Life Unfolds Perfectly

Update..

2009-07-28T09:14:00.002-06:00

Hello World, (and Grandpa in particular, because I am not sure anyone else looks at this anymore)

Not too much is new with me right now, still working hard and feeling like I'm not getting ahead like I want to. I am teaching at the University again starting in September and have got a class for both semesters, so I am really excited about that, as it's what I really want to do. I keep looking for the best way to do a PhD, but I just haven't found the right path yet. I want to do research in something that is meaningful and important to me and I don't want to take on anymore debt- once I conquer these obstacles it will be smooth sailing.. maybe!

Recently I have been considering getting involved in a franchise, more particularly investing in a Chatters franchise. I'm really thinking this is the best way to get started in owning and operating a business, with the support that is offered and the marketing and research pretty much taken care of, I can focus on the operations and hopefully the profits will follow. Although of course this involves taking on a small business loan, but I see that turning around a lot faster than the investment in my education will.

Things with Louis are really great, sometimes I am surprised at how well we fit together, making silly jokes and laughing all day! He really helps me to relax and not get sooo stressed out and I think that I help him push forward a bit and try to reach his goals.. seems like a fantastic balance to me!

Oh, we got a puppy around Easter time, a yellow lab who we called Jessie! She is really the greatest thing for us, although we argue from time to time about how to care for her, I suppose that is normal! Having her around has definitely made me get out and get more exercise as well, something I was in desperate need of after a year of sitting on my butt in Waterloo! She is such a well behaved dog, a little too much puppy energy sometimes, but that is to be expected!

Last weekend I turned the big 2-5, I must say it wasn't as monumental as it sounded- being my Royal Birthday and all! I had a great time hanging out with some good friends though and thats what really counts. I think I am coming down with a bit of a cold though now, probably from a lack of sleep...

This weekend we are heading out to Elbow, SK to go camping with the family and friends we used to camp with all the time when we were young. I am pretty excited, it will be nice to relax and catch up. We have the week off after that and will be sticking around the farm, maybe heading to the Tunnels of Moose Jaw and the Ex in Saskatoon before venturing back to Edmonton.

Hope everything is well in the blogging world, as I don't frequent it as much as I once did...

Update...

2009-02-04T12:52:00.002-07:00

I am assuming since I haven't made an update in well over a year, nobody is checking this anymore! However, for the sake of letting the cyberworld know that I am alive and well, I thought I would do an update!

So I finished my MBET degree and am now working back in Edmonton as a.. wait for it.. it's a fabulous title.. Business Intelligence Database Analyst.. great right?!?

Investigating the possibility of doing my PhD in the near future, as I had a chance to teach a class at Augustana last semester (and will likely teach the same one again this coming fall), and loved teaching!!

Other than that, just trying to get used to this regular work schedule thing. It's funny, but after school (and working in between going to school), I never thought the hardest part would be getting used to the schedule. But school is much more flexible.. I like flexible!

So I will try and put up an update more often, but no promises! Hope anyone who reads this is healthy and happy!!

MBET and Waterloo

2007-10-25T13:35:00.000-06:00

Oh my faithful readers- I know it's been long again, maybe some people are still checking this though, so here is the latest update! I made it out to Waterloo at the end of August and since I have settled in quite well. The city is really spread out and I haven't really seen that much of it, but the University is fairly close and the bus schedule isn't so bad, so things are going well! I live in a very nicely renovated townhouse with two other graduate students from the other university in town- Wilfred Laurier. The girls are great, Anna is studying Sociology and Tiffany Public Policy- we are just different enough that we get along great!

MBET has been pretty good so far, it's not exactly what I expected, but then I don't really know what I was expecting. It's very focused on the Entrepreneurship part and our courses are set up in such a way that we can go through the whole process. We have had lots of chances to network and hear some amazing speakers, it's really forcing me to start getting out and meeting people. The class is divided into two sections for most of the time but all the people are great, and we do spend time outside of school getting together and having a good time.

The weather here has been so good to us, I have never seen an October so warm- and I'm loving it- apparently the winters don't get too cold here either (well compared to the great prairies), so I guess time will tell.

Ro came out to visit me a few weeks ago and we had a good time, headed into Toronto for one night and stayed at the Sheraton downtown- it was a blast and so nice to spend time with her, as it's hard when you are first getting to know new people and they don't really know the real you.

Over Thanksgiving, my third Thanksgiving away from home now, I headed to Ottawa with Tiffany. I was really impressed with the city, it was beautiful and seemed to have a calm to it. I went out with Patrick a couple nights and had a blast as well, it was just an overall relaxing, fun weekend. Tiffany's mom made a wonderful dinner for us and it was nice to be in a family setting- even if it wasn't my own!

Right now, I'm spending most of my time in school, but also relaxing at home and trying to enjoy the time as much as possible as I know it's going to go fast. I am heading to Edmonton on December 14th for Christmas break and then from there I will head down to Kyle for probably a week around Christmas and New Years Eve is currently wide open. I am really excited to come home for a break and can't wait to see everyone!! I miss you all! Hope life is being good to you, and I will try to update again soon, with pictures as well!!

Summer's Ending...

2007-08-16T08:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm glad to say the last couple weeks have been pretty uneventful!! I officially fly out of Edmonton next Thursday evening and will head to Sask for a day, then it's off to Ontario, driving out with my Mom and Jill. I am super excited to get back into school and even more excited to graduate and get an amazing job! :-) I have a place to live and everything arranged, so hopefully when I get there I can settle in quickly and get into the swing of school again. Been spending the last little while trying to catch up some friends before leaving, had an EXCELLENT weekend with Ro and Christine, checked out the Ne-Yo concert, WOW, it was so awesome, after the 2 hours standing and waiting! Took in a couple of the festivals around Edmonton, Heritage Days, Cariwest. This weekend I'm thinking of having a low-key farewell of sorts, no definate plans yet, but if you aren't too busy on Saturday please give me a call!

