| Westbank, BC |
[Nov. 14th, 2009|09:22 am] |
I've settled in a town called Westbank in British Columbia in Canada. Its quite nice, the place is as big as Albany in Auckland and better yet, I live one block from the main street, three blocks from the shopping centres (yes, that was pluralised), and where I live is a farmlet with an orchard outside my doorstep. I love it here.
I have an open plan self contained cottage which I think is fantastic! Some people insist on having more rooms, but whats wrong with doing it all in the same room? Well, except for the bathroom - thats a separate room! haha
So far since i've been here I have taken on some chores (so that my accomodation is free) including looking after the chickens, collecting their eggs and washing them then boxing them. Painting the ceiling in my cottage, reupholstering Alisen's couches (the lady who owns the place and lives here too) and miscellaneous other things. I've also taken a bus to Kelowna, the nearest city, and managed to get away with using one transfer ticket to go there and back! Bonus!!!
I've also volunteered for the telemark club and have been helping them do passes and will go on monday again to help.
I had a nice sleep in today, well, thats kind of a fib, I woke up at 5am *ahem* and stayed awake for an hour and then slept for an hour, then woke again and read in bed until 8.45am. So for me it was a lie in as I didnt get out of bed at 7am like I normally do.
Have I mentioned that I really like it here? As Alisen's mother is away on tour, i'm allowed to go to Sheilas house and use the internet whenever I want, and as i'm no longer addicted to it :p (miriam!) it doesnt bother me at all that I dont have it in my cottage. Besides the fact that I dont have a laptop anyway!
My neighbour is in the RCMP (Police) and is quite cute. Haha. There I said it. Yep. I've been checking out the neighbour. hahahahaha.
Well, I did meet him on Thursday and that same day he then made me lunch and we ate together. *ahem* *blush* lol
Anyway, I'm going to go back to my little cottage and play with my fimo, make beads and stuff so that I have enough to back in the oven.
Peace out!
Oh, did I mention that life is extremely good, it snowed here yesterday and some of the ski fields open today?!?!?1 |
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| Auckland to Brisbane |
[Oct. 30th, 2009|08:01 am] |
I've successfully made it to Brisbane and even arrived 20 minutes early due to good weather! Haha. So I now have three hours to kick around the Brisbane airport... weehaa!
House of Shem were on the same plane as me which was kinda cool. Even if i'm not a gigantic fan... |
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| Auckland |
[Oct. 29th, 2009|01:00 pm] |
Sitting in the Remuera library, have sorted out my finances, and got a travellers card as well as US cash including ONE dollar bills... how quaint. I'm so terribly excited, nervous, terrified, delighted... gah! The whole range of emotions really. And now to have my passport photo taken for my canadian working visa to be done.
Also, I purchased a blackberry online brandnew for $130 NZD - how stoked am I? |
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| Its always an update! |
[Oct. 25th, 2009|09:38 am] |
So according to LJ its been 7 weeks since i've updated my journal... tsk tsk!
I've skiied 39 days so far this season and i'm aiming for 40 - was originally 50 but I have been sick for about three weeks in total this season and have outright refused to get on the snow if i've been sick.
I'm off on my first official OE this coming Friday with my first stop in the HUGE Los Angeles, and then onwards along the coast to Vancouver, stopping wherever I want to... i've pretty much decided that i'm going to travel by train at night to kill two birds with one stone... 1) travel to the next destination and 2) somewhere to sleep!
Haha.
I'm coming back to Natty P again next season so that small part of me that ACTUALLY craves stability is partially soothed by this.
I've been a lot happier lately as I think i've finally grown into being me... i'm not so worried although time about what i'm going to do, who i'm going to be, what others think about who I am etc, and to be honest it's kind of a relief.
Well, I should be working at the moment ordering next seasons stock for the store, so although it is tough work, it is still pretty awesome.
Watch this space - I promise to update when I hit LAX! |
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| Me |
[Aug. 30th, 2009|10:13 pm] |
So I noticed (upon looking through my DA gallery) that I really have stopped reflecting on the world around me and have spent a lot of time looking at whats happening inside me - well, in my head as opposed to ignoring it and then just letting mini-crisis attack me.
Must get my camera out and take more photos of whats around me so that when im old and grey, or even just young and senile - i'll have someone point out things to me!
