San Fran pics

ALCATRAZ!!!!!

The hallway of cells...soo eeerie!!!

FULL HOUSE!!! a.k.a. the 7 painted ladies...

arm wrestling a maching...i obviously lost.

SAN FRAN CISCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

whats that song again!?!? hahaha love it

this city is beautiful...too bad i can't enjoy it because my special papa bear isn't here...but i'm making the most of it with Beniffer! although i am the 3rd wheel..it only feels like that 80% of the time..hahaha whatever...Ben is hilarious when he is drunk...(we just got back from the club and we were pretty drunk....well..Ben and I are...he is now snoooooring...lol)

we've been to alcatraz! *freaking earieeeee!!!* and took a red bus open top double decker tour bus around the city...did some shopping at Macy's....walked around the biggest China town in the US...went to a bar...went to a club...annddddd had some clam chowder!!!

its been pretty cool here...oh! and i was on the cable car!...hanging from the side...AND we saw where 'FULL HOUSE\ lived!!! uncle Jesse and everybody!!!

we went over the golden gate bridge and almost blew over it was soo windy!!!
Beniffer were taking couple pictures and that when i was missing you the most...

this city has alot of character...i like it. TONS of spanish ppl!! all their signs are in english and spanish! and George Lopez is HUGE here!! hahaha

i'll up load pics at a later date :D too much corona in me right now...

coming home in about 20 hrs!!! an't wait!!! definately ready to come back to *you!!!!

call me as of saturday if you are free!!! i shall be ready to catch up with you all...can't believe summer is almost over!!!

San Francisco!!!!

Tomorrow I part with the beautiful province of my birth :(
I will be at the airport for 630am. Right now I have a friend that I met at camp..Ana. She is from Spain. She stayed over here last night and tonight. She leaves for Quebec tomorrow as well, so we'll be going together to the airport and thats where i'll meet up with Jen and Ben...Bennifer as I like to call them...behind their back..hahahaha.

anyways...i shall give you the San Fran update whenever I get net access..may not be until I get back to Toronto FRIDAY!!!!!

i wanna go home! but i wanna see San Fran....

misss u guys

XOXO

Denman Island/ Hornby Island

The Cabin...2 rooms, kitchen/living room/dining room (one open space), loft area..sleeps 4 comfortably on the floor...

This was friday night...beautiful sunset from the front yard...

Denman Island is where the cabin is...it is also where Goldie Hawn is!!!!!!!!!!! apparently...her Cottage/Cabin was 2 houses down...i didn't see her...but I left her a little note saying that I love her daughter and she's kinda cool i guess...LOL

We basically just chilled out..watched the beautiful sunset and saw the meteor shower!! I saw 20 shooting stars!!! amazing! i had never seen anything like it! sooo cool! I made the same wish 20 times...i hope it comes true :)

Saturday we headed to Hornby Island. It is a place that is stuck in the 70s. seriously. tie die shirts/hippy dresses/ artists making their own crap and selling it under umbrellas/ no pop, just natural stuff, men with long beards/ woman with no bras..LOL...a very hippy-ish feel on this island. Fun to visit...but i could never stay there for more than a day.

We went to the beach..swam in the ocean and headed back to Denman for dinner. A very relaxing weekend (but diiiirty cuz there's no running water in the cabin!)....Sunday morning we got up early and took the ferry back to Vancouver Island.

Overall, a wonderful trip on Vancouver Island from Tofino to Nanaimo...across the island...we saw beautiful sights and had great adventures...and still...i have not seen nearly a third of the Island's beauty....I must come back...next time ...with *you*

This was the beach on Hornby Island...perfect weather...i was in the sun for 2 hrs and didn't feel hot at all...didn't even get sun burnt...ofcouse...because i wore sunscreen :)
I forgot to mention...i went on a skiidooo...or seadoo...i dunno what its called..but it was FAST! holy smokes! I was hanging on for dear life...it felt like every turn we could flip over..or if i fell off i'd die cuz i'd bounce off the water so hard! ridiculous...soo much fun!!

Sunset #2. saturday august 14th, 2010

Wild Play!

So Thursday night I was back in Victoria...Jen-less...after a great time roadtripping around Vancouver Island....

I was finally able to take a shower and sleep in a bed for a night.

Friday morning we headed out..back north...to the Cabin I was telling you guys about. But first....

WILD PLAY!!

This is me zip linning...from one tree to the next...its like an obstacle course..60 ft in the air...

