Oh, and I can drive a forklift

It's on days like today that I miss London. Okay, there have been a lot of days in the last three months that I have missed London.
In a city so large expansive as London I often found that smiling at someone and saying thank you brought out the best of them. Don't get me wrong. I don't consider London to be the friendliest city I've ever visited. What with people just trying to get through the day with the Tube and buses and busy streets and of course the endless line-ups for ready-made food at M&S, Tesco and heaven forbid, Asda.

But yes, officially, I miss London. London has a lot to offer a single girl like me. It's got museums to wander, gorgeous cafes with delectable treats to indulge in and markets where shouts of "2 for a 5-er" are routine.

Back in Metro Vancouver now it's been challenging. The job search, the reconnecting with friends, the transport (can Vancouver public transport get beyond the idea that everyone is trying to commute to downtown Vancouver and build an intercommunity system yet?) The people that I met in London were absolutely superb. Trust me when I say that there were days where a good cry and a scream into a pillow and a cider at the end of the day were was got me through it. But I don't regret the challenge. I don't regret the leap of faith I took in myself.

I've decided that I need to take more on and keep my hands and mind busy. London will be there. But now it's on to the next adventure. That adventure hasn't shown itself yet and for now I'm biding my time. But world, bring it on. I'm ready, able and willing. Oh, and I can drive a forklift.

When I was 4 years old I saw a hero, 23 years later I got to meet him

The month marks the 25 year anniversary of Rick Hansen Man in Motion Tour reaching Thermal Drive in Coquitlam, BC. I was just under 5 years when he pushed himself, in a wheelchair, up the 17% grade hill. Second only to the Great Wall of China, this was his toughest hill on the tour.
I remember being woken up by my mother than morning and walking the 2 blocks to Thermal Drive. We parked ourselves on the sidewalk and watched as used every ounce of strength, courage and energy to make to the top. He raised funds for people in wheelchairs just like him.

In 2010 I had the pleasure of meeting Rick Hansen in person. He was the Mayor of the Vancouver Athletes Village for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. It was one of the few times I've ever been star-struck and nervous to speak to someone. This was a man that pushed himself around the world in a wheelchair.

I was lucky to have the opportunity to meet a number of paralympians two years ago that were the most incredible athletes I had ever met. Performing on the world's stage they were the most down-to-earth, real people. They didn't demand special treatment or fancy cars. They wanted a platform to show the world that their skills were meant to be admired. And damn did they command it.

The summer of 2012 I return to be part of the Paralympics. Already I have had the opportunity to watch one of the most gruelling sports of the Paralympics: wheelchair rugby (also called murderball.) Imagine trying to throw score points by throwing a volleyball-like ball down the court to a teammate but being smashed from behind by a wheelchair. These are the toughest athletes I've ever seen. In 108 London welcomes the world to watch, cheer and participate in the 2012 Paralympics. It promises to an educational and entertaining experience for everyone involved. I can't even begin to explain how thrilled I am to be part of it. Let's get this show started!

Prague: old, new and lots of Italians

My travels over the years have brought me to a number of different places. In 2005 I travelled through Austria and Poland and returning to Eastern Europe meant seeing the the beautiful architecture once again. The pace of life is evident when you step outside of the Italian tourist-infested tourist district. And it's important to step outside those districts. The masses of smoking, rude, inconsiderate Italian student tourists that have been dragged by their teachers and chaperones really couldn't care less about the historical significance of the Jewish cemetery or the Astronomical Clock with it's intricate workings.

Summary: escape when you can and go for a wander along the river. The views of the city are fantastic and the crowds much, much thinner.

Prague is an extremely well laid-out city. The 3 metro underground lines combined with the tram lines make getting around the city extremely easy. I stayed outside the downtown core at Hotel Anna in the district of Vinohrady and getting to the centre of town was extremely easy. The metro stations even have their own art:

My favourite bits of Prague (aside from the amazing food) would have to be, in no particular order:

• The Prague Castle (specifically St. Vitus Cathedral)
• The view from tower of the Astronomical Clock
• The Old Jewish Cemetery (approximately 100,000 people are buried there)

Ride a tram or two. Get lost in the windy streets and enjoy the slower pace of life. Oh, and the cheap, cheap food.

Trdlo: old Czech bread. And meat.

When visiting a new city, country, region or what have you I feel it is important if not crucial to spending some quality time with the menu.

In London this means curries and fish and chips and of course artery-clogging pork pie (don't tempt me with them, it is a weakness!) In Prague there was no shortage of food. One of our favourites would have to be the Trdlo or Trdelnik. It truly was a well-deserved treat after a long day wandering the historical city. Essentially a trdlo is a piece of sweet bread wrapped around a pipe (hopefully not lead) and baked over a flame and is in the shape of a ring. It tastes amazing with sugar and almond bits on the outside. The kicker is when you ask for Nutella to be added. Heaven. Sheer heaven.

