The long and short of it

Has it really been two weeks since my last post? Cheesus Christ. 

So I struggled through my rough spot and am, hopefully, over the hump and ready to continue forwards positively. I managed to shake off the bugbear of a woman who would actually consider me to be physically attractive, mainly because when I thought about it long and hard I realised she was completely mental and thoroughly unstable. 

All my roommates are smashing. Steve, Jeele (Boogieman), Felix, Adam and now Ben (living in his car outside) plus Cristin and Kristina. I'm bunking in with Jeele for the month rather than pay the $350 for the spare room. It took me a while to warm to the girls, who took said room, for a few reasons I believe. However much I love dogs, they were a huge shift in the dynamics bringing not one but two dogs along with them. I've also discovered I don't cope well with change if it is within my comfort zone. E.G. somewhere I am now living for a month. I was a complete dick to begin with and am making amends where possible.

We went on a road trip to Calgary a few days after my last post, ultimately because Steve wanted to buy his board from Banff and shag the girl he met at new years (she was far more keen than mine). It was a really good time and, although I had a stroppy on the first day, I still enjoyed my boarding on both days. Steve and I shredded together with Jeele and Felix, and we made the most of our time. I did see Laura in Calgary but barely had a chance to speak to her. She'd brought 'Weird Al Yankovic' to the party anyway and this merely solidified my decision to steer clear. 

Last weekend I hit a rough spot after we all had a bit too much to drink and Steve, for some strange reason, ended up getting rather aggressive. I don't really want to dwell on these events as neither of us dealt with the aftermath particularly well. He's apologised and we're back to peas in a pod - so that'll be as much as I discuss on that front.

What I will say in conjunction to these events is I've learnt very quickly to not let what people do/say affect me as much as I have in the past. I'm working through building mental barriers and becoming a more stalwart individual. Not that I'm closing myself off, as I am well aware that I do this already, more that I am shielding myself from other people's nastiness. A lot of the time people will say things that would usually piss me off, but I'm just letting them slide off my back and forgetting about them as soon as possible. Dwelling on negativity simply perpetuates a state of misery. I am hoping these negative events will merely spur me forwards into positivity. What's the point, y'know?

On the horizon I see my plans for the future. Having settled in Revelstoke I don't relish the idea of travelling anymore. This is mainly because of the extra baggage I've accumulated here. Ridesharing with TWO big bags now is going to be a struggle. However, I get the feeling I've become comfortable and this is the main reason I won't be doing anymore solo adventuring for now. Once my month is up I will discuss with Jeele how much longer I can stay. I will raise the idea of $25 a week. I am contemplating driving from Vancouver back to Toronto for Pam's birthday and to see Joscelyn who, out of the blue, messaged me on facebook today asking how I was and if I'd be back in Toronto. A strange coincidence since I'd already broached the subject with Pam a few days ago. I would be using a website where I drive other people's cars for them. First Vancouver - Toronto, then Toronto to San Francisco. It would be long, and boring, but at least I'd eat up a few days driving around and seeing the country again.

 All I am thinking of doing in America is checking out Las Vegas for a night, hitting up the vans outlet there and then getting home. I want to touch base with Rowan, my bro's cousin, and possibly stay with Sam's (my friend) uncle for a few days until my flight. 

My mind is scrambled trying to think of more things to write about now so I'll just jot down some key events that have happened; general things I've been doing in town as I settle into a more comfortable place. I've also started a 'reason to be happy list' in which I have to write one thing each day that has been a highlight or made me happy.

- Snowboarding (obviously)

- Free trips to the swimming pool/hot tub

- Buying more boarding gear (oops!)

- Driving the Boogiebus

- Wings nights!

- Free pool nights at the Grizzlies

- Watching the local hockey team THE GRIZZLIES weekly (Paxman!)

Some of my highlights include these kinds of events so that list pretty much doubles up.

I'll sign off with the thought that right now, right here, I am very content.

It's your world, I'm just living in it

Son of a bitch I have hit my first real struggle of the trip. All the other times I've been a mopey little so-and-so were momentary blips on an otherwise plain sailing journey. Calgary was only tough because I wanted to snowboard so badly... which has all worked out ok as you know. Now I've really hit a funk for a number of reasons, chief among them being a god-damn female.

Women are all such a pain in the ass. There I said it. Sorry. But come on, they make, for the most part, impossible friends and even more complicated partners. Honestly, if I didn't love boobies and vajayjays so much (and find knobs so unpleasant) I'd have turned gay a long time ago. This particular girl was very intriguing. We spent the best part of three days together and she was pretty cool, however she was still into her ex and lives quite a journey away. The trouble is compared to the others I've met on my travels, this one has an allure the others never possessed. I'm hoping it'll just take a little bit longer to get over rather than consuming the rest of my time and energy. I was a complete dick though so I'm sure I ruined any possibility of anything happening.

I've moved out of the hostel downtown and into a 'house' on the outskirts. This has, although fairly stressful, been a good move for me as I'm with a good bunch of guys. I felt as though I was pretending to be someone I wasn't at the hostel to get by, and that I can relax completely here. Once I've sorted out how much money/beer/services (cleaning etc not winkies) they want for my stay.

I rearranged my flight so that I could spend more time here in Revelstoke and the money situation has become a concern. However, this problem has a solution as well and I've pretty much resolved it as well. 'Fuck it'. Only young once, only here travelling once. Europe can be cut short and even cancelled completely depending on how well I budget. I'm going to buy a laptop and new phone here in North America as it's cheaper than home. I figure I have enough to get me home and I'll just have to take stock once I'm home.

