Monday, October 26, 2009

H1N1

Today was the day for waiting! I went up at 7:15 am and one and a half hour later I was standing in a 200 meter long line! The vaccine against the feared flu was in the clinics so people from all over Calgary had come to get it. So had Kim, Bryn and I. Slowly the line moved forward and after five boring hours of standing in line was over we entered a room where this guy named Toby was reading up a paper about flu. It was entertaining compared with standing in line so I listened interested until the feeling of amusement had gone away from my head. 10 minutes after we were allowed into the next room and one by one we got a needle in our arms. Next time I am going to wait in line for five hours it's going to be for something more exciting than getting a needle in your arm!

I had planned to call Glamsbjerg City at 2:30 but it ended up being 3 before I got in contact with them. Exactly an hour later we left the house again heading towards Calgary for a workout. I worked hard for one and a half hour and then it was back to Bragg Creek again. The long weekends are going so fast and all the sudden it's just Tuesday...
I better soon go to bed because those workouts make me kind of tired. I'm not used to be that active!!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Damned Terms

School today was a mixed experience. First class was math which went ok despite my Vancouver trip. Then I moved on to English and it was here my troubles started. I missed a terms test last week and my teacher, Mr. Dearden thought that I should do it today. Fact is that I hadn’t really studied these 107 terms that was all about drama and stuff like that. Yesterday I looked at them for a half an hour and that was those 30 minutes training I used today. So I started and after an hour Mr. Dearden told me to go to the test center (a fancy place where a teacher watches over you while you are doing your test. We sure don’t have test centers in Denmark by the way!) and finish off my test. I ended up spending two hours and therefore my entire lunch break on this damned test that I didn’t understood anything about. Words like “juxtaposition” and “litotes” was flashing around on my paper but I hope I guessed myself up to 30% correct answers. It was nice to have an average on 82% but I am quite sure this damned test will bring down a little. I wrote “Sorry Mr. Dearden” on the bottom of the page and added a smiley.


I went straight on to Media Arts where I was 20 minutes too late because of the test. The next two periods cheered me up a little. I handed in my portfolio with my 26 best pictures and got “high five” from Mr. Gaudio who said that I could use the next 30 minutes to watch “Die Hard”. Sweet way of ending the school day! Now I better get to bed so I will be all ready for English tomorrow. I don’t know how long my apologize to Mr. Dearden is good for…

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Vancouver and Vancouver Island

The temperature was -18 degrees when Kim and I left the house last Monday the 12th. So I was happy about being in the warm car driving through mountains and over big valleys. Kim was brave and strong throughout the drive despite the fact that she kind of doesn't like driving. So she was happy when we 12 and a half hour later arrived to the hostel in downtown Vancouver. It was time to stretch the legs so we tossed our bags in our rooms, parked the car and headed towards Stanley Park. After about six kilometers of walking while spotting raccoons it was getting quite dark and my legs started needing fuel. So we found a way out of the park and started searching for a place to eat. We ended up eating at a little place not far from the hostel. While we were eating a TV was on in one end of the room and the weather forecast was on. I started laughing while thinking about how ridiculous it was to have a detailed Danish weather forecast. I mean the temperature is the same all over the country + or - 2 degrees. And nobody can feel that difference anyways so what's the point? It makes sense in Canada where the temperature is + or - more than 20 degrees!


Next day we went up and ate breakfast before we left. We went down to the water and catched a tiny boat that ferried us to the other side of Vancouver. Then we started walking... The goal was the Museum of Anthropology and after approximately 15 kilometers we arrived starving to the museum. Before we even darred going in we walked a little bit further to the campus of University of British Columbia. Here we found something to eat and then we were loaded for the museum. Kim thought it was a little disappointing so we catched a bus that was going to Downtown Vancouver. We wanted to see the aquarium but by the time we arrived to downtown it was getting late and we decided to wait until the next day. We grabbed a smoothie and tried to find a cinema. We found it and got some food at a really nice Thai restaurant before we went back and saw "The Informant".


