IBAAW

Well, I just got back from my work Xmas party. Yup. Well, it was for Xmas, but nothing resembled Xmas in anyway. In fact, we went bowling. It was fun.

FYI: since I haven't mentioned it- I am working at CNIB (which was formerly known as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.). It's actually been quite interesting. I learned that if I hadn't had the surgery on my eyes that I had when I was really little, I may be legally blind today. Also, every morning they check the obituaries to find out if anybody in our databases has died. My job the last two days has been going through the files of dead people and shredding the ones that have been dead for more than seven years. It's actually very interesting to read the files, and see all the progress. Some of the stories are just sooooo sad.

Anyway, today I only had to work for 2 hours, because of the Xmas party! Whoot!

So, that's all really. Tonight we're doing a French activity, so that will be fun!

BYEEEEEEEE.

Labels: Journal, Katimavik, Kelowna

We went on work tours today, so that was fun. So... yeah. Tomorrow we have interviews, and we start work on Wednesday. On Saturday I think we're going to the Salmon Arm house to see a film. Ice Age 2!!! Yay!!! So, that will be alright.

Yesterday we did a scavenger hunt around town, so we found out where everything is. It's so close because it's such a small town!!!

It's uncharactisticly cold here. It's been snowing non-stop, and negative 14. Usually it doesn't go below -5! The locals are all completely shellshocked, but it's -40 in Calgary, so bring on the -14, I say!!!

We also got into learning committees. I am doing Leadership, which is like PR and Cultural Discovery which is... semi- self explanitory. I'm on dinner tonight too, yay. Hopefully I won't send everyone to the ER, although we were just talking about how it would be cool to record our first trip to the hospital if we all got food poisoning.

So... yeah, that's pretty much it. We're thinking of setting up a blog, as part of the whole leadership thing, so if we do, I will forward the address!!

Luv ya, miss ya, <3333

Labels: Journal, Katimavik, Kelowna

Okay guys, so I made it to Kelowna!!! The majority of the group has gone out to the theatre to see Casino Royale, but I wasn't really interested, so instead I am staying home. Perhaps I will start to write some of the letters that I promised. Fantastic.

Anyway, I got to Kelowna by plane. We had to wait for 3 hours for everyone to arrive. The restaurant made some of us sick. We went to the house. The house is nice :)

Then we went to mass-o at a camp which was good. It was with all 3 groups, so very busy and very fun!!! I could go into more detail but I am kind of lazy, ha ha. For the most part we just learned about the program and did activities. All in English and French, and volia my French has improved already!

So... yeah.

Now we're back at "home." We organized our rooms a bit, so that was good, um..... yeah. I can't think of what else to say, because what is there really? I'm keeping a journal and most of you are getting letters anyway, so to the others... sorry, I'll try to be more descriptive in the future!!! I think someone else wants to use the computer now though, so... bye for now!!!

Labels: Journal, Katimavik, Kelowna

Thirty-one hours from now I will be leaving my home for nine months.

I've never been away from my parents for longer than four days.

I've slept in the same bed since I was two years old.

I've lived in the same city for ten years.

I've lived in the same house for five.

I am really not as prepared as I should be. I haven't even accomplished most of my summer goals, let alone become the well-rounded person I wanted to be when I left. I'm still... the same. Other than my haircolour, not much has changed since the end of August.

I'm glad I was able to "talk" to Sophie a bit these last few weeks. It's slightly more reassuring to have someone you kind of "know" out there, if only through twenty-one questions-like e-mails and MSN conversations. Especially since, judging by the answers to those questions, we have so much in common!

I've had a few people contact me about being on the same flight, which is exciting. Yesterday, I got my official transportation package at last. Luggage tags and all. I have a white hat to sew my Katimavik badge on to. Receiving that little envelope was like... like it sealed the deal, you know? I think, secretly, in the back of my mind, I kept feeling like if it never came, I would never leave. Well, now I am leaving. I know that I'm leaving. It doesn't mean this sick feeling is going to go away though.

I got my hair trimmed a bit yesterday. It pretty much looks the same. My mom said it's "too short." But it looks exactly the same.

Ugh, I just got a call from my dad that I have a dentist appointment at 8am tomorrow morning. Ew. Number one, I hate the dentist, and number two, I don't really want to be at the dentist for my last morning at home. It's soooooo stupid.

Now I'm angry.

Stupid mood swings.

Hmmmm.... I'm hungry, but before I can eat, I should probably get to the good-bye part.

I don't know when I'll be able to write next, since I don't know what kind of access I'll have to a computer. So... I guess this is good-bye or see you soon or a bientot until then!!!

Labels: Journal, Katimavik

Okay, in case you haven't figured it out, I leave in 2 days!

