Wow, it is been a while since I sent out an update... in fact it's been so long that trying to summarise everything at this point is a little bit daunting. Last time I wrote we were in Nha Trang, Vietnam and I am now in Koh Samui, Thailand... in between here and there we have been to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane, Laos and to Bangkok, Thailand.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam was by far my least favourite Vietnamese city. The people weren't especially friendly and the city was a city like any other. However, while in HCM we did visit the Cu Chi Tunnels which was very cool. At one point we were crawling through a space so small that we had to scoot on our bums or turn around and go head first on our belly.

Leaving Vietnam wasn't very much trouble. The border crossing into Cambodia took a while (about 2 hours) but we were not hassled or anything as we had paid for a company to shuttle us across the border and take care of all that stuff. Once in Phnom Penh we wandered for about an hour trying to find somewhere to stay and eventually succumbed to the fact that we could not find anything on our own and let a tuk tuk driver take us to a place he knew. That tuk tuk driver ended up being our personal chauffeur for the next few days so it worked out well. Our guest house was right by the lake which is the cheap backpacker area.. and it was definitely different. There were lots of people offering drugs and a lot of cracked out people hanging around. Interesting place, that's for sure. Twice while walking down the street we saw someone guiding an elephant down the road... that is a strange thing to see on a normal afternoon. We only ended up having one full day in Phnom Penh so we spent the next day checking out all the sites. By far the most important two things to see and do in Phnom Penh is the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields and the S21 prison. They are a reminder of all the horrible things that went on there and of a nation that was literally crippled. I suggest that you google it if you don't know anything about the Khmer Rouge. After seeing both of those, which were quite emotionally draining, we headed to the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace is quite... royal and it was the first of it's kind that we had seen. There were a lot of temples and pagodas around the grounds and a beautiful garden. Half of the property was blocked off to the public though because the King lives there.

The next day we took the fast boat to Siem Reap down the Mekong. They called it a fast boat but I didn't expect it to go so fast! It was crazy! While on the boat we passed all sorts of traditional villages on the river's edge and had an opportunity to see how the people live which was great. You can't get more authentic then that. The kids are very happy in Cambodia, they wave at everyone that passes and are always smiling. When we arrived in Siem Reap we took a tuk tuk to the city centre with these four Vancouver guys that we had met on board. Our tuk tuk driver literally had a temper tantrum when we dropped him off and refused to take our money because we wouldn't guarantee to use him the next day for Angkor - after his behaviour there is not a chance we would even consider calling him again. That night we went to see a traditional Apsara show which is the Cambodian ballet. It was at a very expensive restaurant that we couldn't even afford to eat at but it was good to see. The dance was a lot slower than any of us had expected but it looked very traditional. In Cambodia it is considered to be a great honour to be able to dance as an Apsara dancer. The next day was our first day of the Angkor Temples. We hired a driver and guide for day one and on day two took a tuk tuk and guided ourselves. In total we visited: Bantay Sarei, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider was filmed here and it is quite cool), Ta Som, Pre Rup, and one for sunset. Each temple was unique in it's own right and it is hard to pick a favourite. The faces at the Bayon in Angkor Wat were very interesting, Angkor Wat in all it's elegance and splendor was a must see and the trees emerging from Ta Prohm were crazy. By the end of the second day we were 100% templed out. On our third full day in Siem Reap we had great intentions to visit one of the three orphanages in the area but we were told to come back at a later time and then when we returned there were contractors at the one orphanage. However, while we were in Cambodia, the four Canadian guys were handing out toys to the many many children and we were handing out suckers which the kids loved. Honestly, the kids in Cambodia are wonderful. They are happy and smiling and they are working yet they are enjoying themselves. We met this one little girl with her Mom and she knew how to count to 10 in 20 different languages! So cool! Plus, all the kids know information about multiple countries so you would tell them that you were from Canada and they would respond with "Canada. Very big country. You speak both French and English. Capital Ottawa. Population 34 million people" which we were quite impressed by.

From Siem Reap, Cambodia we flew to Luang Prabang, Laos. There wasn't a whole lot to do in Luang Prabang but they had an awesome night market and a great opportunity for day trips. We did some elephant trekking while we were in Luang Prabang and visited the Kuang Si Falls which were absolutely beautiful. The falls cascaded down multiple tiers into emerald pools. The water was a bit cold but very clear and clean. Luang Prabang is a very cute little town with all the typical temples and also a Royal Palace that housed the royal family until their exile in 1975... the royal family was never seen again.