The next day we ate breakfast, packed our stuff, left the hostel and drove to the aquarium. By the time we arrived we were too early so we decided to take a little walk in Stanley Park. We ended up walking in circles in the rain trying to get back to the aquarium. We succeeded and entered the aquarium. After lots of fishes, sea stars and an amazing dolphin show we left the aquarium heading to Horseshoe Bay where the ferry to Vancouver Island was leaving from. We arrived in time and after two hours of windy sailing we arrived to Nanaimo, which I suppose to be the biggest city on the island with 80.000 citizens. After succeeding in in finding our way out of the city we soon arrived to a steep driveway that was leading to Chris and Laurie who we were going to stay with during the week. We were welcomed by Chris, Laurie and their two dogs. We dumped of our stuff in the house and left to go find some dinner in Nanaimo. While we were eating Chris ended up telling about a Danish movie he had seen. I would never have thought that "The Green Butchers" ("De Grønne Slagtere") had left Danish land but apparently Chris had seen it. He also told that his grandfather was Danish and soon we were talking about Vikings, Potato sandwich, drunken Swedes and shabby Germans.

Next morning I started with a nice shower and at 10:30 we left the house. It was time to go crab fishing with Chris and his sister and Bill who owned the boat. We left the harbour and headed toward the sea. While watching seals and sealions around the boat Bill told me about huge octopuses living under the water. 3 meters is quite a big octopus if you ask me! We tossed out the traps and marked them on the GPS. The we sailed a little further out to a tiny island full of seals laying on the beach. It was quite amazing to see but after a while we turned around heading toward the harbour. It was lunchtime so we went to a really nice bakery and ate before leaving shore again to go pull in the traps. Chris started pulling in the first trap but instead of crab a sea star had sneaked in. He took the next one but still only sea star. Then he told me to pull a trap in and everything changed. One crab was in the cage and we ended up getting three crabs out of it. According to Chris that is not many but apparently it was enough to fill all of us up by the end of the evening.


Next day we left the house with a couple of bags. We were heading towards Tofino on the very west side of Vancouver Island. On the way we stopped a by a river where the salmon was trying to come up to lay their eggs. But since it had rained hard during the night the salmon was having a really hard time trying not to get further down the river. It was really amazing to see the salmon fighting to get forward but constantly being throwed back by the water. We drove on and after some curved road where I was eating Nanaimobar (a very tasty piece of cake full of sugar) we arrived to the coast. We went down to the beach and walked for a while watching the sunset. It was nice to see the ocean again after I have been away from water for one and a half month.
After the dogs had finnished playing in the sand we drove the last bit of way to Tofino. We emptied our bags in to the flat belonging to Chris and Laurie and went searching for a place to eat dinner. We found a sushi restaurant and Chris introduced me to a fantastic piece of sushi that I don't remember the name of (maybe 'takafnugginambalugi' but I'm not sure...).


Next morning was walking day. We went to take a walk in some rain forest just outside Tofino and I saw lots of huge trees! It was quite different from a "forest" in Denmark! After walking around in there we decided that the sky looked blue so we left our waterproof pants in the car and left wearing raincoats. Big mistake! When we after 2 and a half hour of walking returned to the car we were all soaked. We went back to the flat and changed our clothing and returned to Tofino looking for a place to eat. We ended up at the restaurant "Spotted Bear" which despite the name didn't hosted any wildlife.


Next morning it was time to return to Nanaimo. We packed our stuff and left Tofino City. On the way we stopped by the beach and another place Chris picked some mushrooms. Halfway back to Nanaimo all the sudden the trees seemed twice as high as the ones we had just passed and we stopped at Cathedral Grove. We took a walk among trees that were more than 800 years old and the biggest one was 3 meters in diameter! Not the kind of trees we have in Denmark!
Among all the great big trees there was this black stubble. The sign beside it said that some idiots had put in on fire back in the 70's and ended it 700 years old life! I would like to point out that acting like that is not very lumberjack! (the adjective lumberjack is used all over here in Canada about things that is simply cool, nice or in other ways fill you with a positive feeling.)
We snacked some chicken and cheese and once again Chris blaimed for being a unreal Dane because I didn't eat cheese. I told him that my Viking-skills compensated for that, he agreed and we continued our trip back to Nanaimo. That night we had good meat and mushrooms for dinner and I slept good!


