tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484456488678863712023-11-15T23:30:54.498-08:00Musings by MurphyMainly a forum for me to keep people up to date on my travels but pretty much a place for me to share my weird and wonderful views!!HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-81872527967409778062014-04-16T13:36:00.000-07:002014-04-16T13:36:21.290-07:00Keeping the magic alive...How many of you clicked in thinking that this would be some sort of romantic blog about ways to maintain a fresh and frisky relationship? Clearly I'm not an expert on that kind of thing but I am somewhat obsessed with the world of... Harry Potter!! This week, there is a fantastic show at the <a href="http://www.gaietytheatre.ie/" target="_blank">Gaiety Theatre</a> called Potted Potter - The Unauthorised Harry Experience. I wasn't really sure what to expect but myself and my friend Ruth went to see every one of the movies together so we decided to give it go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgpYXVSTCWmHJypff7inF_XKr1tH-q9gYuOfeylhzGquI0yM4dzqelD9ptOk9fj5ho5jihqzhH1BFJMT-rbbA93Isi9HQXt2W0-XBpeuRVTRM8g-OHsIxgQXp1La0SIsRricdlzahHEc/s1600/potted+potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgpYXVSTCWmHJypff7inF_XKr1tH-q9gYuOfeylhzGquI0yM4dzqelD9ptOk9fj5ho5jihqzhH1BFJMT-rbbA93Isi9HQXt2W0-XBpeuRVTRM8g-OHsIxgQXp1La0SIsRricdlzahHEc/s1600/potted+potter.jpg" /></a>And how happy I was that we did! From start to finish, I was pretty much moved to tears of laughter. For the Harry Potter nerd in me, there were plenty of in-jokes along with some interesting observations and opinions that might have spoiled the story for anyone who might not have read the books or seen the movies. The costumes are minimal, the set looks like it's been designed with cheap, second-hand pieces and there are hardly any special effects (apart from a very dangerous dragon in book 4 and a disco ball in book 7). None of that makes any difference however, as the 2 lads don wigs, adopt silly accents and use a wide variety of inventive props in order to convey the entire Harry Potter series (that I spent approximately 4 years reading) in under an hour and a half. It missed a lot of the important points in the stories but made up for it with audience participation in a truly magical game of Quidditch and with a fantastic finale song.<br />
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Another aspect that really resonated with me (and this may have just been the night I was there) but there were several moments where there was a spontaneous ad lib that lent a much more relaxed feel to what is clearly a highly rehearsed show. A great night for all the family, it's running until Sunday at the Gaiety, before moving down to Cork and Galway. Follow the show on <a href="https://twitter.com/PottedPotter" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PottedPotter?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> to find out future dates if you can't make these. Or try Apparating to Hong Kong in September for the next run... Can't believe I nearly got through the whole thing without a spell-related joke!HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-61874862334594949242014-04-10T05:40:00.002-07:002014-04-10T05:40:36.150-07:00A show not to be missed!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUwEVYNeZ6w7WNVPZIr66rjDGmHu-h6y1NCjszjF-VGvjZaUZzJ29PYg8ZNXwmv7AyPCeN6y-3WXqSy1kwsGskORrPVkvGlRjBxZR489pMEmsU4VVMBLh6XLvEaMR7KJbi9WpBrDOmSI/s1600/gdmds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUwEVYNeZ6w7WNVPZIr66rjDGmHu-h6y1NCjszjF-VGvjZaUZzJ29PYg8ZNXwmv7AyPCeN6y-3WXqSy1kwsGskORrPVkvGlRjBxZR489pMEmsU4VVMBLh6XLvEaMR7KJbi9WpBrDOmSI/s1600/gdmds.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a>OK, I might be somewhat biased as it is my wonderful friends in the <a href="http://glencullendundrum.com/" target="_blank">Glencullen/Dundrum Musical and Drama Society</a> that are putting this on but there are only 3 nights left to catch their current performance of Plaza Suite, a play written by Neil Simon. I had read the script for the show and knew it was going to be great but it is all the more hilarious when performed onstage. <br />
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Brendan Phelan has done a great job directing this play; it is a comedy in 3 acts, with 3 very different stories, all related to romantic relationships, set in Suite 719 at the Plaza Hotel. First we see a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary; or possibly not as they cannot agree on the day (or year even) that they got married. Next we have a big shot Hollywood producer who returns to the east coast to look up his childhood sweetheart for a 'catch up' and finally a frustrated mother and father who are trying to convince their daughter to come out from the bathroom she has locked herself in to marry the (supposed) man of her dreams. <br />
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For those of you who have been to any of our shows before, you will see a lot of familiar faces. For most of these actors, I think these roles are some of the best that I have seen them in. Each cast member works so well with their opposite in each act; even the smaller support roles are brilliantly cast. For me personally the show was stolen by Tom Ronayne; this might be my favourite role that I have seen him undertake. Not to mention the ever present and divine Garrett Grimes; only on stage for about 1 minute and 45 seconds and he brought the house down. <br />
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A couple of tense moments wedged between a truckload of belly laughs, this is the perfect show to lift your spirits should you require it, but a great night out even if you are already feeling good. With tickets costing only €15 (concessions available also), you should definitely get booking via the <a href="http://www.milltheatre.ie/shows/plaza-suite" target="_blank">Mill Theatre</a> and get down there before it finishes on Saturday night - you will not regret it! HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-48363545499850265982014-02-18T14:13:00.003-08:002014-02-18T14:13:30.610-08:00Taking the next stepAs many of you will already be aware, I have toyed with the idea of opening my own hostel for some time now. Even before my time in Canada, it was something that had been discussed with my dear friend Michael. We came up with the general concept of a good time hostel (that sounds a little like a brothel - definitely not in our plan) as well as the name; <b>Hostelle Mickelena</b>. 'Hostelle' was an homage to our friends Down Under who are constantly being ridiculed for not being able to grasp the Northern Hemisphere pronunciation of 'hostel'. Mickelena should be self explanatory; it was a very simple yet effective joining of our names. <br />
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While working in Canada however, the idea began to take more shape. I met people from all over the world who stayed in such a wide variety of hostels. Even my own experiences travelling throughout Europe had given me some insight into the way it all worked. Hostels are a viable option for many tourists - for the more independent traveller it is nearly always the first port of call - apart from those thrill seekers who are capable of couch surfing! It is also no longer just for younger backpackers. A lot of hostels will cater to any age and, due to the (generally) better value pricing options than a hotel and the general public's tendency to travel on a budget, a much wider demographic are looking to hostel accommodation while travelling. <br />
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So, I made my decision and came up with many drunken plans over my time at <b>Global</b>, discussing with all different ages and nationalities the sort of hostel I would open. It would be a fun place to stay, with a kitchen and a huge common area and a smoking patio on the roof and big rooms with fireplaces and personalised towels and a heli-pad and a spiral staircase leading from reception to the bar and a games room... dreaming big and a little beyond my means clearly. I do have a certain amount of practical knowledge already (who knew my degree would come in so handy?!) to go with my big ideas but where to go from there?<br />
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In reality, setting up a business is not always just a case of a (in my humble opinion) brilliant idea. It requires planning; market research, a business plan, marketing ideas, pricing strategies, budgets, financial backing, premises, design, recruitment, implementation, growing and maintaining a customer base. Not to mention actually running the feckin thing once all of these steps are accomplished, as well as the multitude of steps I'm sure to have forgotten. It's kind of like what I imagine Alcoholics Anonymous to be like; it's not only hard <i>getting</i> sober (depending on who you're talking to); it's <i>staying</i> sober that is the really difficult part.<br />
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What should the first step be? I've got the name - <b>Mama Goose</b>. No offence to Michael but as the nickname stuck to me in Toronto, it came to embody the ethos that I wanted to embrace at my hostel - a family-like, welcoming atmosphere that makes people feel at home away from home. Might not be the most exciting or original but I know that is what I look for when I travel. A policy I would like to continue to stick by; if I wouldn't stay there, why should I expect my guests to?<br />
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<b><i>Watch this space</i></b> - I will most likely be looking for lots of feedback to my upcoming posts as I struggle to get this off the ground and look forward to having you all stay at Mama Goose in the future!HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-4401204871536411812014-01-18T09:57:00.001-08:002014-01-18T09:57:37.384-08:00End of an Era<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is truly no way for me to put into words how I am feeling right now...but this would be a terrible blog post if I didn't at least attempt it. Global Village Backpackers, where I worked for 2 years and lived for an irrelevant amount of time, is set to close. I received a text from a friend of mine about it and immediately went to my source for fact checking any sort of news nowadays (Facebook) and lo and behold, there were several posts from friends of mine still in Toronto about it. Some of them still living in the hostel, now having to find new digs. Some who are now also unemployed. Others who simply came to the bar and found a chilled out place to hang. It is a sad, sad day.<br />
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BUT! Let us not wallow in what could have been, let us revel in what was. And what it was, to quote an anonymous review from Hostelworld last year, was 'an historic dream of a hostel'. I know people may think I am somewhat biased but I have travelled a lot, I've stayed in a lot of different hostels in a LOT of different cities and I can honestly say the GVB was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Before anyone starts rising with indignant protests, let me finish. It is by no means the cleanest hostel ever stayed in, but it is not the dirtiest. There were 2 types of people who stayed here; people who couldn't look past the faults and people who couldn't give a shit about the faults so long as the other guests, staff and the atmosphere made up for it.<br />
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Scrolling through my friends and photos on Facebook, the last 2 years of my life have been centred around that place. I can't even begin to list all of the people that I met who made a difference in my life in some way, whether they were there for months, weeks or just days. Some of them were crazies who gave us interesting stories to tell afterwards; some who were whirlwinds of positive energy who blasted through; some who were just simply the kind of people that make travelling worthwhile and who you know you will keep in touch with for the rest of your life. There are far too many for me to name personally (and I would run the risk of forgetting someone!) but anyone who is taking the time to read this will know who you are.<br />
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There were good times, bad times, happy times, sad times. I fell in love, had my heart broken, got drunk and suffered some of the worst hangovers of my life. I met some great people and I met some absolute jerks. I made friends who I know I will treasure and who helped me to learn more about myself, who I am and who I want to be. Long live the memory of Global Village Backpackers - it's been emotional.<br />
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<br />HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-6463824176026166412014-01-08T13:33:00.000-08:002014-01-08T13:33:38.114-08:00A Wicked ExperienceI saw Wicked for the first time 4 or 5 years ago in London. I was pretty excited until I got into the theatre...then I was CRAZY excited. I'm pretty sure my friend Alan was black and blue by the time we left, the amount of times I hit him squealing 'look at this' and 'oh, did you see that?' I fell in love with the story and the soundtrack and vowed to see it again someday. Lo and behold, it comes to Ireland when I return, opening 3 weeks after I get back. Fate? Maybe. My friends had already booked tickets and I wasn't in a financial position at the time to join them so it wasn't until Christmas Day when speaking to my friend Bruce (who had gotten a ticket as a present) that I checked the and there was ONE TICKET LEFT IN THE ENTIRE THEATRE for that same night. <strong><u>Fate?</u></strong> Couldn't deny it. It did mean that I was sitting on my own but I didn't care. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-aOSuOLnwy6X6CU70tE59Lpw-EUBb_nuCYDrtHNxenNvPi9FzjODxks0NQiaAYsoZ61a5zR8tea5XKT5weqXq3rN37b3kpSAf6bgiNcVTIGAf0EgNgwEK-Gi738-FBJp944K1wKHLGw/s1600/wicked+cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-aOSuOLnwy6X6CU70tE59Lpw-EUBb_nuCYDrtHNxenNvPi9FzjODxks0NQiaAYsoZ61a5zR8tea5XKT5weqXq3rN37b3kpSAf6bgiNcVTIGAf0EgNgwEK-Gi738-FBJp944K1wKHLGw/s1600/wicked+cast.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a>The night started off perfectly with seeing Bruce and Eugene for the first time in 18 months, a delight only heightened by my building anticipation for the show. I took my seat and allowed myself to feel that same magic I felt the first time, studying the map of the land of Oz and keeping an eye on the giant dragon suspended at the front of the stage. When the overture kicked in, I had goosebumps before a character had appeared or a word been spoken or sung. For anyone living under a rock for the last 10 years, Wicked is the back story of the Wicked Witch of the West, originally appearing in the Wizard of Oz as the evil one who kidnaps poor Dorothy and her friends in Oz. But what led poor Elpheba to become so wicked? Sometimes sad, often funny and uplifting all at the same time, we follow her journey through school up to the magical moment when she finally gets to Oz to meet the 'wonderful' wizard and her whole perspective on life changes. With witty dialogue that frequently references events in the Wizard of Oz (sometimes very subtly, catching them all is a bonus), the story moves along at a great pace with plenty of action and drama throughout.