........

Getting a bit too broke, feeling pretty stupid for not checking the value of the canadian dollar... not doing anything, don't feel like doing much. Blugh.

Looking forward to getting home.

visit to the biodome and botanical garden

Went out to the Montreal Olympic Stadium yesterday and checked out the biodome. The biodome was pretty horrible cos it was full of screaming kids and tortured animals, but I did get to watch a beaver making his den and saw lots of cute little puffins which was excellent...I'd been hoping to see puffins in Scotland but never got a chance. I also went to the insectorium in the botanic gardens and saw lots and lots of bugs then checked out the gardens which were pretty nice. When I was checking out the First Nations (aboriginal people's) gardens I saw a little tiny animal I'd never seen before sitting on a rock and humming. He was soooo cute...a happy & curious little rodent, he came up to me and tried to sneak food from me. Then someone came along and told he was a chipmunk! Soooo so cute. I got some photos but don't know if they worked, will have to wait till they get developed in Australia. Also had some adventures with a couple of very enthusiastic ducks and a seagull who also wanted my food.

Went with some guys from the hostel down to Rue Sainte Catherine last night to watch a free movie on the steps of the art centre as part of the Montreal World Film Festival. We watched a German film in French subtitles and our one German friend wasn't there. Luckily it was Goodbye Lennon which I've seen so we had a pretty good idea of what was happening most of the time. That was fun.

Today, trying to organise what I'm going to do in the next week or so.

rain rain go away

Decided i'm going to try to write small things on here every day as I tend to dread writing big posts. Not sure if this will make it more or less boring for potential readers.

The other day in the park I met a very disabled gentleman in a park, I think he had cerebal palsy? Made friends with him and helped him out a bit. He couldn't really talk and we struggled to communicate but this made it really satisfying when we were able to get through to each other. Will always remember this guy. My first experience of being a carer, and I really really liked it.

I'd been really looking forward to the drumming and stuff in the Mont Royal park on sunday but it rained all day. Ended up reading and watching movies all day in our hostel.

in montreal

This time last week I was rushing around Edinburgh pushing past all the irritatingly slow-moving tourists (or 'fatties' as Michelle calls them) as they wander along staring up at old buildings and people doing strange things...and now, whaddayaknow...? I've become one of those people!

Montreal has been great so far... so much is happening here and I've stumbled across a lot of unadvertised stuff as well. Things on include the Montreal World Film Festival and the Flora Montreal garden/landscape festival, there's a car racing thingy on an island somewhere around here...plus there's just a huge variety of markets and festivities on The Plateau where I'm staying. Montreal is unusual in that the architecture of the victorian era suburbs is more destinctive and beautiful (in my opinion) than the city buildings, which are an ecclectic mix of every modern style of the last century. I've done a lot of walking and seen plenty of the local parks, met a lot of strange and nice local people and some cool travellers.

Although there is so much happening here I still can't help but miss Edinburgh a lot. I feel a little undecided about how to feel about Edinburgh; if I should try to forget it and get on with life elsewhere, or if I should hold onto it and get my bum into gear so I can save money and move back ASAP. I think the later may be the way things go.

Not sure where I'm going this week or what I'm going to do...I've got at least another 2 nights in Montreal and will fill you in on what I'm upto.

What I'm listening to at the moment: Beck, Quero.

leaving lovely edinburgh

It's hard for me to believe it but my time in the UK is almost over. I'm catching a bus down to London on Tuesday and flying out of Heathrow (wish me luck on that one) on Thursday. I'll have 3 and a bit weeks of traveling in Canada and the US before arriving home around 9am Septemeber 20. Edinburgh is a gorgeous city and I have a feeling I'll be back but am very sad cos it'll probably be a while before I do. I'm going to miss my street (below) and all the people I've met...if you ever want to meet lots of amazing new people really quickly go to Edinburgh!


I've been pretty busy with the Edinburgh Festivals going on at the moment...it's been fantastic but I have to say I think the Fringe Festival is getting a bit too big for it's boots. I've seen heaps of amazing cabaret, music, comedy, mime and film... saw Jimoin for free in the meadows...lots of swing dancing at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (photo below thanks to Sholybonoly)...there was an excellent Scottish standup/artist called Simon Monnery who has a song about Adelaide...a Russian clown family who had a very violent pillow fight with the audience...the caberet that I normally go to was hosted by Michaelangelo and the Black Sea Horsemen from Australia and they did us proud with their questionable eastern european accents and amazing polka songs with the giant Ochestra del Sol. What else have I seen? A Belgian film called Iceberg about a woman who gets locked in an industrial freezer over night and when she gets out has an incredible desire to find a magical Iceberg somehwere up in the North Sea...oh yeah and how could I forget Boxwars, a night of punk/metal music in which young men and women of Edinburgh made armour out of cardboard boxes and then proceeded to smash the crap out of each other while my flatmate's excellent band TheVery played. (I think you can find video of this on YouTube, maybe through a link on their webpage, above right)


Oh yeah, I never wrote about my Highlands travels with Mum and Nigel but I don't really have much to say that the photos don't already do...you can check them out on my photostream through the link above on the right. There are also some pics I took around Edinburgh the other day when Michelle very kindly lent me her digital camera...and if you still want more pics you can alwasy check out my contacts who often post photos of us running around doing silly things.

Well I'd better head off now and continue packing my stuff...those who know me will be aware the I am the biggest hoarder ever and a procrastinator when it comes to packing so we'll see how this goes...

My Itinerary over the next few weeks:

24 Aug : Heathrow - Montreal
(making my way to New York by bus at some point)
13 Sept: New York JFK - Los Angeles LAX
18 Sept - 20 Sept: LAX - Melbourne - Adelaide

See y'all soon! xxx

PS Congrats to Lauren who is now officially a cop, she was dux of her class in the academy!

What I'm listening to at the moment: The Big Chill soundtrack