Moments

Life is definitely a journey as I have discovered overwhelmingly over the past 12 years since I graduated from my undergraduate. There are so many moments when you think you have 'arrived' at a destination only to find it was simply a brief moment along the way. These moments are however what make the journey worthwhile, and the destination in the end is the moment when one no longer breaths life's breath. Having accepted gradually over the last few years that I must always be open to change and the unexpected, I also open myself to intensity of life and all its moments.

This past month, more than most, has embodied several of life's moment and I am left with my head spinning. There have been moments of ultimate euphoria and others where I have felt that the pain will overwhelm me. What strikes me so acutely in all of these moments is the people that have been there with me. I recount these now to you my blog reader as I still try and understand them all. 

 The moment I felt my heart break and looked up to see a very dear friend there to give me a hug and share a lunchtime hour with me. 
 The moment where I realised that time has now past and the future must begin and all around me are people who care. 
The moment when I overwhelmingly felt a great desire to rediscover my city and embracing it with all it's peculiarities! 
 The euphoric moment when I discovered my PhD viva was the best conversation I had ever had about my work and my passion for it. 
 This moment was followed 2 hours later with the moment when I was informed I had got my PhD, and I looked down the table to my supervisor and realised that this moment meant as much to her as it did to me. 
 The moments where I was overwhelmed and honoured by all the messages of support and congrats from family and friends across the globe. 
 The several moments I had in the week following as I lay awake at night, accepting that I had been given 6 months of 'time' where I could fulfill the writing desires that had emerged from the viva. 
 The moment where I accepted that my life would never be straight-forward as that would make it less interesting. 
 The moment where a skype chat with a dear friend made me laugh outloud because she knew just how to do that. 
 The moment where I went to visit an old friend and a hug reminded me of how lucky I really am with all the people in my life. 
 The moment or moments when you realise that there is always a way through pain and change even if it seems daunting at first. 

 You cannot put a fire out; 
A thing that can ignite 
Can go, itself, without a fan 
Upon the slowest night. 

 You cannot fold a flood 
And put it in a drawer,- 
Because the winds would find it out, 
And tell your cedar floor. 

 Emily Dickinson

New Orleans – city of music and fun

The people of New Orleans are exactly as you would imagine they would be so chilled and laid back one would think that it is impossible for anyone to lose their temper! We were staying a the most wonderful B&B right on the eastern edge of the French Quarter close to Frenchman street which is the new ‘non-touristy’ jazz street. After returning the car that had faithfully taken us across the amazing swamplands and along lake Pontuchurin to New Orleans, we wandered around the shops and sights of Royal Street. The street runs through the heart of the quarter and was once the location of the houses belonging to plantations owners and was where they would spend their months in the city hosting lavish parties, and hence today’s Mardi Gras. A lovely little wine bar was recommended to us, ask any New Orleans person for any recommendation and they have a tale to go with it. Surrounded by tapas and fabulous Californian wine, we watched the world go by. I miscalculated the tip, I blame the 4 glasses of wine and 6 hour driving, and had to go back the following afternoon to rectify it! On our way back to the B&B we stopped in at The Spotted Cat on Frenchman street for a spot of jazz ☺ and where the bathroom came fully equipped with its own piano – Caitriona didn’t play it!
The next morning was an early start as we headed out to visit the plantations along the Mississippi river. Our first stop was a large Greek style house called Oak Alley after the old trees leading up to the main house. Here we had a tour of the house as well as a summary of the history of the plantation where the last owner lived until 1993. The second plantation called Laura, was a fascinating example of Creole architecture and style of living. The history of the plantation has been recorded in the diary of the last owner Laura for whom the plantation was named; and so we learned of life for the people of the house as well as the lives of the many slaves who lived and worked there. Upon return to the city we made our way on the famous St Charles streetcar to the Garden District where both Sandra Bullocks and Nickolas Cage have houses. The beauty of the city and this area in particular is just to wander through the street gazing at the beautiful old houses and wonderful little boutiques. Upon returning to the French Quarter we discovered that the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra was giving a free concert in St. Louis Cathedral that evening and it was truly beautiful.
Another early start on Thursday this time to have coffee and French donuts at the famous 24 hour Café du Monde, which was followed by a visit to the French market before joining our tour of the cemetery history of New Orleans. It is a truly fascinating history of methods of burial, people who have lived in the city and the existence of voodoo in New Orleans! A quick bite was followed by a trip down the Mississpi River on the Creole Queen a paddle boat, to the sight of the battle of New Orleans during the American War of Independence. Upon our return we power walked back up to the North of the French Quarter to visit the Louis Armstrong jazz park before heading back to Frenchmen Street for a final New Orleans meal of amazing fish with a Sicilian twist.
The touring has now come to an end as we make our way through the South on the train up to DC. I shall remain in DC for three weeks before heading to New York for the AAG conference, and although I will be spending this time with wonderful friends I must write the final chapter of my thesis. This has been the most wonderful 5 weeks beginning as I boarded a 6.30am train in Vancouver on the 19th of December with no idea of what this vast diverse country of the US held in store.