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwXyEc3TXvd9bZKaF8dhwFpLdaTMo3Q_UFKTQvpCzR1hyphenhyphenHa2S7cPZI6Loppi33nCbN-aDySLVggAdp9mCaTsDMPBRr6k0jEa8jhtW6wVaG_C89oLWCQroVz3zY2kBhh7ubrj-Q6jRBzY/s1600/fiyero+and+elpheba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwXyEc3TXvd9bZKaF8dhwFpLdaTMo3Q_UFKTQvpCzR1hyphenhyphenHa2S7cPZI6Loppi33nCbN-aDySLVggAdp9mCaTsDMPBRr6k0jEa8jhtW6wVaG_C89oLWCQroVz3zY2kBhh7ubrj-Q6jRBzY/s1600/fiyero+and+elpheba.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a>The chorus were phenomenal I have to say; as an ensemble, they gelled together perfectly and were ample support to the principals. Their harmonies were on point, the routines were tight and they covered the stage well. I must admit, I was somewhat disappointed by each of the main characters at some point or another during the show. But just when I was shaking my head at a weak moment, they would pull it back with a burst of energy that had shivers down my spine. Most notably was Nikki Davis-Jones as Elpheba; I found her vocals weak at times and then suddenly she would hit a note that literally made me the hairs on my arms stand up. Her duets with Emily Tierney (as the high-pitched and girlishly annoying and shallow Galinda) were great - they complemented each other very well. I was a little disappointed with my favourite song 'As Long As You're Mine' between Elpheba and Fiyero - it did not have the romance or the impact that it should, although I blame this more on the staging than on the actors themselves. 'No Good Deed' alternatively, displayed Elpheba's desperation perfectly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLsQOticLCJ0mhVK2HBO2b__v9gpWqQprxKOy7ENPIitiBvGJITupVKfvVcyhUnC6nj0AczT1UoqASIDZZE3XwkFTwTfznvYS0D1QdddVGpOOGYdoNxAhiGlQ52dYabC_ynzRMU0UNRc/s1600/elpheba+and+galinda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLsQOticLCJ0mhVK2HBO2b__v9gpWqQprxKOy7ENPIitiBvGJITupVKfvVcyhUnC6nj0AczT1UoqASIDZZE3XwkFTwTfznvYS0D1QdddVGpOOGYdoNxAhiGlQ52dYabC_ynzRMU0UNRc/s1600/elpheba+and+galinda.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>Having worked in amateur theatre for nearly 10 years now (wow, just realised that!), going to the theatre presents some new challenges. On the one hand, I have this extra level of appreciation for what's happening and it makes me dizzy to imagine the logisitics of putting on a show like this from a backstage perspective. But it also means that I sometimes notice things no one else would, like the fact that the guys running the moving spotlights didn't seem to care what was going on at times. The choice to use English accents was interesting but didn't really work for me, although Boq was perfect as a Scot. The costumes were inventive, the dance routines polished, the scene changes were FLAWLESS.<br />
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Despite my slight misgivings above, there is nothing quite like the first time you see Elpheba 'Defying Gravity' and Wicked is essentially an amazing story of overcoming adversity, love and above all, friendship that is always worth a watch.<br />
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<b><u>Moral of the Story</u></b> - Unfortunately, tickets are sold out for the rest of the run at the <a href="http://bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/index.php/artist/wicked" target="_blank">Bord Gais Energy Theatre</a> but it would be a crime not to take a quick trip to London to see the resident West End production at the <a href="http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/wicked-london.asp" target="_blank">Apollo Victoria Theatre</a>. A great show that leaves you with the feeling that everyone deserves the chance to fly...HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-69467254426125921742014-01-06T14:00:00.000-08:002014-01-06T14:00:38.163-08:00Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - Worth the wait?The first time I saw Anchorman, I was not overly impressed. It was sort of funny but a little too haphazard for my liking. Over time, I came to love it and learned to embrace the haphazard, zany and random comedy moments. Talk of a sequel abounded for quite some time and I was excited when I heard that it was finally coming to fruition. The build up was extraordinary, with promotions ongoing for what seemed like years. We Irish were subjected to many personalised promotional videos, from topics like Love/Hate to our dear Taoiseach 'Edna' Kenny, as well as an appearance on the Late Late Show (I'm sure I wasn't the only one who would have loved Will Ferrell to keep Ryan Tubridy's chair for a little bit longer). With all the hoopla, and with inital reports being quite mixed, I was very intrigued to see the next installment to make my own mind up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKo_nuRxC6UDMqQAmODq8CVRqvsCCA9ePPfctUQ6zIVS0RycyeQ6Hnwupt9pj9moYyUTbKF3SuQqRwv4PSrC9Qp3VWLB6bESWR2YXAOsO_vAzgxU-fu-i3HsbWi0lsxZi1JhfLNb7Nj_A/s1600/Brian-fantana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKo_nuRxC6UDMqQAmODq8CVRqvsCCA9ePPfctUQ6zIVS0RycyeQ6Hnwupt9pj9moYyUTbKF3SuQqRwv4PSrC9Qp3VWLB6bESWR2YXAOsO_vAzgxU-fu-i3HsbWi0lsxZi1JhfLNb7Nj_A/s1600/Brian-fantana.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a>No such thing as spolier alerts when it comes to a movie like this in my opinion; even if I told you some of the random twists, it would not make sense out of context...possibly not even in context. There's the traditional over-exaggerated inflated sense of self-importance from Ron, some questionable comments and actions from Champ, some more inappropriate (and some of the funniest) lines from Brian and plenty of the obscure and seemingly random from Brick. Brian did steal the show for me a little; he doesn't say a hell of a lot but he is high-larious throughout. Did I mention I might have a mild crush on Brian Fantana? Not Paul Rudd though...must be the moustache or one of my favourite lines 'I gave her a whole Brady Bunch of crabs'.<br />
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One thing that I actually really enjoyed in retrospect is the transition into 24 hour news and how the original news team bring their ratings up. Questions asked such as 'how are we going to fill 24 hours with news stories' lead to the team sensationalising stories that are not really news worthy. When Ron uses a 3 hour broadcast to cover a high speed car chase and people eat it up, it did make me wonder if that's how it actually happened. Maybe there is a real life Ron Burgundy out there to blame for the hours of drivel that we have to trawl through on TV to get to any sort of worthy programming. I probably could have googled it to find out but well, you know. Much better to print my own opinions and let some clever person point out the mistakes later!<br />
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<b><u>Moral of the Story</u></b> - I may have veered off the point a bit in terms of reviewing but this movie will be enjoyed far more with a few beers, or even some other mind altering substances (not that I'd know anything about that) as well as good friends with the same sense of humour as yourself. Not everyone will find it funny when Ron keeps repeating 'black...blaaack' when he meets his African American female boss for the first time. Although I certainly did ;)<br />
<br />HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-26924096866979585882013-11-25T15:43:00.000-08:002013-11-25T15:43:02.582-08:00Missing Hostel Life?...I've been home for nearly 3 weeks after living in a hostel for...well, I don't feel like I should admit how long, but it was a lot longer than I would advise anyone else to do it for! There have been a few changes that I have had to adjust to, most of them extremely pleasant I must admit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2Rn3CxFOxlSChfUQ5nIEBCKjegmymlHgHlv1Fy42yXQMeVK28lE2GjW4K__b0CXWUlEDrdLvowxcpxg0WI3eqniiGDMVhCLfIhz7relgJb5N27eOYqaSMH7mi-qTcPjI3dfSCrZP9a8/s1600/CIMG6536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2Rn3CxFOxlSChfUQ5nIEBCKjegmymlHgHlv1Fy42yXQMeVK28lE2GjW4K__b0CXWUlEDrdLvowxcpxg0WI3eqniiGDMVhCLfIhz7relgJb5N27eOYqaSMH7mi-qTcPjI3dfSCrZP9a8/s200/CIMG6536.JPG" width="200" /></a>Wait, that whole bed - just for little old me? And I get wardrobes? Well, that is luxury. But how many people am I sharing with? None...that doesn't make any sense. So I can come home drunk and eat a sandwich in bed and watch Sons of Anarchy/The Office/Game of Thrones on my laptop <em>without</em> my earphones in and I won't bother anyone? And I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it is not stumbling around in the dark either trying to get dressed or trying to get your clothes together to get dressed in the bathroom (whichever causes the least disturbance). This I can get used to!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7RLTXdVYcIlqIwyQJsW7t763ER-wJ0ayPUFSK8NLQ2C3v-9hIx20GwwEs9ibperhlNe9XQ7jCChTMBgQZ-Yl1dG4jX4Up62LTrfnorzw7PPOPZcg0AlCmRVPj_EBjftf7YaXspTgghY/s1600/IMG00191-20131124-1619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7RLTXdVYcIlqIwyQJsW7t763ER-wJ0ayPUFSK8NLQ2C3v-9hIx20GwwEs9ibperhlNe9XQ7jCChTMBgQZ-Yl1dG4jX4Up62LTrfnorzw7PPOPZcg0AlCmRVPj_EBjftf7YaXspTgghY/s200/IMG00191-20131124-1619.jpg" width="200" /></a>Being able to leave my toiletries in the bathroom and the only thing I really have to worry about is my sister using my shampoo/shower gel. Which, let's face it, is a general fact of life anyway with siblings. Not having to wear flip flops while taking a shower is an freedom everyone should be allowed. Except prison folk...they probably deserve to be punished in this way. I also had my first bath in a year and a half, lovely stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMY-4vZhKPp0L6UedRCVGUWHYfGNhYu986Z4dbojPyHcubxRG3ZJqjf5dODq8qCpzMyy7oqr3tRFN2FbAyeIaRsh6ftqNy6X5rtX2zebqRBJXsKdgZBDJ2EpafDqaTQKy7R8H1-x-j2Y/s1600/CIMG6537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMY-4vZhKPp0L6UedRCVGUWHYfGNhYu986Z4dbojPyHcubxRG3ZJqjf5dODq8qCpzMyy7oqr3tRFN2FbAyeIaRsh6ftqNy6X5rtX2zebqRBJXsKdgZBDJ2EpafDqaTQKy7R8H1-x-j2Y/s200/CIMG6537.JPG" width="150" /></a>I open the fridge, see something I like and I can take it. Without having to search under a pile of unidentifiable crap for the bag with my name on it, open it and realise that someone stole my eggs (this happened TWICE). The first couple of days, I kept asking the family if it was OK for me to take things and why wasn't anything labelled with their names, room numbers and departure dates. Then I remembered that that's all irrelevant here!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxXQSQfI5h8-2OJUJ0ShV5pDdL8QBdMVjZqs_qxidktDKzWkgYCEuUMmM_AcBElvx-aBbjXKN9SND9lvB7R4u0rHjpR3kEAS2lkG8KaQOer33uUDez78yZwtf3-gn5AXe3TVF_DBPy9w/s1600/CIMG6538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxXQSQfI5h8-2OJUJ0ShV5pDdL8QBdMVjZqs_qxidktDKzWkgYCEuUMmM_AcBElvx-aBbjXKN9SND9lvB7R4u0rHjpR3kEAS2lkG8KaQOer33uUDez78yZwtf3-gn5AXe3TVF_DBPy9w/s200/CIMG6538.JPG" width="200" /></a>The kitchen is occupied by a maximum of 3 other people at any one time. And only one, if any of those people will be cooking. We have 8 working hobs, 2 ovens, a grill, a microwave, a dishwasher. I have 5 different sized pie dishes to choose from and knives sharp enough to actually chop things with. I have not had noodles since I've been home, I don't even think there are any in the press!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUzNWP23_EB_7rcTU2M-BSJijF9Wqugjr26qx2iEUy_66aq5ZB-1056U1hAFNu2NARuYkWKOCaQiaOtbieQgZAMf71Xqw8BFOt4x7zPkAyyPnOKgSgUkqCopjjszNpEBLapXf05RDNos/s1600/sven+last+night+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUzNWP23_EB_7rcTU2M-BSJijF9Wqugjr26qx2iEUy_66aq5ZB-1056U1hAFNu2NARuYkWKOCaQiaOtbieQgZAMf71Xqw8BFOt4x7zPkAyyPnOKgSgUkqCopjjszNpEBLapXf05RDNos/s200/sven+last+night+033.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>Not going to lie though, I do sort of miss the constant stream of strangers coming through. It made every journey from your room an adventure - who would you see on the way back from the bathroom in just a towel? Which kitchen hogger would be using 9 pots and pans while you're trying to boil an egg? Who is talking really loudly on their mobile on the patio/in the common area? Which crazy/creeper is going to be freaking people out in the bar? And that brings me to the main thing I miss. The good old Departure Lounge, where everybody knows my name. And 2 of the most attentive bartenders I've ever had. No one makes a Gin Caesar like Buckethead and I doubt I will ever find a better karaoke partner than Staples O'Neill. Miss you boys!<br />
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<b>Moral of the Story </b>- next time you go travelling, make sure to stay in a hostel. All of the above points will make you glad to get home but you will never be able to replace the memories that will be made.HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-68424591692269789412013-11-13T15:55:00.000-08:002013-11-13T15:55:06.370-08:00Things I will not miss about Canada...Lived in Canada for 2 years and as much as I did enjoy it, there are several things I will not miss at all! Some of these I know I have bitched about before, so please bear with me. I have been getting weepy and nostalgic and needed something to take my mind off it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPQcTBKEAIFFess8AoxdsMt2ZQqcsK_vI_BTumvTUTUksozLULRmJM0RYvlMdsGaZMHhyphenhyphenJfQxXXNCeMgQUj-bij2T-bW9Py8J1oXV-nHGEub3kfz6jV0D6cT0ddA8AvPMy1MAWMX0s0U/s1600/milk+in+bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPQcTBKEAIFFess8AoxdsMt2ZQqcsK_vI_BTumvTUTUksozLULRmJM0RYvlMdsGaZMHhyphenhyphenJfQxXXNCeMgQUj-bij2T-bW9Py8J1oXV-nHGEub3kfz6jV0D6cT0ddA8AvPMy1MAWMX0s0U/s200/milk+in+bags.jpg" width="149" /></a><b><u>Milk in bags</u></b> - I stopped being so pissed about the percentages once I figured out which one I liked (2% for anyone that cares) but I still find it completely bizarre to have milk in bags. I've wiped up too much spilt milk to believe it's in any way practical, it's not even easier to transport. It is cheaper though (not when you take into account the spillage) and it does seem to be the choice for many Canadians. No idea why, suggestions welcome on a postcard.<br />
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<b><u>Drivers/stupid road rules</u></b> - for what are rumoured to be a very friendly and laid back people, Canadians are certifiably mental once they get in a car. In terms of the actual rules of the road, the most dangerous one that I've had experience of is being allowed to turn right on a red light - in Ireland. we have what we call a filter light for these situations. Pedestrians are still taken care of. Here, I have actually hit a couple of cars that veered around corners and got a little too close to me. Scary stuff.<br />
