Catincairo is one year old!

My first entry was November 27th, 2007- one year ago today! It was funny re-reading some of those first entries- SO MUCH has changed since then- what an amazing and bizarre year I've had... I had forgotten how nervous I was before I left, when I was packing all my stuff and getting ready to leave for the next two years, and how lonely and homesick I felt when I first arrived in Cairo...and I never could have predicted that in the following months I would climb mountains, live in two apartments, live in a hotel for 2.5 months, swim in the Red Sea, dip my feet in the dead sea, travel to Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka and India, touch an elephant, interview 1000 people in 5 weeks, eat some reallllly weird stuff, make some lifelong friends and get to spend 5 months with my friends and family in Victoria... although some of the times were hard and put me out of my "comfort zone" I wouldn't trade any of these expereinces for anything-- they have made me stronger and taught me so much. I'm not sure what the next year will bring, but I'm ready for it!

Roadtrip

Well, it's officially goretex and turtleneck weather around here; I like fall, but I can't believe a few months ago I said I missed the rain--I take that back!

This weekend Celeste and I took a roadtrip up island to visit Sarah who just moved there- she was an awsome hostess- we did a lot of my favourite activities: eating, going for walks, drinking wine, catching up and playing Rock Band!! We did NOT eat any nanaimo bars, but I think Cole and I do that enough at work! A few pics:

fall continues in Victoria...

Looks like I haven't written in a while....it would take a long time to re-cap the 10 days but they included: a swim-team baby shower for Trishy (and Ayelen); make-your-own pizza night at Cole and Kristinas and a trip to Vancouver which involved Kate, Tegan, Michael, Frank, Rock Band II and a lot of food. Here are a few pictures. Adam James, a misty sunset over the gulf islands, Michael the rock star and a crazy sky full of popcorn clouds from Mikey's window.

Oh deer...

I hope you all had a great halloween weekend. I was really sick and Topaz and I spent most of the weekend like this.


I got to watch Aidan's soccer for a bit, which was great, but it's cooolllllddd when you're standing there not moving.




So...a new employee came into the office the other day and I asked how he was liking victoria (he'd just moved from alberta) and he said that it was great but he was upset because he'd hit a deer the day before-- apparently he got out of the car and called the RCMP and sat down beside the deer--- the poor deer was pretty badly injured, but he lifted up his head, looked Jake in the eye and lay his head in his lap...that's how the RCMP officer found them-- he said he'd never seen anything like it before-- usually if they're alive enough to move they don't stick around. But we do work hard to hire friendly, approachable people, so I guess bambi felt comfortable with him. Unfortunately, the RCMP guy had to shoot him later, but I thought it was a nice story.
On an unrelated note, there was an amazing sunrise this morning- I caught it though a willow tree. Also unrelated, that's great about Obama, eh? It will be interesting to see what the next few years hold- I think the world is ready for a change. Okay time for bed, tonight's swim workout wore me out. xoxo C