The Mississippi


A purely decorative lettuce on the plantations


Bourbon Street

Houston, Galveston and San Antonio

My train journeys merit a separate entry at a later date, but I will begin my arrival in Houston with a comment on the amazing train journey across the US from LA where we travelled along side Mexican towns, crossed amazing desert and I met fantastic people. I arrived in Houston at the very uncivilised hour of 4.30am but David, Tim’s dad was very kindly waiting for me at the shed that represented Houston’s train station. The Sunshine Limited train between LA and New Orleans is the only train that stopped in Houston and so the old Union station is now the entrance to the football stadium! On the way back to their house David gave me an early morning tour of downtown Houston and I learned that Houston’s main economy is actually in the medical field rather than energy. Located in one area of the downtown area are some of the best hospitals in the world and people come from everywhere to be treated there.
Later that morning Caitriona, Jennifer (Tim’s mum) and I headed to NASA because every trip to Houston must start with a stop to see the rockets. The next stop was a delicious fish and shrimp taco in Galveston which is an hour south of Texas on the Gulf of Mexico, and so I got my first glimpse of the Gulf. A hurricane (Ike) devastated Galveston in 2008 leaving the area under 4 to 5 feet of water and the main victims were the 100s years old Oak trees which suffocated in the salt water. However, the residents of Galveston have created a wonderful tribute to the trees by employing local artists to create sculptures from the trunks of the trees. While walking the streets in search of sculptures we also took time to admire the beautiful old wooden houses and debated which we would like to own ☺ We then headed back to Houston for my first TexMex meal of seafood enchiladas – yum yum.
Saturday was San Antonio day and a whole new history for me as we followed the mission road from the outskirts of San Antonio in stopping at all the missions and ending at the famous Alamo. Although the Alamo is famous for its violent history the mission were in fact a central part of South Texan history for about 80 years in the 18th century; it was here that Mexican Spaniards set out to convert the native American tribes of South Texas to Catholicism. Although the missions were closed when the Mexicans were defeated the legacy remains and the culture is a integral part of life today in the area. We had another yummy TexMex lunch down by the riverwalk before making our last stop in San Antonio at the Mercado or Mexican market. The Mercado was full of colour and all kinds of art that I had never come across before.
On Sunday I had my first exposure to the service at Lutheran church and found that I actually knew all the prayers and routines as they were the same as the catholic church. What I really enjoyed experiencing was the Sunday school talk before the service and the members meeting after – here members of the congregation discussed their ideas and questioned various lessons they learned while also having a big part to play in how the church is run. There is a sense of rather than being there because you should or so you are seen to be doing the right thing, people were there out of choice and indeed curiosity! In the afternoon Caitriona and I strolled along by the Bayou (I now know what they are the songs I hear) and that evening we had the most amazing fish in a local seafood restaurant – yes Texas was very much about the food ☺
Our final day in Houston was also Chinese New Year and so Jennifer took us to the Chinese Community Centre where she teaches to introduce us to her students. I had to practise my Mandarin and then give a full synopsis of myself and my travels to the class – it was a lot of fun. We had lunch in a Lebanese restaurant for a change and then visited Tim’s primary school where he had learnt how to do Scottish/Irish dancing and where his teacher was called MacPhee – a distant reative maybe?! After a fabulous time in Texas with Tim’s wonderful parents Caitriona and I set out in our rented Ford SUV early Tuesday morning to cross the rest of Texas to Louisiana and the city of New Orleans.


