What are you talking aboo Joooey?

Bonjour,


Props to a lifetime of American/Canadian television for the title..

I'm not so sure what exactly ive done over the last couple of weeks but it sure has been expensive!

The major news I have is that my original housing plans fell through.
Dale the Australian and I bummed around in a hostel for a week until
one day while watching the NBA finals on TV we got a call from Mike
The Canadian (the guy that was supposed to give us the place) saying
that he had had a family emergency and that we couldn't move into the
place anymore.

It was pretty irritating but at least we got our money back.

(Funny side story - we were staying with a German guy who "almost"
moved into the dorm. He moved ALL of his stuff into the draws, hung
his clothes up everywhere and washed his undies in the sink.. as James
the Pom we were sharing the dorm with said "That is f@$ing out of
order man". After he washed his dacks in the sink he hung them up in
front of a fan in the room!! Wheeeeeeeee0

After we got that bad bit of news we went back to the magic pole with
all the housing ads on it and decided it would be a gizilion times
easier if we just moved into seperate places (there were heaps more
ads for roommates than 2 person apartments). I took a look at a few
ads and found one that was furnished, had month to month rent (so no
long lease), free cable TV, free internet, a good location and cheap
rent (and a gym, so look out fat, here comes fun). I gave the number a
call and met the guy that owns the place - Fred the Canadian and
walla, I had found a place to live.

I am living with Fred the Canadian, Monica the Mexican (Fred the
Canadian's girlfriend), Matt the Australian (From Melbourne - he plays
basketball and is roughly my age so that has been pretty cool) and
Alex the German. They are all great people, Alex is German though, but
from Beveria, so he has a healthy respect for chocolate cake.

Since I have been here I have seen a bit more of the city. I went on a
shopping expedition to a place called "Metrotown". It is consumerism
at its best. It is a giant mall. At first I was totally underwealmed
by it (it didn't look THAT big), but then I was totally overwealmed.
It was huge. I bought nothing. Take that.

We managed to catch all the state of origin games, have seen the
insides of more bars, licensed resturants and nightclubs than I care
to remember but it has been a total blast. The people I have met have
all been great.. well not all, but most.

It was Canada day last Friday. It is basically like Australia day
except that people don't go to the pub, they go Canada Flag nuts.
Honestly, the Canadian's rival the Americans for nationalistic pride.
They love a good maple leaf, they even have one on the dirty golden
arch of Macdonalds. Matt the Australian-Roommate-Basketballer and I
walked down to Canada Square and saw some First-Nation (Native
American) dancing and singing, some Bike shows and a few other bits
and pieces. It was OK. We then went and collected Dale and the 3 of us
went to Hons. Wow, thats so exciting Cameron. Move on..

Anyways.. we celebrated Canada Day by going to a place called the Roxy
and drinking copius amounts of Canadian beer.

The next day Dale the Australian and I hopped onto a bus and went down
across the border to Seattle. We had a great time and met a great
bunch of people at the hostel. It was also a great cultural
experience, seeing the African American people (which you don't see
much of in Vancouver). I have alot of funny photos.

I saw a baseball game up close - live (almost). The most exciting part
of the game is when the baseball is hit up into the stands... for that
brief instance you fear for your life.. well maybe your nose at least,
and its ability to stand up to a direct hit from a baseball. It was a
unique experience (Unique to a nieve Aussie like me..) but not one
that I care to repeat anytime soon. I am still pretty keen to go and
see a few of the other American sports like Ice Hockey, NFL and an NBA
game though. While in Seattle we also went to the Rock Museum, the
space needle (seattles version of Centrepoint) and a pub called
Cowgirls Inc. (think Coyote Ugly and gorgeous women dancing on the
bar..) ...woah.

On the 4th of July (US Independence Day) we were also around to
experience the fireworks. If there is one thing I love it is when a
good fireworks show finishes. Yep.

We got back into Vancouver and I am currently in a 3 day detox stretch
(im pretty sure my hands ARENT supposed to shake). Our next plan is
possibly hire a car (Our = Matt the Aussie, Dale the other Aussie,
Alex the Chocolate Cake loving German and Keiran a pom friend of
Matts) and drive across to the Calgary stampede (Rodeos and Cowboy
hats) stay with Barrett the Canadian (that we met in Seattle) and Marc
the Crazy Dutchman (travelling with Barrett.. also met in Seattle) for
a few days, then go to a place called Merritt for a country music
festival and stop off in the Okanagan Valley (which is famous for wine
and looking nice) and then come back to Vancouver. The trip will start
on Friday if it goes ahead and I will come back on Wednesday. After
that Im planning on catching a couple of ferry's up to Anchorage in
Alaska and be at one with Nature and Bears for a couple of days. I am
looking forward to that.