As for other interesting events besides finding a lovely lady, it's been a fairly quiet few weeks. There was a powder dump and I had an amazing day of snowboarding in waist deep snow. Snowboarding is amazing... no doubt.

Peace be the journey.

Shredding the pow

Here is my first attempt at writing a meaningful blog full of wondrous insight and the intricate workings of my fabulous mind. Off to a brilliant start. Dogpoo.

Since I last posted I've got quite a lot done, learnt a lot about the world, myself and how to ride a snowboard. I'm trying to organise my thoughts as I write, since all I have been taking note of is what I've done thus far. I am also aware of how much shite has come out of my 'mouth', generally regarding other human beings. Whilst I won't make any apologies in regards to that being my honest opinion of these people, I do however think it unfair to have written these things about them on t'internet. It seems that I, for whatever reason, am more careful not to badmouth others when possible. Which should be always... but I am only human. I know, surprising.

Having lived in the house I had just moved into when I last posted for two weeks, I have found a strong passion for lovely people and tried to be a better person. Almost everyone in the house has become a friend and I got on very well with the majority of them. I discovered cooking with others is rewarding and that a mutual give and take is required for a happy living environment. The most important thing I learnt though, is that you can't fucking please everyone. I have strived to get on well with everyone I've met so far on my trip, and maintained a positive attitude throughout. The problem is, not everyone in the world has a brain as developed as mine. Nor are they rational, understanding individuals. You just need to roll with it. I'm staying at the hostel in town and, so far, am having a very pleasant stay. Having honestly, HONESTLY, not let it bother me once, and not really wanting to write out the whole sorry saga, I'm hoping to remain friends with them and visit often. Let's just say I did absolutely nothing wrong and leave it at that.

Snowboarding is friggin awesome. I had three lessons in total Wednesday-Friday and then was up on the last spike (green run) alone from that moment onwards. I love it. I've managed to get 6 days in so far and have another 3 still to go... these three will probably turn into more. I just can't believe what I'm able to do now from where I started. The main issue now is financial. Before Revelstoke I was fairly frugal. I had barely any expenses beyond travel and food. Now I've spent a fortune on gear, lift passes, lessons and now accommodation. The board and bindings I had acquired from kijiji are now broken/useless with the replacements costing me further. I am happy to do it... but need to curb spending in other areas. Namely going out. Once a week suits me fine. For one reason, financial benefits. But also because I just don't get it - drinking so much you're sick, waking up the next day feeling sick as a dog, definitely not getting laid because of all the dudes, music so loud it makes your insides skip around and then there's the fact there's no reasonable way of approaching women. It's worth mentioning twice. I just want to be able to talk without having to spit in someone's ear. That shit is unhygienic. Having said that, I did have a killer night with Luke, Kara (good housemates) and a chap called Mitch who knew Kara from work. We all had a blast.

I definitely feel content. I wish I was able to do some snowboarding as I continue my travels in Vancouver and the north of the U.S.A. It's possible, but I need to make sure it doesn't cost too much. We shall see what happens I guess. Which should really be the tag line for this blog. I've made as few plans as possible and just gone along with others/done things because I want to. I've messaged Ollie in Whistler in the hopes I can spend a day or two there. I'll try to probe hosts for friends or themselves if they want to spend a day at a nearby ski resort. 

Finally, I have a wondrous tale to tell you that will both make you laugh and brighten up this miserable dross. Today was my third day in the hostel and I took some time off from boarding. I hung out with a girl from Australia who had hurt herself so didn't go either. I skyped home, cleaned up my room to look fairly respectable and tried to find a reasonably priced snowboard online. I'd arranged to go swimming with Amy and invited the other people from the hostel along. It was a decent time and I had fun. The Aussies seemed to be a strange clique and didn't really engage myself or the other European guys in their antics. We tried, and joined in, but I sensed the others thought the same and we ended up hanging out separately. Once I'd had enough, and the others agreed, we left to go home. However, when we got into the changing room, I couldn't find my bag. I literally looked in every single locker in the room. Nothing. Pure cold dread. Some cunt has stolen my fucking bag. Here in Canada? In a town like Revelstoke?! What the shit. The Aussies couldn't have cared less. They didn't seem to even realise and had left long before Steve headed back to the hostel with the two Swiss guys to grab me some clothes so I could get back. So I'm stood there like a gimp as more people come in to get changed. They probably thought I was some kind of pervert. I was cold, miserable and trying to think of everything that was in the bag. Wallet - there goes my money. I.D - great. Underpants. Well, another fella comes in and goes to a locker very close to where my stuff was. Opens up his locker and there we have it; my bloody bag is there at the bottom. I was too relieved to be angry. He tried explaining something about his friends but I was barely listening. I practically floated home. What a bloody knob. How can you possibly put your stuff on top of someone else's and then lock it up without noticing?!

Fin.

Oh, and a merry christmas to you. And a happy new year.

Calgary - a city of decisions

Oooooook! I finalised my Winnipeg post yesterday but I want to keep on top of things so everything I write is relevant. When possible I'll jot things down on the day so I don't forget something that might actually be useful or interesting as opposed to just boring day-to-day events.

