The Beauty of Vancouver

About a week ago I had such a headache from work and it was such a nice day that I decided to go rollerblading instead of writing my thesis. Not far from my place there is Yaletown and you can go right from there beside the ocean to Stanley Park. Being so close to the beach while rollerblading, is the best ever.

The only thing I didn't know was that Stanley Park is a “one way” street for rollerbladders and bikers and so clever me went the wrong way, after I had about 3 cyclists yelling at me I decided that I could just turn around. You must know that I am listening to loud, no very loud music when I rollerblade, so for me hearing the cyclists means that they were really yelling, one actually almost ran over me...

Today I was smarter and went the route other way around and so I could enjoy the whole beauty of the ocean. Amazing!!!

Surrender the booty or houseboat goodness

Since months of working every weekend on my thesis, I finally managed to hand in a first draft and now I have “nothing” to do than wait for my professor's revisions. So I took the whole last weekend of and went with the Scurvy Dawgs on a houseboat trip. I actually don't really know how and what to tell about the weekend, there were so many little things that made the whole weekend to one of the best weekends I had this summer, if not the best.

All together we were 25 people on two houseboats. The whole party started on Friday night when slowly everybody arrived and boarded the boats and went straight into the hot tub. After we all got heated up, we went down the slide into the dark and clod water, WUHHUUUU what a fun...

The next day after breakfast a bit of cleaning and coffee, we started “sailing” away and found a nice spot on the lake to set the anchor. We went for swims in the lake, a warm up in the hot tub, a sun tan on the roof top or any other most relaxing activity. If we got bored of one location we just drove to another one. To do exactly the same, nothing than relaxing... AWESOME.

Not-Tub (not so hot tub, it broke the last day and was a little cold)

Later on we set the anchor at a beach, where we spend the night. Again, the night was spend mostly in the hot tub, you must imagine about 15people in 8 people hot tub. Very cozy :-)

After waking up from a night with not too much sleep, we noticed that one of the boats wasn't going anywhere and that we had to call a mechanic. While we were waiting for the mechanic for the other boat, our boat went a little of shore and while the others enjoyed their breakfast, we swam over and stole their canoe and their “Surrender the booty” flag, without them noticing it at all. But I guess we were fooled by them even more, since they got us back good. They managed to steal the flag back, while we were first of all mooning the other boat, facing to the flag and not seeing the thieve and even better our captain who was sitting right beside the flag and did not notice it either :-) Yep we are a great team.

All together it was an awesome weekend. As I said I can't describe how good it was. All I can say that if I think of the weekend I still have a big smile in my face, so much fun it was and also I am super relaxed now :-) I hope to be able to provide you guys with some pictures, but I have to wait till I collect them from the other pirates.

So there is nothing left to say than Yarrrrrrrrrg

You've got mail

Yeah, I got my first non-bill mail to the new address :-) And who else than the world famous Bernd Schneider could have been so fast to send me a postcard .

Unfortunately I couldn't find your email Bernd, but I will say THANKS this way and everybody else will know too.

THANKS BERND and H***O Hugs, TINA

Worst smell ever

I assume that each and every single of you has at some point in life had the "chance" to smell spoiled milk and I further assume that you agree with me that this smell is just gross. But have you ever smelled spoiled milk that's like a week old sitting in your car? I did and believe me there is nothing that could potentially be grosser. Here the story.

I lend my car to my roomy Alastair last weekend, since he had to run some chores for our BBQ. Besides the heavy propane tank he also bought milk and other groceries, which he put into the trunk. And as he is driving the propane tank falls and smashes the milk. For sure Alastair cleaned the mess, at least that's what he thought, but he forgot that milk is liquid and goes everywhere like into the place where the emergency wheel is stored. So the milk is sitting there for a week, because I don’t use the car often. But when I used my little Pepe on Saturday I right away noticed the smell, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I cleaned the car from the inside and got some air freshener thingy and hoped it would be gone. Yesterday, I drove Iryna home and guess what the smell wasn't gone, it was actually worst having a mix of spoiled milk and vanilla air freshener. Well Iryna convinced me that I have a dead animal in my car, some kind of rat and we already made up a plan how to get ride of that dead animal. So on our way to find the dead rat we opened the trunk and inspected the emergency wheel, oh boy, I am still surprised I did not puke, soooooo gross. I was glad that Alastair right a way offered to clean the mess, but till the smell is still in Pepe. It's not as bad anymore, but it's there. I actually drove to work today, so I can go and open all doors and windows during my lunch break. But just the thought of it makes me wanna puke.