After Luang Prabang we took a long mountainous drive to Vang Vieng - known for tubing and an all around party town. On the bus we met three guys from England, Richard, Jason and James, one girl from England, Lindsey, and a guy from Australia, Michael. We spent the next few days with the same people and even shared a room with Lindsey and then carried on to our next city with James. Vang Vieng was kind of like spring break except with tubes floating down a river. On our first full day in Vang Vieng we went on a kayaking and caving trip. It was a good mixture of land and water. We had to climb through some very small cave holes and it was very dark (the flashlight they provided sucked) and there were a lot of up and downs and places where you had to literally rock climb up places. It was a lot of fun though. The next day we went tubing. Tubing is something that you cannot fully explain without experiencing but essentially you float down the river (which was very low this time of year and we kept scraping the rock bottom with our knees and bums) and as you approach a bar they throw out a line for you to catch and if you want to visit that bar you take the line and are pulled in, if not you float on to the next bar. The bars are very close together so you could literally bounce from bar to bar which we kind of did. In addition, at each bar they have some sort of attraction like a rope swing, a zip line, a slide or a diving board. I was going to try the zip line but after seeing it knock both Lindsey and Stacey around like a rag doll I did the rope swing in an attempt to not worsen my shoulder. Our goal of the day was to be back with our tubes by 6:00pm so that we could get our full deposit back... we didn't but we tried. We got out of the water at one point and tried to hire a tuk tuk but he was waiting for more people (apparently 10 wasn't enough??) so we carried on down the river until it was so dark we couldn't see each other in the water and then got out and started walking back to town... in our bathing suits with our tubes. A tuk tuk picked us up while we walked and drove us back but we were an hour late. Oh well. The next day it was onto Vientiane.

James was taking the same route as us and joined us on the ride to Vientiane and then shared a room with us when we got there. There wasn't much in Vientiane and honestly it wasn't one of my favourite places in the country. We visited Pha That Luang thought to be the most important symbol of Laos and the temple Wat Si Saket which has a crazy number of Buddhas on the property. After we just wandered around the city taking in the many city temples and monuments.

The next day we boarded an airplane and headed onto Thailand! Thailand has been wonderful. On our first full day in Bangkok we took a day trip out to a floating market, the bridge, some war monuments, and the best part ..... TIGER TEMPLE! Tiger Temple was fantastic, we paid the extra money to hold the tigers heads and pet them and pose with all the cats. They were very soft and docile and it was a really cool experience (pictures to follow!). The next day we did another day trip, this time to Ayutthaya the Ancient City. It was cool to see but to be fair, very very similar to the Temples of Angkor from Cambodia. Still interesting to see how they lived. On the third day in Bangkok we me up with two of Stacey's friend's from home, Dave and Janina. We toured around Bangkok seeing the Grand Palace which was architecturally stunning and had a very small emerald Buddha inside the main wat. We also saw Wat Pho which is the oldest wat in Bangkok which is home to more than one thousand Buddha images and the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand. Next up we took a ferry across to Wat Arun where we climbed steep steps to the top tier and had a great view of the city. That night we visited the Pat Pong district (the red light district) and then headed to Khao San road as we did every night. Street stall pad thai is delicious.

The flight to Koh Samui, where we are right now was very quick. Kelli and Glenn's place is fabulous. Right on the beach and beautiful. We wouldn't leave if we didn't have to. While here we have played badminton, gone shopping a few times, gone out on Glenn's boat, gone on a massive sail boat, last night we went to a lady boy show which was fantastic, and then today we went for authentic Thai massages, manicures and pedicures. The Thai massage was crazy because the ladies get right up on you and are pulling your limbs every direction. It felt great though and was very cheap!

We leave for Bangkok in a few days and for home on Friday. I can't believe how fast this has all gone! I'll send around the photos once I am home and have them uploaded.

I am currently in Nha Trang, Vietnam. It wasn't part of our original plan to come here but since we are in Vietnam for the lunar New Year, Tet and would have been in Ho Chi Minh we decided to come here for the holiday instead of in a city of 8 million people. Nha Trang is supposed to be nice but it was overcast the first two days and beautiful yesterday.