Other than that not much else new, been finding it interesting not having a vehicle, didn't realize how much I relied on that, but it's a good way to start adjusting now, as it's a year without one!

Thought I'd add some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Last minute trip home to SK..

Ne-Yo concert and the after party!!

Birthday Fun!

So Much For Relaxing Holidays

2007-08-02T09:24:00.000-06:00

Well, I started my birthday off well, had a good night got to see tons of people and all in all brought in 23 with a bang. Then, Thursday started. Found out on Thursday that we had to be out of our place by Tuesday (some issues with the subletting contract I guess) and so begins my mad scramble. So, Friday we were able to find a place and Saturday we luckily were allowed to move in, so in the scorching heat we packed up, moved and began unpacking a house, and took in Capital Ex to end the day. Sunday was alright, still getting organized and a bit of chaos cleaning up the old place, etc, so I decided on Monday I would take one more day off, just to get things sorted out and actually rest a bit.

What was I thinking? Mom called to tell me that she couldn't renew my license (still in Saskatchewan) because it had been flagged, so I called SGI and got it sorted out, and by sorted it I mean they confirmed that I could renew my license if I personally went to Saskatchewan to do it, and also that they would honour my insurance on my vehicles until midnight on Tuesday (the 31st) in order for me to get them back across the border.

So, no work for the next two days, oh, and one car that doesn't start. So we get the Nova towed late on Monday night, luckily borrowing someone's CAA so that we didn't have to pay for it and Tuesday morning I wake up early and head over to the shop. I talk to the guy and tell him I just need it to start and get me home, nothing fancy and as cheap as possible, all by 4pm.. please, please, please. He tells me he will try. So I leave to run some errands for the day, rent a car to be able to get back from Saskatchewan (and located 2 more drivers), and a few other miscellaneous things. Pick Erick up from work at 2:30pm and head back to the shop to see how he is making out (considering I haven't heard from him all day). We get there and he makes a one phone call and informs us that it's hard to find the part because the car is so old, blah, blah (he even specifically says you can't just find it at Canadian Tire). At this point I'm certain he hasn't even made a call until that moment when I am standing there...GRRR! So we head to a locksmith to see if they can make a new key (maybe it will be an easy fix).. turns out the guy finds a part in the meantime but waits until we get back and the new key fails. So he says it's now too late to get the part in, but if we can get to a Canadian Tire and pick it up he will stay and do it...umm.. CANADIAN TIRE??? I thought we couldn't get one there?!! Idiot. Anyway, so we get the part and he finally gets it installed and the car starts perfectly, THANK GOD!

By this time it's 6:30pm and we were planning to leave around 4-- we head home to pack our stuff and get ready, by the time we head out of the city it's 9pm. Get to Provost around midnight and decide it's better if we take a nap because we are getting a little sleepy on the road. Finally after all is said and done we arrive at home in Saskatchewan at 7:30am Wednesday morning. What a LONG day/night. So we sleep for a few hours, wake up and deal with renewing my license and cancelling my plates, make a quick trip down to the river, home for supper and then back on the road again around 7pm (less than 12 hours after arriving). We arrived back in Edmonton around 1am and now here I am at work, dead tired, flat broke and walking on egg shells hoping that is the end of my bad karma...

Still Heading to Waterloo...

2007-07-24T06:46:00.000-06:00

Hey All! I guess I best keep posting to keep my faithful readers coming back (considering the time between some posts..)! So, I have made a decision even before waiting to hear more from the graduate office at U of A and scholarships. I am still going to head off to Waterloo for the MBET. I have decided (and THANK YOU all for the words of advice) that if I don't take this opportunity right now I may very well not get the chance again in the future and would regret it, and we don't want that!

I went ahead and found a place in Waterloo which I am really excited for, I have an awesome landlady who is already doing everything to try and accommodate me from here, and I will be living with two other female graduate students, so I think it's going to be an awesome time! I also took out another student loan from the bank because the government one was not going to completely cover my expenses (for example they are giving me $550/month and my rent alone is $425). They say that education is good debt, so let's hope that it really pays off!

Nothing else is really new with me, this week is my "holiday" for the summer, I am off on Thursday and Friday (anyone guess why I chose those days?!) and really looking forward to taking a break and relaxing, hanging out with good friends and family. I am done work officially on August 24th (although might take that day off, or just work a half day..) and heading home to Saskatchewan for the big road trip out to Waterloo on the 25th (yup, we are going to drive!).

All in all, I went back and forth a bit, but I am now getting super excited and can't wait to be standing on a stage in a year graduating with my Masters' degree! :-D

Hope everyone is doing well (and those in Edmonton are checking out all the summer events..)!

What To Do?

2007-07-18T10:41:00.000-06:00

Look at all the updates now!! Lol. Anyway, I have a bit of a dilemma and am wondering if anyone has any advice or words of wisdom. I recently got in contact with the Computing Science Graduate Studies office at University of Alberta; I was inquiring about whether I would meet the requirements for their PhD program after completing my MBET. It turns out that I will not, because the program is a Masters' in Business and because it is only 12 months it does not meet the U of A entrance requirements for a PhD in Computing Science.

Now this is a huge deal to me (and I am trying to arrange to go in and meet with the chair of this department to learn more), but eventually completing my PhD is my goal, and I'm not sure I am prepared to complete another Masters' program in Science before doing that. I am really excited about the MBET program and think that it's an excellent way to broaden my knowledge rather than focus it on a smaller area; reading about others' experiences in the program has gotten me excited for all the opportunities and experience it has to offer.