Siobhan, Caitriona and a rocket


Cool Oak tree carvings of Galveston


At the Mercado in San Antonio


Ready to hit the road to New Orleans

Los Angeles - a pleasant surprise

I had debated with my self several times as to whether LA deserved a visit given all I have heard of the city, but after reading City of Quartz by Mike Davis in my Political Economy class at UBC I knew I had to go see it. The visit would be brief though with really only 2 full days and half a day on arrival and the same on departure. The afternoon I arrived I dropped my bags to the hotel and made my way to the Grove shopping area, which also houses LA’s farmers market – yes it has one and it has been there since 1934. It was alive with people wandering around sampling all the array of foods offered as well as craft shops. I found a health food supermarket on my return journey and was set with a fridge in my room for breakfast – the hardest meal to deal with when travelling!
The next morning I had booked to go on a Warner Brothers studio tour at 9am and so set off from the hotel at 7.15 to navigate the vastness of the city. It took me an hour to get there, 2 buses and the metro but it is possible to take public transport in LA you just need to have time. The tour was really great because rather than being really touristy, it was much more about the workings of the studio and there was filming going on around us including The Mentalist. It was a fun and interactive tour and I would highly recommend even for people who are not big film/tv addicts. After the tour I hopped back on the bus to Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood where it turned out I was the only cyclist on my afternoon tour of Beverly Hills and BelAir. My guide Alex and I pedalled around the hills of the mansions in the area and happened upon Leonardo DiCaprio in his Lexus, at which time he tried to hide from us at the traffic lights. I had to laugh for if only he knew I have no interest in star spotting – there are a few exceptions of course but he certainly is not one of them! The tour ended with a ride down Rodeo Drive and the hotel made famous by Pretty Woman. That evening I wandered back to the Grove and watched the Iron Lady as Meryl Streep had won the Golden Globe the night before, and she definitely deserved it! Don’t go to the film expecting a political story of Britain in the 1970s, rather it is the story of a girl then a young woman with an ambition.
Up and out early again on day three and I made my way to the wonderful Getty Museum – LA is worth a visit just to see this beautiful building with its lush gardens and breathtaking views over the entire metropolitan area. There was also a special exhibition on about art and social movements in California from the 1950s through to the 1980s, and you start to see what an alternatively vibrant area LA was before the celebrity culture of the late 1990s and 2000s took over. Having spend 3 lovely hours there I had to pull myself away in order to see all the other sights I had marked off, and so I hopped back on the bus and made my way down to Santa Monica. I wandered around the Third Street Promenade shopping street making my way eventually down to Ocean Drive and gazed again at the Pacific Ocean – I have seen it from so many different locations in the past 5 months! The weather was glorious with a blue sky and a light breeze and so I began to walk towards Venice beach where I wandered amongst the stalls and artists set up on the boardwalk. Please don’t judge me when I say I preferred Santa Monica – I felt uncomfortable on Venice beach kept an eye over my shoulder at all times and just never settled. I had initially considered having dinner there but instead once I had explored the area I turned around and made my way back to watch the sunset over Santa Monica Boulevard (Sheryl Crowe song anyone ☺). It took me an hour and a half to get back to the hotel but I was satisfied that I had conquered Los Angeles solely through the use of public transport!
Now I leave California and head east with my first stop being Houston and the wonderful hospitality of Tim’s parents the Roshckes, and the added bonus is that Caitriona is there too….