Next morning was time for leaving. We packed the car said goodbye to Laurie and Chris and went down to the ferry that was waiting for us in the harbour. We left Vancouver Island in sunny weather and I enjoyed the last view of the ocean for a long time...
Two hours later we were in Horseshoe Bay and we started the drive back home to Bragg Creek. On our way we stopped at a Starbucks and I was deeply surprised about seing a "Jysk" so far from home! Who would had thought that the Danes were selling pillows so far from home.?
We stopped in Revelstoke at 6:30 pm and checked in to our hostel. Then we went to get some food at an Indian/German restaurant. What a weird combination by the way.


This morning we left Revelstoke at 8:00 am and drove away for the last bit of our travel home. On the way we stopped at Lake Louise which was just beatiful with its clear blue water! 3:30 pm we were back in Bragg Creek, Alberta. I spend most of the evening writing this instead of doing my math so I better take a look on it on the bus tomorrow. But I checked Homelogic, the website that tells you your grades, and my grade in English is 82%!
Anyways it was a great trip and now I will return to my everyday life here in Bragg Creek. I have a workout tomorrow so it's back to business!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Danish news

So yesterday was a day as all the others. I got to school and fortunately there was no workout so I could relax a bit with some homework. Today started early with some skyping with Jonas in Denmark who gave me the news about 1st grade in gymnasium. It was really nice to talk with him and discuss some Danish news. When I arrived to school I went to the office to get an extended leave form which I have to fill out so that I can go to Vancouver on Monday with Kim. I am really looking forward to that. Skipping school is always relaxing!

So after a nice schoolday which included a evacuation drill, Bryn and I was picked up by Kim who drove us to Calgary for the workout. It was snowing and my body was extremely heavy so it wasn't a very succesful workout. Fortunately I get to try again tomorrow ;)

So soon I will go to bed but first I will pack a bag so I'm ready to sleep over at Darren's house until Saturday. It's going to be nice to spend some time with him before Sunday which is Thanksgiving. Kim, Ken, Bryn and I are going to Calgary to Thanksgiving dinner at Kim's brothers house. It will be nice!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Rollerskiing

So it must be time for a status-update. My weekend went away with tough training on rollerskies and also there was time for a "little" run. It was a camp with the skiteam and that basically meant hard training for me. We arrived to Canmore on Friday and rollerskied for 2 hours. It was snowing but the flakes melted when they touched the road so it was only a little slippery. The clouds were really low and I thought it was nice to see cold weather. Especially when you consider that we had 30 degrees a week ago.
Anyways we went home and I felt that my body was tired after a week of school and the workout. I didn't know what was yet to come...
Saturday we woke up at 07:30 and went for a little jogging before breakfast. After eating I prepared myself for some rollerskiing and took on my shorts. It was still snowing and the trees was covered in snow, very nice! So we left in the cars from the hut in Canmore and drove a couple of minutes before we were dropped off. I ran with Vincent who had a bad ankle, which was fine cause then I could keep up with him. we rollerskied for a couple of hours before we went back to the hut. At that time I couldn't feel my knees but since it didn't hurt there was no problem.

We ate some lunch at the hostel and had some sparetime before it was time to go run up and down the mountain with poles. I just ran... I was pretty done after this event so I went straight to the sauna with a lot of the other guys which was really nice!
Saturday ended with dinner and a game of pictionary which included the Danish primeminister and Glamsbjerg City ;)


Sunday started with some jogging before breakfast and after dressing up we drove to Minnewanka Lake in Banff Provincial Park. It was time for more rollerskiing and little did I know that the next 2 hours were going to break my butt! Darren, Stephanie and I started out running and right away I could tell that it was going to be a cruel run. I maked it the 6 kilometers to Banff though and after looking a bit on the city we headed back. After running for most of the way back an angel came in a pickup-truck and I was rescued from my suffering. It was Vincent with his bad ankle who took me and Darren the last part of the way to the parkinglot. After a half an hour it was time to go back to Bragg Creek and I used the time in the car to take a really nice nap!

Today it was hard to get up and the fact that there also was a workout today after school has done that my body is really tired. So now I think I will go to bed and sllep for hopefully 8 hours before I have to get up so I don't get late for my dear yellow schoolbus...

Oh and by the way I skyped with 66% of the family on Sunday. It was really nice to hear from them all and I think I will have to call my sister Thea on of the upcoming days! I must admit that I start to miss them and Denmark a bit now... ;)