I was pretty mopey yesterday as I knew I had to leave. I finished off the blog post and sat around watching trailer park boys. Nobody was really around and I still didn't feel well enough to go for a walk. I'm not sure if I mentioned I'd finally succumbed to the cold weather or not? Well I did. But I'm nearly better already. When Christa got home we played ticket to ride one last time and hung out;  chatting and watching things on the net. She kept asking what was wrong and I'd say it was mainly having to leave. Which it was... mainly. Dale got in around 10. We exchanged gifts, took some selfies and packed my stuff into the car to head to the bus station. It was such a hard goodbye because they'd been so amazing to stay with. They kept me laughing right up to the point I was getting on the bus. And that was it. Winnipeg was over just like that. I really hope to stay in contact with those guys as well as Marilyn & co.

Boogedy boogedy boogedy amen!

On the coach I slept for a while and listened to a lot of music, whilst watching the world drift by. I had my two seats to myself and extra leg room in the cripple department. I read a little bit but wasn't in the right frame of mind. I just continued thinking about everything I'd done in Winnipeg and whether Calgary would be anywhere near as fun. When you have time to think, it is very rarely to appreciate the present. You are either making plans for the future or pondering past mistakes. Which is what I did for quite a while sat on that bus. But to be fair the landscape is pretty mundane. Then a big fat black lady ruined everything by parking her massive rear end next to me. Squashed up against the window, I endured what seemed like an eternity of elbows and farts. I'm fairly sure it was her anyway. Once I arrived I Calgary I struggled over to the train station and got a train to Peter's. I managed to balls it all up and spent about half an hour more than I needed to, but I got there eventually. So far Peter, his sister and the other couch surfer here seem nice. Can't fucking remember their names though. I'm such a dick.

This morning I've lay and convinced myself I'm recovering from being so tired after 20+ hours on the bus. That is partly true, but I'm also struggling to work out what it is I want to do. Both short term, medium term and long term. My problem is I'm constantly looking ahead. The possibility of going to Banff is knocking around my mind, as well as what to do with my time here in Calgary (short term). B.C is just on the horizon. Heading south to California and then home in the new year. Whether James and Caleb will be up for travelling in March (medium). Do I want to go back to teaching when I'm done? That's a conversation that has cropped up quite a bit in discussions with people. I think I'm set on supply work to get a feel for if I want to get back into it full time. So I guess my long term plan is fine. 

Short term is what's pissing me off. I didn't come travelling to sit around doing nothing. However, what can I do with my time if there are no attractions that interest me? I will check out downtown tomorrow and Friday, but besides my aimless wandering there isn't much to do. That's why Banff is only a possibility. Do I really want to hike the trails? Yes. Will I be able to get there/stay there cheap? Doubt it.

Today Peter and I walked around the downtown area and he showed me some cool spots/new things. We went and got poutine which was delicious once again. He showed me the bakery he works at and nabbed us some free cupcakes. We walked along the river and through the downtown area to a huge second hand bookstore. The amount of books in there was staggering. I ended up buying one, even though I really should finish some of the books I already have before getting new ones. We got bubble tea in china town. It's a fruit flavoured beverage with tapioca balls at the bottom. I found it fairly disturbing but it seems to be quite popular here. We walked through more of downtown and around a mall. There was a tropical park... inside the mall. It was certainly different to see something like that in the middle of all the snow and freezing temperatures. We took the train back. I'm fairly sure, even with all the boring crap I've written, that is the dullest sentence I've written so far in the blog. 

Friday - I went to the mall to see if there are any Black Friday shoppers around. I know the majority of them get in early but it's always fascinating to watch people and such an event can't be passed up. Sadly it was just like any other day. I got some trousers, as I managed to tear a giant crotch hole into my only non-skinny jeans. I also got myself a natty new haircut as I was sick and tired of having a giant bowl of crap on top of my head. Peter and I hung out for a bit before his friend came over and we played some board games together with his sister and another couch surfer who turned up a bit later. She was German.

Saturday was a nice day. Peter had work but Alida, Maria and I went to the mall. It was around -20 out, so we didn't want to journey too far. We checked out more of the shops for a while before meeting Peter and heading home. Two new couch surfers turned up today. They're Aussies and have been travelling for quite a while. They are here to snowboard. Lucky bastards. However, they've spurred me on to doing it myself. I'll buy gear second hand and talk to people in Vancouver. There must be someone I stay with or at the hostel who can come with me. I'll persevere. 

Sunday - Maria left in the morning. The two Aussies left early to snowboard for the day. I went to the mall but it was too cold to explore further. Another couch surfer arrived that evening. She was a Chinese girl called Summer. She was here to study international business but missed the start of the course. She's travelling until the next semester starts in January. 

Monday I awoke with a banging headache and full of snot. I spent the morning feeling sorry for myself and then went shopping with Peter in the afternoon. We all hung out for a few hours before Peter and I helped the Aussies to their new host with all their boarding gear.