Also. Theres this guy I like. Not that anything can come of it, as im going to Canada. But still. I like him. :P |
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| Some days are longer than a week |
[Aug. 23rd, 2009|09:48 pm] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Lunascape - Shimmering Sun | ] |
Lets start with the good things and LJ-Cut the other things...
I love skiing, but dont like snowboarding. I love my new bachelor(ette) pad (i'm sure ive said this in the last three entries - oh well!)
Friends have been and visited, even skiied with me - life is relatively good.
( Other things ) |
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| Boys |
[Aug. 15th, 2009|01:26 am] |
So im not doing very well at NOT obsessing over guys - when I say guys I mean, one guy at a time.
Thou shalt not commit internet stalkery
Thou shalt refrain from texting thees friends in the hopes of hearing about them
the list goes on.
Anyway. Back to playing games on the internet with the current, ermm... object of my attention. |
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| Dancing and flatmates |
[Aug. 14th, 2009|02:58 am] |
So we went out dancing tonight which was a lot of fun, but I think my flatmate broke my puppy dog :( lol. By that I mean one of my recent toy boys - she flirted with him and then he thought it was all good, and it really wasnt... poor thing.
Im sure i'll say it a lot in the next few entries or so, but I really do like my new house and I really do like my new flatmate. Shes cool, awesome and we get along well. Our bosses were worried as we both talk alot and are similar personalities that we might clash, but the only thing I could see us doing which would be a little bad would be to storm into our rooms, slam the door, then come out again and tell each other how pissed off we are and why and how much the other person sucks because of it.
Anyway. Still feel bad about the puppy dog even though that was like more than an hour ago now. :( I even considered taking pity on him and inviting him home with me... oh well. |
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| Just an update |
[Aug. 12th, 2009|09:37 am] |
So i've been skiing a few more days since I last wrote, and would have to say that I'm definitely getting better, and i'm going up again today. I wonder how many ANDS I can fit in here? Hahahaha.
Anyway.
I have moved into my new house which I love, and have a new flatmate, which I too, love! Vicky is seriously awesome, even if she is only 17 :P haha - yeah, get sulky about it if you want, but I will be 10 years older than you Vicky in one month, so give an old lady a break.
My new place even has a spare room which we will use a lot - well, if we wash all of the manky smelling blankets and air it out, then put a heater in there!!!
I love my new room, it has TWO wardrobes. Like, talk about overkill! hahaha.
Well, as i'm currently skiving after checking and replying to work emails, I had better get back to it, as i'm actually doing useful stuff and waxing skis today - who would have thought that I would voluntarily enter the workshop?? Oh well.
Luv ya and leave ya...
in the words of Gossip Girl..
X O X O |
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| Maturity and wisdom |
[Aug. 5th, 2009|09:00 am] |
I honestly thought that by the time I reached this age that I would have my life all sorted out and be all grown up. Actually if i'm brutally honest I thought i'd be a boring housewife with 2 children, and a mortgage.
Instead i'm working a low-paying (fun) job, and partying/skiing in the rest of the hours left to be awake.
It's been an interesting 12 months for me - what with being single and all. Its been quite lonely at times - without that special someone to share your every and any waking thought, nodoby to snuggle next to when its cold or the big, bad world feels like its breathing down your neck and you need somewhere to hide, and nobody who is instantly your "+1" to any events.
However... on the other hand... it has been really quite freeing to not have someone I have to talk to about any decisions I make, also not having to share the bed - I can sleep on either side and not get rolled back on to "my side".
I think if I was to have a personal developmental goal for the next year it would be to "not become so interested (obsessed) with things (guys)"
Haha. Anyway. Hoping to ski today and then finish work early. |
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| Journal time! |
[Jul. 26th, 2009|07:46 pm] |
Dear Jake,
Haha. Its been awhile since i've written a "Dear Jake" entry.
Anyway.
So I had a great day on the mountain today - admittedly there could have been a few things that could have made it better, eg, I could have had my edges sharpened this morning so that when I tried to use my edges on the mountain they would have actually cut into the ice underneath the snow... but then again, it was a gorgeously blue sky day all day, so its not really worth feeling cranky about.
