L'esprit de Noël à Montréal

Santa came to town today, a little early in my opinion, but I wandered downtown to take in the parade festivities nonetheless.

 

Beautiful day for a parade, so Sainte-Cathérine Street was packed with stroller-pushing parents and hoards of children, all jockeying for a glimpse of Santa (or "the fat man in a red suit", as he is referred to here). 

The crowds didn't bother me too much, but I had a minor panic attack when I realized that an entire marching band and parade of creepy Christmas balloons separated me from my mid-day Starbucks coffee! 

Thanks to google maps, I was able to quickly navigate my way to the next closest Starbucks, and treated myself to my first peppermint mocha (grandé, non-fat, no-whip, extra shot = caffeinated Christmas perfection) of the year.  

Christmas carol jingles and Santa Claus aside, it isn't until I enjoy the first sip of my peppermint mocha that I really start to appreciate the spirit of Christmas. I'm not quite ready to put up a Christmas tree and send out greeting cards, but maybe after I try the caramel creme brulée mocha next weekend...

Merry Starbucks Mochas to one & all!

Impressions sur Montréal

Soyez bienvenue à Montréal! 

I've been here a week now and am loving it! First impressions, Montrealers are super hospitable and friendly, well of course, other than when they're driving... I think I just might be one of the most law-abiding drivers on the island, and for those of you who know how I drive, well that's saying something! No worries, I'm picking up the "appropriate" hand gestures and honking signals quickly enough. 

View through my bedroom window

Last weekend I thoroughly explored the shops of Rue Ste-Catherine downtown, and quickly used up a healthy chunk of my clothing & shoes budget for the year... Money well spent though, it felt good to start the week at my new office with an updated wardrobe, from new boots to scarves and winter hats. :)

Expecting a weekend of rain, I was thrilled to wake up to a sunny day this morning, so I decided to break in my new boots and go for a stroll down to Vieux Montreal, just 1km from my apartment. 

Lovely fall weather

Ok, so I think I live in the hood, but it's a quiet hood, so not bad.  :)

Lachine Canal

Found my way to Vieux Montreal, and stopped in at the first bustling breakfast café I spotted, conveniently at the corner of "Evans Court". :) Grabbed my café allongé (which is apparently just a slightly larger espresso) and brioche avec sirop d’érable (maple & pecan cinnamon bun) to go, and strolled down to the docks.

Vieux Ports

Bonsecour Market

View of downtown from across the canal

I walked about as far as my blisters from my new boots allowed, and then rented a bixi bike (brilliant idea Montreal!) and cruised back along the canal to pick up my weekly groceries at Marché Atwater and buy some blister patches for my feet. :( I felt very metropolitan as I cruised along the canal on my rental bike, in my knee high boots & skinny jeans, with my scarf and hair flowing in the wind. Bike helmets and spandex are for the "commoners", cyclists here are fashionistas on wheels. 

Marché Atwater

Les citrouilles!

Finished up my shopping, packed it into the little rack on the front of my bike, and cruised home just in time as it clouded over and started to rain.

Beautiful clouds

Looking forward to exploring more of Montréal, and I've already gotten myself an invite to a girls' weekly dinner club, so yaay, now I have an excuse to try out all the fantastic restaurants around town. Local hockey arena & pool just 3 min from my apartment, and the YCMA gym is just 2 min the other direction, so I'm feeling more & more at home here everyday! :)

Indonesia!

Ah, Indonesia... where to start! I've been in the country for eight days and I'm already typing in an Indonesian accent - seriously, it's hard to shake once you start. 

 

The week with my brother and family was fantastic, so good to catch up with their lives and spoil my nephews! Full week of tasting many exotic fruits & spicy dishes, making new friends, and learning how to embarrass myself in yet another new language. 

The second leg of my trip started with an overnight roller-coaster-on-speed bus ride (imagine a rag doll in a laundromat dryer... yup, that's me), a cancelled flight, a sprint through Jakarta airport, but finally brought me to Bali airport, where I was greeted by my guesthouse driver. 