Tuesday saw me waking up a early and buying 200 dollars worth of snowboarding gear. This is happening! I will snowboard to the ball! The guy I bought the stuff from seemed really cool and chatted to me about the basics of boarding. He gave me a good discount and I later found out a decent deal (Ollie looked over my board and said it was OK). An hour later Ollie showed up and we set off towards Vancouver. We had a good start and swapped over just outside Calgary. That's right. I drove. What a fucking trip. I experienced my first view of the Rocky Mountains whilst driving myself towards B.C. It wasn't even as weird as I thought it would be. I've driven on the right in France but never in a left hand drive. Nothing remarkable about the drive beyond the astounding view. We got to Banff and stopped off for something to eat. Further along the road we got to lake Louise and took some tourist selfies. The ride didn't seem too long as we took turns driving. Eventually we got to Revelstoke and stopped off for some dinner at a cafe called 'la baguette'. The girls serving in there were very nice and chatty. Ollie's friend Theresa joined us in the cafe she'd suggested and we hung out chatting for a while. Eventually it was decided we'd stay the night at hers and snowboard the following day. Fuck. Yeah. I'll pay for a lesson and hopefully start a long and happy journey on the way to being competent at snowboarding. I am so unbelievably psyched it is unreal. We went to the pub for a few drinks with Theresa and her friends. It was alright, I chatted to a few people and watched some insane snowboarding videos being shown.

So Wednesday morning rolled round and we woke up early around 8. We packed our stuff into the car and headed up to the resort. It was only 5 minutes away. Ollie lent me a coat and some padding so all I needed was boots. I forgot my wallet so he had to pay for me, luckily he's such a cool guy and sorted me out plus some money for lunch! We popped into the cafe for a spot of breakfast and coffee. One of the girls from the previous la baguette was there!! How strange. 

There was only one other girl taking the lesson called Grace. We chatted whilst we learned some basics. It was incredibly fun. Our instructor, Singa? Singer?, was pretty hot... and lovely. It was a really enjoyable time and I've definitely found something I enjoy doing. Discussing plans etc with Grace she offered me a place of of stay for a little while as I mentioned I liked the town and wanted to take some more lessons. I thought it over for a while and then took decisive action. I phoned her up having taken her number, said I'd love to come by. Ollie took me there once we'd packed all out stuff up from Tree's. All the people living here seem really cool so far and there's a pretty Canadian girl who seems delightful. It's Thursday morning and I'm going snowboarding again. Booyah.

 

I've got soul but I'm not a soldier.

Hooooooly boop. It's been two weeks and I've forgotten many of the intricate details about my time here in Winnipeg. Also, I find writing down what I did daily has become fairly boring; I'll try to write down more of my ridiculous thoughts as they pop into my tiny mind as opposed to mundane daily events. Having said that, brushing my teeth this morning was frightfully exciting!

For the most part my time has been spent doing the usual mixture of meeting people, talking with them and learning from them. In the same way I loved Thunder Bay because of the people I met, so too have I loved Winnipeg because everyone has been so amazing. Both sets of hosts have been more than welcoming - I've felt so at home here, which is why it's so hard to leave. Let me just add before you read any further that I'm not a bad person. Promise!

 Last Sunday (9th) I sat around doing nothing much. Skyping, banking and watching a film. Nobody was home. Essentially I recovered from my ordeal the day before and sorted myself out.

On Monday we went to IKEA. That's right. IKEA. Just some oak, some pine and a handful of Norse men. It was a lot of fun because I got to chat to Marilyn and Thor about all sorts. I've really enjoyed discussing a variety of subjects with both of them and hearing about their lives. Thor seems to have a story for everything, and has done a fair bit of travelling in his life. I certainly feel like a more open minded person having spent time with them. Slightly less cynical. Just slightly.

Tuesday saw me heading out for a walk around the area. I went to Safeway to replace my toothbrush which had fallen on the floor. I figured one of life's necessities is a clean toothbrush that isn't covered in crud and oomska. I've spent very little, comparatively, since leaving Toronto so I allowed myself a treat.This was the first day I really experienced the start of the cold weather. It was only -6 or thereabouts but it took just 15 minutes outside before I turned tail and headed straight back inside.That evening we played Scrabble and taboo. I, of course, won both games. It's hard to be one of life's winners but I guess these positions need to be filled by someone. Hah. I would love for someone who didn't know me to read this one day - they'd think I'm such a conceited wanker. Which I'm not! Promise!

Wednesday was thrift shopping day. Huge charity shops full of weirdos and tons of stuff to look at. Like a loony bin with the odd diamond in the rough to pick up for a bargain. Smells like old people. I got a brand new hardback comic of Scott pilgrim vs.the world. Did hope to pick up an awesome coat but I couldn't find the type I wanted. It's all a game of chance in these places. 

The next day I took a bus downtown and checked out the shops. I walked around one block, then another, and continued until I found a mall. I ended up making a game of the skywalks. Since it's cold as balls here, they build their shopping centres into the basements of buildings or connect them with skywalks. I walked for as long as I possibly could staying inside the whole time. I managed to walk for half an hour until Marilyn messaged me explaining we were going for lunch with her friend Sam. Luckily I was in a noteworthy convention centre and was able to get a lift with them. Sam was from India and studying international business here. It was very interesting to hear about the cultural differences between us in the west and north India. Class is still very much recognised in daily life there and society in general sounds very different. He was great company. That evening I showed Marilyn and Thor 'Alan Partridge - Alpha Papa'. I think they liked it... they laughed so I'm guessing they can't have hated it.

On Friday I went to the forks to look around with Thor, Keira and Echo (Marilyn's daughters) and Meredith (a fellow surfer). It's a newish development right where the two rivers meet. There are craft shops, fresh food stuffs and other random shops inside a collection of buildings. We checked out an antique shop and some other shops before heading on home.