I guess I'm just confused about whether to continue on the path to complete the MBET or look into other Masters' programs in science. MBET in only one year and it is feasible to complete another Master's after that, however, even now Student Loans are starting to drown me and will hardly cover this year, so I wonder what they would be like after 1 Bachelor's Degree, 2 Masters' and a PhD??? I have so many things pulling me in both directions, I know I want to go to school, but the cost is a real factor right now, and I have had a couple job opportunities recently (with much better pay then I currently get) that are tempting, although doing jobs similar to what I currently do and I am finding this position fairly mundane and not challenging. So do I work through another year (trying to save some cash) and apply for a different Masters' program which would qualify me for the PhD program, or do I continue on the original path of the MBET and see what kinds of new opportunities present themselves afterwards???

A Picture Diary from the last few months...

2007-07-14T13:33:00.001-06:00

Look at us matchin..lol

Wedding in Etown

Canmore with the family

The BEAUTIFUL sisters at Cathy's convocation

Mini golfing with the kids on Mother's Day

My $20 BBQ..

Got my Mom to eat ugali with us :-)

Cookin'

Time to Eat :-)

Hanging out after the move..

Limo night with the girls!!

Trip Home with the boys..

Chillin with the girls..

Dancin' the night away..

Me and my honey

Summertime..

2007-07-10T06:12:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has been such a long time since I posted. I keep meaning to make a post when I am on my laptop so I can upload some pictures, but it seems I never find the time when I am at home. I guess a quick message with have to suffice for now. Summer has been going all right, the new place has been great, although Eric and I are hoping to find him a place starting in August and get everything moved and organized before I leave for Ontario. So far the plan is to drive out with some of the family and we'll be leaving around August 24th.

I am still really excited about going to Waterloo, but (and as always) stressing about the cost. I got my student loan approval back and it's going to be VERY tight, I'm searching for the cheapest living options so I have enough money left to eat lol. At points I go back and forth about going, but when I think about work and the kind of career I want to have I just have to go back to school now, if not now, then I don't know if I would ever do it.

So far this summer I haven't done too much, went to Canmore with the family for a weekend, which was a blast. We went white water rafting and took a gondola ride in Banff, had a fun night out with my sisters and cousin. Other than that I have pretty much been hanging around Edmonton, a couple trips to Camrose, nothing too exciting. I am taking a couple days off after my birthday (I think) but not sure if I'm going to do too much, probably just the same old, or possibly be moving stuff if Eric finds a place.

Can't think of much else to update you on, work is work, can't really complain. Hope summer is treating you all well and it's full of fun and exciting things! Take care..

Coconut Powered Vehicles

2007-05-08T12:38:00.000-06:00

This seems to be the most brilliant idea ever, good for the environment, little modification to vehicles we already drive, and coconut farmers can get a cut of the booming oil industry cash... sign me up!

http://www.onecountry.org/e151/e15101as_Deamer_profile.htm

New Place!

2007-05-08T09:17:00.000-06:00

Sooo...I officially moved into my new place for the summer on Sunday, so excited to be there, the place is gorgeous and the price and location are great, I'm going to be very sad to leave it at the end of August. I also bought a $20 bbq last night, got it cleaned up and made steak :-) It was spectacular!! I've been putting off the update until I had a chance to post some pictures, which I still intend to do, but just wanted to leave a quick note for everyone. I'm still looking forward to school in September and starting to worry about finding a place to live there, oh, I can't wait to stop moving around.... Enjoy the summer weather, I know I will!!

Help Again...

2007-04-10T08:26:00.000-06:00

Hey All,

Looking for a place to sublet/rent for May-Aug (hoping to move in ASAP), any openings?

Wednesday

2007-03-28T16:09:00.000-06:00

Just a quick update, not too much is new, had a pretty low-key weekend which was nice, although it meant I didn't even get the housework done that I wanted. Monday afternoon I attended a funeral and reception with Eric, so had the afternoon off and consequently did not work late and yesterday I chose to go home at 4:30 instead of sticking around, this way I got my housework done and a wonderfully long sleep last night!! Today I'm sticking around work to do some more upgrades and overtime, I am thankful for all the overtime pay, but we get supper here when we stay and my body is getting tired of eating junk food for supper so often, so I will be glad when we are done. Nothing much else to write about, next weekend is Easter already, I can't believe that it came so fast, another long drive home, but hopefully a refreshing long weekend! Hope life is treating everyone well!

Happy St Patty's Day..

2007-03-20T14:32:00.000-06:00

Today is pretty uneventful at work, just enough stuff to keep me going though without getting too bored. My weekend was alright, Sandy came to visit me, as well as picked up Cathy and Benny from Camrose, and got to hang out with Ro, good friends always lead to a good time! Must say I am a lot less stressed about life than I was when I wrote the last post, from wonderful words of encouragement I have received from many sources, I have continued with the plan that I will attend the MBET program in the fall, and I am still extremely excited about it! The car situation is still in the works, but trying not to get too worked up about it anymore! Other than that, not much else to report on, I know this is pretty boring, but I want to try and keep it more up to date so people keep checking on me!! Hope everyone had a wonderful green weekend, especially those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries on the same day!

Ideas... Donations? Lol

2007-03-14T13:52:00.000-06:00

Oh the joys and stresses of life! Today I wanted to put up a short post to see if anyone can help me out... first things first, yesterday I spent a good lot of time on the phone with different provincial registry offices, trying to figure out what I am supposed to do about my vehicles. Turns out there is no easy solution. I am no longer a student and live and work in Alberta, so technically I am supposed to register my vehicle here. Ok, so lets do that, BUT, first I need to have an out-of-province inspection, so i call a place that does such things and speak to a friendly, but honest lady. She says.. don't waste your money, the inspection is tough and even MUCH newer vehicles barely pass. Oh. So now what? There is also another catch, if I move to Ontario in September for school I can keep my Sask plates, but if I switch to Alberta, then I can't switch back to Sask unless I live there for three months prior to going to Ontario. Ha. So nobody has a solution that allows me to drive my car in Alberta. Next best thing, attempt to sell the car in Saskatchewan and then buy an equivalent car in Alberta, so anyone wanna trade?

