at heathrow where they were not sure that i was going to get a seat as they had oversold the flight and were trying to squeeze 11 people in while reassuring us left-overs that on average 20% of people do not show up for flights. now who can afford to be paying this kind of money for intercontinental flights and then not show up? i believe it was this little kink that was responsible for my trying seating arrangement. but more than the uncomfort of having someone in my space while i am trying to sleep (or watch the da vinci code – and by the way, what is with me sitting next to a catholic priest on a flight where i chose to bring the book to read and then this time next to a catholic missionary where i decide to watch that movie?), was the inconvenience and lack of duty free shopping time that this hiccup caused me. i had a serious shopping list to tackle whilst at heathrow that included a travel hair dryer with a uk plug and Birkenstocks for only £25. i am still without either. damned british airways.

a friendly driver from the organisation i am working with was there to greet me with my name (albeit missing a few Rs) on his sign negating my fears as i was terrified i would have to navigate the mean streets of africa’s most dangerous city alone at 7:30am on a national holiday. i must admit that it was quite nice being picked up rather officially in a range rover with the organisation’s logo on the side. before we headed into the city, i noticed that the areas surrounding nairobi look exactly like photos, flat with hills in the distance, everything a dry-looking yellow with baobob trees dotting the horizon. pretty amazing.

i came to the apartment of a co-worker’s flat (whom i have never met and who is away on vacation for the long weekend) and promptly slept for 7 hours. i woke up, and as it was getting dark, was terrified. of what, i don’t know, but enough people warned me about going outside after dark that i figured i was in just as much danger being inside. besides what sounded like a monsoon rain (although i suppose nairobi is much too high for the monsoons to reach us), a few fireworks nearby, and the guard dogs in the apartment complex periodically barking like mad, i survived my first night.

today, a rather nice belgian fellow from the office called me and asked if i wanted to come out with him to do some shopping, which i of course said yes to, because there is no possible way that any excuse to stay inside for fear of all that awaited outside the front door would fly as there was no way i could possibly have had any other plans. and, well, i did want to leave the house and was happy to have some company in doing so.

i learned today that the expat lifestyle is a good one. we had lunch at an american-run restaurant that served fantastic coffee and delicious guacamole, bought some cheap groceries and seasonal fruit that would make anyone’s mouth water at home, and returned to my new friend’s house, which is really more like a mansion. well, not quite, but it is located on a compound full of southern californian-like houses, jacaranda and bougainvillea trees, a swimming pool, a playground, a gym, and is chockablock full of diplomatic license plates on vehicles.

it was obvious after one day out and about in my neighbourhood that there are many different nationalities living and working together. i was even invited to a party in the complex by a neighbour who was trying to sell the idea on there being some italians and some americans in attendance, an invitation i politely declined as i need to read about what the hell my job is all about tonight and tomorrow before i start on monday. i did see the office today and i didn’t realise that it is actually a refugee processing site as well as the regional office. my office looks very workable and i have a lunch date for monday, which will hopefully take away all the awkwardness of having to find a place to sit amongst people who know one another. i have always hated lunch hours at new jobs.

wear socks

if i have to eat the cheese pizza on a trans-atlantic air canada flight one more time... but at least it was better than the chickpea curry!

i am home and calgary decided to welcome me here with english weather!! what is going on? i have been bragging about how warm and sunny my hometown has been while it has been grey and rainy in england and now i am eating my words.

so far, i have bought some lovely shoes to go with a dress named pheobe and had my toes taken care of at yet another vietnamese pedicure assembly line they call a nail shop. (here is some advice, when it is hot in london and you are taking the train to a job interview and you do not want to arrive hot and sweaty cause you've had to walk from the station, wear socks. even if you think that by not wearing socks you might actually be less hot and sweaty. even if the only socks you brought are thick, sports socks because you were not packing smart. wear them. because otherwise you cut your feet so badly in your black boots that you have to stop and buy socks!! and they will only come in packs of three and will cost far more than a pack of three socks should because you are in london paying for them in pounds, but you will have to buy them and go out on to the bridge over the river thames and put them on, looking a bit silly. it will also be at this time that you will look at your own feet, notice the open flesh and cringe at the damage you have done.)