Swedish night was held that evening at Marilyn's and consisted of watching a film titled 'sweaty beards'. There were about 12-14 people there who are of Swedish descent. Plus Robin who was a German guy? Bit odd that. Everyone I met that night was really lovely, and I even gave my email to a lady named Laurel who's sister lives in Vancouver. She was very enthusiastic about couch surfing and said she'd pass my details on. No contact as of yet... early days.

I had such a wonderful time with Marilyn and her family. They were all such nice people it was difficult to leave. I feel as though I will keep overstaying my welcome if I stay with one host for too long just like Thunder Bay. This experience was far more enjoyable than Thunder Bay simply because it was my hosts who were so fantastic, not just their friends!

Saturday was the big move as I was going to Jon, Dale and Christa's. Meredith was also leaving Marilyn's that day so she very kindly agreed to drive me to their place. Unfortunately, the roads were being prepared for the Christmas parade, so we had a bit of an ordeal attempting to get to the right part of the street. Fuck you Santa. It's not even December yet! When we did finally get to our destination, Meredith needed to use the bathroom so we both headed up to the door. Locked! Christa told me it was unlocked! Meredith, the intrepid explorer, went round the back and to see if there was a door there. Christa let me in a while later and I began yelling to let Meredith know we could get in, to which Christa quickly replied 'she's already inside'. Sure enough, when I get upstairs, there is Meredith appearing from the bathroom. Decisive action seems to be the way to go these days if you want to get anything done! She was such a character. Meredith left shortly after and we all introduced ourselves. I believe we played some games that evening but I can't be sure. These guys are amazingly kind people who enjoy a good board game. I've learnt at least 7 new games whilst I've been here and there are probably more I've forgotten. There's a certain perception around board games as being nerdy, but I'd happily take an evening with these guys, or any other wonderful group of people, playing board games over going out to a club. Which is handy, since we spent a good few nights this week doing exactly that. I genuinely feel as though I've changed in the short amount of time spent around these three wonderful human beings. Anyway, let me continue with my boring tale before I start to write a poetry book about Jon, Dale and Christa in my blog.

There was another couch surfer who I met slightly later on staying here. His name was Brendan. He had travelled from Nova Scotia to Winnipeg in search of work. His initial plan was to head to Edmonton, but a chance encounter led to him applying through the union for a job here. He got it. Now he was apartment hunting. On Sunday we hung out and walked around the area a bit, checking out shops and such. Later on he found out that the apartment he had set his hopes on was no longer available, so he started checking for more. He called a lady and set up a viewing that very evening. He asked if I wanted to come along and I agreed - thus begins my considering the possibilities of just becoming a yes man through and through. We spent what must have been the better part of an hour trying to find this place on the outskirts of the city. It was farm land and country lanes. When we finally got there Brendan said, 'well I'm going to need a truck if I'm going to stay here'. As we pulled into the drive there was a truck in the drive, and Brendan said jokingly that he'd buy that one. We knocked on the door and his lovely soon-to-be landlady Lou showed us around. One of her sons was an artist as was she, so the place was filled with loads of original pieces of interesting art. Brendan's bachelor pad was incredible. The bathroom alone sold it. Jacuzzi tub, separate shower and marble decor. The bed was a sofa bed but could easily be replaced. The mattress was fine on it anyway. Lou asked if I thought it was good enough, to which I hastily replied 'oh nonononono I won't be using it!' I think I just give off a very gay vibe.

Brendan handed over a down payment there and then. Our last exchange was about how he would need a truck to commute. Sure enough Lou offers to sell him the one out front! He has got to be one of the most fortuitous people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. We grabbed Tim Hortons on the drive and then raced back to tell the others of our semi-adventure.

The following week was very enjoyable. Besides Monday, where I relaxed on the sofa watching boondock saints, Christa and I went out every day to do something different. In the evening of Monday we played some games and visited Christa's friends for a bit. On Tuesday we walked around checking out all the second hand bookstores nearby. That evening we went to a new board game cafe with a load of Dale, Christa and Jon's friends. It was very enjoyable and we played some great games. The girl sitting next to me did cause the 'bastard within me' to rise to the surface... but as I have said - I'm a changed man! Besides a slight roll of the eyes I did nothing. She began by saying we should look at the boxes of all the games and count the amount of females on them compared to men (and then tally up breast sizes). Brendan said, 'well it is a very sexual world we live in'. She responded with this gem,

'You say sexual, I say sexist'.

What a knobhead. We're all here to enjoy ourselves playing some games and chat. I really don't need you spouting your over the top equal rights crap in my ear. Go and look at all the board game boxes if you want. Better yet, tally up how many men there are on the boxes with huge muscles and chiselled jaw lines. Then we can pair all the ludicrously overtly sexual fictional characters off with each other, and the ugly ones can debate whether or not sexism is as big a problem as you think it is. I'll be at home not talking to you. Bore off.

Ahem...

The next day Christa and I walked around osbourne village. Which is just a street with a few 'hipster' shops on it. We returned to a shop I'd been in with Brendan to check out some nice shoes I'd seen and wanted to buy. No shoes?! They'd been stolen the DAY before. Just my luck. I really do need to shake this feeling that the world is conspiring against me though. It's becoming a problem.

We checked out the Manitoba legislature building (just a posh government building with hermetic masonry involved. No biggie.) I only had my crappy Canada phone with me so the photos are potato quality. Later that evening Christa went dumpster diving. Literally rooting around in garbage for products that are still OK but larger companies have tossed. An interesting pastime. Say what you like though, dumpster garlic and herb philly is delicious.