So True

A friend just send me this link to a grad student comic page and as I am procrastinating and read the comics I find that they are so true.

Here my favourite:

In case you want to procrastinate as well. Have a look at their webpage.

Current Lifestyle

6am alarm rings, gym? Not today to tired
6:30am finally moving lazy butt out of the bed
7:40am showed, dressed and coffee done, ready to go
7:55am arrive a work, drinking coffee... work
12pm lunch break
12:45pm back to work
5pm going home
6pm thesis writing
12am-1am bed time

well I actually went for coffee with Iryna today, but besides there is not much happening here... Can't wait to go on the houseboat in 1,5weeks :-) Yep, we rented two houseboats for 26ppl for a weekend, the boats have a hot tub and a slide, should be super fun, well at least that's what's keeps me motivated with my current lifestyle...

Done unpacking

Who said setting up an IKEA closet is easy? It's not! First of all they are heavy at least the one I have and that is not even the biggest one you can get. And then the instructions are also not necessarily the best either. Well I was lucky that Flo was there to help me and so we were able to set up the closet, except of the doors, because IKEA sells the hinges separately and I didn't know that and so I didn't have them here. Since it took us quite a while to assemble the closet and we had to get up at 3am, because Flo had to be at the airport at 4am, we just didn't set up the bookshelf. But I managed to do that this morning all by myself. I am very proud of me. I also went to IKEA and got the hinges, however, I didn't mount the doors yet. But I put all my clothes into the closet and also got ride of all other boxes.

So except of decorating, which has to wait till my thesis is done, I would say moving is finally over :-)

First Days in Van

So now I am in Van, I arrived here late Thursday night. After dropping of my desk, bed and some other big stuff, I only unloaded the necessary thing like a blanket from my car and went straight to bed. My first night in a new home and I didn't dream anything, too bad, since the dream would have become true, but maybe I can just make up some nice story. Friday morning I finally unloaded my car, which took me forever, since I had to take each box separately. And for whatever reason I wasn't thinking when I was packing and put all the heavy stuff in one single box. I managed to unpack some of my clothes and set up my desk and computer, there are still a bunch of boxes in my room, but I don't have a closet yet, no not true I got the closet from IKEA, but it's still in boxes in the living room. Flo is coming over tonight, since he is flying back to Germany from Vancouver tomorrow and he volunteered to assemble my closet. (He does not know yet that there is a bookshelf waiting for him as well :-S ) So by tomorrow there should be no boxes in my room anymore. Besides of that what else.

Well a pleasant surprise was that my room – the walk-in closet – is actually bigger that I remembered it and I believe once it's all decorated it will be very nice. It's super bright in here too, since one of my walls is window only. The patio is super large and sunny and apparently we're having a BBQ next weekend. Oh and my roomie Alastair already managed to scare the hell out of me twice in two days, it's almost like he got consulted by my old roomies, who were pretty good in scaring me as well.

Oh the cutest thing in this apartment building are the old Chinese folks that practise Tai Chi in the inner courtyard in the morning. So cute.

Then I went to the grocery store that we have in the house, it's an Asian grocery store and I don't know 90% of the stuff they are selling there. So I only got the basic stuff like milk and bread and some cheese and the next thing I will have to get is an Asian cookbook, so I can actually buy stuff there and know what to do with it or how to cook it.

As in every move you forget to pack certain things and so this morning I am just about making my daily coffee latte, the espresso is done and the milk is hot as well, but I couldn't find my milk foamer, well guess what it's still on the counter in Victoria. So my first coffee here, was without foamed milk, which is not the same. So I went an got a new milk foamer and afternoon coffee was way better :-) I guess Jen will be super happy when she finds out what I forgot.

I think that's all for today and I will check out our gym now. It's just across the hall.

Update: Sat: 8:18pm, I am back from the gym, it's a small one, but does it's purpose, anyways I forgot to mention that we have a real shower, you know you that you can take in you hand and move around, just great :-)

See You Soon

You know what's weird, all the time I wanted a change, a change from Victoria, the town where everybody is moving once they are done with school. It was my turn now, to leave and even though I was/am very much looking forward to move to Van and to live here, it was also sad knowing to leave so many good friends behind. At my farewell BBQ on Wednesday I got a card saying “There is no good in goodbye” maybe there is not, but you don't need to say goodbye, maybe it's better to say “See You Soon” and after all Vancouver is only a ferry ride away and I am sure I will see all of you guys soon again.

So see you soon, very soon...