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<b><u>L.C.B.O.</u></b> - Complained before about the lack of regular off-licences in Canada. Having travelled in the province of Quebec also, I now know that this is just Ontario as I found several stores that sold convenience store stuff, beer, wine and cigarettes. Fun Fact - I also recently found out that Quebec had the shortest prohibition time in Canada also. They may be French but at least they've got their priorities right! I also take issue with the 2am closing time which is standard across the province. Only place to get a late drink is at illegal after hours bars. Very expensive and dodgy as all hell; I only went once...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNu9ztQcowVLVoqsI9-0aXl-fRzCFlOnufaMvQo3nvC5nNjeplLdfLusCPaHH4zplLaHcC0mmad_c-lIJb8lBUrsMXr5TdLFv9ms8RkTmvnBQcqWvxkVFnChAovfC3ikDsZVofPu4B_8/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNu9ztQcowVLVoqsI9-0aXl-fRzCFlOnufaMvQo3nvC5nNjeplLdfLusCPaHH4zplLaHcC0mmad_c-lIJb8lBUrsMXr5TdLFv9ms8RkTmvnBQcqWvxkVFnChAovfC3ikDsZVofPu4B_8/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+118.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><u>Poutine</u></b> - I've got to admit, as often as I've eaten it, I'm really not a fan. It's far from cheese curds I was reared, I tell ya. There are certain places that I will eat it from - I enjoy the chicken curry poutine at the Firkin, pulled pork poutine from Smokes but in most other places I pick the curds out or, if Useless Ben is going for me, he will ask for chips and gravy (and get some weird looks in the meantime). Proper bastardisation of a Canadian dish and I'm sorry. Looking forward to a proper plate of curry chips!<br />
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<b><u>Shovelling Snow</u></b> - I will also include the general cold as f#*k winters here. And I was only in Toronto, not real Canada where it gets proper cold. Working in the city centre, we had a responsibility to clear and salt the sidewalk and knock out any icicles that were hanging off the side of the building. I will not miss that. Starting a shift at 7am, especially if hungover, popping out to shovel snow, drop some salt and half an hour later you'd have to do it again. Maybe I wasn't very good at it. Standing in the street, halting pedestrians while someone hung out a window knocking icicles from the drain pipes with some sort of shovel or brush. OK, I'll almost miss that one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn-GcoFdU07G-zB2sb7vtGZIcbmADphDZsteZg0Hhd9KrMu5VGvOP42ycejIVUwVoqeXwuZL1Qy216i-WdnHgzrM2TcUbHYy984885qx0yxhNQWS73JnyVSWRlO963ujx_xqkoaIeS2g/s1600/tim+hortons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn-GcoFdU07G-zB2sb7vtGZIcbmADphDZsteZg0Hhd9KrMu5VGvOP42ycejIVUwVoqeXwuZL1Qy216i-WdnHgzrM2TcUbHYy984885qx0yxhNQWS73JnyVSWRlO963ujx_xqkoaIeS2g/s320/tim+hortons.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><u>Tim Hortons Coffee</u></b> - I don't care if it's cheap, it is actually pretty horrible. Those jalapeno bagels were my favourite though, and apart from the odd dodgy speciality flavour (those pumpkin ones were dire) a box of Timbits were always guaranteed to elicit a smile.<br />
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<b><u>Smoking Laws</u></b> - whatever about a smoking ban, which I can obviously deal with, but the weird stuff like having to smoke 9 metres away from an entrance always felt strange. Certain places would not allow you to smoke on their patio if they had an awning that belonged to another part of the building. Some bars had patios that you could only smoke on if you were sitting down, etc. Give me the glass box in Fitzgeralds anyday.<br />
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<b>Moral of the Story</b> - sometimes it can be easy when you leave a place or situation to look back and see it all through rose-tinted glasses, if you will. The annoying things will stick out for a bit but the good memories will last a hell of a lot longer.<br />
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<br />HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-29852619927131750052013-10-29T13:43:00.000-07:002013-10-29T13:43:40.740-07:00Big East Tour - Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCkBohKfBwfXnNOOwct17qyLixGUlLNSoRmdsd0imQFaSxtXhS8CK8ncKfyLky1ByXIuboqw1rI5v_D81lgWUxj8TTzBmNpK4LiInORT8u-W4eVF9Faa8QvCGIMZq_WWdWoJQQsu9sJc/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCkBohKfBwfXnNOOwct17qyLixGUlLNSoRmdsd0imQFaSxtXhS8CK8ncKfyLky1ByXIuboqw1rI5v_D81lgWUxj8TTzBmNpK4LiInORT8u-W4eVF9Faa8QvCGIMZq_WWdWoJQQsu9sJc/s320/more+fun+times+in+tdot+003.JPG" width="320" /></a>Guess now is about time that I should talk about the people that were on the tour with me - the great thing about Moose Travel Tours is the smaller groups that they take. We had 12 on ours and while there usually seemed to be a variety of nationalities on the tours, ours was 5 Irish, 5 Australians and 2 Kiwis. Even 2 days in, you could see the differences emerging - half the tour group seemed more interested in drinking each city than seeing the actual sights. Luckily, I managed to fit into both groups relatively well! The bus wasn't the most luxurious mode of transport but it suited our purpose perfectly. They have also designed most of the routes so that you're never in the van for more than 3 hours at a time generally.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha19ILeGBX6jMV0Ds4HGq86IjaDFkD7CkCcdaZR551Q5MhovldjWizqIEEbkYgDp9IZrRyyCSZSL5uCGKkXf-jzvjtYGHOdsrfGtutcdUTXBPYU_LDFb2EZjpPlR6JfuThmWAc49imsUo/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha19ILeGBX6jMV0Ds4HGq86IjaDFkD7CkCcdaZR551Q5MhovldjWizqIEEbkYgDp9IZrRyyCSZSL5uCGKkXf-jzvjtYGHOdsrfGtutcdUTXBPYU_LDFb2EZjpPlR6JfuThmWAc49imsUo/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+036.JPG" width="150" /></a>Hence why we stopped at <a href="http://www.bonjourquebec.com/qc-en/attractions-directory/municipal-and-regional-park-nature-interpretation-centre/parc-de-la-chute-montmorency_3197018.html" target="_blank">Montmorency Falls</a> just outside of Quebec City on our way from Montreal. I'm a huge fan of water and water features (I am crazy about fountains that you get in parks and stuff. I got a lot of great fountain pics from this tour!) so even though it's just a load of water, I was happy to wander off and my own and just watch. It is actually higher than Niagara Falls (barely a fraction as wide obviously) and as you cross the bridge over it, you can see the City of Quebec in the distance. We did manage to see a rainbow in the churning water at the bottom - seemed to be a bit of a theme on the trip, reckon I saw 6 or 7 rainbows over the course of the week. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdlfU8DMXdKTZCECOOg5JS-GFEhpLFlh943wbX9o8gkxqRt2gYy8xG6rXv1g9VMEDVmO7pzWQmgcGbP0Bk-gSeobg88Ej5-0T3iCU2TIeudfUPzaAFp6ZHHnwfCy5JouuedL7nUcVihM/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdlfU8DMXdKTZCECOOg5JS-GFEhpLFlh943wbX9o8gkxqRt2gYy8xG6rXv1g9VMEDVmO7pzWQmgcGbP0Bk-gSeobg88Ej5-0T3iCU2TIeudfUPzaAFp6ZHHnwfCy5JouuedL7nUcVihM/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+046.JPG" width="200" /></a>Once we got into Quebec City, I had an eerily familiar feeling. The old style cobbled streets, little traffic, flags and bunting everywhere - felt just like an European city. One particular street actually looked just like Kilkenny city for some reason... We went for a little bit of a walk around, to get our bearings and stopped for some ice cream at a spot our guide recommended. Being the morbid lot we are, we got our ice cream and went to sit in a graveyard to eat it. I love graveyards as much as I love water features strangely enough. We passed by the amazing <a href="http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/" target="_blank">Chateau Frontenac</a>, built in the late 19th century as a stop over for Canadian Pacific Railway travellers. It has hosted many famous people and was the headquarters for the Quebec Conferences towards the end of World War 2 in 1944.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjwihuyjZoRAg9Um72bisRszJ_z57amUbz5nA_BoBKk73KlyYUtOMC-4t-08jrybqDxggPHrDwiL-9VLwu3Vbwotml9Iy-bwX5KUVnyg2AiBuIbn2Mva51GNUtKmiYQ4cOJiw1OC78JM/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjwihuyjZoRAg9Um72bisRszJ_z57amUbz5nA_BoBKk73KlyYUtOMC-4t-08jrybqDxggPHrDwiL-9VLwu3Vbwotml9Iy-bwX5KUVnyg2AiBuIbn2Mva51GNUtKmiYQ4cOJiw1OC78JM/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+061.JPG" width="200" /></a>A couple of us decided to do a ghost tour that evening. Our guide recommended a company, <a href="http://www.fantomesdequebec.com/" target="_blank">Les Visites Phantomes du Quebec</a> that she had used before (although she hadn't been a huge fan of the guide that they had). Our guide, Emile, was great; he knew a lot about the city in general, historically and architecturally and shared a lot of that as well as his spooky tales from years and years ago. It was all sort of creepy coincidence stories until we got to St Andrews Church. 10 of us walked in, led by me holding a candle (the only light in the church apart from the dim lights from the street) and Emil proceeded to tell us, probably not even the scariest stories of the night but things seem a lot creepier in a dead quiet church with nothing but the sound of your own breathing and flickering shadows on the wall from the only candle there... I saw at least 3 ghosts that night. Well worth it though. Popped out for a couple of drinks to steady the nerves after and stumbled upon an improv night in one bar. Totally in French obviously. I pretended to laugh along with the rest despite having next to no idea what was going on.<br />
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Moral of the Story - Don't go on a ghost tour in a strange city and then head back to a creepy hostel that looks like it might have been an old hospital back in the day...did not sleep overly well that night I'll tell you!<br />
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<br />HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-51901669208215153402013-10-15T19:40:00.001-07:002013-10-15T19:40:27.763-07:00Big East Tour - Day 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7A9xLiB2yKm6GVBkcmWjDOK22j_czBDiOn_SLUkovloM95WOfSYkRFcmmkdNpRUBp-XkfxzA2aLogto-SXu6GqC48p4UAscWbqY9P9BoZpqW3HfaEkGtgwzQwfKB5jjJYT4c_CiCqGWg/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7A9xLiB2yKm6GVBkcmWjDOK22j_czBDiOn_SLUkovloM95WOfSYkRFcmmkdNpRUBp-XkfxzA2aLogto-SXu6GqC48p4UAscWbqY9P9BoZpqW3HfaEkGtgwzQwfKB5jjJYT4c_CiCqGWg/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+213.JPG" width="149" /></a>Waking up with a hangover in a brand new city is not fun. I think everyone will agree with me on that. Still, I managed to power through (although it did take me nearly 3 hours to actually get myself ready to leave the hostel). We decided to head for the old town, which would bring us on a walk through most of the downtown anyway. Vieux Montreal is a very beautiful spot; with it's old cobbled streets and European style architecture, it felt so familiar. I did get quite narcissistic and take one of my favourite photos with the Rue St Helene sign (not quite my name but close enough!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY66jlA4WT2zA6mCPOuT7dWN3vgzMSg7WBLb8yKbQx7xqcZjRjz-rqxxwYE9UufnjTDfiY-Si1Ns1l3US8bN_t2IkpWC3lo0CzUlY_XWt5tx5aXdwxMjK_tj7o1GQaRQwoZbABZh6gbk/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY66jlA4WT2zA6mCPOuT7dWN3vgzMSg7WBLb8yKbQx7xqcZjRjz-rqxxwYE9UufnjTDfiY-Si1Ns1l3US8bN_t2IkpWC3lo0CzUlY_XWt5tx5aXdwxMjK_tj7o1GQaRQwoZbABZh6gbk/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+238.JPG" width="150" /></a>I really wanted to get a smoked meat sandwich (as per everyone's instructions) but I went for a full smoked meat poutine to soak up the previous night's alcohol. For anyone who doesn't know, poutine is basically chips, cheese and gravy. Originally from the province of Quebec, they call it French fries, gravy-like sauce and cheese curds (the squeakier the better). I got a Bloody Caesar to complement it - again, quick explanation of this Canadian delicacy; essentially a Bloody Mary but they use Clamato juice instead of tomato juice. Yes, this is clam and tomato juice. Yes, it sounds disgusting and it did take me a long time to get a taste for it. The trick is to get it extra spicy with gin instead of vodka. Best hangover cure ever. The picture does not do it justice at all, I'm well aware.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rwe1FqkZA4zj0Gvp3edbOTw5McXlNVGYlaPMDsSBoQIVx1Y0LNdptcxMACVBM0L6oCuPc8WZyyatVgNxzUUGSnsvwjNw3DoYX7zNZqVt2fuTZ1kEyNzEyxPpkj6sQyMbjhiml9qVIok/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rwe1FqkZA4zj0Gvp3edbOTw5McXlNVGYlaPMDsSBoQIVx1Y0LNdptcxMACVBM0L6oCuPc8WZyyatVgNxzUUGSnsvwjNw3DoYX7zNZqVt2fuTZ1kEyNzEyxPpkj6sQyMbjhiml9qVIok/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+220.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
Took a stroll through the mains square with a huge statue dedicated to the alleged founder of Montreal, Paul de Chomeday de Maisonneuve, who came along in 1642 to settle the island of Montreal for the French. The square is beautiful and dominated by the Notre Dame Basilica, which was actually designed in large part by an Irish Protestant architect called James O'Donnell. There is a $5 charge to get into the church during the day, $10 to get in for the impressive light and sound show that animates the history of the basilica itself as well as Ville-Marie de Montreal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ruXPtmKSp8FyvW_hajs_XgpEz2NqE0cNt_3f2KdcFCqvsvR3G6rt0018M5Xe2SxBem2wdFaNqMSdqTjvkg0ZfQ7cIm3KX1puzPPqJ_7GmbGyDmK2XeLpTKxMcnZylF1gx2AFkzBmeuc/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ruXPtmKSp8FyvW_hajs_XgpEz2NqE0cNt_3f2KdcFCqvsvR3G6rt0018M5Xe2SxBem2wdFaNqMSdqTjvkg0ZfQ7cIm3KX1puzPPqJ_7GmbGyDmK2XeLpTKxMcnZylF1gx2AFkzBmeuc/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+310.JPG" width="200" /></a>From there I headed down to the Places Jacques Cartier and the old port, then headed up to the Parliament Buildings, through Chinatown and right up through McGill University, hitting at least 5 other beautiful churches on the way. I was making my way to Mont Royal, the hill that overlooks the city. One of the major attractions here is Mount Royal park, which was originally planned by the same guy who did Central Park. There is a cross that looks down over the city, symbolic of the wooden cross set up there by good old Maisonneuve as a thank you to God for not drowning the entire city during some major flooding in 1643. I didn't quite make it up that high but I did get as far as the Kondiaronk Belvedere and managed to take this beautiful shot. <br />
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At that point, I was completely exhausted. I went to meet up with a friend of mine in a Shisha bar to the east of the city and by the time I got back to the hostel, all I was able for was my not super comfortable hostel bed. Almost a lame way to end my time in Montreal but I feel that I saw everything I wanted to see. Apart from Eggs and Legs, the almost unbelievable strip club that serves an all day breakfast buffet while lap dances are happening. Eggs and legs baby.<br />