Next issue, most of you know that I have been accepted into a Masters' Program in Waterloo, which I am really excited about and for which I have been granted a 15, 000 scholarship. Tuition for the program however, is 26,000 for one year (one year continuous Sept-Sept) after which I will be done!! On top of that there is living in Ontario. I have intended all along to take out more Student Loans to fund this excursion, as the general consensus, both from current students in the program and professors, is that there will not be time to hold down a part time job. However, there is major concern about graduating with excessive student loan debt and spending the rest of my life trying to pay it off... SOOOO, I am looking for some brainstorming ideas on how to get more assistance, I really want to complete this program now while I am still not settled in one place and excited to do it. Anyone know of any scholarships that apply to Business and Technology masters, Women in Technology, or anything else that applies? How about any great ideas for fundraising or odd job work I can do to get some extra cash? I'm open for any and all suggestions right now that will keep me in this program for Sept 2007....

Hope life is being a little less pressing for all of you...

Edmonton Life

2007-02-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Well again it's been awhile, one of these days I am going to be able to start my post without that statement! I hope people haven't given up on checking on my blog once in a while at least! So what's new with me, you ask? Lol. I am living in Edmonton officially now, since about the middle of January I was done at The Source in Camrose. Looking for a job here turned out to be more interesting than I had first expected. Most of the technology jobs (or at least a good lot of them) are posted through staffing agencies, so there were a lot of hoops to jump through. Although I did have a couple interviews and offers prior to starting my job (after 3 weeks of unemployed life!), I am glad that I held out. Right now I am working at an engineering company called Statec. They are a pretty big company, and so far a great place to work (although officially, I work for Diversified Staffing, so complicated...). I am doing some pretty basic help desk tasks, mostly updating workstations from Windows 2000 to Windows XP, not exactly where I want to be, but for now, a nice job. The job is temporary, and I hope that it can hold out until August for me, because after that I'M GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited about that?! Lol. I am getting really excited for the MBET program, they have offered me a hefty scholarship for this September and the program runs straight through Spring and Summer of next year, so I will be done in August 2008! Other than that, life is pretty good, just trying to relax and enjoy little things as they come and go. Haven't been very good at keeping in touch with everyone since I've been living here, but please give me a call anytime, I'm always up for a drink (whether it's coffee or something stronger) or an interesting new adventure!! Hope life is treating you all well....

Happy New Year!!!!!

2007-01-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 2007, and just for the occasion I thought it was definately time to put up a new post, particulary since its been so long I am guessing people have stopped checking :-S So, I am currently still working in Camrose, at least for the next week, but I am also officially moved to Edmonton, so I am really excited about that. I got the chance to take a week off and head home for Christmas, was so nice to see all my family, it felt like so long, although I guess it wasn't so bad, only missed Thanksgiving... made it back to Edmonton for New Years Eve and had a great time hanging out with lots of friends I had also not seen in awhile. I am really excited about moving to Edmonton, and this morning I woke up to a call for a job interview, so I have my fingers crossed that will work out for me! Nothing much else is new I guess, I'm still pondering the idea of going back to school in September to do my masters, but will have to wait and see how the next few months go. I'll put some pictures of New Years and Tiana's new lil baby up now for your enjoyment!!

Christmas Day

Jada Isabelle

New Years Eve 2006/2007

Well there's a little update for you all :-) Enjoy!

Life Goes On

2006-11-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I know its been too long since I posted, too lazy to get the last of the pictures up today, but just wanted to write a quick note to let you know how I am and what I am up to. Been working now for a couple weeks at The Source in Camrose, staying with a great friend and keeping super busy. I am also tutoring a girl from Augustana who is the cutest thing ever.. I think we'll turn out to be great friends! Plan on sticking around here for a short while until I can get back on my feet and then look for a place of my own in Edmonton. Can't wait for that, just so excited about life again and as happy to be home as I was from day one.... hope everyone is doing well and that I will see you around now that I am back... Lots of love...

Good-bye Brasil

2006-10-26T11:50:00.000-06:00

My last weekend in Brasilia was some of the most fun I had in the entire time I was away. Are you all asking what does she mean her last weekend? Where is she? Lol, ya, I am back in Camrose for right now. I think I am finally ready to write this entry for you all. Most of you are probably aware that I was not enjoying my time in Brasilia that much, and for those of you that didn't, don't feel left out, because I was having a pretty rough time but I didn't want to get everyone back home worried. Last Friday I finally decided that I would change my ticket to come home as soon as possible. The decision was based on a million different reasons, but ultimately, I am so happy to be home. I have no regrets about leaving Canada or leaving Brasil, I have come back with a great new appreciation for home, for English and for friends and family. If it wasn't for the many people back home that I could talk to and cry with I wouldn't have made it past the first week or two. So now, what am I going to do? That is the big question I guess and I don't have all the answers right now, but ultimately I feel that if I am happy and excited about waking up in the morning, then I can make things happen and things will work out just the way they are meant to, so this is just a short post to give you all an update, my old cellphone number is working again if you want to call and I will be making my last post in Brasil soon, as I have a ton of pictures from the last weekend. Hope everyone is well and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!!! Lots of Love from one girl who is happier than ever to be home :-)

Brasilian Coast

2006-10-17T14:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, so two posts in one day...trying to catch up!! I spent the last four days or so in Salvador, a beautiful city on the coast of Brazil. I had a somewhat mixed experience, however, getting away from home and work is always a plus. I went for an AIESEC regional conference (I had been told conferences in AIESEC Brazil would be in English, NOT) so anyway, I arrive to find everything is in Portuguese, and become bored very fast. Also we were staying at what they called a 'hotel' but it was more like summer camp, bunk beds and such, not a huge deal, but we all know how much the mosquitoes love me...however, the food was amazing and some things I hope were accomplished in improving the reception of trainees here. The time I did get to see some of the city however, I enjoyed it. Salvador has a rich culture and wonderful beaches, apparently there is also lots of night life, concerts and shows, however, inevitably, I was not there on the "right" days for these things (I am tired of what has been called my bad luck in Brasil, not seeing anything of this partying and fun). But I also got a bit of a tan, so that was good. Back to work tomorrow though, not looking forward to it really...