So, Vietnam. I really like this country! It is a lot less Western than where we went in China. We have only seen 2 KFCs and no McDonalds or Pizza Hut! Such a step up! We started out in Han Oi, Vietnam. Han Oi is a loud and bustling city and the sheer number of motorbikes shocked us from the get go. We actually liked crossing the street more there than in China though because it actually felt like people would avoid us! 'They' say that the best way to cross the street is to close your eyes and go. We have been doing it with our eyes open but really you just have to walk, not hesitate and they seem to avoid you. In Han Oi we first experienced the street vendors, the women walking with the baskets on their shoulders, and the many many cyclos wanting to give you a ride. Also, the honking, oh my goodness, between the honking and the exhaust it is an interesting experience walking through the city. On our first day we headed to Hoan Kiem Lake and the temple that sits on an island in the middle of it. The lake was very beautiful and we sat down in a little cafe by the waters edge. The rest of the day was basically spent wandering the many little streets. We walked to a market, saw a Cathedral and just basically took in the city. On our second day we had made arrangements to head to Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh. It is the first National Park of it's kind in Vietnam and was set up by Ho Chi Minh himself. It is quite large and is said to be full of all sorts of rare and endangered animals ... none of which we saw. We did get to see a thousand year old tree though which was quite ginormous. While at the National Park we were also able to visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre. They had all sorts of primates and even some adorable babies. The project is quite unique. They are a German group and have recruited assistance and money from all over the world. The drive back to Han Oi took about 3 hours... and that was for 120km.... the roads here are unreal!! Our last day in Han Oi was just spent wandering around. We did go to KOTO though which is a really cool restaurant that trains street kids to work in the hospitality industry. They give them accommodation, a bike and a spot at the school. The program is 2 years and after they find them a job and have a 100% success rate.

Out of Han Oi we caught up with a tour to Halong Bay which is about three hours out of the city. From there we got on a 'junk boat' for a 2 day, 1 night trip. We sailed around the bay stopping at one of the many fishing villages where some of the people on our boat bought some fresh (as in, still swimming around) fish. They have all sorts, squid, big fish, SHARKS, small fish. After we stopped at these really awesome caves that people hid in during the war and then at an island and climbed to the top to see the sunset. The weather wasn't fabulous, pants and a long sleeve on the water but it wasn't horrible either. It was very pretty on Halong Bay. They have been given World Heritage Site status twice and it is clear why. The next morning we were given the opportunity to kayak around the bay and through some caves. Unfortunately the water levels were too high to go in the caves but the kayaking was fun! I'd never been in one before and was pretty scared it would flip but it didn't and we were fine although a little wet from the spray from the paddles. That was basically the end of our journey at Halong Bay. We still had to sail back to the harbour and have lunch but we were back in Han Oi by 4:30 that afternoon and preparing to board our first overnight bus to Hue.

The overnight bus wasn't that bad... it wasn't that great either though. We had a sleeper bus but the seats were like beds so it was difficult to sit up and talk before you actually went to bed. It wasn't too bad for sleeping although it was quite noisy (horn honking) and very bumpy. When we got into Hue we were surrounded by people trying to get us to come with them to a certain hotel. They were extremely obnoxious and annoying and we just basically kept saying no and walking away. We already had a place booked but they still followed behind us down the road. So far they are much more aggressive and annoying in Hue than any other city we have been in (and that goes for the cities we have been to since). After finding out hotel and having a much needed shower we grabbed lunch at an adorable floating restaurant and then headed to the Forbidden Purple City. We hadn't really made any friends at this point and while out front we saw two other people and latched on. We have now been with Abbi and Graham for a few cities so it worked out well. The Forbidden Purple City was very non-purple. It was actually falling apart in a lot of places and in others there was construction. The city was used for the emperor to house his concubines and keep him (and them) safe from the outside. There was still a lot of the structure and original roof lines/paintings which was interesting to see but then other parts were crumbled. There wasn't much to see in Hue besides the Forbidden City and the tombs but we decided to take a day trip out of the city on our second day to visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). The DMZ was the dividing line between the North and the South during the war in Vietnam. It is still home to many bunkers, tanks, planes, unexploded ordinances and tunnels. Perhaps the most interesting part about that leg of the trip was seeing the tunnels. People lived in these tunnels for 6-7 years and they are tiny! They are about 1.6m tall (shorter in some areas), and very narrow plus obviously quite dark and damp inside. While in the tunnels a total of 17 babies were born in the maternity room! Not exactly ideal conditions. We are planning on heading to the tunnels in Ho Chi Minh as well but it was still very interesting to see the ones out of Hue.

After Hue we jumped on another bus, this time during the day to Hoi An. It was only about 4 hours away but it dropped us right into ideal beach weather. Hoi An is known for two things, having tailor made clothing and shoes and for their food which is delicious. There wasn't a heck of a lot to do in Hoi An besides having clothes made and visiting the beach but both of those things were enjoyable. On our first (half) day we rented bikes and went down to the beach for a couple of hours. The water wasn't too clear because it is winter and the water is quite choppy. Later that night it became our number one priority to have some clothes made, as a result of Tet prices would be going up because the shops were closing in a couple of days. The majority of our time in Hoi An was spent lying on the beach and wandering through the streets. It had a very nice beach-town feel there and it was a very relaxing environment.