That me there stepping on wood planks....you are harnessed in..so there is no danger in falling to your death..its just challenging to keep your balance.....

lets just say...that was friday...it is not monday..and i'm still sore!!!

Beautiful British Columbia 2

Our campsite in Tofino!!! LOL...on the front lawn of the park office. thats all we could find...50 bucks later...our other option was set up in an RV park..lol...brutal..and the weather was shitty..and the next day we woke up to rain! and to make it worse...we had left our shoes outside of the tent!!! LOL...we packed up and got the hell outta Tofino...unfortunately...not the best time we had...but we could tell it had potential! lol

A view of downtown Victoria from the north shore (5 min from my aunts house). Imagine living in that house on the right? the view...whoa...over a mil for that place for sure...

Tofino..took us a while to find this restaurant...but it was worth it. delicious..and the view was priceless. The sun did peed through a little..but you could see the clouds were still very low...and it just got worse after this...

This is Coombs...on our way to Tofino. It is known for goats on the roof. you tube it. sooo bizzare. The grass has grown on the roofs and the goats live there...don't ask me any more questions..thats all i know..hahaha

This was just by our campsite on Newcastle island. the tide was low...so you see all that sand behind us. When we returned that night...the tide was high and it was all full of water...craazzy

Beautiful British Columbia

On our way to Tofino...this was on the side of the road...we couldn't help but stop and enjoy!

This is the sand sculpture competition in Parksville...freaking amazing! This was my favorite...there is a tear coming down her right cheek..the detail was incredible...

This was our campsite on the native untouched island of Newcastle..just off of Nanaimo..the clearing you see is the ocean...amazing..

the land to the left is Nanaimo...the land to the right is Newcastle Island...the ferry was tiny..the size of 2 cars maybe...took less than 10 min to get across...

Vancouver Island

this is going to be quick and brief...don't have alot of time

Jen and I took a bus/ferry/bus from Vancouver to Victoria Monday August 9th

Tia Lupy picked us up with our backpacks, a tent and sleeping bags. We were ready to rough it out for a couple days!
We left tues morning in Tia Lupys car..headed to Nanaimo..about 1 hr north on the island.
They call it the Harbour City. Absolutely beautiful.
We had fish and chips...fresh from the sea on a restaurant that was on a dock. First thing first was finding where we were going to sleep that night.
So we saw a sign for camping...on an island. Thats where we ended up. Newcastle Island...just a 10 min. ferry from Nanaimo. We lugged our stuff over, pitched our tent..which was right by the water...freaking amazing.

That day we drove up to Parksville (sand castle competition/beautiful beach) and Qualiqum Beach which was also pretty spectacular. We had some delicious icecream..grabbed some timmys on the go and by 9pm we were back on our island because that was the last ferry we had to catch or we would have had to swim to our camp site!

This week there was supposed to be a meteor shower..so we looked for some shooting stars..didn't see any...jen said she saw 4...i dunno about that..ahahha
The sun set was beautiful...and very quickly it got cold. So as we are in our tent we just herd the weirdest noises...jen was freaked out by a family of golden fat ass racoons...and we also saw black tailed deer and a bald eagle that we thought might eat us (if it was really hungry..according to Steven)

Wednesday: woke up early..packed up..but we had to wait for the ferry...so by about 10am..1030ish..we were on our way to TOFINO!!! we were so excited!!

on our way...we stopped at Coombs (goats on the roof..see picture in next blog), Cathedral Park (the tallest/oldest trees in Canada), and Port Alberni (gas station..woohoo!)
We got to Long Beach (just south of Tofino..and it was as if we had entered another world..the sky all of a sudden turned grey...the clouds were low..and when we got out of the car it was freezing!!!
Needless to say...I was very dissapointed in our Tofino/Long Beach experience :(
We didn't get to surf..we didn't even go in the water...no sun tanning...nothing

which only means one thing....we shall return!!!

lodging was a probblem in Tofino...long story short..we ended up on a front lawn of a park office..HAHAHHAA Jen an I died of laughter...from a native untouched island to a front lawn camping...ridiculous...

thurs we woke up on the front lawn ...wet...very wet...the sky was still grey..the rain was coming down...we got the hell outta there as quick as possible...

I was back in Victoria by 5pm thursday. Jen took the ferry back to Van from NAnaimo...

no i'm at Tia Lupy's...and we are heading in 5 min back North...to an island where Bill's family has a cabin...no showers, no running water..totally secluded..can't wait!

pictures of all this to come....

