You are currently browsing the Maple MOLE weblog archives for October, 2007.

A walk to the shops

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

So long time no blog. I have been a bit tied up with ‘stuff’ but I have still been taking pictures, in my head I have made loads of entries, unfortunately I do have to sit at the computer and type etc. Maybe in the future our thoughts can be down loaded straight on to the computer. I am sure there is some whiz out there working on that one. Reasons for no entries, moving, helping at school, boxes arriving, out buying furniture, and panicking buying Christmas prezzies to send to folk back home.

Before moving, I though I would snap the views I used to have when going shopping. When the sun was shinning I was blessed with the most amazing views of the mountains, sorry can’t name the mountains yet, and the downtown Vancouver skyline, (sorry it didn’t make a good picture through the trolley bus lines). The shop was what we English would call the corner shop, however this was a little different. For one the prices of the fruit and veg were cheaper than the big supermarkets. It was a bit like the tardis, the bad new was I never found Dr who. You could get anything from fresh meat to sacks of rice. The only thing missing was a Post Office.

Although it was a walk to the shop for me, it is also on a bus route. A trolley bus route, they have a couple of routes in Vancouver. This one starts Downtown and goes almost to the boundary where Vancouver meets Burnaby. Some may think the cables look a bit ugly, but for us newbees it’s a novelty. If you look on Marks blog he took a really cool picture of the overhead cable at dusk when it was raining.

Things that are different

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

Different but not wrong. How do we adjust to these things and what are they. Some house hold items are sooooooo much bigger, some I can understand why and take advantage of, others I just ask myself ‘why?’ Different phrases and words for things have caught us out a couple of times, some we can go with others I don’t think we will ever adapt to.

Big stuff, fridge – I am not sure I will ever fill it, washing machine – I have had to adapt to waiting until I have enough dirty washing to fill it, tumble dryer – how much can you fit in it, two loads and it still looks empty. Call me old fashioned but its not the same as being dried out in the fresh air. Washing line? – sorry I mean line dried. Cooker(stove) that has to be a why? I have yet to understand why they are so large, and they still have elements, fan assisted – what do you mean. When I looked in the shops, ceramic hobs just haven’t reached here yet.

As for food shopping, they like buying in bulk or maybe they just do food big like America. Apples and tomatoes are just silly huge, and there’s no hope of fitting an apple in your lunch box, packed lunch – a bag lunch. Flour, sugar, rice come by the sack load, this is the smallest bag I have found so far. You may have noticed the cup in the pictures, I put this in to give you an idea of the size of things.

The language. Ground beef – mince meat. Cell – mobile. Transit – public transport. Sovalaki – shish kebab. Soccer cleats – football boots. Zucchini – cougett. Correction Officer – Prison officer. Kitchen catchers – bin liner. Binder – folder.  In the boonies – out in the sticks. Suplements – vitamins. Some are obvious like laundry, auto, sweater, pants etc the list could go on, but I think you get the idea. If I come across any really unusual ones I will post it.

Crazy time

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

So today Elliot went to have his ‘Grad pictures’ taken on one side of Vancouver and Oliver was to be at a birthday celebration on the other side. We thought we had it sorted. About hour before Elliot & Mark were due to leave Elliot said ‘I thought we would all go to my photo session so I can have my picture taken with Oliver’. Hmmm, Elliot was the only one who was ready. So after negotiations and phone calls we all left, on time for the Grad photo shoot. This was something else. Elliot had pre-booked his slot and was made to feel very special. For the full story go the Marks blog. Oliver and my-self then split for our own venture across town. First we had to negotiate the road works that are ‘big’ on Cambie Road. This is where the new sky train line will run, only this part is underground. So how do you put a train line under ground when life is going on around? Simple you create a series of bridges and the traffic criss crosses the BIG HOLE. Once we had figured out where the bus stop was in all the changes we was on our way. Our journey took us across the Burrard Inlet on the sea bus and then a 35 minute bus ride to the Lynn Valley on the North Shore. Its in the mountains and I really don’t know how the bus got up the hill. The one thing that hit us both when we got off the bus was how cold it was. We what else did we expect. Once Oliver was sorted I then made way back home. I decided to take a different route via Phibbs exchange. We had seen this on several buses but had never been there. The title tells it all really, its a place where you change buses. However its the most boring place ever. There is nothing there apart from bus stops, shelters and a bus route map, and its right next to a main road. So I was freezing cold, and now it had started to rain, and I couldn’t even buy a chocolate. I did make it back home where it was nice and warm, only to prepare to do the journey again after we had eaten. The main thing was the boys both had a good day.

One thing we have noticed, bus stations and sky train stations don’t have any shops or news agents. They do have lots of free papers available and a recycling bin to use when you have finished with it.

Marks Blog

Thursday, October 4th, 2007

So now Mark has get his blog up and running as well, we will try not to write about the same things. The aim is to compliment each other……….

So if you want to take a look at his site for the more professional version then go to www.bcbrit.net

Lumber Jacks

Monday, October 1st, 2007

It’s true they really exist. Whilst job hunting on Craigs list I spotted this. Unfortunately Mark doesn’t have ahead for hight’s

Lumber Jack Wanted

The Urban Lumberjack is a full service Tree Care company that is committed to quality workmanship, safe work practices and excellent customer service.

We are currently interviewing for an experienced Tree Climber.