Our bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang was another over night bus. This time we had the good bus with the seats that can also be chairs if you choose to not sleep. The ride wasn't that bad and I don't think the roads were as bumpy as the previous overnight bus had been. The weather, as I mentioned, in Nha Trang was quite dreadful. Very overcast and windy. We did get a chance to walk to the Long Son Pagoda where there is a very big Buddha. It was quite large but I think that the one we saw in Beijing at Lama Temple might have been larger. At the Long Son Pagoda they had two Buddhas, one that was sitting on a lotus flower and one that was sleeping. While there we were also granted access into the pagoda (ie. temple) to watch the prayer session that was going on. While in Nha Trang we also headed to the Cham Tower which is a series of pagoda/temples each honouring someone different. They were very dark inside and one was quite creepy since there was very little light source coming in through the door and a lot of incense being burned. As mentioned, we were in Nha Trang for Tet, the lunar New Year. Tet fell on the 26th making the 25th 'Tet Eve' and therefore party central. We had a great time partying in local bars and on the beach but we had a lot to drink.... it was a much cheaper New Years Eve than any we could get at home! It was really cool though because they had dragon dancing troops going through the streets performing and playing drums. We didn't get home until about 3:30 in the morning and we had to be up yesterday morning at 7:00am so we could do a day boat trip around to the islands. That was rough. The boat trip was lovely though, the sun was finally out and there was a nice breeze on the water. We were a bit ... well, still drunk, but it was a great day. We went to some islands and there was a floating bar at one point and I even went in the ocean which if you know me is a big step because I hate fish touching me and sharks are pretty scary.

This morning we were supposed to catch a bus to Ho Chi Minh and when we went to pay for our room the entire banking system had gone down. Our credit cards wouldn't work, we went to multiple ATMs and neither Visa, MasterCard or our debit cards would work. So we missed our 7:30am bus and were here for the day. In light of our predicament we decided to go to the Hot Springs which was fantastic. We had mineral mud baths, and soaked in hot mineral water then lounged around the pool. Very relaxing and my skin is very soft from all those minerals. They say that the minerals are supposed to help fix all sorts of ailments and joint problems but I'm pretty sure my shoulder still hurts. Oh well it was still very nice.

We are about to catch an overnight bus to Ho Chi Minh. Because we will now get in tomorrow morning (the 28th) and we are supposed to leave for Cambodia on the 29th we have decided to try and jump onto a bus tomorrow and be in Cambodia one day early if possible. We shall see.

Ni Hao,

 

Well, China is quickly coming to a close and to be honest, we couldn't be happier because China is kind of cold! We are looking forward to the warmth that shall come with South East Asia. I have been wearing two pairs of pants and three shirts every single day so far and I am often still cold. That being said, China has actually been really awesome. We landed in Beijing a week ago and once we had a chance to get our bearings we visited the Forbidden City. It looked really close to our hostel on the map so we decided to walk there... um... yeah, it was an hour and a half away. Well, that kind of sucked since we were quickly realising it was kind of like... cold! On the first day I bought some snazzy ear muffs (like the 180*s that go behind your head) and they have become invaluable. When we eventually reached the Forbidden City we were elated. It was really quite cool but very large. Upon first impression of China the people are very helpful and willing to try and direct you even if they do not speak English and even if they don't have a clue what you are saying. Beijing is not as 'bad' as it appears on TV or as people say. There was no smog and it seemed quite clean. However, it is quite common for little children to go to the bathroom on the street, they have split bum pants so they can just go when the time  comes... good  for the environment I guess because no diapers but kind of gross and their bums must get cold!!

 

On our second day in Beijing we headed to the Olympic area. It was so cool! Both the water cube and the bird's nest were quite impressive. I was surprised to see that they were right next to each other though. On TV it looked like they were blocks apart but instead there is only a square in between them! Everything is still set up with the barriers, the hundreds of toilets and the traffic warden. Kind of funny since it looks kind of abandoned and yet set up for an event. After we jumped back on the subway, connected to a bus and headed to the Summer Palace. It was absolutely incredible!! All of the pagodas were painted intricately, there were arches and bridges everywhere. I bet it looks even better in the summer. On our way back to the hostel we had a small confusion with the bus driver. They wouldn't take our money to pay for the ticket to ride, we weren't sure why or what would happen but when our stop came we just got off. Later that night we met up with some friends that I had previously met in Egypt. They just happened to be in Beijing at the same time as us.

