It really doesn't feel like Christmas.

I cannot believe it's Christmas this week. It doesn't feel like it, but maybe that's because I don't have plans and am more looking forward to the New Year's celebrations we have organised, which will be a combined Christmas/New Year thing.

But I must backtrack a week. Last weekend I went to San Francisco to see my Aunty Gail and family friend Lee. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw them, it's probably been a good 4-5 months!! At first I wasn't so sure on the decision to go down, with this new job, but then thought, "screw it!". They're so close and I couldn't really pass up the opportunity to visit while they were on this side of the world.

So after a late night flight on the Friday I was back in San Fran. The last time I was there was in 2007 (!!!) and prior to that it would have been about 1995 or 1996. It seems to be a visit of every 10 years!! It is such a cool city and the people are so friendly. They rented an apartment near the Palace of Fine Arts and it was so nice being in a residential area, rather than the downtown or touristy area. The first day was a really nice day, we went to their local bakery for a decent coffee then walked to get a cable car. We stopped off at the Fairmont then looked at a church nearby. Following that we headed to downtown San Fran and watched the ice skaters, a very cool acapella group and tried to see how many people were dressed up in crazy Santa costumes because it happened to be Santacon that day. (where people just bar hop dressed as Santa.) We then headed back to their favourite French cafe that had the most delicious food and chai lattes. We ate there both days.

As the weather on the Sunday was predicted to be raining (great, I left Vancouver to go to SUNNY California) we decided to go for a walk down towards the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a lovely arvo and a beautiful sunset. Also there were surfers under the bridge!! Crazy! The following day was Gail's birthday so we went to our usual places and did a bit of shopping on another local street. Unfortunately it was a short day for me as I had to leave for the airport around 2.45pm. But stupid me, did not check the flights as my flight was delayed for 2 hours (!!) so I hung out at the airport when I could have had more time with them. Oh well. It was so good to see them and have that little piece of home over here. I guess it's hard at this time of year when you can't be with your family for the holidays.

Oh and in other news Miley Cyrus was on my flight to Vancouver!!! I tried to take a sneaky photo but it was so blurry. I could not make a living as a papparazzi!

Not a lot else happening, just going out really and hanging out with friends. Like I said, I think I won't be doing a lot for Christmas. I have 10 days off (yippee!) so will be chilling out. There is a plan to learn to ski, so hoping that'll happen next week. Might hit the Boxing Day sales and then before we know it 2016 will be here! Crazy!

I've only just realised that I haven't been home for Christmas for a few years so really missing the hot Aussie Christmas this year.

No doubt there'll be another update before the end of the year, so until then, Merry Christmas!

Homesickness and hockey.

The last couple of days I've really missed home. It’s such a strange feeling. It started a bit on the weekend when I didn’t feel like going out and doing anything.

Don’t get me wrong, I love being here but right now I’m really missing the familiarity of home and my friends and family. I guess perhaps it’s because I’ve been away for 2 months already and it’s been go, go, go since I left and I haven’t really had a chance to slow down. I don’t know it’s hard to explain! But in saying that it was about 2 months in when I was away previously that I felt homesick.

This visit to San Francisco this weekend couldn’t come at a better time. Right now I need to see someone from home and I’m glad I’m catching up with my family. Just need a bit of a recharge I think. Maybe it’s also because it’s so close to Christmas too.

In other news, my friend Jess and I went to the ice hockey and saw the Vancouver Canucks play the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. Jess scored free tickets through work! Apparently there’s a fierce rivalry that dates back to 2011 when there were riots after the hockey final and Boston beat Vancouver. Anyway, all I can say is thank goodness we didn’t pay for tickets, as the Bruins defeated the Canucks in a pretty big way…. 4-0. We ended up leaving before it finished to beat the crowds. We had no idea about the rules…just that they needed to get the puck into the net.

We were excited though as within the first minute there was a fight which led to a penalty for each team. Also later in the game one of the Canucks hit a Bruins player in the balls with his stick! (and it was his hockey stick for all you dirty minded people.) Unfortunately, we missed seeing this as I think this happened after we left. I read that the player was fined $5000 but he said he would do it again! Haha!

Sorry Jess, I’m throwing you under the bus (again!). As we have no idea about rules etc when the Bruins scored their first goal, Jess said “That was a good try”. Hahahaha! We both cracked it! It’s hockey Jess, not rugby league!! We’re really not sports watching people!!