I really should be cleaning my room right now, but I'm really just not up to it. I suppose I'll have to suck it up at 10am though, and just... do it.

I had a fantastic last weekend. On Friday night I went to The Gateway (on campus bar at SAIT) to see Shaun Verreault. It was fantastic (they have reallllly good, afordable food) and we talked to im after the show and he was soooo nice, as usual. For example, he told us a story about a time he was at Heathrow and the SWAT team pushed past him and went on to the plane. Then a few minutes later they got off the plane and said everything was okay, but Shaun was like "Umm.... should I be getting on this plane....or....ummm?" Ha ha ha.

Then on Saturday I went shopping for last-minute things. It was pretty boring.

Yesterday, we went to Heritage Park for the 12 Days of Christmas. It was a lot of fun! First we went to the Bakery and bought cinnamon buns with cream cheese which were SOOOOO yummy. Then we went to the church and sang Christmas carols. Next was a luverly ride in a horse-drawn wagon. Then hot chocolate. Next we went to the big Christmas Market to look around and buy stuff! Yayyyyy. Last stop was the CANDY SHOP!!!!! Yum yum Candy for ALL!

Then we went to a few shops around town, and then home. My mom and I watched "Goodbye Girl," and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." At 5.30pm my mom, dad and I went out for buffet at Imperial Dynasty, and then that was it! It was all pretty simple, and a lot of fun.

Oh wow. Two days. that's not a lot of time, is it.

I'm freaking out. I think I'm going to be sick!

Edit: I just got an e-mail from Joanne, who will be my PL (Project Leader) in Kelowna. Oh my, I am excited. Which I suppose gives you an overview of my bipolarness. One second I am doubled over to the point of vomitting, and the next I can't wait until 4.27pm BC time when I am landing. They're making plans for Mass-O, which is not as dirty as it sounds. It's actually orientation with all 3 clusters. Wowza, I am psyched.

Labels: Journal, Katimavik

Okay, so I still haven't received my transportation package, but I did call Montreal and Maryse Brillon, a Transportation Officer, sent me all the info by e-mail.

Pretty much the first document says what I'd already figured out- I'll be travelling by WestJet. I have to get to the airport no later than 2.55pm, for my 4.25pm flight. I have to go to WestJet registration. My flight is WS 78. I'll be travelling with Courtney Woolridge, whom I've never heard of, ha ha. So, if for some odd reason Courtney Woolridge reads this before November 22, e-mail me or something! Ha ha ha.

When I get to Kelowna, regional staff will be there with a Katimavik sign, and I'll meet my group members and other members of the cluster there. Then we'll wait around until 7.15pm when we'll all board a lovely bus. My group will be dropped off first, owing to the fact that the airport is in Kelowna, and SO IS MY FIRST KATIMA-HOUSEEE!!!! Ha ha.

Then I have my plane info, and voila, it's costing Katimavik 234.62$ to fly Courtney (haha, I like how I just referred to her without ever encountering her) and I out there. Imagine how much it costs to fly all four phases around the country 3 times each!!! Wow. I hope they get a discount.

In other news, today I am going to Crescent (i.e. my old high school). My brother's the stage manager for the autumn play, and I wanted to visit some old drama mates, and Ms. Pilkey, so I'm going. It's pretty much my last chance to go before I leave, and I'll be missing the actual show, so I'm going to a dress rehearsal.

Also, yesterday was my last day at work. I am officially unemployed. A bunch of people signed a nice card for me. Good times.

Anyway, that's it for me. I STILL NEED TO BUY SNOWPANTS AND LISSA'S XMAS PRESENT AND LOADS OF STAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 days!

Labels: Journal, Katimavik

Oh my God, it's almost ONE WEEK.

And I still haven't received my transportation package!

I am freaking out. I am nowhere near ready. I've barely started packing.

I'm really excited, but I'm also really scared. I mean, on the one hand, this is the experience of a lifetime. I'll get to travel around this amazing country and make an impact on actual communities. I'll get to meet people my age from all around the country, and (hopefully) be friends with all of them. But then, who am I to think I'll be able to do any of that?

Uggghhhhh. I'm sure I'm overexaggerating.

In other news, rumour has it Arnold Schwarzenegger has a house in Kelowna.

I'd better go do some laundry. I'll probably write more later though.

Labels: Journal, Katimavik

Wow, this is one exciting week! Actually, this evening was kind of scary. Actually, it was really scary!

