Filed under: Vancouver Adventures
Monday February 18, 2008: Lunchtime, I check my phone, next text message from mom. “Happy Manitoba Riel Day!” What the?? Manitoba Riel day? then click – that’s right this year manitoba instilled a new stat holiday for february since there’s nothing else to look forward to why not a nice day off of work. Great, except for one thing, I live in BC not manitoba. Why don’t I get a stat day too?
After answer the call of Tim Hortons; I begin devising a plan:
Dear Boss,
It has recently been brought to my attention that today is none other than Manitoba Riel Day, only one of the most important Stat Holidays of the year for Manitobans. I was hoping that as a recent transplant from Manitoba you would consider giving me the rest of the afternoon off to take some time to celebrate the many contributions Louis Riel has made to my home province of Manitoba. Generally this is done by snowshoeing and singing Voyageur songs.
Regards
I guess that for all the awesome things there are to enjoy when living in BC like the balmy 10 degree sunny weather in February and the proximity to the mountains for snowboarding there has to be at least one or to things Manitoba has got going for it as well.
Sure if I still lived in Manitoba I would be having a long weekend but I’d probably be curled up under a mound of blankets unable to leave the house for fear of my ears freezing and falling off.
–
Shot down, well unless I want to write a 10,000 word essay on the importance of Louis Reil on French Canadians living in BC. Oddly enough I find myself wanting to write the essay, despite the fact that I don’t really have any recolection of what his contribution to Manitoba was I found myself pondering why he would be relevant to people living on the other side of the mountains from where all the controversy went down.
I really want to use my brain for something because I swear sometimes I think my brain is slowly shutting down from lack of use.
I work as a receptionist, probably the most slack job ever, and I am someone who is prone to slacking. I spend my day answering the phone and relaying who is calling and where they are calling from, pretty basic, and yet much of the time I find myself forgetting or just not being able to catch who they are or where they’re calling from. I would say maybe it was the pot but I really don’t smoke that much, once or twice every couple weeks can’t really be killing off that many brain cells.
I used to do puzzles at work, crosswords and sudoku, but one day it just got to be too much, my brain couldn’t take it anymore so I stopped. But I think I need to find something to replace that stimulation and I don’t think guitar hero is cutting it.
Filed under: Planning
Things are finally starting to come together for my trip. My passport came two weeks early after which I applied for my Australian Working Holiday Visa which I received acceptance for the next day. Both of my weddings now have set dates so I can start looking at flights and prices and possible itineraries although my proposed trip and lengthy stays make it hard to book for flights.
Most countries require proof of onward travel to go there and typically people would get their return flight or round the world ticket both of which are generally good for 1 year, not that I’ve asked about if it could be extended. Since I plan to stay in Australia for a year, go to New Zealand then either return to Australia or continue travel to the South Pacific/Asia it makes it a little more difficult. I have yet to see the travel agent so hopefully they will be able to help me out.
It’s starting to become a reality and while I have no travel date set at this time I’m anticipating the feeling I’ll get when I know for sure it’s only so long before I go. Only so many more days sitting behind this desk bored out of my mind and answering the phone, like there’s finally an ending point. Not that I hate my job (most of the time) but there have been times where I’ve wanted to quit or wanted to go somewhere or change something but I decided to stick it out for Australia, for the world.
For now I’ll plan and research and read travel guides and stories until I can’t take it anymore and in the end I’ll hop on that plan with nothing but a suitcase and a smile on my face because the world is finally mine to discover (well again.. kind of).