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Moral of the Story: Travelling hungover is not the way forward but sometimes it forces you to make more of an effort. Like sweating the shit out of your hangover by walking up a mountain (or a hill, whatever, it was tough).<br />
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HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-57317202927051940952013-10-10T18:00:00.001-07:002013-10-10T18:00:45.264-07:00Big East Tour - Day 1So, I finally got to get out of Toronto on a Moose Tour for 7 days that is taking me to Montreal, Quebec, Mont Treblant and Ottawa!! Very exciting, so I figured I could use this to re-start my failing blogging career...<br />
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An early morning departure from a rainy Toronto led to a very quiet opening leg of the journey. A few tentative introductions to the people sitting closest to you and that was it...sleepy time. I chose to ride shotgun, primarily to keep our driver company, mainly for the extra leg room ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPgXaKLgGAFcBgcyWHLer4PpH0CarsFwqDOYroAGs_ub85DTYI8wKgl0IePsi4oaM7Oi6_KWTz25uEPCm5O7jHlaRMMa20HiQaNIgrfC0VIeRyEgAihK_82CChl5BuXoZUwytL0xA_vE/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPgXaKLgGAFcBgcyWHLer4PpH0CarsFwqDOYroAGs_ub85DTYI8wKgl0IePsi4oaM7Oi6_KWTz25uEPCm5O7jHlaRMMa20HiQaNIgrfC0VIeRyEgAihK_82CChl5BuXoZUwytL0xA_vE/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+137.JPG" width="200" /></a>Our first real stop was <a href="http://www.thebigapple.ca/" target="_blank">The Big Apple</a> where some much needed sustenance was procured in what was essentially a pie factory. The fresh apple turnover was divine but I can imagine the surroundings being much more appealing when it's not raining; there was a train track and some ping pong tables that looked fun! Instead, I made do with kissing a scarecrow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qE6eXWAwqn6HZgvxyoun0opJbiraRG-Wypmu8m1FfxDucU51ivgshVMqJpzIScv2zNdYgDyBLBiCwxtCtNT8WFtkgKgn1l3T9VDCKR-L6f7IO1lFBQDhG7u5n9m9-IY8N1vqVDy3GQc/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qE6eXWAwqn6HZgvxyoun0opJbiraRG-Wypmu8m1FfxDucU51ivgshVMqJpzIScv2zNdYgDyBLBiCwxtCtNT8WFtkgKgn1l3T9VDCKR-L6f7IO1lFBQDhG7u5n9m9-IY8N1vqVDy3GQc/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+169.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next stop was the <a href="http://www.visit1000islands.com/visitorinfo/?page_id=37" target="_blank">Thousand Islands</a> cruise - another activity that would have been nicer on a sunny day, or even later in winter when the St. Lawrence River freezes over completely. Although we wouldn't have been able to take the cruise then... did get to see the smallest international bridge in the world though, bridged between 2 islands, one of which is in Canadian waters, the other is in American waters. We learned a lot about George Boldt, lovely fella that built a castle on Heart Island for his wife, who died before it was finished. Poor George never set foot on Heart Island again. Cheapest real estate on the Thousand Islands runs at $250,000. Bargain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERkIFLjXIkQWtlp5F3Nb5vF3gDYmvcuUe9lI2ilpFqn2TYdjhhxFdZD_s8atb7ke6nbAhe1SRK5qniZaABEaEzs4Vwj0kAoALItQ4wLTxBUPGW-EspjGO2TtjYwvx_16u8EKRahuqh9Y/s1600/more+fun+times+in+tdot+202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERkIFLjXIkQWtlp5F3Nb5vF3gDYmvcuUe9lI2ilpFqn2TYdjhhxFdZD_s8atb7ke6nbAhe1SRK5qniZaABEaEzs4Vwj0kAoALItQ4wLTxBUPGW-EspjGO2TtjYwvx_16u8EKRahuqh9Y/s200/more+fun+times+in+tdot+202.JPG" width="150" /></a>Coming into Montreal didn't feel that different from Toronto apart from the extra church and cathedral steeples and a distinct lack of a space penis. Going into the hostel felt a little strange; I have not stayed at another hostel since I started working in one. It does give me a certain extra level of respect but it also makes me criticise more... The rooms were clean; we had a bathroom inside which was a bonus. The common area in the basement was pretty decent with a bar and pool table and a really nice kitchen. I literally just threw my things down and headed off to see my friend Rob for the last time before I go home. Cue the tears. As he's lived here for a while, I asked him to recommend a bar/street to find one so we headed up to Crescent Street where I pick... <a href="http://www.hurleysirishpub.com/en_home.html" target="_blank">Hurleys Irish Bar</a>. Yeah, yeah, I know. I made the mistake of finding out that they charge $4.50 for a Jameson, although that did lead me to one of the best free shot getting lines I've ever used.<br />
<br />Me: So, I've heard 2 rumours today and I REALLY hope that they're both true.<br />Andrew (bartender): Oh yeah? And what might they be?<br />
Me: Well, the first one is that you're going to give me and my 2 friends here shots. The second one is about your penis (followed by a sleazy wink)<br />
He laughs and walks away, I laugh and go to walk away. Next of all, he comes back with 3 shots of Jameson and plonks them on the bar. He winks at me and says 'I guess both rumours are true', smiles and walks away.<br />
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Moral of the Story - don't take shots from a cute barman, who is flirting back with you, and then get too drunk to do anything about it.HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-15162705227493370792013-06-27T13:15:00.000-07:002013-06-27T13:15:09.863-07:00Decisions, Decisions...I'm just about to round off 20 months here in Canada. Sweet mother of the devine, it has flown by. With so little time left, I've been thinking hard about what to do next and have had many suggestions thrown at me. My options include:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Looking into visa options to stay here longer. It is possible, and I know it would keep the Plummers happy but I get a feeling I might be done with Canada (possibly just Toronto). It is too cold in winter, too warm in summer, milk comes in bags, sugar comes in cartons, motorists can turn right on a red light, you can only buy alcohol in government run shops, too many hipsters, too expensive. Not to say I have not enjoyed my time here, that would be crazy as I have loved just about every second of it but I think it's time to move on.</li>
<li>Australia/New Zealand. Definitely on the list but I'm putting myself under enough pressure as it is to get the money to travel more in Canada before I leave, if I want to save money to start myself a new life down under, I would need to work every hour of the day right up until the day I leave. Oz and Nz aren't going anywhere.</li>
<li>Going home... Well, the decision has pretty much already been made. Despite my best intentions and best laid plans, I was not able to save enough money to do what I want. Still, the more I think about it, the more I think I'm ready to go home. Being here in Toronto has been an emotional rollercoaster in itself, although sometimes I feel like it was all caused by weather related mood swings.<i> </i>I've been home twice since coming away and had no idea I would miss it as much as I have.</li>
</ol>
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The long and short of it is, I'm going home. Gonna work my ass off for the next few months and enjoy the rest of my time here, travel out west and fly back from Vancouver in December. Anybody going to be travelling between Toronto and Vancouver in November, let me know. Those of you still in Ireland, see you all for Christmas - it's gonna be a good one!</div>
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Moral of the Story - in the immortal words of my good friend Dorothy 'There's no place like home'. I don't have red shoes to click though. Can't afford proper shoes in Toronto ;)</div>
HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-30188415500312052022013-01-08T21:03:00.000-08:002013-01-08T21:03:40.858-08:00New Year, New Me?<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If by 'New Me', you mean someone who actually updates their blog with any sort of regularity....then, yes. Hopefully this does indeed signal a new me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=new+years+resolution" target="_blank">Urban Dictionary</a> defines a new year's resolution as 'the things you promise yourself you will do over the year but quit after the first 2 weeks. I couldn't agree more. I am not exactly the type of person who makes New Year's resolutions and here are my other reasons why:</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">January is one of the most depressing months on the calendar. Christmas is over, you've spent too much money, you've become sick of the family and friends that you struggled to spend time with over the holiday season because you're just too busy the rest of the year. Why compound all that misery with resolutions that involve you giving up something you enjoy or limiting the free time you already have?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People generally make unrealistic resolutions that are not unattainable exactly but are usually somewhat out of reach. 'I'm never drinking/smoking/eating rubbish/stealing traffic cones/molesting sheep again'. Or something to that effect. It should be 'I'll only have 3 drinks a day instead of 7', 'I'll only steal 4 traffic cones a month' or 'I'll only molest the sheep with really good personalities'. High expectations breed failure so aim low. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're not trying to give something up, you're trying to learn something new or do something better than you did before. Again, the 1st of January seems like a good time to start but making resolutions like being more charitable/helping the homeless/learn Italian pick up some new hottie at work/become a pole dancing instructor - these should be things that you do all year round. </span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I were to make resolutions, I wouldn't call them 'resolutions'; I'd call them my new year intentions. Not to be monitored but just attempted, with no shame if I fail.</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try to be a bit nicer to people. I stress the word 'bit'. Every job I've had over the last few years has led me to have a certain level of disdain for the general public that I will try to curb where possible. I need to realise that most of our customers do not wake up in the morning with the sole intention of ruining my day. Sometimes it creeps into my private life too, although I seem to get away with it with people who know me but I'm bound to offend one of them someday. Not while Andy Shaw's around obviously....</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Travel more. Not giving myself a number of kilometres or countries to visit, just simply to travel more. This would even include getting a TTC day pass and taking all the streetcar lines from one end right to the other. This might even include trying out some other bars that aren't the Departure Lounge but let's not get too carried away here. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read more. I've become more addicted to watching TV shows that I've already seen while curled up on my bed in the hostel but think it would be a good idea to expand my (admittedly, already impressive) language skills and not just improving my watercooler conversation topics. Except Game of Thrones. I am eagerly awaiting series 3, just like everyone else and will repeat the first 2 series again and again. Oh, I could read those books actually, couldn't I? 2 birds with 1 stone, I like that. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, all of these may go the way of most new year's resolutions, or they can remain intentions. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Let's hope it's a fun road to travel on!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moral of the Story - I quite like the old me, thanks very much. A few minor adjustments wouldn't go astray perhaps but nobody's perfect!</span>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-90456470583312693862012-06-12T10:46:00.001-07:002012-06-12T10:46:17.274-07:00It's Been A While.....<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvyJX5_Orf_Q7r51t7J8Z84MTF1Pf8Lqe6dUNRKloBPrys7p5TdUaROe3HPlUwu_10gRQiz-g-dveusLNUDA-IAjnScOTd3kBM4_XEb9ASVOrGMI4uwF0FIV-d6wwso8eFyp2ZuYVgKY/s1600/patio+opening+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvyJX5_Orf_Q7r51t7J8Z84MTF1Pf8Lqe6dUNRKloBPrys7p5TdUaROe3HPlUwu_10gRQiz-g-dveusLNUDA-IAjnScOTd3kBM4_XEb9ASVOrGMI4uwF0FIV-d6wwso8eFyp2ZuYVgKY/s200/patio+opening+004.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Departure Lounge </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Obviously, I've been spending far too much time enjoying myself and not nearly enough time considering how much people have been missing my updates and my extremely talented style of writing. I will do my best to go back to regularly posting but I'll use this one as a bit of a round up of the last 2 months of my time here.<br />
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<ul>
<li>I passed my official 6 month mark of working in the hostel by....TA DA!...moving in. Circumstances (personal and financial) led me to bite the bullet and give up my privacy and space to move into the staff room. I now share my living quarters with 140 other people, live a whole 40 seconds away from where I work and have a bar in my back garden. Could be worse ;)</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxbzZ8CMR7HDLXMejsakRd6p0z_YGn5VsADSrroyDZPaQn2vgvuCHpai2vAAi1bB6uPlpILDY1bUCBH7xFHlaZSmDHLeQ5UXeI6HnFndTtVm94SfI2Wrei4EjO3rB9njsqyW4nLGshwk/s1600/randoms+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxbzZ8CMR7HDLXMejsakRd6p0z_YGn5VsADSrroyDZPaQn2vgvuCHpai2vAAi1bB6uPlpILDY1bUCBH7xFHlaZSmDHLeQ5UXeI6HnFndTtVm94SfI2Wrei4EjO3rB9njsqyW4nLGshwk/s200/randoms+032.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reunited after 6 years!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>I had a visit from an old friend who I first met over 6 years ago in South Africa. It was the first time that me Mick and Viv had been together since we met in Cape Town so it was quite an emotional reunion. It was one of those things where you wonder if it would be awkward after so much time away from each other but lo and behold, it was like we'd seen each other weeks previous rather than years. Spent a lovely couple of days together, along with Mick's partner Conall. Far too short a time together. Looking forward to getting some more visitors before the end of the year!!</li>
<li>I finally managed to do something touristy (apart from Steamwhistle) and visit the <a href="http://www.ago.net/" target="_blank">Art Gallery of Ontario</a>. It was nice and all but I'm really not a gallery type of person. It's just a load of paintings at the end of the day and most of them weren't even that nice. There was a bathroom sink stuck on the wall at one point, that was vaguely interesting. You were supposed to focus on the negative space <i>around </i>the sink. Random.</li>