On Thursday we went to the Manitoba museum, just to explore the man and nature exhibits. It was interesting and a good way to pass the time.

Friday was an eventful day. Mmm yes. And such a polarity between events. We walked around some shops to get stuff for Christa and check out some more book stores. I made Banoffee pie. That evening we were going to a party for a guy's birthday. We hung out playing games and drinking beforehand then walked round to the bar/pub called cousins. We hung out and met some cool new people. I even made it onto Canadian Instagram... Brilliant. After cousins had emptied we walked round to a party being held for the birthday of someone else Dale knew. He is part of a band named royal canoe. They seem to be mildly famous around these parts, having had some radio play time. I spoke to a couple of guys from the band and they seemed really down to earth and humble. For a while I felt a bit awkward, roaming around between smoking and watching Dale play drunken ping pong. After a while I saw two girls standing chatting, one for whom I'd spoken to briefly earlier with Brendan near the record player. The other I had noticed earlier because she was so fit. Dale happened to be in the vicinity so I grabbed him and dragged him over as my in. "Hey this is Dale - he's the one who has all the awesome records!" Bam. Just like that I'm in. He wandered off but I kept chatting to them for a while. We got a drink, continued talking and so on. It got later and later, and I was left with the gorgeous girl to continue talking. At this point we were both fairly drunk... so I forget what we discussed in general. I think I accused her of being conceited at one point, as I'd told her she was beautiful and she agreed. We ended up getting a cab back to her place. Which turned out to be her parents place. She was 28 and had a kid. Who was upstairs. I knew some of this information earlier. Some. Not all. I am so terribly ashamed of myself San Diego. I'm not sure half assed anchorman quotes will even cut it here. The problem is, I'm sat here and all I can think about is how I forget to ask for her number. I think what actually happened in my tiny drunken mind was I figured I was leaving in two days and there would be no point in getting it, but it's genuinely eating me up. Admittedly, if I cared enough, I could walk to her house and politely ask for it... but I'm not sure that would be particularly well received. Either way, this is one of those times in life where it's hard not to regret a decision I've made. What's truly disgusting though; what will float around in my mindtank for days to come is the truth about why I really wanted to get some form of contact information. I know getting it wouldn't have led anywhere for a multitude of reasons, but, plain and simple, I wanted to have proof I'd slept with someone so incredibly good looking. Logical sense and reason is overshadowed by insanity. Thoughts like, 'perhaps she'd want to go on a date,' or, 'she'd be happy to see me turn up,' are beginning to piss me off as they are so friggin nonsensical. I hope that my honest disgust at myself will deflect some of your own hatred towards me. The act of simply writing it all down in itself has been relatively cathartic. I guess. The Killers 'all these things I've done' played whilst I was writing all of that out and it was eerily resonating with the subject matter.

On Saturday I was unable to wake up, possibly because I only got in at 6:30. I missed out on a Mennonite mens breakfast with Dale and Jon which annoyed me. I wanted to go badly but, on reflection, I cannot physically function on half an hour of sleep. I hung out with Christa, Dale and Jon going shopping and such until the evening when we went to Josiah's choir show. He is Christa's boyfriend. It was magnificent. Truly amazing. The choir was fantastic and sang some terrific songs. Although I have a short attention span concerning music, I concentrated very hard on not allowing my mind wander onto other ridiculous subjects. I'm pretty sure there was something that I'd thought of worth typing here, but apparently not since I can't think it anymore. I guess that's just a positive for Josiah's choir and not a negative for my stupid brain. 

So finally we reach where I am now. Yesterday I went for dinner at Marilyn's because she messaged me asking how I was getting on. We texted a while and arranged one last get together. It was lovely to see them again before I left. I had to get Jon to pick me up, as I said I'd take the bus, however when I got to Safeway to get some change it was closed. I felt terrible asking but it was either that or freeze to death walking home.

I've written everything up now and will be hopping on a bus to Calgary tonight. Hopefully I keep better track of my thoughts as I travel, otherwise there is little point in continuing this damned blog. 

Don't kill me? I ain't gunna kill ya, I need a sprinkle you onion.

I had to write this all down as I would end up waiting for more exciting things to happen and forget bits.

On Saturday I was resigned to leaving whether or not I had to pay for greyhound. I'd had some good times with Corey & co. but I needed to move on and away. The Friday night was great fun and just highlighted the dichotomy of my stay there. Not feeling comfortable anymore at the apartment because of Mariah whilst enjoying my time with Corey, Svetlana and Mike. We went to Mike's sister's house for a 'potluck'. Everyone brings a dish for dinner - simple. The people there were nice and talkative. Felt a bit awkward at times but just powered on through. Got talking to a nice, attractive girl whose name was Rose. She said she was leaving on Monday and could give me a lift to Winnipeg (so I always had a backup). Rose had also explained, along with Mike's sister, that I could have stayed there. Heartbreaking to only hear now as I was leaving that I could have potentially stayed two other places that week! Rose left fairly early, which was a damn shame. Corey later told me she had a moustache. I'd still have gone there.

