First Snowfall of the Season

The first snowfall was last night, and it isn't even Halloween! Went out to buy lottery tickets and a few other things. The lotto is $50 Million tax-free dollars! Canada is cool like that: no tax to pay on winnings. Also don't have to wait on annual payments either, you get the full lump sum.

If I won the lottery, I'd buy a house here and a place in Hawaii. Maybe not a house, but perhaps a condo on the beach! Then my hubby and I could rent it when we're not there, but always have a place to go to when we visit the family. Until then, I'd get my family and friends to visit me... plus give a few million to our parents :)

Most important of all, I'd have a dressing room. One wall for shoes and one wall for clothes. Bags would also have it's own display area, because bags and shoes are art.

Well, a girl can dream.

Shocking Rain

I was shocked by the rain and the wet. The wind spoke in gasps of chill, but no more than the slippery leaves. I zipper up my jacket and pray my ankle boots don't slip on the slick cement.

First Pub Experience

Hawaii doesn't have many pubs, and the ones we do have, I have never stepped foot in. So, my first night at a pub was interesting. It is much like a bar/lounge, except it has pretty good beer selection and everything looks so... woodsy?

When we went in the door, they put our IDs under a screen thing and took pics of it. Not surprisingly, they commented on my Hawaii ID. Next time someone asks me, "What is a girl from Hawaii doing in Canada?" I'll tell them that this is where Hawaii people go for vacation.

We found a table and ordered drinks. They didn't have Lychee Martinis or Strawberry 'Ritas... so I opted for Rum and Diet Coke. C had a Dirty Hooker and S had what's on tap. We settled in for some surprisingly good karaoke.

Somewhere after a rendition of "Under the Sea" ala Sebastian of Little Mermaid, we ordered another round. This time I got a Bud Lite because I wasn't sure how long we would be there, and I was already tipsy from my R+DC. Much of it is a blur, but sometime along the night, I ended up on C's lap. I think I did a lapdance... Luckily, he's my husband.

So, the guys decide it's time to go, and since I've been sitting there nursing my beer, it's barely half done. So I try to tank it, but can't. C and S both end up finishing the beer for me.

Tottering outside in my red stilettos S and I chat while C is in the restroom. I notice a Cold Beer Store Drive-In, which I think is quite a novelty. Apparently in Canada, alcohol is strictly regulated and you can't get it at regular stores. So, while S smokes, I'm freezing my butt off but S tells some good stories, so I'm distracted.

C pulls up and beeps. I'm startled and nearly fall on my butt (hey, try standing while drunk in 5-inch stilettos.. yeah I thought so). I sit in the back and the guys decide what to do next. Frankly, I'm ready to pass out. Yes, I'm a light weight.

We head to S's so he can change and stuff. C and I are bored and I'm quite tipsy, so we mess around with the camera for a bit. S comes out, and C tries to ambush him with the camera, but he's quite elusive.

We head over to Spanky's, which is like a hole in the wall place with pizza and wings. S knows some of the ppl there and since he's leaving soon, he's gonna stay and hang out so we can go home. Good thing too, because I'm cold and feel like falling over.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, I had to visit the porcelain altar :(

Volunteer Search

I've been researching volunteer opportunities, and have found a few... but with winter fast approaching, it is difficult to find things that I like. All the environmental volunteer things that I've looked up have "no positions available".

Isn't that odd? I mean, who wouldn't want free help? But then again, perhaps they close for the winter... can't exactly maintain trails in the snow I suppose.

So... I'm looking at maybe helping seniors. It reminds me of when I did crafts with the seniors at the Salvation Army back in Honolulu. That was fun and rewarding. But.. since I'm a notorious craft hoarder, I'll settle for doing reception work if needed.

Legislature

I could go on and on about Manitoba's legislature building. The artistic masonry, the marble floors, the beautiful sculptures and artwork, and the limestone walls dotted with fossils. But for now, I'll just talk about the legislature.

They were not in session, but I was able to hear brief talk about the legislative process in the session room. There is a throne (I guess to represent the crown or head of state) sitting prominently at the head of the room. The center of the room has a table with 4 chairs. On the left and right sides of the room is a semi-circle of chairs and tables, like a smaller version of the UN. In the balconies above are viewing areas for the public.

Listening to the talk, it seems that the center table has people who checks and verifies rules. The person sitting at the foot of the table has a gold mace with a crown on top, serving as the head of security.

The left side of the semi-circle is for the rule-makers. The right side is for the opposition. If they don't like what the rule-makers are doing, they oppose them.

The public sitting in the balconies above can only listen and not participate.

Sounds a little odd? Okay, I admit it, the talk was for a group of 10 year-olds, but it made things easier for me to understand. After all, it is based on the British way of doing things. I saw some of this on TV before, and it was all so confusing! However, I loved the pageantry and Old World tradition of it all.

Wellington Crescent

Went for a nice drive through Wellington Crescent. The houses there are old, stately, and so very different from what you see in Hawaii. Many are like mansions, and a few are covered in ivy.

There is a sign warning drivers that the road is closed on Sundays and Holidays to thru traffic because the road becomes a large bike path. I have never seen such a thing until I came here! Imagine, closing off a road just for bikes.

I was also fascinated by the architecture of the houses. I could almost imagine what it was like to live here at the turn of the century! These are homes made of brick worn down with age. The road's median is a walking path that is maintained like a garden. My father-in-law tells me that cable cars run through here.

The road eventually leads into Assiniboine Park and it's many attractions. I am struck by its size and beauty. Most stunning of all is the Pavilion Gallery which sits like a castle in the center of it all. There are several lanes and parking areas throughout the park. All the parks I've been to back home have a perfunctory lane leading to a small parking lot where you'd be lucky to find an empty stall.

Hello World!

Whenever I go someplace that requires ID, I show my passport and/or Hawaii Driver's License. The response is always the same: "What is a girl from Hawaii doing here in Manitoba?"

I merely smile and point to my new husband. He is my paradise.

People would tell me they dream about going to Hawaii, and here I am leaving paradise to come here: a land of extremes. There are no mountains, no coral reefs, and no rain forests.. but every day is a new and beautiful experience for me. To me, this is like a vacation, an adventure.

There are no seasons in Hawaii, so seeing the seasons change is like an affirmation of life. So it is my hope that my experiences here will help you to see your anew world through my eyes.