The crazyness has toned down a bit.....AHAHA! Don't be silly! It never tones down with me around! The last two days have been good, but a rest, I think, is well deserved. Which, surprisingly enough, means I can catch up on other Devon projects, such as re-writing the english/mandarin labels around the house, updating my blog (ahem) catching up on my journals (ugh, not tonight either I don't think) looking into pawn shops to sell some DS games, looking into bike shops and writing the list of bike equipment I need to buy for my bike trip when I go shopping with the girls when they come and visit me. Always something to do.
Thursday was quite exuberant (it seems like that word would fit, but I don't know) It was the economy EAD, led by Leah and Kassie. We started off getting up REALLY early, like 6am, and having Brenda, my host mom, drive Gary and I to the bus stop because he has this insessant need to shave every two days. I keep telling him he has to shave in a month, I have to shave in a week, MOVE YOUR CHINESE ASS, or something to that effect. I brought my pillow with good reason that day; It was intended for a pillow fight at a night club that I was going to later that night. I didn't know if I would return home, so I brought it then. Turns out, I used it on the bus, sleeping on the heads of other tired CWY participants. The silly bus driver thought we got off and didn't see us, and didn't tell us when our stop was. How the bloody fuck do you miss 15 CWY participants on a bus for 40 minutes!!!! Amazingly, we were barely late still for our tour at the Summer Hill Winery, the largest organic winery with a pyramid no less! http://www.summerhill.bc.ca/ We did the circle check in a Seylish (spelling) replica hut, or home, or something in the ground. We spent most of our day there. We were given a tour by a CWY AND Katimavik alumni (rare breed they are) The tour was pretty cool. We got to try some grapes, but not the wine. I didn't want to anyway. I asked about some purple stuff on the roof. It surprised me when Nathan, the guide, told me it was actually was an explosion, as I imagined! The hoses blew, whilst the president of the company was there, in front of the media! Man, that must have been hilarious. It was almost a year ago, but he said they couldn't get it any cleaner and the rest of the goo was stuck up there. Now THAT'S a work story! We wrapped up the EAD with some activities, debriefing, etc. Afterwards, we ate supper down town and had our language lessons. I'm actually picking Mandarin up fairly fast I'd say. I just have to apply myself I think. More then I did for French in Katimavik anyway. But also, Mandarin does seem easier. Not so many exceptions to rules, like some language I won't mention (collis!) We all are picking it up. I can almost understand when people talk to me! After our lesson, I went to Gotcha's where they had the pillow fight. Turns out it was an attempt to break a world record for the largest pillow fight, in addition to a Coors Light Mansion party promotions. Free pillow and beer with registration. It took a long time to start up though, because they needed a certain amount of people. So no records were broken, but I did get to have pillow-pound some lovely Coors girls dressed in maid and cop uniforms. So yeah, I don't think the night was a total waste. I'd much rather have went there with my friends, but everyone was tired and I can't miss these things just because I'm going alone!
Today was a bit different though, and no early wake up, which was nice. We went to a conference about why there's homeless people in Kelowna. It was a small, but very intellectual conference held by one woman. People asked very good questions and she made strong points, offering knowledge I'd never thought of relating the reasons of homelessness. I guess I have it a bit figured out when she said "Bang on! That's my presentation right there (referring to me after commenting that homelessness seems to be a cycle that's very difficult to break out of) But I'm sure I'm missing a lot more then that. Big problems call for big solutions which are never easy and never fast. When that was done, we had a small pumpkin carving contest between the Canadians and the Chinese. It's hard to feel pride when you know the other team has never carved a pumpkin before. But both were good. Ours was a CWY symbol/jack'o'lantern, while theirs was a typical face. Most of us returned to work for the afternoon, as did I. But I came with troops. Anthony, Sadie, Jamie, Nancy and Wendy came with me this time and we were put to work, boxing cereal, then rice chips, then throwing away bread, and other small things. T'was an easy afternoon and I got to show my friends where I work. But I still have to look for another job on Monday, but I have no time to phone volunteer placements (another job on my 'to-do' list. See, always busy!) Tonight I had some "me" time, and by "me" time, I mean, I went to the movies with a few people. 30 Days of Night was a lot better then I thought. Go people, go!