Svetlana and Corey wanted to go to a different party and I followed, not wanting to repeat the mistake I made on Halloween. Corey kept telling me to just talk to people and not be so shy. Say things in my funny English accent and let the conversation flow. When we arrived we talked to a few people and I did my best. A very young looking Canadian girl was pretty intense. Up close and giving it the best English accent she could. Corey kept trying to egg me on but she just looked too young, even though he assured me she was OK. I had a good time and chatted to a guy I got a cig from. He didn't know anyone and had been dragged there by his girlfriend. I figured I was doing better than him and it was cold as balls outside, so I headed back in to chat to more people. Towards the end of the night Svetlana saw me on my phone and I explained I was talking to a possible ride share to Winnipeg. He hadn't replied in a while. She said I should just hitchhike. I scoffed at the idea... but it planted a seed. We left with two girls who had a car and dropped us all off which was nice. 

So Saturday was here and the rideshare hadn't contacted me. I got all my shit together, raided the recycling for a piece of cardboard to make a sign, and headed up to the highway to see if I could catch a ride to Winnipeg. Halfway there I realised that it was far colder than I had originally judged. The wind was making me want to cry. I got my coat, wooly hat and mittens on rather than freezing to death and carried on what seemed like an endless trudge to the highway. Once I got there, I dumped my stuff a little way down the highway and stood/shuffled about holding my sign. With my thumb raised and a smile on my face I gave myself 2 hours of this hell before returning home and finding out about that free ride on Monday with moustachioed Rose. I sang to myself for a while but realised that it probably looked as though I'd gone mental to those passing by. I stopped shortly after this realisation. About an hour and a half into my mental breakdown, a guy finally pulled over and said he'd be going through Winnipeg. Success! His name was Dan and he was heading north for work. I threw my bags into the truck and we headed off on our merry way. "You don't mind the smell of weed, right?" he asks as we pull away. Hmm...

It turns out Dan is an incredibly interesting fella. He smokes weed like it's going out of fashion and throws coffee down his throat in a similar manner. The conversation was actually really interesting, albeit slightly terrifying. He regaled me with stories from the past. His boxing, his martial arts, how he'd knocked this and that guy out with one punch. His drug dealing and abusive ex-wife (she abused substances, not him).

Not once, in spite of his smoking copious amounts of marijuana, did I feel unsafe with him driving us. Which I can assume sounds surprising. Even when he sat driving with his knees whilst rolling a joint. I guess his confidence led me to feel a sense of security in his abilities. The guy was very kind and well mannered. He gave me half of his Tim Hortons sub. He even offered me some of his own personal weed. That's the thing. Despite all his weed smoking, knee driving, violence filled stories of days gone by, conspiracy theories about the world leaders and our current dependence on capitalism, he was on the whole a kind, caring family man who has clearly made some poor choices in life and allowed his emotions to control him. He was passionate. As we came into  Winnipeg and got gps, he followed it to the address I'd given. However the gps on his phone was crap and took us everywhere but our destination. He eventually started getting pissed off and pulled into a 7-eleven. I figured this was a fairly reasonable time to part company and I thanked him for everything. He even took my number and said he'd get in contact with people from a sister-company who travel between Winnipeg and Calgary. 

I phoned Marilyn, my current host, and asked what bus I could take from my current location to get to her. She came and picked me up. She's lovely. 40 something, two kids, charming Swedish boyfriend and a lovely house. It's been a wonderful stay so far. And so ends the tale of how I hitchhiked and didn't get bumraped or die in a flaming pile of twisted metal on the highway.

Should I stay or should I go? Go. Please now let me go.

I've tried typing this out so many times and each time I try it gets deleted. It's all so incredibly boring I myself got bored of typing it, so I draft it but they don't save since I lose the internet. I'll try and make it nice and interesting to read... good luck.

Having left the coffee shop in Sudbury I walked up to the lakeside trail. There was a little park/gardens area so I had a little wander around. Unfortunately it must have rained the night before, as I ended up in a very soggy patch of grass at the bottom of a slope. Like a true Englishman, I carried on through as if nothing was amiss and plopped onto the path below. With a beautiful tide mark on my shoes, I headed off along the lakeside trail towards science north. The scenery was wonderful. The sun was shining and I had as much time as I wanted to meander along beside the lake. Science North, my destination, is a science centre based in Sudbury. It was conveniently located right beside the lakeside trail so I headed in to look around. Sorry Sudbury, but it was crap. I think my expectations might have been raised due to our earlier trip to the Ontario science centre. As I write this I'm struggling to think of things I found interesting. A whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling, a butterfly room, a Mars rover-style remote controlled car, some smelly native animals and the toilets. The toilets make it onto the list because I went for my first public poop since I was 8. A remarkable achievement I think you'll all agree.

Disappointed and relieved in equal measures, I headed back into Sudbury. On the way out from the little park/gardens area, I came across a dog with nobody in sight. It was a Doberman cross. I'm not afraid of dogs, but this thing was giving me the eye and had that 'I may attack' look about it. It made its way over to me and to my relief began wagging its tail. I patted it and went on my merry way, looking around for a person as I went. The dog's owner I did not find, but my pace was matched by a guy on rollerblades who struck up conversation. He was very polite and I think a bit autistic. We chatted about the differences between American and Canadian money and other mundane things. Once we hit a downhill road he zoomed off. 

I took the bus to the cinema and watched Fury. The comfortable chairs and excitement of watching this film really distracted me from the reality that I had gone to the cinema alone. And these chairs were fucking comfy. Plus the screen was huge. The film disappointed me somewhat but it wasn't terrible. Dave very kindly picked me up from the cinema and took me with him to an appointment, where I sat in the waiting room chatting to the lovely receptionist about my travels. Afterwards we went home to get some sleep, as I needed to be at the coach station by 7:15. Dave once again provided me with a lift to the bus terminal in the morning, without which I would have certainly missed my coach. Another great couchsurfing host.