Yes it is me on the couch in the set for Friends at Warner Brothers...


View over LA from Getty museum


One day I want to drive this route

A summary of Folsom – my midway point

I arrived in Folsom on Christmas Eve to spend the holidays with my aunt Bernadette and her family. From here we went off for a lovely 4 trip to Lake Tahoe, and from here I set off to Yosemite, SF and San Luis Obeisbo always returning back to the comfort of the Anayah home. I spent the afternoon enjoying swimming in an outdoor pool for the first time in years and taking the two dogs for jogs around the area. It was all just so relaxing and a wonderful place to spend the holidays including an Arab themed New Years Eve dinner where we danced to music I had not heard in years. Just before I left Folsom I also got to catch up with Stephanie from UCD which was a nice treat, and of course I visited the prison and the old mining area of the town. However, the best part of Folsom was hanging out with the Anayahs and they were fabulous hosts, I will definitely come visit again ☺


Ber, Sean and I in old Folsom


New Years Eve


Folsom Prison

San Francisco - a vibrant city with an edge

I set off early on a Thursday morning soon after a day’s recuperation from my Yosemite adventure to visit the city that I envisaged would be one of the highlights of my journey; and it was! No trains actually go into San Francisco as it is a peninsula, and so the train arrives in Emmyville and passengers are bussed across the bridge to downtown SF. Not the Golden Gate unfortunately but the Bay Bridge also offers a wonderful view of the city and the bay.
I fell in love with the city the minute I stepped off the bus on Market street – it was just so alive. My hostel was just 5 minutes walk from Union Square so I was at the centre of everything. It was my first time in a dorm in about 6 years and I was nervous about what was in store; but in the end I was sharing with 2 Singaporean girls studying in New York and in SF for a holiday. They were hilarious and we promised to meet up when I get to New York. It taught me that even as I approach 33 (a moment silence for this shocking fact!!!!) if I force myself outside my comfort zone wonderful things happen ☺
My first day I set off to explore the famous Ferry Building and wandered amongst the wonderful array of fragrants coming from food stalls from all corners of the globe. As I walked down Market Street from the hostel to the Ferry Building I was amongst the high-rise buildings of SF’s financial district which is the second largest in the US after New York. Maybe I have been hanging out with too many planners but I have to comment on how much I actually loved this area; the pavements are wide and there is a lot of green space meaning that the buildings are not taking over the area. In contrast to other cities I have been in this financial area of SF did not seem to ‘die’ at night even it wasn’t the best place to be! After visiting the Ferry Building and the pier I took the California Street streetcar all the way up several hills to Lafayette park and its surrounding roads. It was a lovely area of small boutique shops and cafes and I of course felt right at home window-shopping my way along the street. I let the road lead me down to the Marina area and then turned back towards Union Square where I enjoyed a tea in the Macys overlooking the square. I ended the day by joining a pub crawl group from the hostel and ended up spending the time hanging out with a bunch of Quebecois tourists speaking French – got to love the diversity of travellers.
The following morning I had booked a tour of Alcatraz prison – a place that has always fascinated me and my fear of confinement; if anyone has not seen the movie the Rock watch it! The prison tour did not disappoint as we were taken across on a ferry and then given a audio headset but left to explore at our own place. It gave the sense of what a desolate isolated place the island is and why it was initially selected as a fort for defense and then as the sight of the infamous prison. Any strand within me that may have provoked me to break the law during my life vanished as I stood inside the cells and faced me fear and understood why I dislike the idea of confinement so much. After I returned to the mainland following an equally picturesque view of the bay and the Golden Gate bridge, I walked up to the Italian area where the local residents have managed to keep all chains out of the area. I had wonderful Italian pizza and once again found myself appreciating all the green space and people using it. I set off after lunch to wander my way to the Golden Gate bridge, it was a 2 and a half hour walk but the views along the way were breathtaking. Do not let anyone tell you that the Golden Gate bridge is not as amazing as you imagine it will be because it is! I took a bus from the bridge directly south to the neighbourhood of Castro where Gay Pride was born and is also home to the wonderful Castro theatre fully equipped with their own organist who plays before every screening.
On my third day I joined a historic walking tour of SF organised by the hostel and lucky me it was led by a landscape economist who in his spare time is a civil movements historian! There were a great bunch of people from the hostel also on the walk and afterwards I had lunch and afternoon tea in the Japanese gardens with Nickolas a former investment banker who packed it in to travel Canada and the US. I ended my third day wandering around the district called South of Market which is turning into the artsy area of new including all its ‘sketchy’ strips.
What a wonderful wonderful city I know why so many people I know hold it dear to them with its rolling hills, wonderful foods, origins of so much civil history and all this comes with an edge – this part I cannot put into words you will just have to go to see for yourself.