<li>I took up (and subsequently quit) a second job at a Call Centre. Not being one of those really annoying losers who calls at dinner time asking if you would like to switch phone/internet provider or if you want to answer a 30 minute survey on your consumer behaviour habits. No, I participated in what is known as 'business to business guided voicemail messaging'. Sounds way more complicated than it is. I would turn up for 4 hours, dial a load of numbers, usually navigate some sort of automated receptionist to press play and leave a voicemail in the contact's mailbox. Boom. Some new type of direct marketing, we'll see how well it does. </li>
<li>I stage managed a concert for the <a href="http://www.irishchoralsociety.com/" target="_blank">Irish Choral Society of Canada</a>, it was my second ever paying gig as a stage manager - I wasn't even expecting that! It was a beautiful concert based on an Irish Immigrants tale of coming to Canada and the adjustments that need to be made, obstacles to overcome, all told through a variety of musical pieces performed by the choir interspersed with recitations by the 'immigrant'. It was lovely. They even let me do the light design which was pretty special.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Just to briefly mention some other bits and pieces that will require their own posts (hopefully not too far in the future) - going to see 'Bring It On' the Musical; Medieval Times; Wine Tasting Olympics at the Plummer Chalet, the start of Threesome Thursdays (not what you think!) the end of Karaoke Fridays. So much to tell, so little time.....</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Moral of the Story - don't leave it too long between blog updates. Your head will be MELTED with all the stuff you're trying to remember. Then again, if I wasn't out doing all these things, there would be nothing for me to post about now would there?</div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-35487137415511344822012-04-17T21:00:00.000-07:002012-04-17T21:00:21.879-07:00Hey, how you doin'?Once again, I'm using Twitter for my inspiration for a blog post, purely because this one was definitely too funny for me to leave alone. Now, personally, I don't think I've ever been picked up with some cheesy chat up line. If I have been, then it obviously wasn't exciting enough for me to remember. There were some super creepy ones online the other day; if anyone tried these on me, I don't think they'd work but I'd definitely remember them!<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I put the STD in 'stud', now all I need is U...</li>
<li>Are both your parents retarded? Because you're looking pretty special...</li>
<li>I've tried every other girl in here so it looks like it's your lucky day...</li>
<li>I heard you play hard to get. I play hard to get rid of...</li>
<li>Excuse me, do you give head to strangers? No? OK, let me introduce myself...</li>
<li><i>My personal favourite.... </i>"Is your Dad in jail?"; "No, why?"; "Because if I was your Dad, I'd be in jail..."</li>
</ul>
<div>
I honestly have no idea where people come up with this stuff. Then today, I came across this trend in Dublin <b><i>#HarryPotterchatuplines</i></b>. Now anyone who knows me, knows what a Harry Potter fanatic I am so this obviously caught my eye. Please find a few the best ones below (NOTE: if you have never read or seen Harry Potter then will either just not get these or will not find them funny. You should stop reading now and just go to another one of my blog posts, they're pretty amusing ;)</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>One night with me and they'll be calling you Moaning Myrtle</li>
<li>Are you a Horcrux? Because I would definitely destroy you</li>
<li>You're definitely not a Muggle because I'm under your spell</li>
<li>Is that Nagini in your pants or are you just happy to see me?</li>
<li>Do you play Quidditch? Because you look like a Keeper</li>
<li>Are you sure you're not a Dementor? Because you're taking my breath away</li>
<li>Your smile is like 'Expelliarmus'; simple but disarming</li>
<li>I've lost my Invisibility Cloak but do you think I could still visit your restricted section tonight?</li>
<li>I don't need a key to your heart, I'll Alohomora that shit</li>
<li>I'd like to get my basilisk into your Chamber of Secrets</li>
</ul>
<div>
Moral of the Story - if you're going to use a chat up line, make it a memorable one! Mmmmm, not sure if I'll be able to read Harry Potter books the same way again after this....</div>
</div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-64897554300533763442012-04-09T16:00:00.000-07:002012-04-09T16:00:27.434-07:00There's no place like home....Don't worry, this isn't going to be another whining post about how much I miss the homeland! As most of you will know, the house that I grew up in my whole life in Ballinteer, Dublin 16, has been up for sale for nearly 2 years now. It is an awful time to try to sell a property in Ireland but it was time for us to downsize. As it had been taking so long, when I left in October, I didn't really expect that the house would be sold before I got back in July.<br />
<br />
Lo and behold, on Skype last week with the family and the news was broken to me that the house has been sold and they are due to move out by the 31st of May. They have not yet found a new place but sent me on some of the links to properties that they are looking at. I couldn't help but think 'they look SHITE compared to our house'. In all fairness, I knew it was coming but I don't mind admitting that I shed a tear or 2. I didn't take full advantage of my last few days in that house to say goodbye to it properly and now when I get back to Dublin, there'll be some other family living there. Eewww.<br />
<br />
In the spirit of nostalgia, here are a few of the more memorable moments/things from my 26 years living in 90 Ludford Drive;<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>All those summer days in the paddling pool in the back garden (I know, summer days in Ireland, what??)</li>
<li>The day Mary left a stew for us, all my dad had to do was switch on the oven.....we went to the park, came back, he'd never switched it on. 3 hungry children and a man incapable of cooking, good times. </li>
<li>The bathroom in the garage that EVERYONE used to use. </li>
<li>The day I got locked in the utility room and kicked a hole in the bottom of the door to yell through to the kitchen to get Mary to let me in. </li>
<li>When me and Jenny broke a coffee table in the sitting room by imitating dance routines from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. </li>
<li>The day the extension was finished and all us kids finally got our own rooms. </li>
<li>When we got the majority of the garage converted so that we would have a special room to play poker in and then managing to turn the whole downstairs pretty much into a casino every now and again.</li>
<li>The shed that used to be THE hang out spot during our teenage years.</li>
<li>Let's not forget the parties, planned and unplanned, from when we were kids playing musical chairs and giving out sweet bags to the guests; to the present, where you'll usually get breakfast cooked by Mary and an unbelievable hangover to take away with you. All the 21st birthdays, Christmas & Stephens Day sessions; not to mention the random nights that people would come back after a night out.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Strangely enough, this Skype conversation and all these memory lane trips occurred within a few days of me also making a move here in Canada. Having spent the last 4 months not even really seeing my housemate Greg, I decided it was time to up sticks and leave him, move somewhere a bit closer to work and with people that I am already good friends with. It's only been a week but I think it seems to be working out OK so far.....watch this space ;)</div>
<br />
Moral of the Story - moving onwards and upwards, making big changes; it's what life is all about. Make sure to remember the good times and look forward to the times ahead.HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-24864551636095168992012-03-28T17:54:00.000-07:002012-03-28T17:54:08.291-07:00The Dinosaur Prank<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWU0t4-suDi0zY60c-8c9IDKiZyc2vmCY4HfiFfjX8TgaTWeJbc-V3OIOIBleEUx0PgS5pTnbjOSEwLqONFm65T154kOy37qyDFioi6LOKnIzRhyuwDAEJADnZIS3VPOVADSRAG0yB42U/s1600/niagara+and+the+burl+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWU0t4-suDi0zY60c-8c9IDKiZyc2vmCY4HfiFfjX8TgaTWeJbc-V3OIOIBleEUx0PgS5pTnbjOSEwLqONFm65T154kOy37qyDFioi6LOKnIzRhyuwDAEJADnZIS3VPOVADSRAG0yB42U/s200/niagara+and+the+burl+042.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry enjoying the Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Most of you will know my dear friend, Henry Brontasaurus, who has been on many adventures with me. We met in London, went bowling in Bray, had many party nights out in Fitzgeralds and even rubbed shoulders with some famous people at the Radio Nova 1st Birthday Party. It was never a question as to whether or not he would accompany me to Canada. He loved New York; tried his first twinkie, went to Central Park, Times Square, etc. Been to Burlington and Niagara Falls so far in Canada and am looking forward to showing him more of the sights over the next year or two.<br />
<br />
I had waited a little while before I introduced him to everyone at the hostel. After all, I was trying to make a good impression on these people and telling anyone about the toy dinosaur that you bring everywhere with you and consider part of your family is a little strange. Although, strangely enough, once most people have met me, they don't find the story that weird at all. But I digress.....<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTG-XjBzdVo_kG606YLem7gHCumPGP0LKUHVAbNzlIhvMkj36vvZSWFika8-4gZRUUisPBIRQvu8owV4CMCpTDXcBVQYkOWSmYSL8__2tAaIO1Gg6Ij2e-fCao3fQo4OHpv-bAkgSZaSU/s1600/425534_10150551956916662_611041661_9010168_945765331_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTG-XjBzdVo_kG606YLem7gHCumPGP0LKUHVAbNzlIhvMkj36vvZSWFika8-4gZRUUisPBIRQvu8owV4CMCpTDXcBVQYkOWSmYSL8__2tAaIO1Gg6Ij2e-fCao3fQo4OHpv-bAkgSZaSU/s200/425534_10150551956916662_611041661_9010168_945765331_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Henry & the Irish Rebels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, a couple of weeks ago, I brought him down. There was a band called the Irish Rebels playing at the hostel and I figured this would be a perfect time to introduce him. It was all going swimmingly. Everyone was getting in photos with him (including the band!) and we were having a great time. The next morning, I decided that perhaps it would be good for Henry to live at the hostel for a while, get a bit of independence and what not. I placed him on top of the speaker in reception so he could keep an eye on everything that was going on and off I went. I was going for dinner at Gillian's that night and knew that she would like to see him so dropped back to the hostel to pick him up. I couldn't see him on top of the speaker and panicked immediately. The others that were working were taking a look around for him but he was nowhere to be found. I rang Aine, who had been working when I left him there and she said she hadn't noticed whether or not he was still there when she left. I was distraught and do not mind admitting that there was a tear in my eye. Poor Tom, he had to listen to me rant and rave all the way to Gillian's, where I then spent the start of the evening bitching about where my dinosaur might be.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNmnCKeKFGcjxYR4zYMCXBX7OYn7K_LVOyXeYTpracHiSkZ_HHJQGeXiRcypJTrUuUxWGKORRZEh554JQrsltNJQVnff4L0dDIedKjA71gsMSEHGpLYPUGDx17D5CSJWH07Z6Xc9uwqs/s1600/422972_241224869294668_100002214714534_549656_834452451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNmnCKeKFGcjxYR4zYMCXBX7OYn7K_LVOyXeYTpracHiSkZ_HHJQGeXiRcypJTrUuUxWGKORRZEh554JQrsltNJQVnff4L0dDIedKjA71gsMSEHGpLYPUGDx17D5CSJWH07Z6Xc9uwqs/s200/422972_241224869294668_100002214714534_549656_834452451_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor Henry...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Suddenly, I got a friend request on Facebook from a character named Rambo Hunter. The accompanying message stated that 'We have Henry. If you ever want to see your dinosaur again, you better meet all of our demands' There were also some very distressing photos; Henry in a frying pan, Henry with a butcher's knife to his throat, Henry hanging from his own bow from a light fixture and, my own personal favourite, Henry tied to a chair with a note asking for my help. The demands were as follows; a) $20, half in dollar coins, half in quarters; b) one can of coke; c) bar of Galaxy chocolate; d) bag of Tayto crisps. Now, these dastardly creatures had very cleverly set the deadline before payday as they obviously knew how I would struggle to scrape the necessary demands together. They did not count on the resourcefulness of one James Stafford, as well as my own ability to take things to a new extreme. Hence, the foundation of the Dinosaur Abduction Awareness Organisation and the set up of a silent auction in order to raise the funds necessary, including items such as dinner cooked by Gillian, an arm wrestle with Sally, a voodoo doll made of the hair shaved from Tom's head, among other items. I even managed to get the plight discussed on the radio in Dublin by my dear stalkee Marty Miller on Radio Nova.<br />
<br />
Now I wish I could tell you that there was (as was planned by me) a SWAT team assault on the main suspects house in the middle of the night but in the end I didn't deem it appropriate. I was depending on the good nature of the kidnappers that they would not keep me in suspense for too long. What I had not predicted was the power of a nagging girlfriend. Without much evidence (apart from the pure gut instinct that I had), I accused the Scouse trouble maker, Joe Newsham. Despite his protestations, nothing could sway me from my conviction. 2 minutes after the deadline, I sent the following threatening message to Áine 'Look, is Joe gonna give Henry back to me or what?'. Her reply; 'Yes, the fool. He's gonna drop it into the hostel tomorrow before he heads off to New York'.<br />
<br />
