Cowboys and Cats!

Well hello there readers – how are well?

Things have been pretty busy since I last wrote – the sudden awareness of how soon my travels are going to be over has definitely spurred me in to action! Last Tuesday Neil joined me in my search for the world’s best burrito when we visited the “Steamroller Burrito”, which reckons it has the best burritos in Vancouver. This could well be true but they still don’t measure up the best burrito of my life back in Toronto! We had a fine old time eating our Mexican though, and watching all the Vancouverites in their expensive European cars going up and down Robson St. It was kind of like all those boy racers on Colombo St in Christchurch, except with all the drivers being about twice their age!

On Wednesday the good doctor and his family invited me around for dinner again. I had another nice evening with them, and am pleased to report that the weather was good enough for us to eat outdoors – it didn’t stick around for long mind you, but one nice day is better than no nice days!

I had a quiet night on Thursday due to extreme poverty brought on my paying two months rent in one hit, but thankfully for me Friday was payday and I was back in the black! I went out with my room-mate (well for last week anyway) Arciris on Friday for a couple of nice cocktails, which was great. Arciris then got up at 5am on Saturday to head off to Israel and I am now in the flat on my own until Friday, when Marija gets back from Serbia (oh what an international flat we are!).

On Saturday I met up with Karen, Johnny, Tania, Scott, Erin, Tracey, Gareth, James and a fair few other people to go to the Cloverdale Rodeo. Cloverdale is one of the top five rodeos in Canada and I really enjoyed it – I had forgotten how much I enjoyed rodeos as a kid and have a new found appreciation for how attractive some of those cowboys are!!! It was hilarious listening to the rather ‘retro’ attitudes of the announcers, which included such gems as introducing the “chairman” of the rodeo (who happens to be a female) as a “lovely lady”, and refusing to stand too close to the clown due to his pink cowboy boots. All that watching of people exercising had us working up quite a thirst so we all trooped back in to town for a couple of drinks and talking of rubbish. James, Gareth and Tracey also got the added bonus of meeting the world’s biggest and loudest cat, when they came around to check my new digs out!

Sunday was a fairly revolting day weather-wise so I raided Tracey and Gareth’s collection of books and dvds and the cat and I spent the day on the sofa. It was nice having a three day weekend so I didn’t feel too bad about having a day doing nothing! Monday was a much nicer day and I joined the usuals for some hiking around Horseshoe Bay. It was really attractive and quite a decent walk so I felt suitably virtuous when I got home! I had a surprise visit from my friend Neil on Monday who was supposed to be hanging out with the bears in the Rockies – due to a strike on the buses over here he couldn’t get anywhere so had to admit defeat and return to Vancouver to start again next week.

Well that brings us pretty up to date – I hope you are all doing well!
C