One of the first laser discs movies that we had back home were those Indiana Jones movies. Suspension bridges will always be an element of these movies with the protagonist running for his life as the bridge falls apart and its wooden panels drop in the deep ravine.
We were in adventure mode as we went to the famed Capilano Suspension Bridge. Built in the 1800s, it has been there ever since. It has survived all sort of storms including a more recent one where an old tree weighing several tons fell on it.
As expected, it was shaky and felt like it was going to fall any minute. In spite of this and considering the rowdy Spanish tourists who kept on shaking the handles causing some of the tourists to panic (Que barbaridad!), we got to both ends safely. Another feature of the site is its old lodges with employees dressed in old colonial wear. Neat! It also had a lot of short trails for the novice adventurer (and a lot of smaller suspension bridges to prepare you for the “real” one).
If there is any significant thing that happened that day, it was that my mom was able to overcome her fear of heights. This time, she confidently crossed the bridge in spite of the fact that we were crossing over a deep ravine with the rocky river below far from our sight. I’m so proud of you, Mama!
jigs | | # | 
Simon Fraser University – one of my top options to transfer to when we decided in my fourth year of high school that we were moving to Canada. A top university here in Canada nestled above a mountain, it seemed like the perfect place to focus on your studies.
Of course, s&*% happens so we had to wait for another five years for the visa. By that time, I did not only finish my college studies but was already a full-fledged CPA and Junior Product Manager with L’Oreal. Anyway, it was still worth going to. Did it look nice as the pictures I saw while wide-eyed and dreaming about studying abroad just a few years ago?
I was not disappointed. As expected, it was a bit colder there than downtown Vancouver. The campus was quiet which made it appealing as a conducive place to study and even reflect on career options. The architecture is also breathtaking. In fact, this university has been used as a shooting location site in several sci-fi and action oriented movies due to its CIA-ish and futuristic structures.
I know this sounds so jologs but it was also my first time to see a football field and game. I’m talking about American football of course. Normally, you would only see these in teen flicks with the popular jock together with his cheerleader girlfriend (never fails).
Now that I know I know that I’m studying again, I’m very much excited and looking forward to a new studying environment. I plan to take further studies here at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business. I wonder how similar or different it is to our system back home, eh? Anyway, the U of C is another story and I would leave it at that for now. ☺
jigs | | # |
It's no longer just the leaves turning yellow and falling. While we had seen flurries for the past few weeks, this was the first time that we had some real snow accumulate on the ground.
It was Wednesday night last week when we saw snow falling from the sky. The following day, the the whole city was blanketed in snow.
The sight of snow just got me excited. It felt like tiny feathers falling from the sky. Once it accumulates on the ground, it sparkles on the bright sun. It was also fun to step on as your feet slowly sink. Of course, it meant investing on good boots which don't exactly come at a cheap price but are worth it as they guarantee frost free feet even at -35 degrees Celsius.
As it is not yet Winter technically, this is just a sneak preview and is nothing compared to the real winter. By then, I should get my camera ready for more pictures!
By the way, read on as I updated my Vancouver vacation blog entries! :)
jigs | | # |
I feel so terrible having not updated the blog regularly as I planned (or as I solemnly swore to the person who made this wonderful blog layout!). Anyway, as I need to backtrack our Vancouver vacation and first few weeks in Calgary, I will do my best to do two entries at a time - the current one and the backtracked one.
For now, allow me to share what's up with me here in Calgary. So far, I've been enjoying my stay here. I've already started working with CitiFinancial Canada. As expected, the first few days is all about information overload but I'm glad that I'm being exposed to a totally different industry. I especially find doing credit assessments interesting. I'm amazed at how the credit bureau works! This job will definitely keep me busy until I get back to school on fall 2008 to get another bachelors degree for apparently, my college degree back in Manila is not recognized here. Ugh!
Anyway, I consider it as a blessing in disguise. Who knows? The university might be a perfect opportunity for me to meet friends. Don't get me wrong. The people at CitiFinancial are nice but a lot of them don't belong to my age group. Also, university studies might be a way to a better job than the good one that I already have. With all these things, I feel blessed more than ever!
The temperature is starting to drop and I'm glad that it's happening slowly. This will allow me to adjust before it goes to the double digit negatives. Brrr! The temperature is doing me well, though, as it had regulated my acne problem. Though I know that it gets a bit dry during fall and winter, I never thought that my perennially shiny cheeks and forehead will ever go away. Now, I'm using tons of moisturizer and loving it! Thanks to all the L'Oreal (especially Kiehl's) products that were given to me before I left.
Since we replaced rice with vegetables, I have been losing weight as well. I'd be bragging my "thin" photos as soon as I get desired results. I guess it also helps that I do a lot of walking besides the usual gym workout.
I do miss Manila and all the friends and relatives I left behind but now, I'm still in this inexplainable state of ecstasy. Perhaps, it is the prospect of starting anew or living a carefree life where no one cares what you want to do. I really don't know but is sure is a great feeling!
jigs | | # |
One of the first laser discs movies that we had back home were those Indiana Jones movies. Suspension bridges will always be an element of these movies with the protagonist running for his life as the bridge falls apart and its wooden panels drop in the deep ravine.