I did a run today with one of the Snow School Supervisors so that he could see whether i'd be wasting my time enrolling in the Level 1 Ski Instructors Course next month, and well, in my words he said that I dont absolutely suck, but need to work on my technique. I think part of it was that he made a comment about my skiing and then he did a couple of turns, and then watched me, and I made a great effort to correct what he had pointed out and he was suitably impressed (well, he gave that impression!)
And based on that, in two weeks time im going to book myself in to the instructing course which is four days long and costs $500 (or so).
I'm also going to sell my car soon-ish, as I dont really need one - can catch a ride from my mates into town and up the mountain - every one loves someone who pitches in with petrol money!!!
...
There's this guy... He's kinda cute, but kinda young looking, okay, he IS young (not TOO young though!). Nothing much may come of it - well, anything more than whats happened - (a couple of sleepovers).
Sometimes I dont get this boy/girl stuff. Whatever.
Got to head home and tell my flatmate im moving out in two weeks time, and cook myself some dinner, as I havent eaten at home in about a week. Maybe even sort through some of my crap and throw it out! |
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| Things |
[Jul. 13th, 2009|02:32 pm] |
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I woke up last night and went to move my leg only to get cramp in the calf. So I stretch that one and rub it, and once it fades I move the other leg and give myself cramp in that one too!!
Last week I worked 72 hours, possibly because I have yet to have a day off in the last 9 days, and instead have been doing a lot of split shifts, and also if i'm on a full day, I often can't really leave at 6pm like I should, and am instead at work until 7.30pm (30 mins AFTER we close). Haha. The only problem with working that much is that it throws me into an insane tax bracket - Oh well, guess I'll just have to claim it back at the end of the financial year.
I've been going out drinking a lot, which is thoroughly entertaining - when I say drinking, I mean a few drinks, not absolutely blotto!
Anyway. I'm having a great time, and absolutely loving being back here!!! |
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| Entertainment |
[Jul. 2nd, 2009|07:02 am] |
I went skiing again! Haha. I promise not to write an entry every time that happens. But just so that you know... today will be Day 6!
Very entertaining website - http://textsfromlastnight.com/
My skiing has improved to no ends since I had my lesson two weeks ago - I actually ALMOST have enough technique to match up with my kamikaze crazy style of no-holds barred skiing!!! Once the rest of the mountain is opened on this side I'm going to get another lesson. |
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| Skiing |
[Jun. 28th, 2009|12:42 pm] |
I bought new boots this week, and took them up for a ride yesterday... They were excruciatingly painful for the first three runs, sore for the next three runs and then absolutely divine for the last run (I was only there for a few hours).
I really cant wait for all of the mountain to open and for it to really snow. Personally, i'm hoping for a blizzard this week to get a LOT of snow onto the mountain and so that more tracks can be opened, as at the moment there is only ONE trail down the Rockgarden and two trails down the Express (yet to open).
This year I am determined to do the Screamer at Whakapapa, so i'm going to have to be sneaky as and practice it whenever im not skiing with my workmate Jason. Haha. Well, not sneaky, but just get in some good attempts at it, and then I can be like, "TaDa" watch me disappear off this face - yeehaa!!! |
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| Euphoria |
[Jun. 25th, 2009|05:36 pm] |
I've got that feeling again from last season where you feel extremely amped up all the time.
We've had real rental customers in the shop today and I even sold $400 worth of stuff to another customer.
Life is good ;) |
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| Skiing |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|06:41 am] |
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I've been skiing for two days now, and I'm still as absolutely addicted as I was last year... except that *drum roll please* I had a lesson the other day!!!
It was incredibly worth the money that I spent and I've even had a chance to practice what I learned and found that it really does help.
I love skiing because I think its as close to feeling like flying without actually taking your feet off the ground - haha. This year I am determined to get good enough to do the double-black runs without being scared out of my pants! I've done black runs, and really, well, its not that scary, you just have to let your heart leap into your mouth and do it anyway!
So... Ermm, well. There's this guy. And I like him, and well, he likes me back! I think it will just be some winter fun, but, still. Its good. I'm teaching him how to ski tomorrow - of course assuming we're still on for it. He normally snowboards, so i've been thinking really hard on how to teach him so that he only has good habits... and one thing I know from all of my skiing friends is that the "snow plough" is the worst thing to teach anyone first and to teach them how to sideways stop, so i'm going to try my best to do that.
