Sunny Spring

29°C is a rarity in Calgary especially during springtime. So as soon as the bright sun got up sans cold winds which we usually get at this time of the year, everyone got out with their light shirts and shorts to take a stroll around the city. It was a Saturday - the 17th of May. Bien sûr, I went out as well with my cousin Ace and brother John in tow. While a lot of people went to neighboring ski resort towns like Banff and Canmore (it was Victoria Day the following Monday so it was a long weekend), a good number decided to stay in town to enjoy the sun.
One favorite spot was Stephen Avenue - a pedestrian street located at the heart of downtown. Known for its historic buildings, al fresco cafes and high end retail shops, the area was also filled with street performers with the unusually good weather.



Stephen Avenue has always been Calgary's "meeting place." Much of the old buildings here that are currently occupied by shops were banks and other offices during the city's boom in the early 1900s. You can even see the old rail tracks which date back from the first street car system of the city.

After Stephen Avenue, we headed straight to Prince's Island Park, another Calgarian favorite regardless of the weather. As expected, the paths were filled with bicycles and inline skaters. The grassy area, on the other hand, was filled with people playing football, frisbee and all sorts of stuff. We were even able to see a circle of Latinos doing some capoeira. Too bad the camera's battery just went off in the middle of taking pictures of all these people having fun. Anyway, we were not in the mood to play after a very long walk. Instead, we decided to end the day by sitting on the grass and staring at the wonderful scene as plants come back to life again after a long winter.

Neuf Mois Au Canada!

By the end of this month, it will already be nine months since we first set foot in Canada. I can still remember the rainy day we left Manila, the 13-hour long plane trip, and that much needed vacation in Vancouver. Moving to Calgary was also fresh on my mind - the grueling 12-hour Greyhound bus trip from Vancouver, staying for a week with newly found friends, and moving into our new apartment with all those Swedish DIY furniture.

A lot has happened for the past nine months and I promise to pick up the story from where I left it at. Allow me though to give you a progress report of my stay here in Calgary:

Weather

I've learned to accept that a day in Calgary can work within a 20 degree range. As most Calgarians would say, if you don't like the weather now, wait for ten minutes and things just might turn to your favor. Nevertheless, I'm thrilled to have experienced all four seasons and will be looking forward to the cycle each year. What I like most about it is you get a perfect excuse to change your wardrobe every three to four months. The only downside is that it is semi-arid all year long so it was definitely worth making lotion and moisturizer as my new buddies.

Work

Work here has definitely been less stressful than how it is in Manila. Here, we normally just stick with the 9 to 5 schedule. This allows me to spend more time with other things such as reading (here I literally devour books!), taking leisure walks by the river (literally, not figuratively) and spending time with my family. Other benefits of the stress-free life include being able to keep myself in shape and acne free sans expensive derma treatments.

School

I'm looking forward to going back to school in September. Though none of my university credits from the Philippines were actually transferred, I actually miss my college years so it will be another four years well spent . This is definitely a great time to meet people too and to build my so-called "Canadian network." I have also started with my French classes at Alliance Française at the start of the year and plan to take my A1 Level DELF (Diplôme d'Études en Langue Française) by September. This exam is conducted by the French Ministry of Education and is recognized globally. Je suis excité et nerveux aussi!

I will continue with my way overdue Vancouver vacation histoires and give you a glimpse of my first few weeks here in Calgary. To all the people who have been reading my blog, thank you! To all my friends and relatives back in Manila, I do miss you all. Keep on reading and do know that dropping a line or two would be greatly appreciated!