Yes the sweet trdlo was welcomed with open arms. That being said it was of course the meat that stole the show. I haven't seen many menus that were as jam-packed with meat-focused meals than when I was last Memphis Blues BBQ Restaurant and overdosed on brisket. Warnings from friends about the amount of meat served up where accepted with a bit of a laugh. Little did we know that the epic Bohemia Platter would put our laughs to rest:

Silly Canadian girls were are, we thought it wise to order chicken wings on top of behemoth platter of meat. Ridiculous I know. Needless to say we didn't finish the Bohemia Platter. Nor did we finish the chicken wings. Instead we rolled up the hill 2 blocks to our hotel.

And I may have had one of these as a bed time snack.

Milka biscuits!?!?!?!?! I must be dreaming. Milka and I go way back to 1998 when I went to Austria for the first time.

Did I mention I had goulash for lunch. And loved it? It must have been the dumplings. Ohhh the dumplings, how they go to your hips.

Alight here for Little Venice

If you're free one afternoon head out to Maida Vale or Little Venice. You won't believe what you see.

Tucked under street with traffic whizzing by. Next to an adorable plot of land with spring flowers blooming (where no tape machines can be played - but perhaps an mp3 player can be?).

Right in the mix with geese, swans and ducks galore is a little place called Brownings Pool.

Several times a day the small establishment of London Waterbus Company collects locals and tourists a like and takes them on a bit of a 'behind the scenes' ride to Camden Town.

When I think of London the first few things to come to mind are the crowded streets, pub life, accents, strange says and tea. Life on the canals is not in the top 100 things I would come up with about London life. I overhead the operator tell a fellow customer that because of the extremely long wait times for a water moorage licence people can wait years and years to get one. The entire canal was packed with narrow boats converted for business and for living. I'm curious if there are illegal moorings and how that is managed as a system. Also - how do you get your boat out when you're done with dirty London canals?

It's the million dollar question.

The tour itself allows you to see some amazing houses, real working (and lived on) boats as well as takes you past the London Zoo and Regents Park.

There are some spectacular houses along the way.

The trip this past weekend was suggest by another international person working in London. One of the things that I enjoy most about this city is that there is so much to do and you can combine things by taking different modes of transport. My favourite is walking because you get to experience the good and that bad of the crowds, the smells, the sounds and the sites. This city is absolutely massive and it can feel like it's swallowing you up on some days. That's why stepping out and trying a slower method of travel can be nice.

You never know what you will come across. As a local in whatever city you're in make sure you enjoy what you have. Be a tourist in your own city, town or village.

And of course don't forget a cup of tea or chocolate at the end.

Gustav Vigeland: more than just a few statues

Sculptures in Oslo go hand-in-hand. I spotted them all over the city. Having public pieces of art, open for interaction and interpretation is fantastic. I wish cities, residents and visitors appreciated art pieces more often.

In Oslo, they were everywhere. There were some at the new harbour front, I even found a new friend:

The most impressive collection of sculptures was in Frogner Park, in particular the Vigeland Sculpture Park. I thoroughly enjoyed the Oslo Winter Walks tour through the Vigeland Museum. The tour guide was able to give us a bit of a background on the artists and his family and love life. He'd had a son with his first wife and then left them with only money and no relationship. The rest of his life was filled with long-term relationships with his assistants and helpers. That being said he never developed a proper relationship with his son. This is interesting seeing as the theme of circle of life with parent-child relationships and husband-wife relationships are prevalent throughout the park.

The Vigeland Monolith is found at the centre of the park - Vigeland and his stone cutters began work on the Monolith in 1929 and was completed in 1943. It is an incredible sculpture that is intricate, delicate and immense all in one go. The 121 human figures that make up the Monolith represent the cycle of life: some people battle to reach the top while others accept their place in life.

There are 212 bronze and granite statues in the park. Vigeland donated all of his work to the city of Oslo.

His sculptures are playful:

Intimate:

Cheeky:

And a little bit famous:

Then there are sculptures that just beg you to have fun. When it's completely unexpected that's when you have the most fun:

Oslo - what a fjord of a city

Last weekend I had the opportunity to take a cheap flight to Oslo, Norway. Oslo puts German efficiency to shame. Buses run frequently, on time and are clean. The city is clean and easily laid out for locals and tourists. Quite nice indeed.

Aside from the first 30 minutes where my travel partner and I couldn't for the life of us figure out where to catch the local #30 or #31 bus (we had arrived at the local bus station but only regional buses went there, hence the confusion.)

First thing about Norway: it is just as expensive as everyone says it is. Particularly food. A bottle of coke is approximately $6. A chocolate bar is between $3-4. The hot chocolate at 40 krone (approximately $6) was totally worth it.

