Vancouver

So I got kicked out of the Calgary Youth hostel. Something about being full. Certainly nothing about me not being a youth any more. I looked around, considered my options, and ended up on a bus to Vancouver. Bye bye, Calgary.

Vancouver skyline

So Vancouver is pretty good. I was here a few hours, found all the gear shops and got a first taste of precipitation (I’ve been scared off Vancouver because it “rains all the time here” – which doesn’t seem to be strictly true). For Aussies, this is a city that to me looks like Hobart has exploded to the size of Brisbane, but is far more dense. There are two big bays around the centre core, mountains in the background and piles of people. And apartment buildings popping up like trees. There is a forest of condos.

And hostel accommodation is full here as well. Travelling in summer in Canada requires planning and forethought. Not really my cup of tea. Perhaps I should visit Europe…

13 months old

My trip turned 13 months today. Happy 1.0833 birthday to my trip. There you are, if I miss your birthday by a month or so back home – it’s nothing personal, I just don’t track anniversaries very well.

Moving on?

I think I’m working it out. It is not the lack of work that I’m missing. It is technical challenge. I’ve just spent the better part of a day messing around with my computer (I did mention I bought one didn’t I), trying to install a different version of Linux. Without a CD drive (which turns out to be a difficult endeavour – especially when you’ve not done it before).

Why?

Well… ‘cos I can. Or can’t as it turns out. But the success (or lack of) is a little beside the point. What is worrying is that I can spend a reasonably sunny day in Canada messing with a laptop. I may as well be at home.

And that pretty much sums up my feelings toward Canada at the moment. Sure it is different to Australia, the flora, fauna, landscape are all completely unrelated. However, the people, the way they live, car they drive, work they do is all so similar to what I’m used to back home that I’m heavily doubting that I should stay here for the experience. For sure living here will not be a challenge (apart from the obvious get a job, get a house which really could be trivial if I applied myself). So, to experience Canada I should really be out hunting bears or up to my neck in ice way above the Arctic circle somewhere. It turns out you don’t get that in Calgary.

To be fair, I have my expectations of challenge at South American levels still, so it is unlikely that any place will truly satisfy me right now (except maybe Asia…). So the job hunt is still technically on, but…

Maybe after I get Linux working

Australian English

Huh. Who knew we were worth that effort. Firefox comes with an Australian Language spell check. No excuse to spell ’strewth’ (bestrewed?) wrong now.

Actually there is, looks like some of the real occa (coca?) words got missed out.

New toy

On the pretext of needing one to get a job, I just bought a new computer

It’s only a small guy – about the size of two CDs. And it does a few strange things every now and again, or that could be me and the new operating system. I’ll get used to that（ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｃａｎ’ｔ　ｆｉｘ　ｉｔ）　－　ｓｅｅ　ｗｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｍｅａｎ？　Ｎｏｗ　Ｉ’ｍ　ｂａｃｋ　ｏｎｌｉｎｅ　－　ｐｅｒｈａｐｓ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｂｌｏｇ　ｐｏｓｔｓ　ｕｎｌｅｓｓ　Ｉ　ｃａｎ　ｍｏｔｉｖａｔｅ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ａ　ｊｏｂ．．．

Rockies

I’ve been from Edmonton, to the edge of the Rockies through the Icefields Parkway, Jasper, Banff and now in Calgary. The mountains are, of course, great. Sorry Prairie dwellers, but mountains beat your habitat for me. I climbed up one hill (Mt Temple), in my sneakers, over the snow and ice and in a snow storm. Was quite an experience, and reminded me why I like the mountains. And was probably a little daft.

I’m supposed to be looking for a job and not blogging, so more details later. Although the weather here is supurb right now – I don’t know if I can justify sitting in an office at this time of year.