The coach was a complete shitheap compared to the one I took from Toronto to Sudbury. No wifi & no chargers, so I was stuck alternating between sleep, reading my book and listening to music. The scenery was lovely, but trees and lakes can only interest anyone for so long. Also when the drivers switched, the new guy was a complete dickhead. He had an argument with one of the passengers up front and wouldn't let me do a wee at one of the stops. I had to wait til the next one; I may have done a poo at the science north but there's no way I'm using a coach toilet... for anything. Speaking of which, luckily everyone either had earphones in or was asleep, as I'm fairly sure I farted loud enough to wake myself up at one point.

So I arrive in Thunder Bay on Friday evening. It's so late I have to take a cab to Shandelle's apartment. She wants to go out with her friend so when I get there, we chat for a while and then they're off. I go to bed.

Saturday morning and Shandelle is at work, but her room mate Mariah is home. We chat for a while. She doesn't really seem very talkative... but she does have massive boobies. When Shandelle gets back she has her friend Corey with her. We all go out to grab some late breakfast downtown. This is a Saturday afternoon around 2pm and nothing is open. I don't just mean for breakfast, I mean nothing is open at all. We ended up in a hotel restaurant for food. Luckily the waitress was chatty and we got good service. The food wasn't great... but it seemed as though they catered mainly to pensioners. It smelt like old people in there. Corey and I have similar humour so we had a good laugh. We went out that evening and played pool. I told Mariah to come meet us at the bar and she said she'd meet me back at the apartment. Back we go, only to chat for 10 minutes and then head off to bed. How disappointing!

Sunday I went and played discgolf with Corey and his friend Mike who also seemed like a really decent guy. Discgolf is awesome; it's a cross between golf and frisbee. Very fun. I've already looked up courses in England. We went back to his and chilled for a bit before heading out to a different bar to play more pool.

Monday was a wasted day of watching parks and recs. In the evening Shandelle came back and played with photobooth on my iPad... the most eventful part of the day.

On Tuesday I walked around the downtown area to see if there was anything I had missed. There wasn't. I did manage to sample the Finnish pancakes I had been told were good. There is a large Finnish population here in Thunder Bay, and so there are saunas and other Finnish cultural buildings.

Annie, who hosted me for two nights, walked down with her dog to meet me at Shandelle's. She was very chatty and interesting, so we talked all the way back to hers. Quirky but comfortable, her house was quite near Corey's place. We went and got food at a local pub/bar. It was good. She was very interested in people. Just talking about people she had met and all the places she'd been. We went home and to sleep.

I couldn't be trusted to stay in her house, which wasn't a problem, so I went with her to walk the dog. We picked up hot drinks and walked for ages. When we got back we headed out to a different pancake place. I had too much... which is unfortunate because later on we went for a free unicycling session. It was great fun but hard work. I was sweating balls once the hour and a half was up. I'd managed to unicycle half of the hall we were in and of course look like a massive wanker the whole time. The guys running it were incredible and showed off some impressive stunts. Annie's friend came and picked us up and came back for a glass of wine. They carved pumpkins. Annie had been in an accident after which she found farts incredibly funny. I was happy to keep her entertained for the evening.

The following day saw me head back the Shandelle's thinking we were going out. We did not. On Friday Mariah dropped me off at the intercity mall and I grabbed some stuff for a costume. Being the savvy, sharp-minded geezer that I am, I managed to get items I could use again. A Clark Kent costume comprises of a superman T-shirt under a buttoned shirt and some glasses. Aside from the glasses, I can wear those items again. We went to a girl's house before heading downtown. It was disappointing to be honest... no prospects, no fun conversations with strangers. Just loud noise and jostling people. 

On Sunday I walked into town to visit Shandelle's shop. It wasn't really a shop...  it was a room above a tattoo parlour with some clothes in it. Obviously I didn't say that whilst I was in there, but it was almost funny how crap it was. There were some girls there from her uni course who took me to the coffee shop so I could use the internet. I stayed there a while then headed home. Corey came by with Svetlana and we went to play discgolf with Mike. That evening we went back to Mike's for dinner and to watch the leafs game. Leafs win!

Monday saw me do nothing much other than playing pool at shooters again with Corey; this time Mike joined us.

Tuesday I went to the college to see where Corey works, as he told me it's easier to explain if I'm there rather than just telling me. It was a production company, manufacturing parts for contract. The machines were cool and he explained how they work. Seeing how things are made can be fairly interesting. It does pose the conundrum of how the very first production machine was created. I suppose smaller machines build bigger machines, and the smallest machines are hang crafted?

We went to the cinema to watch maze runner. 5 dollars. Less than 3 quid to watch a film... luckily, since it wasn't very good.

I'm desperate to move on now to Winnipeg. If Winnipeg and Calgary are similar in experiences to Thunder Bay then I'll go to Vancouver pretty sharpish. My dream of learning to snowboard whilst volunteering has been smashed. I spoke to a very nice man from a ski resort who explained even volunteer positions require a visa. I guess I'll just have to find something else to fill my time there. I'm just moving from wifi to wifi, hoping a rideshare comes up. I'm leaving Saturday with or without a rideshare.