- yesterday I got free Baskin Robbin's ice cream and didn't have to wait in line for long because I went when everyone else was in work!
- this morning my closet exploded. Ok, didn't explode but the bar fell out of the wall. The repair man who is in the house renovating the other bedrooms said he would fix it but never came back. I guess I will have to sleep on top of all the clothes and hangers on my bed.
- my pen fell out of my mouth into the depths of the gas oven. Turns out you can access under the elements from going in from the back of the oven. You learn something new every day.
- if you apply for enough jobs you will start to dream about it. One dream had me getting a job I didn't apply for. The other dream had me calling a company to see why they didn't hire me.
- there is a slightly batty woman living next door who sometimes walks up to the window in the backdoor of her garage and stands there yelling at her reflection until her daughter comes out and tells her "That is enough mama!"
People in Toronto often seem in bad moods. I think I am realizing that my time in Nairobi was more akin to spending time in a small community than a big city (which it was) because within my neighborhood I got to know a lot of people and they sure recognized me quickly. Also, as far as the expat community went, it was pretty easy to pick out people you knew if you were in a crowded marketplace! And people were all just so friendly there. People sneer here more.
Although I have to say that no one has tried to rip me off yet because of my skin colour. But CRAP everything has gotten SO EXPENSIVE! Prices have risen so much in the past 9 months. I will need a job a lot faster than I expected at this point!
I'm still wrestling with whether or not I should continue some type of blog. I want to but I just am having a hard time coming up with things to say other than me complaining about things. I don't want to be so negative.
I like it here, don't get me wrong. It is just this adjustment period that is a bit painful.
Snow at Camp, originally uploaded by Kattaka.
I went to Thunder Bay to visit some family. It is in Northern Ontario and is quite cold there. I saw my 90 year old grandma, had some Finnish pancakes, played with my cousin's 3 sons, ate a lot of food and tried not to freeze.
Last night I was back in Sault Ste. Marie and went to my friend's place for a belated birthday dinner and then to a house party. It made me really miss Kenya and my friends there because the parties in Kenya were always so much fun and this one kind of sucked. It is hard not to compare everything to Kenya but really it has only been 3 weeks since I have been there so it is hard not to.
I don't think I am allergic to alcohol. I haven't drank in a few days and have still gotten the allergic reactions. (WHEW!) The investigation continues...
Then I found a great pair of Kenneth Cole pants for really cheap at Winners, this store that sells brand-name clothes at affordable prices. Imagine! I envision myself wearing said pants to an interview where I knock them dead and get the job on the spot. Such are the day dreams playing out in my head these days.
While I was in the mall I saw that we have a store in Sault Ste. Marie that is called "SABERS" and it sells... SWORDS AND SHIELDS! (And sabers I am assuming). What is this world coming to? Seriously, is such a store necessary? Slightly frightening that there is enough demand for swords and shields that warrants a store be in the mall providing such goods for 365 days a year.
Tonight I pretended I was a teacher and went to a teacher mingling party with my teacher friends. I got free appetizers and got to watch Rob perform in a kind of retro soul band. They were really good.
But I have some potentially terrible news. I have been having these weird allergic reactions nearly every time I eat since landing in London (it seems) and even more so since I have been in Canada. And tonight I figured out what it is that is making my throat itchy and swollen. It is ALCOHOL! Is that not nuts? I drank so much in Kenya and had NO PROBLEMS and now back in Canada I have a few sips of wine or beer and my throat is totally itchy. I'm not sure what to do about it but I'm trying not to think about it too much. My whole world is changing. How could this happen!?!?!?
Me and the Queen, originally uploaded by Kattaka.
And no, I am not in London - despite the photo posted to confuse you - I just put that up to let you all know that I am finally caught up in uploading my photos. Check them out by clicking on the photo.
I am home in Sault Ste Marie visiting my parents. It is snowing here. They closed the highway for a few hours today the snow was so bad. What a warm welcome!
The reason I haven't posted in a few days is because the most exciting thing I have done is go to the dentist. NO CAVITIES!
Sometimes when I am home visiting my family I find that I get really lazy and it is difficult for me to get anything done. Even thinking about working on my resume or something is akin to running in water. Suddenly I am unable to act at anything more than a snail's pace. Everything distracts me and I am powerless to resist.
I want to have 2 job applications out by tomorrow. Wish me luck.
It has been quite stressful these past few days. I am finding that I am short with people and getting irritated by silly things. I scream a lot more here than I used to but in Kenya screaming at people was necessary to get anything done. I'm not sure yet how it will work here. I don't want to be bitchy but I think the screaming is better than holding things in and simmering with rage in silence. We'll see.
2 more people said I look taller. Ok, that is just messed up.
Sorry to Karen for insulting her driving skills in the last post.
I went for Dim Sum this morning and had pigs feet and they still had HAIR on them. Gross. I only tried them because I was hoping they would taste like bacon. They didn't.