Winter Wonderland

Well it has been snowing here in Vancouver for the last 2 days - Pretty much non-stop from Saturday afternoon until early Monday morning. It has stoped not as far as I am aware but it is soo beautiful out there. I'll upload some photo's to my website later in the week.

Walked the way around Stanley park again today in the snow and it was an exceptional walk as well because of the snow.

Annoyances

Well, the only way I can watch the cricket at the moment is by the ball-by-ball commentary on the baggygreen.com.au website. Cricket Australia in all their wisdom (not much there really) has made sure that unless you are in England or Australia you are virtually incapable of listening to the cricket via the web. Why this is I don't know and it really really annoyed the crap out of me, coz I wanna listen!!!!!

The only way I have come accross to be able to listen is by uping my subscription from free to pay, however whenever I do to do this, it just tell's me I am not authorised to view or listen to the match. So here I am in Canada, not knowing where is available for me to go and watch the cricket, and I am unable to even listen to it because of rights issues. This is pure stupidity!!! Now I'm gonna have to do some research to find out where in Vancouver I can go and watch the rest of the Ashes series.

My First Rainbow - in Vancouver

Well, I got to see my first rainbow in Vancouver today while walking back from Broadway. Not only was if my first rainbow, but within a couple of minutes it had turned into a double rainbow for a short period of time. If you want to see more pictures of the Rainbow, just go to my photo website.

I also caught the buses all the way down to the Museum of Anthropology - was a nice place, but got a bit bored at the end, because it was just lots and lots of masks and baskets etc. Twas a good trip in all and it was nice to see a different part of the city for a change.

What's happened to my Blog settings!!!

I don't know whats happening at the moment to blogger, but at the moment in the create a post section I only have spell checker and add an image available to chose from. Very wierd and a bit annoying as well as I was wanting to add a link. Oh well will just have to type the link out manually without it being highlighted.

Anyway I went into the Immegration department today, and it should only take about a max of 10 working days before I will get a copy of my Work Visa available to be picked up. Which is a massive blessing in itself, as it will mean I can actaully legally obtain work and be able to produce the visa if asked for it.

As my room mate has put it th last week or so, I have become a bit of a socialise over here. I am out most nights of the week doing something, and I like it that way, especially since I now again no longer have a laptop redily available for me to play with at my will (I know this is probably a little odd to say this but in someways it is actually a blessing aswell not having the laptop, because it means I have to actively seek out things to do).

I've been to two music gig's in the last week and have another one on tomorrow night, as well as going with a couple of friends to see a band called "The Album Leaf" - never heard of them before, but was invited along on a spare ticket and they were good (although I will admit that I did prefer the supporting band who I can't remember the name of). The last two have been featuring one of the guys from The Open House - Derek Kehler (www.myspace.com/derekkehler), and he's really really good. I realylike his "Kill For Fun" song (it kicks arse). Tomorrow night it features both Derek and Jen from T.O.H. both are great singer songwriters - Jen's web link is in the last post I did.

Change of Stance

I was gonna have a bit of a winge about certain aspects of life over here, which are made difficult by certain companies, but after tonights meeting of the Open House and my walk home with Jen who lives along the street that I walk along to get home, I thought I'd change my topic and for a change not winge for a change. This actual post has nothing to do with tonights discussed topic whatsoever.

Many of you who know me back in Oz will know my attitudes to YWAM, and ywamers due to my experiences. While I know God has been challenging me on this particular topic, and I have struggled with various aspects of accepting people who are from, work(ed) for or have been a part of ywam, I am finding this to not be a major issue over here. I don't know if it was my environment I had built up around me that allow me to keep this attitude alive and kicking or well I dunno what else to be honest. Anyway I keep meeting great people who have either work(ed) for, or have gone through ywam and I am seeing that my issue was probably never really with ywam as such, but just one particular person and maybe just one base.

Now this is not to say I have not meet some nice ywam people before, but these people I meet were both close to the time of my dealings with ywam. Some of these people also kinda reinforced my idea of ywam at the same time. Over all I think I have been trying to categories all ywamers as the same bunch of people who act the same which I know I should not be doing.

So God is doing some good things in me at the moment and helping me to breakdown former brick walls I had built around this whole topic of discussion, which is good.

Interesting Happenings

Well the Church while I got hooked up with over the net back in Aus before I came over to "Sunny" Canada had it's first ever public meeting last night - I'm not going to comment on it as there are a few people who already have made mention of it in their blogs (here's Kyles).

What I was actually going to comment on today is the traffic and road users over here in Vancouver. Like Australia the cyclists think they own the road and that all other road vehicles should get out of their way, and they are always in the right and never in the wrong (I have no problems with cyclists, just some of the attitudes that you get from them). I am a firm believer that if you are on the road you should be on the lookout for all other road users. So if you are in a car you look out for other cars, trucks and cyclists and the same for each category just mentioned. One difference I have notices though and had it happen a couple of times already is that car's over here will slow down for pedestrians when they are crossing the road. I'm so use to vehicles just speeding up to get in front of you, or having to stand in the middle of the road for an opening bg enough that you can either walk quickly accross in or run over in. Here I was waiting in the middle of the road when a car slowed down andeven pretty much came to a halt so that I could cross in front of him.