for some reason, it is easier to come home when i know when i am leaving again and this time it will be mid-october and instead of going back to london, which was the original plan, i will be going to kenya! i have been offered a 6 month internship there and will be working with the international orgnization for migration's health and human trafficking programme in east africa. i am looking forward to going back to africa, seeing the eastern part of the continent, and actually working in the field that i have been studying for years! i have no idea what to expect at this point, but i do know that i need to make a doctor's appointment, get chest x-rays, have a TB test, book flights, get a visa, do some shopping, learn as much as i can about my new home and my new place of employment...

but first, my cousin's wedding and lots of laughter and fun country times!

fearless city pigeons

in the last year i have been to london 3 times. guess how many of those times a PIGEON FLEW INTO MY HEAD???

no, not just 1 time that would not be grounds for posting.

no, not 3, that would be a sign from the gods that i should not consider moving there.

yes, 2 times!! once in the back of the head and i swear a claw probably touched me. the other time was on tuesday when a wing touched my face. my face! a wing! of a dirty city pigeon.

a greek told me that it is supposed to be good luck. i think he was just trying to make me feel better while stifling laughter.

whistlestop tour of england

charlie in the driver's sear




a cold day in york
morecambe bay
the lake district
wobbly umbrellas at tower bridge staying at the penthouse of the crestfield hotel = hot water if you're lucky
ice cream at the docks in liverpool
half pints with my mom

dayrider - zones 1 & 2

i. am. exhausted.

one day in bedfordshire. three days in london. two days in liverpool.

the tower of london. the london eyeball. westminster abbey. buckingham palace. big ben. changing of the guard. st james park. fish and chips. pub food. pints of beer. dame judi dench on stage. leicester square. indian food. tower bridge. st paul's cathedral. thai food. rain. umbrellas. starbucks. the quest to find millennium bridge. mom's broken umbrella. trafalgar square. downing street. the cenotaph. phone booths. daffodils. crown jewels. bobbies. pigeons with no sense of direction scaring the crap out of me. beefeaters. the tube, the tube, and the tube some more. almost lost charlie at a tube station. harrods. harrods delicious sandwiches. portobello market. notting hill. my future house. public conveniences. piccadily circus. platform 9 3/4. cleopatra's needle. the savoy. sore feet. a wardrobe for a hotel room. seeded loaf from organic bakery to spice up the hotel breakfast. mini egg mcflurry (meh). pollution. dry, hacking cough. market food. pin-up girl hand bag.

i love the big city.

a visit in numbers

4: pieces of checked baggage my parents brought with them
1: bags filled with stuff for me
1: family sized bag of mini eggs
1/4: amount of the bag i have already eaten
7:00pm: time they managed to stay awake until on their first night here
1: roundabouts driven around the wrong way
2 or 3: serious concerns about driving into the curb on the left hand side of the rental car
4: pairs of shoes purchased
275: stairs climbed up to top of york minster
1: afternoon tea at betty's teahouse
3: cups of the best earl grey tea i have ever had consumed at betty's
1: hours before i had to visit the ladies room after 3 cups of the best earl grey tea ever



















1000's: sheep seen from side of the road
about 10: black lambs
1: sunday pub lunches
3/3: days with rain since my mom and charlie arrived
1100AD: the age of the oldest thing charlie could find in york
4500: words left for me to write on my papers
3: times my mom has had chocolate cake since arriving
3: times i have had a bite
4: cities we've been to in 3 days
countless: times we've talked about the rest of our family at home

big and not so stinky city

i love big cities. london is one of them. and i had a really nice weekend there. i think i heard more spanish being spoken than i have since i was in central america in the spring. my dad mentioned that there were a lot of non-native-born british people there and i really noticed it since i had been there last as well. i love it though, so dynamic and pluralistic. but there are some people who have quite a problem with this, and i saw and heard them too...

we went on the london eye, which i now call the eyeball because well, i love that word. i had a teensy weensy panic attack but had a little sit down and then i could enjoy the views of the city. i must say, not an entirely pretty city, but i still kept wondering what it would be like to live there. i am really curious to find out one day.