Second thing: It gets a little chilly at night. Wear layers.

Third thing: Everyone speaks English.

Our hotel was fantastic. Situated just outside the downtown centre of the city but still within walking distance we stayed at Rica Hotel Bygdǿy Allé, we even had a balcony (we're on the fourth floor.)

Our first day was probably the best as the weather worked out quite well for us. We had clear blue skies and the sun was shining down for us.

With our OsloPasses in hand we headed down to the waterfront for a harbour boat tour.

The harbour was a little icy and we were there early so we decided to hike up to the Akershus Festning (the fortress). Quite a spectacular place and lots of history. The chapel is still in use by the Norwegian Royal Family. The picture below is the mausoleum where many of the royal family members are buried.

The highlight of the trip was probably when we got to go out on the water. It was absolutely stunning. The first stop was the Oslo Opera House - absolutely amazing. Would never have even known it was there unless the the boat tour went by it. The Opera House is designed that you can walk all over the roof.

We also went past the tiny island of Bleikøya with colourful wooden houses.

I have to admit that I probably fell asleep for a few minutes on the boat.

The sun, the few hours of travel the day before. It was the perfect setting for a mini-boat nap.

It was quite a lovely way to kick off Oslo.

How to move a pallet in 36 easy steps

Step 1 - Ship it to another country to move it. It will be faster.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending 3 days of forklift training. This training involved half a day of 'theory' and 2.5 days or so of 'hands-on' training and an exam.

As is typical with British training, safety was highlighted, a lot. I'm the first person to be aware of health and safety even more so since I've worked at a company where people did, sadly, die on the job. But there's a limit to red tape. Something I hope that dear old David Cameron is looking to trip down.

Back to the forklifting though. Before you ask, yes, I did pass and I have my certification. I even completed it in a fairly decent time. Will I use the forklift in the next six months? I sure hope so!

The forklift exam was quite ridiculous and far from realistic. And a chicane? I don't think I've actually heard that term before. The chicane, however, was part of the exam. That was probably my best part. The stacking and de-stacking of pallets was decent. It was more the worry of not being 100% perfect that was the most troubling part.

Having initially learned to drive a forklift in Canada I was quite accustomed to making sure my foot was on the brake when using the hydraulics. In the great motherland, however, you must put the forklift into neutral and use the handbrake every time you wanted to tilt your forks. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

Can you hear the frustration in my writing? Yes, imagine doing the test the first time as a trial and nearly failing due to using common sense and not putting the handbrake on every time. EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Things I do know about using a forklift and useful tips for anyone making the great test of patience:

-remember your pivot points

-look around every time you move forward or backwards

-BRAKE NEUTRAL

-rubbing will happen and you won't notice it 99% of the time

-tilt your fork tips back and low when driving

-relax and think logically-anyone can do it

-wear your seatbelt when driving

-do not bring down parkade gates

-do not hit fire sprinklers in parkades

Now, end rant and healing exercise. Let's get this forking done!

(And yes, my seatbelt is not on but I was not driving, just posing in this photo.)

A variety of stiles to suit your fancy

London is fantastic. The city has so many personalities and moods. One day it's cosmopolitan, the other is a simple lager. Occasionally you need to step outside zone 6 for a little ramble in the country. That's exactly what I did on this beautiful Saturday: a little stroll though the fields of Amersham.

Friday nights out usually mean a lie-in on Saturday morning but since I made a commitment I knew I had to leave the social gathering a bit early and chug back the aqua. I can honestly say that I left right on time and awoke with a clear head and ready for the journey to north-west London, to Buckinghamshire ('Bucks as the locals call it.) Once again, you know know where a footpath will take you:

Today's theme was stile. No, that's not a spelling mistake. Stiles are all the rage in the fields of Britain. What is a stile you ask? "A stile is a structure which provides people a passage through or over a fences or boundary via steps, ladders, or narrow gaps" (source: Wikipedia.) Me being me, I will now share the various styles of stiles:

Wobbly stile:

A fresh new stile, hot off the press:

In addition to stiles there are also kissing gates that provide access across fields:

Our ramble from Amersham to Chalfont St Giles took us through several fields, and even across a local golf course. The people on the course were a little surprised to find such young lovely ladies venturing out on a ramble (typically it is older individuals that ramble as a hobby) but everyone was really friendly. An older gentleman tending his garden near Coke's Farm engaged in a short conversation with us and even shared the fact that a few quakers are buried in his backyard (they weren't allowed to be buried in church yards.)

As is typical of most rambles a pub lunch was in order. We popped into a small pub in Chalfont St Giles for a tasty burger and even caught a glimpse of an adorable country church. Even the church had a stile (but I'll save you from that photo):

I highly recommend taking a break from the city wherever possible. Whether you're in Vancouver, New York or London, take a break from the city and find a footpath. Grab a friend or family member and get some fresh air, move your legs, exercise your sense of adventure. You never know where it will lead you:

And don't forget your camera! And keep your eyes open for stiles!