Very different for me, and I'm still trying to come to terms with all the differences over here.

Vancouver First Week

Well so ends the first week in Vancouver (more or less). It has been an interesting an a bit of an expensive week really, on expensive as I have had to get a few things so that I can live realatively comfortable without scunging too much of my housemate. I also got my new Laptop yesterday, and thankfully Kristen (one of the interns/pastors of OpenHouse) had a car and was willing to drive me down to BestBuy to pick it up, this all in quite a large rain storm, and also meant that I didn't have to catch a bus carrying the laptop back to home. She also drove me down to one of the mall's in Burnaby so that we could have a look at jackets as I needed a rain jacket, and we had a cool conversation in the car there and back.

Meet up a few times with Kyle this week, OpenHouse on Tuesday and then poker on Wednesday (which I was winning the first game which we agreed to let slide as a no money game as we were waiting for someone to turn up and sent the person first out to get beer) and then again last night for a beer with his wife Anna (nice lady) and a movie. Unfortunately I ended up being first out in the money hands, and the person first out before won the game, typical. I have some photo's which I will upload this afternoon so everyone can see.

I ended up walking around Stanley park on Thursday, nice walk and great scenery, but I ended up walking over 10k's around the park and then into the middle of downtown to catch a bus afterwards. Massive hike and my legs were killing me at the end of it, but hopefully it's getting me a bit fitter and losing a bit of the gut at the same time. Anyway I'm gonna go out to Granville island today and have a look around as it's currently a nice day outside, although suppost to rain later, so there'll be more photos late aswell.

I Made it mostly in one piece

Well I made it to Canada alive and mostly unscathed. Why unscathed you ask, because I had an interesting experience in HK while making my way to the airport. I have just finished some shopping and was in the airport express train terminal, I had the choice of either being lazy and taking the escalators or the stairs. I decide to be active and take the stairs which turned out to be the wrong choice. A train was just letting people on, but as I was at the top of the stairs I knew I had no chance to catching it so was not in a rush to get to the bottom. However about 1/4 - 1/2 of the way down (sorry for the vagness on the dstance there) I somehow missed a step and went for a fall all the way to the bottom of the stairs. Luckily I was mainly unhurt just some grazing below each elbow and a bit of a sour knee. However the same can not be said about my camera. I went to take a picture of teh incident and found that the screen was broken and the front case has a major dent in it, which is extremely annoying to say the least as I had just got it just over a month ago. But at least I didnt majorly injure myself and I am extremely thankful to God for that and I am going to claim the camera on insurance.

Another thing which happened but in a good way this time, was that I ended up in the bulk head seat on the trip from HK to Vancouver. Was a bit of a good thing with my sour knee and all. Also I have been reading the Rich Dad book Retire Young, Retire Rich, which I never expected to have God speaking to me through it at all considering the topic that it was on. However as I was reading one of the chapters I got challenged in regards to my giving. I consider myself to be a fairly decent giver maybe not regular but a giver in lots of other aspects, however this one part of the book really challenged me to be a more faithful and regular giver. It blows my mind that even through a financial book that is designed to increase my wealth God is still able to speak to me to try and get me to expand my content and context (those who have read this book will know and understand the meaning of this phrase particularly well).


I am settling in to Vancouver ok, only been here a coupla days and already have a bank account and cell phone and a few house items. My roommate is a nice guy and is currently letting me use his laptop (until I get one of my own which will hopefully be by the end of next week) and his digital camera which he says he doesnt use much at the moment, so there will be some photos up later of my first few weeks here.

I appologies but this maybe the last blog entry for a little while until I have a chance to get my own laptop, and then i will try to be a bit more regular in my entries depening on what I am doing (think I said that in the last entry aswell).

Till next time enjoy your weeks.

Last Day's

Well today is was my last day in Adelaide for what will hopefully be about a year. The weather has turned it on for me in the last coupla days. It has be beautiful and sunny.

I am all packed except for a last few items to get in, just the usual necessary last minute items to be packed. So in about 60 hours I will be in Vancouver airport and at the very begining of my time in Canada.

To those I know over there I can't wait to meet you all. To those in Australia until next year have a wonderful time and enjoy yourselfs. To those others welcome.

Let the Adventure begin!!!

4 Day's left and a cool website

Well only 4 day's to go and I shall be in Vancouver (technically, as they are still 1 day behind at the moment). Anyway I have got everything that I can think of that I need to get with me now, just need to pack and make sure I have all my documents and passport and money before I leave on Sunday for the airport.

Still a little unreal at the moment, and I don't honestly think it will probably properly hit until I have been that a couple of weeks and i have started a job. I have a feeling I have already said this part in a previous entry. Ohwell, a bit of repetition never hurt anyone.

I came across this website earlier and though it was pretty cool, although a little unusual. The Bible in Illustration, the first couple of versus in Genesis are particularly good, and illustrate what was happening pretty well I think. Anyway I liked it, just didn't go that far through it as there are a lot of illustrations to look at.