 

On our third day in Beijing we headed out to the Great Wall. We hiked the 10km from Jingshaning to Samatai. It was intense. I am pretty sure it was more than 10km because there were so many vertical ups and downs. Parts of the wall are in utter disrepair and literally crumbling off which made for an interesting hike. It was absolutely beautiful though and incredible to think we were hiking on the Great Wall of China! It took 4.5/5 hours and needless to say we slept well that night. When we got on the bus Teresa and Dylan were actually on there with us so we hiked with them and an NZ named Anthony.

 

On our final day in Beijing we wanted to see the Lama Temple and Tianaman Square. The Lama Temple was cool with all these prayer benches and incense burners. The temple is one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world and houses an 18m tall Buddha carved from one single piece of Sandalwood! It was pretty huge.

 

Later that night we boarded our first overnight train, this time to Xi'An. We had booked two soft sleepers and ended up having the entire cabin (of four beds) to ourselves so it was quite restful and nice! Shocker, I know! We had been a little worried about having roommates because in China people.... spit. Like, great big hork up and spit on the ground, train, store, etc. We didn't think we could handle that over our bunks.

 

When we arrived in Xi'An our hostel was not there to get us and we had to find our way there by ourselves. Once there (it was 6:30am) we were able to shower, change and relax a bit before Dylan and Teresa's train got in and we could head out to see the Terracotta Warriors. The Terracotta Warriors are very interesting but cause you to ask so many questions! Pit 1 is very awesome with lots of standing warriors and horses. It was cool to see the variation (no two are alike) and the sheer number. Pit 2 was okay but Pit 3 was just a bunch of dirt... literally.

 

Yesterday, our last day in Xi'An, we headed to the Great Big Goose Pagoda, the Drum and Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter. The Muslim Quarter was by far the best part. Lots of little stalls and a really authentic feel. In general Xi'An has a much more authentic Chinese feel than Beijing did. I really liked Xi'An.

 

Last night we boarded our second, and last, overnight train in China and headed to Shanghai where we are now. Only a couple more days in China and then on to Vietnam (and hopefully warmer weather).

 

Sorry this is so quick, I am short on time at the moment. I hope all are well.

 

Lots of love from China,

 

Ashley

 

I am having a bad day. I am training to cover maternity leave when my co-worker has her baby in March (since I am away January and February training must happen now) and I am now about 98% solo. I made my first mistake today - a big one - I felt like vomitting when I realised but everything has been worked out. I still feel like crap though and I'm second guessing myself. Why exactly would I want to be a grown up?? I am going back to school, 50 page papers are way less stressful than messing up major legal transactions.

Brown sweater: Jacob Connexion
Brown tank: H&M
Pants: Express
Shoes: Aldo (brown flats despite the fact that we are to get snow today!)

We are supposed to be hit by the outerlimits of a snow storm today - I am so glad I don't live North of Toronto or in any of the snow belt regions. I had to wear my WINTER coat today, a scarf and mittens. Not looking forward to eventually scraping my car windows.

It is a good thing this past weekend was a long one because it sure was busy. On Friday I met up with a friend that I met traveling in Morocco for dinner. He was in town just for one week doing a rotation at one of our hospitals. It was really nice to catch up with him after (exactly) a year. He is an interesting guy.

On Saturday I went out for my friend Meghann's birthday. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't looking forward to going out for her birthday - I am not a club person - but I love Meghann and wherever she wanted to go I was game for. We went to Circa which is downtown on Saturday and I actually had a good time. For one, my feet didn't hurt which is always a huge hindrance to me enjoying myself. When my toes feel like they are broken I am not a happy camper. Also, there were not a TON of people - most likely because the place was HUGE and there were four rooms that split people up. I didn't get stepped on, pushed, sweated against, etc.

By the end of the night I wasn't actually as tired as I thought I would be. We left the club at around 2:30 and I drove two people home before hitting my bed at around 4am. I must have been dawdling downstairs because there is no way it took me that long to drive back from Toronto. Then again, Martin took a loooong time to get out of my car and into his house.

On Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving with a big dinner. My Mom made me my very own special stuffing that had not gone inside the carcass of a turkey PLUS she found me some vegetarian gravy! It was very exciting for me and made it feel like a special meal whereas my dinner usually is just the same thing I normally eat but with a side of cranberry sauce.

On Monday I relaxed all day. We went for a walk, sat around, watched TV and read. Then at night I went to Meghann's beach v-ball game. I feel bad that it was the first one I've gone to but at least I used to go to her fast-pitch games. It was really nice to just sit around after and talk. I need to start seeing my friends more. I'm busy and it's hard but it is worth it every single time.

This morning I woke up feeling just fine. I slept relatively well and had a nice warm shower. At some point I started to feel like crap and ended up looking like crap. I don't know what happened. I pulled on clothes that are comfortable and would look good if not paired with one another. This shirt clings to the buttons on my pants and gives me a rolly lump around my mid section. Not all that pretty.