Moral of the Story - don't leave your dinosaur unprotected around a criminally minded Scouse. And don't worry, when the film rights are purchased, I will ensure to change the ending to something more exciting.HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-47853647751856816422012-02-15T18:45:00.000-08:002012-02-15T18:45:26.691-08:00Life's Too Short To Sleep Alone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgdKCEi_sFOBkLfkDhzsutZmYrAYQNa08BNqfLCpvAm5nB3_0v2mtYkA5g9NoQmMiGF5kEWvV8DxiimGJm4kqogChKVrTmv0NwCeUP8fNJK0CLIQ5xLmVOHJa7VSxDsxG1GHcd-ABg-Q/s1600/IMG00096-20120207-0942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgdKCEi_sFOBkLfkDhzsutZmYrAYQNa08BNqfLCpvAm5nB3_0v2mtYkA5g9NoQmMiGF5kEWvV8DxiimGJm4kqogChKVrTmv0NwCeUP8fNJK0CLIQ5xLmVOHJa7VSxDsxG1GHcd-ABg-Q/s320/IMG00096-20120207-0942.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What greets you as you check in......</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left;">That is the slogan of </span><a href="http://globalbackpackers.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Global Village Backpackers</a><span style="text-align: left;">, stated very plainly on the information board at reception. What a motto to live and work by! It definitely describes the hostel perfectly ;). Now, you could go down the dirty route (as I know most of you will, you filthy minded creatures! As Ian pointed out 'if my mind didn't live in the gutter, it would be homeless') and assume that we are encouraging promiscuous activity but we certainly don't. Not that we are judgemental if there are some innocent hook ups but before you embark on any wild passionate love affairs in a hostel, make sure to read the following <a href="http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/hostel-sex-a-practical-guide-for-backpackers/" target="_blank">guide</a>....</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anyway, I had been applying for lots of different types of positions, as per my previous blog post on <a href="http://helenam-musingsbymurphy.blogspot.com/2011/11/job-hunting-in-canada.html" target="_blank">Job Hunting in Canada</a>, and when I applied for the Front Desk Agent position here, it was on a bit of a whim, with a lot of encouragement from Gillian. Once I had posted on Facebook where I was going to be working, I got a wonderful reaction from people telling me how perfect they thought the job would be for me. And how right they were. I work with a great bunch of people and get to meet new people all the time, which can be both a good and a bad thing! There is also a bar on site, the wonderful Departure Lounge, which will undoubtedly finish the job that Fitzgeralds started in terms of my liver failure.<br />
<br />
I would take you through a typical day but there is no such thing as a typical day at GVB. I think the best way to express what it's like working in the hostel is to describe a few of the more entertaining guests (by entertaining, I mean mental obviously), my colleagues and a few of the stand-out moments that have occurred in my 2 and a half months here so far......<br />
<ul><li>In terms of the guests.....generally, they're pretty great. A few of the more memorable ones include the woman who carried a pile of washing out the door and across the street because she saw a limo pull up at the traffic lights and assumed 'there must be someone interesting in there'; knocked on the car window to talk to the driver and got annoyed when it pulled away. There was the man who passed out in the toilets and then tried to accuse us of stealing money from him.....while he was locked in the toilet cubicle. The staff are talented but we're not ninjas. The man who asked one too many times about why the internet connection wasn't working......and was killed (not really, he was moved to another, more internet receptive room). Let's not forget creepy condo guy.He never actually stayed here, he just frequents the bar and tried to lure people to his condo for 'parties'.</li>
<li>Where do I start with my colleagues? Great bunch of people altogether. We've got 5 Irish, 3 Germans, 3 Australians, 1 English and 1 Cornish. There's a couple of Canadians as well, so we're not prejudiced! Quite a mix but we manage to get along pretty well. Karaoke on Friday nights can be quite a spectacle when we all get involved. Many of these colleagues feature in my Top 5 GVB moments so far.....</li>
</ul><ol><li><b>The night we shaved Tom's head - </b>so Tom decided that he wanted to try having his head shaved as he'd never done it before and always wondered what it would look like. I was on shift til 11 and had asked that they wait until I was finished before they did it so that I could watch. They went one better and got Shaun to agree to let them do it in the bar. We all took turns taking snips at his floppy English locks until Andy went hell for leather with the razor.....</li>
<li><b>Karaoke Friday Nights</b> - it's really hard to pick just one stand out moment from karaoke, there have been so many epic performances. Tom and Andy with their Jason Beaver tributes; Gillian, Kate and Nic doing Journey proud,; Craig doing Mustang Sally after bitching that he wouldn't sing EVER. I think the winner has to be both renditions of Fairytale of New York that we kicked out over Christmas.</li>
<li><b>New Year's Eve</b> - not generally the biggest fan of New Years as traditionally, it's a massive let down. I was even more apprehensive being away from home but that didn't matter. Everyone who was there was in the same boat pretty much, the music was great and I drank way too much. And there was no Auld Lang Syne. Perfect.</li>
<li><b>The night I threw the pint over Alan</b> - this was possibly the great turning point in my time here. We'd been at our staff party and everyone was very merry with a lot of fizzy drinks having been taken on board. After the session in the party room at Sally & Shaun's condo, we all headed over to the hostel bar for more drinks (as if we needed them). A few of us were out on the patio and Alan decided it might be funny if he leaned over and poured some beer down my top. Through my shock, I reacted on instinct......and launched my entire pint over his head. Dear reader, I cannot express how tense those few seconds immediately following that were. As soon as the beer was leaving the glass, my first thought was 'bollox. I've taken this way too far'. There was pure silence from everyone else (probably some tumbleweed blowing) as we all waited for his reaction. He raised his head, beer dripping from his glasses, looked at me....and started laughing. The he high-fived me, gave me a hug and said that it was well deserved. Boom.</li>
<li><b>The kidnapping saga</b> - this incident is very recent and will require an entire blog post all of it's own but let's just say that my dearest friend Henry Brontasaurus was kidnapped by a dreadful Scouse Gangster and it was touch and go as to whether I would ever see him again. An elaborate Facebook creation, a ransom note and a Dinosaur Abduction Awareness Organisation hosting a Silent Auction later and it has all been resolved.</li>
</ol><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAXLMj1sdyKobDCr-XeE3JhT6DGSNKIXV8AnR65iO9cZ_eFjzHv947sj85ULWxXl8OaFNwA4dgyhOr98a-Fxy5R1SP7xe3YFz5sYHkHLh-2Pec3Srv6ZLP9LIrkoPJ7M59zAYzxDRV2w/s1600/379146_10150452543081326_735636325_8969827_271346990_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAXLMj1sdyKobDCr-XeE3JhT6DGSNKIXV8AnR65iO9cZ_eFjzHv947sj85ULWxXl8OaFNwA4dgyhOr98a-Fxy5R1SP7xe3YFz5sYHkHLh-2Pec3Srv6ZLP9LIrkoPJ7M59zAYzxDRV2w/s400/379146_10150452543081326_735636325_8969827_271346990_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me outside GVB (this was actually before I started working)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Moral of the Story - if you want to take a year out and are lucky enough not to be saddled with a mortgage/kids/other grown up responsibilities; work in a hostel. You may not make a lot of money, but you'll have some craic. And sure, isn't that what it's all about at the end of the day? ;) </div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-24557276136720406322012-01-18T16:03:00.000-08:002012-01-18T16:03:17.931-08:00Irish Facts Without WikipediaI'm not generally a major Twitter fan. There does be some interesting stuff but for the most part, I find it tedious and there is just too much crap! Occasionally though, you find some gems, like today. <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/rickoshea" target="_blank">Rick O'Shea</a> of 2fm started a trend by asking people to post #IrishFactsWithoutWikipedia, basically overly false 'facts' about Ireland. I spotted the trend and clicked through....and promptly nearly fell off my chair laughing. Someone had tweeted Rick suggesting that somebody should post it in a blog as they were too funny not to be published. Things are quiet in work right now so I decided to take it upon myself to transfer some of the ones I found most amusing here. Some of them are proper Irish universal truths, the others are pure hilarious. Enjoy!!<br />
<br />
<ul><li>If your Granny doesn't light a candle for you before an exam, you're going to fail</li>
<li>You must say 'goodbye' at least 3 times at the end of a phone conversation or the phone won't actually hang up</li>
<li>Bono can shoot beams made of Tayto crisps out of his wicked uniglasses</li>
<li>In Ireland, Father Ted is seen as a hard hitting documentary</li>
<li>If you're sick, you don't need a doctor. 7up and toast will do the job</li>
<li>Abrakebabra have 2 Michelin stars but don't like to advertise it</li>
<li>Jackie Healy Rae is only man to hold the Irish, European and World Combover of the Year titles</li>
<li>Not turning off the immersion leads to a fate worse than death (classic)</li>
<li>Cork is actually only about half the size of the Phoenix Park but we let them draw it bigger on the map just to keep them quiet</li>
<li>If you say 'Gay Byrne' 3 times fast, Uncle Gaybo will appear and give lollipops to everyone in the audience</li>
<li>It's an old Irish custom to declare your intent to marry a girl by draping a large raw steak over her face</li>
<li>Iceland used to be a county of Ireland before it broke off in 1941. Nobody noticed because of the war</li>
<li>We are all fluent Irish speakers but we don't want to get stuck talking to Daithi O Se in a bar</li>
<li>Bono can hear a hungry child's tear hit the dust from 100 miles away</li>
<li>All toastie specials served in Irish pubs contain molten lava</li>
<li>There's no money resting in ANY Irish bank account anymore</li>
<li>'An bhfuil cead agam dul go dti an leithreas?' is the most used phrase in the Irish language</li>
<li>Vincent Browne had a successful acting career as Worzel Gummidge</li>
<li>In Ireland, it's widely accepted by the Vatican to break Lent on Paddys Day for crisps and chocolate</li>
<li>The tallest mountain in the world is actually Muckish in Donegal. It's just lying down, so you can't tell</li>
<li>It is compulsary to say 'aahh' after the first sup of tae</li>
<li>Members of the Irish Parliament use croissants as emergency sideburns</li>
<li>If you die of alcohol poisoning, you're considered a lightweight</li>
<li>Contrary to popular belief, Jim Corr wrote the Irish National Anthem</li>
<li>Our blood is 90% tea</li>
<li>We're obliged to have a pint or 2 at the airport before getting on a plane - even if it's 7 in the morning</li>
<li>Red lemonade is the reason we are all mental because the chemicals used to make it are banned in every other country</li>
<li>By law, you are only allowed to worship Premier League Foottballers until they put on an England shirt </li>
<li>Honda Civics, Subarus and Mitsubishis are not as preferable modes of transport as horses </li>
<li>Dublin Zoo is running a captive breeding programme of leprechauns to replace the current government</li>
<li>If the perpetual lamp under the Sacred Heart picture goes out, all members of the household die that instant</li>
<li>Shortcuts always involve fields</li>
<li>St Patrick actually smuggled snakes over by accident, though diligently rectified the problem himself</li>
<li>Anne Doyle is completely octopus from the waist down</li>
<li>Starving is a word used by the people of Ireland when they haven't eaten for a minimum of 2 hours</li>
<li>To be considered truly Irish, the wooden spoon must have been a fundamental element of your childhood</li>
<li>The Vikings originally introduced the battered sausage to Ireland in 956 AD as building material for huts</li>
<li>The mass decline in population in the mid 1800's was actually caused by a zombie apocalypse</li>
</ul><div>Moral of the Story - Irish people are great craic. Our sense of humour will get us through anything.</div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-50347429106986061662012-01-16T17:45:00.000-08:002012-01-16T17:45:59.362-08:00Finding the new FitzgeraldsI've drank in many bars in my time. In fact, some people would even say that I may have been in a few too many bars and consumed more than my fair share of fizzy drinks. You would be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn't be of the opinion that I spent far too much time in one bar. No one ever said that to Cliff or Norm and they spent a lot more time in their bar than I did in mine.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BewxZFtpaAaE-jerXPgXhu4E0Uy0xR4QBNRgmv2dbAghk1Z3iWp8J6oJDbxw_jlEQMAWS8kwQBAbna_mx2-IKZ_LGURRCG4s2k4WSiG3H-70n-cXGmn9fLRHTQB1Zm_6EUuKVOrRRYU/s1600/leaving+do+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BewxZFtpaAaE-jerXPgXhu4E0Uy0xR4QBNRgmv2dbAghk1Z3iWp8J6oJDbxw_jlEQMAWS8kwQBAbna_mx2-IKZ_LGURRCG4s2k4WSiG3H-70n-cXGmn9fLRHTQB1Zm_6EUuKVOrRRYU/s200/leaving+do+057.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.fitzgeraldsbar.ie/index.html" target="_blank">Fitzgeralds</a> was the place that I could walk into anytime and be guaranteed to know at least one other person at the bar, as well as the staff. Comfortable. Friendly. Inviting. I could have a pint on my own and read the paper or end up having the craic with some random people and end up heading to the Czech Inn for some ridiculous dancing. And let's not forget the infamous Friday night sessions. Rare was the Friday that I didn't scarper from my office next door with a fierce thirst on me and eager to while away the evening with a few 'civilised drinks'. Until, lo and behold, a mere few hours later I'm weaving drunkenly on my chair with whoever I managed to drag from the office with me waiting for Totally Wired to start. Inevitably, despite many protestations that we would leave after the next pint, all of a sudden, we'd realise that one staff member was mopping around us while the other was vaguely encouraging us to drink up and go but not <i>really</i> forcing us out the door. Good times.<br />
<br />
Obviously, when I got to Canada, one of the first things that I was keen to accomplish (apart from the very obvious finding employment and accommodation) was finding my replacement bar. I am quite easily pleased and like to think that my expectations are not too high but Fitzgeralds had set the bar very high. Below are some of the bars I tested out and my verdict on each of them....<br />
<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.elephantcastle.com/toronto_king_st" target="_blank">Elephant & Castle</a> - no, they did not have chicken wings (well they probably did but I was unwilling to order them and shatter the illusion). I did try the curry chips and they were pretty good. The beer was an alright price (so long as you stuck to the local brews) and the staff were friendly enough. They went to great lengths to try to find the Irish Euro 2012 Qualifier match for me on TV. I haven't been back since but would still give it 3/5.</li>