First night in Salvador, went for a drink..

The house we stayed at the first night (Viviana (a new member of AIESEC here) and I)

Me and the ocean (we were at a lighthouse, something about a fortress for defense, hmm...was I listening that much?!

A taste of the coast of Brazil (gorgeous...)

Umm...a dance..or fighting..or a martial art...very Brasilian...

A living sculpture...he was pretty good at it too, don't think I could hold that still for that long..

Sunset over the Atlantic...

Why would we let a minor thing like a broken foot stop us from going to the beach?! (Roberta from @Brasilia)

Group Shot

And I bought another wrap...got ones from Tanzania, India and Brazil now :-)

Another shot of the girls

A shot of the beach

Checking out some of the tourist areas...

Oooh...the girls got their hair done ;-)

Well that's all for Salvador...hope everyone is doing wonderful, enjoy the updates!! Lots of Love from Brasil...

"Home" in Brasil

2006-10-09T15:22:00.000-06:00

Hey All! Just wanted to (finally) put up some pictures of the place that I am living at. I know these should have been the first ones, but I just never got around to it. I don't have any pictures of work right now, but I will put up one from the website so you can get an idea of what the building looks like!

This is the building that I live in, a lot of people in Brasilia live in these type of buildings, I have not seen that many houses.

The dining room, what you see when you first walk in the door.

The living room, if you turn to the left...

The 'veranda' (Through the living room)...

The tiny kitchen...where 5 cats reside most of the time...

And finally...my room....the place I spend a lot of my time here...

This is a picture of Politec from the website, I realize you can't really tell that much from it...but its an idea!

So I have been trying to upload these pictures for a week, and finally its deciding to cooperate with me...hope everyone is doing well...I miss you all!!

Trying to Keep Busy

2006-09-25T19:54:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I guess it is time for an update, because I get so frustrated with anxiously checking everyone else's blog just to find there is no new updates and then here I am taking my own sweet time! Lol. So things are alright here, started work, joined Yoga and trying to keep myself busy. I still find Brasilia rather boring of a city (for my type of a good time anyway), but the general consensus even from people who live here is that it is a political/business city and just not that exciting. I guess I will have to travel around a bit to find the party. So here are the pictures of the places I have been since the last update.

The next couple pictures are at the Templo Da Boa Vontade (sure got that from the postcard cuz I would NOT have remembered). Anyway, this was the most brilliant place ever, I am pretty sure it will be my favorite thing about Brasilia. It is a temple, built for worship but not designated to any particular religion or belief. It is GORGEOUS and such a peaceful feeling overcomes you when you enter. They have all kinds of pictures and symbols from all religions and any person you could possible follow. I loved these statues of heads- they are amazing!

They also have a whole room full of these pictures with all kinds of influential people on them...its just great! (Can you tell how much I loved this place?!) These were the only things I could take pictures of, but there was way more to this place than that- a beautiful open place for walking and worship (that is the main pyramid of the temple) and then a great, quiet room downstairs (where there is a tomb, however I am not sure if there is actually a body in it or it is just for display) but that was my favorite place, carpeted and comfy and quiet, a great place to sit and meditate.

The next two pictures were taken at two other churches in the city, (my "mom" here took me to these places one day, it was interesting because we can't really communicate, but very kind of her to take me out) these ones I belive are both Catholic, but very beautiful as well.

This is a picture from a lakeside place I went with Cris (my younger "sister") to participate in a day with the NGO she works with (the same one that I visited the village with). This bridge is named after the president who build Brasilia and was voted one of the most (if not the most) beautiful bridges in the world, it really is stunning).

Some pet parrots of the person who lived (?) at the lakeside place we were at, not very friendly creatures, but pretty.

The next two pictures are from the zoo here, it was nice, been a long time since I went to the zoo, but here it is VERY spread out, which I am sure is great for the animals, but meant we would walk a bit and then drive a bit. I got sunburned, as you'll notice in the next evening pictures! :-)

The same night as the zoo (Saturday) I attended a graduation party with my "family". This place was gorgeous, I guess in Canada it would be what we consider a hall (intended for parties and the like) but this was more like a mansion, it was gorgeous and great food and drink and music, anyway, I couldn't believe they had such a fancy place! And I got to see just how crazy this family is ;-) But it was a good time, although it was a long day and I was pretty tired!

All in all I'm surviving and trying to entertain myself, I miss everyone at home though and love to get comments and emails and the like! Please keep in touch...take care!! Lots of Love from Brazil...

Adventure Begins..