The bridge and I


Beautiful Golden Gate Park

The wonder that is Yosemite

After a lovely Christmas chez the Anayahs and a relaxing few days enjoying the beauty of Lake Tahoe, it was time to set off exploring again. I rented a car and set off for a two day adventure in the vast wonderland of Yosemite national park. It was a wonderful feeling to be winding through the Sierra Nevada mountains with the sun beating down, breathtaking views and the iTunes on with me singing at the top of my voice (lucky for all humanity I was alone in a car where no one could hear!). I kept pulling over at every opportunity I got to jump out of the car, inhale the crisp clear mountain air and attempt to capture some of the beauty photograph after photograph.
Upon reaching the park this mouth dropping wonderment continued as I struggled to keep my eyes on the road as I gasped at the enormity of the rocks and beautiful valley views. I made way up to the highest point in the park, Glacier Point, to gaze over the valley, Curry village and the amazing half Dome rock. That night I spent my first night in a US style motel with all the doors to the outside and the greasy spoon restaurant to go with it! I was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness and efficiently of it all although admittedly it was basic; maybe I need to try a few more motels before becoming a fully fledged convert!
The next day I drive into Yosemite valley and enjoyed a couple of hours wandering through the wooded areas around the village and passing by mirror lake and old Ahahhi hotel. I then set off for my final stop, the siernnasa or the world's largest trees, which were located right a the southern most point of the park. Nothing could have prepared for the almost mythical beauty of the red giants of the Giant Sequoias - biggest trees in the world. I could swear that Tolkien must have drawn some inspiration from them for the tree unks in the Lord of the Ring books. I tore myself away to set off on the 5 hour drive back to Folsom once again taking the wonderful ending road 49 through the mountains. Along with the Grand Canyon, Yosemite is now another one of my moments of reflection as to the absolute enormity and wonderment of mother nature and how we as individuals are almost insignificant amongst it all. Look at these small samples of photographs and tell me you don't agree......


The amazing drive through the mountains to the park


The very cool Half Dome rock, the centre piece of the park


Breathtaking.....


Reflection of the rocks in clear blue waters


The largest trees in the world and me :-)

Portland - first stop in the US

Pete and his family very kindly had me as their guest for the four days of my train trip through the US and so my 5 bags and I arrived in Portland on the 19th of December. The bags, before you all accuse me of never being able to travel light, were to be distributed at various points along the trip (the first had muffins, wine and sweets for Portland) and one contained all my surveys from Dublin (I just could not bear to be separated from them!). I knew the moment Pete and I left the train station that I would like Portland as we made our way to the street car to take the short 5 minute ride to his parents place right n the heart of the city.
Portland is such a walkable with that initial tram ride and the return one to leave 4 days later being the only ones we took while I was there. The weather was sunny with a likely chill in the air as we wandered through the very cool converted warehouses and trendy streets of the SE of the city, coming upon many of the fabulous movie theatres where you sit at a table and enjoy personnel service while watching the show- the idea that Film Fatale has started in Dublin for my Dublin peeps. I had to contend that Pete was better at pool than me when he won 4 of our 5 games n the very cool old school pool hall. Another day brought the cool NE of the city with the quaint one bedroom houses including their own front porch, lots of lovely interesting shops, pretty streets to wander on and fun times in the bars out with a group of all guys for a change! On my final morning we visited the largest Chinese garden outside China and it truly is a wonderful oasis of tranquility and beauty including a lovely little tea room.
Once again Portland is engrained in my memory by the people that made my stay so wonderful. I spent a lovely few days enjoying the company of Pete's family and friends and now onwards to California.......