I cannot really give a fair evaluation of Jakarta's airport, since I really only spent 20 minutes there, but I will say that the luggage belts in the domestic terminal are excruciatingly slow!! 15 of my 20 minutes were spent pacing between three different luggage carousels, and within the next 5 minutes I transferred terminals (walked next door), got my boarding pass and re-checked my luggage, cleared security, and sprinted to the boarding gate just in time for take-off. I've missed running through airports, it's kind of like a sport for me, or an obstacle course with the added benefit of stretching my legs between flights. I use my rugby training and "run at the gap" to squeeze between luggage toting pedestrians and wandering children (very unpredictable in their movements), and I actually find airports are almost easier to navigate at a quick run. Needless to say my poor ankle was rather sore after my little run through the terminal, but it made me smile to be able to do it again. :) 

Oh, and I found this sign particularly helpful when I went to freshen up in the ladies room. Just in case you were considering it, whatever you do, 

DO NOT STAND ON THE TOILET SEAT!!! 

Ok, I know, very petty of me to post photos of airport toilet stalls, but I was jet-lagged when I started this little photo series, and now I feel obligated to continue.

My arrival in Bali was fantastic, the zen-like quiet domestic terminal of Denpasar airport was like a breath of fresh air after Jakarta, literally. I somehow thought that this meant Bali must be nearly tourist-free, even the airport is quiet, and then I walked outside and ran into the hordes of flip-flop wearing, loud talking, camera waving tourists. Apparently most tourists travel via the international terminal, which looked to have about as much zen as a Walmart during back-to-school week. 

I was met at the airport by the guesthouse staff, and while I was skeptical booking this place online, Budha's Guesthouse really is a little piece of heaven in the middle of an otherwise chaotic part of Bali (Kuta/Legian). Who wouldn't feel relaxed staying in a place called Budha's Guesthouse?? :) Very pleased, and the staff are pretty awesome at making sure that even grubby backpacker guests like myself are treated like royalty, lovely treat to stay here. 

My first 24 hours in Bali: 

- I strolled through tourists trap along Kuta beach and Legian, 

- caught the sunset, 

 - enjoyed proper street side chicken satay

- met up with a new couchsurfing friend, who took me zipping around town on her scooter to meet up with more new friends, 

- danced the night away at Sky Garden, 

- navigated my way around the city, on a SCOOTER :)  (in search of an affordable fastboat company)       

Yaay, I've missed driving a scooter! Driving on the left is a little goofy, my brain would reset to the right side every time I turned a corner, and then panic to remember which direction to swerve away from the oncoming traffic. 

- zigzagged down to the southwestern tip of the island (on my scooter)

- climbed some rocks for a better view,

- spotted a dirt road, which led me to one Bali's hidden surf treasures,

Inspired by the surf stars, I asked if I could jump in, and they sent me down the road to another beach for newbies, but seeing as I really never have surfed, it's probably best I don't start on a cliff with coral reef to land on. 

 

Another beach with wicked rip tide along the way

- surfed for the first time ever!!!

The newbie beach was pretty quiet, and I was ready to just rent a board and give it a shot since the pros down the road made it look pretty simple. A couple of travelers from Portugal (also learning to surf) convinced me to pay the extra $5 for an instructor, and after 5 minutes of talking about snowboarding, we headed for the waves. Two hours later and I can already see myself living the life of a beach bum, nothing but surf, sun, and sand baby! I'd like to be modest, but I feel like I was born to surf, and yet it's taken me 30 years to discover this because I grew up in the Canadian prairies and sub-Saharan Africa! Sigh...

Packed day, including a minor "run in" with the local police - not cool to drive a scooter without an international license, oops... Supper with more random friends at the food market, home to Budha's to pack my bag, and off to Gili islands via speed boat this morning!

Asia influence

I am sitting in my new most favourite airport ever right now; Singapore’s Changi International airport is the bomb. Oops, poor choice of words, but it really is in a class of its own in comparison to the many other airports I’ve trudged and/or sprinted through.

I'm just over half way through my 2 day hop-scotch flight route, with 6 hours in Tokyo – most of which were spent looking out the train window  –  arrived in Singapore at 3am, and am now off to Kuala Lumpur for another 5 hours before arriving at my final destination of Indonesia!