2006-09-11T20:45:00.000-06:00

Ok...so finally, an official post to tell you about how I have been! I left Edmonton last Wed morning at 7:00am from the airport, sad to leave, and tired because it was early, but on my way! I arrived in Toronto about 3 hours later and spent the majority of the day there, sitting in the airport, mostly online, and somewhat on the phone, waiting, waiting, waiting. Finally, I left for my flight to Sao Paulo, I was tired, but not overly and expected to sleep most of the 9.5 hour flight. However, my feet could not touch the ground properly in the chair, making the flight very uncomfortable and my sleep very difficult, I think I might have slept about 3 hours in total. When I arrived in Sao Paulo I had to switch to a smaller, local airport. Oh no! Lol. But it turned out ok because there was a lovely lady who sat beside me on the plane who could speak both English and Portuguese, she helped me to catch the bus (the bus ride was about 50 minutes) but unfortunately she had left something behind on the plane and wanted to go back and check for it. So I arrived at the airport and found where I needed to check in, although it seemed nobody was speaking English, although a lot of people do know a little English it is not common at all. So I waited in line anxiously, hearing things called over the loud speakers, but not understanding anything, I could tell they were calling for flights and check-ins, but I didn't know how to ask in Portuguese and so I continued waiting in line. Luckily by the time they started calling my flight, the lady who had helped me before suddenly appeared behind me again! :-) She had made it back and helped get me to the front of the line to get my boarding passes, and then went with me to show me where the gate was...she was awesome!!! So I arrived at my gate just after the boarding was to have started, but I learned quickly that Brazilian time is also slow...they were still boarding the previous flight, we did not start boarding our flight until after it was supposed to have departed, but either way I had made it. I had lots of trouble staying awake on the flight from Sao Paulo to Brasilia, even though it was only about 1.5 hours, I was DEAD TIRED! So when I arrived I went to get my baggage and was very slow...but when I went through the exit I found my host family and about 4-5 AIESEC people waiting to greet me, with flowers and gifts :-) It was nice to know someone was there to take care of me, but all I wanted was a shower, and a bed! The family brought me to what is to be my new home and I took a fairly quick shower, as they wanted to go out and eat something. (See previous post) That night I slept well and didn't wake up until almost noon the next day. This house is great, the mom cooks meals, so everyday I get breakfast and lunch ;)

The first day I was here we went to the mall for a bit, and inquired about cellphones for me. Since I have been here I have gone out a couple of times. I went with Cris to meet a guy from AIESEC called Enzo for dinner one night at a resturant near the lake, he also brought a friend who spoke English well because he had studied in the US and his friend who is Canadian and works at the embassy here. It was nice to be around people who spoke English.

Then Cris and I went to a workmate of hers birthday party at a beautiful house. It was a low-key business type party, nothing too exciting, but very nice people.

On Sunday I woke up early with Cris and we went with a NGO she works with called Gente Nova (New Person) to visit and play with some children. The 'director' explained to us that in the area all the parents that lived there had HIV and some of the children did as well. We sang songs and colored and brought them candy, they were sooo sweet, I only wish I had been able to talk to them. Some of the older ones tried to speak to me, and Cris explained that I don't understand Portuguese, so then they wanted to learn things to say to me in English, it was very nice, they were quick learners!

When we got home we went out for lunch (the Dad, Patri, Nanda, Cris and I...the Mom wasn't feeling well) and then went to the mall to get my cellphone!!! Yeah!!! We also stopped to visit some friends of the girls, by the end of this day, I was very, very tired! And today was pretty slow. I woke up late because I had been so tired and started to work on the presentation I have to make about Canada. Later in the afternoon I went with the Mom for a walk to Politec (which is where I will work, and its very, very close by) and then around the City Park here, which is very HUGE and beautiful. This evening Patri and I went out to a fairly fancy place with some of her friends for dinner, it was one of their birthdays, nice dinner, very business like as well. And now I am here writing to all of you, hoping that everyone is well. I miss you all very much, I am having a good time in Brasilia so far, but stressed a lot about the language barrier and anxious to start work and see how that goes. I was told that I didn't need to know Portuguese to work at Politec, and I hope that is correct, otherwise this will be a very difficult barrier. Take care everyone, lots of love and please send me emails and leave me comments.....I miss you!!

First Supper

2006-09-09T12:07:00.000-06:00

Here is my first picture in Brasilia (leave the ones they snapped at the airport when I was tired and dirty from being on a plane (and in the airport) for the last 2 days)...the picture is of my new family and a few people from AIESEC in Brasilia...we went out for Crepes the first night I was here, all you can eat...very nice! Will take more pictures and post soon!

Quick Update

2006-09-08T18:07:00.000-06:00

Well, I arrived safe and sound! The family that I am living with came to the airport to pick me up along with some of the people from AIESEC Brasilia. Right now I am just getting settled, but I will post picture and write more soon when I get back to my computer with a regular keyboard :-P Well regular to me...I miss all of you, so PLEASE leave me messages!!!!!!

Long Hours in Toronto

2006-09-06T12:52:00.000-06:00

I'm on my way....right now I'm sitting in the Toronto airport, it's about 3pm and my flight does not leave from here until 10:45pm tonight, so much time to wait. I'm doing pretty good though, starting to get excited about arriving in Brazil, although it was of course hard to leave home too. I'm starting to feel like I should have done more research about Brazil and learned some Portuguese first, but I guess I'll jump right in and I know that I will be fine. This is going to be an awesome experience both life and work wise and I also know that if something doesn't work out, then it doesn't and a great person is always in the back of my mind telling me to let life be. I know that whatever happens, it happens for a reason and I need to keep my head up and keep taking my own advice ;-) So I hope everyone is well getting back to school and ready for fall and winter again, I will be writing next from Brazil and lets hope I start having more pictures to keep things interesting!

One Week To Go

2006-08-30T16:18:00.000-06:00

One week to go and counting....as slowly as I can. I am starting to freak out a little about leaving now, I think mostly because it has actually hit me that I am leaving. My visa arrived today, I have my ticket in hand and I've been packing up my apartment to be moved out tomorrow. Wow- for some reason this all happened very, very fast! AIESEC Brasilia has found me a place to live, with a family of three girls and their parents. I am really excited about that, good way to learn Portuguese and three sisters to help me adjust to a new life, I am excited, but I guess with every change there is always a fear of leaving the known for the unknown. Not much else to update about, been down with a bit of a cold the last couple days, but starting to recover. Hope everyone is doing well...