XOXO

Me Myself and I

Have you ever sat in a restaurant and had a meal by yourself?
It was one of those things I was always kinda curious how it'd feel...

it was great! :)

I spent the day by myself and it was awesome.

Tia Ana took me in the morning to Fort Langley (the birth place of BC!) we went to the museum and walked around a bit. We stopped by a mall quickly and then she dropped me off at the subway(skytrain) station (King George).

I walked and walked all over downtown Vancouver. Chinatown, Robson St. I even walked through the gay district. And I almost walked through cracktown (East Hastings/Main) ..by mistake...but I saw the intersection coming up and I turned right back around..lol

I went to the beach for a bit and sat by the shore in the sun....

overall..a great day...didn't spend any money except on food :)

I heart Vancouver

This was as we were walking away from Yaletown...looked like alot of fun. Golf/hockey/biking

Those buildings there are part of the Olympic Village..where the athletes stayed in Feb. 2010

i heart Yaletown

its full of patios, lounges, restaurants, hip ppl

The view just after we got off the seabus in North Van

1130am- tia ana calls. I'm sleeping in tia shoffy's king size bed w/ her. They're going out on the town all day..a bit of a walking tour. Taking the skytrain and sea bus and so on...I really want to go.

12pm. i've rushed back to tia ana's, showered, brushed teeth, had breakfast and ready to go. am I awesome or what?

We leave around 1220pm

Hopped on the sky train..took the sea bus (a subway cart type ferry) to North Vancouver to this market that had little shops like Grandville island market. Very cool.

We went back and stopped downtown Van and walked around ALOT! good thing I was wearing my birkinstocks...those things are amazing to walk in all day.

for dinner we went to eat Indian. Linda I thought of you...good stuff...it was a buffet...needless to say I definately ate too much...so much that I didn't even have dessert!!! blasphamy!

Seattle Pics

Sleepless in Seattle

Saturday morning July 31st. Tia shoffy picked me up with Carla. We were off to Seattle. The plan was to stop by the outlets, do some shopping and get to Seattle with good time to sight see and walk the streets, eat some seafood and enjoy the city.

Here is what happened. It usually takes 2hrs to get to Seattle. It took us 11hr. LOL

710am- leave house

730am- arrive at boarder but there is already a line bc it doesn't open till 8 (small border)

825 cross the border

930 stop for breakfast near 1st set of outlets. (lululemon! gap. Tommy, nine west, COACH) We eat and shop. leave around 1230

110, stop at next set of outlets. i can't even name them there was like 50. We shopped til about 5pm. hahaha I have never bought so much in one day at so many different stores.

Carla wanted to go to Ross, (like a Winners) which was down the street so we went there till about 630. I went to Kohl's which was beside Ross's (got some jewlery)

Finally around 710pm...we arrived in Seattle.

We drove by a music festival and then came across a parade that was about to begin. So we parked and started walking. we saw the beginning of the parade. This was all downtown..right by the Space Needle (that tower from the movie Sleepless...) We were STARVING! so we walked away from the parade and asked several ppl about good seafood restaurants. We finally just got fed up and walked into the first one that had seafood on their menu. Turns out it was phenomenal. Expensive, but exquisite!

By this point it was 930pm, we walk out of the restaurant and head back to the car. Lo and behold! the parade is still going on! and it was soo exciting! the floats! the music! awesome! We couldn't have planned it better!

We left Seattle at 11pm..this time it took us 2 hrs to get back home...plus the quick bathroom break and traffic at the boarder. We got home at 2am. Exhausted, but happy :)

What a good day :) so much accomplished :)

*wish you were here*

Las week of Camp- Week 4

Week 4 was actually quite boring. Since Jen and I knew we were OUT on friday out heart wasn't in anything. We were just sick of it now and wanted to go home. Friday was taking too long to come.

I still enjoyed my kayaking job, I went 3 times to the lake and twice I jumped in to the lake from my kayak and swam around in the middle with the kids. We jumped off the dock..it was loads of fun. The weather has been beautiful, clear blue skies and sunny as can be!

Monday excursion was to 2nd beach, as a lifeguard I just sat in fron of the water and tanned..lol
the water was freezing (pacific ocean) and the sand was not sand...more like pebbles and green gross stuff and seaweed. ewww. but there I was just staring out into the water. There were 3 other guards that were part of the beach, one was out on a lil row boat, so I wasn't too worried. Plus, I had tested all the kids..and they all knew how to swim.

