Weird Question

As Christmas is drawing nearer, I find myself finally understanding the point of all the songs about winter and snow. Sure, I also often find myself inserting random acts of violence and zombies into them to try and stave off the annoyance of hearing the same song 5 times a day at work. But when there's fresh snow on the ground and everything is just a little bit sparkly, you can understand why someone would write a song called 'winter wonderland' and play it incessantly throughout November and December. Do I wish the song called 'winter wonderland' was better? Sure. But I understand the sentiments.

Working in retail, however, I hear a lot of stupid Christmas music. One that immediately comes to mind, and is the inspiration for the this blog post (I have a point, I promise) is one called 'Thanks for Christmas'. The song doesn't really specifiy who we're thanking for Christmas. I like to assume Jesus, but I doubt it somehow. Anyway. The second part of the chorus of this assinine song says:

'Thanks for Christmas
Thanks for all the winter friendliness that's snowing down
All around the world'.

And that, my friends, is just silly. It is only winter in half of the world at Christmas. Or slightly more, given that the largest inhabited areas are all in the Northern Hemisphere. Even so, it only snows in the more northern parts of the northern hemisphere. I may have exclaimed loudly in my store when this song came on a few days ago

'Well, that's just plain stupid'. I went on to explain the above argument. My co-workers looked at me funny. Then, the inevitable question referred to in the title of this blog post:

'Isn't it weird having Christmas in the middle of Summer? I mean, it's hot, right? That's so strange'.

And I realised something. As much as a Summer christmas is totally normal to me, because I've had 24 years to get used to the idea, a winter Christmas isn't weird. Because even though Christmas in Darwin was regularly rainy and Christmas in Adelaide was regularly 35 degrees, we're so surrounded with European and American ideas of what Christmas is that snow and ice and cold don't seem odd to me.

I now have a very strange desire to get a copy of 'Santa wear your shorts' by Hi-5 and blast it loudly. My room mates have already complained that I don't have any 'normal' Christmas music, it wouldn't hurt. I blame my friend Megan for the need for it to be Hi-5 specifically, though, that I use to try to reverse the attitudes of an entire hemisphere. Who's with me?

Let it snow...

Brr.

Edmonton had it's first snow for the season yesterday. It wasn't a whole lot (by Edmonton standards anyway) but it was enough to make Rachel make funny squeaky noises. It was also enough to make drivers go stupid, and nearly hit Rachel on her way to work. She wasn't impressed. She already has a broken arm and doesn't particularly want to add 'hit by a car' to her list of experiences in Canada.

Naturally, there are photos.

Rachel wants me to mention that it's surprisingly hard to photograph snow, even with the 'snow' setting on her camera. At least without a tripod. Which she does have but couldn't be bothered setting up because it was -1 degree celcius outside. Today it is -5. Not dino friendly at all.

Thanksgiving in Calgary

Hello Blog-o-sphere!

You'll be glad to hear that Rachel is free of her plaster splint, so she has been able to upload some new photos!!

Over Canadian thanksgiving, which was about two weeks ago, Rachel and I took a trip to Calgary to visit some relatives she has there. It was good times :).

A few photos of our trip.

Saturday we went to Heritage Park, which had all sorts of old building and cars etc. Oh and people in funny costumes. And really really really really good gingerbread. I know I'm supposed to be an obligate carnivore, and all, but man they were some good cookies.

Rachel liked this log building for some reason. Looks cold and drafty to me...

there was a paddle steamer. We went for a ride. Nice day for it too, as you can see.

And a steam train. Rachel also likes steam trains. She's weird. Kept saying something about 'turning into my father'...

A plane. I wanted to go for a ride on THAT one. Sadly, it was attached to the roof.


On Sunday we went to the town of Banff. It's a fairly touristy place, and a big place for skiing. Except there was no snow, so not so much with the skiing. But it's pretty...although you can't see much because there's too many mountains in the way...

Also, apparently there's a cosmic ray station there

whatever the hell that is...Pay no attention to the giant hand, by the way.

And finally this. How Canadian can you get? A moose. Dressed as a mounty. Sweet as.

Hopefully I shall soon have some more blogworthy adventures. Until then, I frequently post things that are not-quite-blogworthy on twitter. You don't have to be a twit to see them. Just go to www.twitter.com/geraldtheraptor and you can see them without signing up.

Sticks And Stones...

Sticks and stones won't break your bones...Falling over roller-skating, on the other hand, is an effective way to fracture your radial neck. Which, in lay terms, means Rachel has a broken elbow. Which makes typing hard.

So the blogging might be slow for a few weeks. But we will both attempt to get some posts up soon, promise.

How did I get here, anyway?

Many people so far have asked me why on earth I decided to come to Edmonton. It's not one of your classic places for a working holiday. None of the working holiday agencies offer to find you work here. In winter, it gets excruciatingly cold. It's not the biggest city in Alberta (even if it is the capital) and interestingly enough, it's a lot like Adelaide.

Well, friends, the answer is simple. Her name is Christine :). I have been friends with Christine via the world wide web for several years. Last year, we bullied each other through the epic adventure that is NaNoWriMo. We chatted on skype and earlier this year started texting each other all the time. Christine would constantly tell me I had to come visit her. It was half jokingly, knowing of course that if I had the ability I would jump on a plane in a heartbeat. But I had a full time job with ridiculous time committments. How could I just up and leave and go to Canada?

As it turns out, quite easily. Around Easter I had something of a mental breakdown. I left my job and spent a few weeks in my house doing nothing and waiting for my anti depressant meds to kick in. And then I had a conversation with my friend Tim. Tim is a great person. I don't think there's a single situation in life which Tim would be unable to give sage advice on. And when I was talking to Tim about the fact I had left my job, had no idea what I wanted to do but had a friend in Canada who was bugging me to come visit, he had two very simple words for me.

'Then go'.

I laughed him off at the time. I couldn't afford it. I was too sick to leave home. How could I go to the other side of the world and just leave everything behind?

Turns out, quite easily. Fares were about half the price they had been six months about. I got a healthy tax return. Canada and Australia have a working holiday agreement. Centrelink paid me to be sick for a few months so I didn't have to live off my savings. Things fell into place.

And here I am. Employed, with a roof over my head and a warm bed. What more could I ask for, really?

Aussieness

So, much like Garry's blog, I'm going to start a list on the side of this travel blog. My brother's is the number of times people have told him to get planted, as well as other things pertaining to his cricket 'career'. Mine will be the things people have asked me to say because they think they sound funny. Today's word?

Balloon.

Apparently I sound hilarious when I say that. Or so says one of the other partners at work.

Yes.At Starbucks, we are all called 'partners'. Not coworkers or employees. Partners. So I figure just in case anyone from work sees this blog, I will stick to protocol.

One Happy Dinosaur

Well hi again.

I am one happy dinosaur. You know why?

I loves me a frappucino, and from Monday, I will have them whenever I feel like it. Because Rachel will be working at Starbucks. Om nom nom.