Waiting on Visa

2006-08-21T17:21:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh...Well it just hit me yesterday that I leave in just two weeks and a couple days!!!!! Wow, I wasn't ready for this to come so fast. My ticket came today in the mail, so I feel slightly relieved and slightly more stressed as I still haven't received the original documents I need from Brazil to send on to Toronto for my visa and then they have to send it back to me, and now time is running really close. I have arranged a departure session with AIESEC Edmonton at Padthai on Whyte for Thursday at 8pm, for anyone who reads this and might want to attend. Other than that, I have just been robot building at work, and considering packing up my apartment to be able to move out next week...

Mild...?

2006-08-15T11:39:00.000-06:00

So following the link on Nithya's blog I ended up with this....

You Are More Mild Than Wild

You're confident, and you really aren't concerned with how "hot" you are.
Other people's ideas of what's sexy don't concern you. And this is exactly what makes you attractive.

Are You Hot?

Life

2006-08-14T16:32:00.000-06:00

Well, its been awhile since I wrote, but not much has been going on really. I booked my flight, that was kind of scary, so officially I am leaving on Sept 6, however, I still have yet to receive some documents I need to send on for my visa to be completed, so lets cross our fingers that everything goes through before that. Other than that, nothing much is going on, just been working and chilling, spent at least half of this last weekend sleeping and lazing around the house, it was a nice break. Last weekend was Big Valley and also Heritage Days in Edmonton so I checked out both those events as well. Hopefully I'll do something more exciting soon to post about! Lol. Hope everyone is well and enjoying these last few weeks of summer.

Birthday Celebrations

2006-08-04T15:04:00.000-06:00

Alright, so Julia keeps harassing me to add some pictures to my blog, so here are a few snaps from the last little while...Enjoy!

Here I am enjoying my birthday cake at the jazz place, the band even played happy birthday shortly before this! It was an amazing fun and chilled out night.

The INCREDIBLE black forest cake Miss Moriah made me on my birthday, it was gorgeous and tasted even more amazing!

We headed into Capital Ex (used to be Klondike Days) in Edmonton and got to visit with Kara who was working there for a bit (a good Augustana friend from Sask).

And for a THIRD bithday cake...haha, can you tell what I LOVE to do on my birthday!? Jill and I celebrate our birthday within 5 days, so we usually get to share a cake.

Us posing for next year's cake!

Well nothing too exciting, but there are some pictures for you all! As for what I have been busy with lately, not too much. Been working and getting ready for Brazil (mostly mentally), Moriah and Tyler have changed their minds about keeping out apartment and are moving to Hinton, so I have to figure out where I am going to put all my stuff sooner rather than later. I also heard back about my visa and am waiting for some original documents to be mailed from Brazil, so hopefully this doesn't delay my departure date, however, because my ticket it non-refundable, I have yet to book it, because I don't want to take that risk. Other than that hmm...went home to Sask last weekend, did a bit of visiting with the family, showed Bishop around the farm and got to bring the Nova back with us...oh Belinda (that's her name), I love her! Jill, Jeff, Nicole and Marco are here for this long weekend to celebrate Big Valley Jamboree, some HUGE, crazy party, so I will have to join them there tonight probably. Also it's Heritage Days in Edmonton, so I hope to get up there and look around and eat some good food, sometime this weekend. That's about it for now!

22 Years Young

2006-07-25T17:17:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...and on and on! Lol. Well I am officially 22 years of age, crazy times! Today was pretty relaxed, had lunch with Arlo and the rest of the TLS crew, then I wandered down town to check out flights. Turns out it is insanely expensive to fly directly to Brasilia, but much cheaper to fly first into Sao Paulo, so that is what I will be doing. I have decided to get a return ticket for one year, even though my internship should be a year and a half, the return flight is cheaper than the one way one and hopefully I can make it home at least once over the next year. Other than that, Moriah has made an amazing looking black forest cake for my birthday and is busy working at creating lazy perogies for me...my favorite!! Over the weekend we (Moriah, Cathy, Bishop and myself) headed to the city to celebrate my birthday, we had supper at a place called Four Rooms, where they have live jazz music on Saturday nights and wonderful red wine. We chilled out there for a good 2-3 hours and it was a great way to celebrate, the jazz band even played happy birthday for me. After that we hit up Gingur Skye for some dancing, but the place was so hot mostly I was just watching, lol. This coming weekend I am heading home to Saskatchewan, for a photo shoot on Saturday and to visit some of the family, as I may not see them again before I take off! BTW, I am looking to book my ticket for Sept 6 from Edmonton, for anyone who is curious, my position starts September 15.

Wedding, Summer Chillin

2006-07-18T14:28:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a few days since I last wrote! Right now I am on a bit of a holiday...took Friday through today off. Attended Selene and Lee's wedding on Saturday, it was gorgeous and a good time was had! Other than that, haven't been up to too much, have yet to hear back about my visa, but that should come through very soon and I will be purchasing my ticket in the next week or so I guess!! It's getting closer! Moriah and Tyler decided to keep our apartment when Cathy and I move out, which is great, because then we don't need to feel rushed to make sure everything is moved out by the end of August. Hmm...other than that, nothing much is new, just enjoying relaxing, going to head to Edmonton to watch a movie later today and then take Syd back to Westlock. My birthday is in one week!!!! Hope everyone is enjoying their day!

Another Day, Another Dollar

2006-07-07T08:26:00.000-06:00

A great quotation for today:

"The important thing was to love rather than to be loved."

--Unknown

(I put a new quotation up in my 'office' almost everyday, so that's where that one is today). Well, look at me go, I can't believe I have been so good at keeping this blog going so far, hopefully it keeps up! I will also need to start posting pictures because I know that is more exciting than my ramblings! Today is another day, just like most others, I'm at work, but feeling very rested and ready for today as I slept for almost 12 hours last night lol. Umm...not much is new with me, trying to get ready for Selene's wedding next weekend (a really great friend from Freshman) and Syd and I are tenting for the night, so if anyone has any clever ideas of something important I am bound to forget, please let me know! Other than that, can't think of anything out of the ordinary. Hope everyone is having a beautiful Friday!