<li><a href="http://fynnstemplebar.com/default.asp?id=1&l=1" target="_blank">Fynn's of Temple Bar</a> - being a huge fan of the Temple Bar Bar, I was hoping for something vaguely similar but I really didn't find it here. The staff seemed friendly enough but I didn't feel enough of a pull to visit there more than 3 times in the last 10 weeks. Their food is pretty good though. 3/5</li>
<li><a href="http://www.poguemahone.ca/" target="_blank">Pogue Mahone</a> - now this one, I had to go into just to see what the bleeding story was. After having a chat with the bartender, he confirmed that the name was an attempt at wittiness. Good attempt There was no atmosphere there, the staff were surly enough to a point (although I did manage to get one of them to have a bit of banter with me eventually). Not likely to go back 1/5</li>
<li><a href="http://www.mcveighspub.com/" target="_blank">McVeighs</a> - everyone said to me, if you want a taste of home, get yourself to Mc Veighs. I decided to pop along on a Sunday afternoon to have a nose. It was dark, there weren't many people there, there were a few others on their own and the bartender was having the banter with a couple of lads at the end of the bar. Somehow though, it just didn't work for me. After a while, there was a group at the end of the bar, all Irish, gossiping about the night before in some other pub when this person had done this that and the other, and he'd kissed her and she'd punched him. And I realised that it seemed like just another small town in Ireland. And I didn't actually want to be a part of that. 3/5</li>
<li><a href="http://www.thebiermarkt.com/index.php" target="_blank">The Bier Markt</a> - here's one I wasn't expecting to like, it seemed a little bit pretentious at first glance but they had a lot of international beers on tap so we figured we'd give it a go. Not only do they have a lot of different beers but they will allow you to have little tasters of different ones to help you make up your mind about which one you want. The first night we were there, I tried a few different ones, as did my friend Viv. The following week when we went in, the same bartenders were there and they remembered everything we had tasted and which ones we liked and didn't like. Either we were very memorable or they were very good at their jobs! Been there a few times now and the staff are always lovely, the music sounds like a playlist from my own MP3 Player and their Poutine is delish. 4/5</li>
<li><a href="http://www.foggydew.ca/" target="_blank">The Foggy Dew</a> - again, based on the name, I was hoping for something even vaguely similar to the dear old Dublin Foggy Dew. My first day there, I made friends with some locals and the bartender. This looked promising. Been back a few times since and even when I brought in the guys visiting from Ireland, the lovely Jeremy didn't even charge them for their tea and soft drinks which I thought was pretty decent. My only criticism is that their chips are not crispy enough. Otherwise though 5/5</li>
<li>And then we come to the closest thing I've found so far. The dear old Departure Lounge at Global Village. I know the staff, I'm getting to know the regulars, I get good deals on drinks. Couple of slight bonuses over Fitzgeralds - crazy drinks specials every night and karaoke on Fridays. However, Fitzgeralds still wins over slightly....although, ask me again in about 8 months time. 5/5</li>
</ul><div>Moral of the Story - I will continue my search for a substitute bar and will ensure to keep you all updated. Don't worry too much Lennie; you're a hard one to replace. </div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-53641114468956269232012-01-13T21:03:00.000-08:002012-01-13T21:03:00.422-08:00Likes and Dislikes in Canada so far....I would like to preface this one by saying that I understand that these points may not necessarily apply to the whole of Canada but you can take that up with someone who gives a rats ass.....<br />
<br />
<ul><li><b>Like.... the public transport system</b>. The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission), as far as I'm concerned provides an excellent service, particularly when coming from the likes of Dublin Bus and Irish Rail. The subway and streetcar schedules are super frequent, I'm rarely waiting too long for one (except in the middle of the night, when you could be waiting half an hour.....when it's -15 out. Not that pleasant). My favourite thing has to be the drivers though. Maybe it's a public transport driver trait across the world to have an amazingly sarcastic sense of humour. Case in point; on a streetcar one evening and a woman got on talking on her mobile phone. Well, she was shouting and she had the other person on speaker phone so it was a very annoying conversation to have to listen to. Next thing, the driver gets on the intercom 'Excuse me lady, no one wants to hear your conversation. Please either hang up the phone, or get off the streetcar. Thank you'. I nearly wet myself. No one else seemed to think it was that funny though......</li>
<li><b>Dislike..... milk</b>. At home we've got full fat, low fat, slimline, whatever. They've the same stuff over here but they also have 'percentages'. As in 2%, 1%. That's not milk, it's a percentage, as Tracy would say. Also, it comes in bags as well as in cartons. Plastic bags of milk feel so weird. I can't even describe it if you've never felt one. Everyone seems to have these special plastic jugs that they use for them. You cut a wee corner out of the bag and plop it in there. Why you don't just empty the milk from the bag into the jug, I do not know. Strange.....</li>
<li><b>Like.....the Plummers</b>. I've had a few issues with the odd crazy Canadian since I got here, and haven't met a huge amount that I would be able to admit that I was overly fond of. Apart from the Plummer family. I don't think that there could be a more welcoming or easy going family within the entire North American continent. They should be on the Canadian Tourism Boards advertisements for reasons to come to Canada.</li>
<li><b>Dislike.....HST</b>. Harmonized Sales Tax in other words. Nothing, NOTHING that you buy is actually the price that is listed. You get to the counter and realise that the exact change that you've scoured your wallet for is no use to you as you forgot to consider the taxes. According to Wikipedia (the bible of completely accurate information), when they were introducing the HST in Ontario in 2010 was opposed by 74% of the population. Nice to know it matters what the public think!</li>
<li><b>Like.....my job</b>. Not many people get to say that these days but I thoroughly enjoy my job. Not that I don't have my off days and I have met some crazy people (not the good kind either) but working at Global Village has been an extremely welcome break from the office work of the last 3 years. I've met some great people, there's a bar on the premises and a smoking patio. And, although I complain about it sometimes, I've learned that I really enjoy folding sheets!</li>
<li><b>Dislike.....lack of chicken fillet or breakfast roll availability</b>. Snack food is very different here. It's all pizza slices and pizza slices and more pizza slices. They don't have the same kind of deli vibe that I'm used to where you can get an ol ham and cheese sandwich made up (or the legendary chicken fillet roll). Some of the convenience stores do have counters with samosas, meat pies, imitation cornish pasties, sausage rolls, etc. Even they're not the same. The only sausage rolls I've been able to find are beef ones, not even pork ones!</li>
<li><b>Like.....poutine</b>. Yes, I do love poutine. Let me explain it for anyone who may not know about it. It's basically gravy chips with cheese curds but the Canadians consider it very precious and unique to them. Before I tasted it for the first time, I was advised that I had to be very careful where I tried it to ensure that I was tasting high quality poutine. Apparently, the cheese curds have to be really squeaky, the gravy should be chicken or turkey (with a hint of pepper), and the chips should be thin cut and crispy on the outside. I tasted it in the BierMarkt and was very happy with it!</li>
<li><b>Dislike.....LCBO</b> (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). The LCBO and the Beer Store are the only places that you can buy alcohol in the province of Ontario apart from licensed premises like bars and restaurants (where you can't get take out). If the opening hours don't suit you or you don't have one too near to your house, it can be very awkward. Which I found out to my detriment last Sunday when I discovered that most of them close by 6pm at the latest. Shocking.</li>
<li><b>Like..... Steamwhistle Brewery</b>. I've mentioned them in a couple of blogs before but I cannot get enough of these guys. Not only is the Brewery a great attraction and good fun, the beer is really tasty and has been made in the most efficient and green ways. As their motto goes 'Do One Thing Really, Really Well'. Too true, too true. </li>
<li><b>Dislike.... there's no Fitzgeralds</b>. It's been really hard to find a bar here that I can call home. I have searched high and low (which is really tough here considering how expensive it is to drink over here). Lennie and co have pretty much ruined me for any other bar. The closest thing I am likely to find is the bar at Global Village; I know the staff, I know the regulars, I get good prices on the beer. If I could get Totally Wired over to play there, it would actually be perfect.....</li>
</ul>Moral of the Story - Moving to a new place is exciting....but sometimes it's just fun to make a pros and cons list!<br />
<ul></ul>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-24645252327435128662012-01-11T01:06:00.000-08:002012-01-11T01:06:35.481-08:00Christmas in Canada<div>On Christmas Eve, I posted on Facebook about not feeling very Christmassy. Because I just didn't. There were decorations up, people walking around with Santa hats, 12 Pubs of Christmas crawls going on. It was the little differences. There were Christmas songs being played, but I didn't hear Slade, Wizzard or Fairytale of New York ONCE! Except for when we did it at karaoke in the hostel after many many fizzy drinks. I miss the lights on Grafton Street. I miss the stalls on Henry Street, with the shrill cries of "wrappin paper, 5 sheets for a euro". I missed the 12 Pubs of Christmas with the girls. I missed doing Kris Kindle with the family and then all of us just swapping around anyway to get who we had a gift idea for.</div><br />
Working Christmas Eve also wasn't the greatest way to get myself in the spirit. I tried playing some Christmas tunes. No. I wrote my cards out for the Plummer Family. No. I Facebook creeped my friends to see what they were up to. That just made me sad. Then I found my saviour on the RTE iPlayer. "The Toy Show Unwrapped" gave the history of the toy show and showed lots of old clips. I could not help but get into the spirit. As much as people sneer, I do love the Toy Show. Dara O'Briain's explanation that the Toy Show is the reason for the recession because it showed us all the things that we could have but would never be able to afford!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceYlkwIW7eelbr4CYMAMuzkDrnvGkMANXoJw-4IEbpaJ3lQptvByf_dm7qAvOcjDMobigOm02Jn3LqVv_iAtfI1E1as3LEc1sCX3Yl6CBX3dFr4LmzUgDtHY2EmAjRZQHP-KchTEO8zI/s1600/christmas+in+canada+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceYlkwIW7eelbr4CYMAMuzkDrnvGkMANXoJw-4IEbpaJ3lQptvByf_dm7qAvOcjDMobigOm02Jn3LqVv_iAtfI1E1as3LEc1sCX3Yl6CBX3dFr4LmzUgDtHY2EmAjRZQHP-KchTEO8zI/s320/christmas+in+canada+050.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Thankfully, the Plummer family had agreed to take me in over Christmas. I only had Christmas Day off so it was a bit of a flying visit but it was nice to be with a family, even if they weren't my own. My family had sent some packages over for me too, so I was looking forward to opening them on Christmas morning while Skyping with them. The Plummers also made sure that I had several presents of my own to open with them, including this very fetching stocking filled with an array of handy gifts!<br />
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There is very little that differs with Canadian Christmas to an Irish one. Time spent with family eating too much food, watching shite on TV and basically just hanging around, being together. St Stephens Day - now that was a different matter. I know at home a lot of pubs close early and what not but the city was like a ghost town! Thankfully, the hostel bar was open so I went there and spent some time with my new friends, lamenting my homesickness and getting over it by drinking $10 pitchers of Moosehead. That is definitely a good way to forget that one is homesick. That's how the rest of my festive period was spent actually, working and drinking with a whole bunch of other people who were also far away from home. In my opinion, New Years is always a let down but this year, I actually had more fun that I remember having most New Years. Champagne at midnight, great music, a bunch of strangers and new friends. It was pretty great.<br />
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Moral of the Story - Christmas is about surrounding yourself with your family the people you love. When that's not possible, the next best thing is to get yourself a sweet Canadian family around and a hostel full of drunk backpackers. Just make sure you show up for work on time New Years Day......HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-87582680251785306352011-12-22T10:15:00.000-08:002011-12-22T10:15:05.283-08:00The Irish Visit & Twin Birthday BonanzaOnce again, I question the sensibility of starting this blog. It was fine when I was between routines and had plenty of time to keep it updated but the last thing that I want to happen is for it to fall by the wayside (how tragic). This one will be a quick and quirky update and I hope to return to proper form after Christmas! A lot of what's been going on lately has been me settling into work and my new apartment but here's some of the other exciting things that happened when Tracy and Mike arrived in Toronto;<br />
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<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4B1w3Bx7r4L5brV_JKfiNW8gzTDC4Q8KH23L7AqhePwFKJY0AQaxxERO9TJA14qRkOa7C28ab_88_rOMg3OF8EwUSpcI2kHkriodnbA_wnSJi-vnOkh5Pcg2XI9DP38YTP-G4oWzIf4/s1600/chalet+weekend+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4B1w3Bx7r4L5brV_JKfiNW8gzTDC4Q8KH23L7AqhePwFKJY0AQaxxERO9TJA14qRkOa7C28ab_88_rOMg3OF8EwUSpcI2kHkriodnbA_wnSJi-vnOkh5Pcg2XI9DP38YTP-G4oWzIf4/s320/chalet+weekend+023.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li>Trip to the chalet. When Gillian pointed out that we were nearly there, I asked why we hadn't seen the lake yet. 'No, no, Helena. That's the cottage at Lake Muskoka. We're going to the chalet at Collingwood.' Thanks for clearing that up Gill!! Either way, the house was fabulous and the only worry was how many people we would fit in the hot tub and how to make sure that the good scotch was kept hidden. We managed to celebrate the Plummer twins birthday in style even without the good Scotch!!</li>