I was just sitting around, watching Dr. Phil (which was realllly good) and listening to songs on my mp3, and a news bulletin came up with Jocelyn Laidlaw. So I glance up and she's like "...a southeast elementary is in lockdown..." and I sit right up, and they say it's the school my mom works at. So, I'm up, out of my seat, I ran into the counter and hurt myself and call my dad. But my dad was distracted by the fact that a song by a guy we know was on the radio! So, I called Justine, and talked to her until my dad came home, and the news was on. Apparently, a student said she saw a lady with a weapon around the school. Naturally, the school went into lockdown.

The rest we found out when my mom finally got home at 6pm.

For a while, everyone was locked in their classrooms, or in my mom's case, the library office. She had 3 kids with her. So they were like that for 45mins or so, and the police are checking every classroom. Then they're all told to go to the gym, and they all had to walk by police officers with huge machine guns. Which obviously freaked the kids out, and everyone was panicked. In the gym they found out the lockdown was for safety and that nobody had been found that matched the description, and K-9 units were checking te area.

So, my mom had to help get busses organized, so the police had to watch her go outside, because the parents are all hysterical and asking questions. Then she had to go back inside and some parents were yelling about her being let back in until a police officer recognized her and let her in. Apparently there were some very vicious rumours floating around the groups of parents.

Anyway, then all the kids and parents were reunited and all cried.

So... yeah, scary, huh?

Labels: Journal

So, I hardly remember yesterday, ha ha. And I guess I'll tell the whole story, because stories are way cooler if you know how they begin.

My friend Alyson, whom I worked with at ye old Crappy Tire, won a limo thing to go to Mynt Ultralounge on 9th. So, she was calling me and stuff, but my phone was being a poo-head, and yeah... On Tuesday night, I went to bed at 9.30! Wha-??!!? Lol. Later, my cell rang. And I thought it was my alarm and that it was 6am. So, I pick it up, turn off the alarm and lay there all upset because I feel like crap, and I'm soooo tired. So, I fall back asleep. Then a bit later I wake up in a panic like "OMG I'M GOING TO BE LATE FOR WORK!!!!!" And I check my phone again, and the clock says 12.00am. After being confused for a bit, I check my missed calls, and see that Aly had called me. So, I had hung up on her thinking it was my alarm! I went back to sleep, and when I woke up I sent her a text to tell her what had happened, so she told me she'd won some club thing, and I said I'd call at 8.30-ish. Then I went to call when I was on the bus, and although my battery display said full it went "battery low," and shut off! CRAPPPPP was my exact sentiment. So, I get to work at 8.45-ish, and call my brother, Matt, to get him to get Aly's number for me. AND LO AND BEHOLD SHE IS IN MY ADDY BOOK BUT THERE ARE NO NUMBERS FOR HER!!! I am running around like a loon, and Jana and John (work people) are laughing at me. Then I ran across the store to Special Services to use their directory, and luckily Aly's last name is weird, so she's the only one! So, I called her and was really hyper talking to her while she was really tired. I got all the deets, and then I worked from 9 to 3, and got home at 4.30 because the busses around here are stupid.

At 7.30-ish I went over to her house, which is like 5 minutes from mine, and we all (as in, Aly, Ryan, Dianna, another girl who's name I've forgotten- sorry hunny!- and I) waited for the limo and another girl named Morgan. So, then it came, and voila here come some limo pics!

The ladies that made Ladies' Night a legendary event!

When we arrived we were greeted by some quite yummy staff and champagne and chocolate covered strawberries!

Dude, who ate all the berries?

Morgan and I hit the champagne pretty hard.

For the most part it was a blast! 2$ drinks until 10.30!!!! I had so many, I didn't even use my free drink tickets! Which is tragic, obviously! Anyway, we pretty much danced the night away, and took latin dance lessons! Lol. I am so pro at the salsa when I'm sober (i.e. not last night).

Random photo of Dianna, Aly and moi.

Dianna and I in a bathroom. Haha. Don't ask.

So, lots of other stuff happened last night, but we won't get into that. Lmao. Overall it was a "blast and a half," as Dianna put it while yelling into her phone at "the boy she has a crush on."

Labels: Journal, Photos

Last night Meggerz spent the night as a homeless person. Because she is in college, and that is what they do. (They do it here too, because I remember when I was volunteering at The Mustard Seed, one of many times last year, we made a bit of extra food for a group from the U of C). Anyway, I got to sprouting things about homeless people and the situation here, which I thought I would re-post, mainly for Lissa, because of how much has changed since she left this summer.