(now in Kuala Lumpur LCCT airport)

This is my first Asia experience, and I have to say that so far, judging by the inside of airports, it doesn’t really feel much different than any other major international hub, although it is really hard to get a feel for a country from just the airport, that hardly counts. Arriving in Tokyo Natari airport, I immediately determined that 6 1/2 hours in such an airport would be rather tedious (disappointed with Tokyo airport), and a quick visit into the city seemed feasible with that much time, so I decided to go for it.

One part that I kind of forgot about in planning this trip, was Tokyo. I figured it would be fairly obvious for a tourist to figure out where to go, since it is TOKYO after all, the city of King Kong and Godzilla (or is that Hong Kong??), bustling with trendy Japanese and flashy shopping. It wasn’t until I actually exited the Tokyo Central train station in the middle of a boring downtown intersection, that I realized I know absolutely nothing about Tokyo. 

Maybe I had it confused with Hong Kong, or whatever city it is featured as the "major Asian centre” in every apocalyptic Hollywood action flick... In any case, it was not what I had expected. 6 1/2 hours turns into 4 very quickly with little things like customs, security clearance, boarding, etc., so I had exactly 30 minutes to power walk around 8-10 blocks of “downtown" Tokyo, and noted that the shops were all high-end designer stores, similar to Paris shopping in the Champs-Elysées block, not exactly the “Japanese” experience I was hoping for.

This is where I spent 3 of my 4 hours in Tokyo

See, I really am in Tokyo!

About 3 hours into my stay in Tokyo I did thankfully catch on to the driving and walking on the opposite (left) side of the road, avoiding most of the near collisions with fellow pedestrians and bikes. Now I understand why the Banff tourists always seem underfoot, like they purposely walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk just to be difficult, but no they are actually doing what is completely expected and normal in their own country!! Hm... Tokyo was a bust, but I feel that I gleaned at least a bit of enlightenment with the whole pedestrian traffic thing, and also reminded myself why it is important to research each destination on my in itinerary, so that I can make the most of my “Amazing Race”-like city tours and airport layovers.

Singapore airport was like heaven-on-earth to the weary traveler, and I’m convinced it was designed by an experienced female traveler, because they thought of everything!! I tend to judge an airport using the following criteria:

     

        1. Cleanliness –  (also applies to point #4 & 5)

        2. Accessibility (layout, proximity of terminals & city centre via train/shuttle)

        3. Services (variety of food and shopping options, hours of operation, information centres, maps)

        4. Toilets (more on this below)

        5. Comfort (lounge chairs vs hard plastic bucket seats)

I fell in love with the public toilets in Singapore, they even had a vanity mirror section with cushioned stools, like a classy restaurant washroom, so lovely. I gave them my feedback with an extra big smile – see photo from bathroom wall. Changi airport had many other things to make the weary traveler feel welcome and at ease, pictured below; it really was like a little paradise at 3am.

Vanity mirror in Changi airport bathroom.

Kuala Lumpur LCCT (low-cost carrier terminal) was exactly what it promised to be, low-cost and rather grubby in comparison to Changi’s delux comforts. It reminded me of a typical West African airport (similar level of bathroom cleanliness, or lack there of), with many more food service options though, some of the food shops were actually quite tasty (fresh fruit smoothies, hot & spicy wraps, noodle bowls, and KFC & McD’s should you so desire). I found a quiet corner in the Coffee Bean shop for a while to do emails, then wandered as far outside the terminal as I could pushing a luggage cart, to do some stretching and chill in the muggy morning sun.

My little spot of peace for yoga/stretching, with the noisy & polluting buses in the background.

The parade of toilets...

Ah...

No thanks.

I had started to notice a subtle change as I traveled from one airport to another - something which I think speaks volumes about the local culture - and that is the way in which people line up, or form queues. Tokyo was almost military-like in forming queues, and I received a few dirty looks as I strolled ignorantly up to the edge of the train platform, completely missing the orderly line off to the side. Singapore was a bit more relaxed, but it was 5am when we were lining up for the flight, and I think we were all still a bit groggy. Kuala Lumpur  involved lots of line cutting and “queue-jumping”, but it was fairly tame in comparison to some of the other pushy airports I’ve been in (Niamey, Casablanca, Kano, etc.). 