This past weekend was good, kind of casual, but good. Actually, I prefer casual a lot of the time. On Friday night my friend Amanda came over, we hung out, had dessert and then went to play at the park! How fun is that! I felt like a little kid and it was actually a lot of fun!

On Saturday morning I met with my trainer - ugh. It was okay but I am pretty sure she is content on killing me. We had to do these horrible drills where I do 12 of a machine really heavy, then immediately following, 10 of the same machine a little bit lighter, then right away as many as I can of the same machine even lighter. It was brutal! I didn't really do much during the day but that evening I went over to my friend Dave's house and hung out with him and Cassy. We just watched a movie (Deception) and talked.

On Sunday I was having people over for dinner. Two of the people Stacey and I met in Costa Rica, Dan and Cat, came over, as did Stacey and Ty. It was good to catch up! Dinner wasn't a disaster which is more than I can say for most meals I am responsible for. It was a great night.

Also, this weekend I purchased my tickets for Asia! Stacey and I leave on January 2nd until February 27th. I'm pretty excited!!

So, I am clearly failing at the blog updates but I am somehow able to post on the Working Closet every day without fail. In light of this revelation, I have decided to start posting my WC photo to my blog and then maybe post something else if I remember.

Lately, things have been hectic. Just like last year I am a Brownie leader (with Girl Guides of Ontario) and a Big Sister (with Big Brothers Big Sisters) and both of those programs have started in the last couple of weeks. I have been busy planning for Brownies, setting up our year so that it runs smoothly and we accomplish everything we need to.

I am also still going to my trainer 2 times per week. She kills me, daily, but it has been a good thing. I appreciate what she makes me do even if I hate every single burpie while I am doing them. Until recently I was feeling energized and as if I had lost some weight. Over the last week I have been feeling a lot more bloated and lethargic which most likely means I am missing something in my diet but could also be a result of the change in seasons.

Fall is coming in full force around these parts. Up until this week the weather has still been nice during the day and I have been wearing skirts to work but now it is 13*C (55*F) and that is a bit chilly for anything but pants. The leaves are starting to change into vibrant reds, yellows and oranges - I love this time of the year when the fall air has just started to crisp and the leaves are changing colours. Before we know it they will all have fallen off the trees and the snow will start to fall. Hopefully there won't be any snow until after my birthday - which is in 22 days.

Some stuff has been kind of bad recently. Maybe surprising would be a better descriptive. One of my friends, who I really like and have had a very special bond with since I met him in grade 11, is moving to England. On Friday. With his new girlfriend. It was a shock. I only just found out on Monday and I was pretty angry that he didn't have the decency to tell me sooner. I saw him last night and remembered why we are friends - we seem to get each other better than with others. I am less mad now and hopeful that he will actually stay in contact once he has left.

Well, my long weekend was unexpectedly interesting. Isn't it funny how that happens? You should never anticipate being bored because you never know what might happen. It started out normal enough, I had been asked by my friend Stacey if I would be interesting in taking her extra ticket for the Simple Plan concert (opening bands Faber Drive, Metro Station and Cute is What we Aim For) so that she didn't have to cover the cost of a spare (someone cancelled). I said sure because concerts are fun and I had no Friday night plans. So we arrive at the Molson Amplitheatre and we are walking towards the gates and these two guys approach us and one of them asked if we wanted to buy some backstage passes. We kind of looked at him like he was crazy and trying to rip us off but he seemed genuine and he said he would walk us back to security and through the gates. Obviously this seemed like a good plan to us so we bought passes for $20 each and stuck them on our clothes (they were fabric and sticky) and in we went through the back way. It was pretty cool because we were allowed to go anywhere we wanted (including on stage - which we didn't), we were given free food, free drinks and a lounge to chill in. We had tickets for the 300 level seating which we never ended up sitting in - instead we roamed free. We spent a lot of time in the lounge that was provided and then the rest on the floor right up close to the band. It was nice being able to just go as we pleased without being stopped or searched. In fact, if I had known I would have brought my own water in with me. After the show finished we went upstairs and met some of the guys in the bands (David Desrosiers, Pierre Bouvier, Chuck Comeau and Sebastien Lefebvre from Simple Plan, Blake and Mason from Metro Station, and Faber from Faber Drive). They were all very nice which I really liked. David from Simple Plan was by far the nicest and spent a lot of time with the fans, taking photos, talking, being very friendly. He clearly hadn't showered yet and was taking time from when he needed to be getting ready to spend time with the fans which made me think he is probably a good guy.

MORE PICTURES HERE!