I hope you had fun as a homeless person! Well, not fun, but... learned a lot in a cool way. The amount of homeless people here is unbelievable! Because we have a HUGE job boom, as in, every company needs workers, but there is absolutely no housing, because they can't build it fast enough. Also, the average house increases in value by 1000$/day! Our minimum wage is 7$/hr, but practically nobody pays lower than 10$/hr. I mean, I'm a cashier making 10$/hr! When I was 16 the min wage was 6.50$/hr and I made 7$!!! Anyway, it's extra hard for the homeless here, because at night the temperature drops drastically. And it's already pretty cold to begin with! It's freezing here already, and winter hasn't even started! And of course, there's the snow! And it gets dark at 6pm! So, they're (as in, the relief organizations around here) are trying their best to get accomendations. They're turning the old Brick (furniture store) building into a temporary shelter (it's sceduled for demolition in the Spring to expand the highway). And everyone in the community (Crescent Heights, where my former high school, and my brothers current high school are) is all angry because they dont believe bussing homeless people between downtown and Crescent will work. Then they're trying to convert a school downtown into a shelter for families. Because there are SO many families that came out here because it's a goldmine (as in, everyone from Canada thinks they can just show up and become rich, but they can't because of the obvious lack of housing). In the fall they had all sorts of stories about families living in trailers sort of temporarily, but they can't get houses, and it is impossible to live in a trailer during the winter here! Oh, and there's no rent control here, so landlords are upping rent by 300-500$ a month, without any notice!

So, yeah, isn't that awful?

Labels: Journal

As promised, there is a luverly blend of two photos of me as Sailormoon for Hallowe'en. Unfortuently, I forgot to take a pic of my wand. Pity.

So, this entry is going to be jam packed with stuff, fo' sho' (as stated in the title, ha ha).

Firstly, good news, I FINALLY got my luggage! And my mummy and daddy bought it for me.

Oh, and Katimavik.org posted the work projects for my pase (Phase 3)!!

Kelowna, BC

-Canadian EarthCARE Society
-Central Okanagan Community Gardens
-Centre Cultural Francais De l'Okanagan
-City of Kelowna, Sport & Recreation
-CNIB ("a nationwide, community-based, registered charity committed to research, public education and vision health for all Canadians")
-Kelowna Community Food Bank
-Kelowna Community Resources Society
-Kelowna Gospel Mission
-Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs - Club 180
-YMCA-YWCA Career Contact Centre for Youth

Orleans, ON

-Cumberland Home Support
-Mifo, Centre Culturel d'Orleans (MIFO= Mouvement d'implication francophone d'Orleans. Basically, they're a group that helps preserve the French culture in the area)
-Orleans Cumberland Community Resource Centre
-Orleans Public Library
-Orleans Recreation Centre
-Visual Arts Centre
-YMCA Orleans

La Pocatiere, QC

-Cégep de La Pocatière (It's like a technical college.)
-Collectivités écologiques Bas-Saint-Laurent (It's an ecological society)
-Ferme-École Lapokita (The farm school. A girl sent me a message on MySpace about how much she loved working here.)
-Institut de technologie agroalimentaire, Campus La Pocatière (An agricultural technology college.)
-Polyvalente La Pocatière (A school. Lol. That's all I could gather from their website- they're just a standard school.)
-Services Kam-Aide (They're like an aid group where people go to homes and just help out.)
-Société d'horticulture et d'écologie de Kamouraska L'Islet (The horticultural and ecological society)
-Ville de La Pocatière (The City of La Pocatiere. So, probably something to do with administrative stuff. Like typing up things.)

For the most part they sound pretty awesome! And I really wanted to work in a school, and it looks like I will have plenty of chances to do so in La Pocatiere! Ha ha.

Other than all that news, I am making a new template for this blog for when I'm gone. So... yeah, look out for that! DID IT ALREADY!

[Edit]
I already wrote this, but then for some reason it got deleted, but the rest of my entry didn't (??? Silly Blogger ???), and it's not uber important, but I'm just a bit into keeping track of the "preperations," aspect of Katimavik, so...

This weekend I am going to go to the OUTLET MALL. Specifically to Sears, so I can get many pairs of jeans for my trip. Or work experience project, or whatever this thing is. I have plenty of tee shirts, but NO PANTS. MY GOODNESS, how have a been living without pants? Lol. I used to wear capris, but now with half a foot of snow outside, it seems.... impractical. I also need to buy new underwear and socks and THERMAL UNDERWEAR and SNOW PANTS. It's times like this I wish I lived in California. I bet Meggerz hasn't ever had to wear long johns and snow pants. Or buy new pants because it was too cold to wear capris and skirts. Lucky girl.

Ooer, and I forgot to mention my Hallowe'en night.

So, I was laying there, eating chocolate and getting sick and... that's it! I never once put down the chocolate to avoid illness, I just kept eating it while being fully aware that I wanted to vomit! No wonder I weigh 43772967654965 pounds!

[/End edit]

Labels: Journal, Katimavik, Photos