Anyway. |
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| Lol |
[Jun. 19th, 2009|07:58 am] |
YOU'RE ON MY FRIENDS LIST. I want to know 28 things about you. I don't care if we've never talked, never really clicked, or if we already know everything about each other. You are obviously on my f-list, so let me know with whom I'm friends with!
1. Your Name:
2. Age:
3. Single, Taken or Other:
4. Favourite Film:
5. Favourite Song or Album:
6. Favourite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
9. Do we know each other outside of LJ?
10. What's your philosophy on life?
11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty?
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest? 13. What is your favourite memory of us?
14. What is your favourite guilty pleasure?
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace etc' malarkey) - what are they?
17. Can we get together and make a cake?
18. Which country is your spiritual home?
19. What is your big weakness?
20. Do you think I'm a good person?
21. What was your best/favourite subject at school?
22. Describe your accent:
23. If you could change anything about me, would you?
24. What do you wear to sleep?
25. Trousers or skirts?
26. Cigarettes or alcohol?
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? (If you have no idea, just say something crazy, it'll entertain me!)
28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you? |
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| Back in the park! |
[Jun. 9th, 2009|02:44 pm] |
Haha.
Okay, so I went from the South Island, finished up my trip, travelled up to the North Island, spent a week with my sister and family and have been working for the last three weeks at the ski shop again! Super Yay! I cant wait for the mountain to open. I'm living above the shop which makes for the almost the best commute i've had - well, I did work from my bedroom for a year or so, so it cant beat that, but its fairly close!
I've been sick for the last two weeks and am getting over the last of the cold, so keep your fingers crossed that it goes away ASAP so that I am SUPER healthy for the opening of the ski season! |
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| South Island trip |
[Apr. 23rd, 2009|11:58 am] |
*written in a notebook and then typed in here*
20th April - Christchurch, stayed with Evelyn, then left for the big trip!
- Arthurs Pass National Park.
I've taken my time and stopped wherever I've wanted to take photos or spend some time knitting.
I have had a small walk at the Castle Hill rocks which were pretty awesomely huge rocks. I had a 40 min walk at Cave Stream and was just disappointed that I didnt have the following:
- A high level of fitness
- Buddies to go spelunking with
- The right gear to do it with
I did however take photos of the entrack and the exit. It was quite awesome.
At 7pm I decided it was time to find somewhere to sleep as it was dark and I was tired!
21st April
I have spent the night at Greyneys public shelter and put myself to sleep with the thoughts of those poor Dutch (?) tourists who were attacked while camping - What a way to ensure a restful sleep!
I started the morning nice and slow by refusing to wake up properly until it was bright enough to read, then did so and knitted for awhike as well.
Note to self - East is in a completely different direction from what I thought it was in!
I decided that before I broke camp I would attempt to cook some food.
And I have. Woot.
With the help of a lighter, 6 tea light candles, a silver jewellery box and a horse shoe, I have cooked my own breakfast.
It actually heats so well that my food is hot enough to burn my mouth.
I dont think anyone could know how supremely impressed with myself and smug I feel at the moment.
- And here I was, thinking that I would have to buy an outdoor cooker and a pot, or stay at a backpackers to get a hot meal!
Stopped at Arthurs Pass Village for a hot chocolate and took some photos. Found an over bridge past Otira and a beautiful clear blue stream so decided to go and have a wash! Yep. In a freezing cold stream.
It wasnt freezing, but it did give new meaning to the word "Cold", and after all, im still here to write about it. I even washed my hair.
Good point about it being so cold - the sandflies that were biting me stopped after I started to freeze as they obviously couldnt smell my skin - before you comment on it, yes I used soap - a natural one though!
I'm now sitting near the overbridge to Deception Valley and with all the crassness of a tourist, i've hung my togs and towel on a fence line to dry and im going to sit here in the sun and knit until my hair dries!
More words later! I've made a huge effort to photograph the touristy things as well as what I deem "photographically acceptable" haha.
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| Fire service tests |
[Apr. 20th, 2009|09:04 am] |
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So I went, and I conquered the cognitive tests, but (as I thought) I wasnt fit/fast enough on the physical test to pass... oh well. I feel good that I did better than any of the other girls there! |
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amethysteria's journal