I think if the Canucks played better it might have been more enjoyable. They’re good anyway, Jess and I don’t skate (I don’t know about Jess but I’ve never ice skated before!) so we were impressed with their skating skills and the way they control the puck. But because they had no chance of a comeback there was no point in seeing the rest of the game. It was a good night!

December...where is the year going?

The weeks are just flying by!

I’m going to try and write about my weekends/weeks regularly as the weekends have been so much fun lately and I feel it’s important to record them. :)

Anyway, as of last Friday night/Saturday morning I had absolutely no plans on the weekend. Except to go out on Saturday night. So I thought I would be good and go to the gym. A couple of the girls that I see regularly at the gym said they go on Saturday mornings because one of the really good instructors, Mariette, takes both the Pump and Attack classes. (I never miss Mariette’s Tuesday night Attack classes if I can’t help it).

I get to the class and just before it starts, the same 2 girls invite me to go to brunch afterwards. Sweet! That is just what I need, especially after 2 hours of exercise! (1 hour weights and 1 hour cardio and 845 calories burned!). We went to this awesome little café on Hemlock and 7^th called Slickity Jim’s. If you’re in Vancouver, go now! The brunch is amazing!

By the time we left there I had got a text from my friend Olivier to say that he and some others were going to Granville Island and would I like to meet up! Couldn’t say no. After a quick shower and change I was out the door again. I love my area as I’m within walking distance of Granville Island…but on the way I walked down the shopping precinct of Granville St (only 10 min walk from my place) and did a spot of “Black Friday” shopping. Bought a couple of awesome jumpers from Roots. Thank you Canada for adopting the Black Friday sales.

Anyway, new clothes in hand, I met up with the guys at Granville. We wandered around a bit and looked at the shops and bought some food for dinner – tuna steaks and salad. Olivier had this awesome recipe from his hometown – Montreal. It was delicious. Oh I can’t forget the oysters we had for an entrée (or as they call it here an appetizer) . Fancy!

Side note for the Aussies if you haven’t been to the States/Canada before: entrée = appetizer, main = entrée and dessert = dessert. The entrée thing still confuses me. I don’t understand why the main meal is called an entrée…anyway!!

We had a great night, awesome dinner and thanks to Adam and Ali, I learned how to play Cribbage. It took a while but got the hang of it in the end! Dinner was amazing and the company was good too. After getting home, it was 10pm and I was still planning on going out to meet some other friends! Although Nanna Nicole was starting to rear her ugly head, I sucked it up and went out. Had an awesome night just catching up and hanging out. Next minute it’s 3am and the bar is turning on the lights, a signal to kick us out. We had some sustenance (ie kebabs) and all headed home around 4am. Thank goodness there are night busses that go near my place although I still had to walk 10 minutes to get home and the temperatures would have easily been below 0!

After a nice sleep in till about 11am, it took a while to get up and get going. It’s not the hangover that affects me it’s the lack of sleep! (Actually I didn’t really have a hangover! Woot!) I had made plans to meet up with my previous landlords, Sue and Jeff for coffee. I lived in their basement for pretty much the whole time I was in Vancouver last time so it was great to catch up again. They still had a bag of my old clothes that were supposed to go to charity that they gave back to me. It was like an early Christmas! (although some clothes will still be going to charity!!).

I then met up with my friend Jess to go to the movies, we saw “Secret in their Eyes”. It was ok. It had Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and the actor from “12 years a slave”. I wouldn’t rush out to see it.

Nek minute. Weekend is over. How does that happen???

But…that’s not the only excitement that happened this week. A group of 12 of us booked to see the Cirque du Soleil show that’s currently in town, called Kooza. It was fantastic. Some of the acts had us all on the edge of our seat. It was a brilliant night. I’ve been lucky enough to see 5 Cirque shows now and each one is so different. You can’t compare them!

Phew. What a week. Who knows what this weekend will bring? Wait, plans have already started to be made! Catching up for sushi with friends tomorrow night and Jess scored free tickets from her work to the Canucks game on Saturday night. Should be a ball as we have no idea what the rules are!!

Next weekend I’m off to San Fran to catch up with my Aunty Gail and family friend Rosalie. They got an awesome flight deal from Aus and are there for 3 weeks! Too bad I can’t take any more time off work but I can’t wait to see them as I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye before I left.  Then it’s one weekend then Christmas. CRAZY!!!