Then, a little less exciting drama and more horrible drama, on Sunday my brother was biking and flipped over his handle bars meeting the asphalt with his face. Ouch. The details are a bit sketchy but he was going around the corner and some woman in a car was turning into him and then he flipped over his handle bars. I do not know if it was his fault or not but after he was on the ground he said he had to jump up because he thought she was going to run him over (she did not). He is fine now but he was in a lot of pain this weekend. He broke his front two teeth and split his lip very badly, scuffed up his nose, broke his wrist, broke his watch, cut his hand and his chest and has a lot of aches and pains. We went to the emergency room and they said his teeth were not exposed root so they could call in the emergency dentist but since it was a long weekend it would take forever and there would be an additional fee not covered by OHIP. He ended up going to the dentist on Tuesday morning and they were able to make him two new front teeth out of porcelain because he did not go to the root. If they chip or crack he will need to get two root canals and crowns on his teeth which will cost more and be more painful. I was sick to my stomach thinking about the pain he was in and how horrible it all is. I am so glad that things weren't worse. If you would like to see a photo click the link HERE but warning: it is disgusting.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Backstreet Boys concert. When I was a kid I was absolutely in LOVE with BSB. While my obsession was possibly bordering on unhealthy, I think it was good that I had something to be passionate about. They got me through a lot of very difficult and formative years and having something/someone to fall back on when I was down was nice. It sounds kind of ridiculous because we're talking about a boy band that was years my senior and obviously not physically obtainable, however, it was something to care about. During the period of loving BSB I broke my ankle. It was terrible, three breaks and a subsequent emergency (1 week post break) surgery. The recovery period was terrible and long and there were weeks when I could only stray from my bed long enough to go to the bathroom or eat. I was home from school and miserable. My parents hung a poster of Nick Carter on the ceiling above my bed and one of Leonardo DiCaprio (my other love) on the back of the door that I faced. When people brought me gifts (because poor Ashley and her poor broken ankle) they were often BSB themed and eventually along with my non-injury related things I had mounds of paraphernalia. The videos, the CDs, the magazines, etc. I even had a CD in the shape of Nick Carter's head! *swoon*

This concert was much different than the one I went to in 1998 and even somewhat different than the one I went to in 2005 because I was older, wiser, more mature... or something like that. When they played songs from my youth I still got all excited and was maybe hoping just a little bit that they would love me like they say they do. Also, Howie has improved over the years! He was ... hot!

More glorious BSB photos can be found HERE!

Since I have not been blogging I did not want to do random posts in which I recount my weekend/week. However, since I have made an effort to write SOMETHING ... ANYTHING over the last couple of weeks I feel as if I can do something that showcases my summer excitement. I was not here last summer so it's been a while since I was able to do 'summer stuff' with my friends and honestly, it has been a lot of fun! It's nice just relaxing on a patio and walking around outside without the threat of frostbite.

This post has been sitting in my draft folder for over a week... I am terrible.

Back in May a group of my girlfriends and I purchased tickets to go and see the Toronto Blue Jays. The tickets allowed us to enter the 'all you can eat' section which had an abundance of peanuts, popcorn, nachos with cheese, hot dogs and pop. It was a lot of fun even if I don't really like baseball. A couple of players broke their wooden bats and sent the wood flying at the mound. It was pretty funny watching everyone hit the ground - if they hadn't been okay obviously it would not have been funny but all ended well. After the game Stacey and I met up with one of the girls from Costa Rica. We walked around, shopped and talked for a bit. We haven't seen her since but we really should.

A couple of weeks after the sister of a friend of mine flew into Toronto for a visit. She is from Australia but had been living in BC for the previous 8 months. When she was in town we went to Niagara Falls and African Lion Safari - regular touristy things. It was a lot of fun having her around and I kind of missed her when she left.

In June I helped throw my friend Cassy a birthday luau. Originally I had wanted to throw her a surprise party but she wouldn't stop bringing up the fact that she wanted to plan a party so she was involved in the process. It was a lot of fun, we had a pinata and a bunch of alcohol in fruity colours. Cassy had a great time and I think that everyone else did as well.

The following weekend I went to Niagara Falls with some friends for Carmen's 23rd birthday. We spent the morning shopping at the outlet and then headed to Niagara to check into our hotel and grab some dinner before the bar. It was a lot of fun - we went to the Dragonfly which is the club attached to the new casino. It was a lot of fun but by the end of the night my feet hurt so much I thought I might cry. We went from the club to the casino but Carmen was waaay too drunk to play the slots and my feet hurt too much to just stand around. We walked back to our hotel, sans shoes, and then once we were dressed more comfortably we headed to find food. One restaurant was open 24/7 and was just down the street from our hotel so we went there. The next day we were going to grab breakfast but Steph was hungover and vomiting so we just headed back home. It was still a great weekend.