Thursday's excusion was to Grousse Mountain. However, I was sent to Victoria with 30 kids and 2 other counselors..and 2 group leaders (adults that come with the kids as chaperons) So we had a lovely day. It was relaxing, stress free and quite enjoyable. We went to the museum, walked down ' Government Rd' met all the kids at a mall, had dinner at Mcd's and hoped back on the bus. I was nippy this day. I didn't need another excuse to go shopping for a sweater! lol But I got a wicked deal. Its a lululemon type long sweater, good quality and everything for 35$$$

The best part of it all was the ferry..always soo beautiful..and on our way back we saw the sunset...*wish you were here*

Then Friday was my last day, the mexican girls were almost crying cuz I was leaving! they are soo cute...during dinner when I went over to their talbe to say buy they made a circle around me and starting jumping up and down chanting my name! it was quite the scene! LOL

Tio German picked me up again..this time w/ all my luggage.

News Flash

This just in. Sunday July 25th, at our 'morning hudle' we were told by Chantal, our director that she has been instructed to lay ppl off.

The number of kids registered for week 5 and 6 are not good..and shes gonna have to make a very tough decision because we are all soo amazing. "If there are any volunteers please come talk to me, it would make my life alot easier"
one guy..Benji..lol..speaks up right away..she's been having hell with the UAE kids..he's ready to go!
I look over at Jen and our eyes meet...we have one of those mental convos (like in how I met your mother) that says...this is awesome, we gotta talk, meet me at my room after this stupid meeting is over" lol

Fast forward to today: Jen and I volunteered ourselves. No hard feelings, no questions asked but we did explain we just wanted more time with our family and friends that live out here and that we'd actually enjoy our time off. Other ppl working here have come with nothing and if they were to get laid off they wouldn't have a place to stay and their economical situation was not the best. Most of everybody is still in Uni or college.

pros of finishing work: sleep in, eat proper food, visit family, see more of the vancouver area with family, relax, enjoy my vacation from my actual job, shop!, not have to be treated like i'm 21 working a very badly payed job for the hours and work and my qualifications.

cons: i don't make the $700 in the last 2 weeks.

I think I made the right decision. Rather, I KNOW I made the right decision

My degree of happiness since friday July 30th (last day of work) has gone up by 100x

NOW i'm on vacation
NOW i get to relax and travel and see at my own pace
NOW i get to do what i want
NOW i am 100% happy ( minus the % because you're not here w/ me ;)

Welcome Wild Wild West

1st pic is obviously the hirushiku girls..peace signs all over the place!

Sat. July 24th was disco night again. As you can see the theme was 'cowboy'. I knew from before I came here but all I brought was my cowboy hat. Other counselors had plaid shirts..shierif badges. whatever.

Anyways, this disco at least for me wasn't as fun, the novelty had worn off. Also, the japanese are alot more reserved..by nature. They don't dance too much. I've come to learn they love Avril Lavigne while they have no idea who rhianna is.hahah..some of them. obviously others are much more western-ized.

this is the end of the 3rd week..getting physically tired from such long days..and mentally tired of trying to speak english and not being understood.

the bread n' butta of Canada

Grandville island.

we took a water taxi to this island. soo picturesque.. we saw a bride taking wedding pictures, there are cruises that run out of this island..dinner and dance on a fancy boat. It seemed like a very 'date-ish' place to go to ..on a date obviously. *miss you*

There is this market where they ppl have their little booth type places and sell very interesting things...quite expensive tho. the food looked delicious it was all very fresh.

they also had the most beautiful orchids i've seen....loooved it!

It was so relaxing to just walk around, the weather cleared up by now...blue skies..bright sunshine. Perfect weather...not hot..not cold..not humid...perfect. Its soo calming..you can't help but be happy here...honestly, I'm just missing one thing.... ;)

it doesn't feel like Canada

the Grind!!!

So I had my 36hrs off from Wed at 7 to this morning at 7am.

Tio German picked me up at SFU again.

The night was quiet, had a great dinner again and just hung out with the family. There was more family this time. Tio German's brothers from Montreal are visiting for the next two weeks with their family so its 11 of us now living in the one house....and there is still room for more!

Yesterday we all got up early and headed in 3 cars to GROUSE MOUNTAIN! We were going to hike up this mountain that is 2.9 km high at a 70 degree angle the whole way...it was reDONculous!

It took me exactly 1.5 hrs to finish. it was soo high, when I got to the top we were in the clouds...it was a cloudy day

my CN tower climb seemed like a piece of cake after climbing for 1.5 hrs straight!!

at the top it was very cold! we we quickly walked around and took a wicked gondola ride down which was a total of 7.5 minutes...ha!