Sask Bound

2006-07-04T09:07:00.000-06:00

First day back to work after a week of holidays is very difficult :-( But the time at home was really nice, good to sleep in and not think about anything, it's been a long time since I was home and was not worrying about homework or something. Jill's grad was really great, although the day was very hot and I went home from the party on the very first bus- haha, I know, I am a loser these days! Syd, Cathy and Matt came down on Friday night (arrived in a record time...) and we went out to the lake bar. Saturday we went down to the river, Mom, Dad and Karen came and we went boating, fishing and generally chilling out. It was a gorgeous day and the sun definately got us all. Saturday night we went to check out The Wild at the drive-in, I even got a permit for the Nova for one day, so that was totally exciting! Although, the movie wasn't that great and I slept through most of it. I have great difficulty staying awake through an entire movie, I think it's a genetic thing!! Then Sunday morning mom and I went up to Colin's and stained my bed, which is finally done (a 19th birthday present, ready for my 22nd) and then we all headed up to Swift in two vehicles for Frontier Days! It was a great day as well, ate lots, spent lots and only rode a little. Monday we took our time driving back and then did very little, unpacked and then Syd and I watched a movie (which I am happy to say I was awake through)! And now here I am back at work, reluctantly, but still here!!

Tired Day

2006-06-26T15:11:00.000-06:00

Well today I'm feeling quite slow... a little tired and very much ready for my upcoming holiday at home! :-) Work has been a little frustrating, as debugging a program can be (especially ones I thought were working fine). But tomorrow after work I am heading home for almost a week (with the help of the long weekend) as its my sister's grad on the 28th. Over the long weekend, Sydney, Matt and Cathy are coming down to join me, and I am pretty excited, cuz we are going to have a blast!!! Heading to the drive-in to check out The Wild one evening, and down to the river for some swimming and being beach bums, I can't wait! For a quick update on Brazil, still waiting on some documents before I can send my visa application, and the savings fund is growing, slowly, but nonetheless growing, so soon I will be able to purchase my ticket and have a much more definite timeline of when I will be leaving and when I have to decide what I will be doing with all my stuff while I am away. Cathy and I are about to head home for a RELAXING evening, I hope!

No More Stats!!

2006-06-21T14:50:00.000-06:00

For the first day of Summer 2006, I officially quit my job with Statistics Canada, and I feel relieved! Over the last couple weeks or more of the job I have been going back around and pestering people to return their census forms, then it seemed that I was claiming more in gas and hours than I had gotten forms back, ( is this my fault?! ) so needless to say I have been doing no work for them over the past week or so and therefore making no money, so who needs a job in which you aren't making any money?! I mean there are tons of great things to volunteer for and lots of times that I feel the need to work without being paid in monetary funds, often the success of completion is rewarding enough, but in bugging people to fill out a form for the Government of Canada?! I think not. So welcome to Summer and here's to many rays of sunshine being soaked up, many cool drinks on patios and balconies and tons of amazing BBQ food!! :-D

Deferred to 2007

2006-06-19T08:04:00.000-06:00

I love life....wow! So I am the most thankful person in the world this week. On Friday I had a phone meeting with the guy from U of Waterloo and guess what?! They are going to defer my acceptance for one year as well as they are going to save me a scholarship!!!!!!!!! How awesome is that?! I just need to let the world know how thankful I am that everything in my life keeps slowly falling perfectly into place! Now I guess I better get my focus on making sure everything is in order for Brazil and then keep in touch with Waterloo so you can find me there in September 2007 :-P...

Money, Money, MOOONEEEY!!!

2006-06-14T14:34:00.000-06:00

Wow...why do they have to go and make decisions so hard?! After getting accepted into the MBET (Masters of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology) program at University of Waterloo, I made the even then difficult decision to go on my internship through AIESEC before doing my masters. But today I got this wonderful email saying that I had been selected for a $10,000 scholarship!!! TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!!!!!! Like...what the hell?! I am definately going to be doing this masters program at some point in the near future, but right now I have to try and defer my acceptance, and its not like they are going to defer the scholarship for me too! Ahhh! But I suppose, life goes on, this internship is a right now opportunity and it means the world to me, so here's to hoping another scholarship letter appears in my email when I'm ready for it!

Beautiful Home

2006-06-14T09:41:00.000-06:00

For all of those who don't know how TRULY flat Saskatchewan is...

photo coutesy of Marialuisa Wittlin (http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/North_America/Canada/Prairies/Saskatchewan/)

Hmm...

2006-06-13T16:26:00.000-06:00

While Western drug companies invest large sums to produce treatments for hair loss and erection pills for consumers in Europe and the US, little by way of essential medicine is given to the people of Africa who face life-threatening diseases such as malaria.
-http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Just another quotation I came across today that makes a eye opening argument.

2006-06-13T09:31:00.000-06:00

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A wonderful quotation for the day! Nothing much exciting happening with me today, just at work, trying to catch up on some hours. Also starting to get my stuff together to apply for my work visa, starting to realize its getting close very fast and I should probably seriously get my shit in order...

2006-06-12T09:27:00.000-06:00

Well I've finally entered this realm of blogging....hopefully I can be diligent in keeping this up to date, after reading through some blogs of other aiesecers and their experiences on internships and the likes, I figured I should also share in the knowledge! Let me first introduce myself....Stephanie D. Husby (but Steph is usually sufficient), hailing from the HUGE town of Kyle, Saskatchewan and currently residing in the larger metropolis of Camrose, Alberta! Lol. Right now I'm working as a research assistant at the university I recently graduated from, but soon (first week or so of September) I will be off to Brasilia, Brazil to begin my internship at Politec!!! Wow....life is exciting!!!!!!!!!