¿Qué fiesta más divertida!

What a fun party!

Yes, indeed it was.

A few weeks back I got the following invite:

And of course I said "Yes!"

My typical wardrobe Monday-Friday (and let's be realistic, Saturday and Sunday too) is jeans, runners and a jumper. Friday's evening out in the Mayfair neighbourhood of London required a drastic change in wardrobe. So I bought a dress. And wore heels. I'll definitely wear the dress again. The shoes will be tossed under my bed and hopefully never warn again.

So yes, as a Canadian I was lucky enough to visit The Official Residence of the Canadian High Commission for a bit of a kick-off celebration for the London 2012 Summer Olympics for the Canadian Olympic Committee. Free wine, appetizers, Armando making sure our glasses were consistently full and a statue of a mountie were all part of the evening.

The party was attended by staff working for the Summer Games all hailing from Canada. It is rather ironic that we all moved across the world and were attending a party for fellow Canadians. But you can't argue with free booze in a swanky neighbourhood.

For the third time this week I met Mark Tewksbury. Mark is the 'Chef de Mission' (CdM) for the Canadian Olympic Committee this year. Mark was fantastic and I'm so excited to have him as the CdM. Mark even performed a little rally cheer for us:

"I'm a beaver, you're a beaver.

Beavers we are all.

And when we get together, we do the beaver call,

Nawnawnawnaw."

My feet were in excruciating pain at the end of the night as the Canadian contingent moved on to a night club. A 3 level bar, club, club with 80s musics blasting. The night ended with a ride home on the good old Jubilee Line. All I can say is thank goodness the bus stop is right out front my door.

Saturday morning came too soon but I was rewarded with what I've wanted since I arrived. Mascots!!!!!

Way down down she's bound to break ya

So it's been a little cold in London. Saturday was certainly no exception. I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever be warm again.

The morning started with a short wander up to Blackheath through Greenwich Park.

I found out the circus was in town!

Apparently golf was introduced to England in Blackheath!

I also wandered over to Canada Water area and spotted the new library (read more here). I will definitely have to go back and check it out. As libraries are consistently under threat around the world it's quite something to see a new public building being constructed. Long live the printed book!

Then it was time to get ready for the concert. I knew it would be a challenging night getting to Alexandra Palace and back.

Ridiculous closures on tube and local rail services were closed for 'scheduled engineering works' including the ENTIRE DLR.

So I left my flat on time and arrived on time at Alexandra Palace Station. Only to wait an hour for my friend with the tickets. Luckily there was a news agent there that sold hot chocolate. All hail hot chocolate vendors on cold nights.

Alexandra Palace, 'The People's Palace', is a massive venue for concerts. It's great when you're tall and can see the performers. Not so great when you're 5 foot 2 inches on a good day. With tall drunk people throwing/spilling drinks everywhere including on me, pushy people knocking me over then trying to apologize by sticking their tongue down my throat (who got a good smack, let me tell you that) I can safely say I did not have the best experience at the Black Keys concert. They put on a great show but the inability to see them was aggravating.

The 2+hour commute home on public transit (20min walk to tube, 3 different trains, 1 bus, 1 crappy donair later) didn't make the night any more enjoyable. But, then I realized the following:

-that I can only control myself in that situation

-that I did see (hear) an amazing show

-that I'm in freaking London and that I need to get over it

A Winter Wonderland, of sorts

It was to be a quiet weekend. No major plans. Just relax, do some laundry and catch-up on some sleep. Most of that did happen, along with a walk through the snow that fell on Saturday evening.

The snow made everything just a little bit quieter. A little bit more peaceful.

My flatmates and I decided to go for a bit of a wander through Greenwich.

Our first stop was St. Alfege Park:

We then spotted new banners up, celebrating the bestowment of 'Royal' Borough to Greenwich:

Greenwich Park was abuzz with people. It was madness. Londoners are quite similar to Vancouverites when it snows: go crazy, have a mad dash to the park to go sledding and then whine about the snow for the next two days.

Here are some of the photos I captured during our wander:

It was an unexpected group outing that included showing a snow newbie how to make a proper snowman and a farmers market in Blackheath (the neighbouring village) where they apparently build snow bunnies, not snowmen.

This last photo is one of favourites. Captured at the Ranger's House in Greenwich Park. Little cold yet welcoming at the same time.

All in all, it was another lovely weekend in London. Feeling like I made the right choice more and more every minute.

Also - I've booked a trip to Oslo, Norway. You just can't say no to a 30 GBP return trip. I think I'll need a proper winter jacket though....