my birthday lasted an entire week and i think it has finally ended with a nice dinner with some of my flatmates last night. it was a gorgeous meal and really nice company. and it included a small surprise, which i love - an unexpected card and gift!

and it made me feel a lot less frustrated because yesterday and the day previous were quite trying in terms of my lectures. partly because i know i need to prepare more, partly because i didn't feel like i had learnt too much after leaving either of them and that i couldn't have done much to improve the quality of the lecture or the absence of any meaningful discussion. but i am hoping that that will improve in the coming week. or at least i am keeping my fingers crossed.

inappropriate behaviour

when i first arrived and had all of my money in a money order drawn on canadian funds, the bank told me that it would take 6 weeks and cost money to get it into my account. rather stressful. so today when i went to deposit a money order from canada post, in british pounds, they told me it would take 6 weeks and cost money to get it into my account. i have had it with these silly rules and people who cannot seem to comprehend how frustrating this is. i was told perviously that it was because it was in canadian dollars that it would take so long. but now it is just that it is from canada that it will take so long.

my temper got the best of me and i ended up telling the teller that it was f*cking ridiculous and then i had to apologise before she would continue with my transaction. i realise that i shouldn't have sworn, but it was sort of funny that i had to apologise before she would continue. sort of like a stand off. well, i did cause that is obviously not appropriate.

apart from swearing at the bank teller, i have had quite a nice week. i spent my birthday attending a dissertation workshop, talking to my fam on the phone, and going out for sushi with a nice english boy. i love being out and about on my birthday, like you have secret that no one else knows. and yesterday i visited my auntie, cousin, nana, and second cousin whom i had never met before in liverpool. holy scouse accent on that guy!

last night we had a birthday pyjama party in our kitchen where we had cake and presents because it is my flatmate's birthday today and it was really nice just to sit and talk and not have to rush off to get anything done or attend a lecture. which should be the perfect preparation for our weekend in london. i am going to see the Lion King! i am SO excited about going to the theatre in london and just wander the streets of a big city.

here is something that has made me laugh a few times in the past couple days...there are expiration dates on EVERYTHING here. apparently my onions should not be eaten after november 25th! but they are onions and look fine to me. it is the proper storage of things that is important really, but all the food companies are so paranoid that you'll sue them and they'll make more money if you need to throw out your onions cause the label says they are too old to consume. yeah right. rage against the expiration date!

i love alberta beef

hugh was not waiting for me at the arrivals gate at heathrow... but it was ok because my mom and my sister were waiting in calgary with a big bouquet of flowers. and of course my favourite westjetter was working too, so that was nice to see some familiar faces among the sea of people when i touched down.

we went directly to my grandparents' house for christmas and it was almost as magical as when we were young, i think it had something to do with having kids around and a full house. my favourite part was everyone eating at a long table, sitting my noisy cousins and uncle at one end and managing to pass brussel sprouts and jelly salads to everyone. it was really great and so nice to feel as though this family, with all its idiosyncrasies and loudness, is mine.

i had alberta beef today for lunch. an albertan girl who doesn't like meat always seems to have space for a little alberta beef.

love actually... is... all around

uh-oh, i watched love actually AND i will be flying through heathrow at christmastime, i now have high expectations for the arrivals gate!

this time, the story of the sister with her brother with mental illness really got to me. everytime a different story seems to resonate more than the others; perhaps that is the beauty of the movie.

i also burnt my tongue on tea today and now i fear that i will have that burnt tongue feeling all day tomorrow.

my uk christmas shopping is almost done and i am feeling rather good about that. nice to get SOMETHING near completion even if it is not a paper for school. i tell you, this online shopping is so damn convenient. although it doesn't allow me to fluff clothes out to take a better look for size, fabric, quality. those fluffers used to drive me nuts when i worked at the gap because you would have to follow them around the store, refolding everything that they fluffed. but it really is a necessary evil, especially when shopping for gifts.

three of my shopping pet peeves are:

• putting my receipt in the bag without asking me first if i want it (i always want it)
• giving me change back with the coins ON TOP of the bills (this is convenient for no one, why do they do it?)
• when i have to go and find someone to let me into a fitting room to try something on