Stay tuned for more airport reviews, as I have another few new stopovers ahead  of me – why take the same route back when there are so many new & exciting airports to discover on this side of the world! 

Hm...

P.S. Road traffic here makes Cotonou and Benin roadways look tame in comparison - and I had a few moments of heart-stopping panic as my sleepy eyes would open to see us flying toward oncoming traffic on the wrong side!! My brother puts the bus drivers in Benin to shame with his rally driving skills; little sister is duly impressed (and somewhat terrified). 

Bastard Bunnies* & Sneaky Squirrels

On a slightly less adventurous note, I've recently taken up gardening, hoping that a few things might grow during Calgary's very short and unpredictable summer. Some might label this latest hobby of mine as part of the "aging process", but I prefer to think of it as "diversifying". I've never really lived anywhere long enough to have a garden, and usually my time is filled with sports & travel, so this really is a first for me.

I built two little garden beds, dug up all the wood chips and liner, filled them with dozens of bags of soil - which I very reluctantly purchased after discovering that it really is hard to find "free dirt" in or around Calgary. What has the world come to that I actually have to pay for dirt?!  I even cruised by a few construction sites, thinking those would be awesome dirt sources, but they put big orange fences around construction sites here, complete with signs about danger, trespassing, etc, blah, blah, blah. Seriously, not impressed. I added my compost (started last year), loads of coffee grounds, and some odorless cow manure (honestly, it really didn't smell, I checked) to the dirt, mixed it all up, and voila, perfect garden soil!

I impatiently waited until June to plant my little seeds, good thing too, because it snowed in May. Once the seeds were in the ground, I went out everyday to just stare at my garden bed, as if I was expecting a shoot to sprout up in front of my eyes, but like a watched kettle, the seeds were so very slow start. Although, the variety of potato I chose to plant seems to be a tree or shrub, I don't remember potato plants being so large on the farm... I don't even eat potatoes very often, yet that's the most successful veggie in my garden thus far.

There are a lot of rabbits and squirrels in my neighborhood. My friends warned me, they said I shouldn't expect much from my garden, because between the rodents (yes, bunnies are rodents) and the temperamental Calgary weather, I'd be lucky if anything survived.

I'm a Saskatchewan girl (by birth), and EVERYTHING grows in Saskatchewan (except tropical fruit of course). We had a massive garden, and everything just grew! We didn't fence it off, or even water it very often, weeding was sparse, but we always had way too many veggies to pick, wash, peel, and can or freeze. So really, how hard can a garden be?

There are no squirrels or rabbits in rural Saskatchewan (farmers shot them all), however metropolitan Calgary has an ABUNDANCE of said rodents, and I think it's against the law to shoot them. However... if they are trespassing and I am merely defending my property, isn't that ok? I don't have a gun, but I think I have a slingshot somewhere, and I used to be a pretty good shot, I think I could pick off a fat city squirrel.

All of you readers not from Calgary, don't be fooled, the squirrels here are not like the cute little brown ones you see in the forest, city squirrels are essentially a rat with a tail. Big, nasty, sunflower-eating rodents. Yes, I believe they are responsible for the destruction of 8 out of my 10 sunflowers. Them or the bastard bunnies, I'm not 100% sure, because they show up while I'm at work, but I now have tooth marks on my two last standing sunflowers, so maybe I'll run a DNA test to determine the species. 

I should probably put a fence around the entire garden bed, especially since the spinach and carrots are coming in nicely, but that would detract from the aesthetic appeal, so I've just fenced off the last standing sunflowers. They still might not survive, both stalks are nibbled halfway through, and I imagine the sneaky squirrels and bastard bunnies* will be slightly upset with my new fence, so who knows what they'll do next. I plan to spend the day on my lawn, laying in wait, to catch or at least scare the nibbles out of whatever sneaky rodent has been decimating my garden.

So, if any of my veggies survive the bunnies, squirrels, spiders, ants, wind, rain, and hail (snow?) of Calgary, you're welcome to come join me for a picnic, sometime around October... Bring your slingshots.


*Bunnies are by definition "bastards", so do not be offended by the label, I use the term in its truest form.