One of the many cool converted warehouses in Portland


Portlandians love their bikes!!!


The wonderfully beautiful Chinese garden

Three Canadian cities – three Canadas…

I set out my semester at UBC Vancouver on the 20th of August 2011 with no expectations and no idea of what the next 4 months would hold for me. What I encountered changed my world and altered so many preconceptions I may have held. The last three months have involved wonderful experiences, amazing people, lots of reflection time and most of all good times ☺ Rather than try and cover everything, as this would be next to impossible, I have instead decided to shape this entry but describing my incredibly diverse encounters with three Canadian cities.

Quebec City:
The first stop in Canada was in Quebec City for the week seminar with all the students involved in the megapolitan project. Having been in Montreal in 2001, I thought that I had a vague idea of what Quebec City might be like; however, although there were certainly similar elements Quebec City is a really wonderfully unique place in its own right. I immediately felt like I was in this distinct world caught somewhere between North America and Europe. Unlike France Quebecois residents loved that I spoke to them in French and did not try to correct my accent but rather smiled and responded to me in French. I was intrigued by the French Canadian accent something I had not really had the opportunity to really listen to in Montreal as we were there for such a short time – I really can’t describe the accent except to say that they certainly sound Canadian even when speaking French! The old walled city was wonderful with the cobbled streets and wonderful cafes. The Quebecois loved anyone who spoke French and I felt comfortable chatting away in the shops and restaurants – a refreshing change from France where the linguistic perfectionism is often difficult to navigate.
The supermarkets were certainly North American though with everything you can imagine available and in all different shapes and sizes ☺! We certainly had a diverse experience of the city as part of the seminar involved visiting local government agencies including transportation, biotech and the international recruitment centre that are solely responsible for recruiting foreign workers to Quebec to work. On the final day of the seminar Laval university organised a trip up the coast to Tadoussac to the famous whale watching area. The drive took 5 hours each way but it was incredible and we were rewarded with a sighting of a whale swimming right along the shore. Sunday the 28th of August and hurricane Irene hit and so my last day was spent in doors out of danger of flying trees and crazy rain. I loved Quebec City and would certainly love to visit it again.


Quebec City Fairmont where the plan for ending WW2 was first formed


Some students taking part in the Megapolitian exchange - we were making our way up the coast to whale watch

Calgary and Banff:
Before submerging myself in the wonderfully colourful world of Vancouver I turn first to Calgary which I visiting in the middle of October. I went there for a weekend to catch up with Amy Braithwaite a friend from my Dhaka days. Calgary was certainly a contrast to Vancouver and indeed to Quebec City, but it had its charm. The aspect that intrigued me the most was the layout of the city – there are about 3 by 7 blocks of high rise buildings in the centre of the city home to the financial institutions and the oil companies. The rest of the city is a vast as far as the eye can see urban suburban sprawl, and the car definitely reigns king! My favourite thing about Calgary apart from hanging out with Amy was the food – I had the best Ethiopian, the best Sushi and the best beaver tail (not a real beaver tail obviously look it up if you are not Canadian) ever.
We took a fabulous drive up to the Rockies and the beautiful resort of Banff; it was the middle of October so there was no snow but the views were spectacular. We took a walk along the river to the Banff hotel where part of the film the Shinning was shot! The most amazing thing about the trip from Calgary to Banff is how the Rockies suddenly begin where before this there was only flat prairies.


