Reflections
Well, as everyone else on the blog seems to be reflecting on the year (already!) i might as well join you. Personally speaking I came here with few preconceptions. I hadn't done thorough research on Canada, I knew little of the people, what i'd be doing or even why. I wasn't even sure i'd "stick it" the full year but very early on I knew I would.
The most important thing about any place you visit for an extended period of time is the people. In meeting a gang of British at the airport I think we all gave ourself a safety net that made the first month or two far easier and more enjoyable. The fact that we're still just as good friends 10 months on (except for a few notable exceptions, who we didn't really like anyway) means that im sure we'll all keep in touch. (Dublin 2007 anyone?) I didn't come here to make a bunch of British friends but I don't think that friendship wise the year could have worked out any better.
Thats not to say we haven't all met some canadian friends too. Ive made friends with a lot of people from work (at least the ones who understand my accent) and im sure i'll keep in contact with 4 or 5 people when I go home. Maybe I can even convince them to put me up for a week when i come back for a holiday (or possibly a more permanant stay!). When they asked me to organise some social events at work to improve staff morale I dont think they meant start dating another barista but that seems to have worked out pretty well too.
Last night we went for a walk to granville island along the sea front, I know we take Vancouver for granted sometimes but im sure we'll look back on little things like that and miss this place. There really is no comparison back home. Im not one of these people who hates home, im really looking forward to seeing the place and my family and friends back there. But there just isnt the scope to do things like there is in Vancouver (you Canucks don't know how lucky you are sometimes). Despite a run of broken toes (don't laugh) im in better shape than ive been in years and im having fun in the process. Doing stuff is fun.
We talked about snowmobiling last night too, that was excellent. And tofino, seattle, galiano island, grouse mountain, steveston, North Vancouver thrift store, Squamish Taco Bell, theres been so many trips, all excellent in there own way. Im glad ive managed to do so many things this year, the rail trip is still to come too, going to New York for 5 days itself is a holiday!
I guess this counts as a 10 month review, theres still 2 months left, one sixth of our time here and im sure we'll get up a a bunch of stuff before we're sedated and dragged onto the plane by the RCMP. I still don't know why I came here but its been one of the best choices I ever made. I think i've learned a lot about myself and about life in general, im no expert yet though.
Simon
The most important thing about any place you visit for an extended period of time is the people. In meeting a gang of British at the airport I think we all gave ourself a safety net that made the first month or two far easier and more enjoyable. The fact that we're still just as good friends 10 months on (except for a few notable exceptions, who we didn't really like anyway) means that im sure we'll all keep in touch. (Dublin 2007 anyone?) I didn't come here to make a bunch of British friends but I don't think that friendship wise the year could have worked out any better.
Thats not to say we haven't all met some canadian friends too. Ive made friends with a lot of people from work (at least the ones who understand my accent) and im sure i'll keep in contact with 4 or 5 people when I go home. Maybe I can even convince them to put me up for a week when i come back for a holiday (or possibly a more permanant stay!). When they asked me to organise some social events at work to improve staff morale I dont think they meant start dating another barista but that seems to have worked out pretty well too.
Last night we went for a walk to granville island along the sea front, I know we take Vancouver for granted sometimes but im sure we'll look back on little things like that and miss this place. There really is no comparison back home. Im not one of these people who hates home, im really looking forward to seeing the place and my family and friends back there. But there just isnt the scope to do things like there is in Vancouver (you Canucks don't know how lucky you are sometimes). Despite a run of broken toes (don't laugh) im in better shape than ive been in years and im having fun in the process. Doing stuff is fun.
We talked about snowmobiling last night too, that was excellent. And tofino, seattle, galiano island, grouse mountain, steveston, North Vancouver thrift store, Squamish Taco Bell, theres been so many trips, all excellent in there own way. Im glad ive managed to do so many things this year, the rail trip is still to come too, going to New York for 5 days itself is a holiday!
I guess this counts as a 10 month review, theres still 2 months left, one sixth of our time here and im sure we'll get up a a bunch of stuff before we're sedated and dragged onto the plane by the RCMP. I still don't know why I came here but its been one of the best choices I ever made. I think i've learned a lot about myself and about life in general, im no expert yet though.
Simon
posted by Simon at
10:38 AM
6 Comments:
I don't want to go home.
By
Paul Banks, at 11:29 AM
The major discovery of the year is of course meeting me, your bladder/chin scar twin brother.
Imagine if we had never met! We would never of know that whenever one of us is going to the toilet almost certainly the other is doing so at the exact same time.
By
Ian, at 1:17 PM
As you are all having a time of refection I thought I would throw this one in, Mam xxx
Reflections
Nathaniel Brandon US psychologist,author
It is generally recognised that creativity requires leisure,an absence of rush,time for the mind and imagination to float and wander and roam,time for the indervidual to desend into the depths of his or her psyche,to be available to barley audible signals rustling for attention.
Long periods of time may pass in which nothing seems to be happening.
But we know that kind of space must be created if the mind is to leap out of its accustomed ruts, to part from the standard,and generate a leap into the new.
By
Anonymous, at 5:31 AM
Thanks mam, i now have an excuse anytime im feeling lazy :) Ian, i bet you've just gone
By
Simon, at 12:25 PM
I'm moving to Durham!
By
Paul Banks, at 11:06 AM
where indeed
By
Simon, at 4:29 PM
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