A couple of weeks ago my University Alumni offered a trip White Water Rafting and since Stacey and I had so much fun when in Costa Rica we decided to join. From our group there were 6 of us (Amanda, Daniela, Stacey, Tyler, myself and my friend Carmen who did not go to University with me). We had a good time and even though it rained (at night) the camping was still enjoyable. I did not hate camping as I thought I might but it wasn't something I would willingly do often. It was not super relaxing or better than a cheap motel and I was cold the first night.

The drive to near Ottawa wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The rest of the group were able to get off work early so they took the provided transportation but Carmen and I had to drive up separately after. The drive was about 5 hours and we didn't hit much traffic which made it much better. When we arrived at the camp site there was no cell service which, okay, we don't need phones for the weekend and were happy that we didn't have them HOWEVER we needed to call my friends so we could find them. Luckily it all worked out in the end and Daniela happened to be walking past the parking lot just as we were getting out of our cars! Talk about good timing. We joined the group, played some drinking games, sat by the camp fire and then eventually went to bed.

The next morning we had to wake up quite early so that we could eat breakfast and have our orientation before hitting the water. The orientation was pretty dull - wear your life jacket, hold on, don't die, etc. We loaded onto buses once we had all picked our (still wet) life jackets, paddles and helmets and we drove a bit to where we got into the rafts. Our rafting guide was young and we managed to get the only six person raft so we were pretty pleased. There were a few large water falls and we were able to 'surf' which is where you try and get the boat to go vertical on a wake pool, we were also able to swim in the rapids - you needed to kick really really hard or else you would get taken down stream (which to be honest, would be kind of funny). When we finished we had to paddle on still water towards the pontoons that would meet us for lunch and take us back to camp. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing towards us and we needed to paddle extra hard. Our poor, weak, sore arms were failing. We eventually got back and then collapsed into a pile of pained mush. The food on the pontoon was delicious though - salad, fruit, bread rolls, kabobs, soup, cookies. When we got back to camp the sky opened and it rained for the rest of the night. We were able to get in some games of volley ball before it started but then were forced to move into the covered area to resume our drinking games. We ended up in a fierce battle of flip cup against the rafting guides - let's just say, Laurier can drink. Eventually I was too tired to stay up and we had drank more than we should have so we headed back to our beds for the night. Well, our sleeping bags in the tents that were being pelted by rain - same thing.

The next day we hung out briefly before heading back home - another 5 hour drive but it really wasn't too bad!

The following weekend I actually headed to BC to visit my friend, Mike. We went and saw Batman at the IMAX, which was AWESOME! Went sailing in English Bay on the Saturday and then on Sunday (the day I left) went to the aquarium to see the baby beluga which was pretty ridiculously cute! I have zero photos from the weekend because my camera is really quite crappy since I returned from N. Africa last summer. The weekend was good, it was great to meet Ali (his new gf) and his friends but it was also cold and I felt very excluded a lot. People did not try and include me in the conversation and I didn't feel as if I knew them well enough to butt into something that I really should just stay out of. I felt like an outsider which is exactly what I was. I don't think I would go and visit him again for various reasons but mostly because he just didn't seem to understand that as his guest it was his responsibility to make me feel included.

The weekend after that (which was like 2 weeks ago it seems) we went to the Toronto Zoo to celebrate Brenda's birthday. We had been complaining on Carmen's birthday weekend that it had been forever since we had been to the zoo so we took the opportunity and went. It was so much fun! much better than when you go with a whining, hot, hungry child. We saw almost all of the animals and we were only sent indoors due to rain once! They have this awesome exhibit right now called Stingray Bay where you can TOUCH THE STINGRAYS! I'm not going to lie, I was kind of scared, but... I did it! They kind of felt like gel and were slimy and smooth. My heart was beating very hard as I reached into the tank but then I realised that there were a bunch of small children doing it and they didn't seem to be falling over dead so I should probably suck it up and just stick my hand in the water. After the zoo we headed to dinner for a birthday celebration. Unfortunately, Brenda wasn't feeling well so our plans to continue on to the club were put on hold and we just had a relaxing meal (until 11pm!) and then headed home. I was kind of glad because I hadn't drank nearly enough water that day at the zoo and was exhausted.

Those are the big things, I have also gathered for BBQs at friend's houses, gone to the pub, spent time on patios, watched movies, gone on walks, spent time with my little kids, watched Ty perform, etc. I am glad summer isn't over yet but I wish there were more weekends because it is going by way too fast.