Beautiful Banff


The few blocks that are Calgary City


Vancouver:
A cliche maybe returning to the city of my birth to engage with the wonderful world of UBC which truly completed the journey of the PhD for me. I still have the next 8 months of writing to get through but going to UBC and interacting with academics there whom I have held in the outmost regard, has given me the confidence and the clarity I need for the next year or so to finish this journey.
Following this thought my fondest memories of Vancouver and the past 4 months will centre around people; both reconnecting with people from distant past and more recent periods of my life in addition to the many new friends made. Having spent so much of my life moving from place to place, it has always been people who ground a certain location for me and whom also create a sense of 'home'. So in the fun action filled 4 months in Vancouver it will be conversations and time spent with these people that I will take away with me rather than any nostalgia about being in the lace where my life began. On my arrival my new landlady Jean was very welcoming and always checked to make sure everything was going well for me, and drove me to my new apartment when I moved closer to the city in the middle of October. In my new apartment I had the pleasure of getting to know Bernadette my French speaking landlady whom I shared many a hilarious conversation at the kitchen sink with and compared travel stories and hopes for the future. The other PhD students at SCARP the department where I was based, we're wonderful and included me in everything from seminar discussions to social activities despite the brief length of my stay. Sharing the experience of the PhD with such a diverse group of people was enlightening and reassuring, I will miss all the chats and insights. A special mention to Jessica who kept irony and sarcasm alive, and to Lyana who opened my eyes to a whole new part of history I know so little about. Two other students were on the megapolitan exchange programme from Barcelona, and I hung out a lot with Mariona a native of Barcelona and a proud Catalonian. It was always nice to have a European to call on to connect to the continent and we definitely shared a similar sense of humour. It was also through Mariona that I am now convinced that learning Spanish rather than Mandarin is the linguistic avenue for me. It was great also to hang out with Ania whom I met in July at a labour conference in Geneva, and her boyfriend Mar-Oliver - an ndication of just how small the world really is!
The people from my past included my cousins Andrew and Scott and their mum Julie and despite our vastly different life courses it was a lot of fun hanging out with them and catching up on old time. I will certainly not be forgetting the $12 all you can eat sushi in Richmond any time soon! I also spent some time with Charlotte my late grandfather's wife and who has been a part of my life sine I was born. How many of you can say you went cross-country skiing with the doctor who delivered you?! Catching up with Ellen is definitely one of the highlights of my time in Vancouver. My mum has maintained her friendship with Ellen over the years as she had enjoyed meeting her so much in Vancouver and I was happy to reestablish that connection. Ellen kindly took me skiing and included me in a number of events around Vancouver including a trip to Bowen island and a Sufi ceremony!
There a far too many evens and occasions in the four months I was thee to mention them all so I will include the most memorable. Certainly the cross-country skiing was one, an evening at a ice-hockey game with Lyana, a walking tour of Strathcona with Jess and Conor, hiking on Cyrus with a group from SCARP, walking across the burrard street bridge and on Granville island, a wonderful trip with Liz to Vancouver island, the week my father came to visit and took me through his favourite memories of growing up in Vancouver and many many more!
I won't be forgetting my time in Vancouver anytime soon and am thankful to all the people who made it such a wonderful experience. It truly is physically one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to, and in this regard my only criticism is that it lacks a 'rough' edge - something I think I need in a city to keep my intrigue alive.


Granville Island from Granville Street Bridge - one of my favourite places in Vancouver


Hiking on Cyprus mountain with SCARP peeps


My first pumpkin carving party


First time to try curling a very popular and fun Canadian sport - this was at the official Olympic arena for curling from 2010 Olympics!


Tried cross-country skiing for the first time and loved it!


Feeding the seals on Vancouver Island


My favourite view across Vancouver from Burrard Bridge of Stanley Park and the mountains