<li>Party Play-Off. The game of the weekend. Basically, the aim of the game is to argue 2 topics against each other and hope that the topic you picked wins in the end. You start out with 32 topics and whittle it down until there is a winner declared. For example; one of the debates was whether it would be more surprising to find a wonderbra or a kitchen sink on Mars. You can see where hilarity would ensure with topics such as this. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bluemountain.ca/" target="_blank">Blue Mountain</a>. I had heard a lot about this place. Not being a fan of skiing or snow in general, I was delighted to see that there was not a scrap of the white stuff anywhere to be seen! We had a stroll around, I got a delicious savoury beavertail and a pint in Windy O Neills. Yes, Canada is another country where you cannot spit without it landing within 20 feet of an Irish bar. </li>
<li>Footloose rave. This was a very random party that occurred out on the decking once I figured out the hot tub is not a good place for super super drunk people. I brought my teeny tiny MP3 player out and played Footloose at full blast (which wasn't very loud AT ALL). I'm still surprised that no one fell off the side of the decking in their crazy dancing.</li>
<li>The Burl. I did figure that any place someone as cool as Claire Petch was from was bound to be pretty special. I was wrong. It's very ordinary although we did have a lovely breakfast at <a href="http://www.chezcora.com/our-menu/breakfast/fresh-fruits/samira-wake-up" target="_blank">Cora's Restaurant</a> which was absolutely delicious. It was my first skillet in nearly 3 years. Happy out.</li>
</ul><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra8yebYBkzcpeMeSmYoXJ8cA-uy4UAwFoVVyyxKVPo2ajWZ86ff-_VonlyeHQDXngeCwSTeKcoZZzPvFgsEUnH05C1FGi4YdCq7ZgEumESSbY_al2V891vBG5JpFDsflJzs0_dbxxRu4/s1600/niagara+and+the+burl+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra8yebYBkzcpeMeSmYoXJ8cA-uy4UAwFoVVyyxKVPo2ajWZ86ff-_VonlyeHQDXngeCwSTeKcoZZzPvFgsEUnH05C1FGi4YdCq7ZgEumESSbY_al2V891vBG5JpFDsflJzs0_dbxxRu4/s320/niagara+and+the+burl+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li><a href="http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/" target="_blank">Niagara Falls</a>. Obviously, the Falls is a must see for anyone heading to this part of the world. I get that. At first, I was a bit underwhelmed but after a while, it becomes quite mesmerising. I was disappointed that the Maid of the Mist wasn't running though. We did the 'Journey Behind the Falls' instead which is quite the waste of money - remember that if you ever find yourself there. We did go to visit Niagara on the Lake, which is the most quaint little place I have ever seen! Looking forward to heading back there in the summer. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.steamwhistle.ca/" target="_blank">Steam Whistle Brewery</a>. Yes, I went again. And it was SOOOOOO much better than the first time! We had the most amazing guide called Francis who was too much fun. There was only 6 of us on the tour and Francis was obviously trying to get us shit-faced. Which we didn't have a problem with at all. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/" target="_blank">The Keg</a>. What better way to celebrate an evening spent at a brewery than going to an almost swanky restaurant (it's in the very well to do financial district, there were tablecloths and everything!). I enjoyed a beautiful sirloin, medium rare with scallops. shrimp and a bearnaise sauce. It might well be the happiest I've been in Canada so far. </li>
</ul><div>Then it was time to say goodbye to my friends again and get myself ready to move into a new apartment and start my new job. They are whole blog posts of their own, believe me!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Moral of the Story - It's great having friends who will travel so far to see you. I can't wait for more people to come so that I can show them around my new home!!</div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-54509851246964479562011-12-09T19:23:00.000-08:002011-12-09T19:23:36.975-08:00A Great Canadian WeekendIt was time for me to attend my first SWAP Social. Having gate crashed many of the reciprocal Work In Ireland Socials back in Ireland (the infamous trip to Galway where I managed to turn it into a fake hen party for myself was particularly enjoyable), I had an idea of what to expect. Lots of foreigners getting together, partaking in local activities and usually a few civilised fizzy drinks. Before any of this happened, I was used for slave labour in the Plummer household to assist them in readying their garden for the winter and their Christmas decorations. I say slave labour, I actually quite enjoyed it. Not sure I would like to have to do it every winter but it was interesting enough. Really helped me to work up an appetite for the game and the few pints too!<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff26ObXf0HJrBkrrRIaffLfyhznm18GfPiNYkPVpz7l33BpFR8rrZkQCqXw-btMoxnOqRkNmxMhguEH1ISEpAM7XCxs-k_Nl-nPsPQ9ILOydF28diL2h8w250y64lI7LbNEjpV6NRucU/s1600/leaves+and+santa+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff26ObXf0HJrBkrrRIaffLfyhznm18GfPiNYkPVpz7l33BpFR8rrZkQCqXw-btMoxnOqRkNmxMhguEH1ISEpAM7XCxs-k_Nl-nPsPQ9ILOydF28diL2h8w250y64lI7LbNEjpV6NRucU/s320/leaves+and+santa+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>We started off with a traditional Canadian past-time of a hockey game; <a href="http://www.marlies.ca/index.asp" target="_blank">Toronto Marlies</a> vs Rochester Americans at <a href="http://www.ricohcoliseum.com/" target="_blank">Ricoh Coliseum</a>. As the Marlies are in the AHL and not the NHL like the Maple Leafs, the tickets are much cheaper and they don't fight as often as the professional teams but you could still get the idea. It was pretty exciting, kind of like hurling but played on ice. Very fast paced; considering I can rarely walk without tripping, adding ice to the equation is a scary concept for me. There was such a varied crowd. sitting right behind us was a group of young boys who were a little too vocal throughout the game. It would have been annoying if they weren't so damn cute. There was a stag party with one of the members in a blue Morph suit. Why do these Morph suits appear so often when I'm around?? As with any sporting event, drink was too expensive to enjoy properly and for once, the long and frequent gaps during the game did not make me as angry as usual as we had plenty of time for bathroom breaks and to queue at the bar. Will definitely be attending more games while I'm here! We then did the usual and went for a few drinks, to an Irish bar obviously. <a href="http://www.brazenhead.ca/content/map" target="_blank">The Brazen Head</a> is a nice enough bar and they had good deals on the pitchers but it lacked a certain 'je ne sais quoi'. Got to meet some nice people though, always good to build up your contacts network in a new place!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdl45so-KA6wEWAlBJloGUps3SebxKUvMvCiedNJWt0f8mY7ZRv7KsS6IRhr45PlCIZQeljR4etZPqkaMi1E0XA-xeVUIOf8nvnZRTdSSXmJOryqmrsovK_WPete-SOfi6Cvn_z-Rbo0/s1600/leaves+and+santa+171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdl45so-KA6wEWAlBJloGUps3SebxKUvMvCiedNJWt0f8mY7ZRv7KsS6IRhr45PlCIZQeljR4etZPqkaMi1E0XA-xeVUIOf8nvnZRTdSSXmJOryqmrsovK_WPete-SOfi6Cvn_z-Rbo0/s320/leaves+and+santa+171.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>That Sunday saw me stalking Santa Claus at the annual <a href="http://www.thesantaclausparade.ca/" target="_blank">Santa Claus Parade</a>. I did take issue with the fact that the parade was being held on the 20th of November, they Christmas hype just starts earlier and earlier every year. While the parade took a long time to get going and I did feel somewhat out of place without a child with me to justify me standing there, I managed to enjoy it. There was something quite magical when Santa was going by and the kids all around were so excited. Oh to be young and innocent again! I decided to head for a pint afterwards and hit <a href="http://www.mcveighspub.com/index.html" target="_blank">McVeighs Pub</a>, which was where Gillian had advised me would be the closest thing that I would find to Fitzgeralds at home. I had already given up on finding a replacement but a close imitation would do me! It wasn't bad and I reckon when the homesickness really hits, it will be a good place to visit!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Moral of the Story - take advantage of local Canadian activities. It may surprise you how much fun they can be!</div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-448445648867886371.post-70225656923810518082011-11-30T19:31:00.000-08:002011-11-30T19:31:18.982-08:00Job Hunting in CanadaA lot of people say that it's easier to get a job when you have job. Therefore, having upped sticks and travelled halfway across the world with just a visa and a smile, technically I was probably at a slight disadvantage. At the same time, I had heard that the job market was relatively healthy in Canada. In all fairness, I had been advising people of that very same thing for 3 years while working at USIT so I hoped that what I had been telling people was as true as I proclaimed it to be!<br />
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Preliminary searches before I left Ireland indicated that there was plenty of jobs over there. I sent off a couple of applications (including my updated 'resume' that had been Canadianised) for various positions mainly along the line of the marketing/office style work I had been doing up to that point. Just before leaving, I decided that I would most likely end up working in a pub or restaurant and decided to complete the <a href="https://www.smartserve.ca/en/" target="_blank">Smart Serve</a> course so that I would be able to serve alcohol responsibly (I am a complete retard at 'knowing the one that's one too many'; as if I'd be able to make a decent decision regarding other people drinking responsibly). After 2 days, I realised that everyone I know here works office hours. Do I really want to work the complete opposite shifts to them?<br />
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I decided to put my focus back into the office side of things. I set up some meetings with recruitment agents and sent off roughly 30 resumes a day for various positions, including the following;<br />
<ul><li>Communications/Social Media Coordinator for a charity</li>
<li>Production Team Member at Tim Hortons</li>
<li>Office Administrator in a lawyers office</li>
<li>Special Events Organiser at a college</li>
<li>Administrator for an Immigration firm that specialises in advising internationals who want to move to Canada and Canadians who wish to move abroad</li>
<li>Executive Director (aim high right?) for the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre. </li>
</ul><div>Anyone who knows what I've been doing for the last few years will immediately see that the last 2 jobs should have been mine in all fairness. How could they not want me? Waited for them to call, still sending off other applications but knowing that there could be no other positions as perfect for me as these two. Then the phone rang.....oh joy! It was.....<a href="http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/index.html" target="_blank">Tim Hortons</a>. Was I free for a quick chat about the position available? Fair enough, I'll play along for now. The usual questions follow; what's my availability, why did I come to Canada, why do I want to work for Tim Hortons, would I mind a bit of baking. I answered in my best possible phone voice and she invited me to come in the next day to meet the manager of the store. I turned up all suited and booted, ready to convince them that I 'really wanted to be part of the Tim Hortons team' (this was a phrase I did actually utter and immediately afterward wanted to punch myself in the face). The manager, God bless her, was 45 minutes late for my interview. I am not a particularly impatient woman but I must say, after 30 minutes and 3 free coffees, I did consider whether I was actually bothered to work there. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I stuck it out obviously (desperation was taking hold at this stage that I would be unemployed forever) and the interview went quite well I thought. She asked me what my availability was, why did I come to Canada, why did I want to work for Tims, she didn't ask me about the baking though. I hadn't left the place an hour when she rang me and asked me to come back the next day to meet the owner. Good sign. The owner was not late, thankfully. First thing he says is 'I haven't read your resume. I want you to tell me about yourself.' Being the shy wallflower that I am, this was quite hard for me.....but I managed. Then he asked me my availability, why I had come to Canada and why I wanted to work for Tims (this was the point where I talked about the Tim Hortons team and how much I wanted to be a part of it. Loser) and said that he would let me know early the next week. I still haven't heard anything and that was 17 days ago. Deduce from that what you will. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Then of course, dear Gillian, my shining light and saviour, came out to me last week and said that the hostel down the block was looking for front desk staff. I'd work in the hostel, meet new people, live the backpacker lifestyle. This could work! I emailed the name Gillian had given me and tried not to make my cover letter sound too desperate (this is very hard to do). I heard back within an hour to arrange an interview for a few days later. Not one to count my chickens, I made sure to keep applying for other jobs in the meantime. I was very nervous before the interview but the manager, Sally, seemed really nice, very friendly and was also from Cornwall so I knew she couldn't be a bad egg! I thought the interview went well but I was really weary to get my hopes up as I knew how much I wanted this job.<br />
<br />
Obviously, I'm on my way to a job interview 2 days later when she emails me to offer me the position. I actually did a little jump in the middle of the street and laughed out loud with complete and utter delight. It was arranged that I wouldn't be starting until the following week, meaning that I would be free for the weekend while I had friends visiting from the homeland, it all seemed to be working out fairly well! Over the next few days, as I mentioned at the start of my little piece how much easier it was to get a job when you already have a job, I was contacted by 7 other employers that I had sent applications to in the 3 weeks since I'd arrived, all offering me interviews and seeing if I was still available to work. I did begin to wonder if maybe I should see what else was out there. I could tell somewhere in my gut though that this would be perfect for me.<br />
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Moral of the Story - while you should not always take the first thing that is offered to you, it usually pays off to follow your gut instincts. We'll see how it pays off in the long run though.....</div>HelenaMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02611521842048953539noreply@blogger.com0