Thursday was quite exuberant (it seems like that word would fit, but I don't know) It was the economy EAD, led by Leah and Kassie. We started off getting up REALLY early, like 6am, and having Brenda, my host mom, drive Gary and I to the bus stop because he has this insessant need to shave every two days. I keep telling him he has to shave in a month, I have to shave in a week, MOVE YOUR CHINESE ASS, or something to that effect. I brought my pillow with good reason that day; It was intended for a pillow fight at a night club that I was going to later that night. I didn't know if I would return home, so I brought it then. Turns out, I used it on the bus, sleeping on the heads of other tired CWY participants. The silly bus driver thought we got off and didn't see us, and didn't tell us when our stop was. How the bloody fuck do you miss 15 CWY participants on a bus for 40 minutes!!!! Amazingly, we were barely late still for our tour at the Summer Hill Winery, the largest organic winery with a pyramid no less! http://www.summerhill.bc.ca/ We did the circle check in a Seylish (spelling) replica hut, or home, or something in the ground. We spent most of our day there. We were given a tour by a CWY AND Katimavik alumni (rare breed they are) The tour was pretty cool. We got to try some grapes, but not the wine. I didn't want to anyway. I asked about some purple stuff on the roof. It surprised me when Nathan, the guide, told me it was actually was an explosion, as I imagined! The hoses blew, whilst the president of the company was there, in front of the media! Man, that must have been hilarious. It was almost a year ago, but he said they couldn't get it any cleaner and the rest of the goo was stuck up there. Now THAT'S a work story! We wrapped up the EAD with some activities, debriefing, etc. Afterwards, we ate supper down town and had our language lessons. I'm actually picking Mandarin up fairly fast I'd say. I just have to apply myself I think. More then I did for French in Katimavik anyway. But also, Mandarin does seem easier. Not so many exceptions to rules, like some language I won't mention (collis!) We all are picking it up. I can almost understand when people talk to me! After our lesson, I went to Gotcha's where they had the pillow fight. Turns out it was an attempt to break a world record for the largest pillow fight, in addition to a Coors Light Mansion party promotions. Free pillow and beer with registration. It took a long time to start up though, because they needed a certain amount of people. So no records were broken, but I did get to have pillow-pound some lovely Coors girls dressed in maid and cop uniforms. So yeah, I don't think the night was a total waste. I'd much rather have went there with my friends, but everyone was tired and I can't miss these things just because I'm going alone!
Today was a bit different though, and no early wake up, which was nice. We went to a conference about why there's homeless people in Kelowna. It was a small, but very intellectual conference held by one woman. People asked very good questions and she made strong points, offering knowledge I'd never thought of relating the reasons of homelessness. I guess I have it a bit figured out when she said "Bang on! That's my presentation right there (referring to me after commenting that homelessness seems to be a cycle that's very difficult to break out of) But I'm sure I'm missing a lot more then that. Big problems call for big solutions which are never easy and never fast. When that was done, we had a small pumpkin carving contest between the Canadians and the Chinese. It's hard to feel pride when you know the other team has never carved a pumpkin before. But both were good. Ours was a CWY symbol/jack'o'lantern, while theirs was a typical face. Most of us returned to work for the afternoon, as did I. But I came with troops. Anthony, Sadie, Jamie, Nancy and Wendy came with me this time and we were put to work, boxing cereal, then rice chips, then throwing away bread, and other small things. T'was an easy afternoon and I got to show my friends where I work. But I still have to look for another job on Monday, but I have no time to phone volunteer placements (another job on my 'to-do' list. See, always busy!) Tonight I had some "me" time, and by "me" time, I mean, I went to the movies with a few people. 30 Days of